SongWriter

Author of the bestselling School for Good and Evil series (which is currently becoming a Netflix show), Soman Chainani, reads a children’s story he wrote for SongWriter, about an evil bear that eats children. David Mayfield and Abby Rose, who perform as Cave Twins, share their song, “Mighty Mountain Monster,” and talk about how America’s political divisions inform their art.https://SongWriterPodcast.com/ChainaniTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Malachy McCourt is the 87 year-old brother of Pulitzer Prize-winning memoirist Frank McCourt, who wrote Angela’s Ashes about their childhood in Ireland. Malachy tells a story about a walk he and his father took together when he was a small boy, and Scottish songwriter Louise Cairns performs her response song, “Baby Rocks.”https://SongWriterPodcast.com/McCourtTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

This is a preview for the second season of SongWriter, the podcast of stories and "answer songs," This season will feature stories from Joyce Carol Oates, Soman Chainani, and Michael Ian Black, and songs written in response by Sarah Jaffe, Cave Twins,  and Tony Trischka.Twitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast 

Novelist and MacArthur "Genius Grant" award-winner Jonathan Lethem reads his story "Vivian Relf," and songwriter Cindy Lee Berryhill performs a song written in response.https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Novelist and journalist Anna North reads two pieces of flash fiction, "The Machine" and "Cheese Baby," and rapper and filmmaker Miss Eaves performs a song written in response the second piece. The two friends also discuss how they met, and their reaction to each others' work.https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Patricia Lockwood reads a chapter from her bestselling memoir, Priestdaddy, about a hunting trip, a disgusting motel room, and her brother, the "Poop Jentleman." Sasha Dobson performs her song, "Cross on My Heart," inspired by Patricia's writing, and about her own father. The show was recorded at a live performance at Joe's Pub in New York City.https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Aura Hernandez has been living in a church on the Upper West Side for more than a year. She tells the story of how she came to take sanctuary in the church, and about her hopes for the future. Brazilian songwriter Denise Reis performs a song written in response to Aura's life story.https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Retired police captain Rita Mullaney tells a story about two dislocated people who secretly lived for years in New York City police precincts, and veteran musician Byron Isaacs, of the Lumineers, shares a song he wrote in response.https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Public radio's Kurt Andersen reads from his critical history of America, Fantasyland. He tells the story of colonist Anne Hutchinson and the singular religious rebellion she started, which led to her eventual banishment and death.Vienna Teng plays a song written in response, using a looper pedal and backwards vocals to depict an argument between the complex truth and simplistic jingoism.https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast

Bestselling author Rick Moody reads a chapter from his novel Hotels of North America, about love, marriage, and an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. Xenia Rubinos talks about transience on tour, and plays her answer song, "Three Stars."https://SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcast