Ben Tanzer [Host: Sara Lippmann]

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Sara Lippmann interviews Ben Tanzer.

Ben Tanzer is the author of the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans, and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool, and most recently the novel The Missing, which is out now from 7.13 Books. Among many other things, he also produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life.

Sara Lippmann is the author of the novel Lech (Tortoise Books) and the story collections Doll Palace (re-released by 7.13 Books) and Jerks (Mason Jar Press). Her fiction has been honored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, and her essays have appeared in The Millions, The Washington Post, Catapult, The Lit Hub and elsewhere. 

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Full conversation topics include:

-- Chicago/the Midwest & upstate NY

-- small town insularity

-- Ben's new novel The Missing

-- growing up with cool parents

-- resignation in fiction, not in life

-- returning to the novel form

-- time

-- regimen

-- Ben's father's influence on his creative life

-- not being precious

-- Ben and Sara meeting

-- persistence and prioritizing yourself

-- deciding to write and detaching from the results

-- a new non-fiction project

-- learning patience

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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.