Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

In this final installment of the Finding the Throughline interview with James Beard Award-nominated journalist Hannah Selinger (whose book, Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly, will be released in 2025 and is available for pre-order now), we talk about what’s coming up next for her as well as what she’s been reading, watching, and eating, including:- The badass Martha Stewart documentary- “Health and Safety,” a memoir by Emily Witt, staff writer at “The New Yorker”- Her invention of the term #Scandivol- How “The Real Housewives” series rope you in- Her best friend who gives her major writer’s envy- Her goal to get off the hamster wheel of freelance- Why she hopes her book “Cellar Rat” will piss people off- The most pleasurable books she read this year- An ode to French vanilla coffee creamer, McDonald’s french fries, and the Indigo GirlsConnect with Hannah at https://www.hannahselinger.net/ or on Instagram @druishamericanprincess.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 my interview with Hannah Selinger–James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle journalist, Certified Sommelier, about-to-be memoirist, and–surprise!-someone who just sold her first novel.In this episode we really get into the nitty gritty of the mindset it takes to build a career as a journalist and author.We covered:The amazing feeling that happens when a longer piece of writing falls into placeHow starting the actual writing or a new piece gives her the heebie jeebiesFighting imposter syndrome after reading another writer’s stellar workLoudmouth troll shitposting on InstagramThe devolution of journalism and how to navigate itScraping by at lousier pay rates, and the enormous stack of W2s it generatesThe fallacy of people telling her it wasn’t possible to make a living as a writerStaying afloat in an industry that frequently experiences large scale layoffsYes, Virginia, you can sell a novel to a publisherConnect with Hannah at https://www.hannahselinger.net/ or on Instagram @druishamericanprincess.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 Hannah Selinger, a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle journalist who is also a Certified Sommelier.Hannah's work has appeared in a long list of prestigious places, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Wine Enthusiast, Al Jazeera, and more. Her book Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly, will be released in 2025 (and it’s available for pre-order now).Fun fact: Hannah has traveled to 25 countries and currently lives in Boxford, Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, two dogs, and one Russian tortoise.We covered:The sad tale of woe that happened when one of Hannah’s family tortoises got sick and diedHow taking a gap year after graduating from college led Hannah to work in restaurants for a decadeWhy she decided to become a certified sommelierCreating imaginary restaurants to put on her resume in order to land a job at a Bobby Flay restaurantWhat it felt like to have a piece published in the NY Times Modern Love columnHow getting that prestigious clip did NOT magically result in her getting an agentHow the task of making a living as a writer is so very different from the artful, leisurely writing romanticized in graduate schoolHow many of her dreams that seemed completely delusional ended up coming true–10 years later.How she partners with PR agencies to generate story ideasHer personal essay about being an American Jew who is against the war in Gaza that’s coming out on EatingWell.com in a few weeksStarting the morning with a pitchConnect with Hannah at https://www.hannahselinger.net/ or on Instagram @druishamericanprincess.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 interview with Antonia Angress, author of "Sirens & Muses," we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions.(Note–this episode is a replay. We’ll be back to new episodes next week, yay!)We talked about:- The novels about motherhood Antonia is reading to prepare for when her baby is born- The pressure on young women authors to be likable, available, and approachable- The two writers Antonia looks to for inspiration on being successful while “resisting the machinations of publicity that can devour you”- Getting better at not squandering time, vacuuming the rugs- The Pulitzer finalist Antonia devoured in a couple of days- What it’s like when your husband becomes a Swiftie in his 30s, when you’ve been on board since your teensFor 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

