Writers at the Well

Tess Callahan
  • 5.0 (2)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Interviews with authors about their experience "at the well." How do they draw words and images up from the depths? What underground streams fuel them? How they know when they are aligned, in flow, attuned to the will of their story, and when they are off course? Do they incorporate meditation or other forms of spiritual practice to keep them connected to their truth? Let's find out! Writers at the Well is a sister to Tess's meditation podcast, Heart Haven Meditations: which offers practices that draw from modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom traditions. Heart Haven Meditations: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rssTess Callahan, Ed.M., MFA, is the author of the novel APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND, and a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher. You can find her at: https://tesscallahan.com/. Podcast "Chalice Well" Cover Image by Angela Latham: www.celticmystery.co.uk www.sacredearthsoundtherapy.com DISCLAIMER: Any advice or suggestions mentioned by the guest or host is to be vetted by you. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to these conversations. You acknowledge that you use any information provided at your own risk. 

Episodes

  1. Novelist Carrie Birde on Writing as an Act of Grace

    09/15/2025

    Novelist Carrie Birde on Writing as an Act of Grace

    Join debut novelist Carrie Birde author of A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace  (Blydyn Square Books) as she discusses her creative process, her road to publication, and the unique spiritual and artistic practices that help her transmute suffering—her own and the world’s—into daily acts of beauty. A literary fairy tale, her novel explores themes of community, connection, and communication. Carrie shares her personal rituals, including yoga, Qigong, and creating paper cranes, which help her manage anxiety and connect with her environment. She offers advice for aspiring writers to stay true to their heart and maintain a sense of aliveness in their creativity. Carrie is a poet, fiction writer, artist, and amateur photographer. Like many characters in those stories, she has personal friendships with wild animals, especially birds, who know her by face.  I also interviewed Carrie in written format on Substack where she further explored these topics. I hope you enjoy this heartfelt interview about things ordinary and extraordinary.  Attend Carrie’s virtual book launch Friday, September 19, 2025, 7:00pm via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84707033106. Attend her live event at the Boonton Coffee House Saturday, Octboer 11, 2025 at 7pm. Learn more about her work at CarrieBirde.com. Follow her on Instagram. Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    40 min
  2. Novelist Paula Saunders on Starting from Here, and Writing as an Act of Compassion

    08/26/2025

    Novelist Paula Saunders on Starting from Here, and Writing as an Act of Compassion

    Join novelist Paula Saunders as she discusses her moving autobiographical novel Starting from Here, just out from Penguin Random House. A stand-alone sequel to The Distance Home, the novel follows 15-year old René through the challenges of adolescence within the pressure cooker of cultural and socioeconomic stressors. Saunders draws from her own experiences as a ballet dancer. She shares her spiritual journey, particularly her practice of Buddhism, and references beloved teachers teachers Toni Morrison, Doug Unger, and Tobias Wolff. Paula describes how writing has helped her integrate the past, and instilled in her a more compassionate relationship to her younger self and her family of origin. Paula grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota. She is a graduate of the Syracuse University creative writing program and was awarded a postgraduate Albert Schweitzer Fellowship at SUNY Albany, under Schweitzer chair Toni Morrison. Her first book, The Distance Home, was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named one of the best books of the year by Real Simple. She lives in California with her husband. They have two grown daughters. Learn more about her work at paulasaundersbooks.com.  Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    49 min
  3. Novelist Karen Dukess on Writing with a Spirit of Play

    06/03/2025

    Novelist Karen Dukess on Writing with a Spirit of Play

    Novelist Karen Dukess talks about daring to write with joy and the fun she had with her new book, Welcome to Murder Week.  Karen is the author of The Last Book Party and Welcome to Murder Week, (6/10/25). She contributed to the forthcoming anthology Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen's Unsung Characters. Karen lives outside of New York City and in Truro on Cape Cod, where she interviews some of today’s most acclaimed writers as host of the Castle Hill Author Talks for the Truro Center for the Arts.  Find Karen on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and her website: https://karendukess.com/. Enjoy this inspiring conversation! Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    1h 2m
  4. Dr. Samra Zafar on Breaking Old Patterns to Transform Your Future

    01/29/2025

    Dr. Samra Zafar on Breaking Old Patterns to Transform Your Future

    Internationally renowned speaker and physician Dr. Samra Zafar speaks with Tess about her new book Unconditional: Break Through Past Limits to Transform Your Future, which explores breaking free from old conditioning and embracing self-acceptance. She shares her journey from an abusive marriage to building a better life, emphasizing the importance of meditation, visualization, and unlearning. Zafar highlights the concept of "parts work" therapy to understand and heal different aspects of oneself. She stresses the significance of solitude, self-compassion, and community in personal growth. Zafar also underscores the power of self-trust, mentorship, and the courage to pursue dreams, despite fear, to achieve unconditional self-acceptance. Dr. Zafar has been recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Her memoir A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, was a national bestseller. She is the founder and executive director of Brave Beginnings, a national charity that provides mentorship to women who have escaped abuse. Her work has impacted millions and has been featured in national and global media. Samra Zafar’s speaking portfolio includes four successful TEDx Talks and many leading organizations around the world. You can find out more about her work at: www.samrazafar.com. Samra's huge heart and depth of wisdom are evident in this fascinating conversation. Enjoy! Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    1h 9m
  5. Author Laura Munson on Opening to Awe

    01/13/2025

    Author Laura Munson on Opening to Awe

    Bestselling author Laura Munson talks with Tess Callahan about her new book, THE WILD WHY: STORIES AND TEACHINGS TO UNCOVER YOUR WONDER, which she describes as a "teaching memoir" designed for people who think they are not creative. She discusses the value of intuition and wonder both in the writing life and everyday living. She offers tips for managing empathy and cultivating a firm but friendly relationship with one's inner critic. Laura shows us how wonder and awe are the wellsprings of creativity. She shares examples from her life, including a time when patience and curiosity led to a mourning dove alighting on her hand. Laura ends with a powerful message. Love is stronger than fear. Laura Munson is the New York Times, USA Today, and international best-selling author of the novel Willa’s Grove (Blackstone) and the memoir This Is Not the Story You Think It Is (Amy Einhorn/Putnam). Her inspiring new self-help book, The Wild Why: Stories and Teachings to Uncover Your Wonder is due out April 8, 2025. Founder of the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats, she has been featured or published in Vanity Fair, Elle, Redbook, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times Modern Love column, The New York Times Magazine, O. Magazine, and many others. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, WGN, NPR, London’s This Morning, Australia’s Sunrise, and other global media outlets. She lives in Whitefish, Montana. Find out more about her writing and retreat offerings at: https://lauramunson.com/. Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    1h 3m
  6. Novelist Manda Scott on Thrutopian Fiction and Creating a Roadmap for the Future

    11/21/2024

    Novelist Manda Scott on Thrutopian Fiction and Creating a Roadmap for the Future

    Award-winning novelist, teacher, and podcaster Manda Scott talks with Tess Callahan about her shamanic spiritual practice, her new Thrutopian novel ANY HUMAN POWER, and her highly acclaimed podcast Accidental Gods. Tess and Manda discuss dreams, visions, and the liminal states between waking, sleeping, life, and death. Manda encourages writers to create new narratives that will pave the way to the systematic changes our world needs. Best known for the Boudica: Dreaming series, Manda's previous novels have been short-listed for the Orange Prize, the Edgar, Wilbur Smith and Saltire Awards, and won the McIllvanney Prize. Her latest novel, Any Human Power, is a mytho-political thriller which lays out a Thrutopian roadmap to a flourishing future we’d be proud to leave to forthcoming generations. With degrees in veterinary medicine and a Masters in Regenerative Economics, Manda Scott hails from Scotland and now lives in England with her wife and podcast co-creator, Faith Tilleray. Explore these links to learn more about Manda's writing, her podcast, and her Thrutopian Master Class for writers. Manda Scott's Website: https://mandascott.co.uk/ Accidental Gods Podcast: https://accidentalgods.life/. Thrutopian Master Class: https://thrutopia.life/ Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    1h 7m

  7. 11/07/2024

    Sculptor/Poet Don Freas on Taking Creative Leaps

    Join sculptor/poet Don Freas, author of In-Between: Creativity Set Free and Swallowing the World: New and Selected Poems, in a rich exploration of the relationship between meditation and creativity. Don takes us on a deep dive into the “material meditation” of making art. “When you look back,” he says, “your own accrued shape appears in the spaces between the things you’ve fashioned.” Don holds an MFA in Poetry from Bennington College and lives in Olympia, Washington, where he exhibits at Childhood’s End Art Gallery. Visit www.DonFreas.com to learn more and follow Don on instagram@donfreas and FaceBook@donfreas. Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    1h 8m
  8. Novelist/Essayist Mar'ce Merrell on Daring Yourself in Life and on the Page

    10/24/2024

    Novelist/Essayist Mar'ce Merrell on Daring Yourself in Life and on the Page

    Join novelist, essayist, and canoe adventurer Mar’ce Merrell as she unpacks her spiritual and creative toolbox, sharing how she uses meditation to move through stuck places in life and on the page. Mar’ce describes some of her extraordinary life-and-death moments in the canoe, how she learned to work with water and not against it, and how her life has unfolded in the gap between the impossible and the possible.  Mar’ce is the author of the YA novel Wicked Sweet. Her stories and essays include: “Water Calls, Water Holds” (Embrace Your Divine Flow), "Architecture as Reconciliation" (Fold Magazine), and "Variations in a Living Thing" (Hags on Fire Magazine). She holds an MFA from Sierra Nevada College and lives in Ghost Lake, Canada, where she facilitates online writing circles she calls "Writing Nests." Find out more about Mar'ce's teaching and writing at her website: https://www.marcemerrell.com/, Enjoy this deep dive into writing and life! Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    1h 19m
  9. Screenwriter/Novelist Alan Watt on Writing as a Desire to Evolve

    10/16/2024

    Screenwriter/Novelist Alan Watt on Writing as a Desire to Evolve

    Novelist, screenwriter, and founder of LA Writers' Lab Alan Watt talks with host Tess Callahan about his creative process, meditation, and the meaning he finds in teaching. He discusses the writing of his award winning novel Diamond Dogs and his many popular books on writing. Watt asserts that the desire to write is connected to the desire to evolve. In both his writing and meditation practices, Watt is all about inquiry. In this interview, he encourages you to give yourself permission to write, to exorcise whatever within you wants to be freed, to assert your boundaries, and to release limiting beliefs about yourself and the world. A brilliant teacher, Alan talks about bringing a sense of trust and mutual respect into his online courses. "If you don't love your students," he says, "you shouldn't be teaching." Alan Watt is an L.A. Times best-selling author, screenwriter, and consultant to Hollywood writers and producers. He has won awards for his novel Diamond Dogs and his feature film "Eddie, Kill the President." His popular books on writing include The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, The 90-Day Screenplay, and The 90-Day Rewrite. Alan is the Founder and Creative Director of L.A. Writers' Lab, where he teaches online workshops to writers throughout the world.  Tess Callahan is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com/publish/home, and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations, available on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations Meditations on Insight...

    50 min
  • 9 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Interviews with authors about their experience "at the well." How do they draw words and images up from the depths? What underground streams fuel them? How they know when they are aligned, in flow, attuned to the will of their story, and when they are off course? Do they incorporate meditation or other forms of spiritual practice to keep them connected to their truth? Let's find out! Writers at the Well is a sister to Tess's meditation podcast, Heart Haven Meditations: which offers practices that draw from modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom traditions. Heart Haven Meditations: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rssTess Callahan, Ed.M., MFA, is the author of the novel APRIL & OLIVER and DAWNLAND, and a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher. You can find her at: https://tesscallahan.com/. Podcast "Chalice Well" Cover Image by Angela Latham: www.celticmystery.co.uk www.sacredearthsoundtherapy.com DISCLAIMER: Any advice or suggestions mentioned by the guest or host is to be vetted by you. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to these conversations. You acknowledge that you use any information provided at your own risk. 

Information

  • Creator
    Tess Callahan
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Writers at the Well
  • Show Website
    Writers at the Well