Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

My guest this week is Nancy Johnson, whose newest novel, “People of Means,” is a propulsive story of race, class, and resistance in 1960s Nashville and 1992 Chicago. It was also one of People Magazine's most anticipated books of 2025. Nancy's debut novel, “The Kindest Lie,” was a Target book club pick and a New York Times editor's choice.A native of Chicago's South Side, Nancy has worked for more than a decade as an award-winning television journalist at CBS and ABC affiliates nationwide. Nancy lives in downtown Chicago where she's a director of brand journalism and storytelling for a large healthcare nonprofit.We covered:- Why she always makes it clear how her characters make their money- How she manages a full-time “real” job and a full-time writing career- The writing advice acclaimed mystery writer Dennis Lehane gave her that she chose not to follow- The tools she uses to get geared up to do her creative writing- How it took her six years to write her first book, two years to find an agent, and only two weeks to get a publishing deal- The things that kept her up at night and that inspired the subject matter of her novels- How her friendships keep her goingConnect with Nancy on Instagram @nancyjauthor or Facebook at Nancy Johnson Author.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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In the second part of my conversation with Lisa See, author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, and more, we talked about the interior side of writing–things like dealing with your inner critic and dealing with the parts of writing and of life you would really rather not do, including:- The fascinating tidbit of information her research taught her about Los Angeles- How the Chinese public discourse about the smallpox epidemic that occurred 500 years ago is eerily similar to the controversy over Covid vaccines- The predictable emotional rollercoaster she rides each time during the revision process- Why writers should start celebrating good sentences the way Olympians celebrate an important point- The ninja trick of agreeing with your inner critic- A potential peril of becoming an internationally bestselling author- How the inevitable losses we experience with age can deepen your writing- The things she says no to now that she’s the age that she is- Some of the beliefs and attitudes passed down through the Chinese side of her family she really had to work to cast off (and how her mother, who is not Chinese, helped)- Why reading fiction is her go-to personal development toolThis week’s episodes are a replay. Hope you enjoy the last couple weeks of official summer and come back September 1 when I have a new guest–another author who specializes in historical fiction and telling women’s stories that have been hidden or overlooked.Connect with Lisa on Instagram @lisasee_writer.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week my guest is Lisa See, the New York Times bestselling author of so many beloved books, including Lady Tan's Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, Snow Flower and the Secret Ban, Shanghai Girls, and Dreams of Joy. Lisa's books often center the experience of women across time and cultures, particularly stories that have been lost, forgotten, or deliberately covered up.This week’s episodes are a replay–I’ll be back with a new guest on Labor Day (September 1). Enjoy these last couple weeks of official “summer”!We covered:- The atrocious 1970s TV miniseries that was so poorly written, it inspired her to try writing fiction (under the pen name Monica Highland)- How she started researching the Chinese side of her family thinking that she’d include a short letter about it in that year’s holiday card, and how that grew into “On Gold Mountain,” her first book written under her own name, as well as a national bestseller and New York Times notable book- What’s been easy and what’s been hard about her work as a novelist- How telling stories that have been previously hidden or overlooked inspires her to keep working–and why sharing those stories matters- A peek into her (fascinating) research process- The morning routine that fuels her work- Why she doesn’t worry about keeping her tea hotConnect with Lisa on Instagram @lisasee_writer.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is Catherine Bush, whose critically-acclaimed fiction (her book “Blaze Island” was named a “Globe and Mail” best book of the year and “The Rules of Engagement” was a “New York Times” notable book) often addresses the climate question. For example, in her most recent collection, “Skin”, a man falls in love with the wind. In this final part of our interview, we covered:- How and why she’s devoted to giving the natural world the same level of attention and care as her characters.- The books that incorporate nature and climate into their primary narratives that have been inspiring her lately- How she’s trying to address climate through the lens of a love for the natural world instead of despair- Writing about “weird, unusual intimacies” in her stories that make people laugh instead of cringe- The book she’s hoping to spend the next five years writing- Why it’s good for writers to have things in their life that regularly take them away from their work- Trying to figure out where she wants to live in retirement- The Sri Lankan tea she’s addicted to, even though she can’t easily get it Connect with Catherine at catherinebush.com. For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com. Thank you for listening! And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my conversation with Catherine Bush, author of five novels and the story collection “Skin,” we did a deep dive into the inner work required to nurture a multi-decade writing career, including: - Making peace with your personal process–even when it’s slow, messy, and meandering- The story in her new collection that her editor wanted to nix–and how she made it work- Embracing Annie Dillard’s advice to “write into impossibility”- Being really honest about what projects you want to commit to- How ideas of ambition and success change as you get older- What she learns from her college students Connect with Catherine at catherinebush.com. For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com. Thank you for listening! And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week my guest is Catherine Bush, author of five novels, including the widely acclaimed “Blaze Island,” “Accusation,” and “The Rules of Engagement.” Catherine's brand new book is “Skin,” her first collection of stories. Catherine is a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph and was a 2024 Landhouse Fellow at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. She lives in Toronto and in an old brick schoolhouse in Eastern Ontario. We covered:- Supporting yourself as a freelance writer and editor- Embracing academia without sacrificing your own work- Creating work that makes us feel more connected to each other and the world around us- Outside-the-box ways to earn money that protect your creativity and your time- Making space for your soul work- How she gets herself through those inevitable moments where you’re ready to give up on your work- Why she writes in her nightgown- Why she starts new projects in longhand–even though she often can’t read her handwriting- Her favorite pen Connect with Catherine at catherinebush.com. For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com. Thank you for listening! And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this third and final installment of my conversation with author and Pushcart-nominated essayist and writing teacher (and new mom!) Sheree L. Greer, she said “we’re veering into therapy territory now, Kate,” when I asked her if there was anything she was in the process of shifting, which I took as a very good sign that we were getting into some very juicy thoughts! - Being the first person in your family to be pursuing a passion as a career- The genres she’s exploring next- The writers who inspire her and why- The work of not getting too attached to specific outcomes and creating a “more positive relationship with the unknown”- Why she hopes her newborn daughter will have a favorite planet- The non-caffeinated morning beverage that’s fueling her these days Connect with Sheree on Instagram @shereelgreer. For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com. Thank you for listening! And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my interview with Puschart-nominated essayist, novelist, and writing instructor Sheree L. Greer, we get into the nitty gritty of the thought processes, ideas, and attitudes that shape her work and her identity. We talked about:- Pushing your creative boundaries to try new genres and forms- How she gets through the discomfort of sharing personal work, and the payoff that comes on the other side- Committing to telling the full story, even when you’re not the ‘hero’- The really cool and skillful way Sheree collaborates with her inner critic- Getting to that “raw space of feeling” so you can tell your story from the heart, and not the head (at least at first)- Taking care of your body in a sedentary profession- Knowing when to follow standard writing advice, and when to let it go- Releasing the idea that any one thing will happen and then you will have “made it”- How she’s radically changed her idea of success as she’s gotten older Connect with Sheree on Instagram @shereelgreer. For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com. Thank you for listening! And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is writer, author, teacher, and arts administrator, Sheree L. Greer. Sheree is the author of two novels, “Let the Lover Be” and “A Return to Arms,” and an award-nominated essayist, with two of her essays having been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Sheree is also the founder of Kitchen Table Literary Arts—a Tampa Bay writing community dedicated to nurturing the literary art of Black women and women of color–and the independent press Ain't No Extra Credit, which publishes unique books dedicated to personal and professional development. Sheree teaches for several literary arts centers, including The Porch in Nashville and Story Studio Chicago where she was voted instructor of the year in 2023.Sheree has also written two guides to writing including “Stop Writing Whack Essays,” which might be one of the best titles for books on writing that I've ever heard. We covered:- The book that inspired her to move writing from the “hobby” category to the “career” category- Acknowledging moments of delight when they happen, and using them as fuel to keep going- The magic that happens when you get together with other artists- Getting intentional about creating a “writer’s world”--a mental space where you feel affirmed as an artist- Why she has a telescope that she named Octavia Connect with Sheree on Instagram @shereelgreer. For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com. Thank you for listening! And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices