Memoir Nation
Brooke Warner and Grant Faulkner
Memoir Nation: Weekly Inspiration for Writers is an extension of the Memoir Nation community hosted by Brooke Warner and Grant Faulkner, two friends and colleagues who bring a community-minded sensibility to the writing journey. Originally launched as Write-minded in 2018, this is a weekly writing podcast that focuses on memoir and personal writing, as well as industry trends and tips and resources for writers and authors. Memoir Nation features a segment called Book Alley at the end of each episode to talk about recent memoirs that authors have sent Brooke and Grant, or memoirs they've discovered that are thought provoking or have sparked inspiration. Brooke and Grant bring to this weekly podcast their deeply held belief that everyone is a writer, and everyone’s story matters. Discover more about Memoir Nation at memoirnation.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 28, 2022 • 44min
How We Think and Write about Intimate Experiences, featuring Melissa Febos
Author Melissa Febos discusses the power of personal narrative in her new book, Body Work. The conversation explores diary-writing, confession, secrets, essays, and memoir craft. An enlightening discussion for all writers seeking inspiration and fortification in their writing journey.
Feb 21, 2022 • 42min
The Art of Writing Forgiveness, featuring Ashley C. Ford
This week’s powerful episode features Ashley C. Ford, sharing about writing influences, forgiveness, and how superheroes influence her writing, among other topics. Ford has written one of the most powerful memoir scenes we’ve read in a long while, and she speaks to the process and evolution of that story and what she learned in the telling of it. Lots of inspiration in this interview, and we want to let you know that you can be with Ashley for The Heart of Memoir, April 5-May 10, where she’ll will be guest teaching about “the protagonist,” which in memoir is YOU. See more details at: https://magicofmemoir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 14, 2022 • 47min
Writing to Make the World a Better Place, featuring Parker J. Palmer
In celebration of Valentine’s Day week, this week’s podcast honors heart-centeredness, and writing from the heart and with openness, and the inherent and implicit ways that makes the world a better place. Join Brooke and Grant to bask in the wisdom of Parker J. Palmer’s words on everything from welcoming the stranger, to what he loves about speaking, to the legacy of his friend and colleague, the great bell hooks. Please also check out Parker Palmer’s March 20 webinar, which is pay what you can and can be found at: https://couragerenewal.org/wpccr/events/divided-no-more-rejoining-our-inner-and-outer-lives-a-webinar-with-parker-j-palmer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 7, 2022 • 41min
The Drama of Friendships, featuring Jean Chen Ho
Friendship is often the backdrop of story, but rarely is it centered. In this week’s episode Grant and Brooke name some of their favorite books where friendship is centerstage, as is the case with guest Jean Chen Ho’s new novel, Fiona and Jane. Friendship, like love affairs, offer such rich territory to explore interpersonal dynamics, how friends show up (and don’t) in our lives over time, and how we invariably feel mixed emotions toward our friends. An important episode for considering the rendering of friendships on the page—centerstage or not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 31, 2022 • 36min
Research Is Not Just for Facts, featuring Margaret Verble
In this week’s episode we’re exploring the idea of experiential research, of soul research, of the kind of writing that involves the body, the heart, and the soul as much as the mind. Guest Margaret Verble shares with us how writing fiction is a way for her to keep the dead alive, to have conversations with those who have passed on. Her easy connection to the past and her family line is inviting in that she suggests what you “know” doesn’t necessarily involve research—and it’s all a continuum anyway. We were inspired to think about what lives in our cells, and serendipity of certain stories and how they show up, and what it looks like to write the stories that land in your lap, or show up calling your name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 24, 2022 • 39min
Out in the Open about Erotica, featuring Rachel Kramer Bussel
Sex sells—and sex writing shows up in countless genres beyond just erotica. So while we’re focusing on erotica this week with guest Rachel Kramer Bussel, who’s edited more than 70 erotica anthologies, we’re also talking about sex writing more generally—the history of erotic literature, why erotica collections tend to be anthologies rather than single-author books, and some tips to think about if and when you come to the page to write your own sex scenes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 17, 2022 • 43min
Risk It Like You Mean It, featuring Angela Engel
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Jan 10, 2022 • 34min
Borrowing from Mythic Structures, with Michelle Ruiz Keil
This week’s episode starts by addressing some of the burnout lots of us are feeling with yet another phase of the pandemic among other crises. And yet, because Write-Minded is committed to bringing you doses of inspiration each week, this week we’re talking with Michelle Ruiz Keil about changing up your routine, borrowing (in this case from mythic structures), and even rethinking or reworking your existing content with fresh ideas. Also, we’re wishing for our listeners all the REs: revitalization, re-emergence, resets, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 3, 2022 • 34min
The Gift of Multitudes of Perspectives, featuring Farah Ali
This week’s episode with Farah Ali dives into perspectives, and how short stories open up so many portals for writers and readers alike—and yet, short story writers will always be pressured to write a novel next. Ali is one of those writers who knew she wanted to be a writer since she was very young—and though she was encouraged, she also faced the obstacle of where her stories are set, in Pakistan, and people’s assumptions about her culture. Lucky for readers, her new collection, People Want to Live, challenges those assumptions, as does Farah herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 27, 2021 • 13min
Ringing in the New Year with Book-to-Film Recs!
Happy New Year to all—and get ready for some film recommendations from Brooke and Grant this week. Why? Because after putting out a call for favorite memoirs-turned-movies, 100 responses flowed in, offering up some exciting options for kicking back this holiday season with your Netflix subscription and a mug of hot chocolate. Today’s book trend references the Netflix Book Club, and you can find the URL mentioned here:
https://www.julesbuono.com/netflix-book-club. Thank you and goodbye, 2021! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
