Notes and Links to Theresa Rundstedtler’s Work        For Episode 212, Pete welcomes Theresa Rundstedtler, and the two discuss, among other things, her early love of sports and reading, her work as a Raptors dancer, and the ways in which her voracious reading gave rise to her further exploring sports and race, as well as salient themes like free agency, racist stereotypes and white paternalism and intriguing people like Simon Gourdine and Connie Hawkins and Wali Jones from the 1970s era of the NBA.     Theresa Runstedtler, PhD is an award-winning scholar of African American history whose research focuses on the intersection of race, masculinity, labor, and sport. Her most recent book, Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA (Bold Type Books, 2023), examines how Black players transformed the professional hoops game, both on and off the court, in the 1970s. She is also the author of Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner: Boxing in the Shadow of the Global Color Line (UC Press, 2012), a transnational biography that explores the first African American world heavyweight champion’s legacy as a Black sporting hero and anti-colonial icon in places as far-flung as Sydney, London, Cape Town, Manila, Paris, Havana, and Mexico City. Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner won the 2013 Phillis Wheatley Book Prize from the Northeast Black Studies Association. Runstedtler has written for Time.com and the LA Review of Books, and shared her expertise on the History Channel, Al Jazeera America, Vox.com, NPR, and international radio outlets including the BBC and CBC. Originally from Ontario, Canada, she is a professor at American University and lives in Baltimore with her husband and son.     Theresa's Website   Buy Black Ball   Black Ball Review from Los Angeles Review of Books At about 2:35, Theresa discusses her appearance on The History Channel in discussing Jack Johnson’s    At about 4:35, Theresa discusses her childhood sporting career, especially her time in figure skating and dance   At about 7:15, Theresa discusses her reading interests growing up    At about 10:30, Theresa discusses her time working as a dancer for the Toronto Raptors   At about 14:00, Theresa talks about what she saw during her years the lives of so many involved with the NBA on a regular basis   At about 15:15, Theresa discusses her reading and writing interests and the ways in which she became a historian    At about 18:00, Theresa explains how and why she got into writing about sport    At about 18:50, Pete notes multiple parallels between the book and today’s world and sporting world, and Thersa follows up by talking about how she found people in some ways more open to talking about race through sports    At about 24:35, The two talk about a pivotal and faulty newspaper story by Chris Cobbs, and Theresa explains why she chose to start the book referencing it   At about 28:20, Pete cites Donovan X. Ramsey’s research on an erroneous story that exacerbated views on the crack epidemic   At about 29:00, Theresa discusses seeds for her book, especially her research into Len Bias’ death and how he became a “symbol of a greater moral panic”    At about 31:20, Pete alludes to Maurice Stokes’ mistreatment and the early days of player labor organization   At about 32:10, Theresa responds to Pete’s question and lays out why the 70s of the NBA has been “overlooked”   At about 33:05-35:20, Theresa talks about the book as a sort of redress   At about 35:40, The two discuss the difference between the “cultural associations” of fighting in 1970s   At about 36:30, Pete details the book’s first part involving monopoly, and he and Theresa discuss Connie Hawkins’ importance in the time period and beyond; Theresa gives background on seeds for the book coming upon her connecting Hawkins and Colin Kaepernick’s stories   At about 40:40, Spencer Haywood is referenced, and Theresa expands on his story, especially his connection to players’ right and the ABA/MBA merger   At about 47:20, Pete references the clash between conservative sportswriters of the early 1970s and socially active and aware players like Wali Jones and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, especially with regards to flimsy investigations regarding drug use in the NBA    At about 53:25, Pete cites advancements for Black coaches like K.C. Jones and Lenny Wilkens and Theresa discusses the ways in which the coaches were judged differently and how they were calm and collected as a rule   At about 55:30, Theresa expounds upon early Black coaches and their often “democratic” ways of coaching in opposition to some of the archetypal drill sergeant-type coaches   At about 57:25, Theresa details the intriguing story of Simon Gourdine and speculates on reasons why he was turned down for NBA Commissioner and what might have been…   At about 1:00:25, The two discuss thoughts of the time and as the years have gone on regarding players like Kermit Washington and Bernard King   At about 1:01:30, Pete asks Theresa about ending the book with an Epilogue revolving around Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s impacts   At about 1:05:50, Theresa talks about exciting future projects   At about 1:06:40, Theresa recommends Jumpman by Johnny Smith and The Cap by Joshua Mendelsohn      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 213 with Andrew Porter, the author of, among other work, the short story collection The Theory of Light and Matter, which won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, and the short story collection The Disappeared, published in April 2023.    The episode will air on November 21.

