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The Chills at Will Podcast is a celebration of the visceral beauty of literature. This beauty will be examined through close reads of phrases and lines and passages from fiction and nonfiction that thrills the reader, so much so that he wants to read again and again to replicate that thrill. Each episode will focus on a different theme, such as "The Power of Flashback," "Understatement," "Cats in the Cradle," and "Chills at Will: Origin Story."
Episodes
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Notes and Links to Alexandra Alessandri’s Work
For Episode 251, Pete welcomes Alexandra Alessandri, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early experiences with Spanish and English and bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing (Marquez! Allende! Santiago!), both past and present, representation in children’s lit and beyond, muses and the Las Musas Collective that spurs on her writing, soccer fanaticism, and salient themes and issues in her work like reassurance for children in a scary world, family bonds, community, inevitable change, and biculturalism.
Alexandra Alessandri is the author of several books for children, including Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela! (2020), Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía (2023), Our World Colombia (2024), Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas (2024), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her short story “Kaleidoscope” is forthcoming in the YA verse anthology All The Love Under the Vast Sky (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025). Her books have gone on to receive numerous distinctions, including the Florida Book Award, International Latino Book Award, Américas Award Commendable Title, and the ILA 2022 Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award in Primary Fiction.
The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Alexandra is a former Associate Professor of English at Broward College, where she currently teaches as an adjunct, and an instructor at UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program. She is also a writer for Curriculum Associates and a poet, with some of her work appearing in The Acentos Review, Rio Grande Review, Atlanta Review, and Young Adult Review Network. She received her BA and MA degrees in English from Florida International University and a Certificate in Fiction Writing from UCLA Extension.
Alexandra’s experience growing up straddling both cultures often influences her children’s fiction and poetry. When not writing or teaching, Alexandra spends her time planning the next great adventure with her husband and son, with whom she lives in South Florida.
Review by Amanda MacGregor for Teen Librarian Toolbox
At about 2:30, Alexandra talks about an exciting 2024
At about 3:15, Alexandra describes her multifaceted language background
At about 4:30, Alexandra outlines the memorable “atmosphere” and the reading nooks of the libraries of her childhood, as well as what series and books she was into
At about 6:10, Alexandra reflects on how she didn’t always see herself reflected in what she read growing up, and how that has informed her own writing journey
At about 7:30, Reading nook discussion!
At about 8:15, Alexandra talks about a pivotal moment in her reading and representation as she wanted to do her masters thesis
At about 9:20, Gabo fan girling and boying, as Pete again shouts out “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” and “Someone Has Been Disarranging These Roses”
At about 11:00, Alexandra talks about writers who made her want to become a writer herself-transformational writers like Isabel Allende and Esmeralda Santiago
At about 12:30, Alexandra shouts out Adriana Cuevas, Rebecca Balcárcel and other contemporaries who thrill and inspire her, including Las Musas, a collective
At about 14:20, Alexandra responds to Pete’s questions about genres and where she places herself
At about 15:30, Alexandra responds to Pete’s questions about if/how she reads differently as an author
At about 16:30, Pete cites the greatness of Ingrid Rojas Contreras
At about 16:55, Pete asks about Alexandra’s muses within her own family, and the two discuss the vagaries of middle school and its changes
At about 19:40, Pete recounts Luchy Zapata’s first line and dedication and some of the book’s exposition
At about 22:00, Cami is analyzed as “the perfect Colombian,” as is Nucita brand
At about 23:45, Alexandra discusses makeup as a “rite of passage,” in relation to Luchy’s thoughts in the book
At about 25:50, Alexandra breaks down a hurtful comment from the book
At about 26:50, Pete asks Alexandra about the character of Melissa and ideas of “reinventing” oneself
At about 27:55, Awkwardness between good friends is discussed, as is a meaningful scrapbook
At about 29:25, Luchy and his father’s relationship, especially through soccer’s importance, is explored
At about 31:55, Luchy’s short foray into being more like Cami and ideas of “being true to yourself” are discussed
At about 34:45, Alexandra discusses insecurity and confusion involving Luchy’s views on her heritage
At about 36:00, Pete highlights the book’s greatness in its hyperspecificity and also its universal issues/themes; Alexandra cites her history and her son’s history in crafting Luchy’s character
At about 38:20, Alexandra expands on the various uses of “gringita” in Colombia
At about 39:35, Mateo and his friendship and his family troubles are discussed
At about 40:45, Pete asks Alexandra about how her book was informed by the immediacy of adolescent issues
At about 43:10, The discussion of Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas begins, as the two talk about various meanings of “palomitas”-shoutout to AC Quintero!
At about 44:15, Alexandra talks about what it’s like living in a hurricane zone
At about 45:40, Alexandra reflects on ideas of communities coming together after disasters, as plays out in her children’s book
At about 46:40, Pete cites Levar Burton’s The Rhino Who Swallowed the Storm and Lupita and books that bring comfort and reassurance to kids, and Pete discusses an early story he wrote gone wrong
At about 49:40, Alexandra shares exciting new projects, including a personal piece coming out in January
At about 51:15, Alexandra gives contact info, social media info, and places to buy her book, including the great Books and Books
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.
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 252 with Byron Graves. He is an Ojibwe writer born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, where he played high school basketball. When he isn't writing, he can be found playing retro video games, spending time with his family, or cheering on his beloved Minnesota Timberwolves. Rez Ball is his debut novel.
The episode will go live on September 10.
Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Monday Aug 26, 2024
Monday Aug 26, 2024
Notes and Links to Ben Tanzer’s Work
For Episode 250, Pete welcomes Ben Tanzer, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of books, formative and transformative writers and writing, bothy past and present, muses, Jim Carroll and his powerful and pivotal work, Ben’s podcast and motivations for living the creative life, and salient themes and issues in his novel like sacrifice, family bonds, parenthood, small towns, the unknown, and awe.
Ben Tanzer is an Emmy-award winning coach, creative strategist, podcaster, writer, teacher and social worker who has been helping nonprofits, publishers, authors, small business and career changers tell their stories for 20 plus years. He serves as a Lecturer (and part-time faculty) at Lake Forest College, where he teaches LOOP 202: 21st Century Development and Liberal Arts and The Workplace.
He produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life (300+ episodes and counting), which was launched in February 2010, focuses on authors and changemakers from around the country and the world, and was named by Elephant Journal as one of "The 10 Best Podcasts to Help you Change your Life.
His written work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. I'm a storySouth and Pushcart nominee, a finalist for the Annual National Indie Excellence and Eric Hoffer Book Awards, a winner of the Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival Nonfiction Prose Award and a Midwest Book Award.
A Conversation with Ben in The Chicago Review
At about 2:15, Ben gives background on the “creative life” and his day-to-day and “hustle”
At about 5:30, Ben describes the importance of an “awesomely discouraging” tax person when one lives the creative life
At about 6:45, Ben shouts out Columbia College in Chicago
At about 7:45, Ben discusses his early relationship with reading and the written word
At about 10:00, Ben talks about meaningful feedback in a writing class and how he started his writing career
At about 11:10, Ben cites Jim Carroll’s Basketball Diaries, DeGrazia’s American Skin, and other formative texts, like Catcher in the Rye, Will Allison and Joe Mino,
At about 14:10, Ben reflects on the importance of cross country and wrestling in his life
At about 15:10, Ben shouts out Wendy C. Ortiz’s Excavation, Gina Frangello, Donald Quist, Joe Meno, Sara Lippman, Alice Kaltman, Gionna Cromley, Lee Matthew Goldberg, and Lisa Cross Smith as writers and writing that thrills and inspires and “crush[es]” him
At about 17:30, Pete cites the thrill of meeting standout writers, and Ben expands upon ideas of the brain being “profoundly affected” by meeting literary heroes
At about 20:10, Ben talks about his podcast and its roots and philosophy
At about 22:30, Ben responds to Pete’s question about Ben’s viewpoint on the “muse,” in both his writing and his podcasting-shout out to SpiderMeka!
At about 27:15, Pete and Ben lay out the book’s exposition and Ben discusses the book’s seeds
At about 29:45, Ben gives background on a stimulating idea provided by his agent
At about 31:45, The two discuss the aging and maturing or not of the central characters of the book
At about 36:00, The two discuss how Ben writes about “what could have been” in using “speculative flashbacks” and ideas of the sexualization of young girls, especially in missing children cases; Ben shouts out Emily Schultz’s Little Threats
At about 40:35, Ben reflects on playing with the idea of having a kid who would dare date someone with a bad haircut, etc.
At about 42:25, The two discuss unprocessed traumas and Hannah and Gabriel’s mindsets and an awe-inspiring scene involving trains
At about 47:00-Bobby Baccala and the trains-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
At about 47:45, Ben responds to Pete’s comments about Gabriel being referenced in the book as a “good father and a bad husband”
At about 51:45, Pete wonders about Krista’s reasons for leaving, and Ben talks about the unknown and his rationale in using a lot of unknown, as well as how many real-life parallels he’s seen to the book’s events
At about 55:35, A key question about living one’s best life is explored
At about 56:15, Casting choices abound! and Ben expands on his interest in Officer John
At about 57:35, Ed, father of Hannah, is explored as a victim and a great listener, and Gabriel’s mother as an “enabler” is expanded upon
At about 1:01:05, Ben gives contact info and social media information
At about 1:03:10, Pete and Ben discuss the buying domain business
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.
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 251 with Alexandra Alessandri. She is the author of several books for children, including Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; her books have received numerous distinctions, including the International Latino Book Award
The episode will go live on September 3.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Tuesday Aug 20, 2024
Tuesday Aug 20, 2024
Notes and Links to Jesse Katz’s Work
For Episode 249, Pete welcomes Jesse Katz, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of baseball, formative and transformative books and writers, lessons learned from early writing, LA and MacArthur Park lore, and salient themes and issues in the book like poverty and the punitive nature of powerful interests, grief, and various forms of violence, as well as larger narratives about the immigration system, family units, and traumas and silences.
Jesse Katz is a former Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine writer whose honors include the James Beard Foundation’s M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, PEN Center USA’s Literary Journalism Award, a National Magazine Award nomination, and two shared Pulitzer Prizes. As a volunteer with InsideOUT Writers, he has mentored incarcerated teenagers at Central Juvenile Hall and the former California Youth Authority.
New York Times Review of The Rent Collectors
At about 2:00, the two discuss Jesse’s recent book launch at Skylight Books, which Pete was lucky to attend
At about 4:10, Jesse talks about generous feedback, including from those featured in the book
At about 6:30, Jesse discusses the experience of recording the audio for his book
At about 9:45, Jesse gives background on his relationship with language growing up
At about 12:15, The two share memories of reading formative works on Jackie Robinson
At about 14:30, Jesse describes takeaways from his adolescent readings of Hemingway, Kerouac, and immersive writers, and college reading that “flipped the switch,” including Joe McGinniss and Hunter Thompson
At about 18:15, Jesse talks about his relationship with his alma mater, Bennington College, and Bret Easton Ellis and other standout alumni
At about 19:55, Jesse highlights Matthew Desmond and Susan Orlean as contemporary writers (especially Orlean with her The Library Book and Desmond with his Poverty by América, an inspiration for The Rent Collectors) who inspire and thrill
At about 22:55, Pete makes a connection between American Psycho and The Rent Collectors, especially with regards to litanies, and Jesse expands on “the cost of being poor”
At about 24:50, Pete and Jesse talk about Jesse’s book, The Opposite Field, and connections to the great Luis J. Rodriguez
At about 27:50, Jesse responds to Pete’s questions about how he sees the book now, speaking about The Opposite Field
At about 29:00, Pete highlights a generous blurb from hector Tobar, and Jesse outlines how Hector’s support propelled Jesse to get to work on realizing the book’s finish
At about 32:00, Jesse cites Giovanni’s (Macedo, the book’s protagonist) own healing and his generosity in sharing his story
At about 34:00, Pete and Jesse discuss the book’s opening, and why Jesse decided to start the book in the middle of the story with Giovanni “rising from the dead”
At about 38:50, Jesse gives background on Giovanni’s backstory, especially with regard to his father, and not knowing the reason for his father’s death
At about 42:10, Jesse expands upon the setting of MacArthur Park, the focus of the book’s Chapter Two, and its denseness and uniqueness in LA
At about 43:30, The two discuss Giovanni’s early forays into gang life and some members of the clique featured in the book
At about 45:30, Jesse speaks about Reyna, Giovanni’s mother, and how she felt powerless in keeping her son from gangs
At about 47:40, Jesse speaks to the staying power of gangs and how they “[fill] a void,” and Pete quotes Father Greg Boyle and his thoughts on hopelessness
At about 49:45, Jesse replies to Pete’s question about Francisco Clemente, who survived the targeted shooting by Giovanni and how he stood up against the rent collectors
At about 51:20, Jesse describes the “older, savvier gang members” who were sought out by Giovanni
At about 54:30, Pete and Jesse talk about how he sets the scene in the book for the horrendous events perpetuated by the gang and Giovanni; Jesse also details how he used court transcripts and written correspondence with Giovanni to piece together Giovanni’s thoughts before and after the shooting
At about 58:30, The backlash and early investigations about the homicide are discussed
At about 1:00:45, Pete charts Giovanni’s life in the immediate aftermath of the murder, and Jesse responds to a question about his a key decision
At about 1:04:10, Jesse speaks to the naivete of Giovanni’s dialogue with Holmes, the investigator
At about 1:05:40, The two discuss sentencing for Giovanni and his reflection on his crimes and aftermath
At about 1:07:00, Jesse talks about Daniela, the mother of Luis Angel, and how he tried and failed to find her to speak with for the book, and why it was maybe for the good that she didn’t have to relive the trauma
At about 1:09:45, Jesse ruminates on Giovanni’s future
At about 1:11:15, Jesse reflects on how the book may help him with his parole
At about 1:13:00, Pete and Jesse trade quotes and meditate on the book’s hopeful lessons
At about 1:14:50, Jesse gives contact info and book buying 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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 249 with Ben Tanzer. He is an Emmy-award winning coach, creative strategist, podcaster, writer, teacher and social worker who has been helping nonprofits, publishers, authors, small business and career changers tell their stories for 20 plus years.
He produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life, which was launched in February 2010, focuses on authors and changemakers from around the country and the world, and was named by Elephant Journal as one of "The 10 Best Podcasts to Help you Change your Life.”
His written work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. His most recent novel is The Missing.
The episode will go live on August 27.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Monday Aug 19, 2024
Monday Aug 19, 2024
Notes and Links to Katya Apekina’s Work
For Episode 248, Pete welcomes Katya Apekina, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language abilities and her extensive cross-cultural readings; motherhood, the loss of loved ones, and other catalysts for Mother Doll, and salient themes and issues in her collection like intergenerational traumas, women’s agency, fatalism, guilt, and redemption.
Katya Apekina is a novelist, screenwriter and translator. Her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus, Buzzfeed, LitHub and others, was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and has been translated into Spanish, Catalan, French, German and Italian. She has published stories in various literary magazines and translated poetry and prose for Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky (FSG, 2008), short-listed for the Best Translated Book Award. She co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film New Orleans, Mon Amour, which premiered at SXSW in 2008. She is the recipient of an Elizabeth George grant, an Olin Fellowship, the Alena Wilson prize and a 3rd Year Fiction Fellowship from Washington University in St. Louis where she did her MFA. She has done residencies at VCCA, Playa, Ucross, Art Omi: Writing and Fondation Jan Michalski in Switzerland. Born in Moscow, she grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter and dog.
“Katya Apekina’s ‘Mother Doll’ isn’t your ordinary ghost story” in The Los Angeles Times
At about 2:40, Katya talks about her early experiences in being bilingual and how her early language learning has affected her reading and writing and ways of seeing the world
At about 6:05, Katya talks about ways in which Russian writing manifests itself
At about 8:00, Katya catalogs formative and informative writers and writing upon which she draws inspiration
At about 9:45, Katya details a Holden Caulfield-esque action she took in high school
At about 10:45, The two discuss cool craft techniques of Chekhov
At about 11:25, Katya outlines the beginnings of her formal writing life after pivoting from photography, including the power of Charles Simic and Roberto Bolaño
At about 14:45, Katya highlights contemporary writers who inspire and thrill her, including Sasha Vasilyuk and Ruth Madievsky, and Alexandra Tanner
At about 17:35, Pete shares the wonderful reviews for the book, including Lauren Groff’s
At about 18:20, Katya shares seeds for the book, especially with regards to intergenerational traumas
At about 21:45, Katya recounts some plot summary and real-life inspirations and parallels
At about 22:50, Pete quotes the book’s first line-a “banger”-and Katya gives background on the book’s sequencing
At about 25:25, Pete sets some of the book’s exposition and asks Katya about the “chorus” and her visual idea of this chorus
At about 27:20, Irina is introduced and the two discuss her wanting to relieve her burdens, and Katya describes what Zhenia might see in Anton/Ben
At about 30:10, Katya responds to Pete’s questions about why Zhenia decides to help translate for Paul, the medium, regarding her great-grandmother
At about 33:00, Katya expands upon Paul’s reasons for getting into the medium space, as well as how some people are many “permeable” to messaging from beyond
At about 35:10, Pete traces some early flashbacks from Irina and her early leanings towards revolution
At about 36:15, Katya responds to Pete’s asking about Hanna and other characters and their motivations and possible naivete
At about 39:00, Pete and Katya discuss the changing and convoluted factions and connections that characterized the Russian Revolution, and the differing visions of change
At about 41:50, Katya talks about how Zhenia thinks of her grandmother’s death and funeral
At about 43:30, Pete asks about parallels in the book, both on the micro and macro levels; Katya speaks about “iterations” of history
At about 46:30, Pete alludes to “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros in asking Katya to speak to the significance of the book’s title
At about 48:40, The two discuss fatalism as a common theme in Russian diasporic literature in general, and this book in particular
At about 51:00, Katya talks about exciting upcoming projects
At about 52:00, Katya gives 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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.
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 249 with Jesse Katz, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Details, Texas Monthly, Food & Wine, Men's Health, and many other publications. His work has been anthologized in Best American Magazine Writing and Best American Crime Writing; his latest book is the critically-acclaimed The Rent Collectors, about the reverberations of a tragic murder in LA’s MacArthur Park area.
The episode airs later today, August 20.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Notes and Links to Christina Cooke’s Work
For Episode 247, Pete welcomes Christina Cooke, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of books, formative and transformative books and writers, contemporaries and fellow debut writers with whom her books are in conversation, the outsized influence of Mamá Lou, and salient themes and issues in her book like diaspora, notions of “home,” queerness and divinity, brotherly and sisterly relationships, and religiosity vs. spirituality.
Christina Cooke’s writing has appeared in or is forthcoming from The Caribbean Writer, PRISM International, Prairie Schooner, Apogee, Epiphany, Michigan Quarterly Review, Lambda Literary Review, and others. A MacDowell Fellow and Journey Prize winner, she holds a Master of Arts from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Christina was born in Jamaica and is now a Canadian citizen who lives and writes in New York City. BROUGHTUPSY is her debut novel.
Article in Vogue about Broughtupsy
At about 1:40, Pete and Christina talk about a top-notch fruit mentioned in her book
At about 4:00, Pete highlights an amazing version of the book that he received
At about 5:15, Christina talks about her rich childhood reading life
At about 8:20, Christina shouts out Mrs. Dooley, an inspiring teacher
At about 11:30, Christina cites books that made a huge impact on how she writes, including Handmaid’s Tale
At about 13:20, Pete wonders which books and writers “are in conversation” with Christina and her work, and she mentions Ruben Reyes, Jr., Santiago José Sánchez, Melissa Mogollon, Emma Copley, Lisa Ko, Annie Liontas, Miss Lou, Zadie Smith, and Erna Brodber
At about 17:00, Christina talks about why she calls Jamaican patois a language, and its distinctive nature, and she tells about a fun difference between #3/#6 mango
At about 18:45, Christina dissects the meanings of the book’s title
At about 19:45, The two discuss a Jamaican original word
At about 20:40, Christina discusses seeds for the book and its iterations
At about 23:50, The two discuss the book’s epigraph and Christina describes its provenance/significance
At about 28:00, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and Christina gives background on sickle cell anemia, which is deadly to Bryson
At about 30:30, Christina discusses Bryson’s memories and wise maturity in his last days
At about 33:25, Christina remarks on the “fable” told to reassure Bryson that his sister Tamika would be visiting-she cites “the complicated ways that we love”
At about 35:10, Christina talks about a possibly-doomed relationship
At about 37:20, Christina details how the book complicates religiosity and queerness’ connections
At about 40:35, Christina describes Akua “spiraling” in making a trip back home to Jamaica
At about 42:30, Akua and her “Americanness” in Jamaica is discussed, and Christina talks about parallels in her own life
At about 45:40, An uncomfortable visit and questions between the sisters is discussed
At about 46:30, Cod liver oil and a scene involving its destruction is recounted by Christina as she discusses its connection to Jamaican parenting in a certain time period
At about 49:10, Christina responds to Pete’s question about why Akua carries her brother’s urn
At about 51:40, Christina talks about Jamaicans being “culturally Anglican” and its complexities
At about 53:20-Lady Saw and her legendaries and an early encounter with Akua and a woman in Kingston is recounted
At about 57:20, Christina talks about “lyme” and its usage in the book and in Jamaica
At about 1:00:10, Christina charts the importance of The Miss Lou “Happy Birthday Song” in the book and in Jamaica and the Jamaican diaspora
At about 1:01:45, Christina responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which Akua’s father treats her and her homosexuality-Christina speaks to the idea of “infantilizing”
At about 1:06:00, Café con Libros, Word Up, and Bookshop.org are shouted out as good places to buy her book and she gives contact information/social media information
At about 1:06:55, Christina shares wonderful feedback from readers
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 248 with Katya Apekina, a novelist, screenwriter and translator; her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Buzzfeed, LitHub, and more and finalist for the LA Times Book Prize; Mother Doll, was named a Best Book So Far of 2024 by Vogue
The episode will go live on August 16.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Notes and Links to Shannon Sanders’ Work
For Episode 245, Pete welcomes Shannon Sanders, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of books, Toni Morrison and her powerful and pivotal work, Shannon’s writing for her job as a lawyer, rocking sneakers at a prize-winning, and salient themes and issues in her collection like generational differences, sacrifice, family bonds, motherhood, the title’s connection to guests and hosts(esses), and racism and sexism and the ways in which they work on the characters’ pasts and presents.
Shannon Sanders is the author of the linked short story collection Company, which won the 2024 Los Angeles Times Book Prize's Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, was named a Publishers Weekly and Debutiful Best Book of 2023, and was shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Her short fiction has appeared in One Story, Sewanee Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, and elsewhere, and received a PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and three sons.
Review of Company in Washington Post
At about 1:35, Pete shouts out Shannon’s stellar Twitter presence
At about 3:00, Shannon charts her childhood reading journey, and how she became an active writer from high school on
At about 5:40, Shannon talks about chill-inducing writing and writers, including Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Stephen King, and VC Andrews, with modern writers like Lisa Taddeo, Deesha Philyaw, Danielle Evans,
At about 9:15, Shannon responds to Pete’s questions about representation in what she has read, and she shouts out Toni Morrison (including Jazz) and Octavia Butler, to whom she was introduced in Vicki Adamson’s high school class
At about 11:55, Shannon talks about the writing in her lawyerly life and how it informs her fiction
At about 13:50, Shannon details the wonderful experience of winning her prize at the LA Times Book Festival and her unique footwear
At about 16:10, Shannon talks about Company’s genre and the links between stories
At about 17:30, Shannon outlines the background and rationale for using a family tree at the beginning of the book
At about 19:15, Pete highlights a Sebastian Maniscalco skit that has to do with the shift in the last few decades in having “company” at home, and Shannon explains her collection’s stories’ connections to the idea of hosts(esses) and guests
At about 21:00, Pete gives background on “The Good, Good Men,” the collection’s first story, and alludes to Antonya Nelson’s “In the Land of Men”
At about 23:30, Birds of paradise as a story and the birds themselves are discussed as Pete asks about debts and generational expectations for all women and for Black women
At about 27:35, Shannon talks about a story where you uses second person, its inspirations in Jamaica Kincaid’s legendary “Girl” and others, and birth order and generational differences
At about 30:50, The two discuss the theme of sacrifice through a flashback story
At about 34:35, Pete highlights a story based on flashback and incredible selflessness and the ways in which the collection felt “finished”
At about 38:00, Ideas of “old money” and treasured memories and empathy are discussed
At about 39:15, Shannon talks about the story “Rioja” and traces the family’s machinations and subtleties
At about 41:35, “La Belle Hottentot” is discussed, including the sordid and tragic history, and how it is one of two stories that are different perspectives from the
At about 44:00, Opal, the family matriarch is analyzed through a pivotal story in the collection
At about 47:45, Shannon responds to Pete’s questions about maintaining continuity in her story collection
At about 50:50, Shannon answers Pete’s questions about how much she herself shows up in the collection’s characters
At about 53:00, Pete quotes Ruth Madievsky about the ways in which different writers write and edit, and Shannon discusses her own style(s)
At about 54:55, The two explore ghosts and their significance in the collection
At about 56:00, Shannon gives interesting background on the character Lucy and her childhood friend and the storyline
At about 57:30, a “literal” ghost story is probed
At about 1:01:15, Shannon talks about exciting new projects and whether characters from Company will be expanded upon
At about 1:02:50, Shannon gives contact info and info for buying 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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.
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 246 with Ruben Reyes, Jr. He is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants, completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop; and is a graduate of Harvard College. His writing has appeared in Audible Originals, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications. His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, is out as of today, August 6, along with our wonderful conversation. Happy Pub Day, Ruben!
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Notes and Links to Ruben Reyes’ Work
For Episode 246, Pete welcomes Ruben Reyes, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of sci fi and fantasy, his family’s diverse language history, formative and transformative books and writers, lessons learned from early writing, and salient themes and issues in his collection like agency, power dynamics, notions of “home,” grief, and various forms of violence, as well as larger narratives about the immigration system, family units, and traumas and silences.
Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants. He completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
He is a graduate of Harvard College where he studied History and Literature and Latinx Studies. His writing has appeared in Audible Originals, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Florida Review Online, Business Insider, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications.
His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, is forthcoming from Mariner Books. Originally from Southern California, he lives in Brooklyn.
Buy There is a Rio Grande in Heaven
At about 1:45, Harvard and secret clubs and “annoying social clubs” are discussed
At about 3:00, Ruben details the “chaotic” and exciting leadup to the August 6 publication date of his collection
At about 3:45, Ruben shares “generous feedback” from blurbists and other early readers
At about 5:50, Ruben shouts out upcoming book events-Brooklyn with Greenlight and Bryant Park, and Libro Mobile in Santa Ana
At about 6:50, Ruben talks about growing up in Diamond Bar and how it’s emblematic or not of LA and California
At about 8:00, Ruben expands upon his language history and that of his family, and he also talks about growing up on fantasy books and Michael Crichton and other “conceptual sci-fi” works
At about 10:35, Pete and Ruben strategize on how to get JK Rowling off Twitter and her “misguided” diatribes
At about 12:30, Ruben talks about formative writers and writing from his high school and college days
At about 14:15, Ruben discusses early writing and lessons learned from the work
At about 16:30, Mad appreciation for Borges and how his work was against the “conventional craft”
At about 18:30-Ruben highlights the influence of magical realism and its limits and strengths
At about 20:00, The two discuss the evocative epigraphs for the story collection, from Roque Dalton and Ray Bradbury
At about 23:35, The two discuss the opening short from the collection and the multiple stories that feature “Alternate Histories”; Ruben highlights Jamel Brinkley’s guidance
At about 26:45, Ruben explains why he thinks the story has two starting points, and the two discuss the second story, “He Eats His Own” with its mangoes, ritual, and power dynamics and immigrant sagas
At about 29:10, Ruben responds to Pete’s questions between the balance and relationships between allegory and plot
At about 31:00, Pete wonders if Ruben “stands in judgment of [his] characters”
At about 33:50, Pete asks Ruben about the ramifications of the relationship between Steven and Tomás, a Salvadoran immigrant who has experienced a lot of grief; Ruben expands on his interest in “escape valves” for characters
At about 36:35, The two discuss “Self-Made Man” and its connection to the complexities of immigration
At about 38:40, Ruben discusses “baselines” and the ways in which he resolved to write “three-dimensional characters” and focused on systems and reasons for traumas
At about 40:30, Agency as a theme in the story is discussed through “Quiero Perrear…” and its dynamic characters
At about 42:00, Pete and Ruben delight in the opening line of “Quiero Perrear…” and its connections to Kafka’s Metamorphosis
At about 44:20, Pete is highly complimentary of “My Abuela, the Puppet,” and Ruben explains the story’s genesis and connections to real-life
At about 47:20, “Salvadoran Slice of Mars” as a way of showing inadequacies of the immigration system is discussed
At about 48:55, The themes of “do-overs” and mourning and grief and the ways in which we view those who have passed are discussed in connection with a particularly meaningful story
At about 52:20, Ruben discusses the historical fiction involving El Salvador’s 1932 Matanza of a story in the collection that is one of the “alternate histories”
At about 53:45, the two discuss the incredible work of Roberto Lovato and ideas of “unforgetting” and silences and trauma
At about 55:50, Ruben responds to Pete’s question about a story that lays out an alternate history of Selena as Ruben brings up systems and fame and the ways that celebrities are treated after their deaths
At about 58:40, Ruben details how immigrants often think of “What if” so often
At about 59:40, “Variations on Your Migrant’s Life” is explored, and Ruben talks about its inspirations
At about 1:04:15, Valeria and Oscar Ramirez Martinez (graphic picture discussed is not featured in article) and their story, fictionalized in a gutting final story, is discussed
At about 1:07:15, Ruben shouts out places to buy his book and gives his contact info/social media info
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 245 with Shannon Sanders, who is a Black writer, attorney, and author of the linked story collection Company, which was winner of the 2023 LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Additionally, her short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.
Please tune in for Episode 247 with Christina Cooke. Her writing has appeared in/is forthcoming from The Caribbean Writer, PRISM International, Prairie Schooner, and Lambda Literary Review, among others. A MacDowell Fellow and Journey Prize winner, her critically-acclaimed Broughtupsy, her debut novel, is out as of January 2024.
The episode will go live on August 13.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Notes and Links to Annie Liontas’ Work
For Episode 244, Pete welcomes Annie Liontas, and the two discuss, among other topics, their childhood love of books after early years of learning English as a second language, their teaching life, formative and transformative books and writers, the hot literary scene in Philly, and salient themes and issues in their memoir like writing emotionally-charged material, “invisible disability,” traumatic brain injuries and their personal history, as well as larger narratives about TBI in the carceral system, NFL, and beyond.
Annie Liontas is the genderqueer author of the memoir Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery, which was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and selected as SELF Magazine’s Book of the Month. Their debut novel, Let Me Explain You, was selected as New York Times Editors Choice. They co-edited the anthology A Manner of Being: Writers on their Mentors, and their work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Gay Magazine, NPR, Electric Literature, BOMB, Lithub, The Believer, Guernica, McSweeney’s, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. A graduate of Syracuse University’s MFA program, they are a professor of writing at George Washington University. Annie has served as a mentor for Pen City’s incarcerated writers and helped secure a Mellon Foundation grant on Disability Justice to bring storytelling to communities in the criminal justice system. They co-host the literary podcast LitFriends and live in Philadelphia.
Annie's George Washington University Bio
NPR's Fresh Air Interview with Annie
Emma Copley Eisenberg Writes about Sex with a Brain Injury for Electric Lit
LitFriends Podcast with Annie and Lito Velazquez
At about 1:40, Annie talks about their experience with the legendary Terri Gross
At about 3:45, Annie talks about their upbringing and Greek family lineage
At about 5:20, Annie homes in on their early days in frustration in transmitting ideas in English
At about 6:20, Annie responds to Pete’s questions about how Greek affects their English writing and reading
At about 8:30, Annie discusses their early love of reading
At about 11:30, Annie and Pete discuss pleasurable reading and the idea of “favorite books”
At about 12:15, Annie and Pete nerd out over Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Pete recommends “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”
At about 13:40, Annie speaks to ideas of representation in what they have read
At about 15:20, Annie talks about “wonderful” professors in their time at Syracuse
At about 16:20, Annie highlights Justin Torres, Yiyun Li, and other writers whose work is favorited by their students
At about 17:50, Annie highlights Philadelphia’s huge amount of talent-writers like Marie Helene Bertino, Emma Eisenberg, and Liz Moore
At about 20:15, Pete and Annie talks about Annie’s memoir’s exposition and opening lines; Annie expounds upon seeds for the book
At about 23:00, Pete shouts out Ingrid Rojas Contreras’ The Man Who Could Move Clouds
At about 23:50, The two discuss the ways in which Annie uses second person and tropes about concussions in the memoir
At about 26:40, Pete wonders about Annie’s decisions in summarizing three main injuries and compliments the draw of the structure; Annie talks about suspense and withholding and shares a resonant quote from George Saunders
At about 29:30, Annie discusses “the longitudinal experience” that goes into “I will have my life” that ends the second chapter
At about 31:05, Annie responds to Pete’s questions about writing emotionally-charged material about beloved people
At about 33:05, Annie talks about people doubting the severity of their injuries and a “five-year plan”
At about 36:10, Annie shares interesting history about the rail industry and its “bonkers” track record-pun intended-in connection to injuries and “faking”
At about 38:30, Pete asks Annie about effects of the brain injury
At about 41:05, Pete’s got jokes! and Annie talks about the physical effects of their brain injuries
At about 42:25, Henry VIII’s possible brain traumas are discussed, as are Harriet Tubman’s
At about 45:15, “Lying as a social act” is discussed in context of Annie’s injury and subsequent ill effects
At about 48:20, Annie discusses their mother’s life and connections between addiction and brain trauma, including Marchell Taylor’s moving fight for better care for TBI victims in the carceral system
At about 54:00, Pete highlights a resonant excerpt from the book, Page 67, revolving around queerness
At about 57:15, Pete and Annie cite examples from the sporting world and the ways in which women’s health concerns are not treated equally
At about 58:30, the NFL and concussions are discussed
At about 1:01:55, Pete and Annie discuss Q&A’s with Annie’s wife, and Pete wonders about the choice to use redacted parts
At about 1:04:30, Annie juxtaposes the different ways in which Tig Notaro and Ernest Shackleton dealt with trauma
At about 1:08:50, Annie highlights the greatness of and beautiful relationship with Ursula von Ridingsvard
At about 1:12:00, Annie shouts out their publisher and places to buy the book, as well as how to contact them and find them online; they give background information on her podcast
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 245 with Shannon Sanders, who is a Black writer, attorney, and author of the linked story collection Company, which was winner of the 2023 LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Additionally, her short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.
The episode will go live on July 31.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Notes and Links to Kathleen Rooney’s Work
For Episode 243, Pete welcomes Kathleen Rooney, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of story and her later connections to Chicago and Chicagoland, her devotion to words and sentences and poetry, her fascination with Colleen Moore and her Fairy Castle, seeds for From Dust to Stardust, and salient themes and issues in her book like stereotyping, early Hollywood, the burdens carried by young women and all women in Hollywood, and the power of cinema.
Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a nonprofit publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand. She is the author of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, and her latest poetry collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was released in Fall of 2022 by Texas Review Press. Her latest novel, From Dust to Stardust, came out in September 2023. She lives in Chicago and teaches at DePaul.
Kathleen's DePaul University Bio
At about 2:00, Kathlen talks about her early years in various parts of the country and her love of cities
At about 3:35, Kathleen talks about her great love of the written word, and always wanting to “tell stories”
At about 5:30, Kathleen gives background on Chicagoland
At about 8:10, Various parts of IL and connections to David Foster Wallace are discussed
At about 9:30, Kathleen discusses formative writers, including “classic” poetry and how she is “attracted to words”
At about 14:00, Kathleen cites music influences like Bob Dylan, a “fellow word pervert” and B96 in Chicago and 90s hip hop
At about 15:50, Kathleen talks about how her Irish heritage has influenced her writing, and how her protagonist was limited by Irish tropes
At about 18:00, Kathleen gives some background on “thin places” from Gaelic yore, its connections to the book’s epigraph, and some plot summary/exposition for the book
At about 22:15, Kathleen builds on earlier discussion of the early history of Hollywood and various locations for shooting movies, after Pete and she reflect on the beautiful Cinema Paradiso and ideas of the magic of cinema
At about 24:05, Kathleen details her interest in Colleen Moore, and also gives seeds for the book
At about 26:15, Kathleen describes Chicago’s incredible Fairy Castle of Colleen Moore
At about 28:20, Pete and Kathleen talk about other vanity/aspirational projects of the 1920s and on, Hearst, etc.
At about 29:20, Pete gives background on the book’s main character’s, Eileen’s, early fascination with movies
At about 30:15, Kathleen outlines the Eileen’s family and various backstories and influences on Eileen
At about 32:50, Pete asks Kathleen about her book’s structure-flashbacks and flashforward, and how the memories are narrated/formatted
At about 36:50, Kathleen remarks on how she used flashbacks a little differently than some other popular movies
At about 37:45, Pivotal early scenes that lead Eileen to Hollywood are recounted, and Kathleen expands on the insular environment of early Holywood
At about 41:00, The two discuss the infamous D.W. Griffith and his connections to the book
At about 42:00, Kathleen discusses the ways in which casting and life affect women, especially young women, and their choices
At about 44:40, Kathleen talks about the various iterations of A Star is Born and its significance in Hollywood history
At about 46:00, Marion Davies and her unfair/incomplete reputation are explained
At about 47:30, Pete notes the ways in which Doreen is her own biggest fan and supporter and her agency and hard work
At about 48:40, Kathleen shares her connections to Edna Ferber, the real-life writer referenced in the book
At about 51:30, Kathleen responds to Pete’s questions about typecasting in early Hollywood, and what research Kathleen used for the parts of the silent film era
At about 54:30, Pete wonders about redemptive actions and motives for Eileen’s father and his help with the Fairy Castle
At about 57:20, Kathleen shouts out a few Chicagoland bookstores and other places to buy her book, and also gives social media//contact info
At about 58:25, Kathleen talks about the magic of Poems While You Wait
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 244 with Alexandra Alessandri. She is the author of several books for children, including Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; her books have received numerous distinctions, including the International Latino Book Award
The episode will go live on July 23.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Notes and Links to Santiago José Sanchez’s Work
For Episode 242, Pete welcomes Santiago José Sanchez, and the two discuss, among other topics, their childhood in Colombia and Miami, their experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, especially in his college years, how teaching informs their writing and vice versa, the wonderful multiple points of view in Hombrecito, salient themes in his collection like masculinity, immigration, queerness, familial ties, reinvention and Americanization, and ideas of home.
Santiago José Sánchez, a Grinnell College assistant professor of English and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, is a queer Colombian American writer. Santiago’s writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary. Their debut novel is Hombrecito, out as of June 25.
New York Times Review of Hombrecito
At about 2:35, Santiago talks about their early relationship with the written word, and their early fascination with and exposure to storytelling
At about 4:55, Santiago expounds upon how Hombrecito is a “love letter” to their mom, and their special relationship with her
At about 6:00, Santiago speaks to the interplay between English and Spanish in their life and in their writing
At about 9:15, Santiago talks about Colombian Spanish and its uniqueness
At about 11:20, Santiago highlights books and writers (like Greenwell’s Mitko) and a class with Professor Michael Cunningham that grew their huge love of writing and literature
At about 13:25, Santiago discusses ideas of representation, including works by Justin Torres, that made them feel seen, but also gaps in representation
At about 14:40, Santiago cites Small Rain by Greenwell, Ocean Vuong’s new book, Ruben Reyes, Jr.’s There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, and Melissa Mogollon’s Oye as exciting and inspiring
At about 16:05, Santiago responds to Pete’s question about how writing informs their teaching
At about 18:30, Pete and Santiago rave about Jamil Jan Kochai’s “Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” and Santiago talks about their students loving the story
At about 22:45, Santiago gives background on using different points-of-view and terminology for the narrator(s) in Hombrecito
At about 26:40, Santiago describes the book as “autofiction”
At about 28:10, “He lives between the world and his own mind,” a key quote from the beginning of the book, and the narrator’s mother, are explored through a discussion of an early pivotal scene, which also bring talk of a certain type of sexism/misogyny directed at single mothers
At about 32:15, Santiago explains the ways in which they use and views the term “queer”
At about 34:10, Pete gives a little exposition of the book, featuring a scene where the book’s title is first introduced-Santiago expands on the book’s title and its myriad significance
At about 38:10, An understated scene that ends Part I is discussed; Santiago describes their mindset in writing the scene in that way
At about 40:55, The two explore the narrator’s insistence on calling his mother “Doctora” upon their move to Miami
At about 43:10, Santiago gives an explanation of the book’s oft-referenced “portal”
At about 46:00, The last scene where the narrator is “Santiago” and an important transition, is looked at
At about 46:50, The two reflect upon ideas of Americanization, and a supposedly-perfect/”normative” family dynamic that Santiago and their mother seek out
At about 53:25, Santiago’s mother and brother and their circumstances early in their time in Miami is discussed-Santiago details the “reshaping” of the family’s situation
At about 56:05, Pete asks Santiago about the narrator’s first lover and what repelled and brought them back together so many times
At about 59:35, Santiago explains how the book is “a lot about silences” and focuses on the short and incredibly-powerful Chapter 11
At about 1:01:45, Pete cites the previously-mentioned meaningful and resonant flashback
At about 1:02:50, The book’s last section and its focus on the narrator and his father’s ever-evolving, ever-loving relationship is discussed
At about 1:06:00, Santiago shares some of the feedback they have received since the book has been released, as well as information on their upcoming tour
At about 1:10:35, Santiago reads an excerpt from the book that forces the reader to salivate and smile
At about 1:12:45, Pete tells a story about translation gone wrong for the fourth or fifth time-eek!
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 243 with Kathleen Rooney, who is founding editor of Rose Metal Press and a founding member of Poems While You Wait. She teaches English and creative writing at DePaul University and is the author, most recently, of the novel From Dust to Stardust, as well as the poetry collection Where Are the Snows.
The episode will go live on July 16.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Tuesday Jul 09, 2024
Tuesday Jul 09, 2024
Notes and Links to Antonio Lopez’s Work
For Episode 241, Pete welcomes Antonio Lopez, and the two discuss, among other topics, his bilingual and multicultural childhood in East Palo Alto, E-40 Fonzarelli, his experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, the greatness and timelessness of James Baldwin, seeds for Gentefication in the rhythms and cultures and camaraderie of home, his life as a politician and working together with the community towards a stellar achievement, and salient themes in his collection like faith, gentrification and attendant outcomes, grief, trauma, joy, the power of art, and youthful rage and passion.
Antonio López is a poetician working at the intersection of poetry, politics and social change. He has received literary scholarships to attend the Community of Writers, Tin House, the Vermont Studio Center, and Bread Loaf. He is a proud member of the Macondo Writers Workshop and a CantoMundo Fellow. He holds degrees from Duke University, Rutgers-Newark, and the University of Oxford. He is pursuing a PhD in Modern Thought and Literature at Stanford University. His debut poetry collection, Gentefication, was selected by Gregory Pardlo as the winner of the 2019 Levis Prize in Poetry. He recently won a Pushcart Prize for his poem “Our Lady of the Westside.” As district representative for California State Senator Josh Becker, he served as the liaison for the Latinx, veteran, and Muslim communities of State District 13. Antonio has fought gentrification in his hometown as the newest and youngest council member for the City of East Palo Alto, and he is now the city’s mayor.
Antonio's East Palo Alto Mayoral Page
At about 3:00, The two discuss the diversity of the Bay Area
At about 4:20, Antonio speaks about “education as a pillar of [his] life” and his relationship with languages and the written word and nurturing schools in East Palo Alto
At about 7:15, The two sing the praises of PBS as an educational force, and Antonio recounts an amazing 3rd grade story involving the great Levar Burton
At about 11:50, Antonio details some of his favorite texts from childhood, including The Hatchet!
At about 13:20, Antonio responds to Pete’s questions about ideas of representation in what he read and how he was educated, and Antonio expounded upon the interesting ways in which he grew up in an under resourced school and in the Silicon Valley
At about 17:30, The two discuss the huge gap in wealth between Peninsula cities
At about 20:00, Pete quotes from the book’s Acknowledgements in asking Antonio about his “origin story”; Antonio talks about the personal gaze and gaze from outside East Palo Alto
At about 22:25, Antonio reminiscences on the visual and aural feasts, including the music, of his community and the ways in which English was “malleable” and formational for him
At about 26:20, The two discuss the ways in which East Palo Alto achieved a huge change, culminating in zero homicides in 2023
At about 30:30, Antonio reflects on the idea that “all art is political”
At about 32:25, Pete highlights impressive and creative verbs and language Antonio uses
At about 34:50, Pete asks about the pronunciation of the poetry collection and Antonio details the significance of the title
At about 37:10, Pete quotes from the book’s Prologue from Pardlo and asks Antonio about an early reference in the collection to James Baldwin; Antonio expounds upon the “mill”
At about 41:25, The two discuss a memorable line about school reading that didn’t feel familiar for Antonio and other resonant lines about education
At about 44:15, Antonio responds to Pete’s question about “the borderlands” referred to in the collection
At about 47:45, Antonio gives background on a powerful poem, “Las Chacharas” and its sequel, as well as ideas of relativism as seen in the writing
At about 50:40, Antonio talks about a “narrative wrapped around [him]” and his pride and ambivalence
At about 54:15, The two explore ideas of gentrification and losses and beautiful gains that come with immigration, as featured in the collection, including a true story involving Antonio’s paternal grandparents
At about 57:20, Pete compliments the poem from the collection that is a sort of tribute to his mom, and Pete wonders about the usage of “Usted” and “Tú”
At about 1:00:25, The two discuss coming-of-age themes in the collection, and Antonio expands upon ideas presented in a four-part poem
At about 1:02:15, E-40 (!) and youthful and chaotic energy are the topics of discussion-Antonio reflects on the word “hyphy”
At about 1:04:25, The two discuss religion and Catholicism/Christianity’s links to colonialism and Antonio’s beginnings with Muslim communities
At about 1:08:40, Antonio talks about the importance of hadiths and a memorable poem from the collection-a letter written to a hate crime, the murder of Nabra Hassanen
At about 1:12:45, DBQ’s are highlighted and unique grading rubrics, as rendered in Antonio’s work
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 242 with Santiago José Sánchez, a professor of English and a queer Colombian American writer whose writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary.
The episode will go live on July 10 or so.
Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Notes and Links to Marcela Fuentes’ Work
For Episode 240, Pete welcomes Marcela Fuentes, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood in borderland Texas, her experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, the greatness and timelessness of Selena, seeds for Malas in fairy tales and the title’s multilayered meanings, working in flashback and flashforward to illuminate racism and Texas/borderland histories, and salient themes in her collection like toxic masculinity, the burdens and triumphs of motherhood, grief, trauma, addiction, and ideas of fractured and reworked families.
Marcela Fuentes is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and essayist. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and was the 2016-2017 James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Indiana Review, The Rumpus, Texas Highways Magazine, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and other journals. Her work has been anthologized in New Stories from the Southwest, Best of the Web, and Flash Fiction International. Her story, “The Observable World” appeared in the Pushcart Prizes XLVII : Best of the Small Presses 2023 Edition. She was born and raised in Del Rio, Texas.
Her debut novel MALAS is the Good Morning America Book Club pick for June 2024. Coming soon, the story collection MY HEART HAS MORE ROOMS THAN A WHOREHOUSE, from Viking Books.
Marcela’s Appearance on Good Morning America
At about 2:00, Marcela describes her “surreal” experience being on Good Morning America
At about 4:10, Marcela discusses her early relationship with the written word and Spanish and English-speaking
At about 10:10, Sandra Cisneros, Yo Soy Joaquin, and Helena Maria Viramontes, are cited as formative and transformative writing and writers
At about 12:00, Pete recounts a surreal interaction with the wonderful Helena Maria Viramontes
At about 13:00, Marcla shouts out Vanessa Chan and Rufi Thorpe as contemporaries who thrill and inspire
At about 14:05, Marcela responds to Pete’s questions about seeds for the book-shout out Edward Carey!
At about 18:05, The two reflect on the book’s opening and a resonant first line
At about 20:55, Marcela gives background on Caimanes and the barrio where Pilar and José Alfredo, the first main characters, live, and why they like and hate it
At about 23:00, Uh, oh-the curse is discussed, as well as Pilar’s feelings at eight months pregnant
At about 24:35, Marcela talks about what she envisioned for Pilar, especially her backstory
At about 28:20, Ideas of suspicions and insecurities involving José Alfredo on Pilar’s part are discussed
At about 30:10, Pete and Marcela discuss Anglo/Mexican-American relations and the ways in which racism affected the hospital visit where Pilar is to give birth
At about 31:25, Marcela describes what it was like to write such a wrenching scene as the one in the hospital
At about 33:45, Pilar’s “dull anger” and the ways in which José Alfredo doesn’t show up for her
At about 34:40, Lulu Munoz is characterized, as she is introduced in a flashforward scene, and Marcela expands upon her character and her relationship with her “boss man” father
At about 38:10, Pete points out page 60’s use of “mala,” and Marcela expands on the word’s attendant meanings, especially with regard to the book
At about 40:00, Julio (Lulu’s father) and his bad behavior is discussed
At about 40:40, The two discuss some friends in Lulu’s friend group and the “messiness” of the night where Lulu’s beloved grandma dies and the chaos of the funeral
At about 41:55, Pete wonders about Pilar’s mindset and the ways in which Marcela envisioned her emotional state, as the book returned to 1951
At about 46:45, While discussing Lulu’s band and music likes, Marcela fangirls about Selena and talks about her personal connections to the great one
At about 49:40, The chaotic quinceañera set for Lulu and its attendant drama is discussed
At about 50:50, Pete compliments the 1970s scenes and the ways in which Marcela writes about this “adjacent history” of civil rights fights in Texas; Marcela gives background on real-life parallels and histories
At about 54:40, Marcela talks about exciting future projects, including her story collection
At about 56:50, Marcela highlights places to buy her book and gives out contact information and tour 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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 241 with Antonio Lopez, who is a poetician working at the intersections of poetry and politics to fight for social change. His 2021 collection, Gentefication, was named one of the "Ten Notable Latino Books of 2021” by NBC. Antonio is a former Marshall Scholar and current Mayor of East Palo Alto. CA.
The episode will go live on July 2.
Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Sunday Jun 23, 2024
Sunday Jun 23, 2024
Notes and Links to Ben Purkert’s Work
For Episode 239, Pete welcomes Ben Purkert, and the two discuss, among other topics, his awakening to wonderful literature and his early poetry and formation as a writer, Robin Williams’ indelible mark on Ben’s writerly development, Ben’s short but eventful time working at an ad agency, Mad Men, and profane poetry, as well salient themes in his book like masculinity, religious and personal identities, one’s possibly-unreliable perspective, reinvention, and ideas of art versus commerce.
Ben Purkert’s debut novel, The Men Can’t Be Saved, was named one of Vanity Fair’s Top 20 Books of 2023. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Slate, The Wall Street Journal, Poetry, Kenyon Review, and he’s been featured by NPR, Esquire, and The Boston Globe. He is also the author of the poetry collection, For the Love of Endings. He holds degrees from Harvard and NYU, where he was a New York Times Fellow. He teaches in the Sarah Lawrence College MFA program.
Washington Post Review of The Men Can't Be Saved
Review of The Men Can't Be Saved Review in Esquire
At about 1:30, Ben recounts his story of meeting Martin Scorcese recently
At about 2:40, Congrats to n+1 mag!
At about 3:30, Ben talks about his early relationship with the written word
At about 5:30, Ben expresses his admiration for Robin Williams and how Williams was a “word guy” who led Ben to fiction
At about 8:00-Set Shot! Ben drops a poignant Louise Gluck quote and talks about writing and teaching inspiration from Dead Poets Society
At about 10:25, Ben talks about the writers/writing that “flipped the switch” for him, including Ben Lerner
At about 12:30, Ben cites Alexandra Kleeman and Andrés Barba (A Luminous Republic) as some of his favorite contemporary writers
At about 14:30, Pete and Ben discuss the book’s seeds in Ben’s work in advertising and the cultural phenomenon that was Mad Men, as well as the book as “grounded”/allegorical
At about 18:55, Pete asks Ben about the significance of his epigraphs
At about 21:15, The two discuss who might play the famous older man from the successful ad at the opening of The Men Can’t Be Saved
At about 22:10, Ben reads from the beginning of the book
At about 24:30, Ben talks about spending so much time on the book’s first page as he and Pete discuss a possible unreliable narrator in Seth
At about 26:40, The book’s exposition is recounted, including background of the ad agency
At about 28:10, Ben speaks to Pete’s supposition that Seth has some Patrick Bateman in him
At about 30:00, More plot is outlined, and characters like “Moon,” a pivotal character, is discussed
At about 31:30, Ben reflects on men’s health accounts and other accounts within advertising and how “branding”
At about 33:15, Seth’s Birthright trip and his work/life balance (or lack thereof) are examined
At about 36:45, Seth’s hearing about the city of Acre and ideas of fresh starts are discussed, especially with regard to a new job
At about 37:40, Ben talks about ideas of Seth reflecting on, or not, his sense of himself and his Jewish identity
At about 39:00, Ramzy and Seth and their routine and relationship is discussed
At about 42:20, The two discuss the character of Moon and ideas of masculinity and homophobia and homoeroticism within and without the book
At about 45:20, Ben talks about why he enjoyed writing a pivotal fight scene and the mechanics of same
At about 47:00, Ben tells an interesting story that gives background on the hilarious, X-rated poem written by Moon in the book-shout out Jessie Stephens and Uncle Fred!
At about 48:30, The two discuss sexual harassment and toxic masculinity in the book and within the ad agency
At about 49:30, The two discuss Seth’s faith journey and Jewish identity as epitomized through two quotes and Jewishness as seen through a connection at the Chabad House-Ben references an essay he wrote about the comfort/community offered
At about 53:45, Pete notes the skill with which Ben’s work does not deal in absolutes
At about 55:20, Ben talks about exciting future projects
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan Zeineddine soon.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 240 with Marcela Fuentes. Marcela is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and essayist; her debut novel MALAS was published on June 4 and has been named June’s Good Morning America Book Club Pick.
The episode will go live on June 27.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Sunday Jun 16, 2024
Sunday Jun 16, 2024
Notes and Links to Nina St. Pierre’s Work
For Episode 238, Pete talks live with Nina St. Pierre at Sacramento’s Capital Books about her deeply personal, timely, and resonant memoir, Love is a Burning Thing.
Whether telling her own stories or reporting on the lives of others, Nina St. Pierre is drawn to boundary breakers and in-between places. Her debut memoir, LOVE IS A BURNING THING, came out May 7 from Dutton Books, and is available to order now. Set at the foot of a cosmic mountain, it's a story about fire, family, and what it means to believe; about the boundaries between mysticism and mental illness.
As a culture writer and essayist, she makes unexpected connections; whether profiling the sole woman in the Ruff Ryders street-bike crew or exploring the prophecy of the mystical udumbara flower. Read her work in GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Gossamer, Outside, Bitch, and more. Nina holds an MFA from Rutgers, was a 2023 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Nonfiction Literature, and a RESP Fellow. She lives in New York City.
At about 1:10: Railroad Museum Talk!
At about 2:45, Pete asks Nina about connections to a Kate Zambreno quote about writing as “repair”
At about 5:30, Nina talks about the book’s formation at times as “meta” in the act of creation
At about 6:40-7:40, Nina responds to Pete’s asking if the writing of the book was “cathartic”
At about 8:05, Nina responds to audience question and talks about the “meta-ness” and inspiration from/connections to the movie Synecdoche, New York
At about 10:10, Nina responds to Pete’s questions about any hesitance in writing so personally about herself and others
At about 13:05, Nina talks about idealizing the past and or its opposite in writing the book
At about 14:55, Nina gives a summary of the book through a thematic description
At about 18:00, Transcendental Meditation and an important quote about obsession is discussed in terms of Nina’s mother
At about 23:10, Nina responds to Pete’s questions about her Midwest family and ideas of rebellion
At about 28:30, Nina and Pete discuss her family’s moving to Dunsmuir, CA, and her mother’s motivations in moving there, close to Mount Shasta
At about 30:50, Nina replies to Pete’s questions about things she took for granted that others didn’t know about, due to her constant moving and living in/visiting so many disparate places
At about 33:40-Shout out to Nina’s cool Love is a Burning Thing-themed nails, done by Claws by Joy!
At about 34:00, Nina describes the split between “Anita I” and “Anita II” (“walking in”) that her mother described so nonchalantly
At about 39:35, Nina homes in on her mother’s self-immolation and images
At about 42:15, Nina expands on different ideas in the West and East, specifically in Buddhist areas, of self-immolation
At about 46:40, Pete and Nina talk about a resonant scene that involves an adolescent Nina at a religious revival and she expounds upon her feelings during and after the “fervent religious experience”
At about 52:15, Nina reads from page 117, a scene involving the issues described above
At about 56:15, Pete asks Nina about the times she and her mother were not living together and worries Nina had
At about 58:30, Nina reflects on her perspective in looking back at her mother’s words in emails from a different time and place
At about 1:05:00, Nina gives her thoughts on connections between her mother and the archetypal “perfect female victim”
At about 1:11:20, Pete reflects on youth and obsession and compliments the book
At about 1:13:00, Niña gives out social media and contact info and book purchasing information, including a shoutout to Taylor & Co Books in New York
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.
I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m enjoying the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan Zeineddine around the middle of June.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.
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 239 with Ben Purkert. He is a poet, novelist, and creative writing instructor, as well as the author of the 2018 poetry collection, For the Love of Endings. His latest is the critically-acclaimed 2023 novel, The Men Can't Be Saved.
The episode will go live on June 21.
Please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Notes and Links to Ghassan Zeineddine’s Work
For Episode 237, Pete welcomes Ghassan Zeineddine, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood in Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C., his experiences with multilingualism, formative and transformative reading and his reading “obsession,” the resonance of Dearborn, Michigan, seeds for Dearborn, “Speedoman,” and salient themes in his collection like masculinity, grief, trauma, reinvention, and ideas of home.
Ghassan Zeineddine was born in Washington, DC, and raised in the Middle East. He is an assistant professor of creative writing at Oberlin College, and co-editor of the creative nonfiction anthology Hadha Baladuna: Arab American Narratives of Boundary and Belonging. His debut short story collection is Dearborn.
Ghassan's Bio for Oberlin College
Dearborn Playlist from Ghassan from Largehearted Boy
At about 1:30, Ghassan talks about creative nonfiction as “a huge umbrella for many types of writing” and the anthology he edited
At about 3:40, Ghassan talks about the diversity of Arab ethnicities in Dearborn, Michigan, and its connections to his short story collection of the same name
At about 6:05, Ghassan talks about his childhood in Saudi Arabia, and how his Lebanese family ended up there
At about 10:55, Ghassan discusses his early relationships with reading
At about 13:20, Ghassan talks about the differences in dialects in Arabic, including accents of Lebanese-Americans from different Lebanese regions
At about 14:35, Ghassan describes the evolution of his “healthy obsession” with reading, including his DC schooling and how the “isolating experience” affected his tastes and led to wrestling and John Irving
At about 21:05, Ghassan highlights Percival Everett and James McBride as contemporary writers who thrills and inspires and challenges him
At about 24:00, Ghassan reflects on how teaching informs his writing, and vice versa; he highlights Morgan Talty’s Night of the Living Rez as a great teaching tool
At about 27:10, Ghassan shouts out places to buy his book, including Literati, and his contact/social media
At about 28:30, Ghassan and Pete marvel over the lives and practices of voice actors, and Pete shouts out the transcendent Edoardo Ballerini
At about 30:30, Ghassan responds to Pete’s questions about conceiving the book as a collection of stories
At about 32:40, Pete remarks on the coolness of shared characters in multiple stories; Ghassan gives background on these story connections and shouts out Elizabeth DeMeo as an incredible editor
At about 35:10, Pete lays out the collection’s first story and Ghassan talks about the story’s seeds from 2018-ish
At about 38:05, the two discuss ideas of masculinity and ambition and generational differences and the use of “Bro” as seen in the beginning story
At about 40:30, the two discuss the resonant and unique and heckuva lotta fun “Speedoman,” both the man himself, and the inclement themes and background connected to the story
At about 41:40, Pete shouts out Marquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” in comparing “Speedoman” to the magnificent Marquez story
At about 42:50, Ghassan talks about longing in the story and his use of the collective voices
At about 48:00, The two discuss the story “Marseilles” and attendant themes of masculinity and gender agency
At about 51:18, Ghassan provides background on the above story and the history of many Arab passengers on the Titanic
At about 52:20, Pete and Ghassan discuss meaningful female friendships and attempted mentorships in the collection
At about 55:25, Ghassan explains why “I Have Reason to Believe My Neighbor Is a Terrorist” was such a hard story to write
At about 57:00, Ghassan gives background on the above story that connects to government surveillance after 9/11
At about 58:40, Pete lays out themes of grief and trauma featured in the collection, including the memorable, “In Memoriam,” as well art as career versus practical professions, including through the memorable character Zizou
At about 1:02:10, Ghassan describes his experience growing up hearing stories, often tragic, of Lebanon
At about 1:04:05, Pete discusses the resonant and singular character of Ramzy in the resonant and visceral “Rabbit Stew”
At about 1:06:45, Reinvention as a throughline in the collection is discussed
At about 1:10:30, Ghassan talks about exciting future projects and writing about “obsessions”
At about 1:13:00, Ghassan points out to Percival Everett as an example of a writer who “has fun on the page,” as Ghassan endeavors to do
At about 1:13:45, Ghassan and Pete highlight some awards and nominations for Dearborn, as well as positive feedback from literary journals and readers
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 this and 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.
I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan soon.
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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 238 with Nina St. Pierre. The episode is from a live conversation at Capital Books in Sacramento on May 31. Nina is a queer essayist and culture writer whose work has appeared in Elle, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Gossamer, and many more publications. Her dazzling and resonant memoir, Love is a Burning Thing, is now out to rave reviews.
The episode will go live on June 11.
Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.