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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
Monday Jul 24, 2023
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.
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
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 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
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.
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
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 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
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
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
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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.
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.
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Episode 191 Notes and Links to Sarah’s Work
On Episode 191 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Sarah Fawn Montgomery, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading and writing, storytelling, growing up in Central California, the ways in which blue-collar Americans have been depicted-or not depicted in literature, and salient themes in her essay collection, like nostalgia, father-daughter relationships, cycles of poverty and violence and trauma, and evolving ideas of home.
Sarah Fawn Montgomery is the author of Halfway from Home (Split/Lip Press, 2022), Quite Mad: An American Pharma Memoir (The Ohio State University Press, 2018) and the poetry chapbooks Regenerate: Poems of Mad Women (Dancing Girl Press, 2017), Leaving Tracks: A Prairie Guide (Finishing Line Press, 2017), and The Astronaut Checks His Watch (Finishing Line Press, 2014). Her work has been listed as notable in Best American Essays many times, and her poetry and prose have appeared in Brevity, Crab Orchard Review, DIAGRAM, Electric Literature, LitHub, New England Review, The Normal School, Passages North, Poetry Foundation, The Rumpus, Southeast Review, Terrain, and numerous other journals and anthologies. She holds an MFA in creative writing from California State University-Fresno and a PhD in English in creative writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is an Associate Professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
Review of Halfway from Home: Essays from Kirkus Review
Split Rock Review-Review of Halfway from Home
At about 2:20, Sarah talks about her early relationships with reading and writing, and about how she wanted to write stories about often-overlooked working-class people
At about 4:20, Sarah cites some early favorite books and writers, and she analyzes the ways she reads a favorite, Joan Didion, now differently than she did then
At about 7:00, The two discuss class and how it is talked about in our society (or not) and represented in literature
At about 9:00, Sarah discusses how she got excited about writing-she shouts out to a high school teacher who gave a meaningful and transformative journal assignment and invited Sarah to keep writing
At about 13:00, Sarah references nonfiction writers who thrilled her in college-like Audre Lorde, Sandra Cisneros, and Jamaica Kincaid-and thrill her today, like Chen Chen, Ada Limón, Donika Kelly, Saeed Jones, Dorothy Chan, and torrin a. greathouse
At about 14:40, Sarah recounts the genesis of her Halfway From Home collection and answers Pete’s questions about making the individual essays cohere
At about 17:40, Pete summarizes the book’s first essay and its “dig sites” and focus on her father’s whimsy and her love of dirt-it’s called “Excavation”
At about 19:00, Sarah speaks to the significance of “excavation” in the first story and beyond
At about 21:00, Pete compliments the story’s “imagined ending” and Sarah speaks about its significance and background
At about 23:25, Sarah discusses the power and symbolism of fire and light, cold and darkness, as featured in her book
At about 26:10, The two discuss ideas of homes, serenity, and respite from traumas and chaos
At about 31:30, The two discuss her essay on cartography
At about 35:40, Pete muses
At about 37:00, The history of Sarah’s family in mines is discussed, along with the multiple meanings of “descendants”
At about 40:50, Sarah talks about “complicating humanity,” especially with regards to her grandfather and grandmother
At about 42:15, Pete asks about the end of an essay and how Sarah approached its second-person address
At about 44:20, The two discuss nostalgia and its connections to the essays, the intriguing concept of saudade, and nostalgia’s history as something to be discouraged
At about 48:35, Pete recounts how nostalgia has informed the podcast’s ethos
At about 50:45, Sarah confesses to being “anti-time” (!) and the two reference a classic Saved by the Bell scene
At about 54:45, Cycles of violence as depicted in the essay are examined
At about 56:45, Sarah reflects on how she sees and saw he father throughout her collection and in more recent times
At about 1:01:00, Pete notes the ways in which women in Sarah’s family are portrayed in her collection
At about 1:02:30, Pete compliments a beautiful scene with father and daughter and Sarah talks about the nostalgia associated with parents and childhood-Pete
At about 1:04:45, Sarah shares an interesting new project involving combatting ableist writing as default
At about 1:05:50, The two fan boy/girl over Alice Wong’s work
At about 1:06:15, Sarah shouts out her publisher Split Lip Press as a place to buy her book
At about 1:06:45, Sarah gives out social media/contact information
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch 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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 192 with Donovan X Ramsey. He is a journalist, author, and indispensable voice on issues of identity, justice, and patterns of power in América; When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era comes out on June 11, i.e. the day this episode with Sarah has been published.
The episode will air on July 18.
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Episode 190 Notes and Links to Ellen Birkett Morris’ Work
On Episode 190 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ellen Birkett Morris, and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with the written word and Southern gothic writers, her increased confidence in world building that led to her embracing writing as a profession, writers whose work thrills her, her upcoming award-winning novel, promoting her Lost Girls story collection during the onset of Covid, pertinent themes from her collection, such as misogyny, the innocence of youth, aging and its attendant repercussions, connections/intimacy, and death, as well as her mindset in writing emotional and wrenching pieces.
Ellen Birkett Morris is an award-winning, multi-genre writer, teacher, and editor based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Morris is the author of SURRENDER (Finishing Line Press). Her poetry has appeared in Thin Air Magazine, The Clackamas Literary Review, Juked, Alimentum, Gastronomica, 3Elements Review and Inscape, among other journals. Morris won top prize in the 2008 Binnacle Ultra-Short Edition and was a semi-finalist for the 2009 Rita Dove Poetry Prize. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Notre Dame Review, South Carolina Review, Sliver of Stone, Great Jones Street, Santa Fe Literary Review, and Upstreet, among other journals. She is the 2015 winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for her story “May Apples” and won the Betty Gabehart Prize for Fiction.
Morris’s plays have appeared in Mud City Journal, Monologue Bank, and Plays, The Drama Magazine for Young People. Her ten-minute play, “Lost Girls,” was a finalist for the 2008 Heideman Award given by Actors Theatre. “Lost Girls’ received a staged reading at Cincinnati’s Arnoff Center.
Her essays can be found in trade paperback books including NESTING: IT’S A CHICK THING, THE WRITING GROUP BOOK, THE GIRLS’ BOOK OF LOVE, and THE GIRLS’ BOOK OF FRIENDSHIP, in journals including Brevity blog, The Common, The Butter, The Fem and South Loop Review, and on National Public Radio.
Morris teaches creative writing at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky.
Review of Lost Girls by Yvette Benavides for Texas Public Radio
At about 3:20, Ellen describes her relationship with the written word, including the impact of the Southern Gothic she often was read
At about 4:45, Ellen talks about initial nervousness and small successes that “catapulted [her] into writing”
At about 5:40, Ellen keys in on what improvements she made in worldbuilding and “the magic of populating” her writing
At about 7:00, Ellen highlights Bobbie Ann Mason, Barbara Kingsolver, Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Berg as writers who have shaped her own work, as well as how her jour; Elizabeth Strout, George Saunders, and Rebecca Makkai are cited as beloved contemporary writers
At about 8:15, Pete remarks on the book’s economy of language, and Ellen adds how her pacing propels her work and how her journalism career has aided her later writing
At about 10:55, Ellen shouts out Rebecca Kuang’s Yellowface as a must-read
At about 12:40, Pete remarks on Ellen’s fabulous variety of work and asks her about muses and how she writes in different mediums; she provides an anecdote involving her father that illustrates her philosophy
At about 13:55, Ellen talks about how workshop help from Erin Flanagan provided the catalyst for her upcoming novel
At about 15:10, Ellen shares exciting news regarding her upcoming novel winning the Donald L. Jordan Award
At about 18:05, Ellen discusses the difficulties in the promoting and release of Lost Girls in June 2020
At about 19:30, Ellen calls the book a “loosely-linked collection of stories” and its connections to “Winesberg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson
At about 20:40, The two discuss the title story and the real-life backstory that inspired Ellen’s desire to center women in her story collection
At about 22:00, Ellen explains how she complicates the title story
At about 24:00, The two discuss the story of “Inheritance” and Ellen discusses “sin-eating,” themes of oppression and cycles of poverty and trauma and death and the story’s resonant title
At about 28:15, Ellen calls the story’s ending the most “raw, heart wrenching” she’s written
At about 28:55, The story “Religion” is discussed, including its emphasis on intimacy and social groups, and Ellen underlines the story’s humor
At about 30:30, The two talk about “Harvest” and themes of vitality and ageism and misogyny
At about 33:20, Pete fanboys over the story “The Afterlife” and the two discuss the grief and complicated mourning that takes place
At about 35:20, Ellen discusses advice received about complicating characters to create more compelling work
At about 37:10, Pete asks Ellen how emotionally-taxing this story was for her
At about 38:55, Pete compares the story to Alice Elliott Dark’s “In the Gloaming"
At about 39:40, The two discuss “fresh starts” as a theme and “After the Fall” and its connections to the Biblical story, its telling opening line, and its “metaphorical weight”
At about 42:05, The two discuss human connection as a throughline in the collection
At about 44:00, Tony, a repeated character, is highlighted, along with ideas of connections and unrequited love
At about 46:10, Through discussing “Neverland,” the two discuss its pertinent themes of connection and childhood traumas after Pete reads a story excerpt
At about 47:35, Ellen talks about the juxtaposition of youth and aging and complicity fits in the story
At about 48:55, Pete cites the innocence of youth as successfully-rendered by Ellen, including in the story “Kodachrome”
At about 51:45, Ellen responds to Pete’s question about how she ordered the story collection-she cites Lee Martin’s advice
At about 53:55, Ellen gives out publishing info for his work, including Carmichael’s in Louisville; she also gives contact info/social media
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Episode 189 Notes and Links to Andrés Reséndez’s Work
On Episode 189 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Andrés Reséndez, and the two discuss, among other things, his early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and his work with nonfiction and historical writing, the origins of his book on “the other slavery,” the interplay between disease and warfare and focred labor in decimating Native populations, and the machinations, greed, racism, and laws that guided the enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Andrés Reséndez is a historian at the University of California, Davis. His specialties are Mexican history, early exploration and colonization of the Americas and the Pacific Ocean, and borderlands history.
In 2017, Reséndez won the Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy for The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America. Reséndez grew up in Mexico City, and he is currently a professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Davis.
Buy The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
Andres Resendez's Wikipedia Page
NPR Review: "Horrors Pile Up Quietly In The Other Slavery"
At about 1:35, Andrés describes his early reading and writing and language experiences
At about 3:25, Andrés references formational writers
At about 4:20, Andrés responds to Pete’s questions about his background with fiction and nonfiction, and he and Pete discuss the “amazing character” of Carvajal
At about 6:05, Andrés lists contemporary “must-reads” like Robert Darnton and Simon Schama
At about 7:30, Pete asks Andrés about connections between the treatment of the indigenous in México and Andrés’ scholarship
At about 10:00, Andrés cites Cabeza de la Vaca’s expedition-a subject of his earlier book-as one of the catalysts for The Other Slavery
At about 13:20, Andrés describes the significance of the book’s title
At about 15:25, Pete and Andrés remark on the “amazing” phenomenon of Spain ruling an empire across the world and the arbitrary nature of the enforcement of the prohibition of indigenous slavery
At about 18:35, Pete lays out a guiding hypothesis of Andrés’ in the book, regarding the central role Indian slavery had on the decimation of many groups
At about 21:00, Andrés connects the cycle that brings together epidemics and slavery
At about 22:10, Pete wonders about the ways in which people have used Andrés’ research since the book’s publication
At about 24:25, Andrés speaks about the use of the term “Indian”
At about 25:40, The two discuss the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and their unique histories
At about 29:00, Andrés discusses the overwork and slavery and exploitation that decimated the peoples of the Caribbean
At about 30:50, Andrés responds to Pete’s question about white supremacy and social caste and how these ideas permeated the laws and regulations and practices of the conquistadors
At about 36:00, Andrés answers Pete’s questions about whether or not he found any “heroes” in his research
At about 37:15, Andrés explains how the US Civil War led to an uptick in the slavery of the indigenous
At about 39:30, Andrés gives background on how the US Congress played a role in ending indigenous slavery
At about 41:30, Pete and Andrés’ draw historical comparisons to today and
At about 42:30, Pete compliments Andrés’ “humanizing” of the historical figures, and Andrés responds to Pete’s question about how he avoids “moralizing”
At about 44:20, Andrés shares an exciting future project regarding the Philippines and South Asia
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 190 with Ellen Birkett Morris. She is an award-winning, multi-genre writer, teacher, and editor based in Louisville, Kentucky. She is also the 2015 winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for her story “May Apples” and won the Betty Gabehart Prize for Fiction.
The episode will air on July 5.
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Episode 188 Notes and Links to Kavita Das’s Work
On Episode 188 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Kavita Das, and the two discuss, among other things, her early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and writing, how writing her first book and working in social change led her to write Craft and Conscience, and ideas of history, forgotten histories, personal narrative, writing about emotional issues, the power of anthology and writing being in conversation with other writing, writing as political, and ideas of power.
Kavita Das worked in social change for close to fifteen years, addressing issues ranging from community and housing inequities, to public health disparities, to racial injustice. Although Kavita remains committed to social justice issues, she left the social change sector to become a full-time writer and to tell the life story of Grammy-nominated Hindustani singer Lakshmi Shankar through her first book Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar (Harper Collins India, June 2019).
At the root of both her writing and social change work is Kavita’s desire to provoke thought and engender change by recognizing and revealing the true ways in which culture, race, and gender intersect especially when it comes to societal inequities. Kavita has been a regular contributor to NBC News Asian America, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Rumpus. In addition, her work has been published in WIRED, Poets & Writers, Catapult, LitHub, Tin House, Longreads, Kenyon Review, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Guernica, McSweeney’s, Fast Company, Quartz, Colorlines, Romper, and elsewhere. She was nominated for a 2016 Pushcart Prize.
Kavita created the popular “Writing About Social Issues” nonfiction seminar, which inspired her second book, Craft and Conscience: How To Write About Social Issues, and has taught at the New School and Catapult, along with being a frequent guest lecturer. Her essays on social issues have been included in two creative writing textbooks. Kavita received a B.A. in Urban Studies from Bryn Mawr College and a M.B.A. in Marketing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A native New Yorker, Kavita and her husband, Om try to keep up with their toddler, Daya and Harper, their hound.
Buy Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues
Review of Craft and Conscience from Hippocampus Magazine
At about 2:55, Kavita shares social media/contact info and places to buy her work, as well as discussing where to connect with her over writing and writing classes
At about 5:25, Kavita discusses her early journeys involving language, reading, imagination, and searching for a diversity of books and characters
At about 8:45, Kavita shares her first impressions upon reading some of the chill-inducing greats, such as James Baldwin, and seeing literature for the first time as personal
At about 9:50, Pete and Kavita highlight her writing about her experience with a cleft palate, and she connects the last chapter to the first chapter and Orwell’s writing, as well as her own rationale in writing as she does and what lessons she has learned through her life that informed
At about 16:40, Kavita reflects on the influences that Bengali and Tamil have had on her and her writing
At about 19:25, Kavita shares an indicative saying from Tamil
At about 21:10, Kavita responds to Pete’s questions about seeds for the book and why she chose to make it an anthology
At about 23:30, Kavita homes in on how her first book influenced Craft and Conscience
At about 27:45, Kavita details writer’s workshops and classes and experiences that helped her solidify her writing and teaching skills and philosophies
At about 30:10, Kavita remembers her learning and early emphasis on honing her writing craft in using her knowledge base in conjunction with what makes compelling reading
At about 33:00, Pete lays out the book’s structure and highlights Mira Jacob’s and Kavita’s Introduction, which leads Kavita to expand upon why the book took the form of anthology
At about 36:20, Pete cites the resonant epigraph from Jericho Brown, and homes in on Chapter One and connections between writing and politics
At about 38:20, Kavita expands on ideas of craft and culture and their connections
At about 39:55, Pete highlights a meaningful quote from Christiane Amanpour-”being truthful and not neutral” and Kavita discusses the “key distinction for [her]” and underlines Kaitlyn Greenidge’s powerful piece in the anthology
At about 42:20, Pete references James Baldwin’s evolving philosophy on his writing topics and what how he chronicled culture
At about 45:55, The two discuss the often-lacking forethought that governs well-meaning writers’ work
At about 51:10, Pete notes the anecdote from the book about Alexander Chee choosing not to write a story, and Kavita muses about his thought process and wishes more writers stepped back a bit before writing a piece/book
At about 53:55, The two discuss objectivity and subjectivity and the connection between readers/writers/subjects-they cite great works by Garnette Cadogan, Jaquira Diaz, and Kavita (writing on Jyoti Singh)
At about 57:40, Kavita recounts a chance meeting with her editor, the legend Roxane Gay
At about 58:55, The two discuss the power of writing-Pete and Kavita fanboy over Cadogan’s work-in inviting empathy; Kavita also cites the powerful “My Body is a Confederate Monument” by Caroline Williams
At about 1:03:45, Pete cites thought-provoking pieces from Dunbar Ortiz and Imani Perry and he and Kavita point to the importance of context and family histories in the pieces;
At about 1:05:30, Kavita underlines the importance of “power” as a common theme in the collection and discusses the culture need and often unwillingness to really engage on tough cultural histories
At about 1:08:20, Kavita keys in on textbooks and education and the ways in which they have sometimes been purposefully lacking in material/insights
At about 1:10:30, Societal change and its connection to uncomfortable writers and writing is discussed
At about 1:13:10, The “how” is discussed-that is, the book’s featuring important craft ideas, including the power of “hybrid” writing that combine data-driven and personal writing
At about 1:16:05, Pete references José Antonio Vargas and Yashica Dutt as someone personally-affected and how they took their
At about 1:19:10, The two discuss Nicole Chung’s thought-inducing piece from the anthology
At about 1:22:10, Pete compliments the piece from the anthology on “tolerance” written by Kavita and she reflects on the word’s shifting meaning for her
At about 1:25:10, Kavita continues to reflect on the implications of power and repressed histories and complicity and exciting new explorations of these issues, including work by Crystal Z. Campbell
At about 1:30:15, The two discuss the book’s present impact and future implications
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 189 with Andrés Reséndez. He is a historian at the University of California, Davis, and in 2017, he won the Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy for The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America.
The episode will air on June 27.
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Episode 187 Notes and Links to V Castro’s Work
On Episode 187 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes V Castro, and the two discuss, among other things, her early and lifelong fascination with horror, the ways in which her family stories and stories of Texas and México have shaped her sensibilities and her writing, the indie horror writers who thrill and inspire her, connections to The Mexican Revolution and La Llorona which populate The Haunting of Alejandra, and themes of misogyny and self-determination, emotional warmth and coldness, the importance of therapy in formal and informal ways, and generational trauma and working to overcome or control its effects.
V Castro is a two time Bram Stoker award nominated writer born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mexican American parents. She’s been writing horror stories since she was a child, always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas. Castro now lives in the United Kingdom with her family, writing and traveling with her children.
Southern Review of Books: “V. Castro’s “The Haunting of Alejandra”: A Feminist Folk Lore Remedy”
At about 1:40, V talks about being a “bookworm” and her relationship with reading, writing, and the lack of exposure to Latinx horror writers as she was growing up
At about 4:20, V points to reasons for her love of horror from a young age
At about 6:20, V responds to Pete’s questions about how much of her family’s histories were told to her, and how she sought out scary stories over the years
At about 7:50, V discusses finding her communities of horror writers/readers, and how seeking them out was a catalyst for her own writing
At about 9:50, V cites the thriving “indie horror community” inspiring her, including Haley Piper, Laurel Hightower, Gabino Iglesias, Eric LaRocca, Chuck Wendig, Gemma Amor, and Brian Keene
At about 10:45, V speaks to her varied writing and how she views “genre”
At about 11:30, V describes her mindset after her book is out in the world, and she gives contact info and social media info, indie.org, and other websites to buy her book
At about 13:05, V talks about seeds for The Haunting of Alejandra
At about 14:10, V responds to Pete’s questions about the relationship between storyline and themes/symbolism-especially in The Haunting of Alejandra
At about 15:20, Pete references the story’s epigraph, and V points out the historical reality of Flor Castillo’s friend in the book
At about 17:30, Pete lays out the book’s exposition, and V reflects on an opening scene and its implications
At about 20:55, V explains the ways in which Alejandra “puts herself last” and feels anxious and angry and frustrated and sad
At about 23:30, Pete and V talk about Melanie and therapy and how different generations have had access or not
At about 24:40, Pete cites the book’s flashback to Atzi and V discusses a pivotal deal that is made and leads to the family’s curse
At about 27:25, Pete and V further discuss the relationship between Alejandra and Melanie and explorations of generational trauma and connections between Catrina and Mictlāntēcutli and their importance up to today
At about 30:00, Pete charts a slow growth in autonomy
At about 31:30, V traces Cathy’s story and history, especially with regard to her pregnancy, and she and Pete talk about Cathy’s mother Francés and her connection to La Llorona
At about 33:10, Pete and V discuss Alejandra’s “cleansing” of her house
At about 34:50, Pete asks V about Matthew and she (succinctly) describes his genesis
At about 36:05, Flor’s story/chapter is explored, and V connects her to the other women in the
At about 38:10, Pete and V explore generational trauma and the ways in which people, especially the women in the book,
At about 40:20, Emilio Robles Avila and his amazing life is discussed
At about 41:35, Pete wonders if V “sat in judgment” of her characters
At about 43:00, The two discuss the book as “timely” and “timeless”
At about 44:30, V talks about exciting upcoming products, including a book about Rebel Moon
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 188 with Kavita Das. She worked in social change for close to fifteen years, addressing issues ranging from community and housing inequities, to public health disparities, to racial injustice and now addresses social injustice through writing and editing, including her first book, Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar. She is writer/editor of Craft and Conscience: How To Write About Social Issues, an anthology featuring countless stellar writers
The episode will air on June 20.
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Episode 186 Notes and Links to Stephanie Feldman’s Work
*Content Warning-Please be aware of discussion of sexual assault*
On Episode 186 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Stephanie Feldman, and the two discuss, among other things, her early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and writing, genre and genre-less writing, the balance between allegory and plot in Saturnalia, the book’s focus on Philadelphia and on the world at large, hedonism/inaction in the wake of climate disasters, the long echoes of sexual assault, class and power in her book, and whether the book has a sense of optimism.
Stephanie Feldman is the author of the novels Saturnalia and The Angel of Losses, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Crawford Fantasy Award, and finalist for the Mythopoeic Award. She is co-editor of the multi-genre anthology Who Will Speak for America? and her stories and essays have appeared in or are forthcoming from Asimov’s Science Fiction, Catapult Magazine, Electric Literature, Flash Fiction Online, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Rumpus, Uncharted Magazine, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Weird Horror, and more. She lives outside Philadelphia with her family.
Review of Saturnalia from John Mauro at Grimdark Magazine
At about 1:55, Stephanie describes her early reading and writing, and being “fated” to be a writer
At about 4:00, Stephanie shouts out Anne Rice, Jeanette Winterson, and others as formational and transformational writers
At about 6:00, Stephanie cites the “world building and atmosphere” of Rice’s work that inspired Saturnalia and the Philadelphia of the book
At about 7:20, Stephanie highlights Sofia Samatar, her work regarding Uzbekistan especially, and Jeffrey Ford as beloved contemporary writers
At about 9:00, Stephanie responds to Pete’s questions about the importance (or lack thereof) of genre
At about 11:55, Stephanie gives background on/seeds for Saturnalia, including The Masque of Red Death and the Covid pandemic
At about 15:00, Pete asks about the balance/timing involving the book’s allegory/symbolism and its plot/premise
At about 16:30, The two discuss the epigraph from Umberto Eco and its connection to hedonism and climate change
At about 18:40, The exposition is laid out, and Stephanie discusses connections to Saturn and fortune telling’s importance in the book
At about 22:45, Pete summarizes the night of the winter solstice, including The Lord of Misrule, and Nina’s tough times that lead her to do a job for Max
At about 24:30, Pete connects a telling quote from Faulkner to the book’s pivotal violation and gender roles and power dynamics
At about 30:50, Stephanie responds to Pete’s musings about the book’s commentary on social class and power
At about 33:00, Stephanie and Pete speak about Philadelphia’s small-town feel and Niña’s feelings of being “trapped”
At about 36:55, Stephanie responds to Pete’s questions about any optimism/pessimism that comes from the book
At about 38:55, Alchemy and myth and the stories are discussed
At about 40:00, Stephanie talks about the ways she and readers continue to experience the book some seven months after publication
At about 41:40, Pete shares the book’s blurb from Carmen Maria Machado
At about 42:00, Stephanie shares an exciting future project
At about 43:00, Stephanie gives the history of the “blue laws” in PA
At about 44:00, Stephanie shares social media/contact info and places to buy her work, including Main Point Books, A Novel Idea, Weird Horror “The Getaway”
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 187 with V Castro. She is a two-time Bram Stoker award nominated writer born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mexican American parents, and she has been writing horror stories since she was a child, always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas. Her latest is The Haunting of Alejandra.
The episode will air on June 13.
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Episode 185 Notes and Links to Toni Ann Johnson’s Work
*Content Warning-Please be aware of discussion of sexual assault*
On Episode 185 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Toni Ann Johnson, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading and love for the theater and acting, her college and formative reading lists, the ignorance surrounding her film on Ruby Bridges, growing up in an almost all-white town, racism and ignorance, writing objectively when her fiction is heavily-based on her real life, as well as pertinent issues and themes discussed in her award-winning collection, like racism, ignorance, adultery, neglect, sexual assault, and class.
Toni Ann Johnson is a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.
She won the 1998 Humanitas Prize and the 1998 Christopher Award for her script Ruby Bridges. In 2004, she won a second Humanitas Prize for her script Crown Heights. She was nominated for a 2015 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author.
Remedy for a Broken Angel also won a 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award for Multicultural Fiction and a 2015 International Latino Book Award for Most Inspirational Fiction Book.
In 2020 her novella Homegoing won Accents Publishing's inaugural novella contest. She won the 2021 Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction for her linked short story collection Light Skin Gone to Waste.
Toni Ann Johnson's Wikipedia Page
Interview from Moria Online- "A Story Can Be Both: An Interview with Toni Ann Johnson"
Hawai’i Review of Books-"What Color Is Your Scapegoat?" with Dr. Stephanie Han
At about 2:00, Toni Ann talks about her early literary life, and how her earliest love was acting-plays especially-which led her to read a lot of plays
At about 4:15, Toni cites James Baldwin as the first writer whose complete works she read; Pete asks her about his fiction versus his nonfiction
At about 5:45, Toni relates her shared airplane flight with James Baldwin
At about 7:20, Toni talks about her time at the Lee Strasberg Theater and getting to know the founder and other legendary actors/directors
At about 9:15, Toni explains Monroe, New York’s placement in the state
At about 11:20, Toni discusses influential writers and writing, including Bessie Head
At about 13:00, Toni gives background on her time as a student of Chinua Achebe and Stella Adler
At about 16:50, Pete and Toni discuss method acting, with Toni providing interesting commentary on her view of it, as informed by her career in entertainment and her mentors
At about 22:40, Toni responds to Pete’s questions about muses; she references using memory as a muse
At about 27:20, The two discuss the state of book bans and historical manipulation happening currently, especially with regard to Toni’s 1998 Ruby Bridges and its recent headlines
At about 32:50, Toni relates comments she’s heard from teachers and parents over the years about feelings of empathy for Ruby
At about 35:20, The cover of the book is shouted out and Toni talks about seeds for the book and the balance between fiction and nonfiction in Light Skin Gone to Waste
At about 38:20, Toni responds to Pete’s questions about any difficulties with objectivity
At about 40:15, Pete lays out the book’s first story, exposition, and main character’s/conflicts, especially with Phillip and Velma’s lives
At about 42:40, Pete wonders about Phil’s mindsets
At about 46:40, Pete and Toni juxtapose the naivete of children and ignorance and bias in adulthood, as seen in the fictional stories
At about 48:00, Toni replies to Pete’s questions about how she sees her hometown’s biases and how much can be blamed on personal choice vs. “society”
At about 52:15, “Lucky” and the story’s throughlines and title and “turning point” events are discussed
At about 55:40, Toni gives background on help in revising “Lucky” from Roxane Gay
At about 1:01:50, Noble and ignoble actions by Phillip from the story are discussed, as well as the real experiences these events were based on
At about 1:02:20, Pete sets up the collection’s only two-narrator story and he and Toni discuss the housekeeper Gertie and her pivotal action or inaction
At about 1:06:45, Toni discusses multiple meanings of “scars” as used in the book and any connections to optimism
At about 1:10:00, Toni connects recent years and Trumpism and how her optimism has been regulated
At about 1:11:55, Toni talks about an exciting upcoming project based on/culled from her recent collection, as well as the fascinating background on curating her award-winning collection
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 186 with Stephanie Feldman. She is the author of the novels Saturnalia and The Angel of Losses, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Crawford Fantasy Award, and finalist for the Mythopoeic Award.
The episode airs on June 6.
Tuesday May 23, 2023
Tuesday May 23, 2023
Episode 184 Notes and Links to Robert Ottone’s Work
*Please be aware of Content Warning for Discussion: This episode contains conversation about suicidal ideations
On Episode 184 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Robert Ottone, and the two discuss, among other things, bagels and cream cheese, Seinfeld’s greatness, Robert’s early appetite for books of many genres and types, his writing journey, his diverse interests, writing as catharsis and writing as therapeutic, hyperbole, allegory, and real-life issues like medical racism, pregnancy, adulthood, parenting, and friendship that informed The Vile Thing We Created.
Robert P. Ottone is the author of the horror collection Her Infernal Name & Other Nightmares (an honorable mention in The Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 13) as well as the young adult dystopian-cosmic horror trilogy The Rise.
His short stories have appeared in various anthologies as well as online. He’s also the publisher and owner of Spooky House Press.
Robert is also an English as a New Language teacher, as well as a teacher of English Language Arts. He can be found online at SpookyHousePress.com or on Twitter/Instagram (@RobertOttone). He delights in the creepy and views bagels solely as a cream cheese delivery device.
Robert Ottone's Website with This is Horror
At about 1:35, Robert lays out his bagel routine and philosophy, as well as tales from the tipping world
At about 4:10, Pete and Robert analyze Seinfeld and its legacy and incredible outfits and hairstyles and ironies
At about 7:50, Robert fills in the readers on his YA trilogy and his feelings upon being nominated for a Bram Stoker Award
At about 10:10, Robert talks about his voracious and diverse reading, as well as his superhero loves and the beautiful connections with his father through reading
At about 13:00, Robert talks about his experience with Batman and the movies
At about 14:10, The two discuss Stephen King and his phenomenal writing and his iconic craft guide “On Writing”
At about 17:30, Robert discusses writers and writing that inspired him, including his favorite book of all-time, Less Than Zero, Elmore Leonard,
At about 20:45, Robert talks about his progression in reading and delving into journalism and music writing, including his appreciation for Alex Garland
At about 26:10, Robert shouts out the great Erika Wurth, for her partying abilities and incredible generosity and mentorship and friendship
At about 27:30, Robert muses on horror writers as good people
At about 29:05, Robert appreciates Paul Tremblay and his humility and genius and kindness, as well as the up-and-coming Todd Keisling
At about 30:55, Robert responds to Pete’s questions about what it’s like to live “in the muck” when writing and ideas of writing as catharsis; Robert discusses maternity and institutional racism and how this type of real-life issue is more scary than the fantastical
At about 33:30, Robert discusses the ideas of writing as catharsis, and he shares ways of mourning and grieving his beloved father’s death
At about 37:15, Robert connects exorcising fears and ideas of closure through his work
At about 42:05, The two discuss psychological horror and real-life scares like racism and how creativity comes in
At about 45:45, Robert discusses body horror and the issues that come into play with pregnancy, especially for women of color
At about 47:40, Pete cites part of the book’s exposition involving a scene that shows Ian and Lola feeling alienation from those who have kids
At about 49:20, Robert speaks about societal pressures and other causation for Lola and Ian
At about 53:20- “For spite”-Seinfeld reference
At about 53:30, Pete and Robert discuss Lola’s horrendous pregnancy
At about 55:00, Robert gives background on Lola’s giving birth and how it was “an amped-up version of what happened to a friend’s partner”; he cites an interesting “cosmic” connection to childbirth
At about 58:20, Jonesy, the child, is characterized as tranquil and chill while Lola experiences depression and anger
At about 59:10, Dannah’s role and her gift- a seven-pointed star, are discussed and put into historical context
At about 1:01:00, Darkness as a symbol and before/after pregnancy are discussed
At about 1:03:00, Pete wonders about hyperbole and its role in shining a light on societal and familial issues
At about 1:05:05, Robert explains his imaginings of Jonesy and how he’d fit into the real world
At about 1:11:30, Robert gives contact info/social media
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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 185 with Toni Ann Johnson. A true Renaissance woman, she is the recipient of two Humanitas Prizes and a Christopher Award for her screenplays, which include Ruby Bridges, for Disney/ABC and Crown Heights, for Showtime Televisión; her acclaimed story collection is Light Skin Gone to Waste.
The episode airs May 30.
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Episode 183 Notes and Links to Eli Cranor’s Work
On Episode 183 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Eli Cranor, and the two discuss, among other things, his childhood athletic and reading life, writers and writing that formed and informed his sensibilities, his views on genre fiction and mentors and anchor texts who helped him sharpen his abilities, and pertinent issues and themes like moral relativity, vengeance and redemption, poverty, and playing with tropes and archetypes.
Edgar-Award-winning author Eli Cranor lives and writes from the banks of Lake Dardanelle, a reservoir of the Arkansas River nestled in the heart of True Grit country. His critically acclaimed debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by USA Today and one of the "Best Crime Novels" of 2022 by the New York Times. Eli also pens a weekly column, "Where I'm Writing From" for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly at CrimeReads. Eli's newest novel Ozark Dogs is now available wherever books are sold.
USA Today Blurb for Ozark Dogs: “...5 new must-read books”
At about 1:50, Eli describes what it’s been like having two books out within a year, including his debut, and the tendency to want to compare the two experiences
At about 4:15, Eli responds to Pete’s question about the relationship between athletics and reading; Eli relates a cool story about his dad’s enforcing a 20-pages-per-day rule
At about 6:30, Eli talks about the “classic works” and other books that influenced him, including Bradbury’s writing
At about 8:20, Pete and Eli fanboy about Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” and Eli touts the greatness of “The Happiness Machine”
At about 10:15, Eli explains how he “cut [his] teeth on Southern writing” with Larry Brown, Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Jesmyn Ward, and others; he recounts how he got in touch with and mentored by Jack Butler and Johnny Wink
At about 13:20, Pete wonders how genre and regional distinction affect Eli’s work and mindset; Elmore Leonard is shouted out
At about 15:15, Eli talks about how crime writing allows for room to delve into social topics, and how his teaching in juvenile facilities has informed his writing
At about 16:35, Pete points to Ozark Dog’s Acknowledgments and ideas of moral relativity
At about 19:50, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and the book’s motifs of “cameras always watching”
At about 21:00, Eli describes wanting to explore the lingering effects of murders in small towns as he describes the relationship between Jo and her grandfather, Jeremiah
At about 23:15, Pete and Eli discuss Jeremiah’s demons
At about 24:10, Pete gives background on Jo and Colt’s relationship and her homecoming disappointment
At about 25:00, Eli reflects on Jeremiah’s sobriety and mindset
At about 27:10, Mona McNabb is characterized
At about 28:40, The Ledfords are characterized, and Eli responds to Pete asking about creating “eccentric” characters
At about 33:15, Pete wonders if Eli was “making a statement” with his depiction of some KKK members
At about 37:20, the two discuss Belladonna, a mother from the book who bucks tropes and archetypes, which Eli expounds upon
At about 39:25, Eli highlights Lacey as a favorite character, and Pete the book’s stirring plot
At about 40:30, Eli speaks to ideas of redemption and vengeance in the book, particularly with regard to Jeremiah
At about 43:30, the two reflect on symbolism of a rose in the book
At about 44:15: Eli explains meanings and significance of the book’s title; he shouts out Alex Taylor and The Name of the Nearest River collection and Alex’s important and interesting help in shaping the book and the title
At about 49:15, Eli outlines his Summer of 2024 Broiler book
At about 50:30, Eli discusses the real-life parallels between the book’s nuclear tower and the famous/infamous one that is close to his house
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 184 with Robert Ottone. Robert is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Triangle; author of the much-anticipated THE VILE THING WE CREATED, out as of April 18. We talked about Seinfeld, The Godfather, Part II, cream cheese, and many serious topics as well. It’s a can’t miss episode.
The episode airs May 23.
Friday May 12, 2023
Friday May 12, 2023
Episode 182 Notes and Links to Talia Lakshmi Kolluri’s Work
On Episode 182 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, and the two discuss, among other things, her prodigious love for libraries in her youth and beyond, her fascination with animals’ inner/hidden lives, formative writing and writers, anthropomorphizing, writing as action, writing as fun, the true stories that inspired some of her moving writing, and themes of maternal pull, environmental destruction, joy, and the boundaries, imposed and not, that govern the animal world and animal/human interaction.
Talia Lakshmi Kolluri is a mixed South Asian American writer from Northern California. Her debut collection of short stories, What We Fed to the Manticore (Tin House 2022), is a finalist for the 2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the 2023 Pen/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection, and was selected as a 2023 ALA RUSA Notable Book. It’s available now wherever books are sold. Her short fiction has been published in the Minnesota Review, Ecotone, Southern Humanities Review, The Common, One Story, Orion, Five Dials, and the Adroit Journal.
A lifelong Californian, Talia lives in the Central Valley with her husband, a teacher and printmaker, and a very skittish cat named Fig.
Buy What We Fed to the Manticore
The Florida Review Interview Regarding What We Fed to the Manticore
From One Story: "Nature Is Wild: An Interview with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri"
At about 3:40, Talia talks about her rich reading life during her childhood, including her wide reading and love for libraries
At about 8:10, Talia discusses imagination and its connections to her love of animals and curiosity about the lives of animals
At about 9:50, Talia talks about ideas of representation and not seeing “[her] exact self represented in literature” and the connections to “leaps of imagination” and what she read growing up, such as the inspiring Watership Down
At about 14:15, Pete and Talia talk about books in translation and the great work done by Jenny Bhatt
At about 15:05, Talia outlines her path to becoming a writer and her philosophy of revision
At about 19:00, Pete highlights and compliments the book’s originality, and Talia discusses books and writers that the collection is “in conversation with,” such as Panchatantra, The White Bone, and The Great Derangement
At about 23:45, Pete asks Talia about the book’s Acknowledgments and Talia’s views on being an observer and observing and connection to action or inaction
At about 25:40, Pete wonders about Talia’s writing as a call to action/activism
At about 28:00, Talia responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which she anthropomorphized her characters in original and not trite ways
At about 30:35, Talia gives background on the inspiration for the collection’s memorable “Toy Man”-Arvind Gupta
At about 31:30, Pete references the collections’s first story, “The Good Donkey” and Talia responds to Pete’s wondering about the story’s Gaza inspiration
At about 36:35, Talia recommends a powerful book, a diary of living in Gaza during conflict, The Drone Eats with Me: A Gaza Diary
At about 37:50, Talia discusses the title story and the meanings of the manticore, both mythically and in her story
At about 43:00, Pete highlights “Someone Must Watch Over the Dead” and he and Talia talk about dakhmas and their implications
At about 47:50, Pete cites the saiga antelope and its consumption and the two reflect on ideas of predators and willful ignorance
At about 50:40, “May God Forever Bless the Rhino Keepers” is discussed, including its beautiful portrayals of connections and love and maternal pull
At about 54:00, “A Level of Tolerance” is discussed, including its beautiful and gutting last page, Pete’s hatred for Groundhog Day, and Talia remarks about the evolution and significance of the title; 832F, the famous wolf, is cited as inspiration
At about 1:00:05, “Let Your Body Meet the Ground” is highlighted, as Pete makes a comparison to “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote, and “Tía Chucha” by Luis Rodriguez
At about 1:03:30, Talia highlights a novel that she’s working on
At about 1:05:15, Talia gives her contact info and social media info
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch 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.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 183 with Eli Cranor, whose critically acclaimed debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by USA Today and one of the "Best Crime Novels" of 2022 by the New York Times; his highly-acclaimed Ozark Dogs came out on April 4.
The episode airs May 16.
Monday May 08, 2023
Monday May 08, 2023
Episode 181 Notes and Links to Ramona Reeves’ Work
On Episode 181 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ramona Reeves, and the two discuss, among other things, Ramona’s early reading and literary likes and inspiring works and writers, her journey to MFA and her stellar collection, Mobile, Alabama’s impact on her work, and issues and themes of class, old versus new, loss and trauma, racism, and regrowth in her story collection, as well as reflections on pessimism/optimism in her work.
Ramona is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Her linked short story collection It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories won the 2022 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and was published by University of Pittsburgh Press last fall.
She spent a decade in the Northeastern U.S. where she wrote freelance articles, proofread for a men’s fashion weekly, and performed production roles for Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, and Esquire before moving into technical editing and writing. She eventually moved to Texas for several years before leaving to pursue her MFA in fiction. She has since returned and is nearing completion on a novel.
Ramona has served as a board member for A Room of Her Own (AROHO), moderated and appeared on panels at conferences, taught college-level writing courses, and served as an associate fiction editor for Kallisto Gaia Press.
Her stories and essays have appeared in The Southampton Review, Pembroke, Bayou Magazine, New South, Superstition Review, Texas Highways and other publications. She’s won the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors’ Prize, been a resident at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, and is a Community of Writers alum.
Buy It Falls Gently All Around
Interview for Chicago Review of Books Regarding Her Collection
At about 2:05, Ramona discusses that night’s Sergio Troncoso Award she’ll be receiving
At about 3:00, Ramona describes her experience working as a writer
At about 5:00, Ramona gives background on her reading life, including how her grandmother influenced her writing and literary life; she shouts out Beverly Cleary and the Bible as formative
At about 7:45, Pete wonders about Ramona’s connections to Southern writers and Mobile’s cultures
At about 10:05, Ramona responds to Pete’s questions about any influence she received from Flannery O’Connor
At about 11:30, Ramona shouts out ZZ Packer, Jesmyn Ward, and Tim Gatreaux as current writers
At about 13:30, Ramona recounts the journey to her becoming a writer; she highlights Antonya Nelson’s huge contribution in guiding her to New Mexico State; Pete shouts out Antonya Nelson’s In the Land of Men, and Ramona, Female Trouble
At about 16:25, Pete asks about thematically-linked short stories and seeds for Ramona’s collection, as well as if/how the book followed Ramona’s life; she cites a class given by Robert Boswell
At about 19:00, Pete shouts shouts a challenging high school teacher and reading list
At about 20:15, Ramona responds to Pete’s question about charting time in a short story collection and the “spaces” in between
At about 22:20, Pete outlines the first story of the collection and the two characterize Babbie and Rowan individually and in their relationship
At about 25:50, Pete lays out the plot and characters, mainly Donnie, from the collection’s second story, and Ramona expands on his encounter with a physic
At about 28:35, Ramona speaks to the influences that yoga had on her writing of the book
At about 30:10, Pete and Ramona discuss ideas of lineage, class, and history that are at the heart of the book
At about 32:10, Ramona cites Mobile’s history with Mardi Gras and “mystic societies”
At about 34:15, The two talk about the role race and racism play in the cultures and places described in the story collection; Ramona highlights Ramona Brown’s Descendant, a documentary that comments on the previously-mentioned topics
At about 35:00, Ideas of trauma and loss and miscarriage are discussed; Pete compliments a scene from the story, moving in its depiction of multiple generations experiencing and processing loss, and Ramona responds to this by connecting class and loss
At about 38:55, Ideas of class and decorum are discussed, including Donnie’s uncomfortable laughs throughout the book, and Pete and Ramona share their experiences with this type of laughing
At about 42:00, The two discuss religion and ways
At about 43:15, The two analyze an important scene and the ways in which racism was covered in the collection
At about 45:30, The two talk about themes of rebirth, recovery, and growth, and the baptismal as new birth/new life
At about 46:20, Pete cites Fay as a sympathetic character and an interesting one; Ramona talks about her writing towards happy endings
At about 48:30, Ramona gives kudos for Deesha Philyaw’s work with happy endings
At about 49:05, Ramona ruminates on Pete’s asking if this collection is an optimistic one
At about 50:30, Ramona discusses her exciting new novel project
At about 51:30, Pete and Ramona shout out former guest Rus Bradburd
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 182 with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, the author of What We Fed to the Manticore, which was a finalist for the 2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the 2023 Pen/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection.
The episode airs on May 12.
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Episode 180 Notes and Links to Jennifer Dawn Carlson’s Work
On Episode 180 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jennifer Dawn Carlson, and the two discuss, among other things, her unique schooling and relationship with her father which led her to reading widely and doggedly, her formative times at UC Berkeley, her views on writing for different audiences and in the arenas of sociology and journalism, and pertinent issues from her latest book: the roles of gun sellers, an evolving customer base for guns since the pandemic started, partisanship as fleshed out during the last few years, especially 2020, guns sellers and political views, and political divisiveness with regard to gun culture.
Jennifer Carlson is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Government & Public Policy at the University of Arizona. Prior to coming to University of Arizona, she was an assistant professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. A graduate of Dartmouth College, she received her Ph.D. in Sociology in 2013 from University of California, Berkeley. Her research examines American gun culture, policing and public law enforcement, and conservative politics. She is the author of the book Citizen-Protectors: The Everyday Politics of Guns in an Age of Decline (2015; Oxford University Press) as well as articles appearing in Social Problems, British Journal of Criminology, Contexts, Theoretical Criminology, Law & Contemporary Problems, Gender & Society, Feminist Criminology, and Violence Against Women. Her research has won awards from the American Sociological Association Sex and Gender Section and Race, Gender & Class Section as well as from the American Society of Criminology Division on Women & Crime and Division on Critical Criminology. In addition to scholarly writing, her work has been featured in popular venues such as NPR, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, BBC, and Detroit News.
Her latest book, Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy, is out as of May 2, 2023.
Buy Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy
Jennifer Dawn Carlson's Website
Jennifer Carlson at The MacArthur Foundation Website
At about 6:40, Jennifer speaks on the importance of her childhood and the “valu[ing] of education” in her household, including the impact her father had on her
At about 8:25, Pete asks about the connections between Catholicism and conservatism, especially in Jennifer’s household
At about 11:20, Indiana Academy is shouted out and Jennifer discusses her “super amazing” experience there and the ways in which it informed her reading and learning
At about 14:00, Pete and Jennifer discuss UC Berkeley and her formative time there, and Jennifer gives background on how interview subjects for her first book viewed the school
At about 16:30, Jennifer responds to Pete’s questions about distinctions and connections between journalism and sociology
At about 17:45, Jennifer discusses works, writers, and programs that have informed her own writing, such as The Op-Ed Project, as well as how she approaches writing for different audiences
At about 22:50, Jennifer talks about having her new book out in the world, and how “it was a fundamentally different process” than her previously-published work; she also shouts out The National Science Foundation and U of A grad student helpers
At about 27:10, Jennifer expands upon wondering about ideas of timeliness with the book and all writing
At about 30:50, Jennifer reflects on the initial months of the pandemic, and the uncertainty that informed a lot of the subject matter of her interviews for the book
At about 32:20, Pete wonders about what Jennifer learned about race and racism in gun culture through her interviews with gun sellers; she muses about the ways in which gun sellers reference the “great equalizer” of gun sales, especially since 2020
At about 37:30, Jennifer expands on the connections between ideas of “democracy” and gun sales, and who is “fit” to buy guns
At about 38:55, Jennifer continues with her explanation of ideas of democracy, especially post-January 6
At about 40:10, Jennifer references her second book as she and Pete discuss Philando Castile as an example of a Black man not dealt with in the same way by the NRA as white men have been; Jennifer argues that the NRA backed down from defending him as part of a fear of being seen as anti-police
At about 42:10, Partisanship is discussed with regard to the ways the gun sellers see liberals-”Awake but not Woke”
At about 44:10, “The great run on guns” and some stats and facts of 2020’s gun sales are discussed; “conservative gun culture” and a great paradox of gun sales and laws is brought up by Jennifer
At about 47:15, Pete outlines the book’s structure and its chapters; “experience versus expertise” is discussed as a big part of many gun sellers’ mindsets
At about 49:00, Conspiracy and skepticism and individualism are analyzed with regards to gun culture
At about 52:20, “Doing your research” is discussed, and an important quote creates conversation about “knowledge-making process”
At about 54:00, Pete points out an interesting explanation from Chapter Three of the connection between Protestant Christianity and political divisiveness; Jennifer highlights important work by Francesca Tripodi
At about 56:35, The two discuss dark and sobering statistics and opinions as seen in some research questions that sum up the political divide
At about 58:40, Jennifer highlights the book’s last chapter and lessons that can be built on about “building bridges”
At about 1:02:35, Pete compliments the book’s last chapter and its “call to action,” as well as the skillful rendering of the pre-politicization of the NRA
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
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 181 with Ramona Reeves. She is author of the linked short story collection It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories, which won the 2022 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and The Sergio Troncoso Award for Best First Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Southampton Review, Pembroke, Bayou Magazine, New South, Superstition Review, Texas Highways and other publications.
The episode will air on May 5.