Notes and Links to Lauren Markham’s Work       Lauren Markham is a writer based in northern California. She is the author of the recent A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging (Riverhead, 2024) which The New Yorker listed as one of “The Best Books We’ve Read in 2024 So Far” and which Kirkus reviews called “a remarkable, unnerving, and cautionary portrait of a global immigration crisis.” A fiction writer, essayist and journalist, her work most often concerns issues related to youth, migration, the environment and her home state of California. Markham’s first book, The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life (Crown, 2017) was the winner of the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize, the Northern California Book Award, and a California Book Award Silver Prize. It was named a Barnes & Noble Discover Selection, a New York Times Book Critics' Top Book of 2017, and was shortlisted for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize and the L.A. Times Book Award and longlisted for a Pen America Literary Award in Biography.  Markham has reported from the border regions of Greece and Mexico and Thailand and Texas; from arctic Norway; from gang-controlled regions of El Salvador; from depopulating towns in rural Sardinia and rural Guatemala, too; from home school havens in southern California; from imperiled forests in Oregon and Washington; from the offices of overwhelmed immigration attorneys in L.A. and Tijuana; from the upscale haunts of women scammed on the Upper East Side.  Her writing has appeared in outlets such as VQR (where she is a contributing editor), Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, The New Republic, Guernica, Freeman's, Mother Jones, Orion, The Atlantic, Lit Hub, California Sunday, Zyzzyva, The Georgia Review, The Best American Travel Writing 2019, and on This American Life. She has been awarded fellowships from The Mesa Refuge, UC Berkeley, Middlebury College, the McGraw Center, the French American Foundation, the Society for Environmental Journalists, the Silvers Prize, the de Groot Foundation, and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.  In addition to writing, Markham has spent fifteen years working at the intersection of education and immigration. She regularly teaches writing in various community writing centers as well as at the Ashland University MFA in Writing Program, the University of San Francisco and St. Mary’s MFA in Writing Program. Her third book, Immemorial, will be published by Transit Books in 2025.       Buy A Map of Future Ruins   Lauren's Website   Los Angeles Review of Books’ Review of A Map of Future Ruins   At about 4:00, Lauren makes the case that not all young reading has to be high-brow as she discusses formative works as a kid and adolescent, which included Nancy Drew and Milan Kundera At about 6:50, Lauren responds to Pete’s question about how she thinks and writes in diverse genres, and how her reading of varied writers informs her own work At about 10:40, Lauren shouts out Vauhini Vara, Hernan Diaz, Nathan Heller, Jia Tolentino, and other treasured contemporary writers At about 12:45, Lauren talks about how writing informs her teaching, and vice versa At about 15:25, Pete asks Lauren about seeds for A Map of Future Ruins and how her work with many undocumented and refugee students has affected her writing At about 19:00, Lauren and Pete discuss ideas of belonging and exclusion and pride and heritage in connection to Lauren’s Greek heritage and reporting trips there At about 23:10, Ideas of “insiders” and “outsiders” and the challenges of immigration paperwork are discussed At about 26:05, Pete and Lauren reflect on a powerful quote from Warsan Shire regarding people being impelled to emigrate At about 26:55, Lauren gives background on the conditions that made Moria on the Greek slang of Lesbos a “purgatory” At about 31:20, Demetrios, a representative Greek from the book, and his views on immigration and “speak[ing] bird” is discussed  At about 36:05, Lauren expands upon how Greece as the “starting point of democracy” has been corrupted and co-opted and points to a stellar expose on truth from Kwame Anthony Appiah At about 41:50, The two discuss the arbitrary nature of “The West” and Greece and its ideals and ideas of a “Western lineage At about 43:55, Lauren expands upon the ideas of “proximity to Whiteness” with particular historical relevance for Greeks, Italians, and Southern Europeans At about 44:55, Pete and Lauren reference the horrific images of the Syrian refugee whose death galvanized support, as well as Ali Sayed’s story, traced in her book At about 46:40, Lauren explains terminology and methods of doing business by Turkish and other smugglers At about 48:10, Turkish and Greek relations and how they affected the lack of patrols is highlighted  At about 49:20, “The Moria Six” and Ali’s story and trials are discussed in relation to the fire referenced at the beginning of the book At about 52:00, The impositions of maps and Empire are reflected upon  At about 53:05, “Whiteness” and its imposition on “classical form” and racist science are explored, as written about in the book At about 54:55, The two trace the initial and later welcome for refugees to Greek islands and ideas of the original meaning of “asylum”; Lauren also highlights many incredible people helping refugees to this day, as well as ideas of “invaders” and scapegoats At about 58:40, Discussion of Greek austerity and true issues of difficulty for are referenced  At about 59:50, The two discuss Lauren’s section in the book regarding Darien Gap and connections to Lauren’s family’s own emigration/immigration story At about 1:02:00, The two highlight ideas of community among refugees, and Pete asks Lauren about pessimism and optimism and the book’s title At about 1:03:25, Ali’s unfinished story is referenced  At about 1:04:05-Laser Round Questions! East Bay Booksellers, Point Reyes Books and Green Apple are shouted out as good places to buy her books At about 1:05:05, Immemorial, Lauren’s 2025 release, is described  What a pleasure it has been to speak with Lauren. Continued good luck to her with her future writing and important work. Thank you for listening to this episode of The Chills at Will Podcast.    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, F. Douglas Brown, Matt Bell, Rachel Yoder, Jorge Lacera, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 261 with Greg Mania, who is a writer, comedian, and award-winning screenwriter. He’s also author of the debut memoir, Born to Be Public, which was an NPR Best Book of 2020 and an O, Oprah Magazine Best LGBTQ Book of 2020. Greg’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Oprah Daily, PAPER, among other international online and print platforms. This episode will air on November 12. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.      

Notes and Links to Jessica Whipple’s Work      Jessica Whipple writes for adults and children from her home in Eastern PA. Her poetry has been published recently in Funicular, Door Is a Jar, and Green Ink Poetry, and online at Whale Road Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Pine Hills Review. Her poem "Broken Strings" has been nominated for a 2023 Pushcart Prize in poetry.    She has published two children's picture books in 2023: Enough Is… (Tilbury House, illustrated by Nicole Wong) and I Think I Think a Lot (Free Spirit Publishing, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon).     To read more of Jessica’s work or to learn about her books, including praise and reviews, peruse her website or follow her on Twitter/X/Instagram @JessicaWhippl17. Buy I Think I Think a Lot   Interview with WESA/NPR, Regarding I Think I Think a Lot   Jessica Whipple's Website At about 2:20, Jessica gives background information on places to buy her books At about 4:40, Jessica speaks to how her reading life is and was At about 7:00, Jessca traces where her writing life kicked in and how her writing life was “reinvigorated”  At about 10:00, Julie Fogliano and other inspiring and beloved children’s authors are given kudos At about 12:20, Jessica reads “This is What I’m Thinking at the Container Store” At about 15:50, Jessica expands on the universality and specificity of her poem, talking about OCD as a “spectrum” At about 19:00, The two reflect on some stellar and vivid lines from the poem At about 21:00, Jessica breaks down the different mechanisms of OCD and focuses on the compulsions and obsessions in their mental and outward forms At about 23:35, Jessica introduces and reads her poem, “ Sometimes I Google You” At about 26:25, Jessica explains how she is “speaking to the memory” depicted in the poem At about 29:30, Jessica provides a nice way to think of haiku, thanks to Tim Green  At about 32:45, Pete highlights the beautiful security given in Jessica’s work and other standout work At about 33:40, Pete asks about the “Enough” from the title of Enough Is… and Jessica expands upon the “sense of importance” given to the word  At about 35:20, Jessica responds to Pete’s questions about using symbolism and analogy in books for kids  At about 37:00, Pete wonders about seeds for the book, I Think I Think a Lot At about 40:15, Pete likens the apologies in the book to a Seinfeld episode At about 41:20, Jessica talks about how the illustrator works off her writing At about 42:45, Pete highlights the ways in which Jessica use nuance and asks Jessica about writing to engender empathy in kids  At about 44:40, Jessica reads and discusses “To My Husband Now a Father”  At about 48:20, Pete asks Jessica about writing about personal things and catharsis At about 50:20, Lauren details exciting upcoming projects           You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 260 with Lauren Markham, whose writing regularly appears in outlets like Harper's, Lithub, The New York Times Magazine and VQR. She is the author of The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life, the winner of the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize and a CA Book Award Silver Prize. Her most recent book, A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging, is out in 2024 to acclaim. The episode airs on November 5. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Show Notes and Links to Porochista Khanpour's Work   For Episode 258, Pete welcomes Porochista Khakpour, and the two discuss, among other topics, her harrowing departure from Iran to the US at a young age, her voracious reading and writing and storytelling, amazing life experiences that have fed her writing, her love of contemporary stan culture and KPop, how her latest book’s release is different, seeds for Tehrangeles, modern wellness and conspiracy theory cultures, her experiences with the real Tehrangeles, the role of the outsider as a writer, and so much about themes and topics related to her novel, like celebrity worship, assimilation, cancel culture, and racism.      Porochista Khakpour was born in Tehran and raised in the greater Los Angeles area. She is the critically acclaimed author of two previous novels, Sons and Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion; a memoir, Sick; and a collection of essays, Brown Album. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bookforum, Elle, and many other publications. Her latest book is Tehrangeles. She lives in New York City.   Buy Tehrangeles  Porochista’s Official Website Porochista’s Wikipedia Page “Writing Iranian America…”-2020 Interview from Columbia Journal   At about 1:45: Pete gets the wrong vegetable in remembering his first exposure to Porochista’s excellent work   At about 2:45, Porochista talks about the year in publishing and the ways in which this year’s tragedies have been in juxtaposition to careful and affectionate feedback for her novel   At about 7:30, Porochista and Pete discuss some politicians’ cowardice and Porochsta’s book as a “weird distraction”   At about 10:20, Pete asks Porochista about writing satire in an increasingly off-its-hinges world   At about 13:20, Porochista talks about the 1%, richest of the richest, and how “this sort of madness of wealthy people during the beginning of the pandemic”   At about 15:10, Porochsta gives background on the acquisition of her novel    At about 17:25, The two highlight Danzy Senna’s great work   At about 18:20, Porochista cites examples of “dark humor” that at times run through Persian cultures    At about 20:10, Porochista reflects on the idea of “perpetual outsiders” and the effect on writing   At about 21:40, Porochista details her family’s fleeing Iran and the traumas and memories that came with her odyssey to arriving in the US   At about 24:30, Porochista traces the way that Iran was often viewed by Americans at the time in which her family arrived in the US   At about 25:15, Porochista responds to Pete’s questions about her early reading and writing and language life, both in English and Persian    At about 31:45,    At about 32:50, Porochista talks about she’s been described as a “maximalist” and the connection to Persian as her first language   At about 34:35, Porochista talks about representation in the texts she read growing up and her early love of particular works that allowed her to learn about the Western canon in order to enjoy it and resist it   At about 37:30, Porochista charts her reading journey from Faulkner to Morrison to Sartre to the Beat Poets and describes her self-designed silent book reading “retreat”   At about 40:20, Porochista describes her reading and writing as responses to her life experiences and her identity revolving around writing   At about 41:35, Porochista describes transformative and formative texts and mentors and her time at Sarah Lawrence College and Oxford   At about 43:50, Porochista talks about the ways in which her reading was affected by how women writers are often limited, and how this connects to her seeking out adventure and life experience in living as a writer, including her going to William Faulkner Country   At about 49:45, The two make appreciations of James Joyce’s work    At about 50:55, Porochista makes a case for contemporary writing as comprising a “golden era”   At about 52:00, Pete wonders if and how Porochsta has been influenced by Bret Easton Ellis and David Foster Wallace   At about 54:45, Porochista talks about ways in which Less than Zero and American Psycho and Donna Tartt’s work have affected the sensibility of Tehrangeles and especially its ending   At about 59:15, Porochista talks about “dream” casting in case the novel becomes a movie, including Tara Yummy   At about 1:01:00, Porochista talks about the “twisted logic” found on many of the chat rooms/forums she spent time in for book research    At about 1:04:15, Porochista talks about how Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and Alcott’s experience informed the writing of Tehrangeles   At about 1:07:55, The two discuss how Shahs of Sunset affected the novel   At about 1:10:00, Porochista explains her rationale in making the book’s reality show producers a collective   At about 1:10:45, Porochista responds to Pete’s question about the book’s epitaphs     At about 1:13:55, Porochista talks about the book’s untranslated Persian section and “progress” in people’s understanding   At about 1:15:20, Pete cites and quotes the book’s opening litany and the exposition of Book I   At about 1:16:20, Porochista describes a raucous scene where Roxana, a main character, goes through a “zodiac reassignment”   At about 1:17:50, Porochista digs into Roxana’s “Secret”   At about 1:19:10, The two lament Kanye West’s horrible recent behavior and other misogynists and abusers, in connection with the setting of the book   At about 1:22:30, The two discuss the world of influencers and their effect on younger generations in line with the characters of the book   At about 1:24:20, Pete recounts the Milani family members and their views of the    At about 1:26:00, Porochista recounts inspiration for Violet’s sweets diet from an interview with Momofuku’s Christina Tosi and Porochista’s time at Sarah Lawrence   At about 1:28:00, The two discuss Violet’s experience with a racist and demeaning model shoot that plays on her Iranian heritage    At about 1:29:30, Porochista reflects on Tehrangeles culture and its connection to religion    At about 1:30:35, Porochista discusses KPop and “stan culture” and how Mina “found her voice” through these online forums    At about 1:34:20, Porochista talks about purposely focusing on realistic and empathetic portrayals of gender identity    At about 1:38:30, The two discuss Hailey as representative of the intersections between Covid conspiracy theories and racism and “hidden” CA racism and wellness culture   At about 1:40:00, Porochista talks about her own experiences with the “dark wu wu” of the wellness cultures during her own fragile    At about 1:44:00, The two discuss Ali (Al) and his leaving Iran behind and how he seeks Americanization and how he makes his fortune   At about 1:46:15, Porochista likens events of the book, “The World of Al” to the DJ Khaled song    At about 1:48:05, The two discuss Roxana’s desire to have a blowout early Covid-era party and how the physical “wings” of the house connect to the sisters’ different growing pains and goals and ethics   At about 1:50:40, The two riff on some beautifully absurd scenes in the book, including a pet psychic’s appearance    At about 1:51:50, Porochista gives background on deciding to do untranslated Persian in the book and about Homa and the ways she doesn't want to be part of Tehrangeles; also Editor Maria Goldberg Love   At about 1:55:10, Pete asks about the rationale and background for the book’s ending using stream of consciousness   At about 1:57:15, Porochista shouts out Golden Hour Books and City of Asylum Books, and other places to buy her book, including Shawnee, Kansas’ Seven Stories, run by 17 yr old Halley Vincent   At about 1:59:45, Porochista shouts out the stellar Deep Vellum and Verso and writers like   At about 2:01:05, Porochista talks about exciting upcoming projects    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 259 with Jessica Whipple. Jessica writes for adults and children, and her poetry has been published recently in Funicular, Door Is a Jar, and many more. She has published two children's picture books in 2023: Enough Is… and I Think I Think a Lot.  The episode will air on October 29. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Mirin Fader’s Work      For Episode 257, Pete welcomes Mirin Fader for her second Chills at Will visit, and the two discuss, among other topics, her love of contemporary fiction, how her second book’s release is different than that of her first, seeds for her latest book-Dream, about the great Hakeem Olajuwon-coming from her previous blockbuster about Giannis Antetokounmpo, her finding stories within stories while researching the book, and the wonders and legends of Hakeem Olajuwon, from his start in handball and soccer to the ignorant and racist ways he was often viewed, to the role that discipline, creativity, and his faith play in his daily life.       Mirin Fader is a senior staff writer for The Ringer. Her first book, Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion, was a New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller. She has profiled some of the NBA’s biggest stars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan, and LaMelo Ball, telling the backstories that have shaped some of our most complex, most dominant, heroes. Fader wrote for Bleacher Report from 2017 to 2020 and the Orange County Register from 2013 to 2017. Her work has been featured in the “Best American Sports Writing” series and honored by the Pro Basketball Writers Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association of America, and the Los Angeles Press Club.    Buy Dream   Mirin Fader's Website   See Mirin on Tour!   At about 2:50, Mirin discusses her love of fiction and beloved contemporary texts, including Tommy Orange’s latest, and Sudanese writer, Rania Mamoun’s latest At about 4:40, Mirin responds to Pete’s question about any sort of competitiveness within writers in Mirin’s cohort, and Pete and Mirin stan Wright Thompson  At about 6:30, Pete highlights Demar Derozan’s recent book and Mirin’s profile of him for The Ringer At about 9:45, Mirin gives background on her profile of Bronny James and what “lane” she focused on for the piece At about 12:30, Some all-time NBA rankings! At about 14:45, Pete cites the book about Giannis and its lasting greatness At about 15:05, Pete asks Mirin about the run-up to her second book and feedback At about 16:10, Mirin mentions the nostalgia associated with Hakeem Olajuwon At about 17:30, Mirin talks about the “unheralded” nature of Hakeem, as well as the emergence of international basketball players, particularly with African players, for which he was a “prequel” At about 19:25, Mirin gives background on Ben Okri’s quote for her epigraph and its connection to Hakeem and devotion and creativity At about 20:10, The two discuss the book’s Prologue and LeBron James famous trip to train with Hakeem in 2011 At about 22:40, Henri de Ybarrondo and his importance to Hakeem and his spiritual resurgence is referenced At about 24:00, Mirin discusses her wonderful experiences in going to Hakeem’s mosque in Houston At about 25:00, Pete asks Mirin to expand on Hakeem as a “hidden one,” and connections to a hadith quoted from the Koran At about 26:30, The two discuss the book’s beginning, and Mirin talks about the bustling city of Lagos, Hakeem’s childhood (and later American media racism in describing his youth), and how his father taught him to be proud of his size At about 29:10, Mirin talks about Hakeem's early athletic feats outside of basketball, and how he was “recruited” to finally give in and play basketball At about 31:20, Pete and Mirin reflect on the sad fact that so many interviewees for the book have died recently and how this affects her urgency to get stories on paper At about 32:35, Mirin responds to Pete’s wondering about how Hakeem’s 1980 Nigerian National Team appearance affected his growth At about 34:10, The “Dream Shake” and Yomi Sangodeyi’s greatness and tutoring are explored At about 35:00, Christopher Pond and the supposed origin story of Hakeem’s Univ. of Houston landing, as well as problematic parts of the story are probed At about 38:50, Mirin talks about Hakeem’s time in Houston and the city’s growing Nigerian population  At about 40:10, Mirin expands upon the ignorant and racist ways in which Hakeem was written about, especially in his earlier years, and she shares the story of how him “changing his name” Was emblematic of his humble nature At about 42:55, Mirin highlights how Hakeem was never seen as a draft mistake, even though he was drafted over Michael Jordan, and Pete cites Frank Guidry’s book on Houston and how the Forde Center helped Hakeem improve greatly as a Rocket At about 44:15, Pete cites Hakeem’s moving letter referenced in the book, and how Mirin charts his rediscovering his faith through some amazing and makes it clear that he never “converted” to Islam At about 46:45, The two reflect on and express the amazement and respect for Hakeem’s Ramadan fasting during his playing days At about 47:45, Pete and Mirin stan Hakeem’s unforgettable series against David Robinson  At about 48:45, Mirin talks about how Hakeem’s faith calls for him to not display iconography and show humility and how the book’s cover satisfied the requirements of being respectful  At about 50:45, Mirin shouts out Brazos Bookstore and Skylight Books as good places to buy her book, and shouts out her first tour        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 258 with Porochista Khakpour, the critically acclaimed author of two previous novels, Sons and Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion; a memoir, Sick; and a collection of essays, Brown Album. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bookforum, Elle, and many other publications. Her latest book, a chaotic and satirical stellar work, is Tehrangeles. This episode will air on October 22. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Andrew Maraniss’ Work      For Episode 256, Pete welcomes Andrew Maraniss, and the two discuss, among other topics, carefree days of baseball card trading, formative writers and social justice activists, seeds for his latest series on inspiring contemporary athletes and their fights for justice, “writing” versus “sportswriting,” Glenn Burke and his singular fight for equality, how Andrew views writing about social issues in ways that young people can understand, and the restorative and challenging power that books hold.      Andrew Maraniss is the New York Times-bestselling author of narrative nonfiction; his first book, Strong Inside, about Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the SEC, won the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award. He has recently launched a series of early chapter books for young readers, BEYOND THE GAME: Athletes Change the World, which highlights athletes who have done meaningful work outside of sports to help other people.     Buy Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke   Andrew Maraniss’ Website   Buy Andrew’s Books   At about 1:30, Andrew talks about his family legacy of writing, and his early writing and reading At about 4:40, Andrew talks about his baseball love and love of other sports At about 5:50, the two discuss spreading baseball love in their families  At about 7:15, Andrew responds to Pete’s questions about formative sportswriters and how Andrew sees “sportswriting” versus “writing” At about 10:25, Pete and Andrew lament missed opportunities with valuable sports memorabilia  At about 13:10, The two begin to discuss Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke  and highlight Dusty Baker’s key role  At about 14:10, Pete highlights the bold and moving way that Andrew starts th book in 1977, with Glenn struggling on the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin  At about 18:30, Pete asks Andrew about the “double life” he writes about with regard to Glenn’s minor league and major league careers  At about 21:50, Andrew recounts the story of the purported first high-five and Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke’s roles At about 25:50, the two discuss Al Campanis’ offer to Glenn and Glenn’s last days as a Dodger At about 30:50, Andrew discusses the homophobic reactions that led to the shunning by the A’s of Glenn At about 32:45, Pete compares Glenn’s behaviors to that of a later career Jackie Robinson and Andrew talks about how Glenn had a tenuous amount of agency At about 34:00, Andrew details Glenn’s time with Bay Area softball, and up and downs in his life, and how life in the Castro District in SF turned horrendous  At about 36:00, Andrew cites Dusty Baker as a great interview and a great guy At about 37:05, Andrew responds to Pete’s questions about moments of joy in Glenn’s painful last years and reflects on Glenn Burke’s legacy At about 38:50, Andrew talks about Tommy Lasorda, Jr., and connections to Glenn’s story; Pete and Andrew both cite an engrossing article by Peter Richmond At about 41:10, Pete is highly complimentary of Andrew’s work and its progressive nature and   At about 42:00, Pete asks Andrew about seeds for his Athletes Change the World series, and Andrew cites book bans and hopes for his Glenn Burke book to be more widely-read; Andrew also details his books and connections to social issues At about 45:20, Andrew riffs on his books on LeBron James and Maya Moore and an upcoming book on Pat Tillman At about 47:00, Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone is discussed, in connection with murdered indigenous women and Andrew’s book about her At about 48:10, Pete highlights a philosophy that Andrew uses in his books and his calls to action At about 49:15-LeBron love! Andrew details what he learned about LBJ through his book At about 52:40, Pete compliments the “surrounding infrastructure” of Andrew’s work and asks him about difficulty in writing fewer words and for children with serious topics At about 56:30, Andrew details an imminent YA/adult book on the first Special Olympics At about 58:30, Andrew shouts out contact info, places to buy his books, and social media info            You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 257 with Mirin Fader, a senior staff writer for The Ringer. I was honored to talk to her for Episode 76, about her first book, Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion, which was a New York Times Bestseller. Her newest book Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon is out on this day, October 15, when the episode drops.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Chris Knapp’s Work      For Episode 255, Pete welcomes Chris Knapp, and the two discuss, among other topics, a fascination with Elena Ferrante, James Joyce, and other dynamic writers, the interplay between journalism and fiction writing, seeds for his debut novel, the significance of its title, the drawbacks and benefits of writing about such recent times, and salient themes and issues in his novel like colonialism, marital alienation and connection, ennui, and the creep of dystopian mores.      Christopher Knapp’s work has appeared in print in the Paris Review and the New England Review, and online at Granta and n+1, among others. He’s been a work-study scholar at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Virginia. His novel, States of Emergency, was published on September 3 by Unnamed Press. He lives in Paris with my wife, and teaches in the journalism program at the Sorbonne.     Buy States of Emergency   Chris Knapp's Website   At about 2:50, Chris talks about what it’s been like in the run-up to publication  At about 4:00, Chris describes his early literary life and battles with spoilers At about 7:10, Pete and Chris discuss and cite the greatness of Faulkner and Joyce’s work At about 9:30, Pete highlights a wonderfully Joycean sentence (one of many) from Chris’ novel At about 10:25, Chris shouts out inspiring and thrilling writers, including Rachel Cusk, Don DeLillo, and Sebald, and Elena Ferrante At about 14:10, The two discuss Paris and Naples and prices and experiences At about 16:30, Chris responds to Pete’s questions about the interplay between his journalistic background and his fiction writing At about 19:45, Pete and Chris reflect on the interesting ways in which the book’s narrator functions in the book and connects to  At about 21:15, Chris speaks about seeds for his novel  At about 22:20, The two discuss Chris deciding to start the book with a heat wave and political and cultural  At about 24;45, Chris talks about the fertility procedures that run throughout much of the book and the way waiting relates At about 27:00, Chris delineates between hope and optimism and how these two qualities characterize the narrator and his wife Ella At about 29:20, The two discuss ideas of sympathy and empathy and comfort and shared pain At about 31:50, Chris responds to Pete’s questions about the narrator’s writing and charting his and Ella’s experiences  At about 32:45, Chris reflects on the narrator’s writing and the way that Ella sees him and his writing; he references Raven Leilani and writing on grief At about 34:45, The two discuss the ways in which French colonialism and racism is seen (or not) in the book and in the world At about 36:40, Pete highlights the dark humor of the book, and Chris expands on some of the humor and how it flows for him At about 39:35, The two discuss the “carnality” of a climatic scene in Ella and the narrator’s relationship  At about 42:20, Chris charts the importance of a getaway for Ella in Skopje At about 44:20, Pete cites a period of separation between the two main characters and asks Chris about the significance of the book’s title At about 49:00, Chris responds to Pete’s questions about the drawbacks and benefits and vagaries of perspective in the novel At about 55:25, Chris reflects on narrative and its connections to history and to the novel At about 57:00, Pete compliments two anecdotes/scenes from the book, compares Ella’s story of the French and Algerians to Wolff’s “In the Garden of the North American Martyrs,” and Chris expands on the views of the narrator’s family At about 1:02:50, Chris gives contact information, book purchasing info, and social media info At about 1:04:20, Chris talks about what he’s working on and wants to write about in the future          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 256 with Andrew Maraniss, a New York Times-bestselling author of narrative nonfiction. His first book, Strong Inside, about Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the SEC, won the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award. Andrew recently launched a series of early chapter books for young readers, BEYOND THE GAME: Athletes Change the World, which highlights athletes who have done meaningful work outside of sports to help other people.    The episode will air on October 1.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Jami Attenberg’s Work        For Episode 254, Pete welcomes Jami Attenberg, and the two discuss, among other topics, seeds for her newest novel, the significance of its title, research and its connection to continuity, and salient themes and issues in her novel like grief and intergenerational traumas, the rapid development of digital technology and its ever-changing effects on society, conventional and unconventional family bonds, and guilt.      Jami Attenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including The Middlesteins, All Grown Up and a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home. She is also the creator of the annual online group writing accountability project #1000wordsofsummer, which inspired the recently published USA Today bestseller 1000 Words:A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. Jami has also written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Times, The Guardian, and others. Her work has been published in sixteen languages.    Her debut collection of stories, Instant Love, was published in 2006, followed by the novels The Kept Man and The Melting Season. Her fourth book, The Middlesteins, was published in October 2012. It appeared on The New York Times bestseller list, and was published in ten countries in 2013. It was also a finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction and the St. Francis College Literary Prize. Her fifth book, Saint Mazie, was described by The New York Times Book Review as, “full of love and drink and dirty sex and nobility.” Her sixth book, All Grown Up, was a national bestseller, appearing on numerous year-end lists. Her most recent novel, All This Could Be Yours, for which Kirkus dubbed her, “poet laureate of difficult families,” also appeared on a number of year-end lists. In 2022 she published a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home, which USA Today called, “a fierce memoir of personal transformation.”    In January 2024 she published the creativity book, 1000 Words:A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round which was praised on The Today Show, NPR, and elsewhere. In September 2024 she will also publish a new novel, A Reason to See You Again.    She lives in New Orleans, LA.     Buy A Reason to See You Again   New York Times Review of A Reason to See You Again   Excerpt of A Reason to See You Again from People Magazine   Jami Attenberg Website   At about 3:20: Jami describes her mindset as her 10th book is set to be published within the week At about 4:40, Jami details her exciting book tour, including a cool stop in Ireland for a book festival At about 8:00, Jami describes which books of her own and of others are “in conversation” with her latest  At about 11:10, Pete and Jami share a few interesting and complimentary and funny reviews  At about 12:10, Jami responds to Pete’s wondering about seeds for the book At about 13:40, Pete cites the book’s first scene and its focus on a pre-Internet world; Jami expands upon her mindset in showing the changes in technology in the book’s 46 year-arc At about 16:00, Jami remarks on the ways in which she wanted to have work and technology as background and not at the forefront, and how it is and isn’t a “work novel” At about 17:30, The two laugh over a labeling of the book as “historical fiction” At about 18:10, Pete highlights Jami’s trendsetting abilities involving “demure” At about 19:15, Pete notes the interesting ways in which Jami structures her dialogue At about 20:45, Jami responds to Pete’s questions about how she maintained continuity in writing the book chronologically or not  At about 23:25, Pete asks Jami about the background of the evocative first line of the novel At about 25:55, The two discuss Rudy, the “hero” of the members of the Cohen family, and the ways in which Jami sees him  At about 28:15, Jami discusses Frieda and what she may have been missing in her life At about 30:00, Jami reflects on the balance and relationship between Shelley and Nancy, the sisters At about 33:30, Jami responds to Pete’s questions about familial connections over generations At about 36:00, Frieda and her resignation towards her daughters and Robby and Nancy’s relationship is discussed At about 39:10, Generational traumas and guilt are discussed At about 42:40, Jami shouts out helpful feedback from helpful writer friends in expanding parts of the novel At about 43:35, Pete and Jami reflect on two interesting pairs and family dynamics  At about 47:25, Jami details how her current novel title happened, and the importance of this title  At about 49:25, Jami shouts out some favorite bookstores to buy her novel          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 255 with Chris Knapp, whose work has appeared in print in the Paris Review and the New England Review, among other publications. His novel, States of Emergency, from Unnamed Press, has Sept 17 as its Pub Day and has been widely-acclaimed, including by the masterful Brandon Taylor.  The episode will air on September 27. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Akshaj Mehta’s Work      For Episode 253, Pete welcomes Akshaj Mehta, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing, beautiful trips with his mother to the library, his interest in representation of multidimensional and diverse characters and stories, a paradigm shift in reading Steph Cha, his evolving writing and salient themes and issues in his work like multiculturalism, subtlety, and unbiased writing.      Akshaj Mehta, who has been writing since he was four years old, is currently studying political science at UCLA as a second year student. Akshaj is an author with five published books, the most recent titled The Butterfly Effect, which was created in collaboration with the non-profit KidsFirst Roseville. He has also written for the N Magazine and Sacramento School Beat.   Buy The Butterfly Effect   Akshaj’s 2019 Article for The Sacramento Bee: “The ‘transforming’ power of a name: Learning to embrace the unique name I was given   Akshaj’s Story, “The Tragedy of Antonio Solaris” At about 1:40: Akshaj talks about college life as an incoming sophomore  At about 2:20, Akshaj At about 4:10, Akshaj talks about sparks for his love of reading-shout out to mothers who bring kids to libraries At about 6:20, Akshaj expands on the plot of his first novel, Super Mouse At about 7:10, Akshaj responds to Pete’s questions about an important writing assignment about the power of his name At about 9:20, Akshaj reads the opening of the article mentioned above At about 10:25, Akshaj responds to Pete asking about the experience of writing about his name and if the writing of it was “cathartic” At about 11:35, Akshaj reflects on how he looks back at the topics of the article and how he sees his experiences now At about 13:10, Akshaj replies to Pete’s question about books that have inspired and challenged him-he shouts out Steph Cha’s Your House Will Pay At about 14:20, Pete follows up on how Akshaj might see Cha’s book differently after a few years and spending time in LA; Akshaj also talks about how an assignment in English class based on the novel brought him back into fiction At about 18:00, Pete and Akshaj read from and discuss Akshaj’s story written in English class, “The Tragedy of Antonio Solaris” At about 19:00, Akshaj talks about the variety of articles he has written for UCLA publications At about 20:25, Akshaj’s view of journalism and heavy topics and philosophies are discussed  At about 24:00, Akshaj shares an interesting idea about mitigating bias in journalistic work At about 24:40, Akshaj’s talks about his school senior project and connections to ideas of representation and his book for children, The Butterfly Effect At about 26:35, Akshaj’s pinpoints how he and illustrator Alexa Bandala approached the art for his children’s book At about 30:00, Akshaj’s reflects on lessons learned from reading stories with diverse representation to young kids At about 32:40, Akshaj shares his experience in mock trial and how having to be persuasive has informed and changed his writing At about 36:10, Pete wonders if/how Akshaj’s reading is different now that he is a published author, and Akshaj’s expands on how his writing has evolved   At about 39:15, Akshaj talks about his initial reading and later views of Krakauer’s Into the Wild At about 41:00, Akshaj talks about exciting future projects  At about          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 254 with Jami Attenberg, the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including The Middlesteins, All Grown Up and a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home. Her work has been published in sixteen languages; her novel, A Reason to See You Again is set to be published September 24, which is when her episode will also drop.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Byron Graves’ Work      For Episode 252, Pete welcomes Byron Graves, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early experiences with Ojibwe and English and bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing (X-Men!), both past and present, representation of multidimensional indigenous characters, Byron’s basketball career and its influence on his writing and world view, and salient themes and issues in his work like grief and traumas, personal and collective triumphs, family bonds, community, inevitable change, and biculturalism.      Byron Graves is Ojibwe and was born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, where he played high school basketball. When he isn't writing, he can be found playing retro video games, spending time with his family, or cheering on his beloved Minnesota Timberwolves. Rez Ball is his debut novel.    Buy Rez Ball   1999 Article with Journalist Covering Byron’s High School Basketball Season   Review by Amanda MacGregor for Teen Librarian Toolbox   Byron's Website with Harper Collins   At about 1:25, Byron lays out his quandary regarding two NBA teams At about 2:55, Byron talks about his language great grandparents and the fluency of family members in the Ojibwe language, and the ways in which language preservation has been done in his family and on his reservation At about 5:15, Byron characterizes the Ojibwe language and shares an evocative favorite phrase At about 6:20, Byron describes his childhood loves of comic books (particularly X-Men), video games, and more At about 9:15, Byron expands on writers and writing that ignited his love for reading, including Lord Byron and a special family memento involving Lord Byron At about 12:00, Byron talks about how representation has evolved and changed, particularly with regards to indigenous writers-a “beautiful renaissance” At about 15:05, Byron responds to Pete’s questions about usage of different terminologies describing “indigenous” peoples At about 17:05, Byron talks about the 1992 US Basketball “Dream Team” and the team sparking his interest in basketball At about 20:00, Byron describes his game with a personal “scouting report” At about 21:55, Byron talks about how lessons learned on the basketball have informed so much of his later life At about 23:15, Byron talks how Frank Clancy’ 1999 news stories affected Byron’s own desire to write a book At about 29:30, a high-tension basketball game that begins the book is discussed, as well as the staggering loss of narrator’s brother, Jaxon  At about 31:00, Byron discusses his rationale in including deep loss in the book, involving Tre’s brother Jaxon  At about 34:05, The two fanboy over “Batman: The Animated Series” At about 34:30,  Byron expands upon the “beautiful chaos” of “rez ball”  At about 38:15, Pete gives some background on main characters in the book, as well as the documentation of Tre’s season At about 39:40, Byron traces the idea of the basketball player as celebrity, and the ways this has changed since he was playing high school basketball in the late 90s At about 42:20, the ways in which Tre feels pressure/pride in representing his brother’s legacy are explored At about 43:10, Khiana and Tre’s friendship as a way of allowing Tre to be himself is included At about 45:20, the ways in which Tre’s parents and Tre’s teammates treat him after Jaxon’s death, and how peer pressure comes into play for Tre going to parties and considering drinking are discussed At about 48:10, Pete and Byron recount some of the social and basketball-related growing pains that come in to play as Jaxon starts excelling on the basketball court, and sees his time consumed by basketball At about 51:50, Byron describes the “amalgamations” that inform the way he wrote conflicts between small town and city basketball teams, and about racism and ugly histories At about 55:00, Pete compliments a “heavy” and “profound scene” involving police misconduct and racism  At about 55:40, Byron responds to Pete’s question about what drew Slam Magazine to interview and follow around Tre and his team At about 57:55, Pete “flags” (hehe) Cooper Flagg and Chet Holmgren as archetypes in the book At about 58:30, Byron reflects on a wistful statement made by Tre’s teammate as Pete inquires about sympathies felt toward a character  At about 1:02:55, Byron talks about exciting future projects At about 1:04:10, Byron gives out contact and social media info         You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 253 with Akshaj Mehta, who has been writing since he was 4 years old. He is a former student of mine, and he is currently studying political science at UCLA as a second year student. Akshaj is an author with five published books, the most recent titled The Butterfly Effect, which was created in collaboration with the non-profit KidsFirst Roseville. He has also written for the N Magazine and Sacramento School Beat. The episode will go live on September 10.  Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Alexandra Alessandri’s Work      For Episode 251, Pete welcomes Alexandra Alessandri, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early experiences with Spanish and English and bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing (Marquez! Allende! Santiago!), both past and present, representation in children’s lit and beyond, muses and the Las Musas Collective that spurs on her writing, soccer fanaticism, and salient themes and issues in her work like reassurance for children in a scary world, family bonds, community, inevitable change, and biculturalism.      Alexandra Alessandri is the author of several books for children, including Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela! (2020), Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía (2023), Our World Colombia (2024), Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas (2024), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her short story “Kaleidoscope” is forthcoming in the YA verse anthology All The Love Under the Vast Sky (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025). Her books have gone on to receive numerous distinctions, including the Florida Book Award, International Latino Book Award, Américas Award Commendable Title, and the ILA 2022 Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award in Primary Fiction.    The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Alexandra is a former Associate Professor of English at Broward College, where she currently teaches as an adjunct, and an instructor at UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program. She is also a writer for Curriculum Associates and a poet, with some of her work appearing in The Acentos Review, Rio Grande Review, Atlanta Review, and Young Adult Review Network. She received her BA and MA degrees in English from Florida International University and a Certificate in Fiction Writing from UCLA Extension.    Alexandra’s experience growing up straddling both cultures often influences her children’s fiction and poetry. When not writing or teaching, Alexandra spends her time planning the next great adventure with her husband and son, with whom she lives in South Florida.    Buy Grow Up, Luchy Zapata   Review by Amanda MacGregor for Teen Librarian Toolbox   Alexandra's Website   At about 2:30, Alexandra talks about an exciting 2024 At about 3:15, Alexandra describes her multifaceted language background At about 4:30, Alexandra outlines the memorable “atmosphere” and the reading nooks of the libraries of her childhood, as well as what series and books she was into At about 6:10, Alexandra reflects on how she didn’t always see herself reflected in what she read growing up, and how that has informed her own writing journey At about 7:30, Reading nook discussion! At about 8:15, Alexandra talks about a pivotal moment in her reading and representation as she wanted to do her masters thesis  At about 9:20, Gabo fan girling and boying, as Pete again shouts out “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” and “Someone Has Been Disarranging These Roses”  At about 11:00, Alexandra talks about writers who made her want to become a writer herself-transformational writers like Isabel Allende and Esmeralda Santiago  At about 12:30, Alexandra shouts out Adriana Cuevas, Rebecca Balcárcel and other contemporaries who thrill and inspire her, including Las Musas, a collective  At about 14:20, Alexandra responds to Pete’s questions about genres and where she places herself At about 15:30, Alexandra responds to Pete’s questions about if/how she reads differently as an author At about 16:30, Pete cites the greatness of Ingrid Rojas Contreras At about 16:55, Pete asks about Alexandra’s muses within her own family, and the two discuss the vagaries of middle school and its changes At about 19:40, Pete recounts Luchy Zapata’s first line and dedication and some of the book’s exposition At about 22:00, Cami is analyzed as “the perfect Colombian,” as is Nucita brand At about 23:45, Alexandra discusses makeup as a “rite of passage,” in relation to Luchy’s thoughts in the book At about 25:50, Alexandra breaks down a hurtful comment from the book At about 26:50, Pete asks Alexandra about the character of Melissa and ideas of “reinventing” oneself  At about 27:55, Awkwardness between good friends is discussed, as is a meaningful scrapbook At about 29:25, Luchy and his father’s relationship, especially through soccer’s importance, is explored At about 31:55, Luchy’s short foray into being more like Cami and ideas of “being true to yourself” are discussed At about 34:45, Alexandra discusses insecurity and confusion involving Luchy’s views on her heritage At about 36:00, Pete highlights the book’s greatness in its hyperspecificity and also its universal issues/themes; Alexandra cites her history and her son’s history in crafting Luchy’s character At about 38:20, Alexandra expands on the various uses of “gringita” in Colombia  At about 39:35, Mateo and his friendship and his family troubles are discussed At about 40:45, Pete asks Alexandra about how her book was informed by the immediacy of adolescent issues At about 43:10, The discussion of Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas begins, as the two talk about various meanings of “palomitas”-shoutout to AC Quintero! At about 44:15, Alexandra talks about what it’s like living in a hurricane zone At about 45:40, Alexandra reflects on ideas of communities coming together after disasters, as plays out in her children’s book At about 46:40, Pete cites Levar Burton’s The Rhino Who Swallowed the Storm and Lupita and books that bring comfort and reassurance to kids, and Pete discusses an early story he wrote gone wrong At about 49:40, Alexandra shares exciting new projects, including a personal piece coming out in January  At about 51:15, Alexandra gives contact info, social media info, and places to buy her book, including the great Books and Books    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 252 with Byron Graves. He is an Ojibwe writer born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, where he played high school basketball. When he isn't writing, he can be found playing retro video games, spending time with his family, or cheering on his beloved Minnesota Timberwolves. Rez Ball is his debut novel. The episode will go live on September 10.  Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Ben Tanzer’s Work      For Episode 250, Pete welcomes Ben Tanzer, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of books, formative and transformative writers and writing, bothy past and present, muses, Jim Carroll and his powerful and pivotal work, Ben’s podcast and motivations for living the creative life, and salient themes and issues in his novel like sacrifice, family bonds, parenthood, small towns, the unknown, and awe.      Ben Tanzer is an Emmy-award winning coach, creative strategist, podcaster, writer, teacher and social worker who has been helping nonprofits, publishers, authors, small business and career changers tell their stories for 20 plus years. He serves as a Lecturer (and part-time faculty) at Lake Forest College, where he teaches LOOP 202: 21st Century Development and Liberal Arts and The Workplace. He produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life (300+ episodes and counting), which was launched in February 2010, focuses on authors and changemakers from around the country and the world, and was named by Elephant Journal as one of "The 10 Best Podcasts to Help you Change your Life. His written work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. I'm a storySouth and Pushcart nominee, a finalist for the Annual National Indie Excellence and Eric Hoffer Book Awards, a winner of the Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival Nonfiction Prose Award and a Midwest Book Award.   Buy The Missing   A Conversation with Ben in The Chicago Review   Ben Tanzer’s Website   At about 2:15, Ben gives background on the “creative life” and his day-to-day and “hustle” At about 5:30, Ben describes the importance of an “awesomely discouraging” tax person when one lives the creative life At about 6:45, Ben shouts out Columbia College in Chicago At about 7:45, Ben discusses his early relationship with reading and the written word At about 10:00, Ben talks about meaningful feedback in a writing class and how he started his writing career  At about 11:10, Ben cites Jim Carroll’s Basketball Diaries, DeGrazia’s American Skin, and other formative texts, like Catcher in the Rye, Will Allison and Joe Mino,  At about 14:10, Ben reflects on the importance of cross country and wrestling in his life At about 15:10, Ben shouts out Wendy C. Ortiz’s Excavation, Gina Frangello, Donald Quist, Joe Meno, Sara Lippman, Alice Kaltman, Gionna Cromley, Lee Matthew Goldberg, and Lisa Cross Smith as writers and writing that thrills and inspires and “crush[es]” him At about 17:30, Pete cites the thrill of meeting standout writers, and Ben expands upon ideas of the brain being “profoundly affected” by meeting literary heroes At about 20:10, Ben talks about his podcast and its roots and philosophy  At about 22:30, Ben responds to Pete’s question about Ben’s viewpoint on the “muse,” in both his writing and his podcasting-shout out to SpiderMeka! At about 27:15, Pete and Ben lay out the book’s exposition and Ben discusses the book’s seeds At about 29:45, Ben gives background on a stimulating idea provided by his agent At about 31:45, The two discuss the aging and maturing or not of the central characters of the book At about 36:00, The two discuss how Ben writes about “what could have been” in using “speculative flashbacks” and ideas of the sexualization of young girls, especially in missing children cases; Ben shouts out Emily Schultz’s Little Threats At about 40:35, Ben reflects on playing with the idea of having a kid who would dare date someone with a bad haircut, etc. At about 42:25, The two discuss unprocessed traumas and Hannah and Gabriel’s mindsets and an awe-inspiring scene involving trains At about 47:00-Bobby Baccala and the trains-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! At about 47:45, Ben responds to Pete’s comments about Gabriel being referenced in the book as a “good father and a bad husband” At about 51:45, Pete wonders about Krista’s reasons for leaving, and Ben talks about the unknown and his rationale in using a lot of unknown, as well as how many real-life parallels he’s seen to the book’s events At about 55:35, A key question about living one’s best life is explored At about 56:15, Casting choices abound! and Ben expands on his interest in Officer John At about 57:35, Ed, father of Hannah, is explored as a victim and a great listener, and Gabriel’s mother as an “enabler” is expanded upon At about 1:01:05, Ben gives contact info and social media information At about 1:03:10, Pete and Ben discuss the buying domain business    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 251 with Alexandra Alessandri. She is the author of several books for children, including Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; her books have received numerous distinctions, including the International Latino Book Award    The episode will go live on September 3.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Jesse Katz’s Work      For Episode 249, Pete welcomes Jesse Katz, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of baseball, formative and transformative books and writers, lessons learned from early writing, LA and MacArthur Park lore, and salient themes and issues in the book like poverty and the punitive nature of powerful interests, grief, and various forms of violence, as well as larger narratives about the immigration system, family units, and traumas and silences.      Jesse Katz is a former Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine writer whose honors include the James Beard Foundation’s M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, PEN Center USA’s Literary Journalism Award, a National Magazine Award nomination, and two shared Pulitzer Prizes. As a volunteer with InsideOUT Writers, he has mentored incarcerated teenagers at Central Juvenile Hall and the former California Youth Authority.    Buy The Rent Collectors   Jesse Katz's Website   New York Times Review of The Rent Collectors   At about 2:00, the two discuss Jesse’s recent book launch at Skylight Books, which Pete was lucky to attend At about 4:10, Jesse talks about generous feedback, including from those featured in the book At about 6:30, Jesse discusses the experience of recording the audio for his book At about 9:45, Jesse gives background on his relationship with language growing up At about 12:15, The two share memories of reading formative works on Jackie Robinson At about 14:30, Jesse describes takeaways from his adolescent readings of Hemingway, Kerouac, and immersive writers, and college reading that “flipped the switch,” including Joe McGinniss and Hunter Thompson At about 18:15, Jesse talks about his relationship with his alma mater, Bennington College, and Bret Easton Ellis and other standout alumni At about 19:55, Jesse highlights Matthew Desmond and Susan Orlean as contemporary writers (especially Orlean with her The Library Book and Desmond with his Poverty by América, an inspiration for The Rent Collectors) who inspire and thrill At about 22:55, Pete makes a connection between American Psycho and The Rent Collectors, especially with regards to litanies, and Jesse expands on “the cost of being poor” At about 24:50, Pete and Jesse talk about Jesse’s book, The Opposite Field, and connections to the great Luis J. Rodriguez At about 27:50, Jesse responds to Pete’s questions about how he sees the book now, speaking about The Opposite Field At about 29:00, Pete highlights a generous blurb from hector Tobar, and Jesse outlines how Hector’s support propelled Jesse to get to work on realizing the book’s finish At about 32:00, Jesse cites Giovanni’s (Macedo, the book’s protagonist) own healing and his generosity in sharing his story At about 34:00, Pete and Jesse discuss the book’s opening, and why Jesse decided to start the book in the middle of the story with Giovanni “rising from the dead” At about 38:50, Jesse gives background on Giovanni’s backstory, especially with regard to his father, and not knowing the reason for his father’s death At about 42:10, Jesse expands upon the setting of MacArthur Park, the focus of the book’s Chapter Two, and its denseness and uniqueness in LA At about 43:30, The two discuss Giovanni’s early forays into gang life and some members of the clique featured in the book At about 45:30, Jesse speaks about Reyna, Giovanni’s mother, and how she felt powerless in keeping her son from gangs At about 47:40, Jesse speaks to the staying power of gangs and how they “[fill] a void,” and Pete quotes Father Greg Boyle and his thoughts on hopelessness  At about 49:45, Jesse replies to Pete’s question about Francisco Clemente, who survived the targeted shooting by Giovanni and how he stood up against the rent collectors At about 51:20, Jesse describes the “older, savvier gang members” who were sought out by Giovanni At about 54:30, Pete and Jesse talk about how he sets the scene in the book for the horrendous events perpetuated by the gang and Giovanni; Jesse also details how he used court transcripts and written correspondence with Giovanni to piece together Giovanni’s thoughts before and after the shooting At about 58:30, The backlash and early investigations about the homicide are discussed At about 1:00:45, Pete charts Giovanni’s life in the immediate aftermath of the murder, and Jesse responds to a question about his a key decision  At about 1:04:10, Jesse speaks to the naivete of Giovanni’s dialogue with Holmes, the investigator  At about 1:05:40, The two discuss sentencing for Giovanni and his reflection on his crimes and aftermath At about 1:07:00, Jesse talks about Daniela, the mother of Luis Angel, and how he tried and failed to find her to speak with for the book, and why it was maybe for the good that she didn’t have to relive the trauma At about 1:09:45, Jesse ruminates on Giovanni’s future At about 1:11:15, Jesse reflects on how the book may help him with his parole At about 1:13:00, Pete and Jesse trade quotes and meditate on the book’s hopeful lessons At about 1:14:50, Jesse gives contact info and book buying information       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.     I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 249 with Ben Tanzer. He is an Emmy-award winning coach, creative strategist, podcaster, writer, teacher and social worker who has been helping nonprofits, publishers, authors, small business and career changers tell their stories for 20 plus years.     He produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life, which was launched in February 2010, focuses on authors and changemakers from around the country and the world, and was named by Elephant Journal as one of "The 10 Best Podcasts to Help you Change your Life.”    His written work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. His most recent novel is The Missing.    The episode will go live on August 27.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Katya Apekina’s Work      For Episode 248, Pete welcomes Katya Apekina, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language abilities and her extensive cross-cultural readings; motherhood, the loss of loved ones, and other catalysts for Mother Doll, and salient themes and issues in her collection like intergenerational traumas, women’s agency, fatalism, guilt, and redemption.      Katya Apekina is a novelist, screenwriter and translator. Her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus, Buzzfeed, LitHub and others, was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and has been translated into Spanish, Catalan, French, German and Italian. She has published stories in various literary magazines and translated poetry and prose for Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky (FSG, 2008), short-listed for the Best Translated Book Award. She co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film New Orleans, Mon Amour, which premiered at SXSW in 2008. She is the recipient of an Elizabeth George grant, an Olin Fellowship, the Alena Wilson prize and a 3rd Year Fiction Fellowship from Washington University in St. Louis where she did her MFA. She has done residencies at VCCA, Playa, Ucross, Art Omi: Writing and Fondation Jan Michalski in Switzerland. Born in Moscow, she grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter and dog. Buy Mother Doll   “Katya Apekina’s ‘Mother Doll’ isn’t your ordinary ghost story” in The Los Angeles Times   Katya's Website   At about 2:40, Katya talks about her early experiences in being bilingual and how her early language learning has affected her reading and writing and ways of seeing the world  At about 6:05, Katya talks about ways in which Russian writing manifests itself At about 8:00, Katya catalogs formative and informative writers and writing upon which she draws inspiration  At about 9:45, Katya details a Holden Caulfield-esque action she took in high school At about 10:45, The two discuss cool craft techniques of Chekhov At about 11:25, Katya outlines the beginnings of her formal writing life after pivoting from photography, including the power of Charles Simic and Roberto Bolaño  At about 14:45, Katya highlights contemporary writers who inspire and thrill her, including Sasha Vasilyuk and Ruth Madievsky, and Alexandra Tanner At about 17:35, Pete shares the wonderful reviews for the book, including Lauren Groff’s At about 18:20, Katya shares seeds for the book, especially with regards to intergenerational traumas  At about 21:45, Katya recounts some plot summary and real-life inspirations and parallels  At about 22:50, Pete quotes the book’s first line-a “banger”-and Katya gives background on the book’s sequencing  At about 25:25, Pete sets some of the book’s exposition and asks Katya about the “chorus” and her visual idea of this chorus At about 27:20, Irina is introduced and the two discuss her wanting to relieve her burdens, and Katya describes what Zhenia might see in Anton/Ben At about 30:10, Katya responds to Pete’s questions about why Zhenia decides to help translate for Paul, the medium, regarding her great-grandmother At about 33:00, Katya expands upon Paul’s reasons for getting into the medium space, as well as how some people are many “permeable” to messaging from beyond At about 35:10, Pete traces some early flashbacks from Irina and her early leanings towards revolution At about 36:15, Katya responds to Pete’s asking about Hanna and other characters and their motivations and possible naivete At about 39:00, Pete and Katya discuss the changing and convoluted factions and connections that characterized the Russian Revolution, and the differing visions of change At about 41:50, Katya talks about how Zhenia thinks of her grandmother’s death and funeral At about 43:30, Pete asks about parallels in the book, both on the micro and macro levels; Katya speaks about “iterations” of history At about 46:30, Pete alludes to “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros in asking Katya to speak to the significance of the book’s title At about 48:40, The two discuss fatalism as a common theme in Russian diasporic literature in general, and this book in particular At about 51:00, Katya talks about exciting upcoming projects At about 52:00, Katya gives contact info and social media information      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 249 with Jesse Katz, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Details, Texas Monthly, Food & Wine, Men's Health, and many other publications. His work has been anthologized in Best American Magazine Writing and Best American Crime Writing; his latest book is the critically-acclaimed The Rent Collectors, about the reverberations of a tragic murder in LA’s MacArthur Park area.    The episode airs later today, August 20.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Christina Cooke’s Work      For Episode 247, Pete welcomes Christina Cooke, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of books, formative and transformative books and writers, contemporaries and fellow debut writers with whom her books are in conversation, the outsized influence of Mamá Lou, and salient themes and issues in her book like diaspora, notions of “home,” queerness and divinity, brotherly and sisterly relationships, and religiosity vs. spirituality.      Christina Cooke’s writing has appeared in or is forthcoming from The Caribbean Writer, PRISM International, Prairie Schooner, Apogee, Epiphany, Michigan Quarterly Review, Lambda Literary Review, and others. A MacDowell Fellow and Journey Prize winner, she holds a Master of Arts from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Christina was born in Jamaica and is now a Canadian citizen who lives and writes in New York City. BROUGHTUPSY is her debut novel.   Buy Broughtupsy   Christina Cooke’s Website   Article in Vogue about Broughtupsy At about 1:40, Pete and Christina talk about a top-notch fruit mentioned in her book At about 4:00, Pete highlights an amazing version of the book that he received  At about 5:15, Christina talks about her rich childhood reading life At about 8:20, Christina shouts out Mrs. Dooley, an inspiring teacher At about 11:30, Christina cites books that made a huge impact on how she writes, including Handmaid’s Tale At about 13:20, Pete wonders which books and writers “are in conversation” with Christina and her work, and she mentions Ruben Reyes, Jr., Santiago José Sánchez, Melissa Mogollon, Emma Copley, Lisa Ko, Annie Liontas, Miss Lou, Zadie Smith, and Erna Brodber At about 17:00, Christina talks about why she calls Jamaican patois a language, and its distinctive nature, and she tells about a fun difference between #3/#6 mango At about 18:45, Christina dissects the meanings of the book’s title At about 19:45, The two discuss a Jamaican original word At about 20:40, Christina discusses seeds for the book and its iterations  At about 23:50, The two discuss the book’s epigraph and Christina describes its provenance/significance  At about 28:00, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and Christina gives background on sickle cell anemia, which is deadly to Bryson At about 30:30, Christina discusses Bryson’s memories and wise maturity in his last days At about 33:25, Christina remarks on the “fable” told to reassure Bryson that his sister Tamika would be visiting-she cites “the complicated ways that we love” At about 35:10, Christina talks about a possibly-doomed relationship At about 37:20, Christina details how the book complicates religiosity and queerness’ connections At about 40:35, Christina describes Akua “spiraling” in making a trip back home to Jamaica  At about 42:30, Akua and her “Americanness” in Jamaica is discussed, and Christina talks about parallels in her own life At about 45:40, An uncomfortable visit and questions between the sisters is discussed At about 46:30, Cod liver oil and a scene involving its destruction is recounted by Christina as she discusses its connection to Jamaican parenting in a certain time period At about 49:10, Christina responds to Pete’s question about why Akua carries her brother’s urn At about 51:40, Christina talks about Jamaicans being “culturally Anglican” and its complexities At about 53:20-Lady Saw and her legendaries and an early encounter with Akua and a woman in Kingston is recounted At about 57:20, Christina talks about “lyme” and its usage in the book and in Jamaica  At about 1:00:10, Christina charts the importance of The Miss Lou “Happy Birthday Song” in the book and in Jamaica and the Jamaican diaspora At about 1:01:45, Christina responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which Akua’s father treats her and her homosexuality-Christina speaks to the idea of “infantilizing”  At about 1:06:00, Café con Libros, Word Up, and Bookshop.org are shouted out as good places to buy her book and she gives contact information/social media information At about 1:06:55, Christina shares wonderful feedback from readers      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 248 with Katya Apekina, a novelist, screenwriter and translator; her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Buzzfeed, LitHub, and more and finalist for the LA Times Book Prize; Mother Doll, was named a Best Book So Far of 2024 by Vogue    The episode will go live on August 16.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Shannon Sanders’ Work      For Episode 245, Pete welcomes Shannon Sanders, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of books, Toni Morrison and her powerful and pivotal work, Shannon’s writing for her job as a lawyer, rocking sneakers at a prize-winning, and salient themes and issues in her collection like generational differences, sacrifice, family bonds, motherhood, the title’s connection to guests and hosts(esses), and racism and sexism and the ways in which they work on the characters’ pasts and presents.      Shannon Sanders is the author of the linked short story collection Company, which won the 2024 Los Angeles Times Book Prize's Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, was named a Publishers Weekly and Debutiful Best Book of 2023, and was shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Her short fiction has appeared in One Story, Sewanee Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, and elsewhere, and received a PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and three sons.   Buy Company   Review of Company in Washington Post   Shannon Sanders’ Website   At about 1:35, Pete shouts out Shannon’s stellar Twitter presence  At about 3:00, Shannon charts her childhood reading journey, and how she became an active writer from high school on At about 5:40, Shannon talks about chill-inducing writing and writers, including Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Stephen King, and VC Andrews, with modern writers like Lisa Taddeo, Deesha Philyaw, Danielle Evans,  At about 9:15, Shannon responds to Pete’s questions about representation in what she has read, and she shouts out Toni Morrison (including Jazz) and Octavia Butler, to whom she was introduced in Vicki Adamson’s high school class At about 11:55, Shannon talks about the writing in her lawyerly life and how it informs her fiction At about 13:50, Shannon details the wonderful experience of winning her prize at the LA Times Book Festival and her unique footwear At about 16:10, Shannon talks about Company’s genre and the links between stories At about 17:30, Shannon outlines the background and rationale for using a family tree at the beginning of the book At about 19:15, Pete highlights a Sebastian Maniscalco skit that has to do with the shift in the last few decades in having “company” at home, and Shannon explains her collection’s stories’ connections to the idea of hosts(esses) and guests At about 21:00, Pete gives background on “The Good, Good Men,” the collection’s first story, and alludes to Antonya Nelson’s “In the Land of Men” At about 23:30, Birds of paradise as a story and the birds themselves are discussed as Pete asks about debts and generational expectations for all women and for Black women At about 27:35, Shannon talks about a story where you uses second person, its inspirations in Jamaica Kincaid’s legendary “Girl” and others, and birth order and generational differences At about 30:50, The two discuss the theme of sacrifice through a flashback story At about 34:35, Pete highlights a story based on flashback and incredible selflessness and the ways in which the collection felt “finished” At about 38:00, Ideas of “old money” and treasured memories and empathy are discussed  At about 39:15, Shannon talks about the story “Rioja” and traces the family’s machinations and subtleties At about 41:35, “La Belle Hottentot” is discussed, including the sordid and tragic history, and how it is one of two stories that are different perspectives from the  At about 44:00, Opal, the family matriarch is analyzed through a pivotal story in the collection At about 47:45, Shannon responds to Pete’s questions about maintaining continuity in her story collection At about 50:50, Shannon answers Pete’s questions about how much she herself shows up in the collection’s characters  At about 53:00, Pete quotes Ruth Madievsky about the ways in which different writers write and edit, and Shannon discusses her own style(s) At about 54:55, The two explore ghosts and their significance in the collection At about 56:00, Shannon gives interesting background on the character Lucy and her childhood friend and the storyline At about 57:30, a “literal” ghost story is probed At about 1:01:15, Shannon talks about exciting new projects and whether characters from Company will be expanded upon At about 1:02:50, Shannon gives contact info and info for buying her book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month’s Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 246 with Ruben Reyes, Jr. He is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants, completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop; and is a graduate of Harvard College. His writing has appeared in Audible Originals, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications. His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, is out as of today, August 6, along with our wonderful conversation. Happy Pub Day, Ruben! Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Ruben Reyes’ Work      For Episode 246, Pete welcomes Ruben Reyes, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of sci fi and fantasy, his family’s diverse language history, formative and transformative books and writers, lessons learned from early writing, and salient themes and issues in his collection like agency, power dynamics, notions of “home,” grief, and various forms of violence, as well as larger narratives about the immigration system, family units, and traumas and silences.      Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants. He completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.    He is a graduate of Harvard College where he studied History and Literature and Latinx Studies. His writing has appeared in Audible Originals, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Florida Review Online, Business Insider, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications.    His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, is forthcoming from Mariner Books. Originally from Southern California, he lives in Brooklyn.   Buy There is a Rio Grande in Heaven   Ruben Reyes’ Website   At about 1:45, Harvard and secret clubs and “annoying social clubs” are discussed   At about 3:00, Ruben details the “chaotic” and exciting leadup to the August 6 publication date of his collection At about 3:45, Ruben shares “generous feedback” from blurbists and other early readers At about 5:50, Ruben shouts out upcoming book events-Brooklyn with Greenlight and Bryant Park, and Libro Mobile in Santa Ana At about 6:50, Ruben talks about growing up in Diamond Bar and how it’s emblematic or not of LA and California At about 8:00, Ruben expands upon his language history and that of his family, and he also talks about growing up on fantasy books and Michael Crichton and other “conceptual sci-fi” works At about 10:35, Pete and Ruben strategize on how to get JK Rowling off Twitter and her “misguided” diatribes At about 12:30, Ruben talks about formative writers and writing from his high school and college days At about 14:15, Ruben discusses early writing and lessons learned from the work At about 16:30, Mad appreciation for Borges and how his work was against the “conventional craft” At about 18:30-Ruben highlights the influence of magical realism and its limits and strengths At about 20:00, The two discuss the evocative epigraphs for the story collection, from Roque Dalton and Ray Bradbury At about 23:35, The two discuss the opening short from the collection and the multiple stories that feature “Alternate Histories”; Ruben highlights Jamel Brinkley’s guidance  At about 26:45, Ruben explains why he thinks the story has two starting points, and the two discuss the second story, “He Eats His Own” with its mangoes, ritual, and power dynamics and immigrant sagas At about 29:10, Ruben responds to Pete’s questions between the balance and relationships between allegory and plot At about 31:00, Pete wonders if Ruben “stands in judgment of [his] characters” At about 33:50, Pete asks Ruben about the ramifications of the relationship between Steven and Tomás, a Salvadoran immigrant who has experienced a lot of grief; Ruben expands on his interest in “escape valves” for characters At about 36:35, The two discuss “Self-Made Man” and its connection to the complexities of immigration  At about 38:40, Ruben discusses “baselines” and the ways in which he resolved to write “three-dimensional characters” and focused on systems and reasons for traumas  At about 40:30, Agency as a theme in the story is discussed through “Quiero Perrear…” and its dynamic characters At about 42:00, Pete and Ruben delight in the opening line of “Quiero Perrear…” and its connections to Kafka’s Metamorphosis At about 44:20, Pete is highly complimentary of “My Abuela, the Puppet,” and Ruben explains the story’s genesis and connections to real-life At about 47:20, “Salvadoran Slice of Mars” as a way of showing inadequacies of the immigration system is discussed At about 48:55, The themes of “do-overs” and mourning and grief and the ways in which we view those who have passed are discussed in connection with a particularly meaningful story At about 52:20, Ruben discusses the historical fiction involving El Salvador’s 1932 Matanza of a story in the collection that is one of the “alternate histories” At about 53:45, the two discuss the incredible work of Roberto Lovato and ideas of “unforgetting” and silences and trauma At about 55:50, Ruben responds to Pete’s question about a story that lays out an alternate history of Selena as Ruben brings up systems and fame and the ways that celebrities are treated after their deaths At about 58:40, Ruben details how immigrants often think of “What if” so often  At about 59:40, “Variations on Your Migrant’s Life” is explored, and Ruben talks about its inspirations  At about 1:04:15, Valeria and Oscar Ramirez Martinez (graphic picture discussed is not featured in article) and their story, fictionalized in a gutting final story, is discussed  At about 1:07:15, Ruben shouts out places to buy his book and gives his contact info/social media info      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 245 with Shannon Sanders, who is a Black writer, attorney, and author of the linked story collection Company, which was winner of the 2023 LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Additionally, her short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.  Please tune in for Episode 247 with Christina Cooke. Her writing has appeared in/is forthcoming from The Caribbean Writer, PRISM International, Prairie Schooner, and Lambda Literary Review, among others. A MacDowell Fellow and Journey Prize winner, her critically-acclaimed Broughtupsy, her debut novel, is out as of January 2024. The episode will go live on August 13. Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Annie Liontas’ Work        For Episode 244, Pete welcomes Annie Liontas, and the two discuss, among other topics, their childhood love of books after early years of learning English as a second language, their teaching life, formative and transformative books and writers, the hot literary scene in Philly, and salient themes and issues in their memoir like writing emotionally-charged material, “invisible disability,” traumatic brain injuries and their personal history, as well as larger narratives about TBI in the carceral system, NFL, and beyond.      Annie Liontas is the genderqueer author of the memoir Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery, which was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and selected as SELF Magazine’s Book of the Month. Their debut novel, Let Me Explain You, was selected as New York Times Editors Choice. They co-edited the anthology A Manner of Being: Writers on their Mentors, and their work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Gay Magazine, NPR, Electric Literature, BOMB, Lithub, The Believer, Guernica, McSweeney’s, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. A graduate of Syracuse University’s MFA program, they are a professor of writing at George Washington University. Annie has served as a mentor for Pen City’s incarcerated writers and helped secure a Mellon Foundation grant on Disability Justice to bring storytelling to communities in the criminal justice system. They co-host the literary podcast LitFriends and live in Philadelphia.   Buy Sex with a Brain Injury   Annie's George Washington University Bio   NPR's Fresh Air Interview with Annie   Emma Copley Eisenberg Writes about Sex with a Brain Injury for Electric Lit   LitFriends Podcast with Annie and Lito Velazquez   At about 1:40, Annie talks about their experience with the legendary Terri Gross At about 3:45, Annie talks about their upbringing and Greek family lineage At about 5:20, Annie homes in on their early days in frustration in transmitting ideas in English  At about 6:20, Annie responds to Pete’s questions about how Greek affects their English writing and reading  At about 8:30, Annie discusses their early love of reading At about 11:30, Annie and Pete discuss pleasurable reading and the idea of “favorite books” At about 12:15, Annie and Pete nerd out over Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Pete recommends “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” At about 13:40, Annie speaks to ideas of representation in what they have read  At about 15:20, Annie talks about “wonderful” professors in their time at Syracuse At about 16:20, Annie highlights Justin Torres, Yiyun Li, and other writers whose work is favorited by their students At about 17:50, Annie highlights Philadelphia’s huge amount of talent-writers like Marie Helene Bertino, Emma Eisenberg, and Liz Moore At about 20:15, Pete and Annie talks about Annie’s memoir’s exposition and opening lines; Annie expounds upon seeds for the book At about 23:00, Pete shouts out Ingrid Rojas Contreras’ The Man Who Could Move Clouds At about 23:50, The two discuss the ways in which Annie uses second person and tropes about concussions in the memoir At about 26:40, Pete wonders about Annie’s decisions in summarizing three main injuries and compliments the draw of the structure; Annie talks about suspense and withholding and shares a resonant quote from George Saunders At about 29:30, Annie discusses “the longitudinal experience” that goes into “I will have my life” that ends the second chapter At about 31:05, Annie responds to Pete’s questions about writing emotionally-charged material about beloved people At about 33:05, Annie talks about people doubting the severity of their injuries and a “five-year plan” At about 36:10, Annie shares interesting history about the rail industry and its “bonkers” track record-pun intended-in connection to injuries and “faking” At about 38:30, Pete asks Annie about effects of the brain injury At about 41:05, Pete’s got jokes! and Annie talks about the physical effects of their brain injuries At about 42:25, Henry VIII’s possible brain traumas are discussed, as are Harriet Tubman’s At about 45:15, “Lying as a social act” is discussed in context of Annie’s injury and subsequent ill effects At about 48:20, Annie discusses their mother’s life and connections between addiction and brain trauma, including Marchell Taylor’s moving fight for better care for TBI victims in the carceral system  At about 54:00, Pete highlights a resonant excerpt from the book, Page 67, revolving around queerness At about 57:15, Pete and Annie cite examples from the sporting world and the ways in which women’s health concerns are not treated equally  At about 58:30, the NFL and concussions are discussed  At about 1:01:55, Pete and Annie discuss Q&A’s with Annie’s wife, and Pete wonders about the choice to use redacted parts  At about 1:04:30, Annie juxtaposes the different ways in which Tig Notaro and Ernest Shackleton dealt with trauma At about 1:08:50, Annie highlights the greatness of and beautiful relationship with Ursula von Ridingsvard At about 1:12:00, Annie shouts out their publisher and places to buy the book, as well as how to contact them and find them online; they give background information on her podcast        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 245 with Shannon Sanders, who is a Black writer, attorney, and author of the linked story collection Company, which was winner of the 2023 LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Additionally, her short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.     The episode will go live on July 31.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Kathleen Rooney’s Work          For Episode 243, Pete welcomes Kathleen Rooney, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of story and her later connections to Chicago and Chicagoland, her devotion to words and sentences and poetry, her fascination with Colleen Moore and her Fairy Castle, seeds for From Dust to Stardust, and salient themes and issues in her book like stereotyping, early Hollywood, the burdens carried by young women and all women in Hollywood, and the power of cinema.       Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a nonprofit publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand. She is the author of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, and her latest poetry collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was released in Fall of 2022 by Texas Review Press. Her latest novel, From Dust to Stardust, came out in September 2023. She lives in Chicago and teaches at DePaul.   Buy From Dust to Stardust   Kathleen's DePaul University Bio   “Checking out Historical Chicago: Kathleen Rooney’s From Dust to Stardust” From Chicago Review of Books At about 2:00, Kathlen talks about her early years in various parts of the country and her love of cities  At about 3:35, Kathleen talks about her great love of the written word, and always wanting to “tell stories” At about 5:30, Kathleen gives background on Chicagoland  At about 8:10, Various parts of IL and connections to David Foster Wallace are discussed  At about 9:30, Kathleen discusses formative writers, including “classic” poetry and how she is “attracted to words” At about 14:00, Kathleen cites music influences like Bob Dylan, a “fellow word pervert” and B96 in Chicago and 90s hip hop At about 15:50, Kathleen talks about how her Irish heritage has influenced her writing, and how her protagonist was limited by Irish tropes At about 18:00, Kathleen gives some background on “thin places” from Gaelic yore, its connections to the book’s epigraph, and some plot summary/exposition for the book At about 22:15, Kathleen builds on earlier discussion of the early history of Hollywood and various locations for shooting movies, after Pete and she reflect on the beautiful Cinema Paradiso and ideas of the magic of cinema At about 24:05, Kathleen details her interest in Colleen Moore, and also gives seeds for the book At about 26:15, Kathleen describes Chicago’s incredible Fairy Castle of Colleen Moore  At about 28:20, Pete and Kathleen talk about other vanity/aspirational projects of the 1920s and on, Hearst, etc. At about 29:20, Pete gives background on the book’s main character’s, Eileen’s, early fascination with movies At about 30:15, Kathleen outlines the Eileen’s family and various backstories and influences on Eileen At about 32:50, Pete asks Kathleen about her book’s structure-flashbacks and flashforward, and how the memories are narrated/formatted  At about 36:50, Kathleen remarks on how she used flashbacks a little differently than some other popular movies At about 37:45, Pivotal early scenes that lead Eileen to Hollywood are recounted, and Kathleen expands on the insular environment of early Holywood At about 41:00, The two discuss the infamous D.W. Griffith and his connections to the book At about 42:00, Kathleen discusses the ways in which casting and life affect women, especially young women, and their choices At about 44:40, Kathleen talks about the various iterations of A Star is Born and its significance in Hollywood history At about 46:00, Marion Davies and her unfair/incomplete reputation are explained At about 47:30, Pete notes the ways in which Doreen is her own biggest fan and supporter and her agency and hard work At about 48:40, Kathleen shares her connections to Edna Ferber, the real-life writer referenced in the book At about 51:30, Kathleen responds to Pete’s questions about typecasting in early Hollywood, and what research Kathleen used for the parts of the silent film era At about 54:30, Pete wonders about redemptive actions and motives for Eileen’s father and his help with the Fairy Castle At about 57:20, Kathleen shouts out a few Chicagoland bookstores and other places to buy her book, and also gives social media//contact info At about 58:25, Kathleen talks about the magic of Poems While You Wait      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 244 with Alexandra Alessandri. She is the author of several books for children, including Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; her books have received numerous distinctions, including the International Latino Book Award The episode will go live on July 23.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Santiago José Sanchez’s Work        For Episode 242, Pete welcomes Santiago José Sanchez, and the two discuss, among other topics, their childhood in Colombia and Miami, their experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, especially in his college years, how teaching informs their writing and vice versa, the wonderful multiple points of view in Hombrecito, salient themes in his collection like masculinity, immigration, queerness, familial ties, reinvention and Americanization, and ideas of home.        Santiago José Sánchez, a Grinnell College assistant professor of English and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, is a queer Colombian American writer. Santiago’s writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary. Their debut novel is Hombrecito, out as of June 25.     Buy Hombrecito   Santiago's Website   New York Times Review of Hombrecito At about 2:35, Santiago talks about their early relationship with the written word, and their early fascination with and exposure to storytelling At about 4:55, Santiago expounds upon how Hombrecito is a “love letter” to their mom, and their special relationship with her  At about 6:00, Santiago speaks to the interplay between English and Spanish in their life and in their writing At about 9:15, Santiago talks about Colombian Spanish and its uniqueness  At about 11:20, Santiago highlights books and writers (like Greenwell’s Mitko) and a class with Professor Michael Cunningham that grew their huge love of writing and literature At about 13:25, Santiago discusses ideas of representation, including works by Justin Torres, that made them feel seen, but also gaps in representation At about 14:40, Santiago cites Small Rain by Greenwell, Ocean Vuong’s new book, Ruben Reyes, Jr.’s There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, and Melissa Mogollon’s Oye as exciting and inspiring At about 16:05, Santiago responds to Pete’s question about how writing informs their teaching At about 18:30, Pete and Santiago rave about Jamil Jan Kochai’s “Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” and Santiago talks about their students loving the story At about 22:45, Santiago gives background on using different points-of-view and terminology for the narrator(s) in Hombrecito At about 26:40, Santiago describes the book as “autofiction” At about 28:10, “He lives between the world and his own mind,” a key quote from the beginning of the book, and the narrator’s mother, are explored through a discussion of an early pivotal scene, which also bring talk of a certain type of sexism/misogyny directed at single mothers At about 32:15, Santiago explains the ways in which they use and views the term “queer” At about 34:10, Pete gives a little exposition of the book, featuring a scene where the book’s title is first introduced-Santiago expands on the book’s title and its myriad significance At about 38:10, An understated scene that ends Part I is discussed; Santiago describes their mindset in writing the scene in that way  At about 40:55, The two explore the narrator’s insistence on calling his mother “Doctora” upon their move to Miami At about 43:10, Santiago gives an explanation of the book’s oft-referenced “portal” At about 46:00, The last scene where the narrator is “Santiago” and an important transition, is looked at At about 46:50, The two reflect upon ideas of Americanization, and a supposedly-perfect/”normative” family dynamic that Santiago and their mother seek out At about 53:25, Santiago’s mother and brother and their circumstances early in their time in Miami is discussed-Santiago details the “reshaping” of the family’s situation  At about 56:05, Pete asks Santiago about the narrator’s first lover and what repelled and brought them back together so many times At about 59:35, Santiago explains how the book is “a lot about silences” and focuses on the short and incredibly-powerful Chapter 11 At about 1:01:45, Pete cites the previously-mentioned meaningful and resonant flashback At about 1:02:50, The book’s last section and its focus on the narrator and his father’s ever-evolving, ever-loving  relationship is discussed At about 1:06:00, Santiago shares some of the feedback they have received since the book has been released, as well as information on their upcoming tour At about 1:10:35, Santiago reads an excerpt from the book that forces the reader to salivate and smile At about 1:12:45, Pete tells a story about translation gone wrong for the fourth or fifth time-eek!       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.     I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!      Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!        This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 243 with Kathleen Rooney,  who is founding editor of Rose Metal Press and a founding member of Poems While You Wait. She teaches English and creative writing at DePaul University and is the author, most recently, of the novel From Dust to Stardust, as well as the poetry collection Where Are the Snows.    The episode will go live on July 16.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Antonio Lopez’s Work      For Episode 241, Pete welcomes Antonio Lopez, and the two discuss, among other topics, his bilingual and multicultural childhood in East Palo Alto, E-40 Fonzarelli, his experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, the greatness and timelessness of James Baldwin, seeds for Gentefication in the rhythms and cultures and camaraderie of home, his life as a politician and working together with the community towards a stellar achievement, and salient themes in his collection like faith, gentrification and attendant outcomes, grief, trauma, joy, the power of art, and youthful rage and passion.      Antonio López is a poetician working at the intersection of poetry, politics and social change. He has received literary scholarships to attend the Community of Writers, Tin House, the Vermont Studio Center, and Bread Loaf. He is a proud member of the Macondo Writers Workshop and a CantoMundo Fellow. He holds degrees from Duke University, Rutgers-Newark, and the University of Oxford. He is pursuing a PhD in Modern Thought and Literature at Stanford University. His debut poetry collection, Gentefication, was selected by Gregory Pardlo as the winner of the 2019 Levis Prize in Poetry. He recently won a Pushcart Prize for his poem “Our Lady of the Westside.” As district representative for California State Senator Josh Becker, he served as the liaison for the Latinx, veteran, and Muslim communities of State District 13. Antonio has fought gentrification in his hometown as the newest and youngest council member for the City of East Palo Alto, and he is now the city’s mayor.  Buy Gentefication   Antonio's East Palo Alto Mayoral Page   KQED Interview  At about 3:00, The two discuss the diversity of the Bay Area At about 4:20, Antonio speaks about “education as a pillar of [his] life” and his relationship with languages and the written word and nurturing schools in East Palo Alto At about 7:15, The two sing the praises of PBS as an educational force, and Antonio recounts an amazing 3rd grade story involving the great Levar Burton At about 11:50, Antonio details some of his favorite texts from childhood, including The Hatchet! At about 13:20, Antonio responds to Pete’s questions about ideas of representation in what he read and how he was educated, and Antonio expounded upon the interesting ways in which he grew up in an under resourced school and in the Silicon Valley At about 17:30, The two discuss the huge gap in wealth between Peninsula cities At about 20:00, Pete quotes from the book’s Acknowledgements in asking Antonio about his “origin story”; Antonio talks about the personal gaze and gaze from outside East Palo Alto At about 22:25, Antonio reminiscences on the visual and aural feasts, including the music, of his community and the ways in which English was “malleable” and formational for him At about 26:20, The two discuss the ways in which East Palo Alto achieved a huge change, culminating in zero homicides in 2023 At about 30:30, Antonio reflects on the idea that “all art is political” At about 32:25, Pete highlights impressive and creative verbs and language Antonio uses At about 34:50, Pete asks about the pronunciation of the poetry collection and Antonio details the significance of the title At about 37:10, Pete quotes from the book’s Prologue from Pardlo and asks Antonio about an early reference in the collection to James Baldwin; Antonio expounds upon the “mill” At about 41:25, The two discuss a memorable line about school reading that didn’t feel familiar for Antonio and other resonant lines about education  At about 44:15, Antonio responds to Pete’s question about “the borderlands” referred to in the collection  At about 47:45, Antonio gives background on a powerful poem, “Las Chacharas” and its sequel, as well as ideas of relativism as seen in the writing  At about 50:40, Antonio talks about a “narrative wrapped around [him]” and his pride and ambivalence At about 54:15, The two explore ideas of gentrification and losses and beautiful gains that come with immigration, as featured in the collection, including a true story involving Antonio’s paternal grandparents   At about 57:20, Pete compliments the poem from the collection that is a sort of tribute to his mom, and Pete wonders about the usage of “Usted” and “Tú”  At about 1:00:25, The two discuss coming-of-age themes in the collection, and Antonio expands upon ideas presented in a four-part poem At about 1:02:15, E-40 (!) and youthful and chaotic energy are the topics of discussion-Antonio reflects on the word “hyphy” At about 1:04:25, The two discuss religion and Catholicism/Christianity’s links to colonialism and Antonio’s beginnings with Muslim communities At about 1:08:40, Antonio talks about the importance of hadiths and a memorable poem from the collection-a letter written to a hate crime, the murder of Nabra Hassanen At about 1:12:45, DBQ’s are highlighted and unique grading rubrics, as rendered in Antonio’s work      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 242 with Santiago José Sánchez, a professor of English and a queer Colombian American writer whose writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary.    The episode will go live on July 10 or so.     Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Marcela Fuentes’ Work      For Episode 240, Pete welcomes Marcela Fuentes, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood in borderland Texas, her experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, the greatness and timelessness of Selena, seeds for Malas in fairy tales and the title’s multilayered meanings, working in flashback and flashforward to illuminate racism and Texas/borderland histories, and salient themes in her collection like toxic masculinity, the burdens and triumphs of motherhood, grief, trauma, addiction, and ideas of fractured and reworked families.      Marcela Fuentes is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and essayist. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and was the 2016-2017 James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Indiana Review, The Rumpus, Texas Highways Magazine, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and other journals. Her work has been anthologized in New Stories from the Southwest, Best of the Web, and Flash Fiction International. Her story, “The Observable World” appeared in the Pushcart Prizes XLVII : Best of the Small Presses 2023 Edition. She was born and raised in Del Rio, Texas.    Her debut novel MALAS is the Good Morning America Book Club pick for June 2024. Coming soon, the story collection MY HEART HAS MORE ROOMS THAN A WHOREHOUSE, from Viking Books. Buy Malas    Marcela's Website   Marcela’s Appearance on Good Morning America   At about 2:00, Marcela describes her “surreal” experience being on Good Morning America At about 4:10, Marcela discusses her early relationship with the written word and Spanish and English-speaking  At about 10:10, Sandra Cisneros, Yo Soy Joaquin, and Helena Maria Viramontes, are cited as formative and transformative writing and writers At about 12:00, Pete recounts a surreal interaction with the wonderful Helena Maria Viramontes At about 13:00, Marcla shouts out Vanessa Chan and Rufi Thorpe as contemporaries who thrill and inspire At about 14:05, Marcela responds to Pete’s questions about seeds for the book-shout out Edward Carey! At about 18:05, The two reflect on the book’s opening and a resonant first line At about 20:55, Marcela gives background on Caimanes and the barrio where Pilar and José Alfredo, the first main characters, live, and why they like and hate it At about 23:00, Uh, oh-the curse is discussed, as well as Pilar’s feelings at eight months pregnant   At about 24:35, Marcela talks about what she envisioned for Pilar, especially her backstory At about 28:20, Ideas of suspicions and insecurities involving José Alfredo on Pilar’s part are discussed At about 30:10, Pete and Marcela discuss Anglo/Mexican-American relations and the ways in which racism affected the hospital visit where Pilar is to give birth At about 31:25, Marcela describes what it was like to write such a wrenching scene as the one in the hospital At about 33:45, Pilar’s “dull anger” and the ways in which José Alfredo doesn’t show up for her  At about 34:40, Lulu Munoz is characterized, as she is introduced in a flashforward scene, and Marcela expands upon her character and her relationship with her “boss man” father  At about 38:10, Pete points out page 60’s use of “mala,” and Marcela expands on the word’s attendant meanings, especially with regard to the book At about 40:00, Julio (Lulu’s father) and his bad behavior is discussed At about 40:40, The two discuss some friends in Lulu’s friend group and the “messiness” of the night where Lulu’s beloved grandma dies and the chaos of the funeral At about 41:55, Pete wonders about Pilar’s mindset and the ways in which Marcela envisioned her emotional state, as the book returned to 1951 At about 46:45, While discussing Lulu’s band and music likes, Marcela fangirls about Selena and talks about her personal connections to the great one  At about 49:40, The chaotic quinceañera set for Lulu and its attendant drama is discussed  At about 50:50, Pete compliments the 1970s scenes and the ways in which Marcela writes about this “adjacent history” of civil rights fights in Texas; Marcela gives background on real-life parallels and histories At about 54:40, Marcela talks about exciting future projects, including her story collection  At about 56:50, Marcela highlights places to buy her book and gives out contact information and tour information     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 241 with Antonio Lopez, who is a poetician working at the intersections of poetry and politics to fight for social change. His 2021 collection, Gentefication, was named one of the "Ten Notable Latino Books of 2021” by NBC. Antonio is a former Marshall Scholar and current Mayor of East Palo Alto. CA.    The episode will go live on July 2.     Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Ben Purkert’s Work      For Episode 239, Pete welcomes Ben Purkert, and the two discuss, among other topics, his awakening to wonderful literature and his early poetry and formation as a writer, Robin Williams’ indelible mark on Ben’s writerly development, Ben’s short but eventful time working at an ad agency, Mad Men, and profane poetry, as well salient themes in his book like masculinity, religious and personal identities, one’s possibly-unreliable perspective, reinvention, and ideas of art versus commerce.      Ben Purkert’s debut novel, The Men Can’t Be Saved, was named one of Vanity Fair’s Top 20 Books of 2023. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Slate, The Wall Street Journal, Poetry, Kenyon Review, and he’s been featured by NPR, Esquire, and The Boston Globe. He is also the author of the poetry collection, For the Love of Endings. He holds degrees from Harvard and NYU, where he was a New York Times Fellow. He teaches in the Sarah Lawrence College MFA program.   Buy The Men Can't Be Saved   Washington Post Review of The Men Can't Be Saved   Review of The Men Can't Be Saved Review in Esquire   Ben's Webpage   At about 1:30, Ben recounts his story of meeting Martin Scorcese recently At about 2:40, Congrats to n+1 mag! At about 3:30, Ben talks about his early relationship with the written word At about 5:30, Ben expresses his admiration for Robin Williams and how Williams was a “word guy” who led Ben to fiction At about 8:00-Set Shot! Ben drops a poignant Louise Gluck quote and talks about writing and teaching inspiration from Dead Poets Society At about 10:25, Ben talks about the writers/writing that “flipped the switch” for him, including Ben Lerner At about 12:30, Ben cites Alexandra Kleeman and Andrés Barba (A Luminous Republic) as some of his favorite contemporary writers At about 14:30, Pete and Ben discuss the book’s seeds in Ben’s work in advertising and the cultural phenomenon that was Mad Men, as well as the book as “grounded”/allegorical  At about 18:55, Pete asks Ben about the significance of his epigraphs At about 21:15, The two discuss who might play the famous older man from the successful ad at the opening of The Men Can’t Be Saved  At about 22:10, Ben reads from the beginning of the book At about 24:30, Ben talks about spending so much time on the book’s first page as he and Pete discuss a possible unreliable narrator in Seth At about 26:40, The book’s exposition is recounted, including background of the ad agency At about 28:10, Ben speaks to Pete’s supposition that Seth has some Patrick Bateman in him At about 30:00, More plot is outlined, and characters like “Moon,” a pivotal character, is discussed  At about 31:30, Ben reflects on men’s health accounts and other accounts within advertising and how “branding”  At about 33:15, Seth’s Birthright trip and his work/life balance (or lack thereof) are examined  At about 36:45, Seth’s hearing about the city of Acre and ideas of fresh starts are discussed, especially with regard to a new job At about 37:40, Ben talks about ideas of Seth reflecting on, or not, his sense of himself and his Jewish identity At about 39:00, Ramzy and Seth and their routine and relationship is discussed  At about 42:20, The two discuss the character of Moon and ideas of masculinity and homophobia and homoeroticism within and without the book At about 45:20, Ben talks about why he enjoyed writing a pivotal fight scene and the mechanics of same At about 47:00, Ben tells an interesting story that gives background on the hilarious, X-rated poem written by Moon in the book-shout out Jessie Stephens and Uncle Fred!  At about 48:30, The two discuss sexual harassment and toxic masculinity in the book and within the ad agency At about 49:30, The two discuss Seth’s faith journey and Jewish identity as epitomized through two quotes and Jewishness as seen through a connection at the Chabad House-Ben references an essay he wrote about the comfort/community offered At about 53:45, Pete notes the skill with which Ben’s work does not deal in absolutes At about 55:20, Ben talks about exciting future projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan Zeineddine soon.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 240 with Marcela Fuentes. Marcela is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and essayist; her debut novel MALAS was published on June 4 and has been named June’s Good Morning America Book Club Pick.  The episode will go live on June 27.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Nina St. Pierre’s Work      For Episode 238, Pete talks live with Nina St. Pierre at Sacramento’s Capital Books about her deeply personal, timely, and resonant memoir, Love is a Burning Thing.      Whether telling her own stories or reporting on the lives of others, Nina St. Pierre is drawn to boundary breakers and in-between places. Her debut memoir, LOVE IS A BURNING THING, came out May 7 from Dutton Books, and is available to order now. Set at the foot of a cosmic mountain, it's a story about fire, family, and what it means to believe; about the boundaries between mysticism and mental illness.     As a culture writer and essayist, she makes unexpected connections; whether profiling the sole woman in the Ruff Ryders street-bike crew or exploring the prophecy of the mystical udumbara flower. Read her work in GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Gossamer, Outside, Bitch, and more. Nina holds an MFA from Rutgers, was a 2023 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Nonfiction Literature, and a RESP Fellow. She lives in New York City.     Buy Love is a Burning Thing   Nina St. Pierre: Website   Article in Los Angeles Times, 2024: “Opinion: My mother set herself on fire. Why do people choose to self-immolate?” At about 1:10: Railroad Museum Talk!   At about 2:45, Pete asks Nina about connections to a Kate Zambreno quote about writing as “repair”   At about 5:30, Nina talks about the book’s formation at times as “meta” in the act of creation    At about 6:40-7:40, Nina responds to Pete’s asking if the writing of the book was “cathartic”    At about 8:05, Nina responds to audience question and talks about the “meta-ness” and inspiration from/connections to the movie Synecdoche, New York   At about 10:10, Nina responds to Pete’s questions about any hesitance in writing so personally about herself and others   At about 13:05, Nina talks about idealizing the past and or its opposite in writing the book   At about 14:55, Nina gives a summary of the book through a thematic description    At about 18:00, Transcendental Meditation and an important quote about obsession is discussed in terms of Nina’s mother   At about 23:10, Nina responds to Pete’s questions about her Midwest family and ideas of rebellion   At about 28:30, Nina and Pete discuss her family’s moving to Dunsmuir, CA, and her mother’s motivations in moving there, close to Mount Shasta   At about 30:50, Nina replies to Pete’s questions about things she took for granted that others didn’t know about, due to her constant moving and living in/visiting so many disparate places   At about 33:40-Shout out to Nina’s cool Love is a Burning Thing-themed nails, done by Claws by Joy!    At about 34:00, Nina describes the split between “Anita I” and “Anita II” (“walking in”) that her mother described so nonchalantly   At about 39:35, Nina homes in on her mother’s self-immolation and images    At about 42:15, Nina expands on different ideas in the West and East, specifically in Buddhist areas, of self-immolation    At about 46:40, Pete and Nina talk about a resonant scene that involves an adolescent Nina at a religious revival and she expounds upon her feelings during and after the “fervent religious experience”   At about 52:15, Nina reads from page 117, a scene involving the issues described above   At about 56:15, Pete asks Nina about the times she and her mother were not living together and worries Nina had   At about 58:30, Nina reflects on her perspective in looking back at her mother’s words in emails from a different time and place    At about 1:05:00, Nina gives her thoughts on connections between her mother and the archetypal “perfect female victim”   At about 1:11:20, Pete reflects on youth and obsession and compliments the book   At about 1:13:00, Niña gives out social media and contact info and book purchasing information, including a shoutout to Taylor & Co Books in New York        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1.        I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m enjoying the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan Zeineddine around the middle of June.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 239 with Ben Purkert. He is a poet, novelist, and creative writing instructor, as well as the author of the 2018 poetry collection, For the Love of Endings. His latest is the critically-acclaimed 2023 novel, The Men Can't Be Saved.    The episode will go live on June 21.     Please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Ghassan Zeineddine’s Work      For Episode 237, Pete welcomes Ghassan Zeineddine, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood in Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C., his experiences with multilingualism, formative and transformative reading and his reading “obsession,” the resonance of Dearborn, Michigan, seeds for Dearborn, “Speedoman,” and salient themes in his collection like masculinity, grief, trauma, reinvention, and ideas of home.      Ghassan Zeineddine was born in Washington, DC, and raised in the Middle East. He is an assistant professor of creative writing at Oberlin College, and co-editor of the creative nonfiction anthology Hadha Baladuna: Arab American Narratives of Boundary and Belonging. His debut short story collection is Dearborn.   Buy Dearborn     Ghassan's Bio for Oberlin College   Dearborn Playlist from Ghassan from Largehearted Boy   At about 1:30, Ghassan talks about creative nonfiction as “a huge umbrella for many types of writing” and the anthology he edited At about 3:40, Ghassan talks about the diversity of Arab ethnicities in Dearborn, Michigan, and its connections to his short story collection of the same name At about 6:05, Ghassan talks about his childhood in Saudi Arabia, and how his Lebanese family ended up there At about 10:55, Ghassan discusses his early relationships with reading At about 13:20, Ghassan talks about the differences in dialects in Arabic, including accents of Lebanese-Americans from different Lebanese regions  At about 14:35, Ghassan describes the evolution of his “healthy obsession” with reading, including his DC schooling and how the “isolating experience” affected his tastes and led to wrestling and John Irving At about 21:05, Ghassan highlights Percival Everett and James McBride as contemporary writers who thrills and inspires and challenges him  At about 24:00, Ghassan reflects on how teaching informs his writing, and vice versa; he highlights Morgan Talty’s Night of the Living Rez as a great teaching tool At about 27:10, Ghassan shouts out places to buy his book, including Literati, and his contact/social media  At about 28:30, Ghassan and Pete marvel over the lives and practices of voice actors, and Pete shouts out the transcendent Edoardo Ballerini At about 30:30, Ghassan responds to Pete’s questions about conceiving the book as a collection of stories At about 32:40, Pete remarks on the coolness of shared characters in multiple stories; Ghassan gives background on these story connections and shouts out Elizabeth DeMeo as an incredible editor At about 35:10, Pete lays out the collection’s first story and Ghassan talks about the story’s seeds from 2018-ish At about 38:05, the two discuss ideas of masculinity and ambition and generational differences and the use of “Bro” as seen in the beginning story  At about 40:30, the two discuss the resonant and unique and heckuva lotta fun “Speedoman,” both the man himself, and the inclement themes and background connected to the story At about 41:40, Pete shouts out Marquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” in comparing “Speedoman” to the magnificent Marquez story At about 42:50, Ghassan talks about longing in the story and his use of the collective voices At about 48:00, The two discuss the story “Marseilles” and attendant themes of masculinity and gender agency At about 51:18, Ghassan provides background on the above story and the history of many Arab passengers on the Titanic At about 52:20, Pete and Ghassan discuss meaningful female friendships and attempted mentorships in the collection At about 55:25, Ghassan explains why “I Have Reason to Believe My Neighbor Is a Terrorist” was such a hard story to write At about 57:00, Ghassan gives background on the above story that connects to government surveillance after 9/11 At about 58:40, Pete lays out themes of grief and trauma featured in the collection, including the memorable, “In Memoriam,” as well art as career versus practical professions, including through the memorable character Zizou At about 1:02:10, Ghassan describes his experience growing up hearing stories, often tragic, of Lebanon At about 1:04:05, Pete discusses the resonant and singular character of Ramzy in the resonant and visceral “Rabbit Stew” At about 1:06:45, Reinvention as a throughline in the collection is discussed At about 1:10:30, Ghassan talks about exciting future projects and writing about “obsessions” At about 1:13:00, Ghassan points out to Percival Everett as an example of a writer who “has fun on the page,” as Ghassan endeavors to do At about 1:13:45, Ghassan and Pete highlight some awards and nominations for Dearborn, as well as positive feedback from literary journals and readers    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan soon.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 238 with Nina St. Pierre. The episode is from a live conversation at Capital Books in Sacramento on May 31. Nina is a queer essayist and culture writer whose work has appeared in Elle, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Gossamer, and many more publications. Her dazzling and resonant memoir, Love is a Burning Thing, is now out to rave reviews.    The episode will go live on June 11.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to John Glionna’s Work      For Episode 236, Pete welcomes John Glionna, and the two discuss, among other topics, his journalistic awakenings and the writers who influenced him, his kinship with renegades and underdogs, what it was like embedding with a small town football team, the interesting characters and rich lives lived in rural areas, and salient themes like Native traumas, pride, declining enrollments in schools and on sports teams and the rises and falls of life in small-town América.       John M. Glionna is an award-winning journalist who has traveled the world as a newspaper and magazine writer. After twenty-six years at the Los Angeles Times he now works as a freelance writer. He is the author of Outback Nevada: Real Stories from the Silver State. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and Outside and has been included in Best American Sports Writing and Best Los Angeles Times Foreign Reporting.   Buy No Friday Night Lights: Reservation Football on the Edge of America   John's Website At about 2:20, John talks about his winding road to becoming a big reader-a “lover of the word,” and some inspirational words that put him on the path to journalism  At about 9:00, John talks about formative and transformative writers for him, including Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, and Rick Bass At about 13:00, John gives some tips on clever title choices At about 14:10, John details connections to Ernest Hemingway and lessons learned  At about 16:10, John explains the greatness of Hunter Thompson, and talks about “being in the mind” of the great writers At about 17:30-don’t follow the Hunter S. Thompson diet! At about 18:55, John charts his viewing of Brown Buffalo and his own “Gonzo Journalism” At about 20:00, John charts his time at The Los Angeles Times, including what made a “Glionna story” At about 24:00, Pete lays out the book’s Preface and the two discuss Glenn Stout’s influence and support for John At about 28:40, John talks about seeds for the book At about 31:20, Pete and John discuss McDermitt, Nevada, and John’s connections to it and how the book developed At about 35:00, John highlights Coach Egan and Coach Smith and his admiration for them that led him to continue embedding with the McDermitt High School Football Team At about 37:40, John quotes Jane Smiley in talking about the vagaries of small town America-, including its true isolation and “Shakespearean” likeness At about 40:00, John charts how his book progressed, including real-time blogs and controversy that followed in the town At about 41:45, Pete and John lay out some of the book’s plotline and exposition and complicating factors At about 47:15, Pete and John talk about some dynamic characters in the book: real-life coaches and players At about 48:30, John responds to Pete’s question about writing about winners  At about 51:10, Pete and John discuss the ways in which the football team coaches had to be accommodating  At about 56:10, Herman Herford is discussed as an early chronicler of McDermitt, which helped John in his work, At about 58:50, “Cowboy Bob” is discussed At about 1:01:20, Jack Smith, coach, is discussed At about 1:02:25, Pete and John talk about the book’s Epilogue and Native sites and the fight to restore dignity At about 1:06:25, The Crutcher family and their strength and contemporary changes in Paiute-Shoshone reservation life are highlighted At about 1:09:50, John describes giving each person in the book their “own story” At about 1:12:10, John gives out contact info and encourages readers to be in dialogue    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with José Vadi, my most recent.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 237 with Ghassan Zeinnedine, professor of creative writing at Oberlin College, and co-editor of the creative nonfiction anthology Hadha Baladuna: Arab American Narratives of Boundary and Belonging. His standout debut story collection is Dearborn. The episode will go live on June 4.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Jesse Tovar’s Work        For Episode 235, Pete welcomes Jesse Tovar, and the two discuss, among other topics, his role as editor and poet, influences and inspirations in his own work, digital collections and his dynamic Substack, themes in his poetry, what he looks for in submissions, and his co-sponsoring of the reading series “Voices of California.”        Jesse Tovar is the founding editor of Mobile Data Mag on Substack and Systemic Dreaming on Threads. Tovar's work can be found in various anthologies, including Zzyzx (Size-icks) Writerz Podcast.   Jesse's Substack-Mobile Data Mag   Jesse’s Work with Los Angeles Literature   At about 2:25, Jesse discusses his early reading and relationship with the written word, and his bilingual childhood At about 6:20, Jesse talks about transformative and formative works for him At about 8:50, Jesse details his work at bookstore and promoting poetry  At about 11:00, Jesse cites Kazuo Ishiguro as a contemporary writer who inspires and thrills At about 12:20, Jesse talks about how Chen Chen has inspired his own Substack and his goals with the project At about 13:30, Pete and Jesse shout out Andrew Liu, a shared friend and standout  At about 14:10, Jesse describes the benefits of his digital journal  At about 15:30, Jesse responds to Pete’s question about what it’s like to be a submitter and a publisher At about 17:20, Pete and Jesse read and discuss a poem from his digital journal-by Sacred Mami At about 21:00, “Rackets and Grammy Origins,” a poem from Jesse, is read and explored At about 26:35, The two read and discuss “Inner City,” a piece by Jesse, emulating José Vadi’s work for a prompt At about 33:15, Pete and Jesse discuss October 2024’s “Voices of California, Part V,” set to be held at Medicine for Nightmares in San Francisco, the two shout out past guests and events, and shout out 2024’s performers  At about 38:40, Poetry and activism as inseparable is discussed by the two At about 41:00, Jesse talks about upcoming projects At about 42:20, Jesse discusses his recent collection as “super niche” At about 43:10, Jesse shouts out his projects and contact info and social media At about 46:25, Libros in Lincoln Heights and Pages Against the Machine are shouted out      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with José Vadi, my most recent.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 236 with John Glionna, an award-winning journalist who has traveled the world as both a newspaperman and magazine writer; work has been included in such national anthologies as “Best American Sports Writing” and “Best Los Angeles Times Foreign Reporting”; author of No Friday Night Lights: Reservation Football on the Edge of America, was published today, June 1. The episode will go live today, June 1. Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Sasha Vasilyuk’s Work      For Episode 234, Pete welcomes Sasha Vasilyuk, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood in Ukraine, Russia, and then San Francisco, her experiences with multilingualism, early formative and transformative reading, seeds for Your Presence is Mandatory, including the ways in which Ukrainian Jewish grandfather’s experiences informed the book, gender balances in the USSR post-WWII, humanity and the ways it’s expressed in the book, connections between contemporary separatist movements and World War II, and salient themes like grief, trauma, and the ways in which secrecy affects generations.         Sasha Vasilyuk is a journalist and author of the debut novel Your Presence is Mandatory about a Ukrainian Jewish WWII soldier and his family who reckon with his lifelong secrecy, which is coming out in 2024. Sasha has written a lot about Eastern Europe, art, culture, travel and business. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, NBC, Harper’s Bazaar, BBC Radio, USA Today, KQED, San Francisco Chronicle, The Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, and Narrative. She has won several writing awards, including the Solas Award for Best Travel Writing and the NATJA award. Besides writing, she has founded a leading wedding PR company, the first coworking space in San Francisco, and the first U.S. magazine for Russian-speaking emigre teens. She also spent a year traveling alone around the world. Sasha is a graduate of Lowell High School, UC Berkeley (BA in Comparative Literature and Italian Studies), and New York University (MA in Journalism). She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.   Buy Your Presence is Mandatory     Sasha's Website   Review of Your Presence is Mandatory in Los Angeles Review of Books     At about 2:55, Sasha talks about her language background, early life  At about 6:00, Sasha talks about early reading through talking about a trip to her San Francisco childhood home At about 9:00, Pete tests Sasha’s British English and NorCal slang and Sasha talks about her experiences in ESL in school At about 10:40, Sasha responds to Pete’s questions about if and how Russian enhances/affects her English writing At about 13:15, Sasha shares her thoughts on A Woman Warrior and other formative and transformative texts At about 16:20, Sasha highlights contemporary and not so contemporary books that challenge and inspire her, including Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate and Yaa Gaasi’s Homegoing At about 19:10, Sasha shares a cool story about the origin of her cover At about 21:35, Sasha gives background on the book’s seeds At about 26:20, Sasha shares how Masha and other voices are important in the book At about 27:20, Pete provides some of the book’s exposition and how a famous Yevtushenko poem is related  At about 28:45, Pete wonders about atheism and its connection to the Soviet Jews and Christians featured in her book At about 32:10, Pete provides information on key characters in the book, especially Yefim and Niña, and Sasha addresses the note from the book that is a catalyst for important events in the book At about 34:00, The two discuss Baltic/Soviet Union history that informs a lot of the book’s key events At about 38:45, Sasha discusses the peculiarities of gender balance (due to the massive death from the WWII-era) that inform the relationship between Yefim and Nina and so many in the book and in real-life At about 42:55, The two discuss Stalino/Donetsk, which features in the book prominently  At about 44:20, Pete reflects on how a possible extramarital affair is so suggestive of the secrecy of the post WWII Soviet Union At about 45:00, Pete’s wondering about Yefim’s avoiding admittance of his Jewishness and how it paralleled Sasha’s grandfather; her response deals with a key question that propelled  At about 50:20, Pete compliments Sasha’s fresh take on the events of history/the book  At about 51:40, Pete highlights a key and well-drawn scene that takes place within Germany, and Sasha recounts her experiences in traveling in Berlin and Germany as a whole, and how humanity and nuance come into play  At about 57:20, Pete brings up The Book Thief in praising the ways in which Sasha portrays humanity and the closeness of history  At about 59:15, Sasha discusses her “post-pub weird mental state” and future projects     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with José Vadi sometime around May 17.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 235 with Lindsay Hunter, whose novel, DON’T KISS ME, was published by FSG Originals in 2013 and was named one of Amazon’s 10 Best Books of the Year: Short Stories; her latest novel, Eat Only When You’re Hungry, was a Book of the Month Club selection, a finalist for the 2017 Chicago Review of Books Fiction Award, and a 2017 NPR Great Read. She has been a great help to me as the marvelous host of the podcast I’m a Writer But; her fifth book, 2023’s Hot Springs Drive, was named one of the 12 Best Thrillers of the Year by the Washington Post.  The episode will go live on May 22.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Jazmina Barrera Velázquez’s Work        For Episode 233, Pete welcomes Jazmina Barrera Velásquez, and the two discuss, among other topics, her idyllic early childhood reading, her love for British, American, and Latin American authors, the ways in which Mexico City and Yucatán have informed her work, translation as an art, a craft, and a deep methods of editing, as well as salient themes from the story collection like evolving friendships, memory and tangibility, women’s agency, and one’s connection with her forebears and the sensitivities that come with living in a fragile world.       Jazmina Barrera was born in Mexico City in 1988. She was a fellow at the Foundation for Mexican Letters and at Mexico’s Fonca’s Program for young writers and she’s a member of the SNCA (National System of Art Creators in Mexico). She was a beneficiary of the residencies at Casa Estudio Cien años de Soledad. She has published work in various print and digital media, such as The Paris Review, El Malpensante, Words Without Borders, El País andThe New York Times. She has a Master's Degree in Creative Writing in Spanish from New York University, which she completed with the support of a Fulbright grant. She is the author of four books in Spanish: Cuerpo extraño, Cuaderno de faros, Linea nigra and the children’s book, Los nombres de los animales and Punto de cruz. Her books have been published in nine countries and translated to English, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese and French. Her book of essays Cuerpo extraño (Foreign Body) was awarded the Latin American Voices prize by Literal Publishing in 2013. Cuaderno de faros (On Lighthouses) was long listed for the von Rezzori award and chosen for the Indie Next list by Indie Bound. Linea Nigra was a finalist for the National Book Critics Cricle’s Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Autobiography Prize, the CANIEM’s Book of the year award and the Amazon Primera Novela (First Novel) Award. Punto de cruz (Cross-Stitch) was a finalist in the Calamo Awards and long-listed for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. She is editor and co-founder of Ediciones Antílope. She lives in Mexico City.      Jazmina Barrera (Ciudad de México, 1988) fue becaria de la Fundación para las Letras Mexicanas y beneficiaria de las residencias de la Casa Estudio Cien Años de Soledad. Fue becaria del programa de Jóvenes Creadores del Fonca y es miembro del Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte. Estudió la maestría en Escritura Creativa en Español en NYU con el apoyo de la beca Fullbright. Sus textos han sido publicados en revistas como The Paris Review, El País, Words Without Borders, Malpensante y The New York Times, entre otras. Es autora de Cuerpo extraño, Cuaderno de faros, Linea nigra, Los nombres de los animales y Punto de Cruz. Su libro de ensayos Cuerpo extraño / Foreign Body ganó el premio Latin American Voices 2013. Linea nigra fue finalista del premio CANIEM al libro del año, del premio Primera Novela, del National Book Critics Circle Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize y del National Book Critics Circle Autobiography Prize. Cuaderno de faros fue parte de la longlist del premio Von Rezzori. Punto de cruz fue finalista del premio Cálamo y parte de la longlist del premio The Republic of Consciousness. Sus libros han sido publicados en nueve países y traducidos al inglés, italiano, holandés, portugués y francés. Es socia fundadora de Ediciones Antílope. Vive en la Ciudad de México.    Buy Cross-Stitch   Jazmina's Website   Review of Cross-Stitch in The New York Times At about 3:00, Jazmina talks about her early reading and writing life, including experiential coolness and professional-style printed books At about 8:45, Jazmina’s reciting of her first short story leads to her making an astute observation about the famous Ernest Hemingway quote At about 10:40, Jazmina recounts some of the books and writers that ignited her love of reading  At about 12:00, Jazmina describes Harry Potter as a gateway to learning English At about 13:05, Jazmina talks about her studying English literature at UNAM, and discovering many contemporary Latin American writers at NYU At about 15:10, The two talk about the ways in which American literature is often translated abroad, but not the other way around as much At about 17:05, Jazmina shares cool connections in her writing life to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s former writing haunts  At about 18:10, The two discuss Garcia Marquez legends about time in Mexico City At about 19:20, Jazmina highlights “so many” Latin American standout contemporaries, including Mariana Enriquez, Dolores Reyes, Marta Jimenez Serrano, and Marina Azahua, Astrid López Méndez, Isabel Zapata, César Tejeda, Irad León, Paula Abramo, Mariana Oliver, Veronica Murguia, and of course, her husband, the brilliant Alejandro Zambra At about 21:40-a cool Chilean word is introduced-”fome” At about 22:35, Jazmina reflects on the gendered language of “padre” and other expressions that seem to speak negatively about women At about 23:40, Jazmina speaks about the unique literary culture of Mexico City (en español),  At about 26:25, Jazmina discusses Ediciones Antílope as a place to publish more eccentric, daring books and poetry At about 27:30, The two discuss translation, specifically with regard to Juan Rulfo’s work, and the ways in which titles are rendered At about 28:45, Jazmina responds to Pete’s questions about how she sees the art of translation, and she responds through talking about “untranslatable” words, diminutive words, and the power of translators as “the closest readers” At about 33:10, Jazmina provides background information on the book’s title and her experience with needlework/embroidery At about 36:10, Jazmina talks about seeds for the book  At about 37:50, The two lay out the book’s exposition  At about 39:00, Jazmina responds to Pete wondering about the narrator, Mina’s, frustration/anger with her friend after a tragedy At about 42:20, Jazmina describes the main character of Dalia At about 44:35, Historical and mythical ideas of rebirth and needles bringing health and connection are discussed At about 47:30, Jazmina talks about a “genealogy of women” that is connected to embroidery At about 48:50, Jazmina responds to Pete’s questions about her family history with embroidery and her family connections to Yucatan and her interest in xmanikben At about 51:20, Jazmina gives background on the indigenous communities of México and their rich history around textiles At about 54:15, Jazmina gives background on the literacy program in Queretaro in the book and her real experience with it At about 57:20, Pete traces some of the final scenes of the book and asks Jazmina about Citali’s world view At about 1:01:35, Discussion of “empath” leads to discussion of “emos” and a shoutout to Daniel Hernández’s Down and Delirious in México City At about 1:02:40, Pete points out an uncomfortable and well-written scene that highlights traumas in Citlali’s life    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.        Please tune in for Episode 234 with Sasha Vasilyuk, a journalist and the author of the debut novel Your Presence is Mandatory, which came out to great acclaim on April 23 of this year. Sasha has won several writing awards, including the Solas Award for Best Travel Writing and the NATJA award.    The episode will go live on May 7.     Please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Kate Brody’s Work        For Episode 232, Pete welcomes Kate Brody, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early love of, and interest in, writing and reading, The Dave Matthews Band, formative and transformative teachers in grad school and 2nd grade, and salient themes and topics and craft decisions from her novel, Rabbit Hole, including online sleuthing, true crime, moralizing or lack thereof in fiction, and grieving.        Kate Brody lives in Los Angeles, California. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Lit Hub, CrimeReads, Electric Lit, The Rumpus, and The Literary Review, among other publications. She holds an MFA from NYU. Rabbit Hole is her debut. Buy Rabbit Hole   Review of Rabbit Hole in Alta Journal by Jessica Blough   Kate Brody's Website At about 1:50, Lukewarm/Warm Dave Matthews Band takes! At about 3:40, Kate talks about growing in New Jersey and about her childhood relationship with the written word, as well as her connections to Maine, a setting for her book At about 7:00, Pete and Kate reflect on beautiful, long reading days At about 8:00, Kate gives background on her reading and writing life in adolescence and beyond At about 10:00, Kate discusses the transformative short story and writing classes and texts at NYU, including inspiration from Mary Gaitskill’s work and teaching and Professor David Edenbach's guidance At about 13:00, Tali Axelrod’s (Doctor Axelrod) influence on Kate’s writing trajectory is highlighted  At about 14:25, Kate shouts out Lindsay Hunter, Alexandra Tanner, and Jennifer Bell as contemporary writers who thrill her At about 16:55, Kate discusses how teaching informs her writing and vice versa At about 20:50, Pete shouts out Rabbit Hole’s dynamic first line, as given kudos by Jean Kyoung Frazier on the book blurb, and Kate provides background on the line’s genesis and her choice to use present tense right away At about 24:30, Pete remarks on the “banality of grief” done so well At about 25:30, Angie is characterized and the book’s exposition discussed; Kate remarks on the memories and objects left behind by Angie, while speaking to experiences in her life that connect to the book’s events At about 29:30, The two discuss ideas of legacy and remembrance, as shown through the characters in the book At about 30:15, Clare’s marital situations and the unique family background of the Angstroms is highlighted and explained by Kate At about 33:35-Pete asks for casting suggestions for Teddy, the narrator’s mother, Clare At about 34:10-Kate discusses research and connections for the parts of the book on Reddit and true crime and crime fiction  At about 39:25, Pete brings up ideas of secrets that Teddy held about his sister and the rearrangement of memory that comes after loss At about 40:30, Michaela, “Mickey,” is characterized At about 46:00, Kate responds to Pete’s asking about Bill and how she sees him; she expands on ideas of moralizing in literature  At about 49:30, Kate outlines some “detours” in the plot At about 50:25, Pete highlights a chaotic and funny scene that involves a dinner scene At about 52:00, Kate talks about the scenes involving Teddy and the gun range and the importance of her having a gun At about 56:10, The two discuss a cringeworthy and craftily-drawn and hilarious school dance scene At about 59:15, Pete makes points about loneliness as a theme running throughout the book, and Kate reflects on this throughline At about 1:04:00, Kate discusses ways of coping with trauma in the book At about 1:05:00, Pete highlights Kate keen writing regarding unfulfilled potential and shares a moving  At about 1:08:50, Kate talks about her exciting next book At about 1:10:55, P&T Knitwear, Skylight Books, and Vroman’s are highlighted as good places to buy her book       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.     I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Check out my recent interview with Gina Chung on the website.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    Thanks to new Patreon member, Jessica Cuello, herself a talented poet and former podcast guest.     This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 233 with Jazmina Barrera Velasquez, who is a fellow at the Foundation for Mexican Letters. Her book of essays, Cuerpo extraño, was awarded the Latin American Voices prize from Literal Publishing in 2013, and she is the editor and co-founder of Ediciones Antílope, and author of, most recently, Cross-Stitch.     The episode will go live on April 30 or May 1.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, where you will find 10+ ways to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to José Vadi’s Work      For Episode 231, Pete welcomes José Vadi, in Pete’s first in-store, live interview, as José launches his essay collection at Capital Books on K in Sacramento. It was a blast, due to José’s reflective, thoughtful, and witty answers, and the event featured great questions from the audience.        José Vadi is an award-winning essayist, poet, playwright and film producer. He is the author of Inter State: Essays from California and Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder’s Lens.    His work has been featured by the Paris Review, The Atlantic, the PBS NewsHour, the San Francisco Chronicle, Free Skate Magazine, Quartersnacks, Alta Journal of California, and the Yale Review. Buy Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder's Lense     Los Angeles Times Review for Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder's Lens   Chipped Book Tour Details   Jose's Website At about 2:30, José talks about his book tour and initial days of publishing At about 4:15, José talks about his mindset as the book comes out and the initial feedback he’s gotten, as well At about 7:00, José responds to Pete’s questions about perspective and how he looks back at what he has written, particularly after having moved a few times At about 9:15, José shouts out great Sacramento skate spots At about 10:15, Jsoe talks about making his book about skateboarding “accessible” to non-skaters also At about 11:45, José, freshly-hydrated, reads the book’s titular essay At about 16:45, José’s reading leads to a discussion of the quote from the book “documentation is domination” from Ed Templeton, and José discusses the power of one’s board as an “extensión of [a person]” At about 18:55, The two compare the destroyed boards with the raggedy basketball, and José alludes to Hanif Abdurraqib’s writing At about 21:05, José talks about the adage from the book of “Time is a skater’s worst enemy” and attendant ideas of aging and obsession and pride At about 23:20, José narrates and explores his essay about a big injury on the night on which Jake Phelps died, and José responds to Pete’s questions about “respecting the game [skating]” and its relation to injuries At about 28:30, José and Pete discuss the frenzied and wonderful “Wild and Crazy” essay At about 31:15, José discusses the phenomenon of skate videos and the DIY documentation of the 90s and early 2000s At about 34:00, Pete asks José about what music he most identifies with his own skating history  At about 35:15, José discusses musical connections with his parents that came from the music scene in skating  At about 37:50, Pete asks José to discuss how he looked at the thrills and dangers of skateboarding and being “policed” by those in power as an adolescent At about 40:05, José replies to Pete’s wondering about José’s view of progressive and inclusive cultures within skateboarding, especially with regards to contrasting the “old days” and more recent times At about 42:20, Pete and José fanboy about Sun Ra-Pete regarding José’s brilliant essay about Sun Ra’s style and music and skateboarding, and José about Sun Ra’s prodigious brilliance  At about 44:00, Pete wonders about the process for José in creating Sun Ra as an imagined skateboarder in the essay At about 45:10, Pete and José discuss José’s time with Youth Speaks, and Pete uses one scene as a metaphor for José’s stellar writing At about 47:35, Pete highlights a story involving “power” as indicative of José’s successful writing style, and José tells an incredible story about losing the mic and then hugging Michael Franti At about 49:20, “Never meet your heroes” is discussed in relation to Ed Templeton and his support for José and skating as a whole, as well as Ed’s major injury; José discusses how Ed’s example gave José agency to write and create and skate  At about 53:10-Lazer Round! Kings, Warriors, Lakers? Shout outs to Iain Bordem, Kyle Beachy, Molly Schiot, Percival Everett, and more! At about 56:10, José talks about an exciting new project, an “East Coast version of Inter State” At about 56:45, Audience questions!       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.     I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Check out my recent interview with Gina Chung on the website.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show. Thanks to new Patreon member, Jessica Cuello, herself a talented poet and former podcast guest.     This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 232 with Jazmina Barrera Velasquez, who is a fellow at the Foundation for Mexican Letters. Her book of essays, Cuerpo extraño, was awarded the Latin American Voices prize from Literal Publishing in 2013, and she is the editor and co-founder of Ediciones Antílope, and author of, most recently, Cross-Stitch.  The episode will go live on April 16 or 17.     Please go to ceasefiretoday.org for 10+ ways to make your voice heard regarding a necessary ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Chelsea Hicks’ Work      For Episode 230, Pete welcomes Chelsea Hicks, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language journey and how she came to study and work to help revitalize the Osage language, her feelings about being named “5 Under 35,” mentors and inspirations like Louise Erdrich and N. Scott Momaday, her writing as alternately “MFA-ish” and experimental, her nuanced view of “The Movie,” and salient themes from her story collection, including identity, celebrations and traumas, rematriation, agency, and family ties.       Chelsea T. Hicks is a Wazhazhe writer with an MA from UC Davis and an MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her writing has been published in The Paris Review, Poetry, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere. She was selected as a 5 Under 35 honoree by Louise Erdrich for the National Book Award, and her first book, A Calm and Normal Heart, was longlisted for the PEN America Robert W. Bingham Prize. Buy A Calm and Normal Heart: Stories     Review of A Calm and Normal Heart in The Southern Review of Books At about 1:30, Chelsea gives kudos to mentors at UCDavis for her MA At about 2:25, Chelsea discusses her mindset and joy in being named one of the “5 Under 35” by Louise Erdrich for the National Book Foundation   At about 7:15, Chelsea talks about her childhood relationship with language, and she provides a personal language background and a historical context for the loss and revitalization of the Osage language At about 11:55, Chelsea shouts out Inés Hernández-Ávila and a language challenge through Ines’ connections in Oaxaca At about 14:50, Chelsea gives background on some teaching and mentoring and promoting of language acceleration that she’s done  At about 17:40-20:10, Chelsea responds to Pete’s question about innate connections to her Osage culture, particularly with regard to the language  At about 20:35, Chelsea provides interesting information about the Osage language, including “masculine” and “feminine” ways of speaking and gendered pronouns At about 22:40, The two discuss a cool phrase regarding the moon in Wažáže ie At about 23:50, The two commiserate over linguistics classes At about 24:45, Chelsea gives background on early favorite books and her literary journey, as well as how Peter Pan, other books, and her classmates and friends shone light on the way she and others in society saw her Native culture At about 28:35, Chelsea traces her path as a writer, including early, self-guided poetry  At about 30:25, Chelsea describes an “opening of [her] eyes” in reading N. Scott Momaday At about 32:30, Chelsea references some particular insights of Momdaday from House of Dawn and gives background on a Paris Review article she wrote about his work; Chelsea discusses “rematriation” and land care, while discussing important work by Natalie Diaz and Sogorea Te’ Land Trust At about 35:50, Pete and Chelsea discuss the book’s introduction and including indigenous language in the book, especially the titles; Pete shouts out a dynamic  At about 37:30, Chelsea responds to Pete’s question about connections in the collection’s opening story to Killers of The Flower Moon and how she sees the movie At about 43:10, Pete lays out some salient themes and plotlines covered in the story collection At about 44:25, Chelsea wants to clarify how her work comes off- “direct” and “experimental,” etc. At about 46:25, Chelsea talks about her writing philosophy, craft, love of poetry, and future academic work At about 47:30, Pete enumerates some creative methods used by Chelsea At about 49:50, Pete cites an important and poignant quote from the book         You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.     I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Check out my recent interview with Gina Chung on the website.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show. Thanks to new Patreon member, Jessica Cuello, herself a talented poet and former podcast guest.     This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 231 with Jazmina Barrera Velasquez, who is a fellow at the Foundation for Mexican Letters. Her book of essays, Cuerpo extraño, was awarded the Latin American Voices prize from Literal Publishing in 2013, and she is the editor and co-founder of Ediciones Antílope, and author of, most recently, Cross-Stitch.     The episode will go live on April 16 or 17.

Notes and Links to Will Sommer’s Work      For Episode 229, Pete welcomes Will Sommers, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early relationship with the written word, his all-encompassing relationships with and love for student journalism, formative times at Georgetown, his lifelong interest in conservative media, and salient themes in his book, including the growth of QAnon through 4chan and 8chan and Trump’s rise to power, QAnon’s pop culture connections, questions of true believers and grifters in QAnon, key personalities in the movement, as well as possible remedies for loosening the hold QAnon has on some many people featured in his book.        Will Sommer covers right-wing media, political radicalization and right-wing conspiracy theories in the United States. His 2023 book is Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Reshaped América. He is also featured as an expert on QAnon in HBO's Q: Into the Storm. He has previously written for The Daily Beast, and now works as a media reporter for The Washington Post.  Buy Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America     Will's Wikipedia Page   Review of Trust the Plan in The New York Times   Review of Trust the Plan in The Guardian Will Discusses his Book with Terri Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air At about 1:50, Will gives background on the inspiration for QAnon’s motto, derived from the movie White Squall At about 3:20, Will talks about being “bookish and into writing,” unspooling stories,” high school and college newspapers, and his early love for journalism At about 6:25, Will talks about inspiring and formative texts and writers, including Patrick Radden Keefe, Janet Malcolm, Charles Bowden, and Mike Sager At about 10:00, Pete shouts out Mark Arax and a particularly unforgettable piece At about 10:50, Will responds to Pete’s questions about his upbringing in Texas and Will expounds upon his appetite for conservative media and trends and feuds that he has observed over the years At about 14:10, Will traces his career journey from Georgetown to The Patch and on At about 17:20, Pete and Will discuss the book’s Introduction, set during the January 6 rallies and riots; Will expounds upon his mindset during the day, the incredible things he heard rioters say, and the importance of his attendance for his research  At about 21:00, Pete asks about QAnon’s beginnings, its placement in the Trump presidency, and Will gives background on Q’s connections to 4chan At about 24:05, Will gives a summary of QAnon’s beliefs and the idea of “The Storm” At about 24:45, Will provides history on “Pizzagate” and its early connections to QAnon At about 26:05, Will replies to Pete’s questions about QAnon representation at the January 6 rally, and Pete cites a telling quote from the book by Will at the January 6 rally At about 29:00, Will gives examples of feedback and conversation with QAnon believers, as well as many of their mindsets/motivations and targets for their anger/frustrations  At about 30:20, Pete cites Chapter One’s “Easter eggs” for QAnon, and Will talks about “Q Proofs” and other indicators, according to the believers  At about 32:10, Will points to a definition of “conspiracy theory” from the book and connects to real-life theories passed on by QAnon believers  At about 33:05, Will puts into perspectives some statistics about QAnon tenets and American beliefs in these, as measured by polls from the last few years At about 35:55, Will gives some history of 4chan and more connections to QAnon  At about 38:15, Will opines on Trump’s ignorance of QAnon versus his manipulating and using their support for him At about 41:25, Pete asks Will about his views on people who believe in QAnon tenets and about those who promote QAnon At about 44:00. Pete traces social media’s connections to QAnon and Will describes how Covid led to a resurgence of QAnon At about 46:00-QAnon Anonymous Podcast shout out-incredible episode regarding Jim Caviezel At about 47:00, Pete and Will focus on stories of individuals from the book and on QAnon’s future based on its move outside the borders of the United States At about 49:50, Will, while not extremely optimistic, talks about remedies for breaking the QAnon hold       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast.     I am very excited to be able to share one or two podcast episodes per month on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 230 with Chelsea T. Hicks, a Wazhazhe writer with an MA from UC Davis and an MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her writing has been published in The Paris Review, Poetry, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere. She was selected as a 5 Under 35 honoree by Louise Erdrich for the National Book Award, and her first book, A Calm and Normal Heart, was longlisted for the PEN America Robert W. Bingham Prize.     The episode will air on April 2.  

Notes and Links to Jennifer Croft’s Work        For Episode 228, Pete welcomes Jennifer Croft, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early relationship with words and geography and later, multilingualism, formative colleagues and teachers who guided and inspired her love of languages and literary translation, her serendipitous path to focusing on Polish and Spanish translations, connections between cultural nuances and translation, and literal and allegorical signposts in her book, including climate change and celebrity “brands,” the fluidity of translation, the relationships between translators and original writing, the intriguing phenomenon that is amadou, and time and perspective and their connections to translation.     Jennifer Croft won a 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship for her novel The Extinction of Irena Rey, the 2020 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing for her illustrated memoir Homesick, and the 2018 International Booker Prize for her translation of Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights. A two-time National Book Award–honoree, Croft is Presidential Professor of English & Creative Writing at the University of Tulsa.  Buy The Extinction of Irena Rey     Jennifer's Wikipedia Page   Review of The Extinction of Irena Rey in The New York Times   Jennifer Discusses her Book with Scott Simon on NPR’s Weekend Edition At about 2:40, Jennifer discusses the feedback she’s gotten, and the overall experience that has governed the weeks since the book’s March 6 publication   At about 3:40, Shout out to the coolest envelope ever, and to Emily Fishman at Bloomsbury Publishing At about 4:20, Jennifer talks about the influences that led to her curiosity about reading and geography and knowledge  At about 5:55, Jennifer lays out the books that she was reading in her childhood, and talks about books and writing as ways of “traveling” At about 8:15, Jennifer talks about inspirations from her reading, including working with Yevgeny Yevtushenko At about 10:15, Jennifer expounds upon her journey in learning new languages, and how learning Spanish and Polish were connected At about 13:15, Jennifer and Pete talk about the greatness of Jorge Luis Borges, and Pete shouts out the unforgettable “The Gospel According to Mark” At about 14:15, Jennifer charts what makes her MFA in Literary Translation different than translation on its own At about 15:30, Jennifer recounts her experiences in Poland when she was there during the time of Pope John Paul II’s death At about 17:35, Jennifer talks about the art of translation and how she has evolved in her craft over the years At about 20:45, Pete uses a Marquez translation as an example of a seemingly-absurd rendering, while Jennifer provides a balanced view of translation challenges  At about 22:30, Pete cites some of the gushing blurbs for the book and asks Jennifer about seeds for the book; she cites a genesis in a nonfiction idea  At about 28:15, Pete reads a plot summary from the book jacket/promotional materials  At about 29:10, Pete and Jennifer discuss the book’s two narrators-Emilia the writer, and Alexis, her English translator-and their conflicts and devolutions  At about 33:40, Pete remarks on the strategic and highly-successful structure of the book At about 34:20, Jennifer responds to Pete’s questions about her use of images throughout the book At about 37:30, Jennifer discusses the “dishonest[y] of subjectivity” in discussing translation and the author/translator’s role in the writing At about 38:20, Pete reads a few key lines from the book, including the powerful opening lines and gives some exposition of the book At about 40:50, Jennifer responds to Pete’s questions about the importance of amadou in the book, and she expands on its many uses and history At about 45:35, Jennifer expounds on ideas of the “mother tongue” as posited in the book, and uses examples from her own life to further reflect At about 48:00, Incredibly-cute twin content! At about 48:35, Chloe, a character from the book, and shifting alliances are discussed  At about 50:50, Amalia, the “climate-change artist,” a main character in Irena’s Grey Eminence, is discussed, and the two point out similarities to fado singer Amália Rodrigues   At about 53:15, Pete asks Jennifer about the process of writing stories within stories At about 54:10, The two discuss some of the plot-the book’s unfurling At about 55:55, The two discuss a cool “Easter Egg” and meta-reference in the book At about 57:20, Jennifer discusses the connections between fungi, the natural world, and translators At about 59:30, Art and destruction, as featured in the book, is discussed  At about 1:02:00, Jennifer responds to Pete wandering about what is lost/gained through translation, in connection to the book’s translator Alexis At about 1:03:40, Jennifer speaks to time and perspective as their forms of “translations” At about 1:05:10, Jennifer speaks about exciting new projects, including a translation of Federico Falco's work     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.     I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership! Check out my recent interview with Gina Chung on the website.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show. Thanks to new Patreon member, Jessica Cuello, herself a talented poet and former podcast guest.     This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 229 with Will Sommer, who covers right-wing media, political radicalization and right-wing conspiracy theories in the United States. His 2023 book is Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Reshaped América. He is also featured as an expert on QAnon in HBO's Q: Into the Storm  The episode will go live on March 28 or 29.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Gina Chung’s Work      For Episode 227, Pete welcomes Gina Chung, and the two discuss, among other topics, The Babysitters Club’s lasting impact, her early relationship with words and bilingualism, finding great storytelling in her parents’ example and in folktales and animal myths, her master touch with disparate stories and characters, and salient topics from the story collection like parental/child relationships and expectations, grief and memory, and one’s connection with her forebears.    Gina Chung is a Korean American writer from New Jersey currently living in New York City. She is the author of the novel SEA CHANGE (Vintage, March 28, 2023; Picador, April 13, 2023 in the Commonwealth and in the UK on August 10, 2023), which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, an Asian/Pacific American Award for Adult Fiction Honor, a 2023 B&N Discover Pick, and a New York Times Most Anticipated Book, and the short story collection GREEN FROG (Vintage, March 12, 2024; out in the UK/Commonwealth from Picador on June 6, 2024). A recipient of the Pushcart Prize, she is a 2021-2022 Center for Fiction/Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellow and holds an MFA in fiction from The New School's Creative Writing Program and a BA in literary studies from Williams College. Her work appears or is forthcoming in One Story, BOMB, The Kenyon Review, Literary Hub, Catapult, Electric Literature, Gulf Coast, Indiana Review, Idaho Review, The Rumpus, Pleiades, and F(r)iction, among others.   Buy Green Frog     Gina's Website   Review of Green Frog-Kirkus At about 2:35, Gina shouts places to buy her book, Green Frog, and about her feelings a few weeks before the book’s release At about 4:25, Gina recounts what she’s heard from early readers of her collection At about 6:05, Gina responds to Pete’s questions about storytellers in her life and her early language and reading life At about 10:10, Gina talks about her early reading delights At about 12:10, Babysitters Club love! At about 13:15, Gina talks about her writing journey and her confidence peaks and valleys At about 16:40, Gina shouts out “amazing” contemporary writers, such as Rebecca K. Riley and Jiaming Tang  At about 18:40-21:25, Gina talks about seeds for her collection and gives background on the title story and the “Green Frog” folktale At about 21:25-22:40, Gina talks about daily and informal observation that inspired “Mantis” and other stories in the collection At about 24:40, Gina speaks to her rationale and the background in picking the Emily Jungmin Yoon-inspired epigraph At about 26:25, Pete and Gina discuss “How to Eat Your Own Heart,” the collection’s first story, including profound quotes (27:10-30:20) At about 31:00, Gina speaks to ideas of regeneration in the above story and gives some background on how the story came from a Zoom “Knife Skills” course At about 34:25, The two further discuss the title story of the collection  At about 36:20, Pete asks Gina about the meanings of “here” in the title story  At about 39:30, Themes of community in “The Fruits of Sin” are discussed  At about 40:35, Belief is discussed in conjunc At about 41:15, Grief and the importance of rabbits in Korean culture and beyond are discussed in connection to a moving story from the collection At about 43:40, Pete quotes an important and universal passage as he and Gina talk about memory’s throughline in the collection; the two ruminate on connections to The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind At about 50:20, Gina reflects on a moving story that deals with memory and technology At about 54:00, The two talk about mother-daughter and parent-child relationships in the collection At about 57:40, Pete quotes a poignant and skillfully crafted passage At about 59:15, Gina gives a ballpark for how long of a range the stories were written in and throughlines that she has identified in her collection  At about 1:03:00, Gina talks change in characters and its external and internal characteristics       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and this episode, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 228 with Jazmina Barrera Velásquez, who is a fellow at the Foundation for Mexican Letters. Her book of essays, Cuerpo extraño, was awarded the Latin American Voices prize from Literal Publishing in 2013, and she is the editor and co-founder of Ediciones Antílope, and author of, most recently, Cross-Stitch.     The episode will air on March 19.   10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza    

Notes and Links to Priscilla Gilman’s Work      For Episode 226, Pete welcomes Priscilla Gilman, and the two discuss, among other topics, her famous and accomplished parents, and the perks and drawbacks that came with running in circles with dynamic writers and creatives, her voracious appetite for art and media and books, formational and informative works of art, books and not, her father’s wonderful work, belief in the sanctity of childhood, grief and its manifestations, the ways in which her relationships were nurturing and not, and how she managed to write lovingly and honestly about such a towering and beloved figure.      Priscilla Gilman is the author of the memoir, The Anti-Romantic Child, and a former professor of English literature at Yale University and Vassar College. The Anti-Romantic Child received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist, was selected as one the Best Books of 2011 by the Leonard Lopate Show and The Chicago Tribune, and was one of five nominees for a Books for a Better Life Award for Best First Book. Gilman’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and elsewhere. She lives in New York City.     Buy The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir   Priscilla's Wikipedia Page   WYNC Episode: "The Critic's Daughter' Explores the Marriage of Lynn Nesbit and Richard Gilman"    New York Times Review of The Critic’s Daughter At about 2:00, Priscilla shouts out bookstores at which to buy her book and book events  At about 3:00, Pete and Priscilla fanboy and fangirl about Episode 42 guest Edoardo Ballerini At about 5:00, Priscila talks about early reading, texts, and authors who “enraptured” her At about 7:05, Priscilla and Pete talk about how her reading and writing life was shaped by her literary and artistic parents, Richard Gilman and Lynn Nesbit  At about 10:50, Priscilla responds to Pete’s questions about what it has been like to know some many literary and artistic giants on a personal level At about 15:30, Priscilla speaks to early writing and reading and her path to academia and literature, including the wonderful role played by Brearley High School   At about 19:10, Priscilla references some of many contemporary writers like Sarah Watters,  Ishiguro, Louise Erdrich, Strout, Leslie Jamison, Claire Keegan, Rachel Cusk, Lore Siegal, and Yaa Gaasi, who inspire and thrill her At about 22:55, Pete and Priscilla discuss the book’s epigraphs and their significances  At about 28:10, The two geek out about Priscilla’s talented sister At about 28:40, Pete wonders about  At about 32:20, Shaina Taub is shouted out, as Priscilla talks about a cool collaboration with her son and his high school drama At about 33:05, Pete points out an interesting opening excerpt that compares and contrasts Priscilla’s father and the NYC oeuvre he lived in; Priscilla also discusses the book’s universality At about 35:30, Priscilla discusses the old days of being able to live comfortably as an artist/critic and the book as a sort of lament for long-gone neighborhoods At about 37:45, Priscilla compliments Joan Didion as a wonderful, “kind, thoughtful sweetheart and incredible genius” At about 38:45, The two discuss ideas of public intellectuals and Wolff’s Old School At about 40:20, Pete asks Priscilla about being true to her father and to herself in writing her book-the two refer to a memorable George Bernard Shaw quote At about 44:15, Priscilla alludes to an often-quoted line from her book that speaks to ideas of “moving on” and grief At about 45:10, The two further discuss Richard Gilman’s public life and fame At about 48:00, Pete cites a disappointing workshop experience in connecting to a powerful and poignant story that Priscilla relates-her first memory-that is a microcosm of so much in her and her father’s lives At about 50:40, The two discuss how Richard Gilman “believed in childhood”  At about 54:30, Pete references excerpts about Priscilla’s mindset after her parents’ separation and her father’s as well At about 55:30, Priscilla reference her father’s vivaciousness and physical and mental frailties  At about 58:30, The two discuss some wonderful years late in Richard’s life with his wife Yasuko At about 59:40, Priscilla underscores ideas of universality in her writing and beyond At about 1:02:15, Priscilla talks about “tak[ing] the long view” and a wondrous and moving line about the grieving process and hope      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and Episode 222 with Andrew Leland, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. New as of this week is the opportunity to be a "Well-Wisher and Cheerleader"-which is just $1 per month. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 227 with Gina Chung, author of the novel SEA CHANGE, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a 2023 B&N Discover Pick, and a New York Times Most Anticipated Book. The episode drops on March 12, Pub Day for her dynamic short story collection GREEN FROG.

Notes and Links to Andrés Ordorica’s Work        For Episode 225, Pete welcomes Andrés Ordorica, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early relationship to the written word, formative and transformative writers and writing, wonderful trips to Borders Books, moments and people that shaped his sensibilities, Shakespeare comparisons, and seeds for and salient themes related to How We Named the Stars, including love and loss, the intensity of young love and first love and college, longing and grief.        Andrés N. Ordorica is a queer Latinx writer based in Edinburgh. Drawing on his family’s immigrant history and third culture upbringing, his writing maps the journey of diaspora and unpacks what it means to be from ni de aquí, ni de allá (neither here, nor there). He is the author of the poetry collection At Least This I Know and novel How We Named the Stars. He has been shortlisted for the Morley Lit Prize, the Mo Siewcharran Prize and the Saltire Society’s Poetry Book of The Year. In 2024, he was selected as one of The Observer’s 10 Best Debut Novelists.   Buy How We Named the Stars   Andres' Website   New York Times Review of How We Named the Stars from Maxwell Gilmer   At about 2:15, Andrés talks about the “surreal” experiences he’s had since the book has been out in the world At about 3:20, Andrés shouts out Douglas Stuart and advice on dealing with multiple projects At about 5:40, Andrés calls his new project “part of a similar world” as that of How We Named the Stars At about 8:15, Andrés fill Pete in on his childhood relationship with libraries and the written word, including how his mother’s storytelling influenced and inspired him At about 11:00, Andrés shouts out NorCal reading spots and how he “fell in love with the idea of books” At about 13:05, Andrés discusses writers and writing that catapulted him into writing and reading even more seriously-Cristina Garcia, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Susan Lori Parks, Sandra Cisneros, and Marquez  At about 19:30, Andrés shouts out Jackie Kay and Griffin Hansbury and other contemporaries he’s reading in 2024 At about 22:45, Andrés discusses the stellar work of Jackie Kay’s time as Maker of Scotland At about 24:10, GoodReads discourse! At about 25:20, Andrés discusses seeds for the book and its epigraph At about 28:55, Andrés reflects on love and loss as important themes in general and in his book in particular At about 30:00, Andrés shouts out places to buy his book, and mentions that his book is a Barnes and Noble Pick of the Month At about 32:20, Andrés breaks down his “pragmatic” and “poetic” decisions to write the book in the epistolary form and let the trader know very quickly about a shattering death At about 34:35, Pete and Andrés discuss the Prologue and the cosmos and axolotls being referenced  At about 39:40, Andrés gives history on how Elizabeth DeMeo helped him choose his dynamic title At about 41:00, Pete references ideas of light and darkness and tells a story about a mistaken symbol in Reyna Grande’s Across a Hundred Mountains At about 43:55, Andrés talks about how even a novelist “doesn’t have all of the answers” regarding the letter/book that constitutes the book At about 45:30, Pete makes a controversial comparison, re: Shakespeare  At about 47:15, Andrés gives background on a deleted scene from the book alluding to As You Like It At about 48:45, Pete references Karim new book on Shakespeare by Farah Karim-Cooper At about 51:30, The two discuss the intensity of college and “the transitory” experience that characterizes the beginning of college At about 54:50, Pete asks Andrés about the first interactions between Sam and Daniel in the book and about an early scene as a balancing act At about 1:00:20, Pete lays out early scenes from the book that deal with ignorant and racist comments and the “generous” Sam-Andrés expands upon the former scene’s significance At about 1:06:00, The two discuss Andrés’ homesickness and family connections and “family” at college At about 1:07:00, Themes of masculinity and genuine selfhood are discussed, and Andrés talks about how he shaped parts of the book as an “homage” to figures in his life  At about 1:09:50, Pete highlights Andrés incredible touch in rendering the immediate aftermath of a crushing death on the page     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and this episode, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 226 with Priscila Gilman, author of the memoir, The Anti-Romantic Child, and former professor of English literature at Yale University and Vassar College; Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and elsewhere. Her memoir, A Critic’s Daughter, was released to critical acclaim in Feb 2023    The episode will air on March 5.       

Notes and Links to Peter Coviello’s Work      For Episode 224, Pete welcomes Peter Coviello, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early relationship with music and bands that led him on a circuitous route to reading and writing, favorite individual and shared writers, the ways in which fandom and passion for books and music and the like grows and cements friendships, and salient topics from the book like The Sopranos as comfort watching and bringing Peter closer to his Covid-isolated family, the tonic and “jolt” that is passionate and talented artist, Prince as of this world and totally otherworldly somehow, and the visceral pleasures that come with love of the arts and love for the people who make and enjoy these arts.      Peter Coviello is a scholar of American literature and queer theory, whose work addresses the entangled histories of sex, devotion, and intimate life in imperial modernity.    A writer of criticism, scholarship, and literary nonfiction, he is the author of six books, including Make Yourselves Gods: Mormonism and the Unfinished Business of American Secularism (Chicago), a finalist for the 2020 John Whitmer Historical Association Best Book Prize; Long Players (Penguin), a memoir selected as one of ARTFORUM’s Ten Best Books of 2018; and Tomorrow’s Parties: Sex and the Untimely in Nineteenth-Century America (NYU), a 2013 finalist for a Lambda Literary Award in LGBT Studies.     His book, Vineland Reread (Columbia), was listed among the New York Times’s “New and Noteworthy” titles for January of 2021. He taught for sixteen years at Bowdoin College, where he was Chair of the departments of Gay and Lesbian Studies, Africana Studies, and English, and since 2014 has been at UIC, where he is Professor and Head of English. His newest book Is There God After Prince?: Dispatches from an Age of Last Things (Chicago), was selected for The Millions’ “Most Anticipated” list for 2023.    He advises work on 19th- and 20th-century American literatures and queer studies, as well as literary theory, religion and secularism, the history of sexuality, gender studies, poetry and poetics, modernism, and creative nonfiction.   Buy Is There God After Prince: Dispatches from an Age of Last Things   Peter's Website with University of Chicago   New City Lit Review of Is There God After Prince At about 3:00, Cavatelli! Italian last names! Goodfellas references! At about 5:00, Peter Coviello talks about his early relationship with the written word, and particularly how “worlds of music and imagination” got him into Rolling Stone and William Faulkner and other wonderful and catchy writing   At about 9:10, Peter highlights the “jolt” and “discovery” of young people/students and coins (?) the term “quotidian miraculousness” that comes with teaching literature  At about 10:50, Pete references the liner notes of Rage Against the Machine albums, as he and Peter discuss talking about great books and other artistic appraisals  At about 12:20, Peter responds to Pete’s question about which writers have influenced him over the years, including more recent writers like Jessica Hopper and Helen Macdonald At about 15:20, Peter talks about tangential connections to David Foster Wallace At about 16:20, Peter talks about who he is reading in 2024, including Anna Burns and Sam Lipsyte At about 19:00, Peter talks about seeds for his essay collections At about 21:10, Pete and Peter nerd out about a favorite writer of Peter’s and a favorite professor of Pete’s At about 24:15, Peter discusses love and sorrow and the ways in which critique is intertwined with love, especially when discussing art of all types At about 25:55, The two discuss contrasts in love of art, and little victories in reading and fandom At about 28:10, Pete highlights “not nothing” and “and yet” as so crucial and telling in the book At about 29:20, Pete shouts out the book’s Introduction and he and Peter fanboy again over the Wussy song mentioned in the Intro, “Teenage Wasteland” At about 31:10, The two talk about fandom and sharing great art, including Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance At about 33:20, Peter sees grief in some well-known art and talks  At about 34:30, Peter explains what he sees as so beneficial and magic about discussions and “fights” about art At about 39:00, The two discuss the collection’s title essay and the freedom and camaraderie and joy that came with Prince dance parties from 1999 Maine At about 41:00, Peter speaks to the “otherworldliness” of Prince and gives background on his greatness and iconic status and how he was also of “carnality” At about 42:30-Prince and Chappelle Show reference! At about 43:30, The two discuss lively writing that comes off as funny and/or electrifying, like that of Paul Beatty At about 46:00, The discussion revolves around the book’s second essay and Pavement , especially their song “Unfair” At about 47:30, Peter connects the above song with a telling and profound and prophetic quote from Paul Beatty’s Slumberland At about 48:50, Peter and Pete discuss algorithms and a chapter on a fun discussion/argument over Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train to Georgia" At about 50:00, Pete highlights Peter’s complimentary writing about current songwriters and the two discuss Steely Dan as treated in the book, and the ways in which strong feelings on either side is mostly a healthy thing At about 52:50, Peter gives background on how much of the book deals with his relationship with his stepdaughters and the “adjacency” of love and sorrow and how much art At about 54:45, The two reflect on a meaningful essay about Derek Jeter’s “moment in time” At about 56:15, The two discuss the three “John’s” of an important chapter and the “terrible double discovery of adolescence”   At about 58:00-Third Eye Blind and Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper and other music is discussed for aesthetic qualities and connections to Peter’s relationships with his daughters At about 1:00:05, My So-Called Life is referenced in connection with father-daughter conversations At about 1:01:50, Chicago is highlighted and Anthony Wa Gwendolyn Brooks At about 1:02:40, Peter reflects on how The Sopranos’ and its treatment in the book kept him close to his family in Covid lockdown At about 1:05:10, Peter gives book information and ordering information        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and this episode, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 225 with Andrés N. Ordorica, author of the poetry collection At Least This I Know; his writing has been shortlisted for the Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour and the Saltire Society’s Poetry Book of The Year. How We Named the Stars, his first novel, was published on January 30.    The episode will air on February 27.

Notes and Links to Sarah Rose Etter’s Work      For Episode 223, Pete welcomes Sarah Rose Etter, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early relationship to the written word, formative and transformative writers and writing, her love of writing in translation, her and Pete’s shared love of Hemingway’s short stories, and seeds for and salient themes related to Ripe, including housing and economic inequalities and realities, depression and anxiety as represented by the book’s “black hole,” parental/child relationships, and grief.   Sarah Rose Etter is the author of RIPE (published by Scribner), and The Book of X, winner of the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award. Her short fiction collection, Tongue Party, was selected by Deb Olin Unferth to be published as the winner of the 2011 Caketrain Award. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in TIME, Guernica, BOMB, Gulf Coast, The Cut, VICE, and more.  She has been awarded residences at the Jack  Kerouac House, the Disquiet International program in Portugal, and the Gullkistan Writing Residency in Iceland. In 2017, she was the keynote speaker at the Society for the Study of American Women Writers conference in Bordeaux, France, where she presented on surrealist writing as a mode of feminism. She earned her B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University and her M.F.A. in Fiction from Rosemont College. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.   Buy Ripe   Sarah's Website   New York Times Review of Ripe by Alexandra Chang   NPR Interview   At about 2:00, Sarah shouts out the literary landscape and physical landscape  At about 2:45, Sarah talks about her childhood relationship with the written word At about 4:30, Pete and Sarah exchange formative stories and writing that opened up analytical and emotional taps, including Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and “Cat in the Rain,” as well as Plath’s “Metaphors”  At about 5:40, Sarah talks about how and why she started writing with short stories At about 6:50, Sarah reflects on ideas of obsession with subject matter when writing At about 7:22, Sarah shares a few examples of chill-inducing writing for her as a reader At about 8:55, Sarah discusses contemporary writers who thrill and challenge her: Carmen Maria Machado, Hallie Butler, Kristen Arnett, Melissa Broder, and many works in translation, like Olga T At about 15:00, Sarah discusses seeds for Ripe, including how her personal life and the world’s recent issues informed the book At about 19:00, Pete and Sarah talk about grief and sharing At about 22:10, Pete sets the book’s exposition, and Sarah gives background on the powerful and meaningful first line of the book At about 25:30, Sarah and Pete compare notes on first draft and heavy editing  At about 27:15, The two discuss the black hole, a common symbol in the book At about 29:50, Pete compliments the ways in which Sarah presents the narrator Cassie and the frenzied Silicon Valley lifestyle At about 30:55, Sarah discusses the ways in which Cassie is the person she is due to her parents’ influences At about 33:00, Sarah charts and breaks down a bit of her writing outlook and style and schedule  At about 34:30, Sarah references Parasite and Uncut Gems as examples of storytelling and escalating tensions as so powerful  At about 35:50, Sarah talks about her black hole research and earlier permutations of the black hole and its place in the book At about 37:50, Sarah responds to Pete’s questions about a possible history of depression within Cassie's family and without At about 40:10, Sarah discusses the strengths and beauty of Cassie’s relationship with her father, as well as some of his toxic qualities At about 41:20, Sarah discusses the issues revolving around money and the high cost of living At about 43:10, The two discuss the book’s title and the symbolism of the pomegranate and ideas of mythical connections and underworlds At about 45:25, The two shout out Stephanie Feldman and connections between Ripe and Stephanie’s Saturnalia At about 46:05, Pete references some cringy and skillful scenes involving the workplace At about 47:10, Sarah speaks on the often-unchecked CEOs and bigshots in tech companies At about 50:05, Pete cites a few moments worthy of Cassie’s “crystal jar”  At about 50:40, Pete reads and heaps praise upon a particularly profound and apt passage At about 52:20, Sarah reacts to Pete’s question about the staying power of her book At about 54:45, Pete and Sarah discuss the book’s ending At about 59:00, Sarah talks about exciting new projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 224 with Peter Coviello, a scholar of American literature and queer theory, whose work addresses the entangled histories of sex, devotion, and intimate life in imperial modernity. He’s also the author of six books, including Is There God After Prince?: Dispatches from an Age of Last Things, which was selected for The Millions’ “Most Anticipated” list for 2023.    The episode will air on February 20.

Notes and Links to Andrew Leland’s Work        For Episode 222, Pete welcomes Andrew Leland, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early balance of technology and art and creativity that continues to govern his writing and careers, early formative reading, the philosophy of “going blind” versus “becoming blind,” the spectrum of blindness, and salient themes in his book like intersectionality, ableism, and differing ideas of how society sees the blind and disabled, and how this affects Andrew and others in similar situations.      Andrew Leland is a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher living in Western Massachusetts. His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press. He has produced audio for a range of entities, including an interview with the DeafBlind poet John Lee Clark for the New Yorker Radio Hour; a story about disabled astronauts for Radiolab; and a story about reading technologies for the blind for 99 Percent Invisible. From 2013–2019, he hosted and produced the Organist, an arts-and-culture podcast, for KCRW. He has taught nonfiction writing, radio, and “digital storytelling” (?) at Smith College, UMass-Amherst, and the University of Missouri, he’s been an editor at the Believer since 2003, and he’s edited books for McSweeney’s and Chronicle Books.   Buy The Country of the Blind   Andrew's Website   New York Times Review of The Country of the Blind   NPR Article on The Country of the Blind     At about 3:15, Andrew details his background with reading and writing, including how he was influenced by his parents in different ways, as well as how he was indirectly influenced by his uncle, the playwright Neil Simon At about 6:25, Andrew talks about a towering gift from his aunt that really energized his reading and writing journeys At about 9:30, Pete and Andrew discuss David Foster Wallace, his lasting literary legacy, and his marred legacy outside of writing At about 11:15, Andrew responds to Pete’s questions about how his background in audio engineering, and how it has affected his writing At about 15:15, Pete reflects on the reading experience and Andrew reflects on how the book moved along due to his audio background, and Andrew shouts out Rachel Cunningham at Penguin Random House as being extremely helpful with structuring his book At about 17:10, Andrew discusses seeds for his book At about 21:00, The two lay out some exposition of the book and discuss the book’s opening lines and contradictions; Andrew expands upon Will Butler’s ideas of “going blind” vs. “becoming blind” At about 25:20, Andrew gives background on the book’s title, and how it’s based on a HG Wells’ book At about 27:30, Andrew talks about long-held ideas or stereotypes of blind people and the consequences of same At about 30:05, Andrew discusses the myriad ways in which blindness has been used as metaphor, and shouts out a book that explores these tropes, There Plant Eyes, by M. Leona Godin At about 32:45, Andrew explains the difficulties he had with a meetup in Missouri that is featured in the book, as well as some immediate and later revelations that came from this At about 37:30, Andrew delves into his travels and conventions attended that adjusted his mindset and provided many beautiful moments and learning moments  At about 41:55, Andrew discusses genetic testing for his medical condition, and how he and his wife decided whether or not to have their son tested At about 44:00, The two discuss ideas of intersectionality and in Andrew’s research and reporting and what he found regarding racism and the strong work put forth by queer women of color in disabled communities At about 48:10, Andrew and Pete reflect on the history of the Bay Area in the fight for disability justice At about 51:00, The two discuss the medical advancements and artificial sight that are coming to the forefront and the ways in which Andrew writes and thinks about them At about 54:20, Andrew details the importance of Ben McFall, the legendary bookseller, and how his obituary connects to how Andrew feels as he started to use a screen reader   At about 58:25, Andrew juxtaposes the Carroll Center for the Blind’s philosophy versus that of other organizations that work for and with the blind At about 1:01:10, Pete and Andrew analyze an important set of encounters with a fellow guest at The Colorado Center for the Blind and the implications of their attitudes and philosophies and experiences At about 1:05:30, Andrew talks about exciting new projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and this episode, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 224 with Sarah Rose Etter, the author of 2023’s Ripe, and The Book of X, which was the winner of the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award. Her short fiction collection, Tongue Party, was selected by Deb Olin Unferth to be published as the winner of the 2011 Caketrain Award.    The episode will air on February 13.

Notes and Links to Martha Anne Toll’s Work         For Episode 221, Pete welcomes Martha Anne Toll, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and written word-heavy household, her love of music and other artistic pursuits, and the way muses have worked in her life and in her novel, ideas of grief, survivor’s guilt and connection, real-life tragedies and heroes from the Holocaust that informed her writing, and other salient themes from her book like permanence, memory, and connection.     Martha Anne Toll's debut novel, THREE MUSES, was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. THREE MUSES has received glowing tributes since it came out in September 2022. She writes fiction, essays, and book reviews, and reads anything that’s not nailed down.     She brings a long career in social justice to her work covering authors of color and women writers as a critic and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, Pointe Magazine, The Millions, and elsewhere. She also publishes short fiction and essays in a wide variety of outlets. Toll is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and serves on the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. ’ Her second novel, DUET FOR ONE, will be out in early 2025. Buy Three Muses   Martha's Website   New York Journal of Books Review of Three Muses     At about 2:00, Martha provides a cool definition At about 2:25, Martha talks about her future project-her book coming out in 2025, and she shouts out places to buy Three Muses At about 4:20, Martha discusses her early reading and writing life, and the ways in which her parents influenced her habits At about 7:15, Martha traces her writing journey At about 8:40, Martha talks about inspiring and beloved writers (like Alex Chee, Garth Greenwell, Kiese Laymon, Vikram seth and shirley hazzard) and writing in contemporary times, as well as how working as a book reviewer affects her own reading for pleasure At about 10:55, Martha speaks to Pete’s questions  At about 12:10, Martha gives seeds for Three Muses, including how she had ideas based on a real-life story from the Holocaust and the Greek view of three muses At about 14:10, Pete and Martha lay out some of the book’s exposition  At about 15:30, Martha responds to Pete wondering about how the protagonist John was roused by a dance from Katya/Katherine At about 16:45, Martha reflects on Katya’s problematic and ongoing collaboration and personal relationship with the director Boris At about 20:05, Pete lays out some of Katya’s traumas At about 20:50, Martha talks about Janko/John’s horrific childhood and the loss of his family in Mainz, Germany, in the Holocaust-Martha describes how her cousin Alan Boucher’s memoir informed some parts of the book At about 22:25, Martha speaks about the guilt-inducing “Sophie’s Choice” that afflicts and saves John/Janko’s; she expounds upon his survivor’s guilt At about 24:30, Pete and Martha compare Janko’s story with that of Elie Wiesel and the ways in which iit was so gutting to see people killed in the camps so close to Liberation  At about 26:30, The two discuss the idea of reinvention as seen through John in the book, and Martha expands on “unlikely heroes” who helped John to survive At about 29:20, Martha discusses Barney and Selma Katz, who “adopt” John, and she talks about John’s own psychoanalysis and psychologist training At about 31:05, The two discuss themes in the book of memorializing, living “in the present tense,” and how memory guides the characters’ actions At about 33:05, Pete traces John and Katya’s connections, and Martha debates how and if the “innate” connections are there At about 36:00, Pete asks Martha about any responsibilities/urgency to get Holocaust stories on the page  At about 37:45, Martha speaks of art and its “incredibl[e] importan[ce]” and the power of fiction At about 38:55, Martha shouts out Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk as an example of the power of memory At about 39:55, Martha responds to Pete’s question about the emotional toll of writing her book    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 221 with Andrew Leland, a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher. His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press, to great acclaim and receiving many awards.    The episode will air on January 31.

Notes and Links to Aniefiok Epoudom’s Work      For Episode 220, Pete welcomes Neef Epoudoum, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing, varied fiction and nonfiction writers and their influences on him, the pull of creative nonfiction on him as he discovered favorite writers and their favorite writers, the ways in which he engenders trust with interview subjects, and salient themes and topic from his book, including the UK's Windrush Generation, the ways in which UK grime and rap have grown together and separately, the racism and classism that has shaped so much of modern UK grime and rap, the standout artists who have carved their names in UK music folklore, how these people are shaped by societal forces, and more.    Aniefiok “‘Neef” Ekpoudom is a writer and storyteller from South London whose work documents community and culture in contemporary Britain. His debut book Where We Come From: Rap Home and Hope in Modern Britain is a social history of British Rap. It will be released via Faber & Faber in August 2023. As a journalist, he writes longform essays and profiles for The Guardian, GQ and more. From charting a history of Black Football culture in South London to mapping the forces of migration and music that formed J Hus, his writing weaves social, cultural and narrative history to explore the current, lived realities of peoples across the UK. Aniefiok’s writing has featured in a number of essay collections and anthologies, including #Merky Books titles Keisha The Sket (2021) and A New Formation: How Black Players Shaped The Modern Game (2022), as well as SAFE: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space (Trapeze, 2019). Aniefiok was named on the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List for Media & Marketing. He is a British Journalism Award winner for his work with The Guardian. He has also been named Culture Writer of the Year at the Freelance Writing Awards, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has worked with Nike, Netflix, Google, BBC, the Premier League, adidas, YouTube, Metallic Inc, COPA 90 and more. Buy Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain   Aniefiok's Website     At about 3:20, Neef talks about his mindset being two weeks away from his book’s publication and shares his experience in narrating the audiobook    At about 6:35, Pete shares glowing blurbs for Where We Come From from Caleb Azumah Nelson and Musa Okwonga   At about 7:15, Neef discusses places at which to buy his book, like Pages in Hackney, Seven Oaks Bookshop, and Libreria Bookshop   At about 8:05, Neef talks about his language and reading lives during his childhood   At about 10:50, Neef talks about the impact that US and UK rap had on him as a kid   At about 14:45, Neef talks about the ways in which US rap and its genres and subgenres were/are viewed in the US, and how UK rap has been blended with Jamaican Sound System and US hip hop   At about 17:00, Neef responds to Pete’s question about his formation as a writer    At about 18:15, Neef traces his return to heavy reading in university and his exposure to creative nonfiction/New Journalism legends like Gay Talese and Joan Didion   At about 21:20, Neef talks about the contemporary writers who thrill him and challenge him, like Wright Thompson, Hanif Abdurraqib, David Finkel, Gary Smith, and Jacqueline Woodson    At about 26:25, Pete inquires about how Neef engenders trust from his interview subjects for his profiles    At about 29:30, Neef discusses his evolving goals that informed his book   At about 32:25, Neef responds with why he started the book at a show for Giggs   At about 36:35, Neef explains the importance of UK grime as using 140 beats per minute, as well as some forebears of UK rap and grime-the Windrush Generation and Jamaican Sound System    At about 42:30, Neef gives background on the amazing story of Cecil Morris and “Pirate Radio”    At about 47:05, Neef describes So Solid’s garage music as a forebear of darker grime music that was to come    At about 49:30, Neef and Pete discuss parallels between more raw, honest American rap and some years later with Despa and in UK grime   At about 51:45, The two discuss the immigrant communities of South Wales that Neef so expertly charts when writing about Astroid Boys    At about 56:50, Neef gives background on how class often manifests in British life, and how writing the book changed the ways he saw class functioning   At about 1:00:33, Neef discusses the fusing of rap and grime and Cadet’s and Despa’s and others     At about 1:02:00, Neef talks about the power of Despa’s “Meet the Artist” show   At about 1:04:30, Neef speaks to the legacy of Cadet after his tragic death in an auto accident   At about 1:09:20, Neef and Pete highlight how music helped with Pa Salieu’s anxieties   At about 1:10:00, Neef and Pete discuss the book’s last few chapters and the ways in which Neef depicts the ways in which music has changed    At about 1:12:35, Neef speaks to what he sees for the future of grime and rap and other UK music forms and highlights strong signs of continued substance in the music of current stars   At about 1:16:00, Neef speaks about “lower barriers to entry” in current music for women and others, “flattening the playing field” for those often ignored    At about 1:17:00, Neef speaks about exploring new projects, probably in fiction, and continuing to explore storytelling about contemporary    At about 1:18:00, Southampton FC shout out!    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in late January with this episode, I will have two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I’m looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 221 with Martha Anne Toll, whose debut novel, THREE MUSES, was shortlisted for Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction; has worked as a critic and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, Pointe Magazine, The Millions, and elsewhere. Martha publishes short fiction and essays in a wide variety of outlets; member of the National Book Critics Circle.     The episode will air on January 24.

Notes and Links to Roxanna Asgarian’s Work        For Episode 219, Pete welcomes Roxanna Asgarian, and the two discuss, among other topics, her history in working with varied journalistic pursuits, the ways in which she has viewed power and racism and privilege in the child welfare system, and the hideous ways in which the system worked against the adopted children in the infamous Hart family murders.    Roxanna Asgarian is a Texas-based journalist who writes about courts and the law for The Texas Tribune. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Texas Monthly, among other publications. She received the 2022 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America. Buy We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America   Roxanna on Twitter   Review on Book from Jennifer Szalai for The New York Times At about 1:00, Roxanna discusses early reading   At about 2:30, Roxanna discusses her early writing inspirations and the writing lives’ vagaries   At about 4:15, Roxanna responds to Pete’s questions about how student journalism work informed her later writing    At about 7:00, Roxanne discusses contemporary writers and writing that challenge and thrill her    At about 10:10, Roxanna talks about seeds for the book, and what in her personal professional life drew her to the story   At about 14:10, Roxanna gives out contact information and social media info and shouts out Las Vegas’ Writers Block as one of many great places to buy her books   At about 15:25, Roxanna provides some background on the horrific Hart murders and how power came into play in the events surrounding the murders, and how the child welfare system functioned and functions   At about 19:10, Roxanna discusses the rare inquest that took place after the murders   At about 21:15, Roxanna fills in listeners on the “inhumane” way that local detectives called the murders a “Thelma and Louise” situation and ways in which race played in to the stories told by law enforcement and media   At about 23:20, Roxanna explains the power and significance of the “Hug Shared around the World” with Devonte Davis and how it was understood and misunderstood   At about 27:30, The two discuss Dontay Davis’ and the ways in which he was done wrong by The System   At about 30:00, Roxanna explains ASFA (1997 Adoption and Safe Families’ Act), particularly with respect to Sherry Davis’ situations    At about 32:55, Pete refers to Judge Shelton and other paragons of prejudice and racism who were in control in some many family law cases   At about 35:40, Pete mentions adoption incentives and the ways in which those in TX never followed up once the Davis’ kids went to MN, and Roxanna tells the story of how “Bree” was an early foster case that showed the Harts’ unfitness as parents   At about 38:45, Roxanna gives background on gaps and prejudices in the child welfare system and in society that have led to “colorblind” adoptions that have been highly problematic    At about 42:30, The two discuss more about Dontay’s life in recent years, especially after he found out about his siblings’ death    At about 44:25, Roxanna recounts the intense scene in which she helped make the transference of cremains and memories from the children   At about 47:35, Roxanna gives background on the selfless surrogate father, Nathaniel   At about 50:00, Roxanna discusses upcoming projects    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom, a writer and journalist from south London who documents the people, voices and communities of modern Britain. He has written for publications including the Guardian, GQ, Vogue, and VICE. In 2022, he was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in Media & Marketing. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and his newest book, Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain, has today, Jan 18, as its Pub Day.     

Notes and Links to Melissa Rivero’s Work          For Episode 218, Pete welcomes Melissa Rivero, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language and writing life growing up in a bilingual household, writing creatively after writing more practically for her legal career, the startup cultures that informed Flores and Miss Paula, and salient themes from the book like loss, cycles in life, grieving, and la tercera edad.    Melissa Rivero is the author of The Affairs of the Falcóns, winner of the 2019 New American Voices Award and a 2020 International Latino Book Award. The book was also longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Her most recent novel, Flores and Miss Paula, was published in December 2023. Born in Lima, Peru and raised in Brooklyn, she is a graduate of NYU and Brooklyn Law School, where she was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. Melissa still lives in Brooklyn with her family. Buy Flores and Miss Paula   Melissa's Website   Interview for Bomb Magazine with Ivelisse Rodriguez At about 1:40, The two discuss an interesting title of a book of hers   At about 2:25, Melissa traces the month or so that Flores and Miss Paula has been out in the world, and feedback she has received   At about 4:35, Melissa shares information on an exciting novel project of hers   At about 6:40, Pete shouts out an extremely clever phrase in the book   At about 7:15, Melissa gives background on her bilingual childhood and reading and writing interests and origins    At about 9:20, Miss Nelson is Missing shout out!   At about 11:45, Melissa shouts out some favorite Peruvian writers, past and present, including Claudia Salazar Jiménez    At about 15:00, Melissa responds to Pete’s question about how translation and bilingualism affect her writer’s voice and style   At about 17:35, Melissa puts “Write what you know” into her personal context with regard to her latest novel and gives some seeds for the book   At about 21:30, Melissa talks about her writing rhythms during the Covid lockdown   At about 23:35, Pete asks Melissa about the nomenclature of Flores and Miss Paula and she speaks to the significance of the phrasing   At about 25:50, Melissa responds to Pete’s questions about the book’s four seasons’ structure   At about 28:00, Pete is highly complimentary of the ways in which Melissa depicts grieving and grief   At about 28:35, Melissa reads the book’s opening paragraph, and she and Pete discuss the power of the dynamic beginning   At about 29:35, The two discuss the book’s exposition, including descriptions of the mother’s and daughter’s workplaces and the intriguing coworker of Yoli’s (Flores’), Max   At about 32:00, Melissa discusses the company’s boss, Eric, and how her time in the startup world informed her writing about that culture   At about 34:00, Melissa responds to Pete’s wondering about how Flores’ work habits connect to her emotions, especially with the loss of her father   At about 35:50, Melissa gives background on Paula’s friendship with Vicente and their shared history   At about 38:40, Melissa and Pete talk about the ways in which Flores exercises her creative muscles   At about 39:40, Melissa compares the writing she did in her law career and the more creative work she does these days   At about 41:45, Pete asks Melissa about the themes of identity and assimilation come into play with Flores    At about 44:25, The two discuss the “seasons of grieving” in the book    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 219 with Roxanna Asgarian a Texas-based journalist who writes about courts and the law for The Texas Tribune. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, New York magazine, and Texas Monthly, among other publications. She received the 2022 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America.    The episode will air on January 11.

Notes and Links to Jeff Sharlet’s Work      For Episode 217, Pete welcomes Jeff Sharlet, and the two discuss, among other topics, his father and uncle’s outsized influence on Jeff’s reading and activism, allegory and worldbuilding and their roles in right -wing movements and propagandizing, incredibly-bleak and bright indications of the future, his reasoning in bookending the book with stalwarts in justice movements, the slow, creeping fascism that he charts through the book, and examples of and reason for steadfast activism.      Jeffrey Sharlet is New York Times/national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He is also  executive producer of the 2019 Netflix documentary series based on the work, with the documentary also called, THE FAMILY. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is the Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College.]     Buy The Undertow   Jeff's Website at Dartmouth College   Jeff’s Wikipedia Page   Review of The Undertow by Joseph O’Neill for The New York Times   At about 2:30, Jeff drops some about the history of his endowed chair and the origins of his workplace, Dartmouth College, including Samson Occom’s role   At about 5:10, Jeff talks about his early reading and fascinations and how the worldbuilding he loved and now informs his interests in the world building of the Far Right   At about 7:50, Jeff traces some of his family history, and how his father and Uncle Jeff’s amazing lives inform his own   At about 11:00, Jeff notes the mass-scale mutiny of US soldiers that ended the Vietnam War and connects to today’s fascist movements; he calls attention to underground movements of today and yesterday   At about 14:30, Jeff responds to Pete’s questions about his interest in and history with literature and films dealing with the Vietnam War   At about 17:20, Jeff responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which The Vietnam War has been covered and propagandized in the resultant decades, “redefining the Vietnam story” and being embraced by many on the Far Right   At about 22:00, Jeff connects common tropes regarding veterans to Ashli Babbitt’s story, which is traced in much of his book The Undertow   At about 26:15, Jeff describes the ways in which interview subjects view the idea and possibilities for “civil war”   At about 28:15, Jeff discusses places to buy book and shouts out the library as a great place to rebel against impending book bans   At about 31:15, Jeff notes polls and surveys and how a Trump victory has informed his book and how to “tell stories about fascism”    At about 34:50, Jeff talks about the term “Trumpism” and how there were “parameters of Reaganism” from 1980-2016 that gave way to the “Trumpocene” from 2016 to present      At about 36:20, Jeff references ugly examples of Trumpism enabled and supported in policy   At about 38:10, Jeff shares information from protests in Sacramento that informed his book    At about 39:30, Pete and Jeff discuss the way in which Jeff’s book is bookended by stories involving Harry Bellafonte and Lee Hays, and Jeff discusses why he started and ended the book with the songs and histories that he did    At about 44:10, Jeff recounts the anecdote from the book about a dynamic and legendary hour program that Harry Bellafonte produced in 1959   At about 48:55, Pete notes his piqued interest in Lead Belly and his connection to Kurt Cobain   At about 50:55, Jeff talks about “challenging” American figures who have often been “smoothed out,” such as Leadbelly   At about 52:10, Jeff gives background on how the last line of the book came about    At about 54:10, Jeff describes “safe spaces” in connection to an anecdote about activist Suzanne Pharr   At about 56:05, Pete notes a dynamic photo in the book, and Jeff traces the story and his travels in Wisconsin that led to the photo   At about 1:02:05, Pete asks a question that has mystified him for years, re: MAGA “Merch”   At about 1:04:30, Pete compliments Jeff’s nuanced writing regarding young and not-so-young who are on the frontlines   At about 1:05:40, Pete notes the teaching of Things Fall Apart in his classes and Jeff shares his experience with the book        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 218 with Melissa Rivero. She is the author of The Affairs of the Falcons and the recently-published novel, Flores and Miss Paula. Melissa won the 2019 New American Voices Award, a 2020 International Latino Book Award, and was longlisted for PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel.    The episode will air on January 2.

Notes and Links to Kate  Maruyama’s Work        For Episode 216, Pete welcomes Kate Maruyama, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and love of diverse works from that of James Baldwin to Stephen King’s work, connections between Catholicism and writing horror, the ways in which teaching and writing commingle, writing allegory and its connection to plot, the ways in which she wrote convincingly of the COVID quarantine, and key themes in her novellas, including race and racism, class, generational traumas and family cycles, and privilege and family culpability.    Kate Maruyama was raised on books and weaned on movies in a small college town in New England. She writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family.    Her novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013 and her novella Family Solstice named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine was published by Omnium Gatherum. Her novella Halloween Beyond: a Gentleman's Suit appears in Halloween Beyond: Piercing the Veil is out now from Crystal Lake Publishing and Bleak Houses is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press, released in August 2023. Her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals and in numerous anthologies including Winter Horror Days, Halloween Carnival Three, and December Tales.     Buy Bleak Houses   Kate's Website at CA State LA   A Review from The Skiffy and Fanty Show for Bleak Houses At about 2:15, Kate talks about her reading and writing life as a child, and the town where she grew up   At about 4:00, Kate cites the Oz series and other fantasy/imaginative/horror books that shaped her literary tastes, including “formative” works by Stephen King   At about 6:40, The two discuss the connections between Catholicism and horror writing   At about 8:45, Kate discusses works and authors, especially James Baldwin and Another Country, which have inspired and influenced her   At about 10:00, The two discuss a real-life example from her life/background which made it into Kate’s fiction   At about 11:15, Kate traces the ways in which her teaching informs her writing, and vice versa   At about 13:40, Kate gives background on the publishing journey and seeds for Bleak Houses   At about 15:00, Kate responds to Pete’s questions about the genre(s) for her work   At about 17:00, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and compliments Kate on writing about the early COVID days, asking her how she handled perspective in writing about the time   At about 19:40, Kate provides background on seeds for the book’s first novella, especially Wolf’s Lair and Beechwood Canyon   At about 20:20, Kate and Pete discuss some of the important characters in “Safer”, and Kate describes how working within Hollywood for years gave her inspiration for Celine     At about 23:00, Celine’s son Story and his haunted friends are connected to Mr. Wolf’s real-life story   At about 26:15, Kate discusses a chilling scene from the book that Pete compliments for its tension   At about 29:10, The two discuss themes from “Safer,” including power dynamics based on class and race; Kate talks about twisted ways in which those needing a job were often exploited during the early days of quarantine    At about 33:20, Pete compliments the thrilling action scenes written by Kate in “Safer”   At about 34:05, Pete asks about the history of the real-life house that inspired “Family Solstice,” and Kate talks about the importance of the solstice in general, and the seeds for the novella   At about 37:00, Pete sets out some of the novella’s exposition and highlights key characters and key character traits    At about 39:00, Kate discusses the mother’s passivity and possible reasons for it   At about 40:25, Kate responds to Pete’s questions about “sitting in judgment” of her characters    At about 41:30, The two discuss generational traumas and cycles and questions of culpability in connection to Shea and her sister as differing narrators in the novella   At about 42:50, Pete wonders about how Kate balanced plot and allegory   At about 44:50, Kate discusses writing symbolism and politically and    At about 46:20, Kate shares exciting new projects   At about 49:10, Kate shares contact information    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 217 with Jeffrey Sharlet. He is the New York Times and national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He was an executive producer of the five-part Netflix series The Family (2019), based on two of his books. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.    The episode will air on December 19.  

Notes and Links to Nick Fuller Googins’ Work        For Episode 215, Pete welcomes Nick Fuller Googins, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing and love of fellow Mainer Stephen King, the joys of unabated and carefree reading, how teaching informs his writing and vice versa, making climate fiction that is inherently hopeful, the “Green New Deal” and other seeds for prominent themes in his wonderful novel, including community and mutual aid, optimism, retribution, collective action, and more.      Nick Fuller Googins is the author of the novel, The Great Transition (Atria Books). His short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Men’s Health, The Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He lives in Maine, and works as an elementary school teacher. He is a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, as well as the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the United States.     Buy The Great Transition   Nick's Website    “A ‘Hopeful Climate Change Novel’ ”-An Interview with Chicago Review of Books At about 1:30, Nick talks about his previously-published work in Men’s Health   At about 3:30, Nick discusses his feelings of IGAM, an acronym used in his book for music   At about 4:20, Nick talks about his early reading and writing   At about 5:20, Nick talks about recreating the lazy and beautiful childhood days consumed with reading this past summer   At about 6:15, Nick talks about early writing-”happy stuff” for local Santa Monica papers, like The Santa Monica Mirror   At about 7:25, Nick talks about books and writers that were his “gateway into real adult literature,” including Stephen King   At about 9:20, Nick reflects on how his writing affects his teaching, and vice versa   At about 12:00, Nick shares how he was able to do unboxing of his book with his students and share his journey with his students    At about 15:00, Nick shares how he is able to talk climate crisis with his 4th graders   At about 16:00, Nick talks about the “challenge” of involving “such a unique figure” as Greta Thunberg in his book   At about 17:25, Pete gives background on Nick’s novel, compliments its greatness, and shares blurb   At about 18:30, Nick gives seeds on the book’s genesis, including how working with Los Angeles’ GRID Alternatives was a huge moment    At about 22:50, Nick responds to Pete’s questions about “taking the long view” and opening up any creativity   At about 26:50, Pete lays out the book’s opening scene and asks Nick why he decided to start the book he did   At about 28:15, Pete traces some of the book’s opening scenes, leading Nick to give background on Christina’s character   At about 31:50, Nick discusses the “spectrum” of justice and injustice that propelled him forward in writing his book   At about 32:15, The two discuss discussions of guilt and burdens and expectations of successive generations as featured in the novel; Nick mentions recent migrants to his school and quick transitions and the work of Svetalana Alexievich    At about 36:50 (38:20), Pete talks about a parallel storyline and asks Nick his thoughts about optimism and pessimism as expressed in the novel and outside of the novel   At about 42:00, The two discuss the differing world views of Larch and Christina in the novel, and Pete wonders if the two were a “good match,” and Nick expands upon their shared history and individual histories    At about 46:20, Pete cites the book’s creative and skillful narration choices    At about 47:20, Nick references Toni Early and her quote on “lighting fuses” in how he wrote his book   At about 48:00, Pete compares the reading experience of The Great Transition   At about 49:00, Pete asks Nick about the theme of community and expressed in the book   At about 53:50, Nick shares a story of a very hopeful time, and muses that similar movements will happen again   At about 57:00, Nick talks about exciting upcoming projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 216 with Kate Maruyama, whose novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013. Her novella Family Solstice was named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine, and her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals.    The episode will air on December 12.

Notes and Links to Leah Myers’s Work      For Episode 214, Pete welcomes Leah Myers, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and inspirations, formative experiences in writing and self-growth, the ways in which she has seen Native Americans represented and misrepresented in literature and cinema, the rage and despair-inducing Pocahontas, and salient themes from her memoir, including US governmental neglect and violence toward Native Americans, blood quantum and other terminology, ideas of external and internal prejudices, as well as writing about sensitive personal experiences and about family members.    Leah Myers is a member of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe of the Pacific Northwest. She earned her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of New Orleans, where she won the Samuel Mockbee Award for Nonfiction two years in a row. She now lives in Alabama, with roots in Georgia, Arizona, and Washington. Her work has previously appeared in The Atlantic, Craft Literary Magazine, Fugue Journal​, and elsewhere. Her debut memoir, THINNING BLOOD, is published by W.W. Norton, and received a rave review in the New York Times.     Leah's Website   Buy Thinning Blood   Maud Newton Reviews Thinning Blood for New York Times At about 1:40, Leah discusses her childhood relationship with the written word, “surrounded by books”   At about 3:10, Leah discusses the power in reading Natalie Diaz and Joy Harjo and ideas of representation    At about 5:05, Leah references the writers and writing that challenges and inspires her in the present day, including Natalie Diaz, anthologies like Never Whistle at Night (edited by Shane Hawk) and Jordan Peele’s Out There Screaming   At about 6:55, Leah responds to Pete’s question about the genesis of the writing bug for her    At about 8:45, The two wax poetic about the great Tommy Orange and    At about 9:55, Leah expounds upon the significance of wise words from an MFA professor   At about 12:00, Leah outlines some seeds for her memoir    At about 13:10, Leah discusses the usage of terms like “tribe” and “Native American” and “indigenous” and the evolving ways in which they’re used   At about 15:10, Leah discusses the book’s introductions and rationale in using the totem poles as structural   At about 17:55, Leah responds to Pete’s questions about the title’s significance and the effects of blood quantum    At about 20:05, Pete uses a quote from the memoir that enumerates each of the preceding women in Leah’s family and transitions into talking with Leah about the book’s opening called “Real Live Indians”   At about 22:00, Leah replies to Pete’s questions about the significance of the Mother Bear/Bear totem in her memoir    At about 24:00, The two discuss the ways in which Leah writes about family members and her mindset in handling “mixed feelings”    At about 27:50, Leah discusses the salmon and its significance as a totem in the book and connections to her identity   At about 29:40, The two discuss government actions referenced in the memoir    At about 32:40, Pete gives background information on Leah’s early days in her ancestral home and asks Leah about the metaphor of her grandmother Vivían “swimming upriver” like the salmon   At about 35:20, Part III, with the totem of the hummingbird, is discussed, and Leah speaks about the painful ways in which she has processed the Disney movie Pocahontas over the years   At about 39:25, The two discuss the gradual loss of the S’Klallam language    At about 41:55, Leah responds to Pete wondering about the ways in which she sees the Raven as part of the S’Klallam myths   At about 44:00, Forced adoptions of Native Americans and stats around misogynistic violence are referenced as written about in the book   At about 45:30, Leah discusses writing about a painful personal experience and bringing a human story to complement/highlight the statistics    At about 46:35, Leah gives her rationale and mindset in writing a part of the book that is a letter to her prospective future relative   At about 49:10, Leah defines “infrasound” and she and Pete detail its power and connection to her memoir    At about 50:55, The two discuss the myriad ways in which the Raven can be viewed and its connection to Leah’s identity    At about 54:10, Leah gives some idea of upcoming projects    At about 55:25, Leah gives contact and social media information    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 215 with Nick Fuller Googins. Nick is the author of the novel, The Great Transition, and his short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Men’s Health, The Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He works as an elementary school teacher.    The episode will air on December 5.

Notes and Links to Andrew Porter’s Work        For Episode 213, Pete welcomes Andrew Porter, and the two discuss, among other topics, his lifelong love of art and creativity, his pivotal short story classes in college, wonderful writing mentors, the stories that continue to thrill and inspire him and his students, and salient themes from his most recent collection, such as the ephemeral nature of life, fatherhood, aging and nostalgia, and friendship triangles and squares.       Andrew Porter is the author of the short story collection The Theory of Light and Matter (Vintage/Penguin Random House), which won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, the novel In Between Days (Knopf), which was a Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers”  selection and an IndieBound “Indie Next” selection, and the short story  collection The Disappeared (Knopf), which was recently published in April 2023. Porter’s books have been published in foreign editions in the UK and Australia and translated into numerous  languages, including French, Spanish, Dutch, Bulgarian, and Korean.    In addition to winning the Flannery O’Connor Award, his collection, The Theory of Light and Matter,  received Foreword Magazine’s “Book of the Year” Award for Short  Fiction, was a finalist for The Steven Turner Award, The Paterson Prize  and The WLT Book Award, was shortlisted for the William Saroyan  International Prize for Writing, and was selected by both The Kansas City Star and The San Antonio Express-News  as one of the “Best Books of the Year.”    The recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships from the James Michener-Copernicus Foundation, the W.K. Rose Foundation, and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Porter’s  short stories have appeared in One Story, Ploughshares, The Southern Review, The Threepenny Review, The Missouri Review, Narrative Magazine, Epoch, Story, The Colorado Review, and Prairie Schooner, among others. He has had his work read on NPR’s Selected Shorts and twice selected as one of the Distinguished Stories of the Year by Best American Short Stories.       A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Porter is currently a Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Trinity University in San Antonio.   Andrew's Website   Buy The Disappeared   The Disappeared Review from Chicago Review of Books   New York Times Shoutout for The Disappeared At about 1:50, Pete asks Andrew about the Spurs and breakfast tacos in San Antonio   At about 2:40, Andrew discusses his artistic loves as a kid and growing up and his picking up a love for the short story in college   At about 5:20, Andrew cites Bausch, Carver, Richard Ford, Amy Hempel, Lorrie Moore, and Joyce Carol Oates’ story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” as formative and transformative   At about 8:40, Andrew responds to Pete’s question about whom he is reading these days-writers including Annie Ernauex, Rachel Cusk, and Jamel Brinkley   At about 10:00, Andrew traces the evolution of his writing career, including how he received wonderful mentorship from Dean Crawford and the “hugely” influential David Wong Louie    At about 12:15, Pete asks Andrew what feedback he has gotten since his short story collection The Disappeared has received, and what his students have said as well   At about 13:50, Pete highlights Andrew’s wonderful and resonant endings and he and Andrew discuss the powerful opening story of the collection, “Austin”   At about 17:55, Pete puts the flash fiction piece “Cigarettes” into context regarding the book’s theme of aging and nostalgia   At about 19:00, Pete laments his predicament as he readies to play in the high school Students vs. Faculty Game (plot spoiler: he played well, and the faculty won)   At about 19:40, The two discuss the engrossing and echoing “Vines” short story, including themes within, and Andrew discusses the art life   At about 23:00, “Cello” is discussed in the vein of a life lived with(out) art   At about 24:20, The story “Chili” is discussed with regards to the theme of aging, and Andrew expounds about including foods he likes and that he identifies with San Antonio and Austin   At about 26:40, Pete stumbles through remembering details of a favorite canceled show and talks glowingly about “Rhinebeck” and its characters and themes; Andrew discusses the topics that interest him and inspired the story   At about 30:20, Pete and Andrew discuss “in-betweeners” in the collection, including Jimena and others who complicate romantic and friend relationships   At about 32:50, Pete cites the collection’s titular story and the “netherworld” in which the characters exist; Andrew collects the story with the previously-mentioned ones in exploring “triangulation”   At about 34:20, The two discussed what Pete dubs “men unmoored” in the collection   At about 35:15, The two discuss art as a collection theme, and Anthony speaks on presenting different levels of art and different representations of the creative life and past versions of ourselves   At about 37:15, Andrew replies to Pete asking about art/writing as a “restorative process”   At about 38:25, The two discuss the ways in which fatherhood is discussed in the collection, especially in the story “Breathe”   At about 43:15, The two continue to talk about the ephemeral nature of so much of the book, including in the titular story   At about 44:25, Andrew responds to Pete’s asking about the ephemeral nature of the book and how he wanted the titular story’s ending to be a sort of an answer to the collection’s first story   At about 46:20, Pete refers to the delightful ambiguity in the book   At about 47:15, Pete asks Andrew about future projects    At about 50:00, Andrew shouts out publishing info, social media contacts    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 214 with Leah Myers. Leah is a member of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe of the Pacific Northwest, and she earned her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of New Orleans, where she won the Samuel Mockbee Award for Nonfiction two years in a row. Her debut memoir, THINNING BLOOD, is published by W.W. Norton and received a rave review in the New York Times.    The episode will air on November 28.