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

Tuesday May 24, 2022

Episode 124 with Robin Peguero, Exciting New Voice, Legal Insider, and Crafter of the Exciting and Evocative Thriller, With Prejudice

Tuesday May 24, 2022

Episode 124 Notes and Links to Robin Peguero’s Work

On Episode 124 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Robin Peguero, and the two discuss, among other topics, Robin’s early writing and reading influences, Pete and Robin’s shared love for, and awe of, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Robin’s experience in government and law that have influenced his worldviews and writing, and the background, real-life parallels, and themes featured in Robin’s With Prejudice.

An Afro-Latino and the son of immigrants, Robin Peguero graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He has written for the Miami Herald, the Harvard Crimson, and the Harvard Law Review, and he served as a press spokesman in the U.S. House and as a speechwriter in the U.S. Senate before becoming a lawyer. He is currently a U.S. House investigative counsel working on domestic terrorism.

Buy With Prejudice by Robin Peguero

Shelf Awareness: Interview with Robin Peguero

The Big Thrill: “Up Close: Robin Peguero”

At about 1:30, Robin describes the festivities for the first week of publication, describes the feeling as “surreal,” and talks about his

At about 3:00, Robin gives background on his childhood relationship with language and literature and growing up in Hialeah, outside of Miami

At about 5:35-a Natalie Lima shout out!

At about 6:10, Robin details his early reading favorites and the background for his early writing, in “creating a world and making it how [you] want it to exist”

At about 7:45, Robin responds to Pete’s wondering about moments of discovery and influence on his road to writing, including how Garcia Marquez and Faulkner’s work influenced and inspired, and Robin’s time on the school newspaper

At about 11:50, Pete and Robin commiserate on the difficulty of The Sound and the Fury

At about 12:20, Robin details his love of Marquez’s work, including his blockbuster and iconic novels

At about 13:15, Robin describes some early birthday parties that were perfect for a literary teenage crowd, and his friend as his “first beta reader”

At about 14:50, Robin talks about early jobs in government, and how his experience with the “slow-moving” government entities affected his worldview and his move to law

At about 17:10, Robin details his experience with the defense and prosecution sides of the criminal justice, all the while writing on the side

At about 18:20, Robin traces the journey of the book from origin to publication

At about 19:35-21:32, Robin summarizes the book with an “elevator pitch” and emphasizes the importance of the jury in the legal system

At about 21:35-25:03, Robin discusses the significance of the book’s title

At about 25:20, Robin responds to Pete’s questions about his views of the criminal justice

At about 26:25, Robin details a finding about the death penalty that comes from less of a value of Black lives

At about 29:40, Pete highlights strengths of book and outlines some main characters and their views of the pragmatic issues of jury selection

At about 30:50, Robin discusses the intriguing and powerful character of Sandy as an archetype of the legal profession, and how

At about 34:15, Robin and Pete discuss the relationship between opposing lawyers, collegiality (or lack thereof) among the competing lawyers, and Robin’s experience with these issues

At about 37:35, Robin responds to Pete’s compliments about his seamless dialogue and balance of legal jargon and common speech to capture a wide audience

At about 40:35, Robin compares the legal system as represented in TV and movies to the real legal system, with Defending Jacob as one that he references as sufficiently realistic

At about 42:30, Robin discusses the mechanics of the backstories and past/present tense as used in his book

At about 44:40, Pete lays out the backstories of several important characters, and emphasizes the understated character of Gabriel Soto, the case’s defendant

At about 46:15, Robin discusses the unfortunate way in which the defendant and victim sometimes become “wallpaper” and responds to Pete’s wondering about victim Melina Mora and double standards regarding women as victims

At about 52:00, Pete homes in on important flashback scenes, particularly regarding Melina Mora

At about 53:10, the two highlight effusive blurbs from Scott Turow and Harlan Coben and Robin talks about genre and how the book will be classified/marketed

At about 54:10, Pete asks about future projects for Robin

At about 56:20, Pete highlights a realistic and intriguing character from the book

At about 57:45, Robin highlights social media and contact info, and shouts out Books and Books as one of many great places to buy his book

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 me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

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 125 with Jamil Jan Kochai, the author of 99 Nights in Logar (Viking, 2019), a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. He was born in an Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, but he originally hails from Logar, Afghanistan. His short stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Ploughshares, and The O. Henry Prize Stories 2018. Currently, he is a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.

The episode will air on May 31.

Tuesday May 17, 2022

Episode 123 with Zach Harper: Hilarious and Perceptive Hoopshead, Multitalented Host and Writer of Podcasts like CinePhobe, Radio Host, and Basketball Writer at The Athletic

Tuesday May 17, 2022

Episode 123 Notes and Links to Zach Harper’s Work

On Episode 123 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Zach Harper, and the two discuss, among other topics, Zach’s “taking the leap” in leaving a previous job to write professionally about basketball, his versatility in writing and podcasting about sometimes disparate topics, how he watches basketball differently now, interesting stories involving him and interesting people, his lifelong zeal for hoops and great sportswriting, how basketball and sports should be fun, and “good” bad movies.

Zach Harper is a Staff Writer for The Athletic, covering the NBA. Zach joined The Athletic after covering the NBA for ESPN.com, CBS Sports, and FRS Sports since 2009. He also hosts radio for SiriusXM NBA and SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Listen to CinePhobe

Featured Writing by Zach Harper on Muck Rack

Featured Writing by Zach Harper for The Athletic

At about 2:00, Pete gives poor Zach a tough and random question as Pete

At about 3:35, Pete asks about Chris Paul’s legacy and Zach gives his thoughts on his place in today’s NBA and NBA history

At about 6:15, Zach talks about Patrick Beverley’s recent comments and his

At about 7:20, Zach discusses his ideas of team fandom as a sportswriter and his childhood fandom for the Minnesota Timberwolves

At about 10:30, Pete and Zach discuss the propensity for predictions and rankings and the like and Zach’s perspective on them

At about 13:20, Zach responds to Pete’s questions about the connection between the fairly-new openness of the sports betting scene

At about 16:50, Zach gives background on his journey that took him from the court of appeals to starting a basketball website and the road to professional writing

At about 19:05, Zach gives background on his reading and writing background, as well as his overall relationship with language and sportswriting from great publications like Slam and Sports Illustrated

At about 20:40, Zach details his affinity for the “inside” stories that he has heard from cohosts-former players like Sam Mitchell

At about 21:10, Pete and Zach reminisce about great ads from the Slam Magazine days

At about 22:00, Zach responds to Pete’s questions about cohost Rick Mahorn

At about 23:05, Zach highlights an article in SÍ about Greg Maddux that changed his perspective on sports and athletes

At about 25:00, Pete gives Zach room to give his own scouting report on his hoops skills-present and past

At about 28:50, Pete shouts out a winning basketball team from Sacramento (hint: it’s not the Kings)

At about 29:30, Zach shouts out Tom Ziller, Kelly Dwyer, and the Basketball Jones, among others as role models and inspirations as he got started writing about basketball

At about 31:10, Zach talks about being open to learning and Kevin Arnowitz and Henry Abbott their mentorship in linking Zach with True Hoop

At about 33:45, The Daily Dime is referenced as a place where Zach’s hard work helped him further his career

At about 34:20, Zach describes his “baptism by fire” in being fairly new to ESPN when “The Decision” happened

At about 35:20, Zack explains the surrealism of working for ESPN

At about 37:40, Pete asks Zach about “personas” that may come with working in so many different media, including writing and podcasting about basketball and cohosting the movie podcast, Cinephobe

At about 42;25, Pete and Zach focus on a series of articles from the summer of 2021 for The Athletic, and Zach responds to Pete’s questions about surprising/disappointing teams from 2021-2022

At about 44:20, Zach uses the surprising and fun Memphis Grizzlies team to make a larger point about trash talk and fun in the league

At about 46:10, Pete picks the greatest dunk of all-time

At about 48:45, Pete and Zach discuss ideas of the NBA as a distraction, and specifically the scenario

At about 50:45, Zach describes the situation where he and Amin Elhassan went on the air with very little notice after the Bucks and Magic boycotted a game in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake murder

At about 52:45, Pete and Zach highlight the greatness of Amin Elhassan

At about 54:30, Zach charts the ethos and origins of Cinephobe

At about 57:00, in discussing the Rocky IV Cinephobe episode, Carl Weathers is given his just due

At about 58:40, Zach highlights the way the podcast views The Room

At about 59:50, Zach “fantasizes” about future projects, and shouts out inspiring ideas from friend Ian Karmel

At about 1:02:00, Zach responds to Pete’s questions regarding how he watches basketball now that he writes about the game as a professional

At about 1:04:25, Zach gives his NBA Finals predictions

At about 1:05:15, Zach outlines his radio and audio episode info, as well as his social media

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 124 with Robin Peguero. An Afro-Latino and the son of immigrants, he graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He has written for the Miami Herald, the Harvard Crimson, and the Harvard Law Review, and he served as a press spokesman in the U.S. House and as a speechwriter in the U.S. Senate before becoming a lawyer. He is currently a U.S. House investigative counsel working on domestic terrorism.

The episode will air on May 24.

Tuesday May 10, 2022

Episode 122 with Sonora Reyes, Keen Observer and Chronicler of Young Adult Stories, Creator and Host of the Twitter Chat #QPOCChat, and Author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School

Tuesday May 10, 2022

Episode 122 Notes and Links to Sonora Reyes’ Work

On Episode 122 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Sonora Reyes, and the two discuss, among other topics, Sonora’s early reading and writing of fan fiction, their reading and life experiences that inspired their soon-to-be-released young adult novel, and themes like masculinity and homophobia that are evident in The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. Sonora also talks about their 2023 release!

Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes is the author of the forthcoming contemporary young adult novel, THE LESBIANA'S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL. They write fiction full of queer and Latinx characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories. Sonora is also the creator and host of the Twitter chat #QPOCChat, a monthly community-building chat for queer writers of color.

Sonora currently lives in Arizona in a multi-generational family home with a small pack of dogs who run the place. Outside of writing, Sonora loves dancing, singing karaoke, and playing with their baby nephew.

Sonora Reyes' Website

Buy The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

¡Vamos a hablar! | Let's Talk! — Interview with Sonora Reyes from Boricua Reads/Adriana M. Martínez Figueroa

At about 1:55, Pete shouts out a great Ace Ventura reference from Sonora’s book

At about 2:30, Sonora talks about her early reading and writing, including her love of fan fiction (specifically Young Justice), poetry, and her early foray into writing

At about 4:50, Sonora Reyes responds to Pete’s question about feelings associated with creation of characters and fiction

At about 6:00, Sonora discusses her reading habits as she has gotten older, including inspiration for her book coming through Zoraida Cordova’s Labyrinth Lost and Niña Moreno’s Don’t Date Rosa Santos

At about 7:40, Sonora discusses advantages and disadvantages of not having read much of the YA/teen genres and writing her own book in the genres

At about 9:00, Sonora explains NaNo WriMo and its connections to her book

At about 10:00, Sonora discusses the links between her experiences at Catholic school and her writing, including how catharsis and therapy were involved

At about 11:00, Pete asks Sonora about her connections to speaking Spanish and its usage in her writing

At about 12:20, Pete wonders about “representation” in what Sonora read; she responds by talking about the pull and limitations of Jaime Reyes, and the coolness of

At about 14:20, Sonora talks about seeds for the book and the title’s genesis

At about 15:40, Sonora shouts out Jessie Gang for her beautiful cover work

At about 16:20, Pete asks about the chapter titles and their connections to religion and The Ten Commandments

At about 17:00, Pete and Sonora talks about the book’s opening, as well as ideas of Catholic school as an “escape” and religiosity from Yami’s mother

At about 19:10, Sonora discusses Yami as the oldest, and the oldest girl, and the extra expectations and responsibilities that come with the role

At about 20:30, Sonora describes the end of the friendship between her and Bianca, and how Yami’s self-realization is affected by the “outing” by Bianca that broke up the friendship

At about 22:15, Sonora gives the significance of The Mayan Code of the Heart in her life and in the lives of her characters

At about 23:45, the two discuss ideas of rebellion and resistance as shown by Bo and other characters in the book

At about 26:00, the two explore ideas of “passing” and “emotional exercise

At about 27:30, Sonora gives background on the important character of Bo and her parents

At about 30:00, the two discuss the significance of a ballet folklorico scene in the book

At about 32:15, Sonora talks about her own experience with ballet folklorico, and Pete talks of hopes for his daughter

At about 33:00, Sonora breaks down Catholicism’s connection to events in the book, including with regards to homosexuality, and outlines a possible book spin-off

At about 34:55, Cesar and ideas of masculinity are explored

At about 35:40, Pete is complimentary of Sonora’s light touch with the idea of constant “comings-out” and Sonora shares

At about 37:30, Sonora sets up and reads an excerpt from the book-the ballet folklorico scene

At about 40:30, Sonora shares upcoming projects, including an exciting book that comes out in 2023, and shouts out Changing Hands Bookstores as great places to buy her book

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 123 with Zach Harper. Zach is a Staff Writer for The Athletic, covering the NBA. Zach joined The Athletic after covering the NBA for ESPN.com, CBS Sports, and FRS Sports since 2009. He also hosts radio for SiriusXM NBA and SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio. And…Zach and I have a shared alma mater-go Big Red!

The episode will air on May 17.

Tuesday May 03, 2022

Episode 121 with Michael Torres, Crafter of Profound and Musical Lines, Master of Imagery and Pathos, and Author of the Award-Winning Poetry Collection, An Incomplete List of Names

Tuesday May 03, 2022

Episode 121 Notes and Links to Michael Torres’ Work

On Episode 121 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Michael Torres, and the two discuss, among other topics, his growing up in Pomona, CA, and his childhood and adolescence influences on his work, the speaker as poet and vice versa, his early reading prompted by a generous older sister, works and writers that have thrilled him and impelled him to write, his poetry collection’s themes of identity and masculinity, and the real-life background of his dynamite lines and strong images.

Michael Torres is a VONA distinguished alum and CantoMundo fellow. In 2016 he received his MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato, was a winner of the Loft Mentor Series, received an Individual Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and was awarded a Jerome Foundation Research and Travel Grant to visit the pueblo in Jalisco, Mexico where his father grew up. In 2019 he received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and The Loft Literary Center for the Mirrors & Windows Program. A former Artist-in-Residence at the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France as well as a McKnight Writing Fellow, he is currently a 2021-22 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow.

His first collection of poems, AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF NAMES, (Beacon Press, 2020) was selected by Raquel Salas Rivera for the National Poetry Series, named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020, and was featured on the podcast Code Switch.

His writing has been featured or is forthcoming in Best New Poets 2020, The New Yorker, POETRY, Ploughshares, Smartish Pace, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Georgia Review, The Sun, Water~Stone Review, Southern Indiana Review, Ninth Letter, Poetry Northwest, Copper Nickel, Fifth Wednesday Journal, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, The McNeese Review, MIRAMAR, Green Mountains Review, Forklift, Ohio, Hot Metal Bridge, The Boiler Journal, Paper Darts, River Teeth, The Acentos Review, Okey-Panky, Sycamore Review, SALT, Huizache, online as The Missouri Review’s Poem of the Week, on The Slowdown with Tracy K. Smith.

Michael was born and brought up in Pomona, CA, where he spent his adolescence as a graffiti artist. Currently, he teaches in the MFA program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and through the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.

Michael Torres' Website

Buy An Incomplete List of Names

Michael’s Appearance on NPR’s Code Switch

"In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors–Michael Torres"

At about 3:20, Michael talks about growing up in Pomona, CA, and his relationship with language and literature

At about 6:00, Michael highlights his older sister’s contributions in introducing him to great literature, and Michael details being immediately intrigued by Luis Rodriguez’s Always Running

At about 10:00, Pete connects Luis Rodriguez and getting attention through his nickname and Michael’s views of tagging and identity

At about 13:50, Michael responds to Pete’s questions about connections between peer pressure and growing up, including how Michael’s “Down” was inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s “The Art of Peer Pressure”

At about 18:00, Pete flits from A Bronx Tale to a phenomenon with students’ writing their full names in past years as the two “discuss the “desire to leave something behind”

At about 20:10, Pete cites profound and interesting lines from An Incomplete List of Names

that deal with identity, and Pete asks about “Michael” and the delineation between his name and “Remek”

At about 22:00, Michael discusses what reading and writers inspired and thrilled him as he got into late high school and college, including 2Pac and The Rose that Grew From Concrete, Charles Bukowski, Gary Soto’s The Elements of San Joaquin, and Albert Camus’ The Stranger

At about 26:40, Michael further explains hip-hop’s influence on him, including from groups like Dilated Peoples, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Jurassic 5

At about 30:00, Michael lays out events and people who helped him find his writing voice and skill and community

At about 32:00, Michael highlights moments that convinced him of his love for poetry

At about 34:00, Michael highlights John Bramingham and others who helped him learn about the publication process

At about 35:30, A Mic and Dim Lights is highlighted as a open mic spot that fostered Michael’s skills and confidence

At about 37:00, Pete asks about the transition from student to teacher/mentor for Michael, as Michael shouts out UC Riverside and Freddy Lopez

At about 40:10, Pete asks Michael about “Stop Looking My Name Like That” and ideas of the speaker as the poet

At about 42:40, Michael describes “writing in resistance” to conversations had at a conference he attended

At about 44:30, Pete talks about his favorite scene in moviedom, and its connections to innocence and nostalgia and Michael’s writing

At about 45:30, Pete quotes some dynamite lines and asks Michael about ideas of identity

At about 49:30, Michael analyzes a profound line and connects it to memory and nostalgia

At about 51:00, Michael discusses community and connections to a “transaction” and the moving (no pun intended) poem “Push”

At about 52:10, Michael gives background on his father and perspectives on his dad’s background and its connection to their relationship

At about 54:15, ideas of masculinity are explored through standout lines, including “Down” and its three iterations

At about 56:45, Michael talks about “masks” and tough exteriors and acting tough as ways of getting by and not getting “clowned”

At about 58:45, Michael gives background on an interesting and fitting phrase he uses in his poetry

At about 1:00:25, Pete and Michael discuss a tender line from “Down/II” as Michael gives background on the line as a mix of moments in his life

At about 1:03:30, Michael discusses ideas of youth valuing themselves as touched upon in his work

At about 1:05:20, Pete highlights a line from the collection that is representative of the whole

At about 1:07:00, Pete asks about Michael’s community of writers and who moves him in 2022; Michael cites Willie Perdomo, Mary Szybist and “Incarnadine,” Patricia Smith, Paul Tran, Dustin Pearson, Emily Yoon, Chris McCormick, Eduardo Corral, and Chen Chen

At about 1:09:10, Michael reads from “Down/I”

At about 1:15:00, Michael reads Part VI and X of “Elegy Roll Call”

At about 1:17:00, Michael details upcoming projects

At about 1:21:00, Michael gives out social media/contact info

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 122 with Sonora Reyes, the author of the forthcoming contemporary young adult novel, THE LESBIANA'S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL. They write fiction full of queer and Latinx characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories. Sonora is also the creator and host of the Twitter chat #QPOCChat, a monthly community-building chat for queer writers of color.

The episode will air on May 10.

Tuesday Apr 26, 2022

Episode 120 with traci kato-kiriyama, Thoughtful and Reflective Artist, Creative, Historian, and Activist, and Writer of the Work of Art that is Navigating With(out) Instruments

Tuesday Apr 26, 2022

Episode 120 Notes and Links to traci kato-kiriyama’s Work

On Episode 120 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes traci kato-kiriyama, and the two discuss, among other topics, traci’s upbringing with her thoughtful and well-read curators of history and art-her parents-her life as a creative, both as an individual and in collective spaces, themes from her work that are inspired by various muses within and without her family and her local communities, racism against Japanese and Japanese-American and other marginalized communities, and her creative and thought-provoking Navigating With(out) Instruments.

traci kato-kiriyama (they+she), author of Navigating With(out) Instruments--based on unceded Tongva land in the south bay of Los Angeles-- is an award-winning multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary artist, recognized for their work as a writer/performer, theatre deviser, cultural producer, and community organizer. As a storyteller and Artivist, tkk is grounded in collaborative process, collective self-determination, and art+community as intrinsically tied and a critical means toward connection and healing. She is a performer & principal writer for PULLproject Ensemble, two-time NET recipient; NEFA 2021-22 finalist for their show TALES OF CLAMOR. tkk —presented for over 25 years in hundreds of venues throughout North America as a writer, actor, poet, speaker, guest lecturer, facilitator, Artist-in-Residence, and organizing / arts & culture consultant— has come to appreciate a wildly hybrid career (w/ presenters incl. LaMaMa Cabaret; Enwave Theatre; The Smithsonian; The Getty; Skirball Cultural Center; and Hammer Museum, to Zero Gravity; Grand Park; Whisky a Go Go; Hotel Cafe; House Of Blues Foundation Room; and countless universities, arts spaces, and community centers across the country). Their work is also featured in a wide swath of media and print publications (incl. NPR; PBS; Elle.com; Entropy; Chapparal Canyon Press; Tia Chucha Press; Bamboo Ridge Press; Heyday Books; Regent Press).

tkk is a core artist of Vigilant Love, member of the H.R. 40 Coalition and organizer with the Nikkei Progressives & NCRR joint Reparations Committee, and Director/Co-Founder of Tuesday Night Project (presenter of the Tea & Letterwriting initiative and Tuesday Night Cafe series in Little Tokyo).

traci kato kiriyama's website

Buy Navigating with(out) Instruments

traci’s profile on DiscoverNikkei.org

traci’s bio for Tuesday Night Project

traci reads "Remember All the Children Who Were Never Born to Me" for Poetry Lab

At about 4:00, Pete asks traci about notions of the “writer as speaker,” including a profound quote from Zora Satchell

At about 6:20, traci’s cat makes an appearance!

At about 6:30, traci talks about her background and her parents’ focus on education and intellectual and historical curiosity, including how The Japanese American Historical Society was founded by her parents

At about 8:30, traci discusses what stories drew her interest in adolescence, including song lyrics, theater, and art of all types

At about 11:30, Pete and traci freak out over their collective love and admiration for Tori Amos

At about 12:25, traci describes the artists and writers-often playwrights-who thrilled her through high school into college and beyond, such as Wakako Yamauchi, Rumi, Yusuf, Adrienne Rich, Nikki Giovanni, and Janice Mirikitani

At about 15:30, Pete wonders about the connection between natural sociability and performance for traci

At about 17:30, traci responds to Pete’s question about which artists and creatives inspires her Nancy Keystone and Kennedy Kabasares, Howard Ho, and LA and West Coast standouts Writ Large Press, Not a Cult, Kaia Press, The Accomplices

At about 21:20, traci discusses ideas of “representation,” especially with regard to her childhood and the Japanese-American communities of which she was part

At about 23:15, traci recounts her experience in seeing Sixteen Candles and the thought process that followed the viewing-regarding racist representations in Hollywood and beyond

At about 27:45, traci gives background knowledge on a poem from her collection that references her mother and Dec. 7; it is instructive about the ways in which memory works

At about 30:35, traci talks about the aforementioned incident in the school and connections to Michi Weglyn’s book/if and how the story was a microcosm

At about 33:35, traci gives background on the book, includiing an impetus from Ed Lin that didn’t exactly bring immediate publication

At about 34:40, traci discusses inspiration for the book’s title

At about 38:00, traci discusses the idea of the “muse,” including inspiration from her grandfather, Taz Ahmed, her mom, and others

At about 40:00, traci responds to Pete’s questions about the rationale for the many different forms used in her collection

At about 45:50, Pete and traci discuss “Where We Would Have Gone” and the ideas of “what if” and “predicting the past”

At about 48:10, the two talk about the spectrum of sexuality as a theme in traci’s collection, as well as meanings of “queer” and pronoun usage and comfortability with names

At about 51:20, traci references her longest acronym and ideas of a “collective coming out” that comes from real life and a poem of hers

At about 53:20, traci explains some background on “Death Notes” that are featured in the collection, as well as ideas/themes associated with being close to death; she highlights editor Chiwan Choi’s great help in sharing difficult and “heavy and important” moments

At about 58:00, traci discusses her use of “bury” throughout her work

At about 59:25, the two explore ideas of racism, family, and resistance in traci’s family; traci shows the photo of her bearded grandfather and talks of discovering his rebellion, which is instructive in many ways

At about 1:02:55, traci talks about her mother’s political awareness and Yuri Kochiyama’s “massive impact”; she talks about how traci spoke at a Los Angeles memorial

At about 1:06:00, traci connects the “collectivity” of art with artists and the “continuum” of the world’s people and the world’s artists and activists; traci cites WorldMeter as an addictive and important website

At about 1:07:45, traci talks about the poems/letters in the collection that serve as conversations between her and Taz Ahmed, including conversations where the subject matter evolved

At about 1:09:45, traci and Pete discuss ideas of “eminent domain” that populate her work

At about 1:10:50, traci reads a poem about her grandfather/reparations after reminding listeners about the annual visits/pilgrimages to Manzanar

At about 1:14:25, traci reads “Remember All the Children who were Never Born to Me”

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 121 with Michael Torres, a VONA distinguished alum and CantoMundo fellow. His first collection of poems, AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF NAMES, (Beacon Press, 2020) was selected by Raquel Salas Rivera for the National Poetry Series, named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020, and was featured on the podcast Code Switch. He teaches in the MFA program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and through the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.

The episode will air on May 3.

Tuesday Apr 19, 2022

Episode 119 with Deesha Philyaw, Master Storyteller, Builder of Intrigue, Skilled Worldbuilder, and Craftswoman of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Winner of the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Tuesday Apr 19, 2022

Episode 119 Notes and Links to Deesha Philyaw’s Work

On Episode 119 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Deesha Philyaw, and the two discuss, among other topics, Deesha’s love of and obsession with books as a kid, her reading books above her age level, the shakeup she received in reading the “singular” James Baldwin, outstanding and innovative and inspirational contemporary writers, her college and post-college years loving literature but aiming for corporate work, her compulsion to write full-time, and themes and parallels between contemporary life and events from her standout short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 2020/2021 Story Prize, and the 2020 LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies focuses on Black women, sex, and the Black church, and is being adapted for television by HBO Max with Tessa Thompson executive producing. Deesha is also a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and will be the 2022-2023 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi.

Deesha Philyaw's Website

Renee Simms Reviews The Secret Lives of Church Ladies for Los Angeles Review of Books

Buy the Award-Winning The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

Nadia Owusu’s Article for Slate: “The Secret Life of Deesha Philyaw”

Exciting News about the Upcoming HBO Series Based on the Story Collection!

At about 2:00, Sara Giorgi is shouted out as a strong editor, as Pete and Deesha talk about some fact-checking for her short story collection

At about 3:00, Deesha discusses early iterations of her short story collection

At about 4:35, Deesha responds to Pete’s wondering about ideas of “finished” and “unfinished” stories

At about 6:25, Deesha details her love of books and having her family nurture her love of words

At about 10:00, Deesha recounts stories of “obsessing” over books and school in her childhood

At about 11:45, Deesha talks about a favorite writer, James Baldwin, and his multifaceted and intersectional legacies

At about 15:40, Pete wonders about Deesha’s reading habits in her adolescent years

At about 19:00, Deesha talks about meaningful books, including The Autobiography of Malcolm X, that she read in high school and college, and about how writing for a career seemed so foreign to her

At about 21:50, Deesha references (very discreetly) the secret societies of Yale

At about 22:10, Deesha discusses her writing career developing slowly-starting as a hobby-in her late 20s, before accelerating with novel and short story writing

At about 23:45, Deesha mentions contemporary writers who inspire and challenge her, including Robert Jones, Jr., Maurice Ruffin, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Dantiel W. Moniz, and Dawnie Walton

At about 26:20, Deesha details how Robert Jones, Jr. has “revolutionized slave narratives”; Jabari Asim and Yonder is also mentioned as a book that does similar standout things

At about 29:35, Pete and Deesha discuss Deesha’s varied interests and varied styles of writing, and how her life experiences have informed her writing; this includes how focusing on writing helps her “keep perspective”

At about 32:45, Deesha discusses seeds for the short story collection, including how the book draws upon many childhood experiences with church

At about 35:00, Deesha gives the secret about hearing stories as a kid, and cites Toni Morrison’s “Imagination as bound up in memory” in explaining inspirations

At about 36:50, Deesha discusses connections between the collection’s epigraph and the stories themselves

At about 39:00, Deesha connects dots between two stories from the collection and Olivia’s role in them

At about 40:00, Pete and Deesha discuss the female gaze that is centered in much of the collection, and Deesha talks about how women are held to different standards, including ideas of “respectable women”

At about 43:20, the two discuss the iconic “Peach Cobbler” and ideas of godliness

At about 45:00, Deesha responds to Pete’s musings about the mother in “Peach Cobbler” by talking about ways of showing love

At about 48:00, Pete brings up ideas of pleasing others as a theme of “Peach Cobbler,” and Deesha expands on the ideas with regard to Olivia and wanting love and connection

At about 50:30, Pete mentions his connections to Eddie Levert with regard to his wedding, and Pete cites Kiese Laymon’s wise words about many of Deesha’s stories having “revelation rather than resolution”

At about 53:00, Deesha gives background on familial connections to the story “Eddie Levert is Coming”

At about 56:00, the two discuss themes and family from “Dear Sister”

At about 57:15, Deesha gives backstory on “Dear Sister” and the reality of the events

At about 59:10, the two discuss “Eula” and ideas of binaries with regards to ideas of sexual purity and Christianity/religiosity

At about 1:04:15, Pete compliments “Jael” and its intrigue and action

At about 1:05:40-1:11:00, Deesha reads a beautiful excerpt from “Snowfall”

At about 1:11:25, Pete asks about the upcoming HBO series based on her story collection-so exciting!

