The Chills at Will Podcast

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The Chills at Will Podcast is a celebration of the visceral beauty of literature. This beauty will be examined through close reads of phrases and lines and passages from fiction and nonfiction that thrills the reader, so much so that he wants to read again and again to replicate that thrill. Each episode will focus on a different theme, such as "The Power of Flashback," "Understatement," "Cats in the Cradle," and "Chills at Will: Origin Story."

Episodes

2 days ago

Episode 362 with Imani Thompson, Author of Honey, and Brilliant Creator of Intriguing Characters, Biting Satire, and Complication and Nuance

2 days ago

50 min

Notes and Links to Imani Thompson’s Work

Imani Thompson is a British writer of Scottish, Irish, and Jamaican heritage. After studying Sociology at Cambridge University, she worked as a bookseller at Daunt Books. Honey is her first novel. She lives in London.

Buy Honey

Imani Thompson’s Author Page

Article about Imani Thompson in Vogue

At about 2:00, Imani responds to Pete asking about the way Honey has been received and interpreted since it came out in May 2026

At about 3:00, Imani speaks to her experience as a budding reader and writer

At about 6:00, Pete asks Imani about using an epigraph from Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” for Honey

At about 7:45, Imani responds to Pete’s question about the impact of Caribbean writers on Imani’s work; she notes the importance of Caribbean food in her book

At about 8:30, Imani recounts the “elevator pitch” for her daring and unique storyline

At about 9:40, Iamni says it’s “not possible” to “stand in judgment” of her characters morally and expands on why not

At about 10:25, Pete and Imani lay out some of the book’s exposition

At about 12:25, Imani provides background on "intersectionality" and its recent and not-so recent history

At about 14:15, Imani talks about the significance of race and class and racism and classism in the UK

At about 15:45, Imani reflects on Yrsa, the protagonist, and her seemingly “normal” family, as she sought to avoid tropes around serial killers

At about 18:10, The two set up the book’s inciting incident and ideas of power differential and misogyny

At about 20:00, Imani connects the recent tragic events involving Jason Arday to events in the novel

At about 21:10, The death of Richardson is dissected and talked about in legal terms

At about 23:05, Imani talks about a “reawken[ing]” and Yrsa as an “addict” after the first murder/manslaughter

At about 24:00, Pete stumbles through linking the post-death scene for Yrsa with Saltburn, and Imani remarks on the sensuous scene

At about 25:40, Imani speaks to a lack of emotion in Yrsa over death, and the idea of “death as liberating,” perhaps based on her early life experience

At about 27:40, Saidiya Hartman and other writers and their ideas of Black liberation and Afropessism are discussed in connection to Yrsa’s murders and philosophy

At about 29:10, Pete points to the ending of the novel as “unsettling”

At about 30:30, Yrsa and the quotidian and a budding romance are discussed, and the two reflect on Yrsa’s wants in a partner

At about 33:15, Imani responds to Pete’s asking about the “meta” nature of the book and what it was like to write satire, and humor, and chaos

At about 34:50, Imani discusses the flipping of gender roles in the novel, including her “big reason” for writing the book in an “accessible” way

At about 37:05, the two discuss Adolescence and American Psycho and incel culture in connection the novel

At about 42:00, Imani speaks to putting the past of the character into their present, and ideas of character building when using historical context

At about 44:30, Windrush and other Caribbean migration to the UK and the history of oppression there is discussed

At about 45:45, Imani talks about an exciting future media project for the novel

You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you’re checking out this episode.

Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, is up now at Chicago Review.

Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete’s one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!

This month’s Patreon bonus episode is the second episode for Pete’s limited podcast series, Rage is a Gift: Evil Empire at 30. Pete reflects on the Importance (and the power of this capital "I") of Rage Against the Machine and their seminal Evil Empire album, which is celebrating 30 years of resistance. The episode focuses on the opening track, “People of the Sun.” The limited podcast series will do a deep exploration of, and reflection on, the lyrics and context of each of the 12 powerful songs on the album.

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.

Please tune in for Episode 363 with Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor. Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor is a professor of history at Smith College where she teaches courses on race, slavery and her father, comedic legend Richard Pryor. She is the award-winning author of the article “The Etymology of [N-Word]: Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North” and a 2016 book Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship before the Civil War. Her viral TED talk on why it's hard to talk about the n-word has been viewed over two million times.
Something We Said, Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me is Professor Pryor’s latest book (37 Ink an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2026). The book is a braided narrative that seamlessly integrates the history of the n-word with her own story of growing up half Black, half Jewish and all Pryor.

The episode airs on October 13 or 14.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people.

You can also donate at chuffed.org, World Central Kitchen, and so many more, and/or you can contact writer friend Ursula Villarreal-Moura directly or through Pete, as she has direct links with friends in Gaza.

2 days ago

50 min

2 days ago

Episode 361 with Dr. Assal Rad, Author of Don't Say Palestine: How the Media Manufactured Consent for Genocide and Dogged and Principled Researcher/Chronicler of Media Bias Against Genocide Victims

2 days ago

54 min

Notes and Links to Assal Rad’s Work

Dr. Assal Rad is scholar of Middle East history and political advocate based in California. She works on research and writing related to U.S. foreign policy issues, the Middle East, contemporary Iran, and Israel/Palestine.

Dr. Rad graduated with a PhD in Middle Eastern History from the University of California, Irvine in 2018. Her PhD research focused on modern Iran, with an emphasis on national identity formation and popular culture in post-revolutionary Iran.

She is the author of The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2022). Her writing can be seen in Newsweek, The National Interest, The Independent, Foreign Policy, The American Prospect, and more. She has appeared as a commentator on BBC World, CNN, Al Jazeera, NPR, and others.

In 2021, Assal was selected for Middle East Policy Council's 40 Under 40 List and OUT in National Security's Leaders and New Voices List. Follow her on X/Twitter: @AssalRad.

Buy Don't Say Palestine: How the Media Manufactured Consent for Genocide

Assal Rad's Website with Arab Center DC

Review of Don't Say Palestine... from GeoPolity

At about 1:40, Assal describes the design and meanings of the cover for Don’t Say Palestine

At about 3:30, Pete refers to the book’s opening, “Why I Correct Headlines" and Assal talks about the seeds for the book’s and its concept

At about 6:15, Assal diagrams the wording of the headlines that inspired much of her book

At about 8:30, The two discuss the “softening” of language and passive language in headlines revolving around Israel and Palestine

At about 9:30, Assal responds to Pete’s question about the process of tracking headlines involving Palestine and Israel and how the project evolved into a book

At about 12:05, Assal expands on dehumanizing language used by Israeli officials about Palestinians and Muslims and the ways in which the language mirrors that of the Nazis towards the Jews in Holocaust times

At about 15:00, Pete references the "machinery of colonialism" and the softening of Israeli violence

At about 16:00, The two highlight Hind Rajab and “NAZA”/ “collateral damage”

At about 17:05, Assad expands on the ludicrous and tragic nature of the supposed "ceasefire" in Gaza

At about 21:00, Pete and Assal remark on how The Onion is often more accurate than most Western headlines regarding Palestinian genocide

At about 22:50, Pete asks Assal if she feels her work pointing out one-sided headlines has/has the potential to affect change and she speaks on the “truth of who is carrying out the violence” and her optimism/pessimism

At about 29:35, The two shake their heads at the absurdity of the New York Times wondering if Ms. Rachel had ties to Hamas

At about 30:40, Pete highlights the human rights groups in Palestine and the Palestinian journalists and medics and others targeted by the IDF and Israeli government, as Assal expands on the appalling violence against medics and the like, and the way the legacy media ignores/distorts the stories

At about 35:20, Pete asks Assal about the "manufactured consent” that she writes about

At about 36:35, Pete asks Assal about her conceptions of PEP and Blinken and Biden and others in his administration; she calls the Biden Adminstration the “architects of genocide”

At about 40:55, Assal points out the double-standards between the ways in which war crimes are assessed in Russia/Ukraine and Gaza/Palestine, particularly by Biden’s administration and Matthew Miller

At about 43:45, Assal points out the Leahy Laws as making aid to the Israeli government technically illegal in a domestic sense

At about 44:45, The lack of an officially-recognized State of Palestine and the ways in which the paradox handcuffs Palestinian resistance are discussed

At about 45:50, The two discuss the “verbal gymnastics” undertaken by government officials and John Kirby’s not seeing Palestinians as human beings

At about 46:30, Pete references the recent Google images of “before and after” in Gaza

At about 47:05, Pete asks Assal’s about the “reckon[ing]” and justice that she sees as possible and any future remedies

At about 48:00, Assal talks about the blatant racism and “taking of humanity” that governs the Gaza genocide discourse and denial

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 362 with Imani Thompson, a British writer of Scottish, Irish, and Jamaican heritage. After studying Sociology at Cambridge University, she worked as a bookseller at Daunt Books. Honey is her first novel, and has been a smash hit.

The episode airs on October 13 or 14th.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

2 days ago

54 min

3 days ago

Episode 360 with Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Author of The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford, and Master Craftswoman of Incisive Satire, Nuanced Characters, & Page-Turning Plot Structure

3 days ago

58 min

Notes and Links to Nafissa Thompson Spires’ Work

Born and raised in Southern California, Nafissa Thompson-Spires is the author of the award-winning, National Book Award longlisted short story collection, Heads of the Colored People.

She earned a doctorate in English from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review Daily, New York Magazine’s “The Cut,” The Root, The White Review, Ploughshares, 400 Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019, and The 1619 Project, among other publications.

In addition to a debut novel with Scribner, The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Rich Milford, her young adult debut is forthcoming with Make Me a World (Penguin Random House). She is the recipient of a 2024 United States Artists Grant and a 2019 Whiting Award.

Buy The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford

Nafissa Thompson Spires’ Website

Review of The Four Wives… from Publishers’ Weekly

At about 1:55, Nafissa responds to Pete asking about her appearance on Seth Myers’ show

At about 3:30, Nafissa gives some background on family history that gave rise to The Four Wives…

At about 5:00, Nafissa reflects on the feedback readers have given her, especially with protagonist Rich “being painted with a compassionate brush,” as said in a review

At about 6:15, Nafissa gives information about book tour events

At about 7:10, Nafissa gives background on her early reading and writing life

At about 10:20, Nafissa highlights current and past writers who have thrilled and inspired her

At about 12:45, Nafissa talks about difficulty in managing a structure for her novel, and sage advice from R.O. Kwon

At about 14:00, Nafissa responds to Pete commenting on the town of Newville in the novel as a “Greek chorus”

At about 14:50, Nafissa expands on the significance of the epigraphs

At about 15:30, Nafissa discusses her mindset in starting the book at the end of the chronology

At about 16:45, Nafissa responds to Pete noting the book’s humor by discussing the ways in which writing each wife’s story was easy or not

At about 18:30, Nafissa reflects on sitting in judgment (or not) morally of the women in the book

At about 20:25, Nafissa explains ways in which Rich and the town of Newville show interesting ways of “moving through time” and John Edgar Wideman and his ideas of cyclical time

At about 22:20, Nafissa discusses "insiders" and “outsiders” as seen via dance

At about 23:00, Pete places The Tulsa Race Massacre in juxtaposition to the book’s setting and events, and Nafissa gives background on writing outside the white gaze

At about 26:05, Mythology and childhood traumas in Rich’s life are discussed

At about 28:50, Pete and Nafissa give background on Newville itself in relation to Rich and his wives’ Chantilly estate with its variety of characters

At about 31:30, Alberta and her “advoca[cy]” for Rich are featured as well as the importance of an inciting incident and a crazy history of Rough on Rats ™

At about 33:40, The history of the Milford family is recounted

At about 34:50, A “binary” approach in W.E. DuBois and Booker T. Washington and the ways they are viewed today are discussed

At about 37:05, Mae, Rich’s sister, is discussed, as is Rich’s childhood mischief

At about 38:15, Pete asks Nafissa about the importance of religious institutions in the book

At about 40:20, The two discuss early inciting incidents in the book and the ways in which Rich solidifies power

At about 41:40, Nafissa talks about Lally as “performative” and “affected” in the way she behaves and writes

At about 43:20, Pete and Nafissa reflect on a pivotal scene that leads to a loss of passion and the ways in which two more wives join the Milford family

At about 44:25, Pete points out a list made by Lally that speaks

At about 45:20, Taxidermy!

At about 46:10, Pete points the cinematic quality of the book, and Nafissa pictures it as a series with each woman getting a “chapter”

At about 47:30, Nafissa talks about “crumbs” and “hunger” and a “humiliating” scene

At about 50:00, Theo the philanderer and Rosemary, the goddess, are discussed, and Nafissa explains the significance of the blood moon

At about 52:10, Nafissa responds to Pete asking about the balancing of the literal and figurative/satirical

At about 53:40, Nafissa compares writing short stories and novels

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 361 with Dr. Assal Rad, a scholar of Middle East history and political advocate based in California. She works on research and writing related to U.S. foreign policy issues, the Middle East, contemporary Iran, and Israel/Palestine.

She is the author of The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2022). Her writing can be seen in Newsweek, Foreign Policy, The American Prospect, and more. She has appeared as a commentator on BBC World, CNN, Al Jazeera, NPR, and others.

In 2021, Assal was selected for Middle East Policy Council's 40 Under 40 List and OUT in National Security's Leaders and New Voices List.

Her newest book, Don’t Say Palestine, is an important and groundbreaking addition to the canon on media bias regarding Gaza and Palestine.

The episode airs on October 13.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

3 days ago

58 min

5 days ago

Episode 359 with Kristen Millares Young, Author of Desire Lines: A Memoir, and Deep Chronicler of the Mystical and the Practical, and Charter of Wonderful and Disturbing Throughlines of History

5 days ago

1 hr 20 min

Notes and Links to Kristen Millares Young’s Work

A prize-winning novelist, journalist and essayist, Kristen Millares Young is the author of the memoir Desire Lines, forthcoming from Red Hen Press and Brilliance Audio on October 6, 2026, and the novel Subduction, named a staff pick by The Paris Review. “Kristen Millares Young will take readers along on her journey of discovery as she publishes her debut memoir this year,” writes People magazine in its exclusive cover reveal for Desire Lines, named a “Most Anticipated Feminist Book of 2026” by Ms. Magazine. “Young provides an intellectually courageous road map for readers reconciling the cracks in their own family narratives,” writes Shelf Awareness in a starred review.

