Category: Podcasts

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

Patrick Crerand started off trying to write blue-collar factory stories, but he eventually discovered his voice writing the more surreal and magical stories contained in his new collection, THE PAPER LIFE THEY LEAD. He tells James about how a story about kidnapping Amish people led him to success, learning to write what he loves, and The Boss’s “Glory Days” but with a car. Plus, Arc Pair Press founder Heather Momyer.

Patrick Crerand

Patrick and James discuss: 

Dairy Queen

Bowling Green State University

Lawrence Coates

Anthony Doerr

Wendell Mayo

Flannery O’Connor

Donald Barthelme

University of Louisiana

Ernest J. Gaines

George Saunders

Aimee Bender

Ernest Hemingway

Raymond Carver

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Franz Kafka

“The Enormous Radio” by John Cheever

Bruce Springsteen

Michael Czyzniejewski

MID-AMERICAN REVIEW

Steve Almond

Christopher Grimes

Fc2

Rikki Ducornet

Freytag’s Pyramid

Heather Momyer

“Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen

–

Arc Pair Press

Heather and James Discuss:

Bowling Green State University

BALLYHOO STORIES

MASQUE & SPECTACLE

HOTEL AMERIKA

NINTH LETTER

“The Pederson Kid” by William Gass

Angela Carter

Salman Rushdie

PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee

Alban Fischer

In her second novel, BURY WHAT WE CANNOT TAKE, Kirstin Chen depicts a family in China under the tightening rule of Mao. She tells James about her choice to tell the story when and how she did, along with trying to make people happy, learning to craft endings from short stories, dealing with cultural tourism, and, of course, writing in a cave in a museum. Plus, Michael Nye on the AWP conference, selling your book, scheduling your day, and writing longhand.

–

Kirstin Chen

Kirstin and James discuss: 

NTU-NAC National Writer in Residence in Singapore

Little A

Matthew Salesses

Emerson College

Columbia University

NYU

Chairman Mao

The Great Famine

The Great Leap Forward

Drum Wave Inlet

Michelle Brower

Jamie Quatro

Zadie Smith

Vanessa Hua

The San Francisco Chronicle

–

Michael Nye

Michael and James discuss: 

BOULEVARD MAGAZINE

NATURAL BRIDGE: A JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE

University of Missouri in St. Louis

AWP Conference

Annette Bening

AMERICAN BEAUTY

Maggie Smith

Ohio State University

Ruth Awad

TINY LETTER

RIVER STYX MAGAZINE

Annie Hartnett

DEEP WORK by Cal Newport

One of James’s favorite books of 2018 inspires one of his favorite conversations. Jon Pineda, author of LET’S NO ONE GET HURT, joins the show to talk about being worried for your characters, maintaining a sense of wonder, fooling yourself into writing, inventing the Voltron of fathers, becoming a cobbler (!) and living a life with fewer disclaimers. Plus, Miciah Bay Gault chats about HUNGER MOUNTAIN and the MFA in publishing and writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

–

Jon Pineda: http://www.jonpineda.com/

Jon and James discuss:

HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT dir by Kent Jones

HITCHCOCK by Francois Truffaut

NORTH BY NORTHWEST dir by Alfred Hitchcock

Voltron

The Incredible Hulk

WE THE ANIMALS by Justin Torres

Marilynne Robinson

JESUS’ SON by Denis Johnson

GIOVANNI’S ROOM by James Baldwin

IF THE SKY FALLS by Nicholas Montemarano

THE LOVER by Marguerite Duras

Amy Hempel

ANGEL HEAD: A MEMOIR by Greg Bottoms

HELL AT THE BREECH by Tom Franklin

–

Miciah Bay Gault: https://vcfa.edu/

http://hungermtn.org/

Vermont College of Fine Arts

Emerson College

Syracuse University

Melissa Febos

Donika Kelly

EPHEMERAL ARTERY

Over the course of eleven books, including his latest novel, THE UNMADE WORLD, Steve Yarbrough has established himself as a master of language and place. But James knows him as the leader of the greatest workshop ever. They discuss that class at Sewanee, as well as being a Southern writer with a British aesthetic, structuring novels based on the football calendar, and getting poked in the stomach. Plus, Annie Hartnett on being more productive.

