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 Sep 29, 2023

Episode 206 with David Mura, Thoughtful, Thorough, Wise Student and Chronicler of the Ills of White Supremacy and the Ways in Which Racism Works, and Author of The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself

Friday Sep 29, 2023

Notes and Links to David Mura’s Work

For Episode 206, Pete welcomes David Mura, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing and the ways in which his parents’ imprisonment as Japanese-Americans affected their and his views of being an American, his more expansive reading as he matured that changed world views, the prescience and fullness and profundity of James Baldwin’s writing, ideas of shame/guilt and white supremacy, the stories told about ”great” white men, and blind spots-unintentional and intentional-that have led to racism in policing, schooling, medical care, and so many other parts of American life.

David Mura's memoirs, poems, essays, plays and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. Their topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. He gives presentations at educational institutions, businesses and other organizations throughout the country.

David's Website

David’s Wikipedia Page

Buy The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself

Review for The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself from The Star Tribune

At about 1:45, David discusses the ways in which Japanese-American concentration camps, language and ethnicity shaped his reading and family’s life

At about 6:30, David discusses the ways in which he now looks back at work that was trumpeted as about “great (white) Americans” that he read in the past, including a sharper view of Abraham Lincoln

At about 11:00, David talks about the ways in which white Americans have failed to learn from past wrongdoing

At about 13:00, David expands upon a meaningful and emblematic meeting between James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Robert F. Kennedy, and others

At about 14:55, David describes the ways in which James Baldwin was prophetic in his depiction of the moral/spiritual emptiness of white racism

At about 16:55, David responds to Pete’s question about texts and quotes and passages and writers that thrilled and challenged him-he quotes (verbatim!) from an excerpt of a profound text from Baldwin-"The Devil Finds Work"

At about 21:45, David recounts racist and transformative experiences that shaped James Baldwin’s world view

At about 24:35, David reflects on ideas of forgiveness and how Baldwin’s views on Black and white people and myths and stories were shaped by experiences in New Jersey, the American South, and elsewhere

At about 28:25, Pete details a memorable example of hypocrisy involving Tom Tancredo and past guest Gustavo Arellano

At about 29:30, Pete asks David to further explain shame/guilt as it mentioned with regards to white racism in David’s book

At about 30:35, David reads a telling passage from his book related to the above question, and he references Tom Cotton and Ron DeSantis as two of many examples of denial of racism and white backlash

At about 33:15, David continues talking about shame and guilt and likens reactions to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ work

At about 37:00, David deals with the hypocrisy and white supremacy shown by Ron DeSantis’ takedown of AP African-American history and ideas of white validation

At about 40:00, Pete wonders if David sees any improvements and hope coming with younger generations and a more inclusive story; he brings up the ways in which Ruby Bridges’ story is emblematic of conservative, Moms for Liberty backlash

At about 44:45, The two discuss an infamous photo featuring Jerry Jones, and Pete cites a stunning story from the book involving Kiese Laymon and a racist incident with a future politician

At about 47:30, David provides historical background on “blackness” and “whiteness” and the ways in which the white elite has promoted these ideas to working-class whites

At about 49:40, Pete talks about ideas of reading and empathy, and he asks David about burdens and learning and working against ignorance

At about 52:30, David tells a story of learning about different perspectives from Alexs Pate and from Black artists “laughing with pain” from DWB (Driving While Black) experiences

At about 55:20, David relates a telling anecdote related to the movie and novelization of Amistad and the ways in which these two works of art showed disparate understandings of race and racism

At about 1:00:30, David describes the potency of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

At about 1:03:15, Pete cites a moving specific and universal story from Douglas Kearney in the book, and David homes in on ideas of “what American means” to students of color in the Minneapolis area and connections to Black men killed by police and systemic racism

At about 1:09:40, David cites medical racism and ignorant and regressive ideas cited in a 2016 study of white medical students; he cites connections

At about 1:12:05, Pete and David wonder about the NRA’s lack of action in support of the Black Panthers and Philando Castile

At about 1:13:40, Moon Palace, Birchwood Books, and Magers & Quinn as good places to buy his book

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

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 207 with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, the author of Math for the Self-Crippling, Gold Line Press fiction contest winner; writing has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, a Pushcart Prize, and longlisted for Best American Short Stories 2015

The episode will air on October 3.

Monday Sep 25, 2023

Episode 205 with Josh Riedel, Author of Please Report Your Bug Here, Standout Worldbuilder, and Sage Observer and Chronicler of the Evolution/Devolution of Tech and its Impact on Our Society/Ourselves

Monday Sep 25, 2023

Notes and Links to Josh Riedel’s Work

For Episode 205, Pete welcomes Josh Riedel, and the two discuss, among other topics, his Midwestern upbringing and early reading and writing, his love of Choose Your Own Adventure books, his evolving reading tastes, the experiences in early tech-at Facebook and as Employee #1 for Instagram-that inspired much of his book, and throughlines in the book like intimacy and connections, the free and not so free exchange of ideas, and the ways in which social media and Big Tech has altered our world and ourselves.

Josh Riedel was the first employee at Instagram, where he worked for several years before earning his MFA from the University of Arizona. His short stories have appeared in One Story, Passages North, and Sycamore Review. Please Report Your Bug Here is his first novel. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Josh Riedel's Website

Buy Please Report Your Bug Here

Chicago Review of Books Review of Please Report Your Bug Here

At about 1:45, Josh discusses his childhood reading and writing and Midwest upbringing in response to Pete citing an intriguing quote from

At about 5:20, The two discuss Josh’s writing style and his reading and understanding of fellow Illinoisian David Foster Wallace and the power of Dave Eggers’ work

At about 7:50, Peter Rock and Tony Early and Tin House are highlighted as helpful in shaping Josh’s love of writing and writing and writing style

At about 9:30, Josh discusses his early days of working at Facebook and seeing working in tech as an aesthetic pursuit

At about 12:40, Josh gives background on how he became Instagram Employee #1

At about 16:20, Josh discusses what drew him to early tech worlds, and what he still respects about the industry

At about 20:45, Josh shares seeds for the book

At about 22:10, Josh talks about how time and physical distance helped him to better write his book

At about 23:40, Johs defines and explains the meanings of “bug” in the tech world and provides some examples

At about 24:45, Pete relates some of the book’s exposition and Josh replies to Pete’s questions about NDA’s in tech and the ways they affect the consumer

At about 26:35, Josh speaks about the ways in which he characterizes The Founder in the book

At about 30:30, Josh speaks about the book’s mission statement scenes and the possible naivete of the protagonist Ethan

At about 33:15, Josh and Pete speak about the work/rest balance in tech companies and the ways in which it has changed/evolved

At about 37:40, Pete wonders who Noma is to Ethan in the book and Josh responds

At about 38:50, Pete sets up what happens early in the book with Ethan’s 100% match; Josh describes how this scene pushes the book in a surreal direction

At about 42:15, Josh and Pete describe how Noma takes Ethan out of his work bubble

At about 43:20, The two sum up the startup’s roster and lay out The Corporation’s machinations

At about 44:30, Yarbo is described by Josh in its makeup and philosophy

At about 46:00, Pete charts the Portals and surrealism of the book that becomes a/the main conflict

At about 49:00, Josh talks about bigger issues of connection that have changed since the book’s main setting of 2010 ish

At about 52:10, The two discuss “curated profiles” based on a profound quote from the book

At about 53:45, Josh responds to Pete’s questions on the unique and successful ending

At about 55:45, Josh discusses interesting upcoming projects and mentions a different topic about which he recently wrote for Esquire

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 206 with David Mura, whose memoirs, poems, essays, plays and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. The topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. His most recent standout is The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself.

The episode will air on September 29.

Tuesday Sep 19, 2023

Episode 204 with Kara H.L. Chen, Standout YA Writer of Love and Resistance and Crafter of Believable and Relatable and Empathy-Inducing Characters

Tuesday Sep 19, 2023

Notes and Links to Kara H.L. Chen’s Work

For Episode 204, Pete welcomes Kara H.L. Chen, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and constant desire to write, the ways in which law has affected her writing, YA and its pull for her, seeds for Love and Resistance, and salient themes and related real-world issues from the book like racism and anti-Asian hate, cliques and social media and high school culture, and keeping a book fresh in the world of rapidly-advancing technology.

Kara H.L. Chen grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, where she once had to shovel snow off her car with a plastic trashcan. She now lives on the West Coast with her husband and daughters, and is learning how to use an Instapot. She has undergraduate degrees in English and economics, a J.D., and a MFA in fiction. She has used her economics degree exactly once, when she tried to make a joke about marginal costs and marginal returns. It did not go well.

Kara's Website

Buy Love and Resistance

Nerd Daily Interview

At about 2:25, Kara discusses languages and reading and writing in her early days

At about 4:00, Kara relates the ways, subtle and not, that Taiwanese spoken in her family makes its way into her writing

At about 5:00, Pete and Kara geek out about their kids reading the new generation of The Babysitters’ Club and Kara discusses books and writers that influenced her-including more recent ones by Anthony Doerr, RF Kuang, Shawna Yang Ryan, and Ann Liang

At about 8:15, Kara responds to Pete’s asking about how her path in law and other life experiences dovetailed with writing for a profession

At about 9:30, Pete wonders about using different parts of the brain in writing for law and writing YA

At about 11:00, Kara speaks to the times in which she felt pulled/pushed into writing a novel/writing in general

At about 11:45, Kara shares her experience with representation and mentorship and care from Jen Ung

At about 14:15, Kara traces her interest in writing YA

At about 17:10, Kara talks about the years of work and querying that led to the book’s publication and the affirming feedback she’s received

At about 18:45, Kara gives a little summary of the book and discusses seeds for the book

At about 20:10, Pete cites important lines from the book’s beginning and Kara talks to protagonist Livvy’s ideas of school as a type of combat

At about 21:40, The two discuss Mitzi’s “in crowd” and microaggressions that come from the group, including an inciting incident when peers make racist comments

At about 23:00, Kara responds to Pete’s laying out some early and formative experiences in Livvy’s family

At about 25:10, The two discuss the light touch and lack of patronizing that makes Livvy’s mother a loving one, and Kara emphasizes the importance of the mother as a mentor figure and one who bridges generational/cultural gaps

At about 29:45, The Nerd Net and Livvy’s budding relationships are traced

At about 31:15, Peter, a pivotal character is discussed, in his purity, and Pete wonders if we or Kara should feel sorry for Mitzi due to some misfortunes

At about 34:30, Kara talks about the “Ocean’s Eleven” crew and the connections between Griff and Livvy and how the crew balances each other out and how Livvy is herself challenged in her assumptions about others

At about 37:18-39:43, Kara speaks about the racism in the micro-the book-and talks about how its subject matter has evolved over time and unfortunately been in line with a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes

At about 40:00, Kara and Pete discuss the universality of the book and how to chart the quick changes in technology

At about 41:12, Kara talks about the spoken word venue in the book and its connection to ideas of self-expression

At about 44:05, The two discuss feelings of “something else” and its connection to the adolescent years and racism in Livvy’s case

At about 48:30, Kara shares news on Asking for a Friend, her exciting new book set to be published in 2024

At about 50:00, Kara recommends Books, Inc., Keppler’s and others as places that have signed copies of her book and shares contact information/social media info

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 205 with Josh Riedel. He was Instagram Employee #1, and he is the author of the novel Please Report Your Bug Here; his essays and short stories have appeared in Esquire, Slate, LitHub, One Story, Joyland, and elsewhere.

The episode will air on September 26.

Monday Sep 11, 2023

Episode 203 with V.V. (Sugi) Ganeshananthan, Master Craftswoman of Tender and Gutting Storylines and Characters, and Author of the Modern Classic, Brotherless Night

Monday Sep 11, 2023

Notes and Links to VV Ganeshananthan’s Work

For Episode 203, Pete welcomes VV Ganeshananthan, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and the ways in which Tamil has influenced her English writing, formative and transformative writing and writers, the ways in which her podcasting influences her writing and vice versa, the writing that resonates with her college students, and the towering achievement that is Brotherless Night-background and seeds for the book, cultural subtleties and nuances featured in the book, the complicated ways in which various groups interacted in the Sri Lankan conflicts, writing tenderness into such darkness, and the ways in which the storyline affected VV emotionally.

V. V. Ganeshananthan (she/her) is the author of the novels Brotherless Night, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. Her work has appeared in Granta, The New York Times, and The Best American Nonrequired Reading, among other publications.

A former vice president of the South Asian Journalists Association, she has also served on the board of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and is presently a member of the boards of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. The National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, Yaddo, MacDowell, and the American Academy in Berlin have awarded her fellowships. She has served as visiting faculty at the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan and at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and now teaches in the MFA program at the University of Minnesota, where she is a McKnight Presidential Fellow and associate professor of English. She co-hosts the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast on Literary Hub, which is about the intersection of literature and the news.

VV's Website

Buy Brotherless Night

"Terrorist to Whom"-New York Times Review of Brotherless Night

Listen to the fiction/non/fiction Podcast

At about 3:00, VV discusses her busy and productive schedule

At about 4:00, VV responds to Pete wondering about her early relationship with language

At about 5:20, VV reflects on Brotherless Night bering referred to as having a Tamil feel, and expands on how the language of Tamil may figure in to her English

At about 8:15, VV speaks about early reading and literary influences

At about 10:30, Pete gives a pop spelling quiz

At about 11:15, VV discusses formative writers and works that put her on the path to becoming a writer, as well as an unforgettable visit from Gregory Maguire

At about 14:00, VV talks about the secret clubs she wasn’t (allegedly) part of at Harvard

At about 15:15, VV outlines the ethic and style of the podcast she cohosts with Whitney Terrell

At about 17:30, VV talks about the writers and writing that resonates with her college students, including the work of Carmen Maria Machado and Yiyun Li

At about 19:45, VV responds to Pete’s question about working on Brotherless Night for 20 years (?!), and she shares seeds for the book, including a class with Ethan Canin

At about 22:30, VV describes the emotional impact the book had on her

At about 24:00, Pete runneth over with compliments for the novel

At about 24:55, Pete speaks on the book’s Prologue and highlights meaningful lines at the beginning

At about 26:15-29:45, Pete wonders about the usage of only an initial for a main character, K, and VV gives some insight

At about 29:45, VV describes the ways in which Sasha looks at K

At about 32:15, The two discuss the town of Jaffna and ist makeup and early scenes involving a pivotal political rally

At about 34:20, VV gives background on Jaffna, how political Sashi’s family was and why she decided to set the novel there

At about 37:30, VV responds to Pete’s questions about how much colonialism’s shadow and aftereffects play in to the book’s events and traumas

At about 39:40, VV speaks about Indian forces and their role in the Sri Lanka

At about 41:00, VV reflects on the ways in which she was prompted to include rare, but meaningful, direct address in the book

At about 46:30, Pete tiptoes around plot spoilers while he and VV discuss a pivotal death in the book and the resulting action, or lack thereof, by Sashi’s father

At about 49:00, The two discuss aftereffects of the pivotal death and ideas of empathy, sympathy, and judgment for the actions of those involved in the conflicts

At about 50:35, VV responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which she presented a multifaceted view of the complicated conflict in Sri Lanka

At about 54:15, Pete remarks on the book’s tenderness in the midst

At about 55:55, Pete cites a right-on blurb from Brit Bennett

At about 56:10, VV shouts out Magers & Quinn as one of many places to buy the book

At about 57:10, VV shares future exciting projects and shouts out Julie Schumacher and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield

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 204 with Kara HL Chen. Kara has undergraduate degrees in English and economics, a J.D., and a MFA in fiction. Love and Resistance, published in July 2023, is her YA debut.

The episode will air on September 19.

Monday Sep 04, 2023

Episode 202 with Dennis J. Sweeney, Reflective and Persistently Profound Thinker and Craftsman of Poems Both Abstract and Concrete and Author of You’re the Woods Too

Monday Sep 04, 2023

Notes and Links to Dennis Sweeney’s Work

For Episode 202, Pete welcomes Dennis Sweeney, and the two discuss, among other topics, Dennis’ early relationship with books and almost-averse view of nature, some formational and transformational writers and writing, DFW and his outsized footprint, the power of small press poetry and other resonant books for Dennis and his students, as well as salient themes in his poetry collection, like patriarchy, emptiness versus fullness, isolation, change, retreat and escape in the modern world.

Dennis James Sweeney is the author of You’re the Woods Too and In the Antarctic Circle, as well as four chapbooks of poetry and prose, including Ghost/Home: A Beginner’s Guide to Being Haunted.

His first book, In the Antarctic Circle, won the Autumn House Rising Writer Prize and was a Debut Poetry Book of 2021 in Poets & Writers, as well as a finalist for the National Poetry Series and the Big Other Book Award. His second book, You’re the Woods Too, is a Small Press Distribution bestseller and a finalist for the Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Prize.

His fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in Ecotone, Ninth Letter, The New York Times, The Southern Review, and Witness, among others. Formerly a Small Press Editor at Entropy and Assistant Editor at Denver Quarterly, he has an MFA from Oregon State University and a PhD from the University of Denver.

His writing has been supported by residencies from Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, I-Park Foundation, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He is the recipient of a Fulbright grant to Malta.

Originally from Cincinnati, he lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he teaches at Amherst College.

Dennis' Website

Buy You're the Woods Too

“You’re the Woods Too by Dennis James Sweeney

Review by Xander Gershberg” for Mayday Magazine

At about 2:55, Dennis talks about his early reading and writing, exploring “fantastical” worlds, and

At about 4:35, Dennis follows up on some of his early reading experiences, including reading his fellow bandana-wearer David Foster Wallace and he expands on revisionism

At about 6:50, Pete shouts out Wallace’s amazing “A Supposedly Fun Thing…” and the two discuss maximalism and minimalism and Wallace’s place among white male writers who have often been excused for wrongdoing

At about 8:00, Dennis talks about how some enjoyable reading differed from Wallace’s

At about 12:15, Dennis talks about retreat and escape and implications

At about 13:00, Dennis shouts out some favorite contemporary writers that thrill and challenge him, including Emilia Gray and her AM PM, Lynn Xu, Sawako Nakayasu, Toni Morrison, and Billy-Ray Belcourt

At about 15:00, Dennis discusses Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Petina Gappah, and other writers whose resonates with her students

At about 16:25, Dennis responds to Pete’s questions about searching for muses

At about 18:20, Pete and Dennis discuss changes in life and writing life with the advent of fatherhood

At about 20:00, Dennis breaks down the title’s pronunciation and origins of the collection

At about 22:35, Pete cites Erica Berry’s work and asks Dennis about the natural setting of Oregon that inspired his work

At about 23:30, Dennis expands on moss and its importance and symbolism while citing Gathering Moss by Robin Kimmerer

At about 26:00, Is Dennis a believer in birds not being real??

At about 26:20, Dennis responds to Pete’s asking about any individual importance of the varied mosses that title the collection’s poems

At about 28:40, Pete and Dennis talk about ideas of nature being uncontrollable and the importance of “GREEN” and the use of “we” in the collection

At about 31:20, The two discuss the cabin setting for the second poem and beyond and Dennis responds to Pete’s thoughts on the pen and its significance

At about 34:20, Dennis speaks about ideas of emptiness versus fullness and their myriad meanings

At about 38:55, Pete muses on ideas of Paradise and “The Fall” and asks Dennis about ideas of God and spiritual ideas from the collection

At about 42:30, The two discuss ideas of travel and men as the exalted travelers and ideas of “theater” and who’s telling the stories

At about 47:15, Pete poses questions to Dennis about any changes from the retreat charted in the collection

At about 50:30, Pete makes yet another “Everlong” reference and compares it to ideas from later poems of Dennis’ and finding peace

At about 53:50, Dennis discusses exciting new writing he’s been working on

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 203 with V.V. Ganeshananthan, the author of the novels Brotherless Night, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. She also co-hosts the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast on Literary Hub. Brotherless Night is one of the most memorable books Pete has read in years, if not ever.

The episode will air on September 12.

Monday Aug 28, 2023

Episode 201 with Erica J Berry, Thoughtful and Thorough Writer Who Seamlessly Combines Multiple Disciplines and Genres in Her Enthralling Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear

Monday Aug 28, 2023

Notes and Links to Erica Berry’s Work

For Episode 201, Pete welcomes Erica Berry, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and generational traumas and anxieties that have colored her life and many of our lives, her move from poetry into nonfiction and an eventual embrace of many different types of writing and lenses, the “ecology of fear,” travel and confronting fears, and making storylines about seemingly disparate topics-land rights, myth, wolves, fear-into a coherent and superb book.

Erica Berry’s nonfiction debut, Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear, was published in February 2023 by Flatiron/Macmillan (US+Canada), and Canongate (UK+Commonwealth) in March 2023.

Her essays and journalism appear in Outside, Catapult, Wired,. Winner of the Steinberg Essay Prize, she has received grants and fellowships from the Ucross Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, and Tin House.

She teaches workshops for teenagers and adults through the Attic Institute, Literary Arts, the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, the New York Times Student Journeys, and Oxford Academia. She was the 2019-2020 National Writers’ Series Writer-in-Residence and Teaching Fellow at Front Street Writers in Traverse City, Michigan.

She graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014, and received her MFA from the University of Minnesota as a College of Liberal Arts Fellow in 2018. She now lives in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she is a Writer-in-the-Schools and an Associate Fellow at the Attic Institute of Arts and Letters.

Buy Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear

Erica's Website

Review of Wolfish for The Atlantic: “The Book That Teaches Us to Live With Our Fears”

"Why Do We Fear Wolves?" from LitHub, 2017

At about 2:15, Erica reps The Chills at Will swag!

At about 2:55: Erica quotes Rebecca Solnit in describing her early reading and writing and the relationships to anxiety and ease and pleasure

At about 4:20, Erica focuses in on some favorite readings and writers from growing up, including Cornelia Funke, in addition to the importance and shortcomings of journaling in her life

At about 8:55, Erica talks about her early connections to farms in her family, as well as poetry and nonfiction and her views of them as she got into high school and college

At about 13:05, Pete asks Erica about traumas and fears and how generational traumas have affected her family, her, and her writing

At about 17:15, Pete shouts out his son’s soccer debut in asking Erica about confronting fears; Erica quotes a telling example from Rachel Cusk’s work

At about 19:45, Erica responds to Pete’s questions about the connections between travel and exploration as imperatives for writers

At about 23:00, Pete shouts out Jean Guerrero’s top-notch Crux in asking Erica about her multidimensional writing style; Erica speaks about the background and rationale for her “interdisciplinary omnivorousness”

At about 26:00, Erica replies to Pete’s questions about what helped her to solidify seemingly-disparate topics into Wolfish; she discusses how early iterations of the book didn’t feature fear so prominently

At about 29:30, Pete sets the scene for the book’s opening, the start featuring the discovery of a wolf corpse, as well as further exploration by Erica of “crying wolf” and the many permutations of Little Red Riding Hood

At about 31:20, Erica speaks of ways in investigating the wolf’s effect on society’s consciousness through various expressions across the world involving the wolf

At about 33:00, Erica reads from Page 6 of her book, an excerpt involving false perceptions about worldwide wolf attacks on humans

At about 35:45, Erica discusses myths and stories and cultures that don’t always match up with perceptions of wolves, as well as ideas of indigenous’ connections to wolves and ideas of boundaries

At about 39:10, Pete and Erica chart the journeys of OR-7 and other wolves

At about 40:15, Pete cites Oregon’s horrific laws of the past involving Black people in asking Erica about how she brought together seemingly-unrelated issues and histories

At about 43:45, Erica and Pete discuss binaries and how Erica wrote against them

At about 44:45, The two discuss real-life tragedies and rational fears, and Erica discuss the implications of the “ecology of fear”

At about 49:20, Erica discusses her time at a wolf sanctuary in England and its aftereffects

At about 52:40, Erica discusses her heightened understanding of ranchers and food systems and the “stewards of the land” in eastern Oregon and beyond

At about 57:00, Erica discusses “connecting with the land” and ranchland

At about 58:15, The two discuss Erica’s trip to Sicily and ideas of getting past fears/living with minimized fear

At about 1:02:20, Erica discusses exciting upcoming projects

At about 1:04:00, Pete shares two pertinent quotes paraphrased by Erica’s teachers and she highlights their importance and genesis

At about 1:04:50, Broadway Books and Powell’s in Portland are highlighted as indie bookstores at which to but Erica’s 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 202 with Dennis J. Sweeney, a cross-genre writer and the author of You’re the Woods Too and In the Antarctic Circle, as well as four chapbooks of poetry and prose. He has been a finalist for the National Poetry Series and the Big Other Book Award.

The episode will air on September 5.

Monday Aug 21, 2023

EPISODE 200 with Adam Vitcavage, Raconteur, Skilled Writer of Literary and Music Criticism, and Charismatic Advocate for Debut Authors Through his Podcast Debutiful: Discover Debut Authors

Monday Aug 21, 2023

Notes and Links to Adam Vitcavage’s Work

For Episode 200, Pete welcomes Adam Vitcavage, and the two discuss, among other topics, Adam’s early reading and writing and the spark provided by writers like Jesmyn Ward, his early writing in the world of music criticism and literary criticism, the background on his penchant for working with debut authors, a lot of sports analogies, dream guests he’s worked with and still hopes to work with, The Babysitters Club, and shared experiences in the world of literary podcasting.

Adam Vitcavage is the founder of Debutiful, a website and podcast where readers can discover debut authors. The podcast was named one of the Best Book Podcasts by Book Riot, Town and Country, and Los Angeles Review of Books in 2022. His criticism and interviews have also been featured in Electric Literature, Paste Magazine, Literary Hub, Phoenix New Times, among others. He currently lives in Denver.

Listen to Debutiful

Debutiful Website

“A Mix of Paean and Elegy: The Millions Interviews Jamel Brinkley” by Adam

For Electric Literature: "Is Iceland the Most Literary Country in the World?"

At about 4:30, Adam responds to Pete’s questions about his early relationship with the written word

At about 6:15, Adam gives background on his studies of literature, and how he began to compile bylines

At about 7:45, Adam talks about covering bands in his early writing career

At about 8:30, Adam talks about formational and transformational reading, like Salinger, Roth, and Salvage the Bones and how changed he was after reading it, and Jesmyn Ward as his “favorite living writer”

At about 11:30, Pete and Adam fanboy about Brandon Taylor

At about 12:20, Pete and Adam talk podcast shop, editing and what they leave in and take out

At about 14:55, Adam talks about how his writing/criticism is informed by his podcast, and vice versa

At about 16:40, Pete asks Adam to describe his podcast and about its seeds

At about 21:55, Adam provides interesting feedback received from learners

At about 23:55, Pete wonders why Adam chose to home in on debuts, and Adam responds

At about 24:30, Pete makes the analogy involving one’s first book/sports championship and asks Adam about “hunger”

At about 26:10, Adam discusses what it’s like to read for pleasure/business/the podcast and then poses the same question to Pete

At about 29:45, Pete asks Adam which genre is his favorite and how he would handle one last episode; he shouts out Jesmyn Ward

At about 31:00, The two discuss dream guests

At about 31:50, The two discuss interview guests of Adam’s, including George Saunders and his telltale book blurbs, and a vast array of non-literary guests

At about 35:20, Adam shouts out his two favorite NBA players of all-time

At about 37:00, Some love for Alanis Morrisette!

At about 38:25, Pete asks Adam about any plans for his own writing and any future projects/formatting

At about 41:40, Adam gives out social media and contact info

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 201 with Erica Berry, a writer and teacher based in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Her essays appear in The Guardian, Wired, Outside, The Atlantic, Guernica, and others. Winner of the Steinberg Essay Prize and Kurt Brown Prize in Nonfiction, her book Wolfish came out in Feb 2023 to great acclaim.

The episode will air on August 29.

Monday Aug 14, 2023

Episode 199 with Jared Beloff, Reflective Thinker, Painter of Beautiful Imagery and Debut Standout Author of the Climate Change-Themed Poetry Collection, Who Will Cradle Your Head

Monday Aug 14, 2023

Notes and Links to Jared Beloff’s Work

For Episode 198, Pete welcomes Jared Beloff, and the two discuss, among other topics, an early reading challenge that supercharged his voraciousness, contemporary and not-so contemporary writers who left an imprint on him with their visceral work and distinctive worldbuilding, his quick rise to published and acclaimed poet, and pertinent themes in his collection, including nostalgia, indifference, a fading and changing ecosystem, and the myriad effects of climate change.

Jared Beloff is the author of the Who Will Cradle Your Head (ELJ Editions, 2023).

He earned degrees at Rutgers University (BA in English) Johns Hopkins University (MA in English Literature, specializing in the novel and Romantic/18th Century Literature).

Jared has been an adjunct professor at Queensborough Community College, an English teacher and a teacher mentor in NYC public schools for 16 years.

Jared is currently a peer reviewer for The Whale Road Review. His poetry can be found in Contrary Magazine, Barren Magazine, KGB Bar Lit, The Shore, Rise Up Review, Bending Genres and elsewhere. His work has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Queens, NY.

Buy Who Will Cradle Your Head

Jared's Website

From Identity Theory: “Cracking Open Clams: A Conversation Between Jared Beloff and Candice Kelsey”

At about 2:35, Jared talks about a reading challenge that put his reading intake into high-gear

At about 4:25, Jared updates on his reading this summer/including The Sealey Challenge

At about 5:25, Jared reflects on the psychological/philosophical roots of his reading, especially his early reading

At about 7:35, Jared lists some formational and transformational works and writers, like Angels in América and English Patient, as well as Pablo Neruda, Bishop, and Forche’s work

At about 10:00, Jared reflects on how his own work reflects that which he has read and enjoyed throughout his life

At about 11:30, Jared responds to Pete’s questions about how he has been inspired and moved

by fiction and poetry written about climate change; he cites Allegra Hyde’s impressive work, as well as work by Hila Ratzabi, Craig Santos-Perez, and Claire Wahmanholm;

At about 14:40, Jared shouts out Diane Seuss, who blurbed his collection, and how her work informs his, as well as how Obit and its metaphors “blew [him] away”

At about 15:20, Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky is highlighted as a stimulus for Jared’s writing

At about 16:25, Pete highlights Mai Der Vang’s Yellow Rain, and Nguyen and Anthony Cody are shouted out by Jared as influential in his work

At about 17:35, Jared talks about seeds for his collection, especially the “Swamp Thing” poems by Jack Bedell and the ways Todd Dillard uses “wonder”

At about 23:05, Pete highlights the collection’s first poem, one “After” Aimee Nezhukumatathil; Jared discusses the methodology of these “After” poems, the ideas of a “muse,” and how he often writes after what/who he teaches

At about 27:50, Jared discusses the background and content of “Animal Crackers”

At about 30:45, Pete compliments Jared on his work regarding his children, and Jared talks about thinking through poems and “allowing wonder to stay” despite “grief-laden” poems

At about 34:30, Jared explains how he used climate change as a proxy a(or vice versa?) for other types of grief both personal and societal

At about 35:40, Pete highlights profound lines and asks about Sasquatch’s importance throughout the collection

At about 39:50, Pete and Jared talk structure in Jared’s collection, including the diamond/pyramid structure and its uniqueness and power

At about 41:30, Jared shouts out Diana Khoi Nguyen’s work and using some structural stimuli

At about 45:05, Pete cites meaningful lines revolving around nostalgia and ideas of energy; he asks Jared about a cool and clever and depressing poem involving the Golden Girls

At about 48:15, Pete asks Jared his views on nostalgia in his work; Jared connects nostalgia with climate change circumstances

At about 51:15, Indifference in the face of climate emergencies is discussed, and Jared discusses “complic[ity]” and political choices

At about 53:00, Jared responds to Pete’s questions about climate change advocacy in the system “tied/tired” as used in a poem

At about 54:00, Jared gives history on Freshkills and its history and eccentric future

At about 55:30, Jared reads the portion of the above poem that features the collection’s title and explains the title’s genesis

At about 59:00, Jared discusses exciting new projects

At about 1:01:30, Jared shouts out places to buy his 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 200 with Adam Vitcavage, who is the founder of Debutiful, a website and podcast where readers can discover debut authors. The podcast was named one of the Best Book Podcasts by Book Riot, Town and Country, and Los Angeles Review of Books in 2022. His criticism and interviews have also been featured in Electric Literature, Paste Magazine, Literary Hub, Phoenix New Times, among others.

The episode will air on August 22.

Monday Aug 07, 2023

Episode 198 with Sarah Thankam Mathews, Master of the Visceral and Rational, Beautiful Sentence and Sentiment Creator, and Author of 2022’s National Book Award Shortlisted All This Could Be Different

Monday Aug 07, 2023

Notes and Links to Sarah Thankam Mathews’ Work

For Episode 198, Pete welcomes Sarah Thankam Mathews, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and experience with multilingualism, contemporary and not-so contemporary writers who left an imprint on her with their visceral work and distinctive worldbuilding, “seeds and fertilizer” for her standout novel, including the vagaries of post-college life and the tragedies and communal love that came with the COVID pandemic, and pertinent themes in her book, like alienation, sexual trauma, “found family” and community building, and problematic capitalism.

Sarah Thankam Mathews grew up between Oman and India, immigrating to the US at seventeen. She is author of the novel All This Could Be Different, shortlisted for the 2022 National Book Award and the 2022 Discover Prize, nominated for the Aspen Literary Prize.

Formerly a Rona Jaffe Fellow in fiction at the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and a Margins Fellow at The Asian American Writers Workshop, she has work in Best American Short Stories 2020 and other places. A proud product of public schools, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Buy All This Could Be Different

Sarah's Website

Sarah's Substack

Review of All This Could Be Different from Los Angeles Review of Books

At about 1:35, Sarah discusses her current paperback tour and what she’s heard about the book from readers and observations she has after a year of publication for All This Could Be Different

At about 4:50, Sarah gives background on her early relationship with languages, particularly Hindi, English, and Mayalalam

At about 7:30, Sarah discusses early reading that was influenced by living in what she calls a “tertiary” book market; she mentions transformational and formational books like The Bluest Eye and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things as books that left her “profoundly rearranged”

At about 10:20, Sarah shouts out Jamaica Kincaid’s Luck as a helpful companion as she wrote All This Could Be Different

At about 12:20, Sarah responds to Pete’s question about how Sarah saw her early reading in terms of representation; she points to ideas of visceral pleasure with that reading

At about 14:20, Sarah expands on ideas of pathos as a driving force at times as she wrote her book

At about 15:30, Sarah cites C Pam Zhang, Isle McElroy, Lydia Kiesling, as some of the many contemporary writers who she admires and is thrilled by

At about 17:45, Sarah coins the cool term “proprietary physics” and how Lydia Kiesling exemplifies the phrase

At about 19:15, Sarah highlights Cohen’s The Netanyahus and Homeland Elegies from Ayad Akhtar

At about 20:15, Sarah drops a haunting and amazing fact about publishing from 9/11

At about 20:40, Sarah provides seeds for the book, both in the immediate past and the thought process from the more distant past

At about 23:20, Sarah talks about Bed Stuy Strong, a mutual aid organization she started in 2020, and how the “seeds and fertilizer” for the book came from this time

At about 29:10, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and Sarah responds to why she chose to set the book in 2012 or so

At about 32:30, The two discuss the book’s pivot point, which happened before the book’s main chronology; Sarah expands on the ways in which Sarah’s relationships and ethic and view on her previous life in India come from this pivotal and traumatic event

At about 37:30, Sarah speaks to the importance of Milwaukee and its history and her knowledge of it, and why she made the setting what it was

At about 42:10, Sarah responds to Pete’s asking about Sneha’s complicated relationship with her parents

At about 46:30, Sarah talks about the “absolutely bonkers act” that leads to a misunderstanding between Marina and the smitten Sneha

At about 49:40, Sarah gives background on Sneha’s boss and how his character evolved in her various drafts

At about 51:15, The two discuss the idea of “The Pink House” and its significance

At about 54:00, Sarah discusses her book as a coming of age story and her desire to portray deep friendships and love

At about 58:40, Pete notes the success of the well-drawn flashbacks and flashforwards and fanboys over the fabulous and eminently memorable last scene and last line of the book, and Sarah describes what the “page [was] revealing to her” as the book’s ending morphed

At about 1:02:05, Sarah discuss the book as (perhaps subtly) hopeful

At about 1:03:10, Pete asks Sarah about future projects

At about 1:04:00, Sarah drops some important insights that are useful advice for young (and old) writers

At about 1:04:50, Sarah shares contact info, social media, and bookstores where to buy her book, including The Word is Change in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn

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 199 with Jared Beloff. He is the author of Who Will Cradle Your Head and the microchap This is how we say “I love you.” He is also a peer reviewer for The Whale Road Review, and his work has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize.

The episode will air on August 15.

Wednesday Aug 02, 2023

Episode 197 with Chloe Cooper Jones, Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Master of Melding Seemingly-Disparate Ideas and Themes, and Author of the Masterful and Profound Easy Beauty

Wednesday Aug 02, 2023

Notes and Links to Chloé Cooper Jones’ Work

Chloé Cooper Jones is a professor, journalist, and the author of the memoir Easy Beauty, which was named a best book of 2022 by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Memoir. She was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing in 2020. She is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant recipient and a Howard Foundation Fellow. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

For Episode 197 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Chloé Cooper Jones, and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with reading, writing, seeking beauty, her parents’ influences on her world views, formative and transformative writers (and “fun trash” she read), and salient topics from her powerful memoir, such as muses and aesthetes, pop culture and philosophy, bigoted views on women as those with disabilities, and the pertinent trips that Chloé took in seeking beauty, catharsis, and hope.

Buy Easy Beauty: A Memoir

Chloe's Website

Chloe’s Pulitzer-Prize Nominated Article for The Verge- “Fearing for His Life”

People Magazine 2022 Article about Easy Beauty-“Author Chloé Cooper Jones, Who Has a Visible Disability, On Deciding to Claim Space For Herself and Her Son”

At about 1:35, Chloe lets the listener in on her mindset in hearing about her second Pulitzer Prize nomination, including the beauty of combining family pursuits and career

At about 6:55, Chloe gives out information regarding where to buy her book, and her contact information, including Greenlight and Books are Magic, and Lawrence, KS’ The Raven Bookstore

At about 8:45, Chloe talks about her childhood and its focus on beauty as impressed upon her by her parents in their different ways; she calls “having a rich interior life a survival mechanism”

At about 13:15, Pete shouts out a short story idea from Chloe’s father that was emblematic of his mind

At about 14:00, Chloe details some of the reading that excited and challenged her as she grew up, and “the fun trash” too

At about 16:40, Chloe lists Diane Williams and Cormac McCarthy, among many others, as formative writers

At about 17:30, Pete asks Chloe about David Foster Wallace and some other nonfiction she may have read; she notes how “exciting” his sportswriting was, and Janet Malcolm and John McPhee as other great influences

At about 20:20, Chloe shouts out the recently-released and incredibly versatile work of Andrew Leland-The Country of the Blind, Rachel Aviv’s work, and Jessamine Chan’s School for Good Mothers

At about 22:10, Chloe responds to Pete’s question about if she felt represented in what she read growing up, and she answers the question using Coming Home as one anomaly

At about 26:30, Chloe reflects on the use of the word “disabled” and its myriad meanings

At about 28:05, Chloe answers Pete’s questions about the balance between disabled people educating others and well-meaning people and possible dehumanizing actions; she cites a telling excerpt from Andrew Leland’s book

At about 33:30, Pete cites Elaine Scarry and how Chloe connects ideas of processing beauty and ignorance

At about 34:15, Pete lays out the structure for the book as based on trips Chloe took, and he and Chloe discuss the importance and circumstances of the first trip chronicled, the trip to see Beyonce at San Siro; Chloe builds on the idea and definitions of “easy beauty”

At about 41:55, Pete compliments Chloe’s genuine writing about her son and motherhood

At about 42:55, Chloe explains the power of Beyonce and her “radical presence”

At about 45:50, The two discuss the freeing nature of Chloe’s reporting trip to see Roger Federer, which leads to further discussion of how Chloe’s melds philosophy and more aesthetic ideals with a more pop(ular) sensibility

At about 51:10, Chloe discusses an opening scene from the book that engendered strong feelings for her, as well as pervasive beliefs

At about 54:45, Chloe reflects on what was different about her reaction to the above conversation and the phenomenon of “The Neutral Room”

At about 56:35, The two discuss the book’s “Indifferent Man”

At about 59:20, Chloe gives background on her trip to Rome and seeking beauty and connections to her father’s philosophies

At about 1:04:15, The two discuss Chloe’s trip to Cambodia, and she discusses the evolving nature of her research and searching questions, as catharsis and society’s desire for witnessing violence become topics

At about 1:13:10, Pete notes the emphasis on capitalism in “dark tourism” and the seeming normality of dark tourism sites

At about 1:14:35, The two discuss a final scene dealing with perspective and Chloe’s mother and a trip to Miami

At about 1:19:25, Chloe responds to Pete’s question about how she deals with writing on profound and deeply painful and tragic topics

At about 1:23:45, Chloe talks about upcoming events and projects, including working with Matty Davis in Bentonville, AR

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 198 with Sarah Thankam Mathews, who is the author of the novel All This Could Be Different, which was shortlisted for the 2022 National Book Award and the 2022 Discover Prize, and nominated for the Aspen Literary Prize. She is formerly a Rona Jaffe Fellow in fiction at the Iowa Writers Workshop, and a Margins Fellow at The Asian American Writers Workshop.