At about 1:13:15, Deesha gives her social media/contact information

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 120 with traci kato-kiriyama, a multi-disciplinary artist, writer/author, actor, arts educator & community organizer. They have most recently released their book Navigating With(out) Instruments. Since 1996, she has performed and written for theatre tours, productions, artist residencies, and performance collaborations in hundreds of venues throughout the country, incl. LaMaMa Cabaret (NY); Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF); A writer, actor, and theatre devisor, she is one half of the award-winning PULLproject Ensemble with actor/aerial artist, Kennedy Kabasares.

traci is the Co-Founder and Director for Tuesday Night Project, presenter of the Tuesday Night Cafe Series now in its 18th year and the longest-running Asian American mic series in the country.

The episode will air on April 26.

Wednesday Apr 13, 2022

Episode 118 with SJ Sindu, Master Storyteller, Versatile Writer of Varied Texts, and Author of Blue Skinned Gods, ”a rich, beautifully told and moving” Work

Wednesday Apr 13, 2022

Episode 118 Notes and Links to SJ Sindu’s Work

On Episode 118 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes SJ Sindu, and the two discuss, among other things, her early days of reading and writing (fan fic!) after immigrating to the States from Sri Lanka, the ways in which the books she read and the writing she did as an adolescent informed her later work, encouraging professors and formative moments and texts read, Tamil and its lyricism, her early writing that came from her thesis, and themes and myth and religious texts connected to her standout novel Blue Skinned Gods.

SJ Sindu, a Tamil diaspora author of two literary novels, two hybrid chapbooks, and a forthcoming graphic novel. Her first novel, Marriage of a Thousand Lies, won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award and was a Stonewall Honor Book and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Sindu’s second novel, Blue-Skinned Gods, was published to high praise in November 2021 by Soho Press. A 2013 Lambda Literary Fellow, Sindu teaches at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

SJ Sindu's Website

Buy Blue-Skinned Gods

“Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu review – a moving tale of the allure of superstition” from The Guardian

Article on "The Blue Fugates of Kentucky"

At about 2:20, Sindu talks about moving to the US from Sri Lanka, and how cable and the library helped her learn English and explore her reading and writing skills

At about 4:30, Sindu talks about moving on to "adult reading" after finding kids lit a bit lacking

At about 5:40, Sindu talks about her fan fiction writing for LiveJournal and the “addiction” and “tunnel vision”

At about 7:00, Sindu discusses the Disney fare that informed her early years

At about 7:55, Pete recounts bad memories associated with The Lion King-ha!

At about 8:30, Sindu responds to Pete’s questions about how her fan fiction writing affected the ways she sees audience and informed her later writing

At about 10:30, Sindu explains the qualities of the Tamil language, especially the beauty that comes in listening to it, its lyricism, etc.

At about 14:05, Pete and Sindu discuss an anticlimactic scene from Blue Skinned Gods that’s successful for this fact

At about 14:45, Sindu discusses connections between the Tamil people and Tamil languages of southern India and Sri Lanka

At about 18:20, Sindu explores connections between fantasy, escape and reading in her childhood and adolescence, including her love of the Cam Jensen Mysteries

At about 21:05, Pete recommends Severance from HBO-you, Gentle Reader-watch it!

At about 21:30, Sindu outlines ways in which she did and did not feel represented in the characters and books she read as a kid

At about 23:40, Sindu describes motivation for tailoring her writing to younger readers, as she and Pete discuss “mirrors” and “windows”

At about 24:30, Sindu shouts out transformational works, like Tanuja Desai Hidier’s

Born Confused and Interpreter of Maladies, that changed the way she saw herself and saw literature

At about 26:45, Sindu details moments in high school and college that put her on the path to becoming a professional writer, including reading The Things They Carried and having the pleasure to have class with Timothy Schaffert

At about 29:30, Sindu gives background on early publications and encouraging professors and high school teachers

At about 31:30, Sindu provides background for Marriage of a Thousand Lies, and talks of encouragement from Jonis Agee

At about 33:20, Sindu ruminates on whether her unique jobs she formerly held may make their way into her writing

At about 34:35, Sindu responds to Pete’s questions about the genesis of Blue Skinned Gods,

At about 38:50, the two discuss various meanings of “blue” and Sindu talks about the balance between the title and the subject matter

At about 40:00, Sindu discusses research that went into the book

At about 41:30, Sindu gives background on the evolution of the blue-skinned gods

At about 43:45, Kalki, the main character of the book, is discussed in terms of his early tests as a budding god, as is Ayya, the conniving father

At about 45:30, Kalki’s “test” with Roopa is described

At about 47:35, Kalki and Lakshman’s relationship, and the connection between Rama and Lakshman in the epics are discussed; Pete makes a comparison between the cousin’s relationship

At about 52:30, the two explore the narrative structure, and Sindu explains her process in writing in different perspectives

At about 57:10, Pete and SJ discuss the importance of the character, Sita, and Kalki’s later “awakening”

At about 1:01:10, Sindu describes how the conniving father from the book came about as an amalgamation of Trump and modern-day religious cults

At about 1:04:40, Pete and Sindu discuss connections between the book and cognitive dissonance in faith and in politics

At about 1:08:20, themes of guilt and fealty and sexual from the book discussed

At about 1:10:28, Pete geeks out about the book’s last line, and Sindu discusses the process of arriving with that last line

At about 1:13:20, Pete reads a few complimentary lines from The Guardian review of her book

At about 1:14:00, Sindu reads from page 238-239 of the book

At about 1:19:50, Sindu critiques the Blue Skinned Gods band

At about 1:20:55, SJ discusses upcoming projects, including Shakti, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 119 with Deesha Philyaw. Her debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction The Secret Lives of Church Ladies focuses on Black women, sex, and the Black church, and is being adapted for television by HBO Max with Tessa Thompson executive producing. Deesha is also a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and will be the 2022-2023 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi.

The episode will air on April 19.

Tuesday Apr 05, 2022

Episode 117 with Nadia Owusu, Introspective and Precise Writer and Chronicler of Trauma and Joy, Writ Large, and Author of the Award-Winning Memoir, Aftershocks

Tuesday Apr 05, 2022

Episode 117 Notes and Links to Nadia Owusu’s Work

On Episode 117 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Nadia Owusu, and the discuss, among other topics, her early love of language and her experiences living in multiple countries, her relationship with her parents and her parents’ families, aftershocks both literal and figurative, colonialism and trauma, tradition, and coming to terms with her past and all of our pasts.

NADIA OWUSU is a Ghanaian and Armenian-American writer and urbanist. Her debut memoir, Aftershocks, was selected as a best book of 2021 by Time, Vogue, Esquire, The Guardian, NPR, and others. It was one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year, a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, and a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award nominee.

In 2019, Nadia was the recipient of a Whiting Award. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Times, Orion, Granta, The Paris Review Daily, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Literary Review, Slate, Bon Appétit, Travel + Leisure, and others.

Nadia is the Director of Storytelling at Frontline Solutions, a Black-owned consulting firm that helps social-change organizations to define goals, execute plans, and evaluate impact. She is a graduate of Pace University (BA) and Hunter College (MS). She earned her MFA in creative nonfiction at the Mountainview low-residency program where she currently teaches. She lives in Brooklyn.

Nadia Owusu's Website

From The Guardian, Feb 2021: "Nadia Owusu: 'I wrote as a way to process trauma' "

Buy the Award-Winning Aftershocks

Aftershocks Review in The New York Times

At about 2:50, Nadia describes her childhood reading interests and relationship with language, including the “important” Their Eyes Were Watching God and Things Fall Apart

At about 4:20, Nadia discusses books as constants in her life as the family moved often in her childhood

At about 5:00, Nadia responds to Pete’s question about Achebe’s book and its significance in African countries today

At about 6:40, Pete wonders about texts that were thrilling/transformational for Nadia as a high school/college student

At about 7:55, Pete and Nadia discuss the many places in which Nadia grew up, and she explores how reading connected to this upbringing, including ideas of empathy

At about 10:00, Pete asks Nadia about James Baldwin and his connection to Pan-Africanism

At about 12:00, Pete and Nadia discuss the implications of the Anansi and the African diaspora, and Nadia details the meaning of the term “bush” as used by her father and in the Ashanti culture as a whole

At about 14:35, Pete and Nadia discuss narrative and ideas of time in her book, and Nadia gives more insight into the significance of a family trip to Ghana and ideas of “double-consciousness”

At about 16:40, Nadia talks about not having a lot of information about, and connection to, her Armenian heritage, and how being Ghanaian and Armenian-American informed her life and the trip mentioned above

At about 18:30, Nadia describes the familial and political structures of Ghanaian peoples, and how they were and have been affected by colonialism

At about 20:20, Pete remarks on the specifics of “aftershocks” of the book’s title, as well as the skillful ways in which Nadia writes about how much of African life is still affected by European colonialism

At about 21:10, Nadia expands on the ways in which colonialism continues to

At about 22:30, the two talk about colonialism’s specific legacy in Tanzania, particularly with regards to oppression coming from organized religion and the horrid debacle with George Bush’s

At about 25:50, Pete and Nadia trace the book’s beginnings and the earliest “aftershock” that came in 1988 with the disastrous Armenian earthquake

At about 28:50, Pete and Nadia parse the usage of the word “aftershock” and trauma’s everlasting effects

At about 30:15, Nadia responds to Pete’s questions about her exploration of her Armenian family

At about 32:50, Pete wonders about the circumstances of Nadia’s mother leaving the family and its connections to misogyny and internalized misogyny

At about 35:05, Pete makes a request regarding beloved Aunt Harriet

At about 36:45, Nadia responds to Pete’s questions about difficulties and challenges in writing a memoir, especially with regards to public and unfiltered exposure for her and those in her life

At about 40:45, Nadia discusses the importance of the book’s blue chair motif and the history of the chair

At about 44:50, Nadia talks about her father and the term of endearment “Baba”

At about 45:30, Nadia explains her process in writing about Kwame, her half-brother, and how his case mirrored that of many victimized by racist law enforcement practices

At about 48:00, Nadia talks about her first-hand experience in New York City during 9/11

At about 49:30, Nadia explains how listening to Coltrane and allowing herself “madness” led to breakthroughs during her tough times

At about 51:20, Nadia discusses her ideas of her father as “man-god” and his contradictions and ideas of faith

At about 52:00, Shout out to the great Malala and her father!

