The Chills at Will Podcast

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

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”

   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 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. 

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

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

     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 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. 

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

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

 

     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 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. 

 

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

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

    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 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. 

 

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

                     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

    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 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.

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

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

     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 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. 

 

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

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

    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 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.

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

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

    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 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:

1. 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. 
2. 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.

 

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

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

     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 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:

1. 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. 
2. 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.

 

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

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

       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 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:

1. 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. 
2. 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.

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

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

     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 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:

1. 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. 
2. 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.

Episode 109 with Ben Guest, Educator, Builder of Great Relationships through Education and Basketball, and Author of Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey

Episode 109 Notes and Links to Ben Guest’s Work 

 

     On Episode 109 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ben Guest, and the two discuss shared teaching histories, a love of great literature, including sportswriting, and Ben’s early days of coaching and the lessons learned therein. The two also discuss, among other topics, the importance of zen and relationship building in Ben’s coaching life and everyday life, as well as his book that chronicles some amazing times and players from the Namibian high school basketball world and the KBA, its professional basketball league. 

    Ben Guest is a three-time champion and two-time Basketball Coach of the Year, with a PHD in Educational Leadership. He spent ten years in Namibia where he coached in the KBA, and he wrote the book Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey. 

 

 

Buy Ben Guest's Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey

 

The Creativity, Education, and Leadership Podcast

 

Ben Guest's Substack

 

Article on Namibian Independence and Apartheid in the Country Imposed by South Africa

At about 2:20, Pete introduces Ben Guest, after an unusual start for the podcast, with Pete and Ben talking about the similarities between being a high school teacher and a traveling salesman

 

At about 3:20, Pete talks about a friend’s incredible devotion to leaving schoolwork at school

 

At about 4:10, Ben details his grading regimen from his high school teaching days

 

At about 5:15, Ben responds to Pete’s questions about his childhood love of reading and highlights inspirational teachers John Roemer and Howard Berkowitz)

 

At about 7:10, Ben talks about his early love for Stephen King and other fantasy and horror and comic books that drew his interest

 

At about 10:15, Pete posits that Ben’s relatively-late embrace of basketball is a large reason for his passion, and Ben responds and talks about his early days of shooting

 

At about 12:20, Ben gives his scouting report from his prime basketball-playing days 

 

At about 14:20, Ben disabuses any notion of regular Joes like Pete and Ben getting a bucket in NBA “garbage time,” using the example of Perry Moss, and Pete shouts out Isaac Fontaine as a similar case

 

At about 17:10, Ben shouts out Brian Scalabrine being challenged for his skills-the video is classic; at about 18:00, Ben highlights a great quote from “Dre” Alvarez of Box Score Geeks Podcast

 

At about 19:20, Ben responds to Pete’s question about sportswriters who have inspired him-Gary Smith is one, and Best American Sportswriting, edited by Glenn Stout, is cited as a formative anthology, and Ben relates how he can to have Glenn Stout as the editor for his book

 

At about 22:30, Ben talks about Hakeem Olajuwon as an inspiration  

 

At about 23:30, Pete and Ben discuss a short

 

At about 24:40, Ben describes his time coaching basketball in Mississippi, and Pete and Ben talk about coaching styles-specifically coaches known as yellers and Ben talks about his early understandings of “control”

 

At about 28:00, Ben discusses the importance of relationships and self-growth in coaching and life overall

 

At about 29:35, Ben outlines the background of and seeds for Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball

 

At about 32:35, Ben shares meaningful feedback that he has received from readers, and he details the breakdown of the book’s format 

 

At about 35:30, Pete and Ben break down the epigraph of the book and the book’s first chapter 

 

At about 36:45, Ben provides background on his early coaching days, lessons learned, and how his first team in Namibia came together 

 

At about 37:50, Ben quotes Mr. Berkowitz with some great coaching/teaching/life advice 

 

At about 39:15, Ben gives historical background on Namibia and its “locations” (neighborhoods), as well as continuing traumas

 

At about 41:50, Ben highlights his education in Namibia of how Americans are seen abroad and the country’s horrendous past alliances with racist governments and power structures

 

At about 44:30, Pete highlights lessons learned by Ben in using a “less is more” approach in MS coaching, and why he didn’t continue using this approach after having a one game success

 

At about 46:30, Ben mentions his podcast, and how this helped him get in touch via email with Phil Jackson

 

At about 48:20, Ben details his journey with meditation and how it has helped him

 

At about 49:10, Ben teases an upcoming project with a retired NBA player

 

At about 51:00, Pete shouts out a coaching mentor, and compliments Ben’s even keel, leading to a description of a stunning Brad Stevens’ moment of zen

 

At about 51:50, Pete and Ben discuss the historic KBA victory

 

At about 53:40, Pete discusses the investment that the reader makes with the players in the book

 

At about 54:00, Ben shouts out his Substack, and where to buy the 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 110 with Bryce Hedstrom, El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the foreign language classroom, and widely recognized as an outstanding world language teacher with more than 25 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. The episode will air on March 15. 

This episode is the first 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:

1. 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. 
2. 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.

 

Episode 108 with Navdeep Dhillon Singh, Writer of Stirring, Profound, and Clever Work and Author of the Standout and Unforgettable Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions

Episode 108 Notes and Links to Navdeep Dhillon’s Work

 

      On Episode 108 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Navdeep Dhillon, and the two discuss Navdeep’s childhood filled with moving, his love of reading, fan fiction, and his disparate influences, as well as his dynamic and eccentric and memorable characters. Questions about his standout book, Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions, lead to discussions of the book’s themes, including self-esteem and fitting in, cosplay as escape and a welcoming home, grief and its expression, or lack thereof, and much more.

 

      Navdeep Singh Dhillon is the author of Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions, an adjunct professor of creative writing and English at Borough of Manhattan Community College, and co-founder of IshqInABackpack, a narrative travel blog. He holds an MFA in creative writing from California State University, Fresno and is a graduate of Voices of Our Nation and the CUNY Writers’ Institute.

Born in England, raised in Tanzania, Nigeria, Dubai, and Fresno, California, he is a Punjabi boy at heart. He was a former linguist in the U.S. Navy, ESL teacher in China, and door-to-door knife salesman.

When he isn’t reading, writing or grading, he is cosplaying across the fandoms with his two nerdy kiddos, while his wife looks on helplessly. He is also a very delicate purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Buy Navdeep Dhillon's Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions

Navdeep Dhillon's Website

At about 2:00, Navdeep talks about his book’s publication being on the horizon (the episode was recorded on February 7, and the book was released on February 8), along with his feelings as the date approaches and work he’ll be doing to promote the book

 

At about 5:40, Navdeep responds to Pete’s questions about any links between his moving around a lot as a kid and his reading habits

 

At about 9:10, Pete wonders about the connections between Navdeep’s childhood, the need for stability, and Sunny G’s own experiences

 

At about 10:40, Pete and Navdeep appreciate the Acknowledgments of the book as the two discuss the cutoff between the writer and the narrator

 

At about 11:45, Pete asks Navdeep about his experiences with representation in adolescent reading; Navdeep talks about being a “third culture kid”

 

At about 13:45, Navdeep describes ideas of “windows and mirrors” in childhood reading

 

At about 14:20, Pete asks about early reading and writing influences and how he got his start writing for keeps-Navdeep points out fan fiction as a starting point

 

At about 15:55, Pete wonders about how Navdeep saw the stakes of his writing as he did various jobs

 

At about 17:05, Navdeep charts some ups and downs in his love/distaste for reading and its connections to the “canon”

 

At about 18:50, Navdeep highlights the power of his reading Syal’s Anita and Me

 

At about 20:40, Navdeep responds to Pete’s question about contemporary writers who thrill him, including Sona Charaipotra and Adiba Jaigirdar

 

At about 23:30, the two shout out Sona and Dhonielle Clayton-what a duo!

 

At about 24:20, Navdeep talks about Ishq in a Backpack

 

At about 26:25, Navdeep talks about his teaching informs his own writing and his experience with community college creative writing

 

At about 30:15, Navdeep describes the world of his book, and Pete talks about the book’s universality and specificity

 

At about 31:35-32:35, Navdeep summarizes the book, Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions

 

At about 32:45, Pete asks Navdeep about publishing and middle-grade/YA, etc., as Navdeep describes some of the themes 

 

At about 35:30, Navdeep details the process of writing the book and ideas of grounding the book’s events and environment in reality, trends, etc.

 

At about 38:15, Navdeep talks about his love of the “dated” Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist

 

At about 38:55-40:10, Navdeep defines “nerd”

 

At about 40:10, the two discuss “nerdom going mainstream”

 

At about 40:55, Pete compliments Navdeep’s worldbuilding and some original and clever phrases and references used in the book

 

At about 44:00, Navdeep talks about Bollywood and sci-fi influences in his worldbuilding 

 

At about 46:30, Pete references true fandom as seen through The Simpsons 

 

At about 46:55, Pete highlights the longest word in the world

 

At about 47:40, Pete gives kudos for a great line from the book

 

At about 49:20, Cosplay is discussed and the idea of “putting on a mask” and its symbolism in the book is explored

 

At about 52:50, the two discuss ideas of coming-of-age and reinvention 

 

At about 55:00, ideas of grief and the ways in which Sunny’s family deals with grief are discussed

 

At about 56:00, the two discuss “What will people think?” ("log kya kahenge") as referenced in the book, just as it is in an equally stirring scene in Hasan Minhaj’s Homecoming King that informed lessons in Pete’s classrooms; 

 

At about 58:00, Navdeep discusses ideas of silences and their iterations in Punjabi and other communities 

 

At about 1:01:35, Pete and Navdeep discuss the dynamic, fun character of Mindii and some of what inspired her character

 

At about 1:04:00, Navdeep talks about literary components that he could relate to in his own life with the histories of Hmong poetry

 

At about 1:05:30, Pete recounts some chilling and powerful lines from Sunny, particularly in talking about his grieving 

 

At about 1:06:25, Pete highlights the dynamic dialogue and interesting and cool characters with so many personal stories 

 

At about 1:08:10, Navdeep describes a future project 

 

At about 1:08:55, Navdeep reads an excerpt from the book

 

At about 1:13:20, Navdeep gives out his social media information and highlights Penguin Teen/Dial as his publisher

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.

Please tune in for Episode 109 with Ben Guest, a 3x champion and two-time Basketball Coach of the Year, with a PHD in Educational Leadership, Ben spent ten years in Namibia where he coached in the KBA, and wrote the book Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey. The episode will air on March 14. 

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.

Episode 107 with Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, Tireless and Compassionate Advocate for Carceral and Mental Health Reform and Author of The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice

Episode 107 Notes and Links to Dr. Benjamin Gilmer’s Work 

 

    On this episode of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, and the two discuss, among other topics, Dr.’s early days at the rural Mountain Area Health Education Center, his directly following Dr. Vince Gilmer, and the ways in which Dr. Benjamin Gilmer got to know Dr. Vince’s story and generous medical work, and then Dr. Vince himself. The conversation includes discussion of the newly-released book, the neurological disease that Dr. Vince discovered he had, and the specific implications for his case and society’s understanding and treatment of mental health’s connection to incarceration.   

    Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is a family physician and Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Mountain Area Health Education Center’s (MAHEC) Family Medicine Residency Program.  He is an international Albert Schweitzer Fellow and attended Davidson College followed by medical studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, France and East Carolina University. As the Medical Director for MAHEC’s Rural Health Initiative and Rural Fellowship, he is passionate about advocating for global and rural health disparities. He has worked extensively in Central and South America and West Africa. Benjamin is committed to advancing medical education, point of care ultrasound, interprofessional collaboration and inspiring students to pursue rural health. 

    His advocacy work currently focuses on bringing media attention to the social injustice of mass incarceration. His book, The Other Dr. Gilmer (Ballantine/Penguin Random House) and feature film project (Concordia Films) both highlight the injustice of mass incarceration of people with mental illness. The book is out as of March 1! Both projects are based on a 2013 This American Life podcast (Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde), a collaboration between Benjamin and Sarah Koenig (“Serial”) which has had more than 10 million listeners. A former neurobiologist turned rural family doctor, Dr. Gilmer has lectured across the country about medical ethics, global and rural health, bias in medicine, and the intersection of medicine and social justice. He lives with his wife, Deirdre, two children, Kai and Luya, and their dog Prince Peanut Butter in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

Buy The Other Dr. Gilmer 

 

Penguin Random House Page for The Other Dr. Gilmer

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer's Website

 

Hollywood Reporter Article about Movie Adaption of The Other Dr. Gilmer

 

The legendary This American Life episode, “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde” (10+ million downloads to date!)

 

At about 3:10, Dr. Gilmer responds to Pete’s questions about his parents’ and family influences on intellectual curiosity 

 

At about 4:30, Pete asks Dr. Gilmer about early reading experiences and childhood exploration 

 

At about 6:20, Dr. Gilmer describes the outsized impact of Dr. Albert Schweitzer and speaks of some of his own work in Gabon; Pete and Dr. Guilmer also speak of the late, great Dr. Paul Farmer

 

At about 8:50, Pete and Dr. Gilmer talk about corporatization/for-profit medicine, and Dr. Gilmer talks about service-oriented medicine as experienced in Gabon; he also discusses a symbolic anecdote of the “throne” being shared by a town leader in Gabon 

 

At about 13:20, Dr. Benjamin talks about his time-his “baptism in medicine”-at Broughton Hospital as an instructive and inspiring time

 

At about 15:25, Pete and Dr. Benjamin discuss the ACE testing and tests for gauging sociopathy

 

At about 16:45, Pete references Ira Glass’ understated, stunning beginning of the legendary This American Life episode, “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde”

 

At about 17:30, Dr. Gilmer talks about starting work at the clinic (MAHEC Family Health Center at Cane Creek)  as an “outsider” and almost not being hired due to the fact that his name was the same as his imprisoned predecessor 

 

At about 19:25, Pete and Dr. Gilmer reference a humorous and inauspicious anecdote about suspicions of modern medicine that is told in the book

 

At about 21:15, Dr. Gilmer gives some background on Fletcher, NC, where the clinic is located

 

At about 22:40, Dr. Gilmer discusses the clinic’s patients’ views and stories of Dr. Vince Gilmer’s generosity and kindness, including an allegorical incident involving caring for mice, and how these stories being in opposition to the crimes that Dr. Vince committed, and how Dr. Benjamin was inspired “to look further” into 

 

At about 25:10, Dr. Benjamin recounts a story of a patient shaking him up and making him “paranoid” about Dr. Vince seeing him as a “usurper”

 

At about 28:55, Dr. Benjamin talks about Tommy, a recipient of generosity from Dr. Vince, and how Dr. Vince’s traumatic childhood and evolving disease led to “effusive generosity”

 

At about 31:00, Dr. Benjamin highlights Woody Guthrie’s experience with a similar disease 

 

At about 32:40, Dr. Benjamin and Pete discuss the parts of the book where the doctor had done research into the specifics of Dr. Vince’s crime, and the delusion that led to baffling and strange actions in the immediate aftermath of the murder; Dr. Benjamin also cites the brain “as a character” in the book and how Dr. Vince’s background of abuse served as a trigger

 

At about 35:40, Dr. Benjamin talks about sensitizing readers/listeners to the fallibility of the brain and how we all share mental health imbalances/struggles

 

At about 38:00, Dr. Benjamin talks about the “coin toss” of brian health and his connection to Dr. Vince

 

At about 40:00, the two discuss the precedent in the legal world for SSRI-related crimes, and Dr. Benjamin talks about his initial “no” to inquiries from Sarah Koenig re: doing an episode for “This American Life”

 

At about 42:20, Dr. Benjamin drops some “WOAH!” information about the connection between his NPR episode and the legendary “Serial”  

 

At about 42:50, the two discuss some early interviews that Dr. Benjamin and Sarah Koenig did with local residents and law enforcement after Dr. Vince’s crime

 

At about 43:50, Dr. Benjamin talks about “preconceptions” and their impact in the Dr. Vince case and in society in general; he also talks about how he hopes the book allows more room for 

 

At about 45:25, Dr. Benjamin describes his first meeting with Dr. Vince and how his own doubts and biases came into play

 

At about 49:00, Dr. Benjamin recounts the “farcical” nature of Dr. Vince’s court case 

 

At about 51:20, Dr. Benjamin talks about Dr. Vince’s court case as representative of problems with the country’s carceral, legal, and medical systems

 

At about 52:40, Pete cites an example from the This American Life episode of questions asked by Dr. Vince backfiring spectacularly at trial

 

At about 53:20, the two discuss intergenerational abuse and its cycles, particularly with regards to sexual and physical violence done to Dr. Vince and his sister 

 

At about 54:00, Pete and Dr. Benjamin muse on culpability with regards to Dalton Gilmer, Dr. Vince’s father

 

At about 56:45, Dr. Benjamin reflects on ideas of “reverence for life,” a philosophy of looking at victims and victimizers 

 

At about 58:50, Dr. Benjamin and Pete give some staggering statistics about the connections between prisoners and mental health

 

At about 59:45, Dr. Benjamin highlights the heroic contributions of Dr. Steve and Dr. Colin Angliker in small and big ways

 

At about 1:01:20, Dr. Benjamin answers Pete’s question about what brought a sense of calm to Dr. Vince, even when receiving word of his degenerative health condition

 

At about 1:03:10, Dr. Benjamin talks about Dr. Vince’s disease as not “the whole picture,” but just part of a larger mental health puzzle

