The Chills at Will Podcast

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

Episodes

Friday Jan 26, 2024

Episode 221 with Martha Anne Toll, Renaissance Woman, Book Reviewer, Creative, and Award-Winning Writer of the Moving, Contemplative Three Muses

Friday Jan 26, 2024

Notes and Links to Martha Anne Toll’s Work

For Episode 221, Pete welcomes Martha Anne Toll, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and written word-heavy household, her love of music and other artistic pursuits, and the way muses have worked in her life and in her novel, ideas of grief, survivor’s guilt and connection, real-life tragedies and heroes from the Holocaust that informed her writing, and other salient themes from her book like permanence, memory, and connection.

Martha Anne Toll's debut novel, THREE MUSES, was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. THREE MUSES has received glowing tributes since it came out in September 2022. She writes fiction, essays, and book reviews, and reads anything that’s not nailed down.

She brings a long career in social justice to her work covering authors of color and women writers as a critic and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, Pointe Magazine, The Millions, and elsewhere. She also publishes short fiction and essays in a wide variety of outlets. Toll is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and serves on the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.

’ Her second novel, DUET FOR ONE, will be out in early 2025.

Buy Three Muses

Martha's Website

New York Journal of Books Review of Three Muses

At about 2:00, Martha provides a cool definition

At about 2:25, Martha talks about her future project-her book coming out in 2025, and she shouts out places to buy Three Muses

At about 4:20, Martha discusses her early reading and writing life, and the ways in which her parents influenced her habits

At about 7:15, Martha traces her writing journey

At about 8:40, Martha talks about inspiring and beloved writers (like Alex Chee, Garth Greenwell, Kiese Laymon, Vikram seth and shirley hazzard) and writing in contemporary times, as well as how working as a book reviewer affects her own reading for pleasure

At about 10:55, Martha speaks to Pete’s questions

At about 12:10, Martha gives seeds for Three Muses, including how she had ideas based on a real-life story from the Holocaust and the Greek view of three muses

At about 14:10, Pete and Martha lay out some of the book’s exposition

At about 15:30, Martha responds to Pete wondering about how the protagonist John was roused by a dance from Katya/Katherine

At about 16:45, Martha reflects on Katya’s problematic and ongoing collaboration and personal relationship with the director Boris

At about 20:05, Pete lays out some of Katya’s traumas

At about 20:50, Martha talks about Janko/John’s horrific childhood and the loss of his family in Mainz, Germany, in the Holocaust-Martha describes how her cousin Alan Boucher’s memoir informed some parts of the book

At about 22:25, Martha speaks about the guilt-inducing “Sophie’s Choice” that afflicts and saves John/Janko’s; she expounds upon his survivor’s guilt

At about 24:30, Pete and Martha compare Janko’s story with that of Elie Wiesel and the ways in which iit was so gutting to see people killed in the camps so close to Liberation

At about 26:30, The two discuss the idea of reinvention as seen through John in the book, and Martha expands on “unlikely heroes” who helped John to survive

At about 29:20, Martha discusses Barney and Selma Katz, who “adopt” John, and she talks about John’s own psychoanalysis and psychologist training

At about 31:05, The two discuss themes in the book of memorializing, living “in the present tense,” and how memory guides the characters’ actions

At about 33:05, Pete traces John and Katya’s connections, and Martha debates how and if the “innate” connections are there

At about 36:00, Pete asks Martha about any responsibilities/urgency to get Holocaust stories on the page

At about 37:45, Martha speaks of art and its “incredibl[e] importan[ce]” and the power of fiction

At about 38:55, Martha shouts out Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk as an example of the power of memory

At about 39:55, Martha responds to Pete’s question about the emotional toll of writing 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 that starting in February with Episode 220, I will 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 looking forward to the partnership!

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!

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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 221 with Andrew Leland, a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher. His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press, to great acclaim and receiving many awards.

The episode will air on January 31.

Wednesday Jan 17, 2024

Episode 220 with Aniefiok Epoudom: Keen Chronicler of Hip-Hop, Football Culture and Pop Culture in the UK, and Savvy and Nuanced Master of Telling Personal Stories; Author of

Wednesday Jan 17, 2024

Notes and Links to Aniefiok Epoudom’s Work

For Episode 220, Pete welcomes Neef Epoudoum, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing, varied fiction and nonfiction writers and their influences on him, the pull of creative nonfiction on him as he discovered favorite writers and their favorite writers, the ways in which he engenders trust with interview subjects, and salient themes and topic from his book, including the UK's Windrush Generation, the ways in which UK grime and rap have grown together and separately, the racism and classism that has shaped so much of modern UK grime and rap, the standout artists who have carved their names in UK music folklore, how these people are shaped by societal forces, and more.

Aniefiok “‘Neef” Ekpoudom is a writer and storyteller from South London whose work documents community and culture in contemporary Britain. His debut book Where We Come From: Rap Home and Hope in Modern Britain is a social history of British Rap. It will be released via Faber & Faber in August 2023.

As a journalist, he writes longform essays and profiles for The Guardian, GQ and more. From charting a history of Black Football culture in South London to mapping the forces of migration and music that formed J Hus, his writing weaves social, cultural and narrative history to explore the current, lived realities of peoples across the UK.

Aniefiok’s writing has featured in a number of essay collections and anthologies, including #Merky Books titles Keisha The Sket (2021) and A New Formation: How Black Players Shaped The Modern Game (2022), as well as SAFE: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space (Trapeze, 2019).

Aniefiok was named on the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List for Media & Marketing. He is a British Journalism Award winner for his work with The Guardian. He has also been named Culture Writer of the Year at the Freelance Writing Awards, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

He has worked with Nike, Netflix, Google, BBC, the Premier League, adidas, YouTube, Metallic Inc, COPA 90 and more.

Buy Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain

Aniefiok's Website

At about 3:20, Neef talks about his mindset being two weeks away from his book’s publication and shares his experience in narrating the audiobook

At about 6:35, Pete shares glowing blurbs for Where We Come From from Caleb Azumah Nelson and Musa Okwonga

At about 7:15, Neef discusses places at which to buy his book, like Pages in Hackney, Seven Oaks Bookshop, and Libreria Bookshop

At about 8:05, Neef talks about his language and reading lives during his childhood

At about 10:50, Neef talks about the impact that US and UK rap had on him as a kid

At about 14:45, Neef talks about the ways in which US rap and its genres and subgenres were/are viewed in the US, and how UK rap has been blended with Jamaican Sound System and US hip hop

At about 17:00, Neef responds to Pete’s question about his formation as a writer

At about 18:15, Neef traces his return to heavy reading in university and his exposure to creative nonfiction/New Journalism legends like Gay Talese and Joan Didion

At about 21:20, Neef talks about the contemporary writers who thrill him and challenge him, like Wright Thompson, Hanif Abdurraqib, David Finkel, Gary Smith, and Jacqueline Woodson

At about 26:25, Pete inquires about how Neef engenders trust from his interview subjects for his profiles

At about 29:30, Neef discusses his evolving goals that informed his book

At about 32:25, Neef responds with why he started the book at a show for Giggs

At about 36:35, Neef explains the importance of UK grime as using 140 beats per minute, as well as some forebears of UK rap and grime-the Windrush Generation and Jamaican Sound System

At about 42:30, Neef gives background on the amazing story of Cecil Morris and “Pirate Radio”

At about 47:05, Neef describes So Solid’s garage music as a forebear of darker grime music that was to come

At about 49:30, Neef and Pete discuss parallels between more raw, honest American rap and some years later with Despa and in UK grime

At about 51:45, The two discuss the immigrant communities of South Wales that Neef so expertly charts when writing about Astroid Boys

At about 56:50, Neef gives background on how class often manifests in British life, and how writing the book changed the ways he saw class functioning

At about 1:00:33, Neef discusses the fusing of rap and grime and Cadet’s and Despa’s and others

At about 1:02:00, Neef talks about the power of Despa’s “Meet the Artist” show

At about 1:04:30, Neef speaks to the legacy of Cadet after his tragic death in an auto accident

At about 1:09:20, Neef and Pete highlight how music helped with Pa Salieu’s anxieties

At about 1:10:00, Neef and Pete discuss the book’s last few chapters and the ways in which Neef depicts the ways in which music has changed

At about 1:12:35, Neef speaks to what he sees for the future of grime and rap and other UK music forms and highlights strong signs of continued substance in the music of current stars

At about 1:16:00, Neef speaks about “lower barriers to entry” in current music for women and others, “flattening the playing field” for those often ignored

At about 1:17:00, Neef speaks about exploring new projects, probably in fiction, and continuing to explore storytelling about contemporary

At about 1:18:00, Southampton FC shout out!