n this episode I'm talking with Antonia Angress, author of “Sirens & Muses” and a 2024 NEA Creative Writing Fellow about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it.(Note–this episode is a replay. We’ll be back to new episodes next week, yay!)- The part of the writing process that Antonia relishes- The specific point in the book-writing process where Antonia focuses on making her sentences pretty- How she only kept “a few paragraphs” from the first draft of her second novel (!!)- Adapting to the public speaking portion of being a writer- The thing her graduate school professor told her when she was halfway through writing her first novel and having a crisis of confidence- The two things that can happen after her inner critic has told her the stuff she’s writing is no good- How she views her first novel, looking back- The “toxic narrative” about how you have to suffer for your art- Continually working to be OK with resting (especially as an about-to-be mother)- Antonia’s plug for therapyFor 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 I am talking to writer Antonia Angress. Antonia is the author of "Sirens & Muses," which starts off as a campus novel set at a New England art school, but then blooms into an exploration of the intersection of home and belonging versus individualism and seeking to stand out, set in the New York City art scene during the Occupy Wall Street era."Sirens & Muses" was named one of the best books of the year by Glamour Magazine and won the Minnesota Book Award, and Antonia was recently named one of the NEA's 2024 Creative Writing Fellows. I loved the book and I love that I get to ask Antonia my list of mildly invasive questions about why and how she does her particular creative work.(Note–this episode is a replay. We’ll be back to new episodes next week, yay!)We covered:- The advice she gives about the stuff you write that you end up deleting- The fact that publishing a book “really doesn’t change your life”- The importance of that feeling of being alone with your work- The daily writing goal that keeps Antonia going (spoiler: it’s very small)- How she manages her ‘internet junk food’ diet- The practice that gets her ready to write- What motivational phrase is on the Post-It note above her computerFor 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 interview with Palestinian-American, award-nominated memoirist, Nada Samih-Rotondo, we covered:- A preview of her second memoir, which has a central theme of earthquakes, both the geological variety and the personal kind (it sounds amazing I cannot wait)- The allure of folk tales and fairy tales- The joy of going down a research wormhole- Nada’s current obsessions–turtle migration, and early African-American history in Rhode Island- Getting over the very human desire for external validation- Nada’s beautiful vision of a free Palestine- The YA novels Nada can’t put down- Oat milk matcha lattes (and why Nada hope they give her a green mustache at the coffeeshop)- The perfection of a Sunday morning and navigating the kitchen when you’re the only parent home- Nada’s favorite Palestinian dish (come to full show notes on Substack for a link)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 episode I'm talking with Nada about what I call inner stuff, the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including:- How her least favorite part of writing (sharing her work) becoming her most favorite part- The type of reader feedback that fills her heart and lights her up and fuels her to create- Feeling out of step with the world–and being OK with that- Being the only Arab kid around in the 90s- Nada’s plea–that we wake up from the collective illusion of separateness- Finding points of connection, particularly with people you disagree with- Astrology talk! (She’s an Aries sun with a Pisces moon–equal parts ready to charge into a fight and to contemplate quantum physics.)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 Nada Samih-Rotondo, a multi-genre Palestinian-American writer, teacher, and mother, who recently published her first book, a memoir called All Water Has Perfect Memory, which has been shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, Nada immigrated to the U.S. at the age of six to Rhode Island. Her work has been published in the The Master's Review, Squat! Birth Journal, and Gulfstream Literary Magazine.We talk about:- How Nada started writing her novel during the pandemic while teaching from home and homeschooling three kids- Developing patience with the publishing process- Reading as a vital part of feeding your creativity- Writing in coffee shops (especially when you have kids)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

Warning–there’s at least one swear word in today’s episode and it’s coming up quick. If you’re listening with sensitive ears--either yours or someone else’s--within earshot, this is your heads up.My guest this week is award-winning journalist and author, Paulette Perhach. Paulette has written two essays that have gone viral, including “A Story of a Fuck Off Fund,” which was included in the anthology Freshman Year of Life.Paulette is also the author of the book “Welcome to the Writer’s Life,” host of a virtual writing salon that’s called A Very Important Meeting, and a one-on-one writing coach.We talked about:- Her semi-famous roommate in NYC (where she moved two months ago)- Why people who are making their way outside the corporate world are her heroes- Why she’s planning to quit ghostwriting and make all her money from her own writing and programs- The gift she received from a client that has her rethinking her revenue streams- Dealing with the loss that can accompany transformation- How practical jokes relate to her desire to earn more money- The series she’s re-watching- The best sound in the worldConnect with Paulette at pauletteperhach.com or on Instagram @paulettejperhach.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