 

At about 1:03:55, Pete and Dr. talk about the Gilmer family expanding to include Dr. Vince

 

At about 1:04:40, Dr. Benjamin shares his hopes about what the book can do, has done, and will do

 

At about 1:07:20, Dr. Benjamin talks about reframing the ways in which we treat prisoners

 

At about 1:08:25, Pete discusses the changes that have come through reading this book

 

At about 1:09:20, Dr. Benjamin responds to Pete’s question about how to get involved in similar advocacy groups, and he talks about ways in which people can help in big and small ways and in learning about incredible organizations like Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative, The Innocence Project, Marshall’s Project  

 

At about 1:11:20, Dr. Benjamin and Pete talk about where to buy the book and the early roll-out of the book; Malaprop’s in Asheville is shouted out as a great bookstore to buy The Other Dr. Gilmer

 

At about 1:11:50, Dr. Benjamin talks about the collaboration with Jennifer Fox and Concordia with Dr. writing the book and Jennifer writing the upcoming film

 

    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 108 with Navdeep Singh Dhillon, the author of Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions, an adjunct professor of creative writing and English at Borough of Manhattan Community College, and co-founder of IshqInABackpack (Ish-k), a narrative travel blog. The episode will air on March 8. 

Episode 106 with Daniel Olivas, Lawyer, Wordsmith, Playwright, Aesthete, and Author of 2022’s Unique and Riveting How to Date a Flying Mexican Story Collection

Episode 106 Notes and Links to Daniel Olivas’ Work 

 

       On Episode 106 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Daniel Olivas, and the two talk about…well, everything. They discuss, among other things, Daniel’s childhood in Los Angeles, pochismo, formative and unforgettable reads, his family’s stories, his work as a lawyer and his myriad writing and genres, the difference between fiction and nonfiction with regard to truth, as well as his just-released short story collection.

     Daniel A. Olivas is the author of ten books and editor of two anthologies. His books include How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories (University of Nevada Press, 2022), The King of Lighting Fixtures: Stories (University of Arizona Press, 2017), Crossing the Border: Collected Poems (Pact Press, 2017), and Things We Do Not Talk About: Exploring Latino/a Literature through Essays and Interviews (San Diego State University Press, 2014).

​ Daniel's plays have been produced for the stage and readings by Playwrights' Arena, Circle X Theatre Company, and The Road Theatre Company.

Widely anthologized, Daniel has written for many publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, El Paso Times, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Huffington Post, High Country News, La Bloga, BOMB, and the Jewish Journal.

 

Buy Daniel Olivas' How to Date a Flying Mexican

 

Daniel Olivas' Website

 

Buy Daniel Olivas' Books

 

Daniel Olivas’ Page at Los Angeles Review of Books

 

Waiting for Godinez Play Information and Praise

 

"Turning the Page"-Daniel's beautiful tribute to his father from Stanford Magazine

At about 2:50, Daniel gives his family background, including his father’s experiences with writing and education, as well as Daniel’s schooling and educational experiences 

 

At about 10:10, Daniel responds to Pete’s questions about writing and artistic influences for Daniel’s father 

 

At about 11:40, Daniel talks about bilingualism in his family and a meaningful comment from his mother about his writing 

 

At about 16:30, Daniel talks about family roots in Ocotlán, Jalisco, and its influence on his writing

 

At about 17:40, Daniel highlights his fictionalized city of Dos Cuentos and the ways in which he uses the city in his work

 

At about 18:50, Daniel talks about early reviews of his story collection and the ways in which they often add “trigger warnings” and what those warnings reinforce for him

 

At about 19:40, Pete asks Daniel about John Fante and Daniel talks about Fante as a great chronicler of the immigrant experiences 

 

At about 21:45, Pete and Daniel talk about shared roots in Jesuit high schools and Daniel gives background on connections to Father Greg Boyle

 

At about 23:30, Daniel responds to Pete’s questions about important texts that Daniel gravitated to, as Daniel talks about how long it took him to think about writing himself and being inspired by Juan Rulfo, Sandra Cisneros, and Rivera’s And the Earth Did Not Devour Him, and laments missing taking a class with José Antonio Burciaga

 

At about 26:00, Pete and Daniel fanboy over Villarreal’s Pocho, and Daniel talks about the evolving meanings of “pocho”

 

At about 29:40, Daniel talks about “shaming” over the ways that Mexican Catholic customs were manifested 

 

At about 32:25, shout out to Pete’s beloved uncle

 

At about 33:30, Pete wonders about turning points in Daniel’s route to becoming a professional writer, including early publication with The Stanford Chaparral, and unfortunate grief bringing inspiration through his first novel dealing with joy and pain 

 

At about 40:30, Daniel details the publication of Assumption and Other Stories with Bilingual Press 

 

At about 41:15, Daniel talks about how his career trajectory and writing style may differ from what his work would have been like had he gone the MFA route; he also quotes Stewart Dybek

 

At about 43:00, Daniel talks about keeping his work fresh 

 

At about 44:30, Daniel references an article he wrote for The Guardian upon the publication of American Dirt, as well as a telling quote from Luis Alberto Urrea

 

At about 45:40, Daniel references two story from the recent collection that highlight the Trump years

 

At about 47:15, Daniel responds to Pete’s slight misunderstanding about the differences in writing for law and for fiction

 

At about 50:25, Pete wonders if Daniel can point out any renderings of the law that have rung true for him

 

At about 53:50, Pete references a chilling Law & Order episode, and Daniel talks about parallels to Trump and the events of recent years

 

At about 58:50, Daniel talks about how he chose the stories for his latest collection and his mindset in choosing “old” and newer stories

 

At about 1:01:05, Daniel talks about reading his work spanning so many years and judging any “evolution” in his writing 

 

At about 1:02:00, Daniel asks Pete his thoughts on whether Daniel’s work reads as similar throughout the years

 

At about 1:04:30, Daniel references “Later Days,” an early “cynical” story of his curated by Bruce Handy

 

At about 1:07:30, Daniel recollects some interesting childhood reading and Daniel talks about the reading connection to his later writing

 

At about 1:08:25, Pete points out connections between the reading histories of Tod Goldberg and Daniel

 

At about 1:08:55, Daniel talks about the short story collection and its dedication and connections to Luis Alberto Urrea’s Hummingbird’s Daughter

 

At about 1:11:20, Daniel talks about an upcoming article for Alta Journal discussing Natalie Diaz’s “Postcolonial Love Poem”

 

At about 1:12:20, Daniel says he’ll accept any comparisons to Franz Kafka or Garcia Marquez, and talks about Dagoberto Gilb, A Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez, Borges, Yxta Maya Murray, and others as inspirations  

 

At about 1:15:25, Daniel makes a comparison between his work (especially with short stories) and the life of a character actor

 

At about 1:17:20, Pete shouts out an incredible piece by Borges- “The Gospel According to Mark”

 

At about 1:21:45, Daniel talks about storylines in his writing and ideas of morality

 

At about 1:24:20, Daniel explains “political writing” that is overtly not political

 

At about 1:25:05, Pete makes parallels between Toni Morrison’s one short story’s headlines

 

At about 1:27:00, Pete highlights the skillful magical realism of the title short story, and Daniel explains the balance between the two parts of the phrase

 

At about 1:31:00, Pete and Daniel discuss themes of agency for women, with Conchita as an example

 

At about 1:34:00, Pete highlights a skillful line in the title story, and Daniel responds to Pete’s questions about using second person and present tense 

 

At about 1:36:15, Daniel discusses the importance of prioritizing the title before getting into the story’s nuts and bolts

 

At about 1:38:25, Pete and Daniel discuss minimalism and dichos in Daniel’s writing

 

At about 1:45:00, Pete shouts out “Belen” as possibly his favorite story and compares Belen’s situation to that of the the narrator in Antonya Nelson’s “In the Land of Men” 

 

At about 1:47:00, Pete asks about the cool names used in the collection

 

At about 1:49:40, Quezatcoatl is discussed as featured in the short story collection

 

At about 1:51:20, Pete asks Daniel about a hilarious and deep turn-of-phrase in discussing evil and history, as Daniel discusses some awkward conversations with Hollywood types oversimplifying race for financial purposes 

 

At about 1:54:55, Daniel reads from the title story

 

At about 1:59:45, Pete wonders about future projects for Daniel

 

At about 2:02:00, Daniel talks about the events for the book’s launch, and discusses a nice pre-release review from Buzzfeed 

 

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 107 with Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, a family medicine physician in Fletcher, North Carolina. He is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow for Life and associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, and his new book, The Other Dr. Gilmer, is a heart wrenching true story, with part of the story covered in a  2013 "This American Life" episode that has more than 10 million views to date. 

   The episode airs on Thursday, March 3.