I am very excited that starting in late January with this episode, I will have 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!

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 221 with Martha Anne Toll, whose debut novel, THREE MUSES, was shortlisted for Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction; has worked as a critic and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, Pointe Magazine, The Millions, and elsewhere. Martha publishes short fiction and essays in a wide variety of outlets; member of the National Book Critics Circle.

The episode will air on January 24.

Wednesday Jan 17, 2024

Episode 219 with Roxanna Asgarian, Principled and Dogged Reporter, Caring and Clear-Eyed Journalist and Author of We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America

Wednesday Jan 17, 2024

Notes and Links to Roxanna Asgarian’s Work

For Episode 219, Pete welcomes Roxanna Asgarian, and the two discuss, among other topics, her history in working with varied journalistic pursuits, the ways in which she has viewed power and racism and privilege in the child welfare system, and the hideous ways in which the system worked against the adopted children in the infamous Hart family murders.

Roxanna Asgarian is a Texas-based journalist who writes about courts and the law for The Texas Tribune. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Texas Monthly, among other publications. She received the 2022 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America.

Buy We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America

Roxanna on Twitter

Review on Book from Jennifer Szalai for The New York Times

At about 1:00, Roxanna discusses early reading

At about 2:30, Roxanna discusses her early writing inspirations and the writing lives’ vagaries

At about 4:15, Roxanna responds to Pete’s questions about how student journalism work informed her later writing

At about 7:00, Roxanne discusses contemporary writers and writing that challenge and thrill her

At about 10:10, Roxanna talks about seeds for the book, and what in her personal professional life drew her to the story

At about 14:10, Roxanna gives out contact information and social media info and shouts out Las Vegas’ Writers Block as one of many great places to buy her books

At about 15:25, Roxanna provides some background on the horrific Hart murders and how power came into play in the events surrounding the murders, and how the child welfare system functioned and functions

At about 19:10, Roxanna discusses the rare inquest that took place after the murders

At about 21:15, Roxanna fills in listeners on the “inhumane” way that local detectives called the murders a “Thelma and Louise” situation and ways in which race played in to the stories told by law enforcement and media

At about 23:20, Roxanna explains the power and significance of the “Hug Shared around the World” with Devonte Davis and how it was understood and misunderstood

At about 27:30, The two discuss Dontay Davis’ and the ways in which he was done wrong by The System

At about 30:00, Roxanna explains ASFA (1997 Adoption and Safe Families’ Act), particularly with respect to Sherry Davis’ situations

At about 32:55, Pete refers to Judge Shelton and other paragons of prejudice and racism who were in control in some many family law cases

At about 35:40, Pete mentions adoption incentives and the ways in which those in TX never followed up once the Davis’ kids went to MN, and Roxanna tells the story of how “Bree” was an early foster case that showed the Harts’ unfitness as parents

At about 38:45, Roxanna gives background on gaps and prejudices in the child welfare system and in society that have led to “colorblind” adoptions that have been highly problematic

At about 42:30, The two discuss more about Dontay’s life in recent years, especially after he found out about his siblings’ death

At about 44:25, Roxanna recounts the intense scene in which she helped make the transference of cremains and memories from the children

At about 47:35, Roxanna gives background on the selfless surrogate father, Nathaniel

At about 50:00, Roxanna discusses upcoming projects

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom, a writer and journalist from south London who documents the people, voices and communities of modern Britain. He has written for publications including the Guardian, GQ, Vogue, and VICE. In 2022, he was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in Media & Marketing. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and his newest book, Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain, has today, Jan 18, as its Pub Day.

Monday Jan 08, 2024

Episode 218 with Melissa Rivero, Author of Flores and Miss Paula, Keen Observer of Modern Corporate Life and Nuanced Chronicler of Grief’s Many Permutations

Monday Jan 08, 2024

Notes and Links to Melissa Rivero’s Work

For Episode 218, Pete welcomes Melissa Rivero, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language and writing life growing up in a bilingual household, writing creatively after writing more practically for her legal career, the startup cultures that informed Flores and Miss Paula, and salient themes from the book like loss, cycles in life, grieving, and la tercera edad.

Melissa Rivero is the author of The Affairs of the Falcóns, winner of the 2019 New American Voices Award and a 2020 International Latino Book Award. The book was also longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Her most recent novel, Flores and Miss Paula, was published in December 2023. Born in Lima, Peru and raised in Brooklyn, she is a graduate of NYU and Brooklyn Law School, where she was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. Melissa still lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Buy Flores and Miss Paula

Melissa's Website

Interview for Bomb Magazine with Ivelisse Rodriguez

At about 1:40, The two discuss an interesting title of a book of hers

At about 2:25, Melissa traces the month or so that Flores and Miss Paula has been out in the world, and feedback she has received

At about 4:35, Melissa shares information on an exciting novel project of hers

At about 6:40, Pete shouts out an extremely clever phrase in the book

At about 7:15, Melissa gives background on her bilingual childhood and reading and writing interests and origins

At about 9:20, Miss Nelson is Missing shout out!

At about 11:45, Melissa shouts out some favorite Peruvian writers, past and present, including Claudia Salazar Jiménez

At about 15:00, Melissa responds to Pete’s question about how translation and bilingualism affect her writer’s voice and style

At about 17:35, Melissa puts “Write what you know” into her personal context with regard to her latest novel and gives some seeds for the book

At about 21:30, Melissa talks about her writing rhythms during the Covid lockdown

At about 23:35, Pete asks Melissa about the nomenclature of Flores and Miss Paula and she speaks to the significance of the phrasing

At about 25:50, Melissa responds to Pete’s questions about the book’s four seasons’ structure

At about 28:00, Pete is highly complimentary of the ways in which Melissa depicts grieving and grief

At about 28:35, Melissa reads the book’s opening paragraph, and she and Pete discuss the power of the dynamic beginning

At about 29:35, The two discuss the book’s exposition, including descriptions of the mother’s and daughter’s workplaces and the intriguing coworker of Yoli’s (Flores’), Max

At about 32:00, Melissa discusses the company’s boss, Eric, and how her time in the startup world informed her writing about that culture

At about 34:00, Melissa responds to Pete’s wondering about how Flores’ work habits connect to her emotions, especially with the loss of her father

At about 35:50, Melissa gives background on Paula’s friendship with Vicente and their shared history

At about 38:40, Melissa and Pete talk about the ways in which Flores exercises her creative muscles

At about 39:40, Melissa compares the writing she did in her law career and the more creative work she does these days

At about 41:45, Pete asks Melissa about the themes of identity and assimilation come into play with Flores

At about 44:25, The two discuss the “seasons of grieving” in the book

You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel.

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 219 with Roxanna Asgarian a Texas-based journalist who writes about courts and the law for The Texas Tribune. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, New York magazine, and Texas Monthly, among other publications. She received the 2022 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America.

The episode will air on January 11.

Thursday Dec 21, 2023

Episode 217 with Jeff Sharlet, Author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, and Sharp-Eyed Chronicler of Impending Fascism and Previous Fighters in The Movements

Thursday Dec 21, 2023

Notes and Links to Jeff Sharlet’s Work

For Episode 217, Pete welcomes Jeff Sharlet, and the two discuss, among other topics, his father and uncle’s outsized influence on Jeff’s reading and activism, allegory and worldbuilding and their roles in right -wing movements and propagandizing, incredibly-bleak and bright indications of the future, his reasoning in bookending the book with stalwarts in justice movements, the slow, creeping fascism that he charts through the book, and examples of and reason for steadfast activism.

Jeffrey Sharlet is New York Times/national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He is also executive producer of the 2019 Netflix documentary series based on the work, with the documentary also called, THE FAMILY. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College.]

Buy The Undertow

Jeff's Website at Dartmouth College

Jeff’s Wikipedia Page

Review of The Undertow by Joseph O’Neill for The New York Times

At about 2:30, Jeff drops some about the history of his endowed chair and the origins of his workplace, Dartmouth College, including Samson Occom’s role

At about 5:10, Jeff talks about his early reading and fascinations and how the worldbuilding he loved and now informs his interests in the world building of the Far Right

At about 7:50, Jeff traces some of his family history, and how his father and Uncle Jeff’s amazing lives inform his own

At about 11:00, Jeff notes the mass-scale mutiny of US soldiers that ended the Vietnam War and connects to today’s fascist movements; he calls attention to underground movements of today and yesterday

At about 14:30, Jeff responds to Pete’s questions about his interest in and history with literature and films dealing with the Vietnam War

At about 17:20, Jeff responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which The Vietnam War has been covered and propagandized in the resultant decades, “redefining the Vietnam story” and being embraced by many on the Far Right

At about 22:00, Jeff connects common tropes regarding veterans to Ashli Babbitt’s story, which is traced in much of his book The Undertow

At about 26:15, Jeff describes the ways in which interview subjects view the idea and possibilities for “civil war”

At about 28:15, Jeff discusses places to buy book and shouts out the library as a great place to rebel against impending book bans

At about 31:15, Jeff notes polls and surveys and how a Trump victory has informed his book and how to “tell stories about fascism”

At about 34:50, Jeff talks about the term “Trumpism” and how there were “parameters of Reaganism” from 1980-2016 that gave way to the “Trumpocene” from 2016 to present

At about 36:20, Jeff references ugly examples of Trumpism enabled and supported in policy

At about 38:10, Jeff shares information from protests in Sacramento that informed his book

At about 39:30, Pete and Jeff discuss the way in which Jeff’s book is bookended by stories involving Harry Bellafonte and Lee Hays, and Jeff discusses why he started and ended the book with the songs and histories that he did

At about 44:10, Jeff recounts the anecdote from the book about a dynamic and legendary hour program that Harry Bellafonte produced in 1959

At about 48:55, Pete notes his piqued interest in Lead Belly and his connection to Kurt Cobain

At about 50:55, Jeff talks about “challenging” American figures who have often been “smoothed out,” such as Leadbelly

At about 52:10, Jeff gives background on how the last line of the book came about

At about 54:10, Jeff describes “safe spaces” in connection to an anecdote about activist Suzanne Pharr

At about 56:05, Pete notes a dynamic photo in the book, and Jeff traces the story and his travels in Wisconsin that led to the photo

At about 1:02:05, Pete asks a question that has mystified him for years, re: MAGA “Merch”

At about 1:04:30, Pete compliments Jeff’s nuanced writing regarding young and not-so-young who are on the frontlines

At about 1:05:40, Pete notes the teaching of Things Fall Apart in his classes and Jeff shares his experience with the book

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 218 with Melissa Rivero. She is the author of The Affairs of the Falcons and the recently-published novel, Flores and Miss Paula. Melissa won the 2019 New American Voices Award, a 2020 International Latino Book Award, and was longlisted for PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel.

The episode will air on January 2.

Monday Dec 11, 2023

Episode 216 with Kate Maruyama: Author of Bleak Houses, Master Worldbuilder, and Skilled Observer and Chronicler of Family Traumas, Class and Privilege, and Psychological Horrors Modern and Timeless

Monday Dec 11, 2023

Notes and Links to Kate Maruyama’s Work

For Episode 216, Pete welcomes Kate Maruyama, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and love of diverse works from that of James Baldwin to Stephen King’s work, connections between Catholicism and writing horror, the ways in which teaching and writing commingle, writing allegory and its connection to plot, the ways in which she wrote convincingly of the COVID quarantine, and key themes in her novellas, including race and racism, class, generational traumas and family cycles, and privilege and family culpability.

Kate Maruyama was raised on books and weaned on movies in a small college town in New England. She writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family.

Her novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013 and her novella Family Solstice named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine was published by Omnium Gatherum. Her novella Halloween Beyond: a Gentleman's Suit appears in Halloween Beyond: Piercing the Veil is out now from Crystal Lake Publishing and Bleak Houses is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press, released in August 2023. Her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals and in numerous anthologies including Winter Horror Days, Halloween Carnival Three, and December Tales.

Buy Bleak Houses

Kate's Website at CA State LA

A Review from The Skiffy and Fanty Show for Bleak Houses

At about 2:15, Kate talks about her reading and writing life as a child, and the town where she grew up

At about 4:00, Kate cites the Oz series and other fantasy/imaginative/horror books that shaped her literary tastes, including “formative” works by Stephen King

At about 6:40, The two discuss the connections between Catholicism and horror writing

At about 8:45, Kate discusses works and authors, especially James Baldwin and Another Country, which have inspired and influenced her

At about 10:00, The two discuss a real-life example from her life/background which made it into Kate’s fiction

At about 11:15, Kate traces the ways in which her teaching informs her writing, and vice versa

At about 13:40, Kate gives background on the publishing journey and seeds for Bleak Houses

At about 15:00, Kate responds to Pete’s questions about the genre(s) for her work

At about 17:00, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and compliments Kate on writing about the early COVID days, asking her how she handled perspective in writing about the time

At about 19:40, Kate provides background on seeds for the book’s first novella, especially Wolf’s Lair and Beechwood Canyon

At about 20:20, Kate and Pete discuss some of the important characters in “Safer”, and Kate describes how working within Hollywood for years gave her inspiration for Celine

At about 23:00, Celine’s son Story and his haunted friends are connected to Mr. Wolf’s real-life story

At about 26:15, Kate discusses a chilling scene from the book that Pete compliments for its tension

At about 29:10, The two discuss themes from “Safer,” including power dynamics based on class and race; Kate talks about twisted ways in which those needing a job were often exploited during the early days of quarantine

At about 33:20, Pete compliments the thrilling action scenes written by Kate in “Safer”

At about 34:05, Pete asks about the history of the real-life house that inspired “Family Solstice,” and Kate talks about the importance of the solstice in general, and the seeds for the novella

At about 37:00, Pete sets out some of the novella’s exposition and highlights key characters and key character traits

At about 39:00, Kate discusses the mother’s passivity and possible reasons for it

At about 40:25, Kate responds to Pete’s questions about “sitting in judgment” of her characters

At about 41:30, The two discuss generational traumas and cycles and questions of culpability in connection to Shea and her sister as differing narrators in the novella

At about 42:50, Pete wonders about how Kate balanced plot and allegory

At about 44:50, Kate discusses writing symbolism and politically and

At about 46:20, Kate shares exciting new projects

At about 49:10, Kate shares contact information

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 217 with Jeffrey Sharlet. He is the New York Times and national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He was an executive producer of the five-part Netflix series The Family (2019), based on two of his books. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.

The episode will air on December 19.

Monday Dec 04, 2023

Episode 215 with Nick Fuller Googins, Reflective and Dynamic Worldbuilder, Educator, and Creator of the ”Hopeful” Climate Crisis Novel, The Great Transition

Monday Dec 04, 2023

Notes and Links to Nick Fuller Googins’ Work

For Episode 215, Pete welcomes Nick Fuller Googins, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing and love of fellow Mainer Stephen King, the joys of unabated and carefree reading, how teaching informs his writing and vice versa, making climate fiction that is inherently hopeful, the “Green New Deal” and other seeds for prominent themes in his wonderful novel, including community and mutual aid, optimism, retribution, collective action, and more.