Called “searching, generous, and unrelenting” by Melissa Febos, “explosive and daring” by Luis Alberto Urrea, and “alive with style and poetic lyricism” by Weike Wang, Desire Lines is a forensic investigation into the emotional topography of being a woman, a writer and a mother. Kristen narrated the Desire Lines audiobook to be released on October 6, 2026 by Brilliance Publishing. She received a 4Culture grant to support her memoir’s translation into Senderos del deseo by Majel Reyes Quesada. “In Desire Lines, Kristen Millares Young explores womanhood, human rights, and identity with a moral imperative and artistry that few writers achieve,” writes Brandon Hobson. “She is an immense literary talent, and this remarkable book should be read by all.”

Buy Desire Lines

Kristen Millares Young’s Website

Article and Preview and Interview with Kristen Millares Young Desire Lines in People Magazine

At about 1:00, Kristen describes a delectable meal she’s about to share in celebration with her neighbors

At about 3:05, Pete asks Kristen about her mindset as her memoir is a few days from publication

At about 5:00, Kristen describes the use of the second-person in the book after Pete asks about Cuban translations using “tú” or “Usted”

At about 6:00, Kristen responds to Pete’s asking about book tour events and publication info

At about 8:20, Kristen responds to Pete asking about her background with reading and writing, and talks about book as a continuing “solace” to her

At about 10:30, Kristen describes the “moving” experience of visiting Hemingway House as she is asked about formative and transformative writers and writing, Sara Ahmed and Audre Lorde are also highlighted

At about 15:25, Kristen responds to Pete’s question about contemporary favorites by citing Melissa Febos and Elissa Washuta

At about 17:40, Kristen reflects on continuity in a collection made up of individuals essays-she talks about her appreciation for “fractals”

At about 20:00, Kristen talks about different forms of storytelling: spiraling, for example, and those precepts set out by Ursula LeGuin and others

At about 22:05, Kristen sets up and reads the epigraph/opening poem of the memoir

At about 25:40, Pete lays out some of the book’s opening lines and asks Krsiten about her mindset in starting the book in Galicia

At about 30:15, Kristen gives background on Cybele, an important part of her book

At about 32:55, Kristen makes the salient point about the continuing propping up of rapists like Oddyseus and others from mythology

At about 36:50, Kristen responds to Pete's question about perspectives that she has had regarding two health scares 20 or so years apart

At about 42:50, Kristen speaks of her interactions and experiences in Cuba with writers and “jinetes”

At about 46:00, Kristen expands talks on the idea of women as “providers,” as evidenced by the previous comments on what she experienced in Cuba

At about 47:50, Kristen talks of the idea of the flâneur and misogynistic expectations

At about 49:40, Kristen responds to Pete asking about the supposed “protection” provided (or not) by men in her life and in society in general

At about 56:40, The two discuss expectations for women’s bodies, and Kristen points out “Our Lady of Perpetual Self-Loathing” as a chapter that reflects on these ideas

At about 1:02:20, Kristen discusses sexual harassment in the workplace

At about 1:03:10, Pete points out some profound quotes from the book and the two discuss systems and the ways in which systems oppress women, including sexual assault and rape victims; Kristen cites

At about 1:06:45, Kristen talks about “asserting regard” for herself and other women through this book

At about 1:09:00, Cybele as representative of women’s strength and dark humor are discussed-Kristen talks about “wit as a weapon”

At about 1:09:40, Pete asks Kristen about forgiveness and contrition as discussed in the book

At about 1:13:00, Kristen refers to Chekhov in connecting to her last two books in responding to Pete’s question about “catharsis”

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 360 with Nafissa Thompson-Spires. Born and raised in Southern California, Nafissa Thompson-Spires is the author of the award-winning, National Book Award longlisted short story collection, Heads of the Colored People. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review Daily, New York Magazine’s “The Cut,” The Root, 400 Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019, and The 1619 Project, among other publications.

The episode airs on October 11.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

5 days ago

1 hr 20 min

Oct 6, 2026

Episode 358 with Daniel Peña, Author of How to Look Away: On American Cruelty and the Refusal to Disappear, Spirited & Thorough Chronicler of Human & Humane Stories & the Micro that Impacts the Macro

Oct 6, 2026

1 hr 9 min

Notes and Links to Daniel Peña’s Work

Daniel Peña is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Associate Professor of Creative Writing. Formerly, he was based out of the UNAM in Mexico City where he worked as Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar. A graduate of Cornell University and a former Picador Guest Professor in Leipzig, Germany, his writing has appeared in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, the Kenyon Review, Texas Monthly, NBC News, and The New York Times Magazine among other venues. He’s currently a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Ploughshares blog. His debut collection of essays, HOW TO LOOK AWAY is out now from One World books. He splits his time between Dallas, Mexico City, and a tiny farm in Germany.

Buy How to Look Away

Daniel Peña's Website

At about 1:00, Daniel talks about purchasing info for How to Look Away, tour events, and his mindset four days before the book’s Pub Day

At about 4:30, Daniel talks about his Texas sports’ loyalties

At about 12:55, David responds to Pete’s questions about his childhood language and literature life

At about 20:55, Pete highlights Alfredo Corchado’s work as he asks Daniel about formative writers and writing in his life, including work by Francisco Goldman and Corchado

At about 25:15, Pete asks Daniel’s choice in titling his book and implications for the title

At about 29:45, Daniel talks about movement and its importance and connects it to COVID and George Floyd protests

At about 34:00, Daniel outlines his experience in September 2014 in protests re: Ayotzinapa, and the importance of riots in a democracy

At about 36:40, the two discuss the individualistic ethic and the “intens[ity]” of the early pandemic

At about 37:40, Daniel talks about the strangeness of writing and parenthood during the pandemic

At about 39:35, The two discuss the ways in which self-regulating industries have worked, including crypto companies/businesspeople as featured in Daniel's book

At about 42:35, The two reflect on the ways in which institutions have failed people of color, and how crypto has failed so many; Daniel references “creating the worse parts of humanity” Nefando by Monica Ojeda and Labatut’s When We Cease to Understand the World

At about 46:30, Daniel talks about critical free speech issues in 2026

At about 47:45, Pete asks Daniel about a main topic of the book-the compulsion to gaze at disaster; Daniel references Primo Levi and “useless violence”

At about 50:25, Daniel talks about an “epiphany” he had in researching for the book

At about 51:35, Daniel reflects on ideas of survival and “what’s done in our names”

At about 52:40, Pete and Daniel discuss traumas and “forms of disappearance”

At about 55:40, The two discuss the tragic story of Aliana featured in the book

At about 59:10, Pete highlights areas of joy featured in the book

At about 1:01:00, Daniel discusses the cruelty involved with family separation through immigration policies

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 359 with Kristen Millares Young, A prize-winning novelist, journalist and essayist, Kristen Millares Young is the author of the memoir Desire Lines, forthcoming from Red Hen Press and Brilliance Audio on October 6, 2026, and the novel Subduction, named a staff pick by The Paris Review. “Kristen Millares Young will take readers along on her journey of discovery as she publishes her debut memoir this year,” writes People Magazine in its exclusive cover reveal for Desire Lines, named a “Most Anticipated Feminist Book of 2026” by Ms. Magazine.

The episode airs on October 6 or 7.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people.

Oct 6, 2026

1 hr 9 min

Oct 6, 2026

Special Episode: Paragons of the Literary Podcast with Traci Thomas from The Stacks Podcast, David Naimon from Between the Covers, and Brad Listi from Otherppl Podcast

Oct 6, 2026

2 hr 50 min

In this special anthology episode, Pete's shares his conversations with titans of the industry, Traci Thomas, David Naimon, and Brad Listi.

Traci Thomas is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks. She is a passionate champion of books and a deeply curious interviewer. Traci is a monthly contributor on NPR’s Here & Now, a columnist for shereads.com, the creator of the LAist live literary series, One for the Books. She also hosts and moderates literary events, book festivals, and author talks nationwide. Traci’s substack, Unstacked, is a place where she dives deeper into books, and also discusses topics outside the literary world like pop culture, sports, politics, and more.

Away from The Stacks, Traci is a lover of hot takes, a watcher of sports, and a true snack enthusiast. Originally from Oakland, CA, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mr. Stacks, and her twin boys, the Mini Stacks.

David Naimon is a writer and host of the literary podcast Between the Covers. His writing is published widely, from Orion Magazine to Tin House. It has garnered a Pushcart Prize and been reprinted in Best American Science & Nature Writing, Best Spiritual Literature, and The Best Small Fictions anthology. He is also the co-author, with Ursula K. Le Guin, of Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing. Between the Covers is his long-running podcast.

Brad Listi was born in Milwaukee. He is the author of the novel Be Brief and Tell Them Everything (Ig Publishing / May 2022). His other books include the novel Attention. Deficit. Disorder., an LA Times bestseller, and Board, a work of nonfiction collage, co-authored with Justin Benton. In 2011 he launched the Otherppl podcast, one of the longest-running literary interview podcasts in the world. It features in-depth interviews with today's leading authors. He is also the founder of DeepDive, a digital learning platform that creates in-depth audio courses. DeepDive's debut course is called How to Write a Novel. It features more than 50 hours of insight and instruction from nearly four dozen leading contemporary authors. He lives in Los Angeles.

Oct 6, 2026

2 hr 50 min

Oct 6, 2026

Episode 357 with Brad Listi, Host and Founder of Otherppl Podcast, and Brilliant Writer and Crafter of In-depth, Reflection-Inducing Conversations with Some of the World's Best Writers and Thinkers

Oct 6, 2026

51 min

Notes and Links to Brad Listi’s Work

Brad Listi was born in Milwaukee. He is the author of the novel Be Brief and Tell Them Everything (Ig Publishing / May 2022). His other books include the novel Attention. Deficit. Disorder., an LA Times bestseller, and Board, a work of nonfiction collage, co-authored with Justin Benton. In 2011 he launched the Otherppl podcast, one of the longest-running literary interview podcasts in the world. It features in-depth interviews with today's leading authors. He is also the founder of DeepDive, a digital learning platform that creates in-depth audio courses. DeepDive's debut course is called How to Write a Novel. It features more than 50 hours of insight and instruction from nearly four dozen leading contemporary authors. He lives in Los Angeles.

Listen to The Otherppl Podcast

Brad Listi's Website

Buy Brad’s Be Brief and Tell Them Everything

At about 2:00, Pete congratulates Brad on 15 years of Otherppl and asking him about his reading and writing example

At about 3:10, The two discuss “the creepiest author photo” ever and the man behind the iconic photo, Shel Silverstein

At about 4:15, Brad reflects on formative and transformative writers and texts

At about 6:15, Brad posits the perfect book length

At about 7:20, Brad reflects on Chris McCandless and Into the Wild

At about 9:00, Pete cites On the Road in asking Brad about texts that deal with mysticism and philosophy and search for meaning, which prompts Brad to talk about the importance of the Beat writers and Transcendentalists

At about 14:15, Pete makes a J-Will analogy to the Beats!

At about 15:10,

At about 17:25, Brad responds to Pete’s questions about seeds for the podcast, and Brad cites Marc Maron and Terri Gross

At about 24:45, Brad evangelizes for the need tío support those who create book media

At about 28:50, The two discuss persona and audience feedback and the comedian as writer

At about 31:05, Pete remarks on Brad as “infinitely curious” and patient and asks him how patience and curiosity serve him as a writer

At about 34:45, Brad talks about the ethos of the podcast and describes its format

At about 35:55, Brad discusses Brad and Mira: For the Culture-a “roast”-as “therapeutic”

At about 39:35, The two reflect on the power of the episode with Salman Rushdie

At about 40:25, Brad responds to Pete’s questions about any surreal experiences in hosting the show

At about 42:00, Brad and Pete fanboy over VV Ganeshanthan’s Brotherless Night

At about 44:40, Brad outlines his reading process for preparation and reading for pleasure

At about 46:20, Brad responds to Pete asking about which episode(s) would serve as a good primer for the show-Brad recommends “The Otherppl 15”

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 358 with Daniel Pena, Daniel Peña is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Associate Professor of Creative Writing. Formerly, he was based out of the UNAM in Mexico City where he worked as Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar, his writing has appeared in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, the Kenyon Review, Texas Monthly, NBC News, and The New York Times Magazine among other venues. He’s currently a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Ploughshares blog. His debut collection of essays, HOW TO LOOK AWAY is out now from One World books.

The episode airs on October 6, Pub Day for How to Look Away.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Oct 6, 2026

51 min

Oct 5, 2026

Episode 356 with David Naimon, Host of Between the Covers, and Paragon of Wisdom, In-Depth and Researched Questions, and Patient and Intimate Conversations

Oct 5, 2026

1 hr 5 min

Notes and Links to David Naimon’s Work

David Naimon is a writer and host of the literary podcast Between the Covers. His writing is published widely, from Orion magazine to Tin House. It has garnered a Pushcart Prize and been reprinted in Best American Science & Nature Writing, Best Spiritual Literature, and The Best Small Fictions anthology. He is also the co-author, with Ursula K. Le Guin, of Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing. Between the Covers is his long-running podcast.

Listen to Between the Covers

David Naimon's Biography

At about 2:40, David responds to Pete’s questions about his early reading and writing, and a pivotal decision in high school

At about 5:30, David talks about reading Crime and Punishment as an "existential moment”

At about 6:55, David reflects on his contemporary reading versus his past history of reading

At about 8:30, Pete references David’s employment history, as laid out in an article by Kylie, and David explains his process in moving from medicine to hosting

At about 10:50, David responds to Pete’s questions about political bents among his previous medical colleagues

At about 15:10, David talks about some writers and texts who have thrilled and inspired him, homing in on Ursula LeGuin’s more obscure/unknown works

At about 17:30, David traces the way his guests rounded out, genre-wise, as his podcast aged

At about 19:50, David recommends works by the great Anthony Doerr, an early guest of David’s on Between the Covers

At about 20:40, Pete asks David about how reading for the podcast has affected the way he reads

At about 23:15, Pete reflects on the same above question, and highlights Rachel Khong and Wright Thompson’s tear-inducing work

At about 24:45, David brings up the incredibly-keen point about high emotions felt over art while on airplanes