Steve Yarbrough

Steve and James discuss:

Sewanee Writers’ Conference

Jill McCorkle

Johnny Carson

IN THE SHADOW OF 10,000 HILLS by Jennifer Haupt

THE GIRL FROM BLIND RIVER by Gale Massey

Bill Parcells

Jimmy Johnson

University of Arkansas

William Harrison

John Clellon Holmes

James Whitehead

Bill Belichick

Graham Greene

Emerson College

Pamela Painter

Margot Livesey

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW by Larry McMurtry

BOOKMARKED: LARRY McMURTRY’S THE LAST PICTURE SHOW by Steve Yarbrough (SY)

PRISONERS OF WAR by SY

THE END OF CALIFORNIA by SY

“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway

Ron Hansen

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

Bill Evans

Raymond Carver

THE DIXIE ASSOCIATION by Donald “Skip” Hayes

Richard Yates

William Trevor

“Wildwood Flower”

“Blowing up on the Spot” by Kevin Wilson (from PLOUGHSHARES, Winter 2003-4)

Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”

THE PIGEON TUNNEL by John LeCarre

Alice Munro

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER by Tom Clancy

Gary Fisketjon

Greg Michalson

Fred Ramey

Knopf

THE OXYGEN MAN by SY

The Harvard Book Store

Michael Nye

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION by Ewa Hryniewicz-Yarbrough

Unbridled Books

–

Annie Hartnett

Annie and James discuss:

“If You Want to Write a Book, Write Every Day or Quit Now” by Stephen Hunter

“Why the Best Way to Get Creative Is to Make Some Rules” by Aimee Bender

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/writing-every-day-writers-rules-aimee-bender/all#ixzz58vlFL9eU

THE ELECTRIC WOMAN by Tessa Fontaine

Sarah Shute

THE DEFINING DECADE by Meg Jay

ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT by Stephen King

DEEP WORK by Cal Newport

Anne Vogel

Benjamin Percy

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Ever since reading an early copy of Michael Nye’s first novel, ALL THE CASTLES BURNED, James has wanted to talk to the author of such an engaging and thought-provoking book. They discuss knowing good books from page one, declaring a new read dead, and writing sports scenes. Thankfully, they save their Celtics talk for off the air. Plus, poet Lauren Moseley, author of BIG WINDOWS.

Michael Nye

Michael and James discuss: 

Bruce Willis

HOSTAGE dir. by Florent Siri

FEEL FREE by Zadie Smith

SOME HELL by Patrick Nathan

BACK TALK: STORIES by Danielle Lazarin

THE FIFTH ELEMENT dir. by Luc Besson

PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee

HOW TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL: ESSAYS by Alexander Chee

THE MISSOURI REVIEW

BOULEVARD

Jane Smiley

PREP by Curtis Sittenfeld

THE STARBOARD SEA by Amber Dermont

A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach

Mitch Albom

John Birch

Tom Ripley

OUR HEARTS WILL BURN US DOWN by Anne Valente

–

Lauren Moseley

Lauren and James discuss:

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

Yaddo

Alice Eve Cohen

Joellen Craft

NASHVILLE REVIEW

UNC- Greensboro

Carnegie Mellon University Press

Rebecca Morgan Frank

AWP Conference

THE GREENSBORO REVIEW

DEAR APOCALYPSE by K.A. Hays

In his first essay collection, UP UP DOWN DOWN, Cheston Knapp attends skateboarding camp for adults, recalls his fraternity days, looks for UFOs, and checks out the local wrestling circuit, all in the name of learning more about himself. He and James talk about the art of the essay, the search for community, editing at Tin House, and the difficulty they have living in the moment. Plus Scribner art director and designer Jaya Miceli on book covers.

Cheston Knapp

Cheston and James discuss:

David Foster Wallace

Charles D’Ambrosio

W. G. Sebald

HAMLET

Joan Didion

Zadie Smith

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Edmund Husserl

Leslie Jamison

A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER by Tom Clancy

Graham Greene

John LeCarre

Sarah Manguso

Maggie Nelson

–

Jaya Miceli

Jaya and James discuss:

UP UP DOWN DOWN by Cheston Knapp

Anna Laytham (designer)

Daniel Loedel

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins

THE ANIMALS by Christian Kiefer

THE READY MADE THIEF by Augustus Rose

Marcel Duchamp

Viking Penguin

Helen Yentus (art director, Riverhead/ designer)

Riverhead Books

INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins

A SEPARATION by Katie Kitamura

THE INCENDIARIES by R.O. Kwon

MY ABSOLUTE DARLING by Gabriel Tallent

SING, UNBURIED, SING by Jesmyn Ward

Paul Buckley (art director, Penguin)

WEST by Carys Davies

Lauren Peters-Collaer (designer)

I’D DIE FOR YOU by F. Scott Fitzgerald

FLESH, BONE, WATER by Luiza Sauma

BRASS, the excellent first novel by Xhenet Aliu, mixes voice, humor, and simmering rage into the tale of a family that keeps ending up in the same rut. She and James talk about what they’re going to do when they grow up, not porn-ifying poverty, editing vs. new pages, and then give credit to the proofreaders out there. Plus, the wondrous Chip Cheek tells James about the writing and thrilling sale of his novel, CAPE MAY.

–

Xhenet Aliu

Xhenet and James discuss:

University of Alabama

Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference

University of Georgia

Julie Barer

Avid Bookshop

The Old Pal

–

Chip and James discuss: 

Gunter Grass

Christopher Castellani

Grub Street

Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference

Emerson College

Whitney Scharer

Jennifer De Leon

Becky Tuch

Celeste Ng

Adam Stumacher

Calvin Hennick

Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

Katherine Fausset

Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Laura van den Berg

Benjamin Percy

Josh Weil

Deb Futter

Jamie Raab

Celadon Books

Macmillan Publishing

Ren and Stimpy

Claire Fuller started writing to compete in a local short story slam. Then she started to win. Soon after, she earned an MA and has since written two novels, OUR ENDLESS NUMBERED DAYS and SWIMMING LESSONS. She and James talk about the torture of writing new material, the joy of editing, the reader response theory, and the practice of listening to music while writing. Plus, year-end reading recommendations from some of 2017’s guests!

Claire Fuller

Claire and James discuss:

Penguin Books

Tin House Books

Masie Cochran

Fuzzy Felt Green

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED by Tim O’Brien

THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers

HOUSEKEEPING by Marilynne Robinson

LEGEND OF A SUICIDE by David Vann

Iron & Wine

Sam Beam

Townes van Zandt

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS (album) by Julien Baker

Margot Livesey

SOY SAUCE FOR BEGINNERS by Kirstin Chen

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (dir by Coens)

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (dir by PT Anderson)

MICHAEL CLAYTON (dir by Tony Gilroy)

ZODIAC (dir by David Fincher)

IDAHO by Emily Ruskovich

A SEPARATION by Katie Kitamura

–

Year-End Recommendations from:

Annie Hartnett, author of RABBIT CAKE:

THE HISTORY OF WOLVES by Emily Fridlund

THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY by Hannah Tinti

BORNE by Jeff VanderMeer

MOTHERIST by Kristen Iskandrian

THE MOTHERS by Brit Bennett

PERFECT LITTLE WORLD by Kevin Wilson

GOD, THE MOON, AND OTHER MEGAFAUNA by Kellie Wells

ANNA KARENINA by Leo Tolstoy

Anne Valente, author of OUR HEARTS WILL BURN US DOWN:

THE ANIMATORS by Kayla Rae Whitaker

SING, UNBURIED, SING by Jesmyn Ward

THE HOUR OF LAND by Terry Tempest Williams

Tim Weed, author of A FIELD GUIDE TO MURDER AND FLY FISHING:

ANNA KARENINA by Leo Tolstoy

HAVANA GOLD by Leonardo Pedura

Robert Repino, author of D’ARC:

THE ART OF COMIC BOOK WRITING by Mark Kneece

THE NEST by Kenneth Oppel

Amy P. Knight, author of LOST, ALMOST: 

STEPHEN, FLORIDA by Gabe Habash

THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt

OUTLINE by Rachel Kusk

Rachel Cantor, author of GOOD ON PAPER:

WE THE DROWNED by Carsten Jensen

THE LONG DRY by Cynan Jones

HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER WORLD by Ottessa Moshfegh

THE OLD FILTH TRILOGY by Jane Gardham

TUESDAY NIGHTS IN 1980 by Molly Prentiss

STORIES OF YOUR LIFE by Ted Chiang

THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY by Hannah Tinti

MEMOIR OF A POLAR BEAR by Yoko Tawada

Michael Farris Smith, author of DESPERATION ROAD: 

STONER by John Williams

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD dir by Andrew Dominik

Kelly J. Ford, author of COTTONMOUTHS: 

THE FACT OF A BODY by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

HERE COMES THE SUN by Nicole Dennis-Benn

A SEAT AT THE TABLE (album) by Solange

Daniel Wallace, author of EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES:

HEATING & COOLING: 52 MICRO-MEMOIRS by Beth Ann Fennelly

THE BOOK OF RESTING PLACES: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF WHERE WE LAY THE DEAD by Thomas Mira y Lopez

In order to learn to write, Frank Bill broke down the fiction that he loved. The lessons those books taught him have served him through a collection of short stories and two novels, the latest of which is THE SAVAGE. He and James talk about universe building, skipping the middle, and the film adaptation of DONNYBROOK. Plus, Jesse Donaldson on his tour of Kentucky for ON HOMESICKNESS.

–

Frank Bill

Frank and James discuss:

BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy

DETROIT: AN AMERICAN AUTOPSY by Charlie LeDuff

BEAT TO A PULP

THE MISSOURI REVIEW

“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin

Jason Starr

THE KILLER INSIDE ME by Jim Thompson

FIGHT CLUB by Chuck Palahniuk

Fyodor Dostoevsky

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS by Ernest Hemingway

THE ECSTATIC by Victor LaValle

JOE by Larry Brown

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS by Hunter S. Thompson

Pink Floyd

Jamie Bell

James Badge Dale

Margaret Qualley

Frank Grillo

KINGDOM

James Landry Hebert

Tim Sutton

The Old Testament

DEADWOOD

David Milch

SUTREE by Cormac McCarthy

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy

Andrew Vachss

TRUE DETECTIVE

JAWS

SCALPED by Jason Aaron

Sean McDonald

Emily Bell

Jackson Howard

–

Jesse Donaldson

Jesse and James discuss:

Odysseus

The Israelites

Michel de Montaigne

Augusten Burroughs

West Virginia University Press

IN PLACE series

Becca Wadlinger

Danielle Delph

The Wolly Worm Festival

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

Parnassus Books

Square Books

LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER

Carry A. Nation House

Magoffin County Historical Society

Melanie Caine

Larry Flynt

Linda Riley

TUNNELING TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH by Kevin Wilson

Brier Books

Wild Fig Books

Crystal Wilkinson

Morris Books

The Kentucky Headhunters

Brandon Atwell

George Clooney

Nick & Nina Clooney