Monday Jul 31, 2023

Episode 196 with Rachel Howzell Hall, Painter of Worlds Both Familiar and Unknown, Creator of Psychological Thrillers, Master Crime Writer, and Author of What Never Happened

Monday Jul 31, 2023

Episode 196 Notes and Links to Rachel Howzell Hall’s Work

On Episode 196 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Rachel Howzell Hall and the two discuss, among other things, her devotion to reading throughout her life, her love of crime writing and thrillers, the draw of her favorite writers, and ideas raised and dealt with in her writing, including themes of loneliness, identity, racism, traumas both historical and individual, gentrification, and fear.

Rachel Howzell Hall’’s debut novel, A Quiet Storm, was published in 2002 by Scribner to great notice, and was chosen as a “Rory’s Book Club” selection, the must-read book list for fictional television character Rory Gilmore of The Gilmore Girls.

She is the critically acclaimed author and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for And Now She’s Gone, which was also nominated for the Lefty-, Barry- and Anthony Awards. A New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister with James Patterson, Rachel is an Anthony-, International Thriller Writers- and Lefty Award nominee and the author of They All Fall Down, Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series as well as the author of the bestselling Audible Original, How It Ends.

Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and has been a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers Programs.

She lives in L.A. with her husband and daughter.

Buy What Never Happened

Rachel's Website

Review of What Never Happened from Kirkus Reviews

At about 1:20, Rachel talks about her mindset in the days leading up to the publication of What Never Happened on August 1, 2023; she also

At about 4:20, Rachel talks about the realism she seeks in her writing, particularly the book’s ending

At about 5:30, The two discuss the book’s bold opening

At about 6:15, Rachel gives background on her early reading and writing and love for LA, as well as her lifelong fascination with crime

At about 8:55, Rachel talks about the power of Stephen King’s work, particularly It

At about 10:20, Rachel talks about her experience at UC Santa Cruz

At about 11:00, Rachel discusses representation in the work she read growing up, and her desire to reflect different realities in her work in her specific way

At about 13:30, Rachel cites Laura Lippman, Megan Abbott and Gillian Flynn as writers whose treatment of “complex female characters” inspires her and her own work; she also cites Dennis Lehane and his “twists”; Eric Larson (telegraphs) and Jon Krakeur, too, are nonfiction writers who have influenced her

At about 16:30, Rachel responds to Pete’s question about how she sees genre and she highlights “sense of place” by Jordan Harper and Tod Goldberg

At about 19:20, Rachel talks in general and specifically about What Never Happened regarding writing the balance between plot/theme/allegory, etc.

At about 22:05, Rachel discusses the book’s setting and seeds for the book, including the draw of Catalina Island for someone who grew up in Los Angeles

At about 24:15, Rachel talks about the pandemic and obituaries and their effects on the books

At about 25:15,

At about 26:40, Pete and Rachel discuss Southland and their shared love for the show, as Pete connects the show’s in medias res to the book’s beginning

At about 29:00, The two discuss complications in the book and important characters in Coco’s life, including her spurned and threatening ex-husband

At about 31:55, Rachel talks about how the tragedies that Coco experienced affects her as a “people pleaser”

At about 33:45, Rachel and Pete give a little historical background on Catalina Island, its landscape and unique social climate; Rachel shares some interesting historical anecdotes and trivia based on her research and some of her rationale in building upon themes in the book with regard to the island

At about 39:50, Rachel vouches for the historical veracity of the racist wording used in the Avalon newspapers in the archives Coco searches in the book

At about 42:00, The two shout out Gwen, who Rachel calls “everyone’s sassy aunty”

At about 43:00, Pete quotes a great line from Gwen

At about 44:00, Rachel characterizes Noah, and how he views Coco

At about 46:30, Pete lays out a series of crimes that terrorize the island in the book, in tandem with the beginning of the Covid epidemic; Rachel expands upon ideas of the despicable things done in quarantine

At about 49:00, Pete highlights the cascading problems and scares that complicate Coco’s life as the book goes on

At about 50:15, Pete recounts an early scene with a cab driver that is prophetic

At about 51:30, Pete outlines some key themes of the book-racism, gentrification, etc.: and Rachel expands on ideas of classicism and ideas of loneliness, as well as Garden of Eden

At about 54:10, Pete and Rachel

At about 55:40, Pete asks Rachel about writing in different voices-obituary, narration, etc.,-as well as the genesis of the book’s title

At about 58:50, Rachel imagines who would play Coco if a movie of What Never Happened took place

At about 59:35, Rachel talks about exciting future 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.

Check out the next episode, which airs on August 1 Chloe Cooper Jones is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine; She is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing for “Fearing for His Life,” a profile of Ramsey Orta, the man who filmed the killing of Eric Garner, and the recipient of the 2020 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and the 2021 Howard Foundation Grant from Brown University, with both grants in support of her 2023 book, Easy Beauty.

The episode will air on August 1.

Thursday Jul 27, 2023

Episode 195 with Jessica Cuello, Keen Observer of the Connections Between Classical and the Modern, and Painter of Resonant Imagery in the Poetry Collection Yours, Creature

Thursday Jul 27, 2023

Notes and Links to Jessica Cuello’s Work

In Episode 195, Pete welcomes Jessica Cuello, and the two discuss, among other topics, her deep love for poetry and the French language, the power of libraries, transformational work by Jamaica Kincaid, the history of Mary Shelley, her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and the chaotic and amazon lives led by the family members, ideas of guilt, trauma, misogyny, feminist power, death, doomed love, and identity.

Jessica Cuello’s most recent book is Yours, Creature (JackLeg Press, 2023). Her book Liar, selected by Dorianne Laux for The 2020 Barrow Street Book Prize, was honored with The Eugene Nassar Prize, The CNY Book Award, a finalist nod for The Housatonic Book Award, and a longlist mention for The Julie Suk Award. Cuello is also the author of Hunt (The Word Works, 2017) and Pricking (Tiger Bark Press, 2016). Cuello has been awarded The 2022 Nina Riggs Poetry Prize, two CNY Book Awards, The 2016 Washington Prize, The New Letters Poetry Prize, a Saltonstall Fellowship, and The New Ohio Review Poetry Prize. In addition, Cuello has published three chapbooks: My Father’s Bargain (2015), By Fire (2013), and Curie (2011). In 2014 she was awarded The Decker Award from Hollins University for outstanding secondary teaching. She is poetry editor at Tahoma Literary Review and teaches French in CNY.

