Memoir Nation

There’s a caveat out the gate here, which is that in this week’s interview, Tom Perrotta stipulates that he writes about people and communities and the dramas that unfold—in places that just happen to be the suburbs. That said, we’re bringing you a great and often funny conversation with Perrotta about his decades of work, how his character Tracy Flick got caught up in the backlash of #MeToo, how he thinks about recurring characters, and his reminiscences about early books on tape when they used to be ten or more cassettes in a giant plastic case. Lots to sink your teeth into in this week’s show. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest is Jean Kwok, a writer known for writing literary thrillers, which is the blending of literary writing and mystery, resulting in tension-filled books with exciting twists. Jean brings fantastic insights into complex literary structures and the importance of knowing what you’re doing. A fun listen for anyone who loves their mysteries and thrillers wrapped up in a literary package. And this week’s episode comes with a dose of Agatha Christie on the side, for reasons that will become clear when you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Grant and Brooke talk with Dennis James Sweeney about his new book, How to Submit. If you've ever felt intimidated by the submissions process; wondered what some of the common pitfalls are when it comes to submitting, or if you need a reframe about how to think about submitting, this show is for you. Dennis has an encouraging and helpful way of submitting—thinking about it as based on community, conversation, and through the lens of trying to find the best home for your work—whether it's an op-ed, an essay, a poem, or a book. Dennis is one of the most encouraging guests we've had in a while—and if you’re wanting to get published, this is an episode you’ll come back to again! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re focusing on a little celebrated but much important aspect of storytelling: your story’s scope. How much ground are you trying to cover and how do you execute the pacing? These are the questions you must answer if you know and understand your scope. This week’s guest, Tara Dorabji, has a new novel, Call Her Freedom, that spans more than five decades, and yet, it’s a relatively short book. And so, it packs a punch. Books can cover a single day or a hundred years, and consideration for how to unfold stories of such extremes and everything in between originates with the author. Join us for a bit of a deep dive into this fascinating conversation, and Tara Dorabji’s insights about writing, publishing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re looking into the stories that inspire and move us, focusing on those that focus on everyday characters who are extraordinary in their very ordinariness. We speak to guest Sadeqa Johnson about the characters who’ve called to her, those voices that became well-rounded characters who she brought to life. This episode touches on a bit of magic, and what it’s like to listen to and get to know the characters who end up in the books we want to write. There’s much to love about this episode, not the least of which is Sadeqa’s energy and enthusiasm for her craft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you considering doing a writers’ retreat this year? Whether you want to create your own, find something far-flung and exotic, or consider the writing retreat’s bigger cousin, the writers’ conference, this episode gives insights, definitions, and parameters for retreating. Guests Ellen Sussman and Connie Hale are both writing retreat leaders who share about their own programs and so much more. There are a lot of resources in this episode, so we’re offering these URLs for you to explore more:• Artist Communities Alliance Network• Sonoma County Writers Camp• Oahu Writers RetreatOn Substackin’ this week, we salute our friend and colleague, Dan Blank, for the great and encouraging work he’s doing at The Creative Shift, and point you to his Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee Wind, author and Chief Content Officer at the Independent Book Publishers Association, passionately advocates for LGBTQ+ representation in literature. In this conversation, he reflects on the progress in fiction, sharing his personal experiences with limited queer visibility. Wind discusses the transformative power of stories for LGBTQ+ youth, innovative strategies for inclusive narratives, and the importance of uplifting diverse voices. He also critiques traditional portrayals of masculinity and femininity, stressing that representation can change lives.

Susan Lieu, a multi-hyphenate storyteller and author of *The Manicurist’s Daughter*, shares her journey of exploring grief and trauma through memoir writing. She discusses how her mother’s death influenced her narrative and the complexities of family silence. Lieu dives into the emotional dynamics of love and loss within cultural contexts, particularly from a Vietnamese perspective. She emphasizes the transformative power of confronting painful experiences and how embracing uncertainty can lead to personal growth and deeper understanding.

We welcome you to 2025 with a show that explores the exploration of form. In this conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Forrest Gander, we consider the nature of the writing journey—and its connection to landscape, the multiplicity of selves, and the kaleidoscopic experience of bringing together multiple eras of a lived life. Gander calls his new book a novel poem, and you’ll find out why, along with other beautiful insights about love and loss and the journey of being a writer—and a human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Write-minded's 7th New Year's show—where Grant and Brooke always circle around their challenge with resolutions, even as they make them and break them and every so often vow not to bother with them. This year they look back to certain resolutions declared and uncompleted, and grapple with the reckoning that must come when you assert such intentions out loud. And yet, Write-minded is also all about the fact that this writing business takes the time it takes, and this show comes around each year to help unpack goals asserted and achieved, goals shifted and morphed, goal posts moved and realigned, and much more. Happy 2025, dear writers, listeners, and creatives. Happy to be on this journey with you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices