Writing It!

We speak with literary scholar and biographer, Heather Clark, author of Red Comet, which was selected for the New York Times Book Review's "10 Best Books of 2021" list and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography and a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. It won the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in 2022. We talk about how Clark made the case for the eleventh biography of Sylvia Plath to her agent, and what it was like for her editor to tell her that she actually wanted a doorstopper of a book. Clark tells us about how she treated Plath’s fiction and poetry in the context of telling Plath’s life story, and how Clark organized her research notes. Clark also tells us about the group biography she wrote after Red Comet, and her next biography subject. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

We’re talking with Professor Blaufarb about writing graphic history. His Inhuman Traffick: The International Struggle against the Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Graphic History is part of the Oxford University Press Graphic History Series. Blaufarb tells us about what kinds of histories he thinks work best for graphic history, and how and why you might want to have images tell a history. We also talk about how scholars become editors of book series (as well as the good and bad parts of being a book series editor), and Blaufarb’s method for getting to the pleasurable parts of writing. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

When Mary Dearborn finished her doctorate at Columbia University she knew she wanted to write biography. She went on to a forty-plus year career in writing biographies whose subjects including Peggy Guggenheim, Norman Mailer, Henry Miller, Ernest Hemingway, Anzia Yezierska, and most recently Carson McCullers. We talk about the challenges of writing biography for trade press publications; writing the trade press book proposal; changes in the publishing industry; reaching a broader readership; struggling with self-promotion and changing social media norms; and why it’s invigorating to remember that presses actually need good writers. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

We’re talking with historian-turned-playwright Andy Heinze about leaving academia to begin a different kind of writing career. We talk about how he made this decision, what other factors helped, and why this new path has led to the most fun kind of writing. We talk about how academia prepares writers for failure and the joys of becoming a beginner and a student again. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

In this episode, we’re talking with Amy Reading, author of The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at The New Yorker, about why a PhD is helpful background for writing literary non-fiction, and how that background helps us skillfully cold-call agents; the importance of understanding how your book fits in with comparable works; how and why she ended up writing a bigger book than she expected; finding a writing community; why a biography always takes longer than we think; and why it’s worthwhile to reach out to the writers we admire. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

We’re speaking with Professor Michael Alexander, professor of religious Studies and Jewish Studies at U.C. Riverside, about writing about the history of human spirituality. Alexander’s recent book, Making Peace With the Universe: Personal Crisis and Spiritual Meaning is very different from his previous book, Jazz Age Jews, in part because it includes an honest examination of his own life. We talk about moving from book one to book two; the challenges of including the personal in scholarly writing; and why it’s important follow our curiosity in our writing. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

In this episode, John Warner, a skilled writer and thought leader in the field of education, shares his insights on the role of AI in academic writing. He discusses how AI can aid in tasks like organizing thoughts and creating drafts, but warns against losing the joy of writing. John emphasizes the importance of maintaining personal engagement and authenticity in writing. He also explores developing a robust writing practice and the balance between leveraging AI tools and nurturing critical thinking in students.

NYT bestselling author of historical fiction, Lauren Willig, talks about shifting from a history dissertation to writing historical novels. Willig talks about how she discovered she has “fiction brain”; figuring out when and how to use fiction to fill the gaps in historical understanding; finding co-authors; and what makes collaborative writing work. We also talk about competition and envy between writers, writing regrets, and why luck is such an important ingredient in a successful career. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

Less than a decade ago, Anne Boyd was a tenured literature professor and her book, Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters received a rave NYT review from Francine Prose. We talk with Anne Boyd about leaving academia and buying a one-way ticket to Paris. She has been traveling around Europe ever since, writing and exploring new genres, including fiction. We talk about the factors that led her to leave academia; NEH grants; how tenure changes job prospects; how she made her exit from academia work financially; getting those first ten pages ready for a literary agent; writing biography; creating a fanbase on Substack and making it into a community; drawing the attention of Elizabeth Gilbert; and why it all works even when it doesn’t work perfectly. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

We’re speaking with Distinguished Professor James Goodman, of Rutgers University, Newark, where he teaches history and creative writing. Our conversation focuses on what Goodman teaches his graduate students about writing, and how these lessons about form, voice, and pacing are rooted in his own writing experiences. Goodman has received fellowships and awards from NYU, Princeton, Rutgers, and the Guggenheim Foundation, and his book, Stories of Scottsboro, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact