Of all the terrible just-out-of-college jobs that have been described on TK, Julia Fine probably had the worst. Later, she ended up leaving a good position to pursue an MFA, and the result is WHAT SHOULD BE WILD, a (wild) combination of fairy tale, folklore, mystery, road trip, and countless other inspirations. She and James talk about how she managed to juggle so many influences while avoiding genre expectations. Plus, Julia’s editor from Harper, Erin Wicks.

Julia Fine: https://www.julia-fine.com/

Julia and James discuss:

Annie Hartnett

Columbia College Chicago

Harper

Mercedes Lackey

Tamora Pierce

HIS DARK MATERIALS by Philip Pullman

Angela Carter

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson

Robert Graves

FROM THE BEAST TO THE BLONDE by Marina Warner

Erin Wicks

Carmen Maria Machado

Kelly Link

SWAMPLANDIA! by Karen Russell

THE TIGER’S WIFE by Tea Obreht

MR. FOX by Helen Oyeyemi

Benjamin Percy

Stephen King

MARLENA by Julie Buntin

Erin Wicks: @Erin_Wicks

Erin and James discuss: 

WHAT SHOULD BE WILD by Julia Fine (obviously)

SUNSHINE STATE by Sarah Gerard

BINARY STAR by Sarah Gerard

WAVE by Sonali Deraniyagala

When her mother suffers a stroke, Tessa Fontaine joins the traveling circus sideshow. She recounts this unique time in her life in her incredible new memoir, THE ELECTRIC WOMAN. She and James talk about being okay with not knowing what you’re writing about, how first books are like teenagers, and finding the untold story. And, she is the first guest (to James’s knowledge) to flashback to Eagle-Eye Cherry’s “Save Tonight.” Plus, Meg Reid of Hub City Writers Project.

Tessa Fontaine: 

Tessa and James discuss:

Annie Hartnett

Harper

University of Alabama

University of Utah

Freytag’s Pyramid

LET’S NO ONE GET HURT by Jon Pineda

“The First Cut is the Deepest” by Sheryl Crow

“Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry

Cormac McCarthy

Ernest Hemingway

Jenna Johnson

HELL’S ANGELS by Hunter S. Thompson

Meg Reid: (Hub City)

(Book Design

Meg and James discuss:

WPA

Newtonville Books

Turnrow Book Co.

Square Books

Tessa Fontaine

Betsy Teter

Publisher’s Group West

Dzanc Books

Milkweed Editions

OVER THE PLAIN HOUSES by Julia Franks

FLIGHT PATH by Hannah Palmer

John Jeremiah Sullivan

Sewanee

WHISKEY & RIBBONS by Leesa Cross-Smith

Emily L. Smith

Lookout Books

ECOTONE

UNC-Wilmington

NEA

Sarabande Books

Carolina Wren Press

THE HANDS OF STRANGERS by Michael Farris Smith

Lemuria Books

Parnassus Books

Eric Spencer

Kelly Estep

Carmichael’s Books

Bookmarks in Winston-Salem