The Lives of Writers

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Michael Wheaton interviews Katharine Coldiron.Katharine Coldiron is the author of Ceremonials, an SPD bestseller; Plan 9 from Outer Space, a monograph; and Junk Film, a collection of critical essays. Her work as a critic has appeared in the Washington Post, the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, the Houston Chronicle, Brevity, the Believer, and many other places; as a hybrid essayist, she has placed work in Conjunctions, the Rupture, the Offing, and elsewhere. She is the reviews editor at Barrelhouse and the managing editor of X-R-A-Y.Michael Wheaton is the publisher of Autofocus Books and producer of this podcast.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- living in the unfashionable part of LA-- being able to stop full time work-- writing and watching movies-- editing reviews at Barrelhouse -- being able to dish out editing but not being able to take it-- managing editing at X-R-A-Y-- cross-stitching-- Autofocus's How to Write a Novel anthology____________PART TWO, topics include:-- parapsychology and Ghostbusters-- an anthology of millennial writing on Poltergeist-- getting the writing bug and the movie bug-- Star Wars-- old Hollywood-- quitting and coming back to writing-- the move into hybrid writing____________PART THREE , topics include:--  the critical essay collection JUNK FILM-- the problem of (not) defining good and bad-- the word 'junk'-- Plan 9 from Outerspace-- bad film as an ecosystem-- straight to VHS vs straight DVD movies-- the role of delusion in artmaking-- (not) distinguishing good and bad taste-- trying to resist looking on with pity-- cinematic grammar (not) translating to writing-- a novel in progress about Ilsa____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Jeff Alessandrelli interviews Joshua James Amberson.Joshua James Amberson is the author of Staring Contest: Essays About Eyes (Perfect Day Publishing), How to Forget Almost Everything: A Novel (Korza Books), a series of chapbooks on Two Plum Press, as well as the long-running Basic Paper Airplane zine series. He lives in Portland, Oregon where he runs the Antiquated Future online variety store and record label.Jeff Alessandrelli is the author of several books, including the poetry collection Fur Not Light. He is also the director and co-editor of the small presses Fonograf Editions and Bunny Presse.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- an old dog-- other priorities overtaking writing-- growing up and living in the Pacific Northwest-- an influential musical uncle-- playing musical again after a long break-- becoming a poetry publisher from 19 - 24-- playing in bands in Olympia-- moving to Portland for the writing community-- the pull to engage in collective concerns and projects-- recording an audiobook and wanting to edit everything--  the benefits of working on other projects____________PART TWO, topics include:-- pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) -- retinal hemorrhaging and treatment with needles-- Joshua's new book Staring Contest: Essays About Eyes-- our ocular-centric culture and taking sight for granted-- resisting suggestions to turn essay collection into memoir-- writing the collection as a book from the beginning-- approaching one subject from many angles-- upcoming events and new projects____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Mistie Watkins and Amy Watkins interview each other.Mistie R. Watkins is the author of the prose poetry collection HIRAETH (Autofocus Books, 2023).  She lives in Orlando with her kiddo, two dogs, and two rats. You can find her work in Burrow Press Review, The Drunken Odyssey, and Autofocus or follow her on Instagram at mistie_thebogwitch.Amy Watkins is the author of three poetry chapbooks (Milk & Water, Lucky, and Wolf Daughter), a graduate of the Spalding University MFA in Writing, and a parent of a human girl.  She lives in Orlando, Florida.____________Topics include:-- Mistie's recent book release at Zeppelin Books in Orlando, FL-- the challenge of blending sincerity and humor in poetry-- Mistie's new book Hiraeth, which centers on the death of their sister in childhood-- making sure you're not the only person who doesn't fuck up when writing from life--  writing that becomes journaling and writing that becomes the "work"-- differences in composing poems and essays for both writers-- the chapbook as the ideal poetic form -- concision in smaller work and larger work-- learning what to leave out of a poem and a book-- turning family myths into literature -- the necessity of writing the I into the family myths-- the fiction in the facts and the truth in the fiction-- the presence of Florida in Amy and Mistie's work-- the specificity of place____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton. 

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Emily Costa interviews Tucker Leighty-Phillips.Tucker Leighty-Phillips is the author of Maybe This Is What I Deserve, which won the 2022 Fiction Chapbook Contest from Split/Lip Press and was published this year. His work has appeared in Smokelong, X-R-A-Y, Wigleaf, HAD, Booth, and elsewhere. Emily Costa is the author of Until It Feels Right (Autofocus Books, 2022). Her work can be found in X-R-A-Y, Hobart, Barrelhouse, Wigleaf, and elsewhere. She is currently working on a novel sort of about her father's video store, as well as a book of short stories.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- working for an Appalachian arts and culture organization-- getting a puppy just after the flood in Kentucky this summer-- reading earlier but not writing until later-- traveling around with bands-- graduating with a BA at 28 and going into an MFA for the stipend-- Tucker and Emily getting published early on in similar places-- preferences of writing short or long-- fun and play____________PART TWO, topics include:-- winding down promotion for Tucker's award-winning chapbook-- writing childhood and kids in fiction-- grocery stores and critters sneaking into the book-- the truths in Tucker's fiction-- reclaiming past shame-- correlation/causation of writing and healing____________PART THREE, topics include:-- the media Tucker consumed while writing the stories--  the worst season of Frasier-- Columbo and the types of tv shows in your life-- more about Tucker's work with Appalshop-- new projects____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton. 

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Michael Wheaton interviews Emma Catherine Perry.Emma Catherine Perry is the author of Blocks World, which is out today from Great Place Books. Her poetry is published in Fence, Nashville Review, Quarterly West, and elsewhere. She currently lives in Moscow, Idaho where she supports other writers in her capacity as Associate Director of the Writing Center and English faculty at the University of Idaho.A poem from Blocks World, “The Sign of the Self,” appears in Autofocus's Fall 2023 issue.Michael Wheaton is the publisher of Autofocus Books and producer of this podcast.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- moving on to a new job at a new school-- moving around a lot-- linguistic diversity and justice-- growing up in rural New Hampshire-- an art history major before MFA and PHD-- external validation and publishing later -- the challenging of publishing at all-- deciding to go into a PHD____________PART TWO, topics include:-- Emma's debut poetry collection BLOCKS WORLD-- finding the form and forms of the book-- making poetry within the confines of the medium-- collaborating with non-human actors-- process and seriality-- longer poems and poems as reckonings-- writing directly to family members and others-- the illusion of non-mediation and intimacy-- blending the specific real and poetic distance____________PART THREE, topics include:-- pattern and mutation-- seriality and repetition and iteration--  aphorism and the declarative statement-- long lines and syntactical play-- finding publication as the first book by Great Place Books-- the humbling amount of amazing unpublished manuscripts out in the world-- trying and participating as the process-- the importance of sharing work with friends____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Erin Slaughter interviews Dan O'Brien.Dan O’Brien is a playwright, poet, and essayist whose books include the poetry collection Our Cancers and the nonfiction work A Story That Happens. His newest poetry collection, A Survivor’s Notebook, is out today from Acre Books. And both his lyrical memoir From Scarsdale: A Childhood and a new collection of plays, True Story: A Trilogy, are out next week from Dalkey Archive Press.Erin Slaughter is the author of the short story collection A Manual for How to Love Us and the poetry collections The Sorrow Festival, and I Will Tell This Story to the Sun Until You Realize That You Are the Sun. She is the managing editor of Autofocus  and was formerly the editor/co-founder of literary journal and chapbook press The Hunger. Her writing has appeared in Lit Hub, Electric Literature, CRAFT, The Rumpus, Prairie Schooner, Split Lip Magazine, and elsewhere____________PART ONE, topics include:-- arriving once again at Sewanee-- growing up in Scarsdale as a reader & writer-- formative trauma and OCD-- finding community in the theater-- writing recent plays in poetic style-- being disowned-- confessional poetry and the impulse to write-- the benefits of being a multi-genre writer-- a background in comedy____________PART TWO, topics include:-- a creative marriage with the actress Jessica St. Clair-- confession and ethics and deletion-- growing up in an abusive household-- Scarsdale as a psychological more than geographical place-- knowing or not knowing if family is reading your work-- ironically fulfilling a myth____________PART THREE, topics include:-- Dan's new poetry book A Survivor's Notebook-- Dan's previous poetry book Our Cancers-- loss of language and fragmentation-- poetry and spiritualism-- ghosts and the richness of belief-- turning toward a deeper interest in the here and now-- telling true stories____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Sara Rauch interviews Emerson Whitney.Emerson Whitney is the author of Daddy Boy (McSweeney’s 2023), Heaven (McSweeney’s 2020), and the poetry title, Ghost Box (Timeless Infinite Light, 2014). Emerson’s work has appeared in The Paris Review, New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Review of Books and elsewhere.Sara Rauch is the author of the book-length essay XO, from us at Autofocus Books. She’s also the author of the story collection, What Shines from it, from Alternating Current Press. Her book reviews and author interviews have been featured in the LA Review of Books, Newcity Lit, Lambda Literary, The Rumpus, and elsewhere.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- a deep intentionality around place-- teaching at Godard College's low-residency program-- going to undergrad at Godard after six other programs-- alternative educational paths-- reporting for the New York Observer-- writing autobiographically young-- an otherwise dangerous childhood-- working with Maggie Nelson at Cal Arts____________PART TWO, topics include:-- the reader/writer dynamic in direct address-- best writing as best thinking-- Emerson's new book Daddy Boy-- chasing storms that never materialize-- the mutable self-- multi-generational disability experiences-- tornado as book structure-- weather____________PART THREE, topics include:-- pain and agency-- writing about kink-- suppressing signals-- the end of storm chasing-- new work about special ed and disability____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Holly Pelesky interviews Suzanne Ohlmann.Suzanne Ohlmann is the author of Shadow Migration: Mapping a Life (University of Nebraska Press) and a registered nurse. Her work has been published by the Associated Press, Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, Longreads, and Texas Monthly.Holly Pelesky is the author of the essay collection, Cleave, from us at Autofocus Books. She also writes fiction and poetry and co-edits Vast Chasm literary magazine.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- walking the neighborhood-- growing up Lutheran in rural Nebraska-- Suzanne and Holly's books from different sides of adoption-- Suzanne's Shadow Migration: Mapping a Life-- finding families while traveling-- feeling disconnected from your body-- metabolizing a missing person in your life-- growing up with music____________PART TWO, topics include:-- Suzanne's search for her biological parents-- vulnerability and creativity-- life changing after sharing the story-- trauma and healing-- inviting the reader to sit down with you____________PART THREE, topics include:-- Suzanne's path to publishing a very personal book-- the trouble of self-promoting, particularly for personal writing-- deep-seated religious programming-- shame and guilt, particularly around adoption-- the need for human connection-- mother wounds and how we define love-- meeting Kurt Vonnegut-- writing letters____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Michael Wheaton interviews Emily Adrian.Emily Adrian is the author of Everything Here Is Under Control and The Second Season, as well as two critically acclaimed novels for young adults. Her work has appeared in Granta, Joyland, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Millions. She is also a co-editor of the new press Great Place Books.Michael Wheaton is the publisher of Autofocus Books and producer of this podcast.____________PART ONE, topics include:-- a summer in the West-- kids going into first grade-- the founding of Great Place Books-- writers getting pushed into commercial directions-- the number of great unpublished manuscripts out there-- the first few forthcoming books for the press-- GPB's educational arm and Emily's class on Alice Munro____________PART TWO, topics include:-- writing without ambition as a kid-- dropping out of high school-- writing novels after college -- writing young characters while a young person-- writing mothers while a mother-- how different and idiosyncratic people's lives are-- Emily's most recent novel The Second Season-- the relief of not thinking about a book anymore-- imagining a future phase of life through story-- basing her main character on NBA analyst Doris Burke-- researching the novel & talking to lots of people-- becoming a genuine fan of the NBA___________PART THREE, topics include:-- writing in third vs. first person-- the beauty of clarity and context in a story-- knowing why you reveal what you reveal and don't reveal-- the urgency of structuring the novel around the NBA finals-- a novel in progress-- writing and publishing stories-- a memoir that did not get published-- Alice Munro  and time____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Aaron Burch interviews Andrew Porter.Andrew Porter is the author of the novel In Between Days and two short story collections, The Theory of Light and Matter and, most recently, The Disappeared. Porter’s short stories have appeared in One Story, Ploughshares, The Threepenny Review, The Missouri Review, and Prairie Schooner, among others. Aaron Burch is the author of the essay collection A Kind of In-Between and editor of How to Write a Novel: An Anthology of 20 Craft Essays About Writing, None of Which Ever Mention Writing, both from Autofocus Books. He's also the author of several other books, including the novel, Year of the Buffalo. He is currently the editor of Short Story, Long and the co-editor of WAS (Words & Sports) and HAD. ____________PART ONE, topics include:-- finishing up summer-- writing longhand-- teaching intro to creative writing-- discovering writing as an undergrad-- relationships with rejection-- early jobs and time in an MFA-- Twitter as a kind of MFA-- the decision to teach____________PART TWO, topics include:-- Andrew's new story collection, THE DISAPPEARED-- guilt about not writing much during early fatherhood-- writing the first story in the collection-- spinning a classic story in a new direction-- nostalgia as life and writing theme-- the line of sentimentality-- stories as self-contained moments in time____________PART THREE, topics include:-- short story gut punch moments-- knowing when a long story isn't a novel-- mixing the longer and short forms in a collection-- story collection order as album order-- quiet-loud-quiet-- work on a next novel____________Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.