The Chills at Will Podcast

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The Chills at Will Podcast

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."

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Episode 266 with Lydia Kiesling, Author of Mobility and Keen Observer and Reflection-Inducing Craftswoman of Psychological and Geopolitical Storylines with Unforgettable Characters

    Notes and Links to Lydia Kiesling’s Work      Lydia Kiesling is a novelist and culture writer. Her first novel, The Golden State, was a 2018 National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree and a finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her second novel, Mobility, a national bestseller, was named a best book of 2023 by Vulture, Time, and NPR, among others. It was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her essays and nonfiction have been published in outlets including The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker online, and The Cut. Contact her at lydiakiesling@gmail.com. Buy Mobility   Lydia Kiesling's Website   Lydia’s Wikipedia Page Alta Online Book Review for Mobility   At about 1:35, Lydia gives out contact information and social media information, as well as places  At about 4:10, “Return of the Mack” as an “eternal jam” is highlighted in the book At about 5:40, Lydia talks about her reading life and how it connected to her “cusp generation” and her time as a “foreign service brat” At about 9:50, Lydia talks about her experience reading Joyce Carol Oates, for whom an award is named that Lydia was longlisted for, and Pete compares the narrator, Bunny, and her situation in Mobility to iconic characters from “Where are you going, Where have you been?” and “In the Land of Men” At about 11:30, Lydia recounts interesting parts of her life in boarding school and how it shaped her At about 15:20, Lydia discusses the reading life fostered through memorable English classes in boarding school At about 21:15, Lydia highlights the ways in which her life as a writer developed, including early work in the blog era and a great opportunity from The Millions At about 26:00, Lydia shouts out contemporary writers who thrill and inspire, including Jenny Erpenbeck and Bruna Dantas Lobato At about 30:55, Lyda responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which Lydia’s history as a “diplomat brat” has affected her view of the US At about 34:45, The two discuss seeds for the book and the importance of the book’s concise epigraph  At about 37:25, Lydia highlights The Oil and the Glory as inspiration for the book At about 40:45, Pete lays out part of the book’s exposition and underscores the importance of the book’s first scene and use of oil prices to mark each year  At about 42:30, Lydia responds to Pete asking about the draw of Eddie and Charlie and the older men/boys At about 43:55, Pete quotes Mario Puzo in relating to “men doing what they do when they’re away from home” and Lyda builds on it when talking about Baku and the things and people that came with oil drilling At about 45:00, Lydia gives background of the soap opera referenced in the book as she and Pete further discuss important early characters At about 47:40, Lydia explains the background and significance of a ring that Bunny covets that says “I respond to whoever touches me” At about 51:00, Pete recounts some of the plot involving Bunny’s return to the US and Texas and asks Lydia about the intentions of her mentor, Phil At about 53:20, Lydia expands on the “weird current” that comes with being a young woman/woman in a male-dominated world At about 54:40, Pete and Lydia discuss the manner in which Bunny and so many in our society choose to look away when faced with the evils of capitalism, oil, war, etc.  At about 58:15, Lydia emphasizes the ways in which story and narrative govern so much of the way politics and business work At about 59:40, The two discuss Bunny as a nominal liberal  At about 1:01:15, Lydia responds to Pete’s question about any reasons for optimism in response to climate change At about 1:04:00, The idea of “geologic time” as a negative and positive is discussed with regards to the environment and oil and positive change       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, Sp

    1h 10m

  2. 10 DEC

    Episode 265 with Carvell Wallace, Author of Another Word for Love, a Modern Classic, and Upturner of Tropes in Beautifully and Honestly Portraying Darkness and Beauty and Love's Vagaries

    Notes and Links to Carvell Wallace’s Work        Carvell Wallace is a writer and podcaster who has contributed to The New Yorker, GQ, New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, MTV News, and Al Jazeera. His debut memoir, Another Word For Love (MCD, 2024), explores his life, identity, and love through stories of family, friendship, and culture and is a 2024 Kirkus Finalist in Nonfiction. He was a 2019 Peabody Award nominee, a 2022 National Magazine Award Finalist, a 2023 winner of the Mosaic Prize in Journalism, and a 2025 UCross Fellow. He lives in Oakland.  Buy Another Word for Love   Carvell Wallace’s Website   New York Times Review of Another Word for Love   “Carvell Wallace on What Writing Taught Him About His Life” for LitHub At about 2:25, Carvell describes his “active” reading youth during his youth, including interest in Edgar Allan Poe and fables and fairy tales, and how creative pursuits in college paused and started his writing life  At about 6:25, Carvell shouts out a teacher who exposed him to great literary works and “treated [him] like a real writer” At about 7:45, Carvell talks about being an artist “getting off the academic train” and academic “tracking” At about 9:20, Carvell and Pete discuss “math people” and implications around embracing the label or not At about 10:40, Carvell lists Song of Solomon, Judy Blume, Grapes of Wrath as “formative” texts and writers, and he details how imitation works in his writing,  At about 14:00-Ayn Rand and Jordan Peterson talk! At about 15:50, Carvell discusses his take on expectations of literary and pop culture “representation” growing up, as well as how he “goes to reading to find [himself]”  At about 19:15, Pete asks Carvell about his wide level of interest and knowledge and “muses,” and Carvell describes the “throughline” for his varied work as “people” At about 22:50, Carvell and Pete discuss the definitive answer to the pronunciation of “gif” and highlight meaningful gifs of JR Smith and Andre Iguoadala At about 25:15, Carvell responds to Pete’s question about writers and creators who inspire, including the film podcast You Must Remember This and Tricia Hersey’s We Will Rest At about 28:20, Pete tiptoes into asking about Frankenstein’s monster At about 29:05, Pete highlights stirring parts of Another Word for Love and shares gushing blurbs At about 30:40, Pete asks about the structuring of the book and links that Catrvell envisioned and put into practice; Carvell explains his rationale for structuring around recovery At about 33:05, Carvell connects Choose Your Own Adventure to the ways in which he tried to avoid “prescriptive” writing  At about 34:05, Carvell replies to Pete’s question about “killing [his] darlings”  At about 36:10, Carvell gives background on his June Jordan epigraph and talks about her revolutionary ways At about 40:00, Carvell muses profoundly on the “contradiction(s)” of the United States At about 42:05, Carvell responds to Pete’s asking about the “encroaching shadows” and loneliness that govern the book’s opening scene; Carvell also reflects on the “unreliability of memory”   At about 46:00, The two reflect on a pivotal early chapter about a literal and figurative “fog” and unorthodox lessons learned from the experience  At about 48:45, Carvell explains the importance of descriptions in the books about seeking intimacy with his mother and flipping tropes At about 50:20, Carvell talks about writers and dishonesty and remembrance with regard to a possibly apocryphal story regarding kids forced to take care of themselves At about 54:40, Carvell talks about nomenclature for sexual assault and reflections on ideas of culpability and masculinity  At about 58:20, Carvell reflects on healing through writing the book and his ethic in writing it At about 1:01:05, Pete recounts important parts of Carvell’s childhood daydreaming  At about 1:02:20, Carvell points out a “theory of recovery” as seen in a metanarrative and ideas of “endless beautiful th

    1h 22m

  3. 4 DEC

    Episode 264 with Maggie Sheffer, Author of the Award-Winning Collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, and Master of the Weird, The Offbeat, The Clever, The Poignant, and The Resonant

    Notes and Links to Maggie Sheffer’s Work           Marguerite (Maggie) Sheffer is a writer who lives in New Orleans. She is a Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where she teaches courses in design thinking and speculative fiction as tools for social change. Formerly, she taught English at the East Oakland School of the Arts, Castlemont High School, Life Academy, and GW Carver High School.    Her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, was selected by judge Jamil Jan Kochai for the Iowa Short Fiction Award, was published in Fall 2024.     Maggie is a founding member of Third Lantern Lit, a local writing collective, and the Nautilus and Wildcat Writing Groups. She received her MFA from Randolph College. She was a 2023 Veasna So Scholar in Fiction at The Adroit Journal, and was selected as a top-twenty-five finalist for Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers.  Her story “Tiger on My Roof” was a finalist for the 2024 Chautauqua Janus Prize, which awards emerging writers’ short fiction with “daring formal and aesthetic innovations that upset and reorder readers’ imaginations.”    Her position on semicolons (for) is noted in an Australian grammar textbook (pg. 16). Buy The Man in the Banana Trees     Maggie's Website   From LitHub: "Marguerite Sheffer on Crafting a Collection of Century-Spanning Speculative Fiction"   "Marguerite Sheffer: These Stories Are an Intimate Map of What Scares Me" from Writer’s Digest At about 2:05, Maggie shares a fun story about being published with George Bernard Shaw At about 3:35, Maggie talks about her early reading life At about 4:40, The two reflect on the evolving reputation of Star Wars and Star Wars fans At about 6:05, Maggie shares how wine bottles led to writing an early and pivotal short story  At about 7:10, Maggie describes a gap in “actively writing” while teaching and interacting differently with writing At about 8:10, Maggie lists texts and writers that helped her “reorder [her] brain” At about 10:15, Pete and Maggie stan Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here ironing”   At about 12:05, Pete recounts a story about how he happened upon the great story by Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” At about 12:50, Maggie responds to Pete asking about what drew and draws her to science and speculative fiction At about 13:50, Maggie highlights past guest Jamil Jan Kochai, Ken Liu, E. Lily Yu, Sofia Samatar, Clare Beams, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, the book The Safekeep, and others as contemporary writers who thrill and inspire At about 15:05, Pete asks Maggie how teaching has inspired her writing At about 16:45, Maggie cites Octavia Butler’s and Sandra Cisneros’ work and The Things They Carried and other texts that were favorites of her students  At about 18:10, The two discuss the epigraph and seeds for the short story collection  At about 19:50, The two discuss the collection’s first story and connection to Tillie Olsen’s idea of being “imprisoned in his own difference” and students being “othered” At about 24:00, Maggie reflects on an important truth of fiction At about 24:40, Maggie discusses famous unicorn tapestries that inspire a story of hers At about 26:00, Pete compliments Maggie’s “delightfully weird” stories and “soft endings” and she responds to his questions about allegory/plot and “cool stories” At about 27:40, Maggie talks about realizing the throughlines in her collections At about 29:10, Maggie responds to Pete’s questions about writing in Covid times At about 29:40, Pete cites examples of misogyny in the collection and asks about Joycleyn Bell and Maggie expands upon the story “The Observer’s Cage”-its genesis and connections to Jocelyn Bell Burnell At about 32:20, Pete notes the use of animals as stand-ins for humanity and Maggie expands on deas of resistance as seen in the collection At about 33:20, The two discuss ideas of redress and reclaiming the past through stories in the collection, especially “The Observer’s Cage” At about 36:00, the two

    1h 8m

  4. 26 NOV

    Episode 263 with Fernanda Trias, Author of Mugre Rosa/Pink Slime, and Acute and Detail-Oriented World Builder and Creator of Thought-Provoking Fiction

    Notes and Links to Fernanda Trías’ Work    Fernanda Trías was born in Uruguay and is the award-winning author of three novels, two of which have been published in English. She is also the author of the short story collection No soñarás flores and the chapbook El regreso. A writer and instructor of creative writing, she holds an MFA in creative writing from New York University. She was awarded the National Uruguayan Literature Prize, The Critics’ Choice Award Bartolomé Hidalgo, and the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz International Prize in Mexico for her novel Pink Slime. Both The Rooftop and Pink Slime were awarded the British PEN Translates Award, and Pink Slime was chosen by The New York Times in Spanish as one of the ten best books of 2020. Translation rights for her work have been sold in fifteen languages. She currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where she is a teacher at the creative writing MFA program of Instituto Caro y Cuervo. In 2017, she was selected as Writer-in-Residence at the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, where she started writing her latest novel, Pink Slime. Buy Pink Slime   Fernanda Trias' Publisher Page for Simon and Schuster   Review of Pink Slime from Reactor Mag At about 2:00, Pete and Fernanda discuss the book’s Spanish and English titles and different subtleties of each; Fernanda details how she decided to title the book as she dd At about 3:20, Annie McDermott, Episode 91 and Mario Levrero shout outs! At about 4:00, Fernanda discusses her reading life growing up, the ways in which better translations slowly came to Uruguay, and reading  At about 6:45, Fernanda talks about respect for Garcia Marquez, though not being a huge fan, and cites Juan Rulfo as “perfección” At about 8:15, Pete expands on a Rulfo favorite of his, “No Oyes Ladrar los Perros,” and Fernanda expands on her love of Rulfo’s Pedro Paramo  At about 10:05, Fernanda talks about favorite contemporary authors, like Herta Muller and Olga Tokarczuk  At about 12:00, Pete shouts out Jennifer Croft, and Fernanda responds to Pete’s questions about why there is such a affinity for Eastern European writing in Latin América, and she specifies the Río Plata region as connected  At about 14:55, Fernanda describes her familial connections to Europe-particularly Italy and Spain At about 17:15, Fernanda responds to Pete’s question about seeds for her writing life At about 19:05, Fernanda references The Stranger and El Lugar by Levrero as chill-inducing books At about 21:30, Pete is complimentary of Fernanda’s worldbuilding, and she expands on what she loves about it At about 23:00, Pete and Fernanda discuss translation in her book, especially of colloquialisms like “ni fu ni fa” At about 26:25, Fernanda responds to Pete’s question about climate change and other stimuli for Mugre Rosa/Pink Slime At about 28:50, Pete mentions the book’s interesting dialogues that complement the action, and Fernanda expands on the evolving dialogues   At about 30:50, Fernanda talks about the book’s opening and the “first image” in her mind of a foggy port that creates an ambience for the book At about 33:45, Pete shares laudatory blurbs for the book, especially about the book’s “envelop[ing]” world built by Fernanda At about 34:25, Fernanda describes the book’s opening, including a pivotal scene involving a possible last fish At about 37:05, Pete wonders about nostalgia, and Fernanda talks about her interest and lack of interest in certain ideas of what has been lost  At about 39:40, Fernanda discusses the relationship between the narrator and Max and its significance in the novel, especially in charting changes in the narrator as the book continues At about 44:20, Pete points out a funny saying/joke from the book and Fernanda outlines her conversations with Heather Cleary in the translating of the joke At about 46:05, The two discuss “surrendering and letting go” and connections to the novel and specifically

    1h 9m

  5. 19 NOV

    Episode 262 with Rus Bradburd, Author of Big Time, His First Novel that Connects to Four Nonfiction Works Passionately and Thoroughly Exploring Intersections Between Sport, Race, and Larger Culture

    Notes and Links to Rus Bradburd’s Work        Rus Bradburd’s latest book is the satirical novel, “Big Time.”  Rus attended Chicago Public Schools for eleven years before graduating from North Park College. After coaching basketball for fourteen seasons at UTEP and New Mexico State University, he left the game to study with Robert Boswell and Antonya Nelson—and pursue a life in writing. His five books focus on the intersections of sport, social progress, politics, and race. Rus has remained connected to the game through his acclaimed Basketball in the Barrio summer program in El Paso, as well as serving as NMSU’s television “color analyst.”  He was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to return to Ireland to work on his next book about refugees in Belfast, “Almost Like Belonging.” An accomplished fiddle player, he lives in Chicago, Belfast, and New Mexico. Buy Big Time   Rus Bradburd's Website At about 2:00, Rus gives background on his fiddle playing and his time as color commentator for New México State University  At about 3:40, Rus talks about Big Time as his first work of fiction, as well as its nice timing, and he details how he worked on the book for many years At about 5:40, Rus outlines some of the book’s exposition and plot, and talks about the current Colorado Football connections At about 6:40, Rus talks about Univ of Chicago’s 1939 dropping of football and other stimuli for the book’s genesis, including Rick Russo’s work, and Dave Meggyesy's book  At about 8:40, Rus talks about satire and fiction and ideas of how fiction often gets at truth so well At about 10:00, Rus gives more background on committee workloads and how the proliferation of committees and on particular example worked their ways into his book  At about 12:25, Rus talks about normalization of budget imbalance in universities  At about 13:30, Pete and Rus discuss the book’s epigraph, and Ruis talks about how the book satirizes college athletics, while he’s “knee-deep” in sports still At about 15:30, Pete details a compare and contrast lesson that he teaches  At about 17:00, Rus responds to Pete’s question about the book’s opening and main characters Mooney and Braverman, history professors, working concessions at football games  At about 18:40, Rus gives background on “pop poet” Layla, and the ways in which she and the two history professors work together; Rus connects today’s conversations around student protests and protests in the book At about 20:30, Rus talks about the downfall of the Coors State English Department in the book At about 22:00, Rus cites the Missouri Football protest in fodder for a similar situation in his book At about 23:00, Rus speaks about rich owners often asking taxpayers to finance big building projects  At about 24:20, Pete asks Rus about any inspirations for Layla, and he expands upon how the character evolved in his writing At about 27:50, Pete charts the roles and importance of some characters in the book At about 28:35, Rus discusses the financial costs and gains of big sport universities, and argues that the sporting program is taking away from education and educators At about 33:00, Rus talks about a flawed system that puts so much work and so little compensation for adjunct instructors and showcases much hypocrisy At about 35:00, Pete points out links between Braverman and Mooney’s activism and civil rights movements, and Rus connects to the push and pull that governs his own thoughts with regards to activism  At about 38:00, Rus talks about how the book’s events are in many ways reminiscent of fractures on the political Left At about 40:25, Pete and Rus talk about NlL and how it relates to topics covered n the book, and whether/how NIL affected Rus’ writing  At about 44:00, Rus cites Dagoberto Gilb as an example of a writer who is successful while not being preachy, and how through satire, one can be a “little more message-heavy” At about 45:50, Ru

    1h 2m

  6. 13 NOV

    Episode 261 with Greg Mania, Author of Born to Be Public, and Hilarious Chronicler of the Absurd, Eccentric, and Profound

    Notes and Links to Greg Mania’s Work         Greg Mania’s words have been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, Oprah Daily, PAPER, among other international online and print platforms. He is also a contributing editor to BOMB Magazine, he hosts The Rumpus’s #ShowUsYourDesk on Instagram Live, and co-hosts Empty Trash, a reading series in Los Angeles. His debut memoir, Born to Be Public, is out now from CLASH Books.    He lives in Los Angeles, where he spends his days writing and hanging out with his boyfriend, the poet and TV writer Tommy Pico, whose commitment to the bit rivals his own.       Buy Born to Be Public   Greg Mania’s Website   Lambda Literary Review of Born to Be Public   “How Born to Be Public Author Greg Mania Lived a Double Life Before Coming Out” for Oprah Daily At about 2:10, Greg talks about growing up in Central New Jersey, and his cultural life and the ways in which New York City held a special magnetism for him At about 5:35, Greg describes the different parts of New Jersey and its immortal malls  At about 6:45, Greg responds to Pete’s questions about growing up speaking Polish and whether his writing in English has parallels in Polish  At about 8:15, Greg explains how he’s a “word nerd” and how this and his family affects his joke creation  At about 9:40, Greg talks about how he and Ruth Madievsky vibe for me many reasons, including a shared affinity for dark humor At about 12:30, Greg notes that Born to Be Public has been **translated into Polish** At about 13:20, Greg gives background on Poland and its evolving conservatism and liberalism  At about 14:15, Greg shows his Beverly Cleary-related tattoo and shouts out his love of Garfield and other dark/weird humor in growing up; Phyllis Diller gets stanned  At about 16:30, n expanding upon his love for Pee Wee Herman, Greg talks about his love for and interest in persona  At about 17:40, Phyllis Diller gets stanned more as Greg notes an incredible sign from Phyllis/the universe At about 19:25, Greg discusses the litany of publications with which he works, and being a “freelance” writer in a year of transformation At about 21:20, Greg responds to Pete’s question about his writing routine At about 24:50, Greg gives information on his upcoming novel project  At about 27:15, Greg answers Pete’s question about how taking his nonfiction to fiction is “freeing” At about 30:10, Greg lists Ruth Madievsky, Samantha Irby, Emily Austin, Rufi Thorpe, Kristen Arnett, Chantal Johnson, Kimberly King Parsons as some of the writers who thrill and challenge her At about 32:40, Greg responds to Pete’s asking about how one is funny on the page At about 34:25, Greg makes a startling Friends’-related admission At about 35:15, Pete and Greg discuss the interplay between the humor and heaviness in his book At about 39:20, Sand art! At about 40:30, Greg talks about advice from a writer about how he ended up writing a book that has resonated with so many  At about 41:30, Greg reflects on childhood fears and the ways in which he has worked through these fears and compulsions  At about 43:45, The two discuss fixations with death At about 44:40, Greg gives background on his childhood fascination with chimneys and diesel trains, and his dad’s selflessness At about 47:30, Greg talks about the ways in which his parents’ generosity and love was counterbalanced by homophobia and migraines and anxiety  At about 51:00, Greg details some harmful words from a childhood doctor  At about 53:15, Greg responds to Pete’s question about his mindset in retorting to bullies and he mentions the “power” that came with quips  At about 55:15, Pete connects Greg’s humor to a Tillie Olsen line and wonders about Greg’s feelings at the time  At about 57:45, Greg details how his friend Rachel brought him so much confidence and helped him build his humor At about 1:00:00, Greg talks about the “no inh

    1h 30m

  7. 5 NOV

    Episode 260 with Lauren Markham, Author of A Map of Future Ruins, and Sympathetic and Empathetic Chronicler of The Forgotten, The Neglected, and Those With Complex Stories Often Reduced to Tropes

    Notes and Links to Lauren Markham’s Work       Lauren Markham is a writer based in northern California. She is the author of the recent A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging (Riverhead, 2024) which The New Yorker listed as one of “The Best Books We’ve Read in 2024 So Far” and which Kirkus reviews called “a remarkable, unnerving, and cautionary portrait of a global immigration crisis.” A fiction writer, essayist and journalist, her work most often concerns issues related to youth, migration, the environment and her home state of California. Markham’s first book, The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life (Crown, 2017) was the winner of the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize, the Northern California Book Award, and a California Book Award Silver Prize. It was named a Barnes & Noble Discover Selection, a New York Times Book Critics' Top Book of 2017, and was shortlisted for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize and the L.A. Times Book Award and longlisted for a Pen America Literary Award in Biography.  Markham has reported from the border regions of Greece and Mexico and Thailand and Texas; from arctic Norway; from gang-controlled regions of El Salvador; from depopulating towns in rural Sardinia and rural Guatemala, too; from home school havens in southern California; from imperiled forests in Oregon and Washington; from the offices of overwhelmed immigration attorneys in L.A. and Tijuana; from the upscale haunts of women scammed on the Upper East Side.  Her writing has appeared in outlets such as VQR (where she is a contributing editor), Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, The New Republic, Guernica, Freeman's, Mother Jones, Orion, The Atlantic, Lit Hub, California Sunday, Zyzzyva, The Georgia Review, The Best American Travel Writing 2019, and on This American Life. She has been awarded fellowships from The Mesa Refuge, UC Berkeley, Middlebury College, the McGraw Center, the French American Foundation, the Society for Environmental Journalists, the Silvers Prize, the de Groot Foundation, and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.  In addition to writing, Markham has spent fifteen years working at the intersection of education and immigration. She regularly teaches writing in various community writing centers as well as at the Ashland University MFA in Writing Program, the University of San Francisco and St. Mary’s MFA in Writing Program. Her third book, Immemorial, will be published by Transit Books in 2025.       Buy A Map of Future Ruins   Lauren's Website   Los Angeles Review of Books’ Review of A Map of Future Ruins   At about 4:00, Lauren makes the case that not all young reading has to be high-brow as she discusses formative works as a kid and adolescent, which included Nancy Drew and Milan Kundera At about 6:50, Lauren responds to Pete’s question about how she thinks and writes in diverse genres, and how her reading of varied writers informs her own work At about 10:40, Lauren shouts out Vauhini Vara, Hernan Diaz, Nathan Heller, Jia Tolentino, and other treasured contemporary writers At about 12:45, Lauren talks about how writing informs her teaching, and vice versa At about 15:25, Pete asks Lauren about seeds for A Map of Future Ruins and how her work with many undocumented and refugee students has affected her writing At about 19:00, Lauren and Pete discuss ideas of belonging and exclusion and pride and heritage in connection to Lauren’s Greek heritage and reporting trips there At about 23:10, Ideas of “insiders” and “outsiders” and the challenges of immigration paperwork are discussed At about 26:05, Pete and Lauren reflect on a powerful quote from Warsan Shire regarding people being impelled to emigrate At about 26:55, Lauren gives background on the conditions that made Moria on the Greek slang of Lesbos a “purgatory” At about 31:20, Demetrios, a representative Greek from the book, and his views on im

    1h 10m

  8. 31 OCT

    Episode 259 with Jessica Whipple, Author of Enough Is... and I Think I Think a Lot, and Skilled Craftswoman of Nuanced, Sympathetic Works that Bring Security and Inspiration for Kids and Adults Alike

    Notes and Links to Jessica Whipple’s Work      Jessica Whipple writes for adults and children from her home in Eastern PA. Her poetry has been published recently in Funicular, Door Is a Jar, and Green Ink Poetry, and online at Whale Road Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Pine Hills Review. Her poem "Broken Strings" has been nominated for a 2023 Pushcart Prize in poetry.    She has published two children's picture books in 2023: Enough Is… (Tilbury House, illustrated by Nicole Wong) and I Think I Think a Lot (Free Spirit Publishing, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon).     To read more of Jessica’s work or to learn about her books, including praise and reviews, peruse her website or follow her on Twitter/X/Instagram @JessicaWhippl17. Buy I Think I Think a Lot   Interview with WESA/NPR, Regarding I Think I Think a Lot   Jessica Whipple's Website At about 2:20, Jessica gives background information on places to buy her books At about 4:40, Jessica speaks to how her reading life is and was At about 7:00, Jessca traces where her writing life kicked in and how her writing life was “reinvigorated”  At about 10:00, Julie Fogliano and other inspiring and beloved children’s authors are given kudos At about 12:20, Jessica reads “This is What I’m Thinking at the Container Store” At about 15:50, Jessica expands on the universality and specificity of her poem, talking about OCD as a “spectrum” At about 19:00, The two reflect on some stellar and vivid lines from the poem At about 21:00, Jessica breaks down the different mechanisms of OCD and focuses on the compulsions and obsessions in their mental and outward forms At about 23:35, Jessica introduces and reads her poem, “ Sometimes I Google You” At about 26:25, Jessica explains how she is “speaking to the memory” depicted in the poem At about 29:30, Jessica provides a nice way to think of haiku, thanks to Tim Green  At about 32:45, Pete highlights the beautiful security given in Jessica’s work and other standout work At about 33:40, Pete asks about the “Enough” from the title of Enough Is… and Jessica expands upon the “sense of importance” given to the word  At about 35:20, Jessica responds to Pete’s questions about using symbolism and analogy in books for kids  At about 37:00, Pete wonders about seeds for the book, I Think I Think a Lot At about 40:15, Pete likens the apologies in the book to a Seinfeld episode At about 41:20, Jessica talks about how the illustrator works off her writing At about 42:45, Pete highlights the ways in which Jessica use nuance and asks Jessica about writing to engender empathy in kids  At about 44:40, Jessica reads and discusses “To My Husband Now a Father”  At about 48:20, Pete asks Jessica about writing about personal things and catharsis At about 50:20, Lauren details exciting upcoming projects           You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    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 re

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About

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."

Information

  • Creator
    chillsatwillpodcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Chills at Will Podcast

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