Small Talk Media

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Channel • 2 Shows

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Books

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Society & Culture

Updated Weekly

JAN 25

Joyce Maynard on J.D. Salinger, Survival, and Writing Through ADHD

Joyce Maynard has been writing for 53 years. At 18, she landed on the cover of the New York Times Magazine, caught the eye of J.D. Salinger, and disappeared into a relationship that would define her for decades—until she finally told her story and was called a "predator" by Maureen Dowd. In this conversation, Joyce talks about being canceled before canceling was a thing, surviving as a Me Too survivor before Me Too became a movement, and why she returned to Yale at 65 only to discover she reads in the 17th percentile. TIMELINE: 00:35 Being canceled before it was a thing 01:47 The New York Times Magazine cover story at 18 03:29 JD Salinger's letter and the beginning of their relationship 04:30 Moving in with Salinger and giving up Yale 05:39 Keeping the secret for 25 years 06:22 Writing "At Home in the World" and the backlash 08:26 When 18-year-olds dating 53-year-olds was "romantic" 09:41 The Charlie Rose interview (and what happened after) 10:27 Why the culture turned against her in 1998 11:23 Can you separate the artist from the art? 13:25 Teaching memoir to women in Guatemala 15:45 Writing family sagas and "How the Light Gets In" 16:31 Growing up in a problematic family 17:00 Mother's writing bootcamp from age 3 22:23 Including real-world events (Trump, January 6th) in fiction 24:09 Writing is not therapy or catharsis 29:43 Throwing away manuscripts that aren't good enough 30:08 Discovering ADHD at Yale at age 65 32:08 The D-minus French exam that changed everything 34:22 Reading in the 17th percentile 36:39 The gift of ADHD 40:39 "You cannot be a writer if you're not a reader" - and why that's wrong 41:48 Character-first vs. plot-first writing 43:33 Never knowing where the story will end (vs. John Irving) 44:18 No outlines - "outline is for a term paper" 46:22 Finding inspiration in news headlines 47:49 Why some stories are memoir and others are fiction 50:48 On sensitivity readers and the transgender character 51:44 When characters display "politically incorrect" attitudes 52:57 Fear of cancellation from the left 53:29 Trigger warnings at Yale and the softening of everything

Jan 25

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1h 14m
JAN 2

Inside the Pluribus Writers' Room

Since its debut on Apple TV Plus, Pluribus has sparked an unusually intense response. Viewers not only watch it, they debate it and project onto it. Executive Producer Alison Tatlock talks about why the series has connected so deeply with audiences. We dig into the emotional problem at the center of the show, how skepticism shapes its characters, and why discomfort is doing more of the storytelling than plot twists or spectacle. We also talk about writing restraint, trusting viewers, and building a world that feels strange but uncomfortably familiar. Subscribe to my newsletter @jonsmalltalk.substack.com

Jan 2

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53 min
09/19/2023

Inside the Rise and Fall of an Upper West Side Cult

Alexander Stille talks about his fascinating new book, The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune. Led by a charismatic psychoanalyst, the Sullivanians flourished in Manhattan's tony neighborhood in the 1970s and 80s, attracting many brilliant, creative people as patients, including Jackson Pollack and Judy Collins. But what started as a utopian experiment in psychoanalysis devolved into a paranoid sex cult in which therapists controlled their patients' lives, instructing them who to sleep with and where they could work. The real tragedy is the story of the children, who were shipped off to boarding schools so that their parents could be free to sleep around and jettison the constraints of the nuclear family. Stille is an accomplished journalists and a professor at Columbia Journalism School.

09/19/2023

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1h 2m
11/24/2025

3 Keys to Building a Seven-Figure Writing Business

Former Hollywood TV writer Amy Suto walked away from Hollywood to build a seven-figure freelance writing business. She talks about the 3 pillars that got her there, the Substack tweaks that added $100,000 in value, and why self-publishing can earn more than traditional book deals. Amy's new book is Write for Money and Power: The Anti-Starving Artist's Guide to Becoming a Seven-Figure Writer. Follow us on Substack: Amy Suto Jonathan Small

11/24/2025

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1h 4m
11/17/2025

The Magazine Traditional Media Refuses to Make

Lili Zarghami spent decades working in women's magazines before realizing none of them were speaking to women like her anymore. After turning 40 and getting laid off, she decided to create Jenny Mag—a digital magazine for Gen X women who don't fit the cookie-cutter mold of traditional women's media. In this conversation, we discuss why dating stories outperform health content, the complicated relationships Gen X women have with their Boomer mothers, what it's like running a magazine on nights and weekends with zero budget, and why owning your platform matters when you've been disposable to corporate publishers one too many times. Lili also opens up about empty nesting with twins, being back in the dating world after 25 years of marriage, and creating content that makes readers say "I thought it was just me." This episode originally aired on my new podcast Small Talk. Subscribe to Small Talk Podcast Small Talk Substack Jenny Mag

11/17/2025

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1h 3m
10/04/2022

The True Story of a Victorian-Era Hannibal Lecter

He's the most notorious murderer you've probably never heard of. Edward Rulloff terrified the nation in the mid-19th century for his wickedness and his brilliance. His oversized brain was so fascinating that it still sits in a dusty jar at Cornell University. Crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson has written a new book about Rulloff called All That is Wicked. She shares his story and its implications for the then-emerging field of criminal psychology. The Rulloff case still raises the essential question: Are psychopathic killers born or made?

10/04/2022

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47 min
03/05/2024

There's Hope for Journalists Amidst the Mass Layoffs

Only a few months in, and it's already a bleak year for the media. Journalists lost 500 jobs in January alone, with mass layoffs at the LA Times, Business Insider, Sports Illustrated, and others. I lost my own job at Entrepreneur after working there for five years. But according to my guest Chandra Turner, where one door may be closing, others are swinging wide open. Chandra founded The Talent Fairy, a recruiting agency that places journalists in editorial, brand publishing, and content marketing positions. She sees a bright and lucrative future in content marketing and rejects the belief that these jobs are sellouts. On the pod, she talks about her own career trajectory from magazines editor to job fairy, who's hiring in 2024, and what skills they desire. Subscribe to my newsletter @ https://jonathan856.substack.com/ Watch the interview @ https://bit.ly/WriteAboutNowYouTube

03/05/2024

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54 min
11/11/2025

Elizabeth George: Inside the Mind of a Master Crime Writer

The legendary crime writer talks about how she builds characters, steals voices, mines real communities for detail, and turns dark human behavior into bestselling fiction. We also get into real police sources in London, writing about Nigerian communities and FGM in a way that doesn't get you canceled, and the piece of advice PD James gave her that changed her life forever. Follow me @ jonsmalltalk@substack.com Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase @ drinkAG1.com/writeaboutnow

11/11/2025

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53 min
12/02/2025

The Money Conversation Writers Can No Longer Avoid

People in their 50s are confronting a financial reality nobody prepared us for. We grew up assuming steady careers, pensions, and a clear path to retirement. Instead, we're juggling layoffs, credit card debt, college tuition, aging parents, and rising healthcare costs, all while wondering what "retirement" even means anymore. Kerry Hannon and Janna, co-authors of Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future, break down how our generation ended up here and offer practical steps we can take now to build a future that feels possible, not panicked. Even if you're not Gen X, there is practical and useful advice for you here. Subscribe to my Small Talk substack for more conversation like this

12/02/2025

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58 min
06/19/2024

Joyce Maynard on J.D. Salinger, Her New Novel, and Writing with ADHD

Fifty years ago, The New York Times Magazine featured Joyce Maynard on its cover for an essay she wrote entitled "An 18-Year-Old Looks Back on Life." That story would catapult her to national prominence but also mark a traumatic beginning to a celebrated career as a prolific novelist and memoir writer. Unwittingly, Maynard became part of a MeToo scandal with iconic novelist J.D. Salinger long before male predatory behavior was in the news. She survived that affair to become an acclaimed, prolific author— penning 13 novels and 5 works of non-fiction, two of which were adapted for film. On the pod, she talks about her newest masterpiece, How the Light Gets In, getting canceled in the 90s, returning to Yale as a middle age mom to get a degree, reading and writing with ADHD, and the best writing advice she was ever given. Follow Joyce on Facebook: joycemaynardauthor Sign up for my online Writing Masterclass on June 27 @ https://bit.ly/smallmasterclass

06/19/2024

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1h 14m

Small Talk Media is home to original podcasts and conversations hosted by Jonathan Small.

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