At about 53:55, Pete shouts out the creative and meaningful ending chapters of “Libations” and “Home,” and Nadia gives her rationale for these two chapters, including her interest in ceremony

At about 56:10, Pete makes comparisons between Aftershocks and Jean Guerrero’s Crux, in that books work

At about 57:20, Nadia shouts out contemporary writers who thrill, including Caleb Azumah Nelson, Hanif Abdurraqib, David Diop

At about 58:15, Pete highlights the interesting variety of work that Nadia does, and Nadia talks about future projects

At about 59:55, Pete asks Nadia about meaningful feedback from readers of her book

At about 1:02:00, Nadia gives out her social media and contact information, and shouts out Café Con Libros, The Word is Change as cool booksellers to buy her book

At about 1:03:10, Nadia reads from “Failures of a Language,” a chapter from her book

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 118 with SJ Sindu, a Tamil diaspora author of two literary novels, two hybrid chapbooks, and a forthcoming graphic novel. Her first novel, Marriage of a Thousand Lies, won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award and was a Stonewall Honor Book and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Sindu’s second novel, Blue-Skinned Gods, was published to high praise in November 2021 by Soho Press. A 2013 Lambda Literary Fellow, Sindu teaches at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

The episode will air on April 13.

Thursday Mar 31, 2022

Episode 116 with Noel Casler, Standout Artist, Creative, Podcaster, and Standup Comedian with 25 Years of Experience in TV and Production, Including The Celebrity Apprentice

Thursday Mar 31, 2022

Episode 116 Notes and Links to Noel Casler’s Work

On Episode 116 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Noel Casler, and the two talk about, among other topics, Noel’s growing up and understanding of struggle and poverty and American political and cultural forces that shaped the country in recent decades. They also discuss Noel being shaped by ploitically-aware comedians, writers, and musicians, Donald Trump as emblematic of American excess, Noel’s observances and understanding of Donald Trump and his family, Noel’s writing process and standup techniques, and some amazing and profound experiences in the world of music and other entertainment.

Noel Casler is a New York City based stand-up comedian. He has appeared in People Magazine, Newsweek, on Sirius XM and in clubs across the country. His comedy draws on his over 25 years experience working behind the scenes in live television and the music industry; including working directly with the Trump family for six seasons on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’ He has become an outspoken critic of the Trump administration.

Noel Casler's Website

Buy Tickets for Noel’s Upcoming Shows

Noel Casler Podcast Hub

Noel’s YouTube Channel

"Noel Standup: He Discusses Donald Trump / NDA"

The Hole Podcast-Noel on Working with Trump

Video of Noel’s Standup from November, 2019

Video of Noel’s Car Rant from June 18, 2021

At about 1:45, Noel gives background on growing up in the multicultural DC and how humor helped him survive

At about 4:45, Noel talks about his interest in being a rock star, including his interest in songwriting and its transformative power

At about 6:30, In response to Pete’s questions about Noel mentions Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, and his connections to Pete Seeger and Crosby, Stills & Nash and Jackson Browne

At about 8:15, Noel explains a shift in focus from music to comedic acting

At about 9:25, Noel recounts a transformative time in his family life and “American Imperialism in Central America” and its connection to Jackson Browne

At about 10:40, Noel outlines how he began working in live TV

At about 11:20, Noel mentions Narcissus and Goldmund as a big influence on him

At about 12:15, Pete wonders about Noel’s ideas on “laughing at” and “laughing with”

At about 13:30, Pete asks Noel about vulnerability and the essence of comedy and perspective

At about 15:00, Noel talks about sympathy and empathy for Richard Pryor, due to similar childhoods

At about 16:00, Noel highlights George Carlin and Howard Zinn and their understanding of American groupthink, “jingoistic” rhetoric, and a tragic American tradition of the disenfranchised blaming others who are disenfranchised due to race

At about 18:15, Noel talks about a song that he recorded for The Southern Poverty Law Center with two folk music legends, and in 2017, how he saw comedy (and Comedy Twitter) as a better avenue for social change

At about 19:50, Noel explains how Donald Trump was seen by New Yorkers in the 80s and 90s, and how Trump’s renown was indicative of the “calcification of the Reagan years” and “greed is good” mentality

At about 22:40, Noel talks about the ignorance and media outrage that played on and played up racist tropes

At about 24:20, Pete asks Noel if Mark Burnett made Trump POTUS, and Noel talks about the “whitewashing” of Trump’s image for purposes of entertainment, as well as how Mark Burnett picked Trump as his second choice for The Apprentice

At about 25:50, Noel talks about the “lark” that got him into The Celebrity Apprentice and how Trump was not taken seriously as a candidate initially

At about 27:20, Pete and Noel talk about the quandary of giving Trump too much “air time,” and Noel talks about the disgusting things that Trump was able to get away with pre-POTUS, including on the Miss USA Pageant

At about 29:10, Noel details the media’s thinking as so many (including Trump) though Hillary Clinton would win, and Noel describes his speaking out about Trump brought him into the public eye

At about 30:30, Noel describes media mores about speaking out about celebrities

At about 32:00, Noel highlights how his career as a comedian and his ethos of speaking the truth and keeping his “artistic sanity” developed

At about 33:30, Noel gives background on a routine of his going viral, with some help from his keen insight and the Trailer Park Boys

At about 35:05, Noel details Trump’s surprise and “shock” after being elected, in response to Pete’s comparison of Trump’s campaign to an incredible Law & Order episode

At about 37:40, Noel discusses Trump’s immediate and “visceral” needs and how so many grifters jumped on Trump’s bandwagon

At about 38:25-Noel responds to Pete’s wondering if Trump is a manipulator or manipulated, and Noel expands on the idea of his love of adulation

At about 40:10, Noel answer Pete’s questions about Trump’s lack of work ethic/care

At about 42:30, Noel describes the “broken” Trump family as Pete wonders about the family’s connections to each other; Noel throws in a Martin Shkreli reference

At about 48:00, Pete asks Noel if Trump has friends and about Trump’s interactions in social situations

At about 50:15, Noel homes in on the disgusting infamous video of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein as a microcosm of Trump’s personality

At about 51:15, Pete and Noel discuss why people vote for Trump, and racism seems to be a unifying factor

At about 54:40, Pete wonders about the infamous key moment when Trump decided to run for POTUS, as well as jealousy/resentment towards Barack Obama

At about 56:20, Pete asks if Noel ever saw humanity in Trump, and Noel discusses lack of punishment for Trump that has become his hallmark

At about 58:40, Noel discusses the process of writing comedy, revision, and trial-and-error, as well as the importance of pacing

At about 1:02:10, Noel cites Anthony Jeselnik and his innovative joke structure as inspiring, as well as Noel’s study of the masterful Steve Martin

At about 1:04:20, Noel talks about hypocrisy and injustice as major themes of his comedy, and how he considers “voice”

At about 1:06:10, Noel sharing an iconic line from his skits sets up conversation about connection with the audience

At about 1:08:00, Noel talks about his almost-retirement of Trump Twitter material before January 6 happened; Noel talks about how the family

At about 1:08:50, Noel gives out information about upcoming projects, including a book project, his podcast, and his upcoming tour dates (see above for links)

At about 1:09:30, Noel gives a brief overview of working with Stephen Stills and other incredible stories racked up over so many years in the music and entertainment industries

At about 1:11:20, Noel shares a funny story about his time with Bruce Springsteen

At about 1:12:25, Pete wonders if Jackson Browne ever read Noel’s treatise on foreign policy, and Noel highlights his respect for Jackson and details an incredible reunion with the singer

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 117 with Nadia Owusu, a Ghanaian and Armenian-American writer and urbanist. Her debut memoir, Aftershocks, was selected as a best book of 2021 by Time, Vogue, Esquire, The Guardian, NPR, and others.

The episode will air on April 5.

Tuesday Mar 29, 2022

Episode 115 with Jennifer Fliss, Flash Fiction Star and Master of Signifying So Much by Writing So Little

Tuesday Mar 29, 2022

Episode 115 Notes and Links to Jennifer Fliss’ Work

On Episode 115 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jennifer Fliss, and the two discuss, among many other topics, Jen’s early reading and writing and worldbuilding, her indirect route to professional writing, flash fiction’s definition, the particular benefits and obstacles that come with flash fiction, and the profound and clever work in Jen’s latest story collection.

Jennifer Fliss’ flash collection, The Predatory Animal Ball, came out in December 2021. Her short story collection, As If You Had a Say, is forthcoming from Northwestern University Press/Curbstone Books in 2023.

She has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a certificate in Literary Fiction from the University of Washington, and she’s been nominated several times for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, and she was selected for inclusion in the 2019 Best Small Fictions anthology. Her over 200 creative writing pieces have appeared in print and online in places like The Rumpus, PANK, The Washington Post, F(r)iction,The Kitchn, and elsewhere. She was the 2018/2019 Pen Parentis Fellow, and a recipient of a 2019 Artist Trust GAP award.

When not doing things associated with writing (this is rare), she can be found riding her bike, running, trying to learn the ukulele, pining for New York, intellectually sparring with her young daughter, and occasionally swinging on the flying trapeze (really.)

Buy The Predatory Animal Ball

Jennifer Fliss' Website

“LIFE AS A SERIES OF SMALL GESTURES: TALKING WITH JENNIFER FLISS” from The Rumpus, Dec. 2021

“Dandelions” Flash Fiction Story from Whiskey Paper

Jen’s Article, "Flash, Back: Kafka’s 'A Fratricide,' " from 2016 in SmokeLong Quarterly

The Predatory Animal Ball Review

At about 2:10, Jen talks about her lifelong love of trapeze

At about 4:50, Jen discusses her relationship with language and literature growing up, and books as “escape”

At about 7:25, Jen highlights a vivid example of her writing being unique and appreciated

At about 8:30, Jen details worldbuilding-maps, pictures, the whole deal!-at a young age

At about 9:40, Jen responds to Pete’s questions about affecting literature in her adolescence, and Jen talks about the fluctuating importance of the “classics” in her reading life and a diverse reading list

At about 12:50, Pete makes a perhaps random Dave Matthews Band

At about 13:20, Pete and Jen opine on Kafka, especially The Metamorphosis, including how Kafka wrote flash fiction that was maybe unrecognized

At about 15:55, Jen discusses “ ‘Eureka’ moments” in her path to becoming a professional writer

At about 21:00, Pete asks Jen what it was like and is like in creating characters who are their own entities

At about 22:45, Jen outlines her process of creating stories and getting ideas from disparate places

At about 24:40, Jen defines “flash fiction”

At about 27:40, Jen replies to Pete’s question about contemporary writers and writing that thrill her-she cites Nnedi Okorafor’s Akata Witch and Yōko Ogawa’s The Memory Police, as well as work by Aimee Bender, Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Karen Russell

At about 30:35, Jen shouts out flash fiction inspirations-among them, Kendra Fortmeyer, Amy Barnes, and Megan Phillips; she

At about 32:00, the two discuss the power and greatness of the flash fiction (arguably) that is a major inspiration for the podcast title and the ethic of the podcast

At about 33:35, Pete wonders about any obstacles that may come up in flash fiction, and Jen expands upon ideas

At about 35:50, Pete asks Jen about dialogue’s place and function in flash fiction

At about 37:15, Jen describes how her prior work in entertainment has informed her writing

At about 40:45, Pete cites interesting and unique titles for Jen’s work and asks about the relationship between title and story material

At about 44:35, the two discuss the title story of the collection and ideas of “predators”; Jen illuminates the idea that so many of us are predators in different ways

At about 48:10, Jen gives background on the genesis of the collection’s title story

At about 49:35, the two recount some themes from the collection, and particular stories and how predatory and loss of innocence themes come through

At about 51:00, “A Greater Folly is Hard to Imagine” and its incredible links to reality (see asterisk at bottom of story) are discussed

At about 53:00, themes of penitence and trauma and abuse in the collection are discussed

At about 54:05, Jen talks about ideas of show and undisclosed thoughts and feelings and these topics’ effect on her story “Emily Beside Herself”

At about 57:20, the two discuss ideas of loss with regards to motherhood and moving with trauma, concepts that are referenced in multiple stories, and Pete asks Jen about any burden on her as writer of such heavy topics

At about 1:01:20, Jen describes an ethic of Judaism that directs her writing and her life

At about 1:04:20, Jen reads her story “Dandelions” from Whiskeypaper, and edited by the great Leesa Cross-Smith

At about 1:09:00, Jen gives out her contact info and social media information

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 116 with Noel Casler, A STAND-UP COMEDIAN, ACTOR, MUSICIAN AND WRITER. His 25 years of experience in the industries, including working on The Celebrity Apprentice with The Former Guy, has informed his comedy writing. The episode will air on March 31.

Tuesday Mar 22, 2022

Episode 114 with Reyna Grande: Brilliant and Award-Winning Memoirist, Novelist, and Author of 2022’s Triumph, A Ballad of Love and Glory

Tuesday Mar 22, 2022

Episode 114 Notes and Links to Reyna Grande’s Work

On Episode 114 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Reyna Grande, and the two discuss, among other topics, Reyna’s early reading and love of stories of all kinds, her evolving ideas of “El Otro Lado,” her early writing and “finding her voice,” and the intensive research she undertook for her latest book, A Ballad of Love and Glory. Reyna expands upon themes and events from this chapter in US/Mexican history, as well as legacies of The St. Patrick’s Battalion and connections between the book’s events and events of today.

Reyna Grande is the author of the bestselling memoir, The Distance Between Us, (Atria, 2012) where she writes about her life before and after she arrived in the United States from Mexico as an undocumented child immigrant. The much-anticipated sequel, A Dream Called Home (Atria), was released in 2018.

Her other works include the novels, Across a Hundred Mountains, (Atria, 2006) and Dancing with Butterflies (Washington Square Press, 2009) which were published to critical acclaim. The Distance Between Us is also available as a young readers edition from Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Division–Aladdin. Her books have been adopted as the common read selection by schools, colleges, and cities across the country. She has two forthcoming books due to be published in 2022: A Ballad of Love and Glory (Atria, March 15), a novel set during the Mexican-American War, and an anthology by and about undocumented Americans called Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival and New Beginnings (HarperVia, June 7).

Reyna has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award, and the International Latino Book Award. In 2012, she was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Awards, and in 2015 she was honored with a Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. The young reader’s version of The Distance Between Us received a 2017 Honor Book Award for the Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature and a 2016 Eureka! Honor Awards from the California Reading Association, and an International Literacy Association Children’s Book Award 2017.

Reyna is a proud member of the Macondo Writer’s Workshop founded by Sandra Cisneros, where she has also served as faculty.

Buy A Ballad of Love and Glory and Reyna’s Grande’s Other Work

Reyna Grande's Opinión Piece for The New York Times- " ‘American Dirt’ Has Us Talking. That’s a Good Thing."

Reyna Grande’s Website

Article: “During the Mexican-American War, Irish-Americans Fought for Mexico in the ‘Saint Patrick’s Battalion’ ”

At about 3:10, Reyna talks about how things are going in the week leading up to the publication of A Ballad of Love and Glory (the episode was filmed in the week before the March 15 release

At about 4:00, Pete asks about Reyna’s experiences with words, language, and intellectual curiosity as a kid; she talks about access and cites the radio show that really moved her

At about 10:00, Reyna discusses how dramas helped her escape

At about 11:05, Reyna responds to Pete’s question about how she’d define “El Otro Lado”

At about 13:00, Pete asks Reyna about her love of reading and story as she was newly arrived in the US

At about 14:00, Reyna describes “discovering” Latino/a literature and coming into awareness that she “wasn’t in the books [she] was reading”

At about 16:00, Reyna talks about “being connected” to VC Andrews’ work

At about 18:00, Pete recounts a random run-in with romance novel model Fabio

At about 18:30, Pete and Reyna discuss Reyna’s opinion column and her role in the aftermath of the American Dirt publishing fiasco, as this eases the transition into Reyna’s ideas of changes in representation for Latinx writers

At about 22:40, Pete wonders about Reyna’s thoughts on being at a point in her career where she has more independence

At about 24:10, Reyna expounds upon the importance of a Prop 209 protest in her college days

At about 26:45, Pete asks Reyna about “finding [her] voice” and realizing that she was, little by little, performing activism through writing

At about 28:20, Pete asks Reyna about contemporary writers who are making a difference through their writing, including Viet Thanh Nguyen

At about 30:55, Pete thanks Reyna for her visits to his school a few years back, and talks about how cool it

At about 32:10, Reyna responds to Pete’s questions about the separation between author and narrator in Across a Hundred Mountains; she talks about how this book and Dancing with Butterflies didn’t need a lot of research

At about 34:30, Reyna details the excruciating research for A Ballad of Love and Glory

At about 36:50, Pete remarks on how well Reyna depicts the “fog of war” and the idea of “war is hell”

At about 37:40, Reyna provides a background for the seeds of the book

At about 40:00, Reyna details her mindset in designing the book’s structure and love story

At about 41:00, Reyna gives background on John Riley and Irish immigrants to the US

At about 42:30, Pete wonders about research done for the book, particularly with regard to the language used by the battalion and the mindset of the immigrant; Reyna shouts out The University of Galway’s History Department’s help

At about 44:45, Pete cites a telling quote from the book about ideas of “conquered” and “conqueror” and asks Reyna about connections between the book and today

At about 47:00, Pete remarks on the realistic battle scenes of the book and asks Reyna who plays who if a movie were to be made

At about 49:40, Reyna discusses Ximena’s story, her background, and how she explored Ximena on the page

At about 51:45, the two discuss Santa Anna and his depiction in the book, as well as how he is seen in contemporary México

At about 53:30, Reyna details how The Battalion of San Patricio is remembered today

At about 55:00, Pete asks Reyna about “moralizing” in the novel

At about 57:00, Reyna shares how the book’s characters are still “living with [her]”

At about 58:15, the two discuss themes of healing and class and the military’s racial/class differences in the book

At about 59:30, Reyna responds to Pete’s questions about healing herself after writing such brutal battle scenes; she connects the pandemic to the writing of the book

At about 1:00:50, Pete wonders about early feedback from readers regarding the novel

At about 1:03:10, Reyna highlights upcoming book publication events

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 115 with Jennifer Fliss. a Seattle-based writer with over 200 stories and essays that have appeared in various publications. She has been nominated four times for The Pushcart Prize and her story, Hineni, was selected for inclusion in the Best Small Fictions 2019 anthology. Her flash fiction collection, The Predatory Animal Ball was published in late 2021. The episode will air on March 29.

Friday Mar 18, 2022

Episode 113 with Nicole Santa Cruz, Multitalented Journalist, Former Chronicler of The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report, and Reporter Covering Issues of Inequality for ProPublica

Friday Mar 18, 2022

Episode 113 Notes and Links to Nicole Santa Cruz’s Work

Nicole Santa Cruz is a reporter covering issues of inequality in the Southwest. She joined ProPublica from the Los Angeles Times, where she spent nearly 12 years as a staff writer. As lead reporter on the Times’ Homicide Report, a groundbreaking public service project that documents every homicide victim in Los Angeles County, she reported on the lives of hundreds of people, highlighting neighborhoods that were disproportionately affected by violence and uncovering trends, including an increase in women being killed even as officials hailed a decline in murders. Santa Cruz also assembled a first-of-its-kind database of county prosecutor memos detailing fatal police encounters.

She began her career on the Times’ national desk, from which she was dispatched to the swamps of Louisiana to cover the BP oil spill and to her hometown of Tucson, Arizona, to write about the 2011 mass shooting at an event held by then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Santa Cruz’s work at ProPublica focuses on investigating the impact of inequities on marginalized communities. She is based in Phoenix.