Nick Fuller Googins is the author of the novel, The Great Transition (Atria Books). His short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Men’s Health, The Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He lives in Maine, and works as an elementary school teacher. He is a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, as well as the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the United States.

Buy The Great Transition

Nick's Website

“A ‘Hopeful Climate Change Novel’ ”-An Interview with Chicago Review of Books

At about 1:30, Nick talks about his previously-published work in Men’s Health

At about 3:30, Nick discusses his feelings of IGAM, an acronym used in his book for music

At about 4:20, Nick talks about his early reading and writing

At about 5:20, Nick talks about recreating the lazy and beautiful childhood days consumed with reading this past summer

At about 6:15, Nick talks about early writing-”happy stuff” for local Santa Monica papers, like The Santa Monica Mirror

At about 7:25, Nick talks about books and writers that were his “gateway into real adult literature,” including Stephen King

At about 9:20, Nick reflects on how his writing affects his teaching, and vice versa

At about 12:00, Nick shares how he was able to do unboxing of his book with his students and share his journey with his students

At about 15:00, Nick shares how he is able to talk climate crisis with his 4th graders

At about 16:00, Nick talks about the “challenge” of involving “such a unique figure” as Greta Thunberg in his book

At about 17:25, Pete gives background on Nick’s novel, compliments its greatness, and shares blurb

At about 18:30, Nick gives seeds on the book’s genesis, including how working with Los Angeles’ GRID Alternatives was a huge moment

At about 22:50, Nick responds to Pete’s questions about “taking the long view” and opening up any creativity

At about 26:50, Pete lays out the book’s opening scene and asks Nick why he decided to start the book he did

At about 28:15, Pete traces some of the book’s opening scenes, leading Nick to give background on Christina’s character

At about 31:50, Nick discusses the “spectrum” of justice and injustice that propelled him forward in writing his book

At about 32:15, The two discuss discussions of guilt and burdens and expectations of successive generations as featured in the novel; Nick mentions recent migrants to his school and quick transitions and the work of Svetalana Alexievich

At about 36:50 (38:20), Pete talks about a parallel storyline and asks Nick his thoughts about optimism and pessimism as expressed in the novel and outside of the novel

At about 42:00, The two discuss the differing world views of Larch and Christina in the novel, and Pete wonders if the two were a “good match,” and Nick expands upon their shared history and individual histories

At about 46:20, Pete cites the book’s creative and skillful narration choices

At about 47:20, Nick references Toni Early and her quote on “lighting fuses” in how he wrote his book

At about 48:00, Pete compares the reading experience of The Great Transition

At about 49:00, Pete asks Nick about the theme of community and expressed in the book

At about 53:50, Nick shares a story of a very hopeful time, and muses that similar movements will happen again

At about 57:00, Nick talks about exciting upcoming projects

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 216 with Kate Maruyama, whose novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013. Her novella Family Solstice was named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine, and her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals.

The episode will air on December 12.

Monday Nov 27, 2023

Episode 214 with Leah Myers, Chronicler of the Heartfelt, the Specific, the Universal, and the Myth and Proud History of the Jamestown S’Klallam in the Memoir, Thinning Blood

Monday Nov 27, 2023

Notes and Links to Leah Myers’s Work

For Episode 214, Pete welcomes Leah Myers, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and inspirations, formative experiences in writing and self-growth, the ways in which she has seen Native Americans represented and misrepresented in literature and cinema, the rage and despair-inducing Pocahontas, and salient themes from her memoir, including US governmental neglect and violence toward Native Americans, blood quantum and other terminology, ideas of external and internal prejudices, as well as writing about sensitive personal experiences and about family members.

Leah Myers is a member of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe of the Pacific Northwest. She earned her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of New Orleans, where she won the Samuel Mockbee Award for Nonfiction two years in a row. She now lives in Alabama, with roots in Georgia, Arizona, and Washington. Her work has previously appeared in The Atlantic, Craft Literary Magazine, Fugue Journal, and elsewhere. Her debut memoir, THINNING BLOOD, is published by W.W. Norton, and received a rave review in the New York Times.

Leah's Website

Buy Thinning Blood

Maud Newton Reviews Thinning Blood for New York Times

At about 1:40, Leah discusses her childhood relationship with the written word, “surrounded by books”

At about 3:10, Leah discusses the power in reading Natalie Diaz and Joy Harjo and ideas of representation

At about 5:05, Leah references the writers and writing that challenges and inspires her in the present day, including Natalie Diaz, anthologies like Never Whistle at Night (edited by Shane Hawk) and Jordan Peele’s Out There Screaming

At about 6:55, Leah responds to Pete’s question about the genesis of the writing bug for her

At about 8:45, The two wax poetic about the great Tommy Orange and

At about 9:55, Leah expounds upon the significance of wise words from an MFA professor

At about 12:00, Leah outlines some seeds for her memoir

At about 13:10, Leah discusses the usage of terms like “tribe” and “Native American” and “indigenous” and the evolving ways in which they’re used

At about 15:10, Leah discusses the book’s introductions and rationale in using the totem poles as structural

At about 17:55, Leah responds to Pete’s questions about the title’s significance and the effects of blood quantum

At about 20:05, Pete uses a quote from the memoir that enumerates each of the preceding women in Leah’s family and transitions into talking with Leah about the book’s opening called “Real Live Indians”

At about 22:00, Leah replies to Pete’s questions about the significance of the Mother Bear/Bear totem in her memoir

At about 24:00, The two discuss the ways in which Leah writes about family members and her mindset in handling “mixed feelings”

At about 27:50, Leah discusses the salmon and its significance as a totem in the book and connections to her identity

At about 29:40, The two discuss government actions referenced in the memoir

At about 32:40, Pete gives background information on Leah’s early days in her ancestral home and asks Leah about the metaphor of her grandmother Vivían “swimming upriver” like the salmon

At about 35:20, Part III, with the totem of the hummingbird, is discussed, and Leah speaks about the painful ways in which she has processed the Disney movie Pocahontas over the years

At about 39:25, The two discuss the gradual loss of the S’Klallam language

At about 41:55, Leah responds to Pete wondering about the ways in which she sees the Raven as part of the S’Klallam myths

At about 44:00, Forced adoptions of Native Americans and stats around misogynistic violence are referenced as written about in the book

At about 45:30, Leah discusses writing about a painful personal experience and bringing a human story to complement/highlight the statistics

At about 46:35, Leah gives her rationale and mindset in writing a part of the book that is a letter to her prospective future relative

At about 49:10, Leah defines “infrasound” and she and Pete detail its power and connection to her memoir

At about 50:55, The two discuss the myriad ways in which the Raven can be viewed and its connection to Leah’s identity

At about 54:10, Leah gives some idea of upcoming projects

At about 55:25, Leah gives contact and social media information

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 215 with Nick Fuller Googins. Nick is the author of the novel, The Great Transition, and his short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Men’s Health, The Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He works as an elementary school teacher.

The episode will air on December 5.

Monday Nov 20, 2023

Episode 213 with Andrew Porter, Reflective and Genius of the Understated and Resonant, Creator of Unforgettable Characters, and Author of the Story Collection, The Disappeared

Monday Nov 20, 2023

Notes and Links to Andrew Porter’s Work

For Episode 213, Pete welcomes Andrew Porter, and the two discuss, among other topics, his lifelong love of art and creativity, his pivotal short story classes in college, wonderful writing mentors, the stories that continue to thrill and inspire him and his students, and salient themes from his most recent collection, such as the ephemeral nature of life, fatherhood, aging and nostalgia, and friendship triangles and squares.

Andrew Porter is the author of the short story collection The Theory of Light and Matter (Vintage/Penguin Random House), which won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, the novel In Between Days (Knopf), which was a Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection and an IndieBound “Indie Next” selection, and the short story collection The Disappeared (Knopf), which was recently published in April 2023. Porter’s books have been published in foreign editions in the UK and Australia and translated into numerous languages, including French, Spanish, Dutch, Bulgarian, and Korean.

In addition to winning the Flannery O’Connor Award, his collection, The Theory of Light and Matter, received Foreword Magazine’s “Book of the Year” Award for Short Fiction, was a finalist for The Steven Turner Award, The Paterson Prize and The WLT Book Award, was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and was selected by both The Kansas City Star and The San Antonio Express-News as one of the “Best Books of the Year.”

The recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships from the James Michener-Copernicus Foundation, the W.K. Rose Foundation, and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Porter’s short stories have appeared in One Story, Ploughshares, The Southern Review, The Threepenny Review, The Missouri Review, Narrative Magazine, Epoch, Story, The Colorado Review, and Prairie Schooner, among others. He has had his work read on NPR’s Selected Shorts and twice selected as one of the Distinguished Stories of the Year by Best American Short Stories.

A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Porter is currently a Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Trinity University in San Antonio.

Andrew's Website

Buy The Disappeared

The Disappeared Review from Chicago Review of Books

New York Times Shoutout for The Disappeared

At about 1:50, Pete asks Andrew about the Spurs and breakfast tacos in San Antonio

At about 2:40, Andrew discusses his artistic loves as a kid and growing up and his picking up a love for the short story in college

At about 5:20, Andrew cites Bausch, Carver, Richard Ford, Amy Hempel, Lorrie Moore, and Joyce Carol Oates’ story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” as formative and transformative

At about 8:40, Andrew responds to Pete’s question about whom he is reading these days-writers including Annie Ernauex, Rachel Cusk, and Jamel Brinkley

At about 10:00, Andrew traces the evolution of his writing career, including how he received wonderful mentorship from Dean Crawford and the “hugely” influential David Wong Louie

At about 12:15, Pete asks Andrew what feedback he has gotten since his short story collection The Disappeared has received, and what his students have said as well

At about 13:50, Pete highlights Andrew’s wonderful and resonant endings and he and Andrew discuss the powerful opening story of the collection, “Austin”

At about 17:55, Pete puts the flash fiction piece “Cigarettes” into context regarding the book’s theme of aging and nostalgia

At about 19:00, Pete laments his predicament as he readies to play in the high school Students vs. Faculty Game (plot spoiler: he played well, and the faculty won)

At about 19:40, The two discuss the engrossing and echoing “Vines” short story, including themes within, and Andrew discusses the art life

At about 23:00, “Cello” is discussed in the vein of a life lived with(out) art

At about 24:20, The story “Chili” is discussed with regards to the theme of aging, and Andrew expounds about including foods he likes and that he identifies with San Antonio and Austin

At about 26:40, Pete stumbles through remembering details of a favorite canceled show and talks glowingly about “Rhinebeck” and its characters and themes; Andrew discusses the topics that interest him and inspired the story

At about 30:20, Pete and Andrew discuss “in-betweeners” in the collection, including Jimena and others who complicate romantic and friend relationships

At about 32:50, Pete cites the collection’s titular story and the “netherworld” in which the characters exist; Andrew collects the story with the previously-mentioned ones in exploring “triangulation”

At about 34:20, The two discussed what Pete dubs “men unmoored” in the collection

At about 35:15, The two discuss art as a collection theme, and Anthony speaks on presenting different levels of art and different representations of the creative life and past versions of ourselves

At about 37:15, Andrew replies to Pete asking about art/writing as a “restorative process”

At about 38:25, The two discuss the ways in which fatherhood is discussed in the collection, especially in the story “Breathe”

At about 43:15, The two continue to talk about the ephemeral nature of so much of the book, including in the titular story

At about 44:25, Andrew responds to Pete’s asking about the ephemeral nature of the book and how he wanted the titular story’s ending to be a sort of an answer to the collection’s first story

At about 46:20, Pete refers to the delightful ambiguity in the book

At about 47:15, Pete asks Andrew about future projects

At about 50:00, Andrew shouts out publishing info, social media contacts

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 214 with Leah Myers. Leah is a member of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe of the Pacific Northwest, and she earned her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of New Orleans, where she won the Samuel Mockbee Award for Nonfiction two years in a row. Her debut memoir, THINNING BLOOD, is published by W.W. Norton and received a rave review in the New York Times.

The episode will air on November 28.

Monday Nov 13, 2023

Episode 212 with Theresa Rundstedtler, Savvy, Reflective, Thorough Researcher on Race and Sport, and Author of Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood and the Generation that Saved the Game

Monday Nov 13, 2023

Notes and Links to Theresa Rundstedtler’s Work

For Episode 212, Pete welcomes Theresa Rundstedtler, and the two discuss, among other things, her early love of sports and reading, her work as a Raptors dancer, and the ways in which her voracious reading gave rise to her further exploring sports and race, as well as salient themes like free agency, racist stereotypes and white paternalism and intriguing people like Simon Gourdine and Connie Hawkins and Wali Jones from the 1970s era of the NBA.

Theresa Runstedtler, PhD is an award-winning scholar of African American history whose research focuses on the intersection of race, masculinity, labor, and sport. Her most recent book, Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA (Bold Type Books, 2023), examines how Black players transformed the professional hoops game, both on and off the court, in the 1970s. She is also the author of Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner: Boxing in the Shadow of the Global Color Line (UC Press, 2012), a transnational biography that explores the first African American world heavyweight champion’s legacy as a Black sporting hero and anti-colonial icon in places as far-flung as Sydney, London, Cape Town, Manila, Paris, Havana, and Mexico City. Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner won the 2013 Phillis Wheatley Book Prize from the Northeast Black Studies Association. Runstedtler has written for Time.com and the LA Review of Books, and shared her expertise on the History Channel, Al Jazeera America, Vox.com, NPR, and international radio outlets including the BBC and CBC. Originally from Ontario, Canada, she is a professor at American University and lives in Baltimore with her husband and son.

Theresa's Website

Buy Black Ball

Black Ball Review from Los Angeles Review of Books

At about 2:35, Theresa discusses her appearance on The History Channel in discussing Jack Johnson’s

At about 4:35, Theresa discusses her childhood sporting career, especially her time in figure skating and dance

At about 7:15, Theresa discusses her reading interests growing up

At about 10:30, Theresa discusses her time working as a dancer for the Toronto Raptors

At about 14:00, Theresa talks about what she saw during her years the lives of so many involved with the NBA on a regular basis

At about 15:15, Theresa discusses her reading and writing interests and the ways in which she became a historian

At about 18:00, Theresa explains how and why she got into writing about sport

At about 18:50, Pete notes multiple parallels between the book and today’s world and sporting world, and Thersa follows up by talking about how she found people in some ways more open to talking about race through sports

At about 24:35, The two talk about a pivotal and faulty newspaper story by Chris Cobbs, and Theresa explains why she chose to start the book referencing it

At about 28:20, Pete cites Donovan X. Ramsey’s research on an erroneous story that exacerbated views on the crack epidemic

At about 29:00, Theresa discusses seeds for her book, especially her research into Len Bias’ death and how he became a “symbol of a greater moral panic”

At about 31:20, Pete alludes to Maurice Stokes’ mistreatment and the early days of player labor organization

At about 32:10, Theresa responds to Pete’s question and lays out why the 70s of the NBA has been “overlooked”

At about 33:05-35:20, Theresa talks about the book as a sort of redress

At about 35:40, The two discuss the difference between the “cultural associations” of fighting in 1970s

At about 36:30, Pete details the book’s first part involving monopoly, and he and Theresa discuss Connie Hawkins’ importance in the time period and beyond; Theresa gives background on seeds for the book coming upon her connecting Hawkins and Colin Kaepernick’s stories

