Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Minda Honey is the author of "The Heartbreak Years," a hilarious and intimate memoir of a Black woman finding who she is and who she wants to be, one bad date at a time.Minda's essays on politics and relationships have appeared in all kinds of amazing places, including Harper's Bazaar, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Teen Vogue, and Longreads. She is also the editor of Black Joy at Reckon, an online outlet where she also helms a newsletter that has nearly 60,000 subscribers.Honestly there were SO MANY quotes I wanted to pull from this interview–just go ahead and press play right now.(Note, this episode is a replay that originally aired in February.)But here’s the synopsis:* How Minda–the daughter of a postal worker and a computer programmer–did the “get good grades, get a scholarship, join corporate America” thing and realized, it wasn’t for her* Squaring all the “Davids and Jonathans”--the typical authors taught in MFA programs–with the Tonis and Zoras Minda revered* The financial move that helped Minda launch her freelance career* The many daily parts of life that count as ‘writing’* Why you NEED to find your writing community* Minda’s recipe for sitting down to write: Lofi music + a trio of beverages and four hours blocked off* The satisfying clickety clack of a specific type of keyboard* Why Minda was doing our interview from Mexico (it involves “skipping winter”, but there’s a lot more to it than that)* Giving up drinking and moving away from homeFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AquaTru.com. Use promo code KATE to save 20% off a reverse osmosis water filter and support this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final installment of my conversation with author and bookstore co-owner Lucas Mann, we talk about the books, writers, TV shows, music, and even dinners that are getting his wheels turning, including:The book he recently read with his book club that got him excited about writing in new ways and that he couldn’t stop talking aboutWhy a long walk or bike ride can solve most problemsThe two writers whose work and ways of being inspire himThe reality TV show he would forego sleep for weeks at a time if he couldThe dad music he has embraced, the morning beverage he drinks until he feels ill, the recent book that kept him awake, and his favorite sushi restaurantVisit Lucas at www.lucasmann.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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 conversation with Lucas Mann, author of Attachments, Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances and co-owner (with his wife, Ottavia) of the fabulous Riff Raff Bookstore and Bar in Providence, Rhode Island, we really got into the evolution of his thinking about what it means–and what it takes–to be a ‘successful’ writer, and what the even means.Specifically, we talked about:The hardest part of writing for Lucas–namely, discipline–and why writing an article feels so much harder than writing a bookHow his inner critic is obsessed with making sure he sounds smart, and not like he’s just writing about feelings–and how it’s always wrongHow getting older has helped him be less precious about his writingHow being a competitive, jock-y kid fed into his writing pathHow teaching creative writing (which he does at U. Mass Dartmouth) has changed since he was an MFA student at the University of IowaReleasing the idea that the only way to be good at something is to be maniacally devoted to itWhy he loves the EnneagramVisit Lucas at www.lucasmann.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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’m talking with Lucas Mann, author of multiple non-fiction books, including his latest, Attachments: Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances, Captive Audience: On Love and Reality Television, Lord Fear: a Memoir, and Class A: Baseball in the Middle of Everywhere. In addition to writing books, Lucas has written essays that have appeared in a long list of top tier publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Slate, The Rumpus, and Buzzfeed.Lucas teaches creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and he and his wife, Ottavia, own Riff Raff Bookstore and Bar in Providence, Rhode Island, an amazing hub of community for folks who love to write and or love to read and or both.In this episode we talked about the nuts and bolts of how he got to where he is today and how he gets his work done, including:The realities of running a bookstore alongside having your own writing careerA peek into the author talk/event planning side of the book businessWeaving in a new strand to the braid of your writing careerGetting over the idea that writing is a solitary professionThe value of a hyperlocal writing community, and how to tap into oneThe emotional intricacies of writing memoir and how to navigate themWhy he walks across town to writeVisit Lucas at www.lucasmann.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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 installment of my interview with poet and slam champion Justice Ameer, we talked about:The book that has opened a new vein of creativity for JusticeWorking to create more time for restoration, fellowship and connection to natureWriting about the trans feminine experience by using a zombie motifThe anime series xe has been watching for 10 years, the beverage that fuels xyr’s writing, the lunch dish xe would eat everydayVisit Justice at justiceameerpoetry.comFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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 poet and slam champion, Justice Ameer, We talk about the mindset side of writing, including:The factoid about moths that inspired a recent poemBuilding up the revision muscleHow not to get bored with your primary theme or subject matterDealing with the admin side of writing as someone with ADHDWhen your inner critic tells you “this is boring “Dealing with the internal question “are you even a writer?“Why experimenting with ideas that will likely never see the light of day is vitalHow being a fan of Pokémon, video games, and vampire movies provide Justice with inspirationVisit Justice at justiceameerpoetry.comFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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 with Justice Ameer, whom. Boston public radio station WBUR called “one of the most recognized trans poets of color on the local and national poetry scene.”Justice is a Feminine Empowerment Movement Slam Champion, and two -time Providence Grand Slam Champion,l. Justice describes xyr work as a practice in becoming unapologetic and unafraid, and has been published in Glass Poetry Press, Poetry Magazine, and the Breakbeat Poets, Volume 2, Black Girl Magic Anthology.We covered:How poetry is like therapy.How xe writes to imagine a better world and process what’s upsetting about this worldTips for finding a riding community—-both in person and online.How to use that community to get useful feedbackThe value of having a day per week blocked off for writingFinding a consistent artist practice with ADHD.How to decide on what to work on when you do sit down to writeLetting an idea take you where it’s meant to goVisit Justice at justiceameerpoetry.comFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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 installment of my interview with Octavia Randolph, author of the hugely popular Circle of Ceridwen saga, a meticulously researched series of 11 books set in 9th century England and scandinavia, we get a sneak peek in her 12th book in the saga,and what she knows at this moment about where her personal throughline is leading her next.She shared:- The absolutely incredible sounding retreat she hosted for readers last year in Gotland, where she now lives and where many of her novels are set- The ninth century style feast–wherever everyone was in period costume–that was the cherry on top of that retreat- Why she looks to Taylor Swift as a creative role model- The big shift she can sense is coming, although she can’t say more, but she did mentioned “a possibility of a television series” – and what she’s doing to stay grounded as it continues to unfold- The Henry James novel she re-reads each summer- How three cups of coffee is the perfect number of cups of coffee- The lunch she has had nearly every day for nearly 40 yearsVisit Octavia at octavia.net, or on the Circle of Ceridwen Saga private Facebook group.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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 is the second part of my interview with Octavia Randolph, author of the hugely popular Circle of Ceridwen saga, a meticulously researched series of 11 books set in 9th century England and scandinavia. Octavia joined me from her home on Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden that played a prominent role in Viking history and in several of her books.Today we covered the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you’re not fully conscious of it.- How identifying with your characters is great, until you need to write scenes where they face hardship- Octavia gives a gosh-darn masterclass on building a community of readers NOT TO BE MISSED- The testy letter she received from a reader and how she responded- The critical importance of defining success for yourself, and not by looking at what other people have achieved- How writing her books has made her a better person- How she uses runes to stay connected to her characters and consider possibilities in her own lifeVisit Octavia at octavia.net, or on the Circle of Ceridwen Saga private Facebook group.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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’m talking with Octavia Randoplh, a prolific and wildly successful author of historical novels and essays. She’s best known for her Circle of Ceridwen saga, a meticulously researched series of 11–soon to be 12–books set in 9th century England and scandinavia.Octavia now makes her home on Gotland, a small island off the coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea where some of her novels are set and which was an important way station for the Vikings as the traveled East and West from Scandinavia.She is also a devoted needleworker and mosaic artist, and an unabashed cat person.We covered:- Why ‘Viking’ isn’t really the right word to describe the people from Scandinavia who explored far and wide a millennia and a half ago- How a fascination with physical artifacts from England’s early history put her on the path to be a historical fiction author- How she found her way to massive publishing success despite having great agents and getting only rejections from traditional publishing houses- The difference between self-publishing and independent publishing–and a peek inside the cast of folks who make it possible for Octavia to edit and publish her books- How a daily morning walk forms the basis of how she gets her writing done–that, and talking to herself as she writesVisit Octavia at octavia.net, or on the Circle of Ceridwen Saga private Facebook group.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.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