On Episode 113 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Nicole Santa Cruz, and the two talk about her bookworm childhood, her decision to take up journalism, as well as her early days of reporting on Orange County and some sensational stories in SoCal. Much of the discussion focuses on her time at the extremely important Los Angeles Times “Homicide Report,” as well as her current work covering ideas of inequality in the Southwest.

A Selection of Nicole's Articles through MuckRack

The Los Angeles Times “Homicide Report”

"What covering hundreds of homicides taught me" from 2021 Los Angeles Times

At about 2:30, Nicole gives background on her reading life as a child and adolescent

At about 4:50, Nicole talks about the formative experience of working in journalism at the University of Arizona

At about 7:40, Nicole talks about her early reading interests

At about 8:45, Nicole shouts out Lane DeGregory, Thomas French, and George Sánchez as some of the many journalists who inspired and inspire her

At about 12:25, Nicole responds to Pete’s question about accurate portrayals of newsrooms and Nicole’s experience with journalism

At about 13:15, Nicole answers Pete’s question about representation in what she read, especially in journalism

At about 14:40, Nicole details early days in her career, including covering Michael Jackson’s death

At about 16:30, Pete asks Nicole about her early experiences with being an empathetic and sympathetic listener as a journalist; Nicole also talks about seeing mental health care for journalists perspectives changing

At about 18:55, Pete wonders about the Gabriele Giffords shooting as emblematic and foreshadowing

At about 23:00, Nicole chronicles her work on the BP oil spill

At about 26:00, Nicole provides background on the earliest iterations of The Homicide Report and how she became involved in 2013

At about 27:45, Pete wonders about The Homicide Report’s philosophy/mission, and Nicole talks about the idea of “humanizing

At about 30:40, Pete gives an example of a Homicide Report post, and asks Nicole about the paper’s rationale on including the race of the victim, and the fraught term “gang-related”

At about 34:50, Pete wonders about sensationalizing certain murders

At about 39:10, Pete refers to the retrospective Nicole wrote about her time at The Homicide Report, as the two discuss some heartbreaking stories Nicole chronicled and revisited

At about 40:30, Pete references Roberto Saviano’s quote about “dying twice” and The Holocaust Museum in making the point about the power of individual stories

At about 42:00, Nicole gives perspective on why some felt it a “point of pride” to know people from The Homicide Report

At about 44:30, Nicole discusses relationships with police connected to the report

At about 45:45, Nicole reflects on the common question she was asked in the homicide reporting field

At about 48:30, Nicole repeats what she’s been told about a “before and after” for loved ones of homicide victims

At about 50:00, Nicole sums up her work with ProPublica, including a desire to use data in new and efficient ways

At about 53:30, Nicole responds to Pete’s question about how ideas of objectivity in journalism have changed in recent years in the “Age of Trump”

At about 56:00, Pete asks Nicole about a “dream project”

At about 57:00, Pete talks about his admiration for the “public service” done by Nicole Santa Cruz

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 114 with Reyna Grande. Reyna is an award-winning novelist and memoirist. She has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlan Literary Award, and the Latino Book Award, among many honors and awards. I have known Reyna for about 10 years now, as she visited my classes in LA a few times to speak to students. I look forward to talking with her about her highly-anticipated March 15 release of A Ballad of Love & Glory. The episode will air on March 22.

This episode is the last of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:

DM Pete on Twitter by Monday at 8am PST with the five code words that are contained (one per episode) within each day’s podcast.
Retweet any five tweets that have episode links for Episodes 109-113, with Ben Guest, Bryce Hedstrom, Taylor Byas, James Tate Hill, and Nicole Santa Cruz, respectively.

Thursday Mar 17, 2022

Episode 112 with James Tate Hill, Editor at Monkeybicycle , Columnist for LitHub, and Reflective and Acclaimed Writer of Blind Man’s Bluff: A Memoir

Thursday Mar 17, 2022

Episode 112 Notes and Links to James Tate Hill’s Work

On Episode 112 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes James Tate Hill, and the two discuss much of his childhood, formative years, and postgraduate years as dealt with in his memoir, as well as literary and pop culture icons and tropes around blindness. The two also discuss the advent of his vision loss, ideas of the meaning of nomenclature around vision loss, James’ journey as a writer, and James’ eventual embrace of himself and his vision loss.

James Tate Hill is the author of a memoir, Blind Man’s Bluff, released August 3, 2021 from W. W. Norton. His fiction debut, Academy Gothic, won the Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel. His essays were Notable in the 2019 and 2020 editions of Best American Essays. He serves as fiction editor for Monkeybicycle and contributing editor for Literary Hub, where he writes a monthly audiobooks column. Born in Charleston, WV, he lives in North Carolina with his wife.

James Tate Hill's Website

Buy James’ Books

"Pseudonym: On vision loss and hiding in plain sight from my high school classmates": From Salon Magazine, 2021

Tommy Tomlinson’s Review of Blind Man’s Bluff in The New York Times

At about 2:00, James talks about his childhood in Charlestown, WV, and surrounding areas

At about 3:30, James talks about his pop culture interests in his childhood

At about 4:40, Pete wonders about James’ early reading and

At about 7:30, James describes the process of losing his vision during his year of high school

At about 9:20, James responds to Pete’s question about the before and after memories of his lessened vision

At about 11:05, Pete compliments James for his writing ability that brings sympathy (empathy?); James references a few books, like Planet of the Blind by Stephen Kuusisto; There Plant Eyes by Leona Godin, that have dealt with issues of blindness in standout ways

At about 14:45, James points to Leona Godin’s analysis of “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver and how he views the story in more recent times; James also points out a poem from Godin’s work that twists the simplistic narrative of Carver’s story

At about 17:10, Pete quotes a turning point in James’ admissions that was featured in the book, and James underlines its importance

At about 18:20-20:45, James responds to Pete’s question about nomenclature with regards to James’ vision

At about 20:55, Pete references Dwight Garner’s complimentary review of Blind Man’s Bluff in The New York Times, especially with regard to James’ likeability

At about 21:20, Pete and James and talk about the book as a “coming-of-age tale,” including with regard to developing technologies

At about 28:25, Pete and James talk about the book’s epigraph, using a quote from Michael Chabon’s Wonder Boys, and James shouts out Curtis Armstrong’s stellar audiobook narrating

At about 32:50, Pete asks James about the process of writing a memoir and being so open and writing about real people

At about 35:45, Pete cites the Prologue and its echoing last line, and James talks about meanings associated with the line

At about 37:25, Pete highlights the book’s narrative structure and asks James about a few chapters written in second person; House of Prayer No. 2 by Mark Richard is cited by James as inspiration

At about 43:25, Pete and James talk about Ben Affleck comparisons

At about 46:05, the two home in on Chapter 10’s uniqueness and Chapter Three, which was featured in a slightly different form in LitHub as a discussion starter regarding audiobooks

At about 49:25, the two discuss the power of writing being read aloud

At about 52:30, Pete references the book’s stellar writing about common and everyday occurrences from the book, and James talks about “possibility of choices” and internal and external forces affecting James asking for help

At about 57:10, James talks about the importance when his work was praised and read aloud by Irene McKinney

At about 59:35, Pete highlights the anecdote from the book where James missed his first class meeting, and James details the experience

At about 1:03:00, James responds to Pete’s questions about James asking for help, and James expounds on ideas of independence

At about 1:07:00, James reflects on a telling scene from the book involving his mother

At about 1:09:30, the last chapters with some triumphs are discussed, as plot spoilers are (mostly!) avoided as James talks about deciding to write the book

At about 1:13:00, James describes some parallel stories that are featured at the end of the book, particularly a Dustin Hoffman/Tom Cruise scene from Rainman

At about 1:17:50, Pete highlights the ease of the ending, and the two talk about their shared love of hoops

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 113 with Nicole Santa Cruz, a former Los Angeles Times staff writer and lead reporter for the Homicide Report. She now works as a @ProPublica reporter, writing about underserved communities and inequality in the Southwest. The episode will air March 18.

This episode is the fourth of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:

DM Pete on Twitter by Monday at 8am PST with the five code words that are contained (one per episode) within each day’s podcast.
Retweet any five tweets that have episode links for Episodes 109-113, with Ben Guest, Bryce Hedstrom, Taylor Byas, James Tate Hill, and Nicole Santa Cruz, respectively.

Wednesday Mar 16, 2022

Episode 111 with Taylor Byas, Master Tactician of Profound and Affecting Words, PhD Student, Editor at The Rumpus, and Powerful Poet of the Critically- and Reader-Acclaimed Bloodwarm

Wednesday Mar 16, 2022

Episode 111 Notes and Links to Taylor Byas’ Work

On Episode 111 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Taylor Byas, and the two discuss many topics, such as Taylor’s early reading, both school-selected and then her discovery of titans like Toni Morrison and Patricia Smith, contemporary writers who continue to inspire and thrill her, her relationship with form in her writing, close-up views of some of her affecting work, and how her work interrogates the ways in which Black women walk through the world due to historical and current racist and systematic tropes and practices.

Taylor Byas is a Black Chicago native currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio where she is a PhD student and Yates scholar at the University of Cincinnati, and an Assistant Features Editor for The Rumpus. She was the 1st place winner of both the Poetry Super Highway and the Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets Contests. Her work appears or is forthcoming in New Ohio Review, Borderlands Texas Poetry Review, Glass, Iron Horse Literary Review, Hobart, Frontier Poetry, SWWIM, TriQuarterly, and others.

Taylor Byas' Website

Jeni de la O with The Poetry Question and her In-depth Study of Taylor’s “I Don’t Care if Mary Jane Gets Saved or Not”

Taylor's "My Twitter Feed Becomes Too Much"

“Tiger Stripes” Nonfiction from Taylor-Mixed Mag

“Hypothetically Speaking” Poem from Palette Poetry

At about 2:50, Taylor talks about her creativity and input and mindset during COVID

At about 6:10, Pete asks Taylor about her philosophy in writing and revising

At about 8:00, Taylor responds to Pete’s questions about her relationship with language in childhood

At about 9:15: “Reading beef!”

At about 10:00, Taylor talks about an ekphrastic poetry class in undergrad as a “perfect bridge”

At about 11:00, Pete zeroes in on what Taylor was reading as a kid and adolescent; Taylor points to junior year in high school as a reading turning point in discovering Toni Morrison’s work and The Color Purple

At about 13:00, Pete alludes to a joyful photo of literary giants, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, dancing

At about 13:10, Pete asks Taylor to name her favorite Toni Morrison work

At about 13:45-15:35, Taylor discusses Black poets who have thrilled and inspired her-Erica Dawson is referenced as a meaningful writer for Taylor

At about 15:45, Taylor shouts out Patricia Smith and how she and Erica Dawson as formalists were inspiring; Taylor talks about getting to meet a hero in Patricia Smith and correspondence with Patricia

At about 17:45, Taylor responds to Pete’s questions about representation, and she explains the “void” she felt in her high school reading

At about 20:00, Taylor highlights Alexis Pauline Gumbs and Tiana Clark and Claudia Rankine as contemporary writers who she enjoys and draws inspiration from; Georgia Douglas Johnson is a writer Taylor returns to

At about 21:45, Taylor gives background on how she became sure of her path as a writer

At about 24:20, Pete asks Taylor for her views on form in her work; she cites Michael Frazier’s interesting philosophy on form

At about 27:00, Taylor talks about her teaching life and student life and views on form in academia and in writing communities

At about 28:35, Taylor talks about how she approaches others’ works as an editor

At about 30:40, Taylor talks about “meaning” in her work and its connection to narrative

At about 32:40, Taylor responds to Pete’s question about the relationship between poet and speaker

At about 34:45, Pete and Taylor discuss her nonfiction piece “Tiger Stripes” and exposure and self-reflection in her projects

At about 38:05, the two discuss “Hypothetically Speaking” and Taylor talks about balancing nostalgia and perspective

At about 39:40, Taylor talks about what she learned through watching the ways in which her younger siblings and other children she worked with moved through the world

At about 41:40, Jeni de la O’s incredibly in-depth wise reading of Taylor’s poem is discussed

At about 41:45, Pete shouts out F. Douglas Brown and his expertise with ekphrastic poetry, and Pete asks Taylor what is so monumental about the genre for her

At about 44:10, Taylor describes some new poems she’s working on that question the writings and mindsets of problematic artists

At about 45:15, Taylor responds to Pete’s question about how music acts as a muse

At about 46:25, “On Hesitation” is discussed, and Pete highlights some standout lines

At about 47:50, Taylor gives background and inspiration for the piece, with regard to pessimism/expectations

At about 50:20, Pete wonders about any feelings of catharsis for Taylor after writing about difficult experiences

At about 52:00, Bloodwarm is discussed, with Taylor providing background and seeds for the chapbook, including the 2016 election’s impact

At about 55:15, Taylor talks about ideas of safety

At about 57:00, The two discuss “The Black Girl Comes to Dinner”; Taylor gives background on the poem’s genesis and “sundown towns

At about 1:01:00, Pete and Taylor marvel at the level of analysis and research in Jeni de la O’s article about Taylor’s “I Don’t Care if Mary Jane Gets Saved or Not”

At about 1:03:30, Taylor gives background on the form of pantoum and talks about why she loves the form

At about 1:05:30, Pete references repetition as seen in Taylor’s “My Twitter Feed Becomes Too Much”

At about 1:06:40, Taylor discusses ideas of “damsel in distress” and who is “saved”

At about 1:10:00, Pete cites a survey provided by Jeni de la O and how white participants perceive Black girls, and Taylor discusses these perceptions and how they are “built into systems,” as well as the “double bind” experienced by Black girls

At about 1:13:30, Taylor and Pete discuss ideas of “weaponizing tears” and look at the recent example of Kim Potter and Daunte Wright

At about 1:15:00, Taylor cites a Tik Tok trend and its connection to white women being tone deaf to issues of racist systems

At about 1:16:00, Pete cites a cool question asked in the interview attached to Jeni de la O’s study of Taylor’s poem

At about 1:18:00, Taylor reads “Hypothetically Speaking”

At about 1:22:20, Taylor explains her thoughts on the function of second person and who “you” is in the poem

At about 1:23:40, Taylor talks about future projects, including Shutter, coming out soon through Madhouse Press

At about 1:26:00, Taylor shares contact information and social media, and shouts out Semicolon Books in Chicago as a good place to buy her book

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 112 with James Tate Hill, the author of a memoir, Blind Man’s Bluff, released in August 2021 from W. W. Norton. His fiction debut, Academy Gothic, won the Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel. His essays were Notable in the 2019 and 2020 editions of Best American Essays. He serves as fiction editor for Monkeybicycle and contributing editor for Literary Hub, where he writes a monthly audiobooks column. The episode will air on March 17.

This episode is the third of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:

DM Pete on Twitter by Monday at 8am PST with the five code words that are contained (one per episode) within each day’s podcast.
Retweet any five tweets that have episode links for Episodes 109-113, with Ben Guest, Bryce Hedstrom, Taylor Byas, James Tate Hill, and Nicole Santa Cruz, respectively.

Tuesday Mar 15, 2022

Episode 110 with Bryce Hedstrom, El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the Foreign Language Classroom, Master Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Author of Multiple Books, and Bold Advocate for Reading

Tuesday Mar 15, 2022

Episode 110 Notes and Links to Bryce Hedstrom’s Work

On Episode 110 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Bryce Hedstrom, and the two discuss, among other topics, Bryce’s introduction to Spanish immersion in Chile, formative experiences in his professional and personal lives that have shaped the way he stresses independent and pleasure reading, comprehensible input in the foreign language classroom, and practical ways in which teachers can put his strategies on La Persona Especial, Rejoinders, etc. into their daily lessons.

Bryce Hedstrom is El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the foreign language classroom, and widely recognized as an outstanding world language teacher with more than 30 years of experience at all levels. A frequent regional, state and national presenter, he is known for helping world language teachers to enhance their existing programs by incorporating many strategies that emphasize social awareness, interpersonal communication and varied reading techniques in the classroom.

Bryce is the author of Hi-Impact Reading Strategies. In addition, he is the author of many world language instructional materials, teacher resources and fiction and non-fiction for students.

Bryce Hedstrom’s Website

Buy Hi-Impact Reading Strategies

An Article about Comprehensible Input in the Classroom

“La Persona Especial” Resources from Bryce

At about 2:10, Pete references the power of language and etymology, and the two discuss the word “acatamiento” and its implications

At about 3:40, Bryce responds to Pete’s questions about Bryce’s early experiences with reading and with Spanish

At about 8:30, Bryce describes the intricacies of Chilean Spanish

At about 9:50, Bryce discusses what he was reading in college and beyond, including James Michener’s influence

At about 12:15, the two discuss The Godfather, cuz, DUH, and why the book is (maybe?) better than the movie

At about 13:00, Pete asks Bryce about inspirational teachers and how Bryce was compelled to get into teaching

At about 15:00, Pete asks about the importance of reading, especially about “pleasure reading” and independent reading

At about 18:23-23:53, Bryce tells of an incredible epiphany and real-life scenario of promoting reading

At about 24:00, Pete wonders about Bryce’s teaching experience at different levels, and Pete shouts out a hero, his uncle

At about 24:40, Pete and Bryce discuss “old-school,” grammar-heavy Spanish teaching and Comprehensible Input, and Bryce talks about transitioning into CI

At about 30:15, Bryce responds to Pete wondering if the transition to CI/TPRS was difficult for Bryce

At about 32:50, Bryce defines “comprehensible input” and talks about Stephen Krashen’s seminal Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom

At about 36:00, Pete asks some practical questions about the best ways to teach a book/story in the classroom setting; Bryce highlights the need to differentiate the levels of questions and the need to keep Bloom’s Taxonomy in mind

At about 39:00, Pete wonders if a student saying something in English is permissible in keeping the target language as a priority

At about 40:15, Pete shouts out the incredibly useful word “agarrar”

At about 40:45, Bryce explains the connections between CI and classroom management, including info on the importance of daily “passwords” and “sponge activities”

At about 44:30, Bryce shouts out The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and its stressing the importance of a structured ending of class

At about 46:00, Pete highlights his wonderful colleagues and their success with passwords

At about 46:50, Pete wonders about gaining back the students’ attentions and its link to the target language; Bryce explains call-and-response and its essentialness

At about 49:00, In order to illustrate the importance of the essential “La Persona Especial”

At about 57:00, Bryce highlights an example of the power of La Persona Especial

At about 1:01:00, Bryce and Pete discuss Bryce’s views of “Rejoinders” in the flow of class

At about 1:05:40, Pete’s got jokes, en español

At about 1:06:15, Pete shouts out some great publications from Bryce and other CI practitioners, such as A.C. Quintero

At about 1:08:30, Bryce shares a joke from his joke book-JAJA

At about 1:11:00, Bryce shouts out the recently-published and interactive resource, Chistes para Aprender Español, from Veronica Moscoso

At about 1:11:50, Pete asks Bryce about upcoming projects-personal and sponsored ones- including upcoming projects from Diego Ojeda

At about 1:14:40, Pete wonders about meaningful feedback that Bryce has received from former students, including Dr. David Dalton

At about 1:17:50, Bryce gives out social media info and contact information

This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

Please tune in for Episode 111 with Taylor Byas, a PhD student and Yates scholar at the University of Cincinnati, and an Assistant Features Editor for The Rumpus. She was the 1st place winner of both the Poetry Super Highway and the Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets Contests, and her latest standout work is Bloodwarm. The episode will air on March 16.

This episode is the second of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:

DM Pete on Twitter by March 21 at 8am PST with the five code words that are contained (one per episode) within each day’s podcast.
Retweet any five tweets that have episode links for Episodes 109-113, with Ben Guest, Bryce Hedstrom, Taylor Byas, James Tate Hill, and Nicole Santa Cruz, respectively.