At about 40:40, Spencer Haywood is referenced, and Theresa expands on his story, especially his connection to players’ right and the ABA/MBA merger

At about 47:20, Pete references the clash between conservative sportswriters of the early 1970s and socially active and aware players like Wali Jones and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, especially with regards to flimsy investigations regarding drug use in the NBA

At about 53:25, Pete cites advancements for Black coaches like K.C. Jones and Lenny Wilkens and Theresa discusses the ways in which the coaches were judged differently and how they were calm and collected as a rule

At about 55:30, Theresa expounds upon early Black coaches and their often “democratic” ways of coaching in opposition to some of the archetypal drill sergeant-type coaches

At about 57:25, Theresa details the intriguing story of Simon Gourdine and speculates on reasons why he was turned down for NBA Commissioner and what might have been…

At about 1:00:25, The two discuss thoughts of the time and as the years have gone on regarding players like Kermit Washington and Bernard King

At about 1:01:30, Pete asks Theresa about ending the book with an Epilogue revolving around Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s impacts

At about 1:05:50, Theresa talks about exciting future projects

At about 1:06:40, Theresa recommends Jumpman by Johnny Smith and The Cap by Joshua Mendelsohn

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 213 with Andrew Porter, the author of, among other work, the short story collection The Theory of Light and Matter, which won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, and the short story collection The Disappeared, published in April 2023.

The episode will air on November 21.

Monday Nov 06, 2023

Episode 211 with Chris L. Terry and James Spooner, Passionate Researchers, Veteran Punk Rockers, and Stewards and Proponents of Black Punk Excellence for Future Generations

Monday Nov 06, 2023

Notes and Links to Chris L. Terry’s and James Spooner’s Work

For Episode 211, Pete welcomes Chris L. Terry and James Spooner, and the two discuss, among other topics, the exciting release of Black Punk Now and reader response, the seeds for the book and the rationale for certain structures in the book, the balance between a punk aesthetic and fair treatment and pay for artists, Black punk as joy and liberation and catharsis, exciting new movements and artists in Black Punk and its attendant creative pursuits, and what Chris and James wish for the book’s future.

Chris L. Terry is the author of the novels Black Card (Catapult, 2019) and Zero Fade (Curbside Splendor, 2013), which was named Best Book of the Year by Slate and Kirkus Reviews. Mr. Terry’s short work has appeared in PANK, Razorcake, Very Smart Brothas, and more. He has taught for PEN America, Writing Workshops LA, and Storycatchers Theatre.

James Spooner is an American film director, tattoo artist, and graphic novelist. He is best known for his 2003 documentary film Afro-Punk, and for co-founding the Afropunk Festival. He also directed the 2007 narrative film White Lies, Black Sheep. His first graphic novel, titled The High Desert, was published in 2022.

Buy Black Punk Now!

Read an Excerpt from Black Punk Now

James’ Website

Buy The High Desert by James

Buy Black Card by Chris

Read about Afro-Punk Documentary

At about 2:20, Pete welcomes back Chris-the first two-time guest! and asks about seeds for the book and about the initial reaction to the book’s publication

At about 6:00, James responds to the same questions as above: seeds for the book and the book’s connections to his work with AfroPunk

At about 11:10, Chris shouts out Cecilia Flores at SoftSkull and the use of the tattoo framing in one interview in the book; he also discusses “creating Black spaces” with joy

At about 11:50, James mentions the cover of the book, “having the time of their lives” and Black Joy

At about 12:40-14:50, Chris responds to Pete’s questions about the book’s title’s genesis and the “timeliness” of the book

At about 14:50, Pete cites James’ Introduction to the book and James responds to Pete’s question about Black Punk’s rise with regard to concerts and exposure and its connection to corporatization

At about 19:15, Chris talks about the balance between the DIY ethos of punk and the newer generation’s keen ways of valuing their work and including more interested people

At about 22:30, James reminisces on the different scenes in punk circles when he was doing concerts

At about 25:05, Pete and Chris highlight the book’s Roundtables and interviews, particularly with Bobby Hackney, Jr., and key quotes that show Blackness and punk to be inextricable, as well as the openness of the book’s contributors

At about 28:15, Pete asks about punk rock and how it came from rock-originated by Black musicians and became associated with white musicians; Chris describes this

At about 30:30, James describes “major” Black figures and Black bands who were and are at the forefront of so many movements; he shouts out Soul Glo and Zulu and draws connections between the older and newer

At about 34:15, Chris uses his West Coast tour from 2002 as an example of how

At about 34:40, The three talk about the great Fishbone and The Last Action Hero soundtrack

At about 36:15, Pete asks about Blank punk and compliments the book’s variety and its politics and discussion of gender fluidity and other important issues; Chris speaks on punk as a lifestyle, and not just a style of music

At about 39:20, Pete wonders about any evolution in the ways in which women and nonbinary people have been treated in recent years of punk; Chris and James discuss challenges that still remain, as well as what they list as incremental victories

At about 44:05, Pete highlights quotes and interviews from the anthology and the ways in which catharsis is demonstrated through Black punk lifestyles

At about 46:05, Pete asks James and Chris about their process in picking a favorite Black punk songlist

At about 47:25, James and Chris respond to Pete’s questions about how they want the book to survive and thrive in coming years, and the rationale on having the book softcover right away

At about 49:15, Pete highlights engaging work from James and Chris in the anthology

At about 50:20, James and Chris talk about exciting future projects

At about 52:30, James and Chris give out their contact info and social media

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 212 with Theresa Runstedtler, award-winning scholar of African American history. Her work focused on intersection of race/masculinity/ labor/sport, and her recent: Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA.

The episode will air on November 14.

Monday Oct 23, 2023

Episode 210 with Dan Sinykin, Wise, Thorough Chronicler of The Publishing Industry’s Changing Mores, & Author of Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature

Monday Oct 23, 2023

Notes and Links to Dan Sinykin’s Work

For Episode 210, Pete welcomes Dan Sinykin, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and how it showed a sort of rebellion and also spurred him on to a life of books and inspired Big Fiction, as well as salient issues and themes from the book, including mass market populism versus literary aesthetics, autofiction and its connection to marginalized writers of color and women, and the evolving role of editors and the colophon in the continuing conglomeration of book publishing.

Dan Sinykin is an assistant professor of English at Emory University with a courtesy appointment in quantitative theory and methods. He is the author of American Literature and the Long Downturn: Neoliberal Apocalypse (2020). His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, Dissent, and other publications. Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature, is out now through Columbia University Press.

Buy Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature

Dan's Website with Emory University

Interview about Big Fiction with Lincoln Michel

At about 2:40, Dan discusses the intricacies of his book and its October publishing

At about 5:10, Dan highlights early feedback he’s gotten from readers

At about 7:05, Dan gives background on his childhood reading habits and some of his favorite books, series, and writers; he also talks about his father’s reading habits influenced him

At about 11:45, Dan responds to Pete’s questions about the draws of “East Coast” writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald

At about 14:30, Dan cites the greatness and pull of Gravity’s Rainbow

At about 16:55, Pete asks Dan about his connection to David Foster Wallace and other formative writers, who included Wittgenstein

At about 19:40, Pete gives a recommendation about which David Foster Wallace book NOT to read

At about 20:00, Pete wonders about how Dan’s job and research areas for his book has affected his “pleasure reading”

At about 21:45, Dan shouts out Martin Riker’s The Guest Lecture, Dan Kois’ Vintage Contemporaries as current standout reads

At about 23:00, Dan highlights the novels enjoyed by his students, including work by Fernanda Melchor, Jon Fosse, and Rachel Cusk

At about 24:25, Dan discusses the genesis of his book

At about 25:50, Pete and Dan discuss a pivotal event for publishing that Dan focuses on in the book’s Introduction-the firing of Andre Schiffrin