At about 26:20, David wrestles with how he describes the podcast

At about 30:10, Pete highlights a recent episode with Valeria Luiselli and its power and variety and intimacy

At about 33:00, Pete asks David if and how he sees himself as a “critic”

At about 36:30, Pete highlights David’s interview style, and David discusses his “mini essays” and the ways in he approaches his questioning

At about 39:45, Pete talks about the options for listeners

At about 40:25, David responds to Pete’s questions about his reading/annotation process, as he and Pete agree on their general styles and bookmarking

At about 41:50, The two discuss the commerce and creativity balance in literary podcasting

At about 48:50, Pete and David discuss the surreal moments in interviewing some of their favorite writers

At about 52:15, Pete and David fanboy over Tobias Wolff and

At about 54:00, David explains the history of Between the Covers, both the title and the continuing shows

At about 55:50, David outlines episodes with Dionne Brand “Nomenclature” and Jorie Graham “Runaway” as good “entryways” to the ethos of the podcast

At about 57:10, David talks about his association with Milkweed and ways in which to listen to Between the Covers

At about 59:45, David talks about future plans

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 357 with Brad Listi, the author of the novel Be Brief and Tell Them Everything (Ig Publishing / May 2022). His other books include the novel Attention. Deficit. Disorder., an LA Times bestseller, and Board, a work of nonfiction collage, co-authored with Justin Benton. In 2011 he launched the Otherppl podcast, one of the longest-running literary interview podcasts in the world. It features in-depth interviews with today's leading authors. He is also the founder of DeepDive, a digital learning platform that creates in-depth audio courses.

The episode airs on October 6 or 7.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Oct 5, 2026

1 hr 5 min

Oct 4, 2026

Episode 355 with Traci Thomas, Host and Founder of The Stacks Podcast, and Passionate, Vivacious, Curious, and Dedicated Reader, Advocate for Reading, and Conversationalist

Oct 4, 2026

59 min

Notes and Links to Traci Thomas’ Work

Traci Thomas is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks. She is a passionate champion of books and a deeply curious interviewer. Traci is a monthly contributor on NPR’s Here & Now, a columnist for shereads.com, the creator of the LAist live literary series, One for the Books. She also hosts and moderates literary events, book festivals, and author talks nationwide. Traci’s substack, Unstacked, is a place where she dives deeper into books, and also discusses topics outside the literary world like pop culture, sports, politics, and more.

Away from The Stacks, Traci is a lover of hot takes, a watcher of sports, and a true snack enthusiast. Originally from Oakland, CA, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mr. Stacks, and her twin boys, the Mini Stacks.

Listen to The Stacks Podcast

The Stacks Podcast Website

Become a Stacks Podcast Patreon Supporter

At about 2:00, Traci traces the history of the book podcast as a thing

At about 2:50, Traci talks about where her sports loyalties lie

At about 5:55, Traci responds to Pete’s question about the ways in which Bay Area’s history has shaped her

At about 6:50, Traci traces some of her favorite reading from childhood

At about 10:35, Traci highlights the “book of [her] life”- Into Thin Air- and The Autobiography of Malcolm X as formative and transformative texts

At about 12:40, Traci outlines the process by which she became a huge fan of Shakespeare

At about 15:55, Pete asks Traci for tips on teaching Shakespeare, and Traci lays out a great curriculum, including the need to highlight a lack of subtext through the eyes of Shakespearean characters

At about 21:25, Pete and Traci discuss a “binary” way in which Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were taught

At about 23:05, Traci responds to Pete’s question about seeds for and the genesis of The Stacks Podcast

At about 27:25, Traci summarizes the mechanics and ethos of her podcast

At about 29:40, Pete highlights the recent episode where Traci discussed Priya Parker’s The Art of Fighting and asks Traci about her view of the term “critic”

At about 34:40, Traci talks about opinions and tastes in art, and charts a few books that lead to great conversations despite not being universally-liked

At about 35:55, Traci responds to Pete’s musings about how he saw basketball differently after watching it as a coach-for her, it’s the way she reads differently now

At about 41:00, Traci charts her reading routine

At about 43:00, Traci reflects on Pete asking about “balancing” commerce and creativity in her work

At about 45:45, Pete asks Traci about the importance of in-person/community-based events for books and bookish topics

At about 48:35, Traci reflects on “surreal” guests and experiences and meaningful guests

At about 51:00, Traci and Pete home in on the episode with Kamala Harris

At about 53:00, Traci accounts for the number of episodes she has recorded and talks about future plans for the podcast

At about 54:05, Traci gives information on her Patreon, Substack, and social media, and podcast info

At about 55:30, Traci highlights fall events and plans

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 356 with David Naimon, another Paragon of the Literary Podcast. David is a writer and host of the literary podcast Between the Covers. His writing is published widely, from Orion Magazine to Tin House. It has garnered a Pushcart Prize and been reprinted in Best American Science & Nature Writing, Best Spiritual Literature, and The Best Small Fictions anthology. He is also the co-author, with Ursula K. Le Guin, of Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing.

The episode airs on October 4 or 5.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Oct 4, 2026

59 min

Oct 3, 2026

Episode 354 with Jason M. Thornberry, Author of The Finish Line, Skilled Writer in Multiple Genres, and Dogged Observer of the Beautifully Banal

Oct 3, 2026

48 min

Notes and Links to Jason M. Thornsberry’s Work

Jason M. Thornberry’s writing appears in World Literature Today, Los Angeles Review of Books, Maryland Literary Review, North Dakota Quarterly, South Florida Poetry Journal, JMWW, Letters Journal, Soundings East, Medicine and Meaning, Harbor Review, Entropy, Maudlin House, and many others. He was nominated in 2023 and 2024 for Best of the Net. Jason’s chapbook, The Finish Line, is available through Sand and Gravel Press.

Buy The Finish Line

Jason Thornberry's Website

At about 1:25, Jason talks about the “rough” heat wave(s) hitting in Seattle in recent weeks and years, as well as his preference for going out in the wintertime

At about 3:20, Jason responds to Pete’s questions about Jason’s early reading and writing life

At about 5:10, Pete asks Jason about inspirational musicians and writers for him

At about 6:50, Jason explains how he has written a daily journal for decades, even in the midst of musicianship and his extensive time in the hospital

At about 10:45, Jason talks about his love of education and his hard work to get to the university level

At about 12:00, Jason responds to Pete’s questions about his current playlist and listening to “what’s cool”

At about 13:50, The two fanboy about 90s hip hop, including Wu-Tang’s/RZA’s greatness

At about 16:00, Jason ranks his best drummers of all-time

At about 18:10, Jason responds to Pete’s questions about the composition of his chapbook, The Finish Line

At about 20:05, Pete sets up the title piece of The Finish Line

At about 21:15, Jason reflects on the “beauty in the banal” and how this connects to “The Finish Line”

At about 23:30, Jason and Pete explore the banal and details of the title piece and Jason ties the story to his other writing and trying to make his work “relata[ble]”

At about 25:00, the two discuss “My Vasectomy” from Medicine and Meaning, the journal of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

At about 26:55, Jason talks about which texts come more quickly, and his mindset when his piece on vasectomy was written

At about 29:55, “Deadbolt” is discussed as part of a future memoir, as Pete expresses surprise that it is nonfiction, and Jason provides context

At about 35:15, The two discuss “Good Enough for Now”, and Jason talks about the excerpt’s piece in the larger novel

At about 40:15, Jason responds to Pete’s questions about balancing multiop;le projects

At about 43:20, Jason summarizes his memoir writing

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 355 with Traci Thomas, the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks. She is a passionate champion of books and a deeply curious interviewer. Traci is a monthly contributor on NPR’s Here & Now, a columnist for shereads.com, the creator of the LAist live literary series, One for the Books. She also hosts and moderates literary events, book festivals, and author talks nationwide. Traci’s substack, Unstacked, is a place where she dives deeper into books, and also discusses topics outside the literary world like pop culture, sports, politics, and more.

