Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

This week my guest is Paula Wyman, author of the new book, “Bad Naturalist: One Woman's Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop.” Paula's book is a blend of memoir, natural history, and conservation science, and it's a chronicle of her attempts to restore 200 acres of farmland long gone to seed in the Blue Ridge Mountains, despite the fact that she never excelled at gardening.Paula's first book is “You May See a Stranger,” an award-winning, linked collection of short stories that won praise from “The New Yorker” and a starred review in “Publishers Weekly.” Paula's stories have appeared in “McSweeney's Quarterly,” “Ploughshares,” and “The Southampton Review,” and her nonfiction has been featured on NPR, in “The Washington Post”, and “The Rumpus,” among other places.We covered:- How having a pet praying mantis as a kid is directly related to her naturalist exploits- In praise of doing deep dives into random subjects- How a manageable dream of restoring a small meadow to its natural state ballooned into rehabbing a 200-acre mountaintop- The novel she was writing that she can’t even remember what it was about now- How hearing a young Howard Stern shaped her career path- The power of doing deep dives- Turning scribbles and bad doodles into a book- A plug for using the writing software ScrivenerConnect with Paula at paulawhyman.com.There are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the final installment of my interview with Cynthia Weiner, author of the brand new book “A Gorgeous Excitement,” a coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City that is inspired by both Cynthia's own upbringing on the Upper East Side during the 80s and the infamous Preppy Killer.Cynthia is also the assistant director of the writer's studio in New York City and her short fiction has been published in “Open City,” “Ploughshares,” and “The Sun,” has earned a Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in Coolest American Stories 2024.We covered:- The 90s soundtrack that’s helping Cynthia get into her next project (which is set in the 90s)- The three writers whose example inspires Cynthia on her own path- Her burning desire to have a house with a yard and, most importantly, a tree- The Max show she’s bingeing, her elaborate daily diet soda ritual, the best day of the week, and the fast food meal she’s cravingConnect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweinerThere are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my interview with Cynthia Weiner, author of a hot-off-the-presses coming-of-age-novel, “A Gorgeous Excitement,” we cover what I call inner stuff, the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it.We unpacked:- Learning how to tolerate the discomfort of sharing your work- And how to ignore the voice that tells you nobody cares what you have to say- How she came to imagine that inner critical voice as a “shit bird”- Why she could work on one sentence for years- Why she’d rather stay home than travel some place new- How getting older has made her a better writer (and a worse sleeper)- How she’s re-wired the idea that it’s bad to draw attention to yourselfConnect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweinerThere are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm talking with Cynthia Weiner, author of “A Gorgeous Excitement,” a coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City. “A Gorgeous Excitement” is inspired by Cynthia's own 80s upbringing on the Upper East Side of New York, as well as the infamous Preppy Killer, a former prep school student who killed a girl in Central Park in the summer of 1986 and who frequented a bar called Dorian's, where Cynthia spent many nights drinking with friends.Her work has won the Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in the Coolest American Stories. Cynthia is also the assistant director of the writer's studio in New York City where, fun fact, I took classes with her in the early 2000s.We covered:- The award she won in second grade that hooked her on the writing life- How she stumbled into teaching writing- Writing as a “weird compulsion”- The plus sides of working on a novel for nearly 10 years- The daily rituals that help her write- The time management technique that helps her get unstuck- Why catching up with a friend helps her write- How living a boring life leaves more space for the workConnect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweinerThere are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we come up on the end of the year AND this podcast's one-year anniversary, I wanted to share the things from the last six months of interviews that are still sticking with me--a little tour of the a-ha moments and insights that have made a lasting impression. It's a little walk down memory lane, a little like re-reading your journal well after the fact.I also have some news to share and a teeny tiny but very meaningful request to make.PLUS, if you have a writer you'd like me to interview--maybe it's you!--you can message me on Substack (search for Finding the Throughline) or email me at kate@katehanley.com.Thank you as ever for listening!And, this is your last chance to take advantage of my discount code on AirDoctor air purifiers, which work amazingly well at filtering out all kinds of icky things so your lungs don't have to and are whisper quiet. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the Finding the Throughline interview with Laura Belgray, author of the national bestseller Tough Titties, a collection of essays that is essentially a permission slip to be a dork, a sometimes-unspiritual slacker, a late bloomer and, ultimately, unapologetically you. Laura is the founder of Talking Shrimp and co-creator of The Copy Cure with Marie Forleo. She has been featured in Elle, Fast Company, and Business Insider, and has written for Bravo, HBO, Nick at Nite, VH1, and more.Today, we find out what’s currently brewing for Laura and what she knows at this moment about where her personal throughline is leading her next, as well as what kinds of things she’s been reading, watching and listening to latelyWe covered:• Crawling out of a pit of despair after the election results• Continuing to build her email list in the modern world where there are so many more things vying for our attention• How she is not a visionary or planner—yet has achieved many amazing things anyway• David Sedaris as the author who first introduced her to a genre/structure of book that is a collection of essays and also memoir.• Her love of fiction and lack of confidence she will be able to write one someday, though she would love to• How she would love to win Powerball so she could write whatever she wants• How she wouldn’t have written a fraction of what she’d written if she didn’t write as a way to eat and make money• Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufy Thorpe--the last book that she could not put down.• Spaghettini pomodoro at Scarpetta, with plenty of extra butterConnect with Laura at talkingshrimp.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

Welcome back to the second part of my conversation with guest Laura Belgray, author of “Tough Titties,” a hilarious, bestselling collection of NYC-flavored life lessons that Laura’s own husband calls a “loser Sex and the City.”Today I’m talking with Laura about what I call inner stuff–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you’re not fully conscious of itWe covered:• How writing a book was one of the hardest things she’s ever done professionally• The tough feedback her editor initially gave her• The aftermath of the criticism that led to crying, pacing, and writer’s block• A friend’s metaphor of mountain climbing helped her to start working on her book• The experience of dealing with anxiety and people pleasing tendencies when writing a memoir• The dangers of self-comparison which can lead to despair and nonproductivity• Learning to borrow from authors she loves without trying to be them or feel disappointed because she doesn’t have the exact same talents they have in the same wayConnect with Laura at talkingshrimp.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 Laura Belgray, author of the national bestseller Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You’re the F-ing Worst. Laura is also an internet-famous copywriter, founder of Talking Shrimp, and co-creator, with Marie Forleo, of The Copy Cure. Laura started her writing career at Spy Magazine, New York Magazine, and then VH1 before starting her own copywriting and teaching business almost by accident. That business went on to earn a million dollars the year she turned 50–an achievement Laura wrote about for “Business Insider.”Fun fact: Laura taught Sherman Helmsley, aka George Jefferson from The Jeffersons, how to moonwalk.We covered:• How she finagled a job for herself that involved her watching a lot of TV (one of her favorite things to do)• Why getting paid to ‘’write emails to friends’’ is her dream job• How inspiration comes from writing--not the other way around• The magical powers of writing on the fly• Her morning routine which includes iced coffee, a walk outside, and dicking around• The website she swears by to get her writing every day• How she deals with bouts of talker’s block on social mediaConnect with Laura at talkingshrimp.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 final part of my conversation with Susan Merrell (author of Shirley: A Novel, teacher in the MFA in Creative Writing & Literature at the Lichtenstein Center of Stony Brook Southampton, and co-creator, with the novelist Meg Wolitzer, of the BookEnds Fellowship novel revision program) we talk about where her personal throughline is leading her next and she shares how she’s been writing two different books for the last eight years (OMG).We covered:• Her two current book projects: one about a man haunted by a story he’s read and another about living full-time in a “vacation town” thought to be abandoned in winter• Real estate privilege• The books she includes on her writing syllabus and why• Finding inspiration in everything, including cereal boxes• Giving up the plum nature of her current life vs chasing the dream.• Her friend’s philosophy—whatever move you make tends to be the one your feet took you to• Why silence is her pick-me-up of choice• Her friend’s magnificent roasted chickenConnect with Susan at susanscarfmerrell.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 second part of my interview with Susan Merrell, author of Shirley: A Novel, teacher in the MFA in Creative Writing & Literature at the Lichtenstein Center of Stony Brook Southampton, and co-creator, with the novelist Meg Wolitzer, of the BookEnds Fellowship novel revision program, we talk about what I call inner stuff–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you’re not fully conscious of it.We covered:• Really cool, serendipitous story about how she came to write a novel about the iconic American writer, Shirley Jackson• How she deals with her inner Achilles heel: shame• Meditation as the answer to everything• How the need for validation drives many writers to produce more (this was truly fascination and made me think, hmm, maybe I just don’t have a drive for validation, and maybe that’s not a good thing?)• How teaching students makes her feel ‘’ridiculously happy’’• How the publishing industry doesn’t necessarily support the right booksConnect with Susan at susanscarfmerrell.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