The Chills at Will Podcast

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

Episodes

Tuesday Jan 17, 2023

Episode 161 with Matthew Salesses, the Brilliant and Versatile Writer and Educator, and Author of Among Others, The Sense of Wonder, and the Paradigm-Shifting Craft in the Real World

Tuesday Jan 17, 2023

Episode 161 Notes and Links to Matthew Salesses’ Work

On Episode 161 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Matthew Salesses, and the two discuss, among other things, his early relationships with writing and language, his latest book (out January 17!), The Sense of Wonder, its connection to real-life events and Korean dramas, its background and themes and implications, and his processes in writing the book and his 2021 smash, Craft in the Real World and its ideas that shift the paradigms of teaching writing in workshops and reevaluating ideas of “relatability,” bias, and audience.

Matthew Salesses is the author of The Sense of Wonder, national bestseller Craft in the Real World, the 2021 finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Disappear Doppelgänger Disappear, and two other novels. Adopted from Korea, he has written about adoption, race, and Asian American masculinity in The Best American Essays 2020, NPR's Code Switch, the New York Times blog Motherlode, and The Guardian, among other media outlets. BuzzFeed has named him one of 32 Essential Asian American Writers. He lives in New York City, where he is an Assistant Professor of Writing at Columbia University.

Buy Craft in the Real World

Matthew Salesses' Website

The Washington Post Review of The Sense of Wonder-by Ron Charles

New York Times Discussion of Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Laila Lalami

At about 7:20, Matt shouts out his launch party on publication day (January 17) for The Sense of Wonder, an event at with “BFF” Kirstin Chen at Books are Magic in Brooklyn at 7pm EST: in-person and on YouTube Live

At about 8:40, Matt describes his relationship with language and books as a kid and ideas of agency and reading fantasy

At about 11:00, Matt describes the scant examples of representation that was available

At about 12:45, Matt describes what he read at school

At about 13:40, Matt traces early moments in his writing career, as well as the omnipresence of books in his house

At about 14:55, Matt responds to Pete’s question about who/what his students are reading, and he highlights the resonance of Katie Kiramura’s writing

At about 16:20, Matt gives background on the beginnings of The Sense of Wonder, including connections to Jeremy Lin

At about 19:20, Pete and Matt lay out the book’s main characters, and Matt explains the cool name for the star basketball player,

At about 20:45, Pete cites the book’s epigraph and how the book opens

At about 21:45, Matt explains how Robert Sung and Won Lee, two of the book’s main characters, are similar and dissimilar

At about 23:40, Matt and Pete discuss the connections between Powerball! and Robert Sung and their distinct and shared trajectories, including how a woman loved by both, Brit Young, is a dynamic character

At about 26:00, Pete outlines the hysteria that surrounds Won’s standout play and Matthew details Won’s coach’s behavior

At about 28:30, Matthew expands upon how a “scarcity model” plays out in the book with Sung and Won, and how it manifested in Matthew’s own life

At about 30:50, Matthew describes the significance of a scene that Pete compliments as “icky,” including

At about 33:00, Carrie Kang is described and her and Won’s backstories are laid out as Pete brings up connections to agency as seen in both of Matt’s recent books

At about 35:15, Matt describes the “living funeral” done in the book, and how this storyline with Carrie’s sister K having Stage IV Cancer mirrors the story of Matt’s own wife

At about 37:50, Pete dates himself with a ridiculous movie reference and Matthew talks about the sections in which Carrie lays out basics of K Dramas; his answer touches upon ideas of “audience”

At about 40:30, Pete asks Matthew to define “wonder,” especially as used in the book

At about 41:50, the two discuss the second half of the book, including Matthew’s skillful usage of timing and connections to K Drama storylines

At about 44:35, Pete compliments the ending, including the clever and intriguing last sentence of the book

At about 45:00, Pete highlights a profound quote about wonder from K at her “living funeral”

At about 46:25, Matthew responds to Pete’s questions about Craft in the Real World and ideas of “unlearning” after Pete’s notes the book’s immediate appeal to all readers, including its special place among educators

At about 47:35, Pete asks Matthew about the significant example he uses in the book about “query” versus “ask” with dialogue

At about 49:30, Pete notes the book’s two-half structure and notes the emphasis on craft as necessarily cultural; Matt speaks to ideas of writing as apolitical or “outside

At about 51:40, Matt and Pete discuss ideas of “know[ing] your audience” and its connection to craft

At about 53:10, Matt describes short-sighted criticisms from Western readers/writers

At about 54:35, Matt and Pete discuss the importance of Gish Jen pointing out a survey/experiment that fleshes out differences in types of literature types, and how Western critics often limit and unfairly criticize Asian and American-writing; Matt also refers to ideas of “hybridity” as stated by Lisa Lowe

At about 56:55, Pete asks about how Matthew runs his workshops and responds to Pete’s question about ways in which to keep workshops balanced and

At about 59:00, Matthew shares positive feedback that comes from readers of his book, and Pete shares a quote from the book that sums up its greatness

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.

Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!

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

The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.

Please tune in for Episode 162 with Erin Keane, whose RUNAWAY: Notes on the Myths that Made Me, her debut full-length nonfiction book, is a memoir in essays about her parents/pop culture/gender. Erin is also Editor in Chief at Salon Magazine and the author of three collections of poetry.

The episode will air on January 24.

Tuesday Jan 10, 2023

Episode 160 with Saima Sitwat, Author of American Muslim: An Immigrant’s Journey, Educator, Speaker, and Skilled Chronicler of Profound and Intriguing Stories

Tuesday Jan 10, 2023

Episode 160 Notes and Links to Saima Sitwat’s Work

On Episode 160 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Saima Sitwat, and the two discuss, among other things, her relationship with languages and growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, her early love of reading, her early writing and “chill-inducing” reads, her triumphs and challenges and funny anecdotes mentioned in her book from her days in the United States, her evolving “Americanism” and faith, her activism, places within the American Desi and American Muslim cultures, all chronicled in her 2020 book, and her continuing work to share compelling stories in different media.

Saima A. Sitwat is an author, speaker and educator. She was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and migrated to the United States of America in 2003.

Saima holds an M.A. in English Linguistics from the University of Karachi, Pakistan and a Master of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh. She is also an alumna of the Leadership Pittsburgh Class XXXV.

Saima believes in the power of storytelling. Her love for stories has taken her from corporate boardrooms in downtown skyscrapers to Punxsutawney, a town in rural Pennsylvania, on Groundhog Day. She puts her faith in the word, written and spoken, to provide healing and challenging pre-existing paradigms. Her writings have encompassed a vast array of topics and genres from penning opinion pieces and investigative reports to policy papers and developing strategic plans.

From professional writings to personal narratives, Saima always strives to find a singular anchor, that is the story at the core. The story might belong to a person, or a business or nonprofit organization, but the vision and mission is always defined by the one true story behind it.

Saima is the author of her newly published memoir, “American Muslim: An Immigrant’s Journey.”

Buy American Muslim: An Immigrant's Journey

Saima Sitwat's Website

Interview with Saima about “Becoming American” Series

At about 7:40, Saima gives background information on studying linguistics at university, as well as her relationship with languages growing up in Karachi, Pakistan

At about 11:00, Saima gives further information on growing up speaking Urdu and English, and Pakistani-inflected English

At about 14:40, Saima talks about her reading choices growing up

At about 17:40, Saima explains her career choices growing up, how writing has been a constant companion and how writing as a career she has come to in recent years

At about 19:00, Saima details two pieces written in Pittsburgh around 2015 and 2016 that received meaningful and positive feedback and that propelled her forward in pursuing writing

At about 21:20, Saima traces an evolution in the type of questions asked in recent years about Muslims and Muslim-Americans

At about 22:20, Saima shouts the book from which she is still “recovering,” the “realistic” Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

At about 24:20, Saima discusses the significance of the book’s cover

At about 26:00, Pete and Saima talk about the timing of the book and Saima’s “urgency” in publishing the book

At about 27:15, Saima describes the “conscious choice” she made in selecting her title

At about 28:35, Pete cites the skillful ways in which Saima charts her early days in the United States, and Saima recounts a humorous discrepancy in Fahrenheit and Celsius

At about 31:55, Saima explains “Americanism” and quotes a fellow immigrant writer discussing the unique way in which Americans make plans, as well as things learned from having two school-age children

At about 34:55, Saima gives background on the first chapter and a story involving the bathroom that is a microcosm of her early American days

At about 36:50, Saima further describes some learning moments in her early US days; she also highlights the warp speed with which globalism has led to shared cultural information

At about 40:30, Saima highlights positive attributes of the US that are charted in the book, including a sense of “want[ing] to understand” about other cultures

At about 41:25, Saima talks about her days in being dependent and independent in her early days in Chicago, and how she put up a “facade” in dealing with a new place without a lot of family around

At about 45:50, Saima shouts out Potbelly Restaurants

At about 46:35, Saima discusses the intricacies of her fitting in with, and learning about, Desi- American cultures

At about 51:05, Saima cites two turning points that inspired her to become more involved in writing, public policy, and other avenues

At about 56:55, Saima details a successful and unifying protest that she took part in to effect change in the educational arena

At about 1:04:20, Pete highlights Saima’s own learning and reading in preparing herself to discuss life and religious matters with her daughters

At about 1:05:20, Saima delineates differences between American Muslim practices and customs, and the Islamic and other cultural mores of Pakistan

At about 1:08:30, Saima details trying and triumphant times as the first female president of the Muslim Association of Greater Pittsburgh (MAP)

At about 1:12:30, Pete uses a quote from Saima’s book in framing questions about how Saima and other women are often misjudged and harshly judged for things that males would not be judged for

At about 1:14:15, Pete charts continuing activism from Saima as stated in her book, and Saima responds to Pete’s question about any pressures or burdens felt in being a sort of representative of Islam

At about 1:18:00, Pete focuses on the Covid “chronicle” that is the book’s ending, and he asks Saima how she might update the book

At about 1:21:35, Saima talks about her work with Better Stories work with the MD State Arts Council

At about 1:25:00, Pete and Saima praise Leila El-Haddad, her book The Gaza Kitchen, and her writing and storytelling abilities

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

Please tune in for Episode 161 with Matthew Salesses, who is author of, among other stellar works, The Hundred-Year Flood and Craft in the Real World. He is the author of the forthcoming 2023 novel The Sense of Wonder and has written about adoption and race for NPR Code Switch, among other outlets.

The episode will air on January 17.

Wednesday Dec 28, 2022

Episode 159 with Amanda Korz, Pursuer of Truths, Technical and Precise Writer, and Author of The 2021 Nervous Ghost Press Book Prize Winner, The Poetry Collection It’s Just a Little Blood

Wednesday Dec 28, 2022

Episode 159 Notes and Links to Amanda Korz’s Work

On Episode 159 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Amanda Korz, and the two discuss, among other things, formative and transformative texts and classes that changed her mindset and trajectory, her work as both creative and technical writer, her mindset in writing her award-winning poetry collection, seeds for the collection, for whom the collection is intended, and salient themes from her work.

Amanda Korz is a graduate of Mills College and is working on certificates in technical writing and user experience & web design. Her poetry witnesses previous versions of herself and intimately digs into mental illness, disability, and witchcraft. When she isn’t writing or studying, she enjoys hiking, camping, and is just getting into backpacking.

Buy It's Just a Little Blood

Amanda Korz's Page with Nervous Ghost Press

At about 6:25, Amanda talks about how biking and hiking have become big parts of her life

At about 10:40, Amanda details her writing and reading challenges and successes in her childhood

At about 13:30, Amanda discusses the reading analysis and discussion, especially of Frankenstein

At about 17:00, Amanda sets the record straight on misconceptions of Frankenstein from the eponymous novel

At about 19:10, Amanda lists transformative writers and works, including Ginsberg and his “Howl”

At about 21:50, Amanda responds to Pete’s question about how her work as a technical writer affects her poetry, and vice versa

At about 24:00, Amanda explains why she writes in first person and details the beginnings of her poetry writing

At about 27:00, Amanda cites Mills College and its readings and classes and how it expanded her writing ability and confidence-shout outs to Matt Mejia and Arisa White

At about 29:25, Pete wonders if reading analytically affects Amanda’s reading for pleasure

At about 30:50, Pete highlights blurbs from stellar creatives and Pete starts discussion of the book by citing a poem that serves as a “pivot point” in discussing ignorance of menstruation

At about 32:20, Pete asks Amanda about seeds for her collection and its connection to ignorance; she responds by discussing the collection’s beginnings and a frenzy of writing as she was “struck by lightning”

At about 37:15, Pete cites lines from the collection that contrast the violence perpetrated by men and menstruation; this leads to her explaining the double-meaning of the title

At about 39:40, the two discuss a poem that illustrates the pain of IUD placement

At about 40:20, Amanda discusses ideas of “mystery” that have historically governed men’s and women’s roles, and menstruation specifically

At about 41:30, Pete points out “Medieval Period” as a creative and educational poem that Amanda gives background for-both personal and historical

At about 43:50, Pete references some strong imagery in Amanda’s work and generational “surprise”

At about 46:10, After citing her first experiences with menstruation, Amanda talks about how the discussions around the topic are now expanding

At about 49:00, The two discuss the “totality” of menstruation and Amanda responds to pete asking about who is/are the villain in the book

At about 52:30, The two discuss a particular poem, “They Vote Red” that goes from “micro to macro” and connects to political issues of today

At about 55:00, Amanda discusses her book and for whom she wrote the book

At about 58:25, Pete wonders about the writing experience for Amanda and about any future projects

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

Please tune in for Episode 160 with Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated producer. A leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, his best-selling memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, was published by HarperCollins in 2018. His second book, White Is Not a Country, will be published by Knopf in 2023.

The episode will air on January 3.

Tuesday Dec 20, 2022

Episode 158 with Javier Zamora, Poet, Compassionate Activist, and Master Craftsman and Purveyor of an Arresting Childlike POV and Creator of the Stunningly-Good and Moving Memoir, Solito

Tuesday Dec 20, 2022

Episode 158 Notes and Links to Javier Zamora’s Work

On Episode 158 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Javier Zamora, and the two discuss, among other things, his early love of learning and influences in his native Él Salvador, the effects of his family members on his world view, the accolades that have come with his writing and his original and continuing goals for his work, his memoir and his light and masterful touch with a young kid’s POV, the ways in which traumas and bonding and love were intertwined in his journey to the US, and how writing the book brought him to a greater understanding of the vagaries of human behavior and his own behaviors.

Javier Zamora was born in La Herradura, El Salvador, in 1990. At the age of nine he migrated to the United States to be reunited with his parents. Zamora holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied and taught in June Jordan's Poetry for the People; and an MFA from New York University. He is the recipient of scholarships to Bread Loaf, Frost Place, Napa Valley, Squaw Valley, and VONA Writer's Conferences; and fellowships from CantoMundo and Colgate University where he is the Olive B. O'Connor fellow. His poems also appear in Best New Poets 2013, Indiana Review, Narrative, Ploughshares, Poet Lore, Theatre Under My Skin (Kalina Press: El Salvador), and elsewhere. Zamora has had his work recognized with a Meridian Editor's Prize, CONSEQUENCE Poetry Prize, and the Organic Weapon Arts Chapbook Contest.e enjoys hiking, camping, and is just getting into backpacking.

Buy Solito

Javier Zamora's Website

The New York Times Book Review of Solito

September 2022 from The Los Angeles Times: “At 9, Javier Zamora walked 4,000 miles to the U.S. At 29, he was ready to tell the story”

At about 7:30, Pete asks the important question: Does Salvadoran Spanish have the best groseria?

At about 8:10, Javier responds to Pete’s questions about his use of Spanish/Spanglish, and Salvadoran-specific words and his rationale/process in using the words

At about 11:50, Pete asks Javier about the awards and acclaim he has received and how it registers compared to the experience of sharing this personal story with the world

At about 14:45, Javier talks about pressures-external and internal-that have weighed him down and how therapy and healing through writing have lifted much of these pressures

At about 19:20, Javier speaks to Pete’s question about the writers who have inspired and thrilled and challenged him; Javier mentions the outsized encouragement provided by Roberto Lovato

At about 21:00, Javier cites the huge influences of June Jordan and Roque Dalton

At about 22:25, Pete asks Javier about his early relationship with the written word, and he mentions his grandfather’s and parents’ educational and political backgrounds and how they shaped his reading

At about 27:05, Javier traces his fairly-circuitous route to becoming a writer, including the impact of Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries

At about 28:55, Javier responds to Pete’s question about how the Bay Area’s ethic has shaped him

At about 30: 10, Javier discusses the teaching of Salvadoran history in Él Salvador and how he was guided by this

At about 31:00, Javier and Pete highlight Immortal Technique and Rage Against the Machine as educational and radical musicians and inspirations

At about 32:10, Pete asks Javier about the meanings of the book’s title, and Javier focuses on the three main parts/time periods of him being ”solito”

At about 34:20, Pete wonders about Javier’s individual story and how it compares to, and was inspired by, more recent migrations of Salvadorans and Central Americans, particularly minors, and how journalism has erred in covering the

At about 39:30, Pete reads the epigraphs and Javier expands upon their importance and connections to the book

At about 41:00, Javier puts forth interesting ideas about the use of the word “immigrant” and suggests a possible substitute

At about 43:00, Javier expands upon ideas of the natural affinity that people (Americans, for one) have for children, and connections to the American immigration system

At about 44:30, Pete, stunned at the masterful ways in which Javier uses the POV of 9 yr old him, asks Javier how he managed to pull it off, and Javier talks about how his traumas have affected his growth

At about 47:10, Pete outlines the book’s beginnings before Javier goes to the US

At about 48:00, Javier discusses the importance of his bonding time with his grandfather right before he headed North; he highlights The Body Keeps the Score and how he saw his ACES Index.

At about 51:00, Javier explains the Cadejo and its significance for him

At about 52:40, Javier recounts the tortuous boat trip that is depicted in the book and describes the overwhelming fear

At about 54:55, Javier talks about the “Big Four” (formerly the “Big Six” the people who become bonded for life with Javier and ideas of “surviving” as manifested by different people on Javier’s journey

At about 58:30, Pete cites examples of charity depicted in the memoir and Pete compliments Javier’s humanizing his characters; Javier responds with his views of the coyotes and the ways in which the border “world of 1999 that [he] described is different than now”

At about 1:01:20, Pete asks Javier if his stated goal for the writing of the book has been accomplished

At about 1:03:00, Javier talks about his involvement with Undocupoets, and how the writing world deals with issues of citizenship

At about 1:05:55, Javier describes his upcoming project

At about 1:06:45, Loca the Cat makes an appearance!

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

Please tune in for Episode 159 with Amanda Korz, whose poetry witnesses previous versions of herself and intimately digs into mental illness, disability, and witchcraft. Her poetry collection, It’s Just a Little Blood.

The episode will air on December 27.

Tuesday Dec 20, 2022

Episode 157 with Ilana Masad: Literary Critic, Former Podcaster, and Author of the Funny, Stirring, Meditative, and Thought-Provoking All My Mother’s Lovers

Tuesday Dec 20, 2022

Episode 157 Notes and Links to Ilana Masad’s Work

On Episode 157 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ilana Masad, and the two discuss, among other things, Ilana being raised bilingual and bicultural, her early reading and shifting literary interests, formative and transformative classes and mentors and books, her podcasting days, her work as a critic, and the myriad cultural issues and themes that manifest in her standout novel, All My Mother’s Lovers.

Ilana Masad is a queer Israeli-American writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, NPR, StoryQuartlerly, Tin House’s Open Bar, 7x7, Catapult, Buzzfeed, and many more. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she has received her Masters in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she is currently a doctoral student. She is the author of the novel All My Mother’s Lovers.

Buy All My Mother's Lovers

Ilana Masad's Website

Ilana Reviews Rachel Monroe’s Savage Appetites for NPR

The Last Episode of The Other Stories Podcast

The Other Stories Podcast

At about 7:00, Ilana discusses her academic work as she finishes up her

At about 7:50, Ilana talks about growing up in Israel and homes in on her bilingual education and writing and reading in her early days

At about 10:30, Ilana responds to Pete wondering if Hebrew in particular in its structure informs her English writing; she cites formative experiences with Etgar Keret and his poetry reading series

At about 15:00, Ilana discusses early reading that inspired and thrilled her-including works by Tamora Pierce

At about 20:15, Ilana talks about the impact of realist fiction on her

At about 22:30, Brian Morton is referenced as Pete asks Ilana about how she began to gain momentum towards becoming a professional writer

At about 24:00, Ilana shares an anecdote about Kieron Winn and her time at Oxford; this anecdote is partly-related in this article printed in December 18, 2022’s Atlantic

At about 26:10, Ilana outlines her plan in transition from publishing into writing

At about 26:50, Pete asks Ilana about reading for “pleasure”/for “business”

At about 28:15, Pete wonders about book criticism involving “bad” books

At about 31:25, Ilana lists some favorite contemporary writers and writing, including Moriel Rothman-Zecher’s Before All the World

At about 34:00, Pete cites some background info on Ilana’s submission process that he learned from the great I’m a Writer…But Podcast, and Ilana responds to his question about the maxim “Kill your darlings”-she quotes R.O. Kwon’s advice

At about 35:45, Ilana gives background on some seeds for the book, including the dynamic opening line

At about 38:00, The two discuss the book’s three epigraphs and the book’s inciting incident in creating significance for the mother-daughter relationship throughout

At about 39:20, Pete compliments the book’s interesting structure and moving scene near the end as he asks Ilana about how she maintained continuity for the storyline

At about 41:50, The two discuss grief as presented in the book, and Pete asks Ilana to expound upon the connections between sex and death

At about 45:50, The two discuss the main character, Maggie’s, father Peter, and Pete makes a guess about his name’s provenance

At about 47:00, Pete asks Iris and her tastes and behaviors and personality and connections to intergenerational traumas and her history with an ex-husband

At about 48:25, Ilana responds to Pete’s questions about Maggie’s behaviors after feeling left out/forgotten by her mom, due to Maggie’s open lesbian lifestyle

At about 49:45, The idea of the shiva and the cool plot device that unveils with the letters to be delivered is brought up and explored; Ilana expands upon Maggie’s feelings

At about 52:00, Ilana discusses the vagaries of grief and how it manifests in life and in the book

At about 53:30, The two shout out Sacramento’s appearance in the book!

At about 55:00, Ilana discusses the varied men that Iris had as lovers and their connections to Maggie and her relationship with her mother

At about 56:00, Ilana compares and contrasts Maggie with herself and talks about Maggie’s “commitment issues” and its “self-sabotage”

At about 58:30, Ilana delineates the ways in which American/WASP cultures often deal with death in such different ways than what she is used to; this leads to discussion of ideas of wellness in the United States

At about 1:02:50, Ilana talks about how mourning and views of death are tied in to the byzantine healthcare system in the US; she uses Erin Brockovich as an example of the system’s faults

At about 1:05:35, Ilana gives background on Mac Lopez from the book as an “homage” to Zahn McClarnon

At about 1:09:00, Pete cites the last scenes as beautiful and stirring and shouts out the “loveable character” Peter-without giving spoilers!

At about 1:09:55, Ilana shares “lovely messages” from readers and highly encourages readers to reach out authors

At about 1:11:10, Ilana discusses her time as a podcast host for The Other Stories Podcast

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

Please tune in for Episode 158 with Javier Zamora. Born in El Salvador, he came unaccompanied to the US at age nine, much of the basis for his debut New York Times bestselling memoir, Solito, which has been featured on The Today Show and many other pubs; holds fellowships from, among many others, CantoMundo and the National Endowment for the Arts

The episode will air later tonight, on December 20.

Tuesday Dec 13, 2022

Episode 156 with Dr. Namrata Poddar, Extremely Well-Read Literary Critic, Professor, and Crafter of the Unique and Beautiful and Profound Border Less

Tuesday Dec 13, 2022

Episode 156 Notes and Links to Namrata Poddar’s Work

On Episode 156 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Namrata Poddar, and the two discuss, among other things, Namrata’s multilingual upbringing in Mumbai and abroad, her early reading, her early reading and writers who inspired her with their decolonial and other writing, her “living with her characters” for many years for her wonderful debut novel, how she would label/distinguish the novel, and salient themes of misogyny, home and its shifting definition, class division, and diaspora.

Namrata writes fiction and nonfiction, serves as Interviews Editor for Kweli, and teaches literature and writing at UCLA. Her work has appeared in several publications including Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Longreads, The Kenyon Review, and The Best Asian Short Stories. Her debut novel, Border Less, was a finalist for Feminist Press’s Louise Meriwether Prize.

Buy Border Less

Namrata Poddar's Website

2022 LA Times Article: “Namrata Poddar’s debut novel traverses borders — and conventional storytelling”

At about 7:10, Namrata discusses the title’s significance and her positioning “borderless” as two words

At about 7:40, Pete shouts out an original usage of language in Namrata’s book

At about 8:10, Namrata responds to Pete’s questions about her relationship with languages and the written word in her childhood

At about 13:40, Pete asks Namrata about how her ancestral lands of Rajahstan and the Tar Desert

At about 15:30, Pete uses the famous Toni Morrison quote in asking Namrata about representation and its connection to her own book; Namrata expands upon her early assigned reading and the “divorce” between colonized readings and the English she heard in her daily life

At about 18:10, Namrata lists writers who inspired her in her younger days; she cites both writers with colonial and non-colonial foci, including her “first brush…with the world of literature” in America’s Children by Rushdie

At about 25:35, The two discuss Frantz Fanon and him as part of the tradition/”legacy” that has inspired Namrata

At about 27:25, Namrata lists and describes some of the many countless writers who thrill and inspire her, including Natalie Diaz and Melissa Febos, and Imani Perry

At about 30:10, The two discuss Sandra Cisneros’ skill and standout stories

At about 31:15, Namrata reflects on the title’s myriad meanings for her book Border Less

At about 34:20, Pete notes the clever book structure and asks Namrata to talk about how she labels her book and why; she notes ideas of “fragments” coming from many non-Western traditions, and how her epigraph from Edouard Glisaant relates

At about 40:25, Pete wonders about the story 9/12 and talks about the alchemy of what makes it a great story/chapter; he asks Namrata what she thinks the story “accomplishes” and she connects the chapter to other parts of the book

At about 43:30, The two discuss the dynamics of the dynamic first story, and Pete

At about 44:50, The two discuss the “Ladies Special” chapter and Pete notes Mumbai serving as a character on its own, and Namrata discusses the myriad significance of som many parts of the story

At about 50:10, Pete notes some salient themes, including financial issues and class divisions, from the book, and Pete highlights

At about 55:00, The two discuss ideas of stability and independence, and Pete shares a simple but powerful quote from the book

At about 56:00, Namrata expands on the hyphens that mark those in the Indian Diaspora and differing views of, and experiences with, a return to India

At about 59:45, Pete discusses ideas of connectedness and ancestral ties

At about 1:00:30, Namrata outlines the paradox that is set up with families that are scattered “yet find family in each other,” as well as the evolving definition of “family”

At about 1:03:10, The two discuss the significance of the haveli that has been in Día’s family for generations

At about 1:04:00, Namrata responds to Pete’s questions about continuity in the book and writing

a book that is a family saga that spreads out over many decades and multiple generations

At about 1:07:40, Namrata and Pete discuss Ricki, Día, and other strong female characters who buck the traditional gender roles and Ricki’s father’s nostalgic writing

At about 1:10, Namrata gives her rationale for ending the book with a chapter that she uses

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

Please tune in for Episode 157 with Ilana Masad. Ilana is a queer Israeli-American writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism; her work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Times, and many more; she is the author of the critically-acclaimed and awarded novel All My Mother’s Lovers.

The episode will air on December 20.

Tuesday Dec 06, 2022

Episode 155 with Robert Jones, Jr., Exemplary Literary Citizen, Reflective Changemaker, and Founder of the Powerful Son of Baldwin Platform and Author of 2021 National Book Award Nominee, The Prophets

Tuesday Dec 06, 2022

Episode 155 Notes and Links to Robert Jones Jr.’s Work

On Episode 155 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Robert Jones, Jr., and the two mainly discuss, among other things, the festive national Book Awards 2022, his early reading of comic books, his life-changing exposure to James Baldwin’s work, his incredible Son of Baldwin platform, a dearth of representation for Black queer people that led him to write the book he wanted to read, the wonderful literary community and its inspiration for his work, and the work of art that is The Prophets, with its myriad standout lines, memorable characters, and structure that makes it a true classic and work of art.

Robert Jones, Jr., is the author of The New York Times bestselling novel, The Prophets, which won the 2022 Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and the 2022 NAIBA Book of the Year Award for Fiction. It was also a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction and was named a notable book by The New York Times and one of the best books of 2021 by Time, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, NPR, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, among many others. His writings have been featured in The New York Times, Essence, and The Paris Review, as well as in the critically acclaimed anthologies Four Hundred Souls and The 1619 Project. Subscribe to his newsletter Witness at robertjonesjr.substack.com.

Buy The Prophets

Join Witness, Robert Jones, Jr.'s Substack

Robert Jones, Jr.'s Website

July, 2022, from NPR’s All Things Considered-“Son of Baldwin — a place for discussions of race, sexuality and gender — retires”

2021 Review of The Prophets from The Guardian-by Holly Williams: "The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr review – outstanding debut"

At about 7:10, Robert describes the incredible experience he had at the recent National Book Awards

At about 8:10, Robert outlines his early reading and writing influences, and the indelible mark left by comic books, libraries, and Wonder Woman

At about 11:30-15:50, Robert’s response to Pete’s question about representation in what Robert read growing up connects to ideas of connectedness and internalized and external ideas of queerness, acceptance, and inspiration for his own writing

At about 15:50, Robert discusses loneliness versus uniqueness and the ideas of “polic[ing] gender”

At about 18:40, Pete wonders about James Baldwin’s impact on Robert-Robert talks about being introduced to Baldwin “rather late” but being swept away by “Here Be Dragons,” among many other of Baldwin’s works, and how a quote from James Baldwin’s brother in the documentary, The Price of the Ticket was the catalyst for the Son of Baldwin platform

At about 22:35, Pete talks about how closely Son of Baldwin and James Baldwin have been linked in recent years, including an incorrect attribution of an important quote

At about 25:15, Robert lists and describes some of the countless people to whom he gives credit and love for their inspiration and encouragement, as seen in his book’s extensive Acknowledgments

At about 27:50, Pete and Robert sing the praises of Kiese Laymon, and Robert speaks so highly of Kiese tremendous help in getting Robert and his book

At about 30:05, Robert talks about contemporary writers like Deesha Philyaw, Dawnie Walton, Maisy Card, Mateo Askaripour, Jason Mott, and Xochitl Gonzalez whose work thrills and inspires and challenges him, and he shouts out an outstanding upcoming 2023 book from Jamila Minnicks

At about 32:50, Robert gives background on research for The Prophets, the time spent writing it, and the seeds for the books that largely came from his university studies

At about 37:25, Robert responds to Pete wondering what Robert was able to do by making his book fiction and not nonfiction

At about 39:00, Robert and Pete discusses connections between the invasion of African countries by Europeans, and how the forced religiosity connects to an encroaching and new homophobia and white supremacy

At about 41:50, The two discuss Amos from The Prophets and the “conundrum” that he faces with regards to Isaiah and Samuel, as well as Amos’ role as preacher and Christian convert, as well as connections to modern preachers

At about 45:25, the two discuss Isaiah and Samuel, the book’s protagonists, and their love and their backstories and their shared knowledge of being alone and “loaded onto a wagon like stuff”

At about 47:55, Robert responds to historical ideas of homosexuality sometimes seen as a tool to disrupt Black communities and explains how Paul, the book’s slavemaster, sees Isaiah and Samuel’s relationship and a “threat to capitalism”

At about 50:40, The two connect the hypocrisy of Paul and his philandering and

At about 51:45, Pete cites the book’s unique/Biblical structure and talks about the book’s starting with “the ancestors”; he asks Robert about the “you” to whom the ancestors spr

At about 53:10, Robert describes a dream that was hugely influential and transformative for his book

At about 55:00, Robert discusses the ways in which Isaiah and Samuel are unified, and how they are rendered as distinct

At about 58:25, Robert talks about the importance of names for enslaved peoples and for the slave owners, and he talks specifically about Isaiah’s original name, its significance, and its importance in his relationship with Amos

At about 1:01:00, Robert and Pete discuss tovo and toubab, Beninese and Wolof words, respectively, and their connections to early African encounters with European invaders

At about 1:02:35, the two discuss the book’s parallel storyline that involves Isaiah’s familial lineage in Kasongo, a mythical kingdom in Africa; Robert homes in on the vastly-different ideas of gender identity in pre-colonial Africa

At about 1:05:30, Pete wonders about the role of Timothy in the book and Robert expands upon ideas of rapists and rape

At about 1:07:45, Robert discusses sympathy and writing characters who are seemingly 100% detestable, and ideas of oppression and oppressors and their connections with Timothy, Ruth, James, and Paul

At about 1:11:00, Pete focuses on Paul’s behavior and his rush to justify his evil behavior through the Bible and Christianity; a scene from the book involving Adam, Paul’s son, is highlighted

At about 1:12:35, The two discuss a scene of degradation and Robert highlights it as a scene where a lot is happening behind the scenes/under the surface with the crafty Essie and Maggie

At about 1:14:00, Pete highlights the incredibly-skillful ways in which Robert homes in on individual stories to draw the reader’s attention and sympathy/empathy

At about 1:15:20, Robert talks about an exciting upcoming project, a second novel

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

Please tune in for Episode 156 with Namrata Poddar. Namrata writes fiction and nonfiction, serves as Interviews Editor for Kweli, and teaches literature and writing at UCLA. Her work has appeared in several publications including Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Longreads, The Kenyon Review, and The Best Asian Short Stories. Her debut novel, Border Less, was a finalist for Feminist Press’s Louise Meriwether Prize.

The episode will air on December 13.

Tuesday Nov 29, 2022

Episode 154 with Ian MacAllen: Versatile Writer and Creator, Student of Foods and Cultures, and Author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American

Tuesday Nov 29, 2022

Episode 154 Notes and Links to Ian MacAllen’s Work

On Episode 154 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ian MacAllen, and the two mainly discuss topics and themes revolving around his book, Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American. They talk about, among other things, parallels between Italian immigration patterns and Italian-American food, the evolution of Italian food from “exotic” and “foreign” to an American staple, red sauce in its many iterations as emblematic of this evolution, and slippery notions of “authenticity.”

Ian MacAllen is the author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American, (Rowman & Littlefield, April 2022). He is a writer, editor, and graphic designer living in Brooklyn. He is Art Director at The Rumpus, a contributor at America Domani and The Chicago Review of Books, and a member of The National Book Critics Circle. His writing has appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Southern Review of Books, The Offing, 45th Parallel Magazine, Little Fiction, Vol 1. Brooklyn, and elsewhere. He tweets @IANMACALLEN and is online at IANMACALLEN.COM.

Buy Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American

Ian MacAllen's Website

“Power Ballin’: How Italian Food Became American” From America Domani, November, 2022

At about 7:10, Pete and Ian do the requisite Italian-American thing of comparing family last names

At about 9:50, Ian recounts stories from his visit to his family’s hometown in Bagnoli del Trigno, Molise, Italy

At about 11:45, Ian transitions into speaking of the slippery term, “authenticity,” especially with regards to Italian and Italian-American cuisine

At about 14:20, Pete references Gustavo Arellano’s iconic Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered the US, and Ian mentions his recent read-the “fascinating” American Tacos: A History and Guide, by José Ralat

At about 17:00, Pete and Ian talk about al pastor tacos and their history as a microcosm of fusion

At about 17:50, Ian details his early reading and writing and inspirations, including “single-topic food books,” such as Mark Kurlansky’s Salt

At about 19:50, Ian cites John Mariani’s How Italian Food Conquered the World and its influence on him and the ways in which its focus differs from Ian’s with his book; Ian furthers expands upon his book’s philosophy

At about 22:40, The two discuss ideas of “pan-Italian” food and Molise as representative of regional dishes and the slipperiness of nailing down a dish’s origins

At about 26:50, Pete cites the commingling of spaghetti and meatballs through an accident involving Rudolph Valentino, and Pete and Ian cite regional sauce and polpette recipes from their family’s Italian roots

At about 31:35, Ian gives history on marketing “Italian food” in the days of heavy Italian immigration and highlights the relative newness of Italy as a unified country

At about 32:40, Ian discusses ideas of Italian food and its initial stereotyping as “foreign” and “dirty,” as well as later ways in which Italian food-spaghetti-was used as a paragon of “becoming American”

At about 35:20, Ian relates the telling story of his mother’s interactions with her future mother-in-law and its implications about Italian food and its “integra[tion] into American culture” and the “golden age of Italian food” in the US post WWII

At about 38:50, Ira Nevin and his gas-fired oven are referenced as evidence of the convenience culture’s influence on pizza and other Italian-American foods

At about 42:20, Pete and Ian discuss Ian’s book’s opening regarding some iconic scenes with Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos, and this leads to Ian giving background on the fiery “sauce” vs. “gravy” debate

At about 45:35, Ian uses Stanley Tucci’s life experiences as an example of the changes in the ways Italian food has been viewed by the American culture as a whole

At about 46:55, Ian discusses Starboard and Olive Garden, in a business dispute, and how the saga is emblematic of the slippery and sometimes-backward ideas of “authenticity”

At about 49:35, Ian discusses authenticity in terms of associazioni in Italy and beyond that certify pizza, and issues inherent

At about 51:30, Ian talks about “the end of the red sauce era” and the “evolution” of Italian food in America with regards to pasta primavera, alfredo, etc.

At about 54:25, Pete highlights the book’s tracing the history of Italians and Italian-América foods and cucina povera and cucina ricci, leading to a fairly-recent embrace of Northern Italian food as more “authentic”

At about 58:00, Ian references penne alla vodka in Italy and Jennifer Lee’s Fortune Cookie Chronicles in talking about foods from the “old country” being Americanized and then exported back to the homeland

At about 59:50, Lidia Bastanivich and Marcella Hazan’s influences and their cooking connections to American food are cited

At about 1:01:00, Pete reads a probable thesis sentence from the book as the two discuss the “bounty” that awaited Italians upon immigration and the effects on their diets

At about 1:05:00, Ian cites the recent unification of Italy around the time of much immigration and how language/dialect barriers affected cookbooks and books on food

At about 1:07:45, Ian highlights East End Books, Bookshop.org, and I am Books as good places to buy his book

At about 1:09:10, Ian discusses a fun experience in selecting the book’s cover

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

Please tune in for Episode 155 with Robert Jones, Jr., the New York Times-bestselling author of The Prophets and finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. He has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Essence, and The Paris Review, and he is the creator and curator of the social-justice, social-media community Son of Baldwin

The episode will air on December 6.

Monday Nov 21, 2022

Episode 153 with Luivette Resto, 24/7 Poet, Wordsmith, Versatile and Profound Chronicler of Family and Home and Identity, and Writer of Living on Islands Not Found on Maps

Monday Nov 21, 2022

Episode 153 Notes and Links to Luivette Resto’s Work

On Episode 153 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Luivette Resto, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood in Puerto Rico and the Bronx, her pride in her Puerto Ricanidad, Spanglish, formative reading and writing, mentors and inspirations like Helena Maria Viramontes, ideas of home and identity and inheritance that populate her poetry, and how form and family dynamics inform her work.

Luivette Resto, a mother, teacher, poet, and Wonder Woman fanatic, was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico but proudly raised in the Bronx. She is a CantoMundo and Macondo Fellow, and a Pushcart Prize nominee. She is on the Board of Directors for Women Who Submit, a non profit organization in Los Angeles focused on women and nonbinary writers. Some of her latest work can be read on Spillway, North American Review, and the latest anthology, Gathering.

Her latest collection Living On Islands Not Found On Maps is published by FlowerSong Press. Her first two books of poetry Unfinished Portrait and Ascension have been published by Tía Chucha Press.

Some of her latest work can be found in the anthology titled What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump edited by Martín Espada and on the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center website. She lives in the San Gabriel Valley with her three children aka her revolutionaries.

Buy Living on Islands Not Found on Maps

Luivette Resto's Website

“Becoming Guazabara: A Interview with Luivette Resto” by Ivelisse Rodríguez

Luivette Resto’s Poetry Foundation Page

At about 7:50, Luivette gives background on her early and lasting connections to her birthplace of Puerto Rico and to the Bronx

At about 12:40, Luivette describes her growing understanding of hyphenated identities and being part of the “Nuyorican culture”

At about 16:45, Luivette lists some of the countless books she read as a kid

At about 19:10, Luivette looks back on the dearth of writers of color to whom she was exposed as a kid and high schooler

At about 20:15, Luivette describes Mrs. Quigley jostl[ing] some things” as Luivette

At about 21:00, Luivette describes the wonderful and creative leadership and mentorship provided by Helena Maria Viramontes

At about 22:40, Luivette cites Viramontes’ leading Luivette to great Puerto Rican writers like Martin Espada and Judith Ortiz Cofer (Latin Deli)

At about 24:30, Luivette references a few words that are particular to Puerto Rico that Martin Espada uses in his work that thrilled her

At about 26:50, Pete tells the story about a banal and thrilling experience with Helena Maria Viramontes

At about 28:00, Luivette responds to Pete’s questions about transformational moments along the way to becoming a writer-she cites Helena Maria Viramontes’ influence

At about 31:50, Luivette shouts out Martin Espada (read Floaters!) and Pedro Pietri and as two of the many writers who inspire her

At about 35:00, Pete and Luivette talk about precision with words and discuss Luivette’s philosophy on poetry and how she is a poet on a daily basis

At about 38:30, Luivette gives the seeds and background for her collection, which was “seven years in the making”

At about 41:15, The two discuss the continuity of the collection

At about 42:20, Luivette summarizes themes of Parts I and II in the collection and gives background on the process of splitting up the collection

At about 45:25, The two discuss the collection’s opening poem and ideas of the poet as speaker and connections to the ocean and the protectoress, as well as the forms of pantoum and her “Didactic” poems

At about 50:40, Pete cites the masculine and feminine natures of the sea, as posed by Hemingway’s Santiago

At about 51:45, Inheritance is explored through some early poems in the collection and real-life connections to Luivette’s mother and grandmother

At about 57:55, Ideas of home and personality that come up in a few poems are referenced and discussed

At about 59:40, Pete compliments the “fresh spin” that Luivette puts on ideas of sexism and misogyny

At about 1:00:50, Luivette reads her poem “MILF”

At about 1:02:00, Luivette connects ideas of home and father-daughter relationships with some of her work

At about 1:04:00, Ideas of potential and hope and a lifesaving experience dramatized in Luivette’s work are discussed

At about 1:05:35, Home and identity and languages as themes are discussed

At about 1:06:45, Luivette provides background on the writing of the title poem with help from Diana Marie Delgado

At about 1:10:00, Pete cites some standout lines from the collection’s second part, especially those revolving around intimacy and love and loss

At about 1:12:20, Highlighting misogyny and ideas of the power of women as depicted in the poetry, Pete asks Luivette about the cool double-meaning of “coqueta”

At about 1:13:50, Luivette reads the title poem

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

Please tune in for Episode 154 with Ian MacAllen, the author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American. He is a writer, editor, and graphic designer living in Brooklyn. Pete can’t wait to talk sauce and gravy and sugo.

The episode will air on November 29.

Monday Nov 14, 2022

Episode 152 with Tommy Dean: Master Editor, Reflective Teacher, and Craftsman and Student of Powerful Flash Fiction

Monday Nov 14, 2022

Episode 152 Notes and Links to Tommy Dean’s Work

On Episode 152 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Tommy Dean, and the two discuss, among other topics, his reading trajectory which started with sports biographies and has branched out in many directions, his start writing in undergrad, his views of flash fiction vs. short shorts, the craft of writing flash fiction, Tommy’s recurring themes and development as a writer, and inspiring works by Tobias Wolff and other titans of the trade.

Tommy Dean lives in Indiana with his wife and two children. He is the author of a flash fiction chapbook entitled Special Like the People on TV from Redbird Chapbooks. He is the Editor at Fractured Lit. He has been previously published in the BULL Magazine, The MacGuffin, The Lascaux Review, New World Writing, Pithead Chapel, and New Flash Fiction Review. His story “You’ve Stopped” was chosen by Dan Chaon to be included in Best Microfiction 2019. It will also be included in Best Small Fiction 2019.

His interviews have been previously published in New Flash Fiction Review, The Rumpus, CRAFT Literary, and The Town Crier (The Puritan). Find him @TommyDeanWriter on Twitter.

Tommy Dean's Website

Buy Hollows

A.E. Weisberger Reviews Special Like the People on TV

“Past Lives” Story from Atlas and Alice Magazine-2020

“You’ve Stopped” from Pithead Chapel

2017 Mini-Interview with Megan Giddings

At about 7:30, Tommy discusses her early reading (a lot of sports and biographies and horror and “heavy genre”) and writing, with the writing mostly coming after undergrad

At about 10:00, the two discuss character as seen in these shared sports biographies

At about 11:30, Tommy describes his love for the library and its easy access to Sports Illustrated/SI for Kids

At about 12:30, Tommy and Pete discuss their shared loves for basketball and baseball, the former especially

At about 14:25, Tommy gives background on how he came to become interested in flash fiction/short shorts

At about 17:20, Tommy responds to Pete’s questions about how he has honed his craft

At about 19:00, Tommy describes what it is about flash fiction that appeals to him

At about 19:50, Tommy differentiates between “flash fiction” and “short short”

At about 22:50, Tommy gives some of the formative texts, literary journals (like SmokeLong Quarterly and Vestal Review) and writers that are classics of the flash fiction forms, like Stuart Dybek, Dan Chaon, Robin Black and “Pine,” and Elizabeth Tallent and her story, “No One’s a Mystery”

At about 27:00, Pete recounts the connections between the podcast title and Tobias Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain”

At about 28:30, Tommy discusses the power of flash in its granularity

At about 29:30, The two discuss Hemingway and his “interludes” or works that could be classified as “flash”; they also discuss breaking convention

At about 34:20, Pete corrects himself on the pivotal line that inspired the podcast title

At about 35:10, Pete cites a powerful use of understatement from Elie Wiesel’s Night

At about 36:30, Tommy talks about how teaching/editing inform his writing, and vice versa

At about 42:35, Pete quotes interviews with Tommy and Megan Giddings and talks about his “lifejackets” as character

At about 44:00, Pete references powerful opening lines from Tommy and asks about the connections between title and subject matter; Tommy talks about work that became awarded and his process

At about 45:35, Tommy talks about his philosophy of dialogue in flash fiction

At about 47:15, Tommy explains conscious choices in using quotation marks or not

At about 48:30, Pete and Tommy discuss the idea that dialogue to begin a story is fraught; Pete provides an example of a short he wrote that

At about 52:15, Pete highlights a stunning open line from “Past Lives”; Tommy gives real-life connections to the story before reading it

At about 55:45, Tommy describes an “in” for writers involving unique characters

At about 56:45, Tommy talks about his two chapbooks

At about 57:15, Pete reads a review from the first collection and talks about themes of childlessness and craft shared by Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tommy’s early writing

At about 59:15, Tommy responds to Pete’s questions about development as a writer between his first and most recent collections; he traces his development via “cuts” and themes used

At about 1:03:20, Pete shares a reader’s review of Tommy’s Hollows and Tommy discusses why he appreciates these particular sentiments

At about 1:05:25, Tommy reads “Baby Alone”

At about 1:14:30, Tommy gives out his social media and contact info, including Alternate Currents and ELJ Editions

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

Please tune in for Episode 153 with Luivette Resto, a mother, teacher, poet, and Wonder Woman fanatic born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, and proudly raised in the Bronx. A CantoMundo and Macondo Fellow, and Pushcart Prize nominee, she is on the Board of Directors for Women Who Submit.

The episode will air on November 22.

Monday Nov 07, 2022

Episode 151 with Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, National Book Award Nominee for Poetry for Look at This Blue and Renaissance Woman

Monday Nov 07, 2022

Episode 151 Notes and Links to Allison Hedge Coke’s Work

On Episode 151 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Allison Hedge Coke, and the two discuss, among other topics, her multiracial and multiethnic and multilingual upbringing, wise words and inspiration from her family, her life of art and creativity, California as her muse, holding California to account, ideas of stewardship and environmental care, and the incredible inspirations and circumstances that brought her award-winning poetry to the world.

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke's previous poetry books include The Year of the Rat, Dog Road Woman, Off-Season City Pipe, Blood Run, Burn, Streaming as well as a memoir, Rock Ghost, Willow, Deer. She is the editor of the anthologies Sing: Poetry of the Indigenous Americas, Effigies, Effigies II, and Effigies II and is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Riverside. Hedge Coke came of age working fields, factories, and waters and is currently at work on a film, Red Dust: resiliency in the dirty thirties, a new CD, and new poems.

Buy Look at This Blue

Allison Hedge Coke's Website

Allison Hedge Coke's Wikipedia Page

National Book Awards Description for Look at This Blue

At about 7:30, Allison discusses her busy and exciting upcoming weeks that include a Georgia poetry circuit and the National Book Awards, where she’s nominated for

At about 9:20, Allison discusses her experiences with languages and reading and writing as a kid; she discusses her father’s and family’s great pride in their lineages

At about 13:45, Allison relays a telling anecdote about her son and his crayons that speaks to the multilingual extended family from which she comes

At about 16:20, Pete reads from the beginning chapter of Allison’s memoir and Allison expands on lessons learned from those times and from her mother and father

At about 18:50, Pete notes Allison lifelong devotion to art, and she talks about her family’s background and about what it means to create for her in her traditions

At about 20:25, Allison recounts the amazing story of writing Look at this Blue in Montenegro in a stunningly short period of time

At about 22:00, Allison describes her first encounters with California in 1980 and then future time spent in CA

At about 26:05, Pete cites the wonderful blurbs from wonderful writers for Allison’s collection; she defines it as an “assemblage” and talks about the assemblage in connection to jazz and other music

At about 28:00, Pete and Allison discuss the poetry’s connection to “blue,” and blue’s myriad meanings and connection to longing and fado and saudade (Pete’s obsession)

At about 30:40, Pete shares the possibly apocryphal story of Garcia Marquez’s writing a masterpiece

At about 31:00, Allison expands upon the title’s meanings

At about 31:45, Allison responds to Pete wondering about “catharsis” upon writing about such personal and emotional work

At about 34:00, The two meditate on parenthood and influences on children

At about 36:00, The two discuss memory and perspective, and Pete cites the book’s epigraph

At about 37:10, Pete provides a book summary and details the historical and personal

At about 38:15, Allison reads from the book regarding the Xerces blue butterfly and links its story to that of California and its abuses, excesses, and displacement

At about 43:00, Allison reads from the Prelude

At about 45:45, Allison recounts a bonkers story (adapted for the book) about the INS and her mother

At about 48:30, The two talk about extinctions, displacements, and endangerment featured in the book

At about 51:40, Allison talks about being stewards for the environment

At about 53:15, The two detail connections made in the book to events both historical and modern and themes like racism and homophobia

At about 54:20, Pete discusses “let” and “love” as depicted in the book

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

Please tune in for Episode 152 with Tommy Dean, author of a flash fiction chapbook, Special Like the People on TV from and the Editor at Fractured Lit; “You’ve Stopped” was included in Best Microfiction 2019.

The episode with this flash fiction writer extraordinaire will air on November 15.

Thursday Nov 03, 2022

Episode 150 with Elizabeth Williamson, The Reflective, Dogged, Balanced, and Well-Researched Journalist for The New York Times and Author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth

Thursday Nov 03, 2022

Episode 150 Notes and Links to Elizabeth’s Work

On Episode 150 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Elizabeth Williamson, and the two discuss, among other topics, her research into the Sandy Hook murders and the earliest conspiracy theories that have continued to morph to this day, the ways in which both victimizers and victimized have reacted to the tragedy, the “throughlines” between historical conspiracy theories and conspiracists and events like 9/11, January 6, and other mass shootings, Alex Jones as the catalyst for and follower of the propaganda, as well as possible remedies for limiting hate speech and online abuse.

Elizabeth Williamson is a feature writer in the Washington bureau, and a former member of the New York Times editorial board. She has worked at the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, and spent a decade as a foreign correspondent in Eastern Europe. She is the author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth, published by Dutton.

March 2022 Review of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth in The New York Times by Robert Kolker

Elizabeth Williamson's New York Times Profile

Buy Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth

At about 7:00, Elizabeth gives a summary of the book and shouts out Dutton Books, her publisher

At about 7:55, Elizabeth describes the genesis of the book and cites Lenny Pozner and other important people featured in the book

At about 10:30, Elizabeth cites throughlines between previous conspiracy theories and their connections to the Sandy Hook conspiracies

At about 11:50, Elizabeth responds to Pete’s questions about maintaining objectivity in the wake of overt lies about such a tragedy

At about 16:20, Elizabeth references James Fetzer and his history of conspiracy theories

At about 17:30, Elizabeth lays the background of understandable reticence to believe government stories and the leap to believing genuine conspiracy theories

At about 18:35, Elizabeth details her first and only conversation with Alex Jones and responds to Pete’s questions about what compels/allows him to denigrate and abuse victims and survivors like he does

At about 20:30, Pete cites a profound quote from Veronique DelaRosa regarding dehumanization that comes with social media and “the remove that it creates”

At about 23:00, Elizabeth discusses Scarlett Lewis’ “compelling” and “cathartic” testimony in front of Alex Jones

At about 24:40, Elizabeth draws parallels between Alex Jones and Donald Trump

At about 25:25, Pete talks about the power of the beginning of the book and asks Elizabeth what she discovered about the victims’ families and finding a balance between public exposure and activism/privacy and grieving

At about 28:40, The two talk about Robbie Parker and others who were seized upon as supposed players in a conspiracy

At about 30:00, Pete wonders about the psychology that propels obsessives, and Elizabeth gives evidence from her research to address the issues that have made conspiracists pursue their theories

At about 33:35, Pete asks Elizabeth about Alex Jones and his ideology versus his desire to get fame and make money

At about 36:20, Pete talks about the Prologue and cites the pathos involved and asks Elizabeth about any “remedies” she might see for combatting conspiracy theories, as well as what the latest judgments mean for the Sandy Hook families and for Alex Jones

At about 40:40, Elizabeth talks about discussions in government circles about regulation around social media abuse and conspiracy theory-mongering

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

Please tune in for Episode 151 with Allison Hedge Coke. Her Dog Road Woman won the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. She is a King-Chavez-Parks awardee, an IPPY Medalist, a Pen Southwest Book Award winner, and she was also awarded an NWCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award

The episode will air on November 8.

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

Episode 149 with Erika T. Wurth: Author of White Horse and Expert Student of, Teacher of, and Practitioner of Horror, Suspense, Psychological Thrillers, and More

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

Episode 149 Notes and Links to Erika T. Wurth’s Work

On Episode 149 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Erika T. Wurth, and the two discuss, among other topics, her upbringing in Idaho Springs, CO, her family background and the multilingual environment in which she grew up, writers who have made her feel represented and inspired her, contemporary writers whose subject matter and craft propel her own work forward and thrill her as a reader, Stephen King and Dave Mustaine and their impacts on her, the importance (or lack thereof) of genre, research for White Horse, and key themes that permeate her exciting new book.

Erika T. Wurth’s literary-horror novel, White Horse, is with Flatiron/Macmillan. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous journals including Buzzfeed, Boulevard, Lithub, The Writer’s Chronicle, and The Kenyon Review. She is a Kenyon and Sewanee fellow, and a narrative artist for the Meow Wolf Denver installation. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman (books) and Dana Spector, CAA (film). She is an urban Native of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent and was raised outside of Denver, where she lives with her partner, her two stepchildren, and her extremely fluffy dogs.

Buy White Horse

Erika Wurth's Website

October 31, 2022: Crime Reads-Erika on "Writing Native Horror During a Horror Renaissance"

From Oct., 2022: M.M. Kaufman Talks to Erika for Micro Podcast through LitHub

At about 7:15, Pete shouts out great writers who have spoken highly of Erika

At about 8:40, Erika explains her love of and connection with Dave Mustaine, highly featured in White Horse, and how he was a big part of her childhood

At about 10:10-The two shout out “Hangar 18”-check it out!

At about 12:00, Erika relates the story of trying to get a copy of her book to Dave Mustaine

At about 12:45, Erika talks about growing up in Idaho Springs and her family background, as well as her relationships with language and reading growing up

At about 19:00, Erika outlines muses and inspirations for her writing-including artists and writers like Of Feather and Bone, Jhumpa Lahiri, Holly Goddard Jones, and Sandra Cisneros

At about 20:40, Erika speaks of ideas of representation regarding where she grew up and what she read growing up

At about 23:50, Erika shouts out contemporary influences and inspirations like Brandon Hobson, Morgan Talty, Kelli Jo Ford, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Silvia Moreno Garcia, Grady Hendrix, Stephen Graham Jones, P. Djèlí Clark, and Rebecca Roanhorse

At about 26:10, Erika describes her process and path to becoming a writer

At about 28:50, Erika recounts Stephen King’s influence on her and her work

At about 31:55, The two discuss Stephen King’s “On Writing” and Pete provides Silvia Moreno Garcia’s book cover blurb as Erika responds to Pete’s question about the importance-or lack thereof, of genre-she cites S. A Barnes book

At about 35:40, Pete cites a conversation with Tod Goldberg about his and Steph Cha’s work being so good that genre is irrelevant; Erika cites Jane Cleland as a master

At about 37:40, Pete wonders about the balance in the book between allegory and more logistical/plot concerns; Erika cites Cynthia Pelayo as a writer who finds a great balance

At about 41:30, Pete lists some of the scariest scenes from his memory and why he has trouble sometimes with horror/fantasy/sci-fi and their underlying themes

At about 43:15, Erika “pitches”/gives a summary of White Horse

At about 44:10, Pete references the book’s dedication and the two discuss ideas of “nerdom”

At about 44:40, For those watching at home, Erika gives background on the bracelet that was the inspiration for an important object in the book

At about 45:35, Erika responds to Pete’s question about research done for the book-Erika especially highlights her investigating The Shining and its history and the inspirational hotel

At about 47:30, Erika describes her crafting a coherent work and talks about structure and books that helped her organize her head

At about 49:50, Pete lays out some of the book’s key plot points and background, as well as homing in on key themes of traumatization and guilt

At about 52:15, Erika gives background on the real-life White Horse and keys in on themes revolving around her main character’s challenges

At about 54:40, Pete and Erika discuss cycles of violence and trauma and what the book has to say about the idea of “hurt people hurt[ing] people”

At about 58:10, Stephen Graham Jones is highlighted for his contributions to her book and for his all-around magnanimity

At about 1:00:10, Ideas of the visceral/rational as mindsets and how they affects the book’s main characters (Keri, especially) are discussed

At about 1:01:35, Pete compliments Erika for her using place as a veritable character, and Erika expands upon the ways in which Keri shows her intelligence and respects Old Denver

At about 1:04:30, Pete compliments the psychological thriller aspects

At about 1:05:45, Erika shouts out places to buy the book and great support from Flatiron Books, as well as giving out social media info and exciting developments involving book

At about 1:08:05, Erika describes her feelings as the book is published November 1 and shouts out a future project involving “New Denver”

Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episode. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!

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

Please tune in for Episode 150 with Elizabeth Williamson, a feature writer at The New York Times and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal; her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, and Slate. Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth, was published in 2022

The episode will air on November 4.

Tuesday Oct 25, 2022

Episode 148 with Chen Chen, Writer of Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency and Brilliant Thinker, Craftsman, and Highly-Awarded and Esteemed Poet and Educator

Tuesday Oct 25, 2022

Episode 148 Notes and Links to Chen Chen’s Work

On Episode 148 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Chen Chen, and the two discuss, among other topics, his experience as a teacher, his early relationships with reading, writing, and multilingualism, those writers and writing communities who continue to inspire and encourage him, muses in various arenas, etymology, and themes like family dynamics, racism, beauty, and anger that anchor his work.

Chen Chen is an author, teacher, & editor His second book of poetry, Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency, is out now from BOA Editions. The UK edition will be published by Bloodaxe Books (UK) in October. His debut, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities (BOA, 2017; Bloodaxe, 2019), was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Thom Gunn Award, among other honors. Chen is also the author of five chapbooks, including the forthcoming Explodingly Yours (Ghost City Press, 2023), and the forthcoming book of craft essays, In Cahoots with the Rabbit God (Noemi Press, 2024). His work appears in many publications, including Poetry, Poem-a-Day, and three editions of The Best American Poetry (2015, 2019, & 2021). He has received two Pushcart Prizes and fellowships from Kundiman, the National Endowment for the Arts, and United States Artists.

He holds an MFA from Syracuse University and a PhD from Texas Tech University. He has taught in UMass Boston’s MFA program and at Brandeis University as the 2018-2022 Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence. Currently he is core poetry faculty for the low-residency MFA programs at New England College and Stonecoast. With a brilliant team, he edits the journal Underblong; with Gudetama the lazy egg, he edits the lickety~split. He lives in frequently snowy Rochester, NY with his partner, Jeff Gilbert and their pug, Mr. Rupert Giles.

Buy Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency

Chen Chen’s Website

Interview with Chen Chen: “Chinatown Presents: Finding Home with Chen Chen”

Interview with Poetry LA from 2017

By Andrew Sargus Klein for Kenyon Review-"On Chen Chen’s When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities"

At about 9:15, Chen responds to Pete asking about how he stays so prolific and creative by describing his processes and the idea of any muses or inspirations

At about 11:00, Chen describes “shed[ding] expectations” is or isn’t “worthy” of poetry

At about 13:10, The two discuss books on craft and Chen gives more background on his upcoming book of craft essays

At about 16:10, Chen gives background on the Taiwanese Rabbit God and how his upcoming book was influenced by the idea, especially as presented in Andrew Thomas Huang’s Kiss of the Rabbit God

At about 18:25, Chen explains his interest in the epistolary form, and how his upcoming work is influenced by Victoria Chang’s Dear Memory and Jennifer S. Chang “Dear Blank Space,”

At about 22:30, Chen gives background and history in a macro and micro way for the use of the word “queer” and his usage and knowledge of Mandarin

At about 26:50, Chen describes the sizable influence of Justin Chin on Chen’s own work

At about 28:25, Chen describes his early relationship with languages and explores how Mandarin and his parents’ Hokkien may influence his writing

At about 34:55, Chen outlines what he read and wrote as a kid, including K.A. Applegate and The Animorphs and Phillip Pullman

At about 37:50, Chen responds to questions about motivations in reading fantasy and other works

At about 38:55, Chen highlights “chill-inducing” works and writers, such as Cunningham’s The Hours

At about 41:30, Chen shouts Mrs. Kish and other formative writing teachers and talks about his early writing and the importance of “the interior voice”

At about 42:45, Pete wonders about how Chen’s teaching informs his writing and vice versa

At about 45:20, Chen cites Marie Howe’s “What the Living Do” and Rick Barot’s During the Pandemic as some of his go-to’s for teaching in his college classes

At about 48:20, Chen responds to Pete’s question about teaching his own work

At about 49:50, Pete and Chen discuss the idea of muses and the writing community energizing-the two cite Bhanu Kapil and Mary Ruefle and the ways in which their philosophies are centered on mutual communication/conversation

At about 55:30, Chen highlights Muriel Leung and an enriching conversation and her unique perspective that led to “I Invite My Parents…”

At about 57:45, The two begin discussing Chen’s Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency and its seeds

At about 1:00:40, Pete cites grackles as a motif, and Chen recounts memories of his time at Texas Tech and the Trump Presidency

At about 1:02:45, The two discuss the powerful poem “The School of Fury” and the themes of rage and powerlessness and racism; Pete cites a profound insight from Neema Avashia

At about 1:06:45, Pete cites some powerful lines from Chen’s work and Chen makes connections

At about 1:08:20, Pete rattles off one of the longest titles known to man, “After My White Friends Say…” and Chen discusses ideas of identity and his rationale for the poem’s title and structure

At about 1:11:30, Chen talks about exercises he does in class with Mary Jean Chan’s Flèche

At about 1:12:10, The two discuss craft and structure tools used in the collection

At about 1:14:25, The two talk about family dynamics and the speaker’s mother and her relationship with the speaker’s boyfriend

At about 1:18:50, Pete cites lines that were powerful for “leaving things unsaid” and Chen expands on ideas of innocence and willful ignorance in his work

At about 1:22:30, The two discuss ideas of mortality, including the Pulse tragedy, familial connections, and the series of poems titled “A Small Book of Questions”

At about 1:24:10, Ideas of beauty of discussed from Chen’s work

At about 1:25:15, Chen reads “The School of Fury” and the two discuss it afterwards

At about 1:29:40, Chen gives contact info and recommends Boa Editions as a place to buy his book and support independent publishers, and another good organization in Writers and Books, featuring Ampersand Bookstore

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

Please check out my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl to read about benefits offered to members and to sign up to help me continue to produce high-quality content, and a lot of it. The coming months are bringing standout writers like Justin Tinsley, Jose Antonio Vargas, Robert Jones, Jr., Allegra Hyde, Laura Warrell, and Elizabeth Williamson. Thanks for your support!

Please tune in for Episode 149 with Erika T. Wurth. Erika’s highly-awaited literary-horror novel, White Horse, is forthcoming on November 1; she is a Kenyon and Sewanee fellow and an urban Native of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent.

The episode will air on November 1, the publication date for White Horse.

Tuesday Oct 18, 2022

Episode 147 with Jonathan Escoffery, Master Builder of Suspense, Empathy, Aversion, and Keen Chronicler of Survival, Identity, and More in The Masterful Collection, If I Survive You

Tuesday Oct 18, 2022

Episode 147 Notes and Links to Jonathan Escoffery’s Work

On Episode 147 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jonathan Escoffery, and the two discuss, among other topics, Jonathan’s early relationship with language and literature, his initial interest in literature and viewing those works now as stereotypical and/or racist, his writing process and thoughts on varying points-of-view, the wild ride that has been recent weeks and months with the book receiving so many accolades, and themes of identity, race and racism, home, and of course, survival, in his linked story collection.

Jonathan Escoffery is the author of the linked story collection, If I Survive You, a National Book Award Nominee, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and an Indie National Bestseller. If I Survive You has been named a ‘best’ or ‘most anticipated’ book by Entertainment Weekly, Oprah Daily, Good Morning America online, Goodreads, BuzzFeed, Vulture, L.A. Times, Shondaland, TIME, The Root, Vanity Fair, Kirkus, The Millions, BET, O Quarterly Magazine, Real Simple, and elsewhere.

His stories have appeared in The Paris Review, Oprah Daily, Electric Literature, Zyzzyva, AGNI, Pleiades, American Short Fiction, Prairie Schooner, Passages North, and elsewhere.

Jonathan has taught creative writing and seminars on the writer’s life at Stanford University, the University of Minnesota, the Center for Fiction, Tin House, Writers in Progress, and at GrubStreet in Boston, where, as former staff, he founded the Boston Writers of Color Group, which currently has more than 2,000 members. He is a 2021-2023 Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.

Buy If I Survive You

Jonathan Escoffery's Website

“Jonathan Escoffery Has a Reality He’d Like to Share,” from The New York Times,” by Kate Dwyer, from Sept. 4, 2022, about If I Survive You

At about 5:15, Jonathan discusses what it has been like to be in the middle of so much praise and recognition for his linked short-story collection

At about 7:00, Jonathan talks about “lots of love” coming from Miami, including from Books and Books

At about 7:50, Jonathan responds to Pete asking about his early relationship with language and literature

At about 10:10, Jonathan describes his parents’ influence on him and Jamaica’s influence on him

At about 12:00, Jonathan talks about Miami’s incredible richness of languages and English usages

At about 15:30, Jonathan highlights reading favorites from his childhood, as well as ideas of representation

At about 19:20, Jonathan cites an example of limited representation and stereotypical and racist depictions of people of color in his childhood reading of “classics”

At about 22:40, Jonathan talks about How to Leave Hialeah and other works by Latinx writers and fellow second-generation writers for inspiration

At about 24:30, Jonathan responds to Pete’s question about his preference for Baldwin’s fiction/nonfiction

At about 25:55, The two discuss ideas of revisionist and ignorant history and narratives

At about 26:30, Pete wonders about any “lightbulb moments” for Jonathan in his writing career

At about 28:55, Jonathan reflects on the aftermath of some encouragement and “chas[ing] the good feeling” that came with accolades for his writing at Florida International University

At about 33:30, Jonathan shouts out John Dufresne and other formative and inspirational teachers

At about 34:30, Jonathan discusses how teaching has informed his writing and vice versa

At about 38:20, Jonathan homes in on his story collection’s eponymous story and talks about strategies

At about 39:35, Jonathan talks about the contemporary writing that inspires and challenges him and that excites his students, including “Who Will Greet You at Home?,” Gabriela Garcia’s Women of Salt and Morgan Talty’s Night of the Living Rez, and Laura Warrell’s Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm

At about 46:10, Jonathan discusses the rationale for and background of the format of his book, including a wide range of POVs

At about 48:50, Jonathan elaborates on the history and background of the story collection, including his thoughts on story order and the auction process for his book

At about 53:45, The two discuss the story “Flux” that begins the collection, focusing on its POV, its narrator, and ideas of identity

At about 55:30, Jonathan expands on ideas of juxtaposition between brothers Trelawny and Delano, including in the ways in which their father sees them

At about 1:01:30, The two discuss the collection’s second story, and Jonathan responds to Pete’s question about getting into the father’s mindset

At about 1:07:50, Ideas of class presented in the book are discussed, and WATCH OUT FOR A PLOT SPOILER FROM THE SECOND STORY

At about 1:09:30, The two highlight themes of father-son relationships

At about 1:10:40, Pete asks Jonathan about what he had to say in his book about survival, commercialism, and bureaucracies, as well as (un)ethical business practices

At about 1:16:00, Race and racism are highlighted, with a particular focus on the collection’s last story

At about 1:22:00, The two reflect on a profound excerpt from the book that brings up ideas of perspective and family dynamics

At about 1:25:00, Jonathan addresses the story collection’s title and the multiple meanings and how POV informs the writing

At about 1:30:10, Jonathan talks about future projects and Pete compliments Jonathan’s website as Jonathan gives contact info

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

Please tune in for Episode 148 with Chen Chen, who is the author of the forthcoming poetry collection, Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency, and the forthcoming book of essays, In Cahoots with the Rabbit God. His debut book of poems, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities, was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Thom Gunn Award, among other honors. He teaches for the low-residency MFA programs at New England College and Stonecoast.

The episode will air on October 21.