At about 30:15, The Program Era and The Economy of Prestige is highlighted and

At about 32:45, Dan discusses his book as a “continuation of his [Schiffrin’s] work” and how Dan sees value in avoiding labels of conglomeration as “good” or “bad”

At about 34:30, Dan breaks down the importance and symbolism of the colophon; he gives an example from the process of Wallace’s Infinite Jest as representative of the collaborative model

At about 43:30, Pete lays out the book’s five chapters’ structure and asks Dan about “high-brow” and “low-brow”; Dan speaks about the ways these books have been mass-marketed

At about 48:40, Dan traces the rise of romance books and speaks about the incredibly-interesting Danielle Steel and how she and others have become “brands”

At about 52:20, Pete asks Dan about the ways in which historical fiction and other books began to be geared toward literary prizes; he also traces the fairly-recent development of the term “literary fiction”

At about 55:15, Dan speaks to E.L. Doctorow as straddling the lines between the old and newer worlds of publishing

At about 59:40, The two discuss the chapters on trade publishers and autofiction’s importance, especially for female writers

At about 1:03:30, Pete cites Toni Morrison’s experiences and a quandary she ran into, as well as the experiences of many writers of color and “performance,” and Dan speaks to the story of Karen Tei Yamashita as a microcosm of writers of color in publishing

At about 1:10:30, Pete compliments the far-reaching and insightful book and Dan recommends buying the book at a local bookstore, including A Cappella Books, Eagle Eye Books, and Bookish in the Atlanta

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 211 with Theresa Runstedtler, award-winning scholar of African American history. Her work focused on intersection of race/masculinity/ labor/sport, and her recent: Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA.

The episode will air on October 31.

Monday Oct 16, 2023

Episode 209 with Julie Carrick Dalton, Standout Worldbuilder and Crafter of Plot Twists, Memorable Characters, Salient Storylines, and Author of The Last Beekeeper

Monday Oct 16, 2023

Notes and Links to Julie Carrick Dalton’s Work

For Episode 209, Pete welcomes Julie Carrick Dalton, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early relationship with nature and reading, formative and transformative teachers, how her journalism career informs her fiction and vice versa, the wondrous bee, and salient themes and topics from her book, including ecology, loss and love, climate change and hope, and whether the book is a call to action.

Julie Carrick Dalton is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, a CNN, USA Today, Parade, and Newsweek Most Anticipated novel. Her writing has appeared in BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Orion, Chicago Review of Books, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, and other publications. An adjunct writing instructor for Drexel University’s MFA program, Julie is currently working on her third novel, slated for publication in 2025.

Julie's Website

Buy The Last Beekeeper

Book Review from New York Journal of Books

At about 1:30, the two discuss Philadelphia

At about 3:00, Julie discusses her upcoming novel, slated for 2025 publication

At about 4:40, Julie describes her experiences as a child with story-including puppeteering!-and nature

At about 6:45, Squirrels and chipmunks-which are which?

At about 7:45, More discussion of puppets shows and foibles!

At about 8:30, Julie and Pete discuss loss of innocence and awe and wonder, and Julie expands on some of her writing that deals with these topics

At about 10:05, Julie discusses formative and transformative reading-including work about “mysterious events”

At about 11:05-12:40, Julie shares experiences with two inspirational teachers of hers and the ways in which her writing skill and affection grew

At about 12:45, Julie responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which journalism affects her fiction writing and vice versa

At about 15:00, When asked to name some current writing that moves and challenges her, Julie shouts out the “engaging” climate reporting from The New York Times, and Charlotte McConaghy

At about 17:15, Julie shares an anecdote about how teaching and parenting have influenced her writing, including a boat trip that led to a book

At about 20:15, Julie responds to Pete’s question about seeds for the book by referencing a real-life loss of 40,000 bees

At about 22:00, Julie speaks about bees’ importance and how food security and honeybees’ pollination

At about 25:45, Pete and Julie discuss the book’s opening scene and the ways in which fictional and real bees are in tune with the “G” note and ideas of “harmony”

At about 28:20, Pete marvels at ideas of notes and harmonizing in music, and Julie as a violinist and pianist explains a bit further

At about 29:30, Pete sets the book’s exposition and asks Julie to summarize the state of the world in the book’s adult timeline

At about 33:00, Julie explains why she chose to omit any mentions of time/years/etc.

At about 33:40, The two discuss and characterize some people in the book, including the protagonist's family and her housemates/squatters, and Julie explains some motivations for the “found family” members

At about 36:15, Julie responds to Pete’s wondering about the world of the story and homophobia

At about 37:30, Pete refers to the book’s apiary and inquires about any psychological insights Julie might have in the father’s actions and choices

At about 40:25, Julie discusses Sasha’s relationships with the bees and her deceased mother

At about 43:10, Julie expands upon the character of Uncle Chuck, “a complicated guy”

At about 45:50, Another Sopranos’ reference from Pete!

At about 47:00, Julie tiptoes around some plot spoilers in describing the book’s pivotal 11th birthday for Sasha

At about 48:25, Pete and Julie discuss some intriguing characters in the book

At about 50:10, Pete compliments the book’s ending and asks Julie about the book as a “call to action”; she talks about the book as allegory and as story

At about 52:00, Julie brings forth some hopeful ideas in the book regarding nature/climate change and she and Pete discuss her elimination of oil and gas in the future

At about 53:55, Pete notes interesting ideas of nature as cyclical and points to “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Bradbury

At about 55:40, Julie gives out social media information and recommends indie stores to buy her book, as well as Bookshop.org

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 210 with Dan Sinykin. He is assistant professor of English at Emory University with a courtesy appointment in Quantitative Theory and Methods whose book, Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature, comes out with Columbia University Press on October 24, the date the episode airs.

Monday Oct 09, 2023

Episode 208 with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, Author of Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion, and Keen Chronicler and Thoughtful Observer of Hip Hop, Pop Culture, and Fashion

Monday Oct 09, 2023

Notes and Links to Sowmya Krishnamurthy’s Work

For Episode 208, Pete welcomes Sowmya Krishnamurthy, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early love of hip hop and fashion, and the ways in which the two have always played off one another, her experiences in hip hop journalism and interning with Sean Combs and Bad Boy Records, trends in hip hop fashion and the ways in which they have been in response to racist laws and practice in the past, the power of ambassadors like Jay Z and Aaliyah, hip hop clothing lines, the power of designers from Versace to Virgil Abloh, and the evolution of more inclusive practices and views in the industry.

Sowmya Krishnamurthy is a music journalist and pop culture expert. Her work can be found in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, XXL, Playboy, High Snobiety, Complex, New York Magazine, Village Voice and Time. She has interviewed artists from J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar to Ariana Grande, Travis $cott and Alicia Keys.

As an on-air host, she has appeared on MTV, MSNBC, VH1, Hot 97, Build Series, E!, BET, CNN, NPR, BBC, and more. Her work has been aired in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Israel.

She hosted and programmed SiriusXM’s The Look Out radio show.

Her first book: Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion comes out October 10, 2023 (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster).

Sowmya began her career at William Morris Endeavor’s Agent Training Program, CNN and Bad Boy Records.

She is a graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Sowmya on Twitter

Buy Fashion Killa

Excerpt from Fashion Killa in Rolling Stone, October 3, 2023: "How Lil' Kim's Left Boob Symbolized a Shift High Fashion"

At about 2:00, Sowmya talks about the “surreal” run-up to the October 10 publication date for her book

At about 3:20-3:57, Sowmya gives some seeds for the book’s genesis

At about 4:00, Sowmya talks about the book’s process and research, including how the pandemic provided time for the book’s writing

At about 7:30, Sowmya reflects on how to sum up 50 years of hip hop and the difficulty of doing a chapter outline

At about 9:15, Sowmya talks about her focus on various topics in the books, including representing all regions of the country, international voices, and women

At about 11:00, Sowmya notes the arbitrariness of the 1973 “birthdate” for hip hop, not taking into account African traditions-call-and-response, etc.-and also how hip hop’s origin with DJ Herc and Sidney Campbell came partly through fashion

At about 12:45, Sowmya highlights Dapper Dan and the importance of logos and “social signaling,” who gets to wear what, “sumptuary laws,” etc.