The episode airs on October 2 or 3rd ish.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people.

Oct 3, 2026

48 min

Oct 1, 2026

Episode 353 with Tomas Moniz, Author of The King of Aloe Vera, and Writer of Memorable Characters, Tender Moments, and Realistic Joys and Realistic Heartbreaks

Oct 1, 2026

1 hr 2 min

Notes and Links to Tomas Moniz’s Work

Tomas Moniz is a latinx writer living in East Oakland, CA. His debut novel, Big Familia, was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/ Hemingway and the LAMBDA. His second novel, All Friends Are Necessary, won the 2024 California Golden Poppy Award.

His new novel, The King of Aloe Vera, will be published on September 29th, 2026 from Algonquin Books. He edited the popular Rad Dad and Rad Families anthologies, and he teaches at Berkeley City College, the Antioch MFA, and St Mary's College USF.

He has stuff on the internet but loves penpals: PO Box 3555, Berkeley CA 94703.

He promises to write back.

Buy The King of Aloe Vera

Tomas Moniz's Website

Review of The King of Aloe Vera from Publishers Weekly

At about 2:00, Tomas talks about his Luddite delights

At about 2:55, Tomas discusses ways and places to buy his book, tour events, and his mindset as the book has approached publication

At about 7:10, Tomas talks about the book being allowed to “hold together…themes” by posing the action in October

At about 9:15, the two reflect on the “tender[ness] featured in the book, and Tomas expands on ideas

At about 10:15, The two discuss the “found family” and single men-ethic of the book

At about 11:20, Tomas responds to Pete’s asking about his early reading and writing life, including books that reflected his own experience and inspired him

At about 15:05, Tomas shouts out Genevieve Hudson and others as contemporary writers who thrill and him

At about 16:55, Tomas recounts seeds for The King of Aloe Vera, and his mindset in seeking out a third-person work

At about 19:10, Tomas explains the importance of aloe vera and connections to the book

At about 20:40, The two reflect on the Ron Arias’ epigraph

At about 23:20, Tomas responds to Pete asking about his views of the word pocho

At about 24:30, Tomás gives background on the book’s first line, and he reads this line

At about 26:20, Tomas shares a wild and “surreal” story about real-life and his book’s events mirroring each other

At about 27:30, Tomas and Pete discuss the book’s opening setting, and a “nuanced” gentrification throughline

At about 29:20, Tomas discusses the people and things that Rey is grieving

At about 33:00, Pete shares a quote from the book that is emblematic of Rey’s personality

At about 34:05, Tomas reflects on the development of the character Q/Reina

At about 35:40, Pete references a telling quote from Tony Soprano as Pete and Tomas discuss a loneliness that comes with remembering

At about 36:20, The two discuss Rey’s memorable possessions and ideas of mental health struggles for older people

At about 39:00, Pete references the “waves of grief” that Rey feels in thinking about his deceased wife

At about 40:00, Tomas responds to Pete’s questions about those who are tasked with moving Rey and making him comfortable

At about 41:45, The two discuss Rey making hesitating connections via public transportation and mindfulness

At about 42:40, Tomas describes his love of “setting and neighborhood" in discussing the political issues roiling Rey’s neighborhood in the book

At about 45:05, The two discuss empathy between Q and Rey

At about 46:05, The two discuss moments of joy for Rey, including wonderful moments in the library that are in juxtaposition to a scary moment from his childhood

At about 47:05, Tomas discusses Reina’s attempts at contrition

At about 48:00, Pete recounts the ways in which Rey attacks his checklist, and Tomas discusses his mindset and goals in writing the book in a month, day-by-day format

At about 52:00, The two chronicle Rey’s checklist actions

At about 53:35, Pete quotes a potent line from Q

At about 54:15, Tomas speaks on the importance of a lease in the book and the effort (or lack thereof) in honoring/breaking that lease

At about 55:20, Pete highlights a tender line from Q that Tomas notes is a quiet throughline in the book

At about 56:20, The Raging Elders and a possible budding romance for Rey are charted

At about 57:25, Pete gives kudos to Tomas for “making [him] cry at a trampoline park”

At about 58:15, Pete asks Tomas about how he sees and how he developed Rey

This month’s Patreon bonus episode is the trailer episode for Pete’s limited podcast series, Rage is a Gift: Evil Empire at 30. Pete reflects on the Importance (and the power of this capital "I") of Rage Against the Machine and their seminal Evil Empire album, which is celebrating 30 years of resistance. The limited podcast series will do a deep exploration of, and reflection on, the lyrics and context of each of the 12 powerful songs on the album.

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 354 with Jason M. Thornberry, whose writing appears in Los Angeles Review of Books, Medicine and Meaning, Harbor Review, Entropy, Maudlin House, and many others. He was nominated in 2023 and 2024 for Best of the Net. Jason’s chapbook, The Finish Line, is available through Sand and Gravel Press.

The episode will air on Oct 1 or 2.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people.

Oct 1, 2026

1 hr 2 min

Sep 29, 2026

Episode 352 with Sarah Blakley-Cartwright, Author of Heavy Cream and Skilled Crafter of Insular and Interesting World and Intriguing Characters

Sep 29, 2026

1 hr 15 min

Notes and Links to Sarah Blakley-Cartwright’s Work

Sarah Blakley-Cartwright is the author of Alice Sadie Celine (Simon Books, Simon & Schuster, November 28th, 2023). She is also the author of Red Riding Hood (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), a New York Times #1 bestseller that was published worldwide in thirty-eight editions and fifteen languages.

Sarah is the editor of The Artist's Library, featuring conversation with artists on their most beloved books, transcribed, and appearing monthly at Hauser & Wirth's Ursula magazine. The series launched in March 2021 with Anj Smith on Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory.

She has been the recipient of residencies and scholarships from the Millay Colony of the Arts, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, the Aspen Writers Foundation, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has spoken at SXSW, AWP, Brazil’s Biennale de Livros, One Story Summer Conference, and the Roxbury Writers Residency. Sarah's writing has appeared in BOMB Magazine and the Georgia Review, and she has written about Henni Alftan for KARMA Books and James Baldwin for the National Book Foundation.

Buy Heavy Cream

Sarah Blakley-Cartwright's Website

People Magazine's Preview of Heavy Cream

At about 5:15, Sarah describes her mindset with Heavy Cream about to be published

At about 6:45, Sarah reflects on the importance (or lack thereof) of blurbs

At about 12:50, Sarah highlights places to buy her book and details her book tour events

At about 14:00, Sarah responds to Pete’s asking about her early reading and writing life

At about 18:25, Sarah talks about how her acting life and life as the daughter of creative filmmaker and successful actress affected Heavy Cream

At about 24:50, Sarah responds to Pete’s question about the connections between writing and acting

At about 26:45, Sarah expands on the differences between his father’s girlfriends and the ways in which this information hit her as a young girl and later as a writer

At about 30:15, Sarah reflects on individuality in teenagers and clothes as making one "legible"

At about 31:20, Sarah and Pete discuss the high schoolers depicted in her book and how protagonist Gerry and her classmates showcase an understanding and “entitle[ment]” to their rights

At about 35:55, Pete cites Antonya Nelson’s “In the Land of Men” as evocative and reflection-inducing and setting up his question to Sarah about “writing to the ‘female gaze’ ”

At about 40:45, Sarah reflects on her interest in observers and “novels of reinvention” like The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Great Gatsby

At about 41:50, Pete riffs (and rambles!) on what type of books do and don’t “hit” with students

At about 47:25, Pete and Sarah give some background on Gerry’s mom and grandmother and their relationship’s history and consequences and Sarah’s process in crafting these important characters

At about 55:00, Sarah reflects on the ways in which mother and daughter are “enmeshed” in the novel

At about 56:40, Sarah talks about Gerry’s and her mother Helene, her POV chat

At about 57:40, Sarah discusses the ways in which Gerry “makes herself legible”

At about 58:15, Pete remarks on the world “opening up” for the reader and Gerry at the same time

At about 59:25, Sarah summarizes the women and situations in which Gerry lives with them

At about 1:04:00, The two discuss Gerry/Henry Hill from Goodfellas connections as Sarah describes Gerry as a “social learner”

At about 1:05:30, “Tener” y “ha tenido!”

At about 1:05:50, Pete remarks on the book’s intrigue and mysteries

At about 1:06:45, The two tread lightly in talking about the pivotal Harlan

At about 1:11:00, Pete and Sarah reflect on two quotes-one from Hawthorne, and one from Orwell-that connect to the novel

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 353 with Tomás Moniz, a latinx writer living in East Oakland, CA. His debut novel, Big Familia, was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/ Hemingway and the LAMBDA. His second novel, All Friends Are Necessary, won the 2024 California Golden Poppy Award.

His new novel, The King of Aloe Vera, will be published on September 29th, 2026 from Algonquin Books, with September 29 or 30th being the day the episode drops.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Sep 29, 2026

1 hr 15 min

Sep 28, 2026

Episode 351 with Daniel Dockery, the Thoughtful, Deep-Researching, Author of I AM THE NIGHT: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series

Sep 28, 2026

58 min

Notes and Links to Daniel Dockery’s Work

Daniel Dockery began writing online and in print in 2011. Since then, he's been a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor at Crunchyroll, as well as a Columnist and Assistant Editor at Cracked.com. He's also written for WIRED, Vulture, Polygon, SYFY, Paste Magazine, Roger Ebert, Thrillist, and various other outlets. His first book, Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All, was released by Running Press on October 4, 2022. His upcoming book, I AM THE NIGHT: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series, will be published by St. Martin's Press on September 1, 2026. When not writing, Daniel can be found reading, weightlifting, and spending time with his lovely wife, adorable son, and absolutely wild Australian Cattle Dog Elmer.

Buy I am the Night: The Ultimate Unauthorized Biography of Batman: The Animated Series

Daniel Dockery's Website

Review of I am the Night... from Atomic Geekdom

At about 3:00, Daniel shouts out places to buy his book, including through great writer and mentor Matthew Seitz Zoller

At about 4:10, Daniel responds to Pete’s question about the meaning and possibilities with an “unauthorized history”

At about 5:30, Daniel paints a picture of his early knowledge and watching Batman: The Animated Series and other movies and pop culture in his childhood

At about 8:50, Daniel talks about his unique experience watching Batman: The Animated Series

At about 9:50, Daniel describes his early reading and writing lives

At about 12:20, Daniel highlights Patrick Radden Keefe and David Grann and other writers who thrill and inspire him

At about 14:30, Daniel responds to Pete’s questions about feedback he’s received on his book

At about 17:45, Daniel traces seeds for his book

At about 20:00, The two discuss the praise heaped upon Batman: The Animated Series and the ways that the series went against type in the early 1990’s regarding cartoons

At about 24:30, Daniel shares an anecdote that illustrates the depth of his Batman fandom

At about 26:30, Daniel provides background on the many iterations of Batman and the show’s ethos of “not talking down to children” with the Animated Series

At about 30:00, Daniel maps Warner Brothers’ Batman vision

At about 33:15, Daniel responds to Pete’s asking about Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill and the ways in which they came to Batman: The Animated Series and what made them so successful as marquee voice actors

At about 36:30, Daniel responds to Pete asking about the way that he viewed and continues to view animated shows and about his rewatch(es) for BTAS for research purposes

At about 38:40, Daniel lists and describes his favorite two episodes of the series

At about 40:40, Daniel responds to Pete’s questions about “canon[ical]” characters and their treatment, and the ways in which the BTAS writers handled Batman’s violent tendencies

At about 44:20, Pete asks Daniel about Batman the character as allegory/symbolic

At about 46:50, Alan Burnett’s rules and touches and his importance to the success of the series are discussed

At about 49:15, Daniel riffs on the disparate writers who “put their stamp” on BTAS

At about 51:25, Daniel riffs on an “introduction” to Batman through The Mask of the Phantasm and the greatness of the comic, “The Killing Joke”

At about 52:25, Daniel talks about the costs of making BTAS

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 352 with Sarah Blakley-Catwright, the author of Alice Sadie Celine (Simon Books, Simon & Schuster, November 28th, 2023). She is also the author of Red Riding Hood (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), a New York Times #1 bestseller that was published worldwide in thirty-eight editions and fifteen languages. Her newest book is Heavy Cream.

The episode airs on September 29, Pub Day for Heavy Cream.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Sep 28, 2026

58 min

Sep 22, 2026

Episode 350 with Benjamin Moser, Author of Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History, and Pulitzer-Prize Winning, Master Writer of the Spectacular and the Mundane

Sep 22, 2026

53 min

Notes and Links to Benjamin Moser’s Work

Benjamin Moser is the author of Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector, a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award and a New York Times Notable Book of 2009. For his work bringing Clarice Lispector to international prominence, he received Brazil’s first State Prize for Cultural Diplomacy. He won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2017, and Sontag: Her Life and Work won the Pulitzer Prize in 2020. The Upside-Down World: Meetings with the Dutch Masters appeared in 2023. He completed Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library.

Buy Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History

Benjamin Moser’s Website

Book Tour Events

Review of Anti-Zionism from Forward Magazine

At about 1:45, Ben talks about what he expects with the September 22 Pub Day

At about 2:40, Ben expands on ideas of repentance and the Jewish Yom Kippur, as well as political and personal complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza

At about 4:20, Ben expands on his understanding of the acronym “P.E.P” and people being againstt genocide, as evidenced by the bravura shown by the people profiled in Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History

At about 5:00, Ben talks about his early reading and writing and what put him in his path to being a writer, including Clarice Lispector and V.S. Naipul

At about 7:00, Ben reflects on lessons learned from researching for biographies and expands on the “craziness” of Zionism titan Theodor Herzl

At about 8:30-Saudade unmasked!