Notes and Links to Chris L. Terry’s and James Spooner’s Work        For Episode 211, Pete welcomes Chris L. Terry and James Spooner, and the two discuss, among other topics, the exciting release of Black Punk Now and reader response, the seeds for the book and the rationale for certain structures in the book, the balance between a punk aesthetic and fair treatment and pay for artists, Black punk as joy and liberation and catharsis, exciting new movements and artists in Black Punk and its attendant creative pursuits, and what Chris and James wish for the book’s future.        Chris L. Terry is the author of the novels Black Card (Catapult, 2019) and Zero Fade (Curbside Splendor, 2013), which was named Best Book of the Year by Slate and Kirkus Reviews. Mr. Terry’s short work has appeared in PANK, Razorcake, Very Smart Brothas, and more. He has taught for PEN America, Writing Workshops LA, and Storycatchers Theatre.       James Spooner is an American film director, tattoo artist, and graphic novelist. He is best known for his 2003 documentary film Afro-Punk, and for co-founding the Afropunk Festival. He also directed the 2007 narrative film White Lies, Black Sheep. His first graphic novel, titled The High Desert, was published in 2022.     Buy Black Punk Now!   Read an Excerpt from Black Punk Now   James’ Website   Buy The High Desert by James   Buy Black Card by Chris   Read about Afro-Punk Documentary At about 2:20, Pete welcomes back Chris-the first two-time guest! and asks about seeds for the book and about the initial reaction to the book’s publication    At about 6:00, James responds to the same questions as above: seeds for the book and the book’s connections to his work with AfroPunk   At about 11:10, Chris shouts out Cecilia Flores at SoftSkull and the use of the tattoo framing in one interview in the book; he also discusses “creating Black spaces” with joy   At about 11:50, James mentions the cover of the book, “having the time of their lives” and Black Joy   At about 12:40-14:50, Chris responds to Pete’s questions about the book’s title’s genesis and the “timeliness” of the book   At about 14:50, Pete cites James’ Introduction to the book and James responds to Pete’s question about Black Punk’s rise with regard to concerts and exposure and its connection to corporatization    At about 19:15, Chris talks about the balance between the DIY ethos of punk and the newer generation’s keen ways of valuing their work and including more interested people    At about 22:30, James reminisces on the different scenes in punk circles when he was doing concerts   At about 25:05, Pete and Chris highlight the book’s Roundtables and interviews, particularly with Bobby Hackney, Jr., and key quotes that show Blackness and punk to be inextricable, as well as the openness of the book’s contributors    At about 28:15, Pete asks about punk rock and how it came from rock-originated by Black musicians and became associated with white musicians; Chris describes this     At about 30:30, James describes “major” Black figures and Black bands who were and are at the forefront of so many movements; he shouts out Soul Glo and Zulu and draws connections between the older and newer   At about 34:15, Chris uses his West Coast tour from 2002 as an example of how   At about 34:40, The three talk about the great Fishbone and The Last Action Hero soundtrack   At about 36:15, Pete asks about Blank punk and compliments the book’s variety and its politics and discussion of gender fluidity and other important issues; Chris speaks on punk as a lifestyle, and not just a style of music   At about 39:20, Pete wonders about any evolution in the ways in which women and nonbinary people have been treated in recent years of punk; Chris and James discuss challenges that still remain, as well as what they list as incremental victories   At about 44:05, Pete highlights quotes and interviews from the anthology and the ways in which catharsis is demonstrated through Black punk lifestyles   At about 46:05, Pete asks James and Chris about their process in