Buy Yours, Creature

Jess' Website

Review of Yours, Creature

At about 2:30, Jessica responds to Pete asking about where to buy Yours, Creature, and her social media/contact information

At about 3:40, Jessica talks about her relationship with language and literature, as well as books like Jamaica Kincaid’s that changed her trajectory, and her relationships with libraries, small towns, and urban areas

At about 11:10, The two discuss teaching foreign language and evolving pedagogy

At about 12:05, Jessica answers Pete’s questions about any links between French-which she teaches-and her own writing

At about 14:30, Pete talks about Mary Wollstonecraft and his knowledge or lack thereof in asking Mary about the links between her and her daughter, Mary Shelley; Jessica talks about seeds for her interest in the Marys

At about 20:10, The two discuss the frenetic life, particularly her teens and 20s, of Mary Shelley

At about 21:20, Pete asks about the rationale for the poetry collection’s title; Jessica speaks to its significance

At about 22:55, Pete speaks about the epistolary form of the letters and wonders about the formality of much of the work

At about 24:10, Jessica gives background on her structure for the book and its iterations

At about 25:50, Pete lays out the book’s first poem and birth and death; he reads from Page 4 and asks Jessica about ideas of revenge; she speaks of an evocative image

At about 28:30, Jessica cites evidence of Shelley’s father, Godwin, and the stories he wrote about her life and the violence he perpetrated

At about 30:25, Pete reads from some early poems, laying out the divide between mother and stepdaughter

At about 31:00, The theme of loss is discussed

At about 31:50, Jessica reflects on her usage of initials for the males in the collection, particularly Godwin

At about 34:50, The two concentrate on a poem that deals with “threes” and the family dynamic after Mary Wollstonecraft’s death and ideas of guilt

At about 37:10, Jessica explains a blank in a poem and its meanings and her rationale

At about 38:40, Jessica explains a legend about Mary Shelley and Percy’s trysts

At about 40:25, Pete reads telling and moving lines about grief from the collection

At about 41:20, Men in Shelley’s life are discussed in their flightiness, and Pete asks Jess about what shone through for Mary in loving Percy

At about 44:15, Pete highlights strong imagery, and Jess talks about Fanny, a half-sister of Mary, and ideas of women not wanting to “inconvenience” others

At about 47:25, Traumas of many types are discussed

At about 49:00, Jessica responds to Pete’s wondering about “the creature” and its origins and meanings; Jessica and Pete reflect on the creature as “feminine”

At about 52:30, The two discuss the ways women’s bodies are viewed, as Pete cites important lines from the collection

At about 54:00, Pete asks about any future project that Jessica is working on

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.

Check out the next episode, which airs on August 1. Chloe Cooper Jones is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine; She is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing for “Fearing for His Life,” a profile of Ramsey Orta, the man who filmed the killing of Eric Garner, and the recipient of the 2020 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and the 2021 Howard Foundation Grant from Brown University, with both grants in support of her 2023 book, Easy Beauty.

The episode will air on August 1.

Monday Jul 24, 2023

Episode 194 with Ruth Madievsky, Brilliant Tactician of Plot, Humor, and Nuanced Profundity, and the Writer

Monday Jul 24, 2023

Episode 194 Notes and Links to Ruth Madievsky’s Work

On Episode 194 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ruth Madievsky and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with Moldova and the former Soviet Union, her bilingual journey, formative and transformative writers and works, her sensibility as a poet and novelist, and prominent themes and issues about and surrounding her book, such as generational trauma and its effect on families and individuals, sexual violence, homophobia, codependent relationships, and dark humor that comes with pain and trauma.

Ruth Madievsky is the author of a novel, All-Night Pharmacy (Catapult, July 2023), an instant national bestseller. An Indie Next Pick, All-Night Pharmacy has been named a Best/Most Anticipated 2023 Book by over 40 venues, including NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vulture, and Buzzfeed.

Her fiction, nonfiction, and poetry appear in The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, Harper's Bazaar, GQ, Tin House, Guernica, them, Ploughshares, The American Poetry Review, and elsewhere. Her debut poetry collection, Emergency Brake (Tavern Books, 2016), was the winner of the Wrolstad Contemporary Poetry Series and spent five months on Small Press Distribution's Poetry Bestsellers list. She was the winner of The American Poetry Review's Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize, The Iowa Review's Tim McGinnis Award for fiction, and a Tin House scholarship in poetry. She is a founding member of the Cheburashka Collective, a community of women and nonbinary writers whose identity has been shaped by immigration from the Soviet Union to the United States.

She has recently completed a second poetry collection. Originally from Moldova, she lives in Los Angeles, where she works as an HIV and primary care clinical pharmacist.

She tweets her existential longings at @ruthmadievsky.

Buy All-Night Pharmacy

Ruth's Website

Review of All-Night Pharmacy from Kirkus Reviews

Article about All-Night Pharmacy in The Los Angeles Times

Conversation and Article with Adrian Florido on NPR’s “All Things Considered”

At about 2:50, Ruth discusses her mindset in this time immediately after two milestones-the birth of her daughter and great success for All-Night Pharmacy

At about 4:25, Ruth shouts out Skylight Books as a great place, among many, to buy her book-also, Book Soup

At about 5:00, Ruth talks about her family’s history with the Russian language and their Jewish identity in the former Soviet Union and reasons for emigration

At about 8:10, Ruth talks about communities of those who spoke Russian and those who shared her love for reading and writing and storytelling

At about 12:15, Pete asks which books and writers were formative and transformative for Ruth

At about 14:20, Ruth talks about the “contradictory, complicated” Los Angeles of her youth and beyond

At about 16:00, Ruth shouts out Richard Siken, Marie Howe, Terrance Hayes, Bryan Washington, Raven Leilani, as inspirational and challenging writers

At about 17:35, Pete compliments the book’s “arresting” last image

At about 18:30, Ruth describes why she’s “a poet writing novels,” in relation to recent fun viral posts

At about 20:15, Ruth highlights a fun “deleted scene” article from Guernica

At about 22:55, Pete highlights the book’s epigraph and an early strong characterization of Debbie

At about 24:10, Ruth gives a characterization of Debbie

At about 26:00, The two juxtapose the narrator and Debbie and shout the “earnest” Ronnie

At about 28:50, Ruth gives background on the “cursed bar game”-“Wealthy Patron” and the bar Salvation

At about 30:30, The two discuss Ronnie as “stable” in light of Debbie and the narrator's troubled parents

At about 31:30, Ruth talks about traumas and how they inform the actions of Debbie and the narrator’s mother

At about 33:20, Generational gaps are highlighted, particularly among Debbie and the narrator’s grandmother and them; the larger idea of Jewish and other immigrants and ideas of hardship are discussed

At about 35:05, Ruth responds to Pete’s question about what one does to “live up to” their forebears’ sacrifices; she points to the narrator’s guilt/conflicted feelings and trying to “honor”

At about 37:15, A heavy and darkly humorous party from the book is highlighted

At about 37:45, Ruth speaks to the ways in which the sisters acted out in connection to their father as “mostly a nonentity”

At about 39:15, Ruth discusses the knife and statue and ideas of agency in the narrator's life

At about 42:10, The two discuss touch and “cutting” and the transference of pain

At about 43:00, Ruth discusses ideas of “being a victim,” particularly in the ways in which Debbie and her sister deal with their sexual abuse

At about 47:00, The two discuss the codependent relationship between sisters, as well as Sasha’s

At about 50:00, Ruth talks about the contrast between the narrator’s relationship with Sasha in the US and Moldova and how their relationship evolved

At about 52:50, Pete quotes some meaningful lines from the book that deal with generational traumas

At about 54:00, Pete wonders if Ruth has plans to further explore issues and characters from All-Night Pharmacy in future projects

At about 56:30, An article in Full Stop that cites a reason for the book’s title is mentioned

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 195 with Jessica Cuello, whose book Liar was selected by Dorianne Laux for The 2020 Barrow Street Book Prize; her latest book is Yours, Creature, a creative and stirring look at the life of Mary Shelley.

The episode will air on July 28.

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023

Episode 193 with Ethan Chatagnier, Author of Singer Distance, and Standout Worldbuilder and Character Artist

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023

Episode 193 Notes and Links to Ethan Chatagnier’s Work

On Episode 193 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ethan Chatagnier, and the two discuss, among other things, Ethan’s early reading and writing-John Saul!-his transformative and formative moments and educators at Fresno State, and salient issues in Singer Distance like emotional distance, entropy, father-child relationships, optimism and pessimism, and successful plot structures and schematics.

Ethan Chatagnier is the author of Singer Distance, a novel published by Tin House Books in October 2022, and of Warnings from the Future, a story collection from Acre Books in 2018. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of literary journals including the Kenyon Review Online, Georgia Review, New England Review, Story, Five Points, Michigan Quarterly Review, and the Cincinnati Review. His stories have won a Pushcart Prize and been listed as notable in the Best American Short Stories and the Million Writers Award.

He is a graduate of Fresno State, where he won the Larry Levis Prize in Poetry, and of Emerson College, where he earned an MA in Publishing and Writing. He lives in Fresno, California with his family.

Buy Singer Distance

Ethan's Website

Review of Singer Distance from Kirkus Review

At about 3:00, Ethan discusses his early relationship with reading and writing-John Saul shout out!

At about 6:30, Ethan discusses his wrestling career and how writing and reading became more of interest

At about 9:30, Ethan discusses mentors and great professors at Fresno State, including Juan Felipe Herrera and Steve Yarbrough

At about 11:40, Ethan responds to Pete’s questions about whether or not he wants to write widely or more focused on single subjects

At about 14:10, Ken Kalfus’ Equilateral is cited as inspiration for Singer Distance

At about 15:15, Erika Swyler, Kazuo Ishiguro, and R.F. Kuang are shouted out as contemporary writers who thrill and challenge Ethan

At about 17:20, Pete compliments Ethan for plot twists and asks him about how he balances science and plot

At about 18:15, Ethan summarizes the book and gives necessary background information and backstory

At about 23:15, Ethan responds to Pete’s wondering about the speculative nature of women, especially Crystal Singer, in a pre-ERA world

At about 24:40, Pete reads a profound line from the book and asks Ethan about young and fervent love’s role in the book

At about 26:50, Ethan connects an analogy about garbage in the book to Crystal and Rick’s relationship

At about 28:30, Ethan and Pete share some of the early plot and discuss ideas of fame and ethereal happiness

At about 31:50, Ethan sums up Crystal’s actions after her great feat in the Arizona desert, and what motivations she might have had due to her family situation

At about 34:30, Crystal and Rick are discussed in their shared love for Holliday, a famous scientist in the media

At about 36:35, Pete wonders about Rick’s fractured relationship with his dad, Ethan talks about it being “a rift that was waiting to happen”

At about 37:55, Ethan shares a telling anecdote about fathers and sons from Steve Yarbrough’s class at Fresno State

At about 39:30, Pete notes the ways in which “distance” is used in the book and spotlights a beautifully-drawn scene

At about 40:25, Pete lays out the book’s structure and its parts and charts the beginning of Part II

At about 42:00, Ethan follows up on Pete noting that Rick’s colleague Angie can’t quite break through his emotional armor and why Rick sort of “get[s] by” in life and in his career

At about 44:25, The two discuss entropy and its usage in the book

At about 45:00, “Loneliness on the top” and obsession with regards to Crystal is discussed; he also juxtaposes with an author’s situation in writing a second book after a successful first one

At about 48:55, Pete reads some heaping praise for the book, including from NPR, and Ethan talks about connections made and renewed after publicity for the book

At about 50:40, Pete asks Ethan about optimism and pessimism in the book, specifically in its ending; Ethan calls it “surprisingly hopeful” and gives an example of a vastly-depressing short story of his

At about 55:15, Ethan talks about his work and any interest in screenwriting

At about 57:45, Ethan talks about choosing upcoming projects, and gives out social media and 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 194 with Ruth Madievsky, whose debut novel, All-Night Pharmacy, came out on July 11 with Catapult, and has been named a Best/Most Anticipated 2023 Book by The Los Angeles Times, Vogue, and Buzzfeed. Ruth’s debut poetry collection, Emergency Brake, was winner of the Wrolstad Contemporary Poetry Series.

The episode will air on July 25.

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023

Episode 192 with Donovan X. Ramsey, Author of When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era and Master Craftsman of a Historical Book that Shines Through Personal Stories

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023

Notes and Links to Donovan X. Ramsey’s Work

For Episode 192, Pete welcomes Donovan X. Ramsey, and the two discuss, among other things, his early relationship with language, formative and transformative writers like bell hooks, Zora Neale Hurston, Phillip Roth, Colson Whitehead, and the inimitable Toni Morrison, connotations and legal policies that are products of the mythmaking and propagandizing of the “crack era,” the emblematic stories of the people followed in Donovan’s book, historical precedent for the over policing and oppression of Black people in the US, and optimism and pessimism to be seen in the stories of the crack era and of today.

Donovan X. Ramsey is a journalist, author, and an indispensable voice on issues of identity, justice, and patterns of power in America.

His reporting has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, GQ, WSJ Magazine, Ebony, and Essence, among other outlets. He has been a staff reporter at the Los Angeles Times, NewsOne, and theGrio. He has served as an editor at The Marshall Project and Complex.

Ramsey’s writing career has been focused entirely on amplifying the remarkable unheard stories of Black America. He believes in people-first narratives that center individuals and communities—not just issues. His memorable magazine work includes profiles of Deion Sanders, Killer Mike, and Bubba Wallace for GQ; and Bryan Stevenson and Ibram Kendi for WSJ Magazine.

Ramsey is the author of When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era, a work of narrative nonfiction exploring how Black America survived the crack epidemic for One World, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher.

He was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He holds degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he concentrated in magazine journalism, and Morehouse College, a historically black college in Atlanta. Today, he calls Los Angeles home.

Buy When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era

Donovan's Website

Review in The New York Times of When Crack Was King

Interview with The Los Angeles Times about When Crack Was King

At about 2:55, Donovan gives background on his early reading and writing life

At about 6:00, Donovan and Pete fanboy over Toni Morrison, who Donovan calls “the greatest to ever do it”

At about 7:30, Donovan discusses his love of Phillip Roth’s work, as well as that of Zora Neale Hurston and Colston Whitehead’s work

At about 9:50, Donovan talks about ideas of representation and how he was taken care of intellectually

At about 12:30, Donovan references current writers who thrill and challenge him, including Colson Whitehead, Mat Johnson, and Stephen King, whose cover of It inspired the cover for When Crack Was King

At about 14:30, Donovan responds to Pete’s questions about long form versus “longer form” and how he dove into the research

At about 17:50, Donovan cites jazz as a must when he’s writing

At about 19:00, Pete points to “crack era laws” Donovan references that seemed to be seeds for the book, and Donovan responds by mentioning Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration as an important “seed” for the book

At about 23:00, Donovan talks about the connotations that come with the word “crackhead,” as well as government and official language that served to dehumanize drug users and Black Americans

At about 26:20, Pete compliments and notes about a “good historical revision” in use of language that is not dehumanizing

At about 27:10, Pete marks the book’s eight-part structure

At about 28:30, Pete points out the book’s interesting and necessary historical background that is provided

At about 29:05, Donovan responds to Pete’s asking about Nixon’s “War on Drugs” and the preceding and succeeding years in drug and policing policies; he specifically speaks about Nixon’s “Southern Strategy”

***At about 33:10, The two discuss connections between events charted in the book with events of today and lament how, since history is cyclical,” there is little

At about 34:20, Pete and Donovan discuss the “inconsistent[cy}” in the US government’s and society’s view of drugs and punishment

At about 38:15, Donovan explains the Richard Pryor story and Lenny Bias’ tragic death in the context of mythmaking and propaganda around crack cocaine

At about 40:10, The newspaper article “Jimmy’s World” and the almost unbelievable circus around it is discussed

At about 44:20, “Gabo” weighs in on “Jimmy’s World!”

At about 44:45, Donovan charts the historical consequences of racist tropes regarding drugs and their supposed transference of superhuman qualities for Blacks and other people of color

At about 47:25, The two discuss Kurt Schmoke’s turn towards the decriminalization of drugs

At about 52:00, Donovan reflects on the economic ties between so much of society and the “War

At about 53:15, The two discuss the Democrats’ emphasis on “tough on crime” in the crack era and beyond, as well as the need for making things right now, with the adjustment of laws and redress of past wrongs

At about 57:20, Pete discusses the importance of Dre Dre and other hip musicians as part of bringing the crack era to an end, as well as communities standing up to bring use down

At about 58:40, Donovan talks about pessimism that came after finishing the book in 2020, including the case of young Black men being barred from selling water in Atlanta

At about 1:02:25, Pete highlights the power of the individual stories in the book, including a beautiful andeote involving Shawn-Coach McCray

At about 1:04:00, Donovan responds to Pete’s questions about any optimism he feels in examining the individual stories of Shawn, Lennie, Elgin, Kurt, and others

At about 1:06:50, Donovan talks about exciting upcoming projects, including podcast potential

At about 1:08:00, Donovan shouts out Reparations Club in Los Angeles, For Keeps Bookstore in Atlanta, and McNally Jackson Books in New York as good places to buy his book, as well as his social media/contact info

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.

Check out the next episode with Ethan Chatagnier, which airs today, July 18.

Ethan is the author of Singer Distance, a novel lauded by NPR Books and The Millions. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of literary journals including the Kenyon Review Online and he has won a Pushcart Prize and been listed as notable in the Best American Short Stories.

Again, the episode with Ethan will air today, July 18.