At about 10:00, Ben shouts out places to buy the book and talks about upcoming tour events and about his hopes for the book

At about 11:30, Pete cites the book’s Acknowledgements and Ben explores a “joke” from his friend over the split among Jews and others regarding Zionism while also examining people’s courage and reticence to speak against genocide

At about 13:25, Ben talks about the “original cancel culture”

At about 14:25, The two reflect on The Onion and social media as news dispenser

At about 15:30, Ben talks about what “it cost them” in discussing the heroes of the book

At about 16:40, Ben responds to Pete’s question about seeds for the book, and Ben describes the indescribable: the “highly fraught” atmosphere in Palestine, and its racist daily life

At about 19:10, Ben emphasizes the relatively-young Birthright program and the effects of Israeli propaganda and the world seeing the genocide on phones

At about 20:40, Ben responds to Pete’s questions about the significance of verses from the Hebrew Bible

At about 22:20, The two discuss an important book and Ben discusses the book’s gravitas

At about 24:00, Ben talks about how “weird” Der Judenstatt is

At about 24:45, Pete and Ben talk about Herzl as the “L. Ron Hubbard of the Jews” and wonder how Herzl’s work and persona were/and so impactful

At about 26:15, Ben expands on connections between Zionism and Herzl and an “Ibsen plot”

At about 28:15, The two reflect on an incredibly anecdote recounted by Herzl himself that sets off alarm bells for a friend of his, and for Ben as well

At about 30:10, The two discuss Herzl as a self-styled prophet

At about 33:25, Ben reflects on modern and historical connections between Zionism and Anti-Semitism

At about 36:40, Pete cites “The Sensitive Rabbi” as an example of putting religious faith into good works, and Ben expands on Judaism as a "pacifistic religion”

At about 41:00, Ben discusses the retroactive “claim[ing]” of the Holocaust in Zionism, and the process of “unlearning” narratives

At about 44:25, Pete asks Ben about one of the appeals of Zionism, as Ben explains the desire to be tough and strong in response to oppression

At about 46:20, The two discuss the enduring and uncomplicated meaning of “Never Again”

At about 47:25, The two discuss those who are fighting back against the genocide and apartheid in Palestine

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 351 with Daniel Dockery, who has been a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor at Crunchyroll, as well as a Columnist and Assistant Editor at Cracked.com. He's also written for WIRED, Vulture, Polygon, SYFY, Paste Magazine, Roger Ebert, Thrillist, and various other outlets. His first book, Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All, was released by Running Press on October 4, 2022. His upcoming book, I AM THE NIGHT: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series, is out with St. Martin's Press as of September 1, 2026.

The episode airs on September 22.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Sep 22, 2026

53 min

Sep 14, 2026

Episode 349 with Ankur Thakkar, Author of Blow Yourself Up, and Savvy and Nuanced Chronicler of the Chaotic World of Commerce, Art, Popularity, and Changing Social and Internet Mores

Sep 14, 2026

1 hr 4 min

Notes and Links to Ankur Thakkar’s Work

Ankur Thakkar is the author of Blow Yourself Up, which was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. His stories have appeared in Guernica, [PANK], and TriQuarterly. He was a 2025 Sewanee Writers’ Conference Scholar and his artwork has been exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo and La Friche la Belle de Mai.

Buy Blow Yourself Up

Ankur Thakkar’s Website

At about 1:30, Ankur talks about his mindset as Blow Yourself Up comes out and lays out tour events

At about 3:00, Ankur talks about his early reading and writing life, and homes in on how formative the Mahabharata has been for him

At about 6:55, Ankur talks about how Asian Studies courses and his own reading and life experience inform his views of the multiple stories and layers of Hinduism

At about 8:00, Ankur cites Continental Philosophy class led him to Tolstoy, Sartre, Bret Easton Ellis, and the power of reading those with “names like [his]”-Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri, among others

At about 10:15, The two reflect on the culture panache of American Psycho

At about 11:45, Ankur talks about connections to Indian/South Asian cultures through “impactful” exposure in college

At about 13:00, Ankur shouts out writers who thrill and inspire him, including Hari Kunzu, Mosin Mohammed, and Maryam Rahmani

At about 14:15, Ankur describes his epigraph and its significance, especially connections to the talented and creative Heems of Das Racist

At about 15:55, Pete asks Ankur about starting the book with in medias res and his omniscient narrator

At about 18:30, Ankur talks about playing with time and “loops” and connects his time working with Vine to these concepts

At about 20:40, Pete talks about an iconic (at least to him) Vine involving Michael Jordan

At about 22:20, Ankur responds to Pete’s asking about Arjun’s musical intelligence and natural abilities

At about 25:20, Pete lays out some of the book’s exposition

At about 26:45, Ankur talks about the ways in which Payal and her family react to the patriarch's death, and how the most vulnerable often are ripe for political malleability

At about 28:35, The two discuss

At about 29:30, Pete compliments the ways in which Ankur paints the relationship between Arjun and Payal’s ailing father

At about 31:00, Ankur outlines the ways in which he is “loose” with his chronology in the book and his mindset in writing thusly

At about 32:55, Ankur riffs on the “transcendan[ce]” of music and live concerts and recounts memories of his first concerts

At about 35:00, The two discuss the death of the family patriarch, and Ankur shares wise thoughts on the aftereffects of the death of a loved one

At about 36:25, Ankur describes the secrets in the relationship between Arjun and Payal and different levels of familial communication, especially among Indian-American families

At about 38:10, Ankur talks about the “Whispercore” movement and its connection to the book’s music scene

At about 39:30, The two discuss the travails of the Payal and Arjun relationships, and Pete asks Ankur about the traumas endured by Payal and how it might affect her resignation towards the world

At about 43:00, Ankur points out some foreshadowing with the bandmate of Arjun

At about 44:25, Ankur responds to Pete’s question about Payal mimicking/mocking Bollywood and some South Asian literature through Boosts

At about 45:20, Ankur responds to Pete’s question about “standing in judgment” of his characters

At about 47:20, Ankur cites the example of Naomi Klein’s Doppelganger and how it plays out in pop culture and politics with turnabouts in goals and mindsets for creators and politicians

At about 50:10, The two discuss commercialism and art through his turning music and colonialism on its face

At about 50:45, Diya is shouted out by Ankur and cited as a favorite character for him

At about 51:40, Pete outlines an important scene involving an artistic event

At about 54:00, Ankur reflects on Payal’s ease and unease in becoming a popular influencer

At about 56:35, Ankur discusses a “lack of cultural baggage” that might come with a burgeoning relationship and responds to Pete asking about the ways the fortunes of the couple are connected

Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

Please tune in for Episode 350 with Daniel Dockery, who has been a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor at Crunchyroll, as well as a Columnist and Assistant Editor at Cracked.com. He's also written for WIRED, Vulture, Polygon, SYFY, Paste Magazine, Roger Ebert, Thrillist, and various other outlets. His first book, Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All, was released by Running Press on October 4, 2022. His latest book, I AM THE NIGHT: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series, is out with St. Martin's Press as of September 1, 2026.

The episode airs on September 22.

Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Sep 14, 2026

1 hr 4 min