At about 15:20, Sowmya recounts the story of how Google Images started after Jennifer Lopez wore her iconic dress

At about 16:50, Pete fanboys over Pharrell, and Sowmya recounts how Jay Z’s shift to a more formal clothing style and Pharrell and others bringing in skinny jeans were in some ways revolutionary

At about 20:20, Sowmya reflects on the outsized influence that 90s hip hop had on pop culture

At about 23:10, Sowmya talks about her upbringing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, especially her connections to music and 90s culture and things like Page Six

At about 27:00, Pete quotes from Sowmya’s book-she cites a beautifully chaotic scene in the passage-and she expands upon the importance of these type of scenes pre-social media

At about 29:00, Pete wonders about Cam’ron inventing a color, and Sowmya talks about his and Kanye West and others wearing pink as a bold choice

At about 31:30, Pete shouts out some early hip hop purchases, and Sowmya describes her early hip hop influences and purchases

At about 33:50, Sowmya discusses some of her early writing opportunities in the hip hop and pop culture space

At about 34:20, Pete and Sowmya rate the verses from Drake’s “Forever”

At about 35:20, Sowmya gives background on how she got a job with Sean Combs and Bad Boy Records

At about 41:30, Sowmya charts a surreal first experience in the Bad Boy offices

At about 45:00, Sowmya discusses the famous “Making the Band” skit from Chappelle Show, being that she worked with Sean Combs, and she shouts out his unceasing work ethic

At about 47:00, Sowmya talks about her work ethic and the era in which she started her work career

At about 48:35, Sowmya shouts out places to buy her book, including Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC, and she talks about the importance of the cover aesthetics

At about 50:50, Sowmya talks about the importance of the book’s subject matter and books as “luxury items”

At about 52:15, Sowmya discusses the importance of her book’s blurber, Slick Rick, and his importance in hip hop and fashion; additionally, she shouts out other “heartening” blurbs

At about 54:20, Sowmya talks about the title’s genesis and she and Pete discuss the book’s opening and early hip hop and self-expression

At about 55:40, Sowmya recounts the experience of buying a new CD in the 90s and early 2000s-the “connection” to the music

At about 58:30, Pete cites the book’s opening and ending and its “bookend” quality; Sowmya expounds on “the walking billboard” that was the big logos of Hilfiger, etc., as well as the ways in which people do and don’t show off wealth

At about 1:03:10, The two discuss the importance of The Source and Vibe as game-changers in representation and how much of hip hop fashion went against racist clothing laws of the past

At about 1:04:15, Sowmya gives some background on “backpack rap” in response to Pete’s questions

At about 1:07:10, Pete reflects on interesting anecdotes and interviews

At about 1:08:10, The two discuss the clothing brand battles of the 90s and beyond-Sean John, ENYCE, etc., and Pete laments the loss of a treasured sweater

At about 1:09:00, Pete asks Sowmya to talk about what she sees happening in the future, involving hip hop/pop culture and fashion

At about 1:12:10, The two highlight some amazing photos in the book, including an heretofore obscure photo of Tupac in Milan

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 209 with Julie Carrick Dalton. She is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, named a Most Anticipated 2021 novel by CNN, Newsweek, USA Today, Parade, and others, and an Amazon Editor’s pick for Best Books of the Month. Julie is also a frequent speaker and contributor to multiple magazines about Fiction in the Age of Climate Crisis.

The episode will air on October 17.

Wednesday Oct 04, 2023

Episode 207 with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, Master of Flash Fiction, Short, Powerful Stories, and Prose that Explores Intricate Emotions in Clever and Profound Ways

Wednesday Oct 04, 2023

Notes and Links to Ursula Villarreal-Moura’s Work

For Episode 207, Pete welcomes Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early San Antonio Spurs’ education, her omnivorous reading habits, particularly in her childhood, a formative writing contest and reading event, her transitioning from poetry to short stories and flash fiction, and salient themes addressed in her collection, including mental health issues, trauma, delusion, ideas of identity and self-perception, and imagination and story.

Ursula Villarreal-Moura is the author of Math for the Self-Crippling (2022), selected by Zinzi Clemmons as the Gold Line Press fiction contest winner, and Like Happiness (Celadon Books, 2024). A graduate of Middlebury College, she received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and was a VONA/Voices fellow. Her stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous magazines including Tin House, Catapult, Prairie Schooner, Midnight Breakfast, Washington Square, Story, Bennington Review, Wigleaf Top 50, and Gulf Coast. She contributed to Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, a flash anthology by writers of color, and in 2012, she won the CutBank Big Fish Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Contest. Her writing has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, a Pushcart Prize, and longlisted for Best American Short Stories 2015.

Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Website

Buy Math for the Self-Crippling

Interview in Tri-Quarterly

At about 2:20, Ursula shares her love of the Spurs and the ways in which the Spurs culture was infused in her schooling

At about 5:00, Ursula talks about the ways in which she became an omnivorous reader, and how a Judy Blume book really flipped the reading switch

At about 7:10, Ursula describes her first writing as “exotic,” including stories set in boarding schools

At about 10:00, Ursula describes being “receptive” and maybe not as “expressive” in Spanish, and ideas of representations, including as an “Ursula”

At about 13:30, Ursula talks about the “beautiful readings” she witnessed from Sandra Cisneros and the big impact

At about 15:30, Ursula talks about the beginnings of her writing and writing career, including a memorable writing contest that she placed well in at a young age

At about 20:55, Ursula responds to Pete’s questions about genre and how Ursula sees her work in terms of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, etc.

At about 23:45, Ursula describes short stories, including from Denis Johnson, Roberto Bolaño, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sandra Cisneros, Donald Barthelme, Tobias Wolff, and Amy Bloom that inspired her

At about 26:00, Ursula

At about 27:00, Ursula speaks to the idea that her work, like that of many women, is more likely assumed to be autobiographical

At about 27:50, Ursula answers Pete’s questions about the chronology of her book, and she describes how much of it was written in the library

At about 29:35, Pete cites the collection’s first story in asking Ursula about ideas of truth in storytelling and imagination

At about 31:00, Ursula and Pete shout out past guest Oscar Hokeah’s Calling for a Blanket Dance and an example of things being “true but unreal”

At about 32:35, Pete cites an example of a story having to do with self-discovery and personas, and Ursula expands upon these ideas

At about 33:55, The two reflect on the power of a story about mental health and Sophia Loren

At about 36:20, Ursula reflects on meanings for the book’s title, and Pete cites a Cherry Valance example from The Outsiders in connection to ruminations on seemingly life-changing experiences

At about 39:30, Ursula reflects on the narrator’s disappointment and despair after a nonchalant comment from a possible boyfriend

At about 41:50, Ursula describes the ways in which therapy is featured in the book and differing ways in which it can be delivered in the real world

At about 43:00, Ursula expands on items of “totems”

At about 45:00, Pete highlights an important quote about “the power of suggestion” and Ursula describes how real-life events and ideas of “delusion” inspired a story in her collection

At about 45:52-Ursula’s cat makes an appearance!

At about 47:10, Ideas of trauma affecting adult experiences and relationships is discussed

At about 50:55, The two reflect on ideas of observers and how Ursula skillfully uses second and third-person

At about 52:25, Ursula shares exciting new projects

At about 54:50, Ursula gives out contact info and social media info and recommends Bookshop.org, Powell’s, and McNally-Jackson as places to buy her book

NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 208 with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a music journalist and pop culture expert whose work can be found in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, XXL, and Time. Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion comes out on October 10, which is the date the book will be published! Also, look out for a late October/early November print conversation with me and Sowmya that will be in Chicago Review of Books.

Again, this episode will air on October 10.