The Lives of Writers

Autofocus Literary, Michael Wheaton
  • 5.0 (20)
  • BOOKS

Candid conversations with writers about their lives in and out of books.

  1. 3D AGO

    Reading around the Margins with Naomi Washer

    This episode of The Lives of Writers is a recast of another podcast, Reading around the Margins. Normally, in each episode of Reading Around the Margins, host Naomi Washer talks with writers, readers, translators, publishers, and booksellers about how they interact with their books as objects; how their own marginalia consciously or unconsciously informs the books they come to write; and how the experience of reading brings a book into existence. In episode 9 of Reading around the Margins, LoW host and Autofocus Books publisher Michael Wheaton interviews Naomi Washer about her new book MARGINALIA: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, which inspired her podcast (and is out now from Autofocus Books).  You can also listen to this episode, of course, straight from the source in the Reading around the Margins feed.

    31 min

  2. APR 3

    Spring 2025

    Autofocus Books publisher Michael Wheaton presents brief readings and various interview clips with the authors of the three Autofocus  spring 2025 new releases: Erin Dorney (Yes I Am Human I Know You Were Wondering), Shayne Terry (Leave: A Postpartum Account), and Teresa Carmody (A Healthy Interest in the Lives of Others). Brief readings: "Day 27" by Erin Dorney, "Stitched Part II" by Shayne Terry, and "A New Writing Friend" (excerpt) by Teresa Carmody. Interview clips include answers to questions about life before and after writing their books, insights gained about their subjects through the process of writing their books, and thoughts on the craft and forms of artful autobiographical writing. Support Autofocus Books by purchasing The Spring 2025 Box and/or The Autofocus Digital Pass. Podcast theme: "Low Life" (instrumental) by Yeah Yeah Cool Cool (the musical project of Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac, from Autofocus Books). Find Nagel's books at autofocusbooks.com.

    1h 27m

  3. 10/30/2024

    Nick Rees Gardner [Host: Andrew Bertaina]

    On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Andrew Bertaina interviews Nick Rees Gardner. Andrew Bertaina is the author of the essay collection The Body Is A Temporary Gathering Place, out now from Autofocus Books, and the short story collection One Person Away From You (2021), which won the Moon City Short Fiction Award.  Nick Rees Gardner is the author of the story collection Delinquents and Other Escape Attempts (Madrona Books, 2024).  He's also the author of the novella Hurricane Trinity, a book of poetry, So Marvelously Far (2019), and a chapbook Decomposed (2017).  ____________ Full conversation topics include: -- buying a beer & wine store -- morning vs evening writing -- wanting to write -- running -- grandma as childhood poetry teacher -- emo poetry in high school -- drugs in college --short stories -- dropping out for rehab -- the short story collection DELINQUENTS -- from novel to story collection -- time -- knowing when a story is done -- rewriting drafts -- slowing down -- process -- reviewing books -- influence -- rhythm -- subverting the narrative of rehab ____________ Podcast theme music also provided by Mike Nagel. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool. The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

    1h 3m

  4. 10/23/2024

    Tasha Coryell [Host: Jason McCall]

    On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Jason McCall interviews Tasha Coryell. Tasha Coryell is the author of the debut novel Love Letters to A Serial Killer. Her forthcoming novel, Matchmaking for Psychopaths, is now available for preorder. Jason McCall is the author of the essay collection Razed by TV Sets (Autofocus, 2024) and the poetry collections What Shot Did You Ever Take (co-written with Brian Oliu); A Man Ain’t Nothin’; Two-Face God; Mother, Less Child ; Dear Hero; I Can Explain; and Silver. He and P.J. Williams are the editors of It Was Written: Poetry Inspired by Hip-Hop.  ____________ Conversation topics include: --seasons / the cold -- ambience videos -- wanting to be a writer at eight -- re-shifting priorities -- moving into the thriller genre -- learning to write novels -- relaxing about publishing -- running -- unpublished novels -- writing while succeeding -- the debut novel Love Letters to a Serial Killer -- the journey of the manuscript to publication -- a very millennial character -- academia -- reading about serial killers / true crime -- enjoying writing the character -- writing an entertaining book -- the forthcoming Matchmaking for Psychopaths _______________ Podcast theme music  by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool. The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

    55 min

  5. 10/16/2024

    Juan Carlos Reyes [Host: Jason McCall]

    On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Jason McCall interviews Juan Carlos Reyes. Juan Carlos Reyes is the author of the story collection, Three Alarm Fire, which is out on October 22, and the novella  A Summer's Lynching. His stories, poems and essays have appeared in Florida Review, Waccamaw Journal, and Hawai’i Review, and more. He has been the recipient of the Gar LaSalle Artist Trust Storyteller Award, a PEN USA Emerging Voices Fellowship, and a Jack Straw Writers Fellowship, among others.  Jason McCall is the author of the essay collection Razed by TV Sets (Autofocus, 2024) and the poetry collections What Shot Did You Ever Take (co-written with Brian Oliu); A Man Ain’t Nothin’; Two-Face God; Mother, Less Child ; Dear Hero; I Can Explain; and Silver. He and P.J. Williams are the editors of It Was Written: Poetry Inspired by Hip-Hop. He holds an MFA from the University of Miami. He is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and he currently teaches at the University of North Alabama. ____________ Conversation topics include: -- pre-pub ramp-up -- reading as gateway to writing -- the influence of children on reading habits -- being born in Ecuador in the 1980's -- moving to New Jersey as a kid -- wanting to become a writer -- owning it and changes majors -- vicarious creativity -- trying to get writing work -- entering the world of writers -- working temp jobs -- from getting an MFA to tenure-track teaching -- doing stuff in Seattle -- working with Hinton Publishing -- the new story collection Three Alarm Fire -- overlapping voice -- triptychs -- (re)organizing the collection -- fun in the nuances of craft -- narrators as people -- finishing a new draft _______________ Podcast theme music  by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool. The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

    1h 29m

  6. 10/09/2024

    Jami Attenberg [Host: Drew Hawkins]

    On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Drew Hawkins interviews Jami Attenberg. Jami Attenberg is a New York Times bestselling author of  now eight books of fiction, including The Middlesteins and All Grown Up; a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You; and 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. She is the founder of the annual #1000WordsofSummer project, and maintains the popular Craft Talk newsletter year-round. Jami's new novel is A Reason to See You Again. Drew Hawkins is a writer and journalist in New Orleans. He's the producer and host of Micro, a podcast for short but powerful writing. You can find his work on NPR, The Guardian, Scalawag Magazine, HAD, and elsewhere. His essay, "Bottom of the X," came out recently in the summer 2024 issue of Autofocus. ____________ Full conversation topics include: --Jami's 10th book, A Reason to See You Again -- ground rules for the new book -- first lines -- family games -- loss -- time in the novel -- phones and social  -- perspective and interiority -- "screen time" for characters -- New Orleans -- a perfect writing day -- 1,000 words -- readings ______________ Podcast theme music  by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool. The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

    58 min

  7. 10/02/2024

    Kirsten Reneau [Host: Drew Hawkins]

    On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Drew Hawkins interviews Kirsten Reneau. Kirsten Reneau is the author the debut full-length essay collection, Sensitive Creatures, which is out now with Belle Point Press.  of two chapbooks, and her work has been published in The Threepenny Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, Reed Magazine, and others.  Drew Hawkins is a writer and journalist in New Orleans. He's the producer and host of Micro, a podcast for short but powerful writing. You can find his work on NPR, The Guardian, Scalawag Magazine, HAD, and elsewhere. His essay, "Bottom of the X," came out recently in the summer 2024 issue of Autofocus. ____________ Full conversation topics include: -- Kirsten's debut book Sensitive Creatures -- three different selves in three different stages -- sexual assault and gendered violence -- writing the very personal -- infusing nature in the writing -- images and animals -- younger self as ideal reader -- ideal writing situations -- post-writing situations -- stages of the manuscript into final book -- editing literary mags and writing -- organizing a collection -- cicada season  -- turning the page with CNF -- the thing that scares you -- implicating others -- reading magical realism -- care ______________ Podcast theme music  by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool. The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

    57 min

  8. 09/27/2024

    Dennis James Sweeney [Host: Kristine Langley Mahler]

    On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Kristine Langley Mahler interviews Dennis James Sweeney. Kristine Langley Mahler is the author of three nonfiction books: A Calendar Is a Snakeskin  (Autofocus Books, 2023), Curing Season: Artifacts (West Virginia University Press, 2022), and the erasure essay collection Teen Queen Training (forthcoming with Autofocus Books in 2026). Kristine is the director and publisher of Split/Lip Press. Dennis James Sweeney is a cross-genre writer. His first book, In the Antarctic Circle, won the Autumn House Rising Writer Prize and was a Debut Poetry Book of 2021 in Poets & Writers. You’re the Woods Too, his second book, was a Small Press Distribution bestseller and a finalist for the Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Prize. Most recently, The Rolodex Happenings won the Stillhouse Press Novella Prize. ____________ Full conversation topics include: -- slowing production -- reading before bed -- Dennis's forthcoming book How to Submit -- small presses -- hybridity -- Dennis's first books -- Dennis's essay Ghost/Home -- photographs -- Crohn's -- Dennis's new novella, The Rolodex Happenings -- imaginings and inventions and experiments -- performance art -- the gaps in our writing -- artmaking -- the gong moment -- meaning-making -- the real in the fiction ____________ Podcast theme music  by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool. The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

    1h 10m
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About

Candid conversations with writers about their lives in and out of books.

Information

  • Creator
    Autofocus Literary, Michael Wheaton
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    164
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Autofocus Literary LLC
  • Show Website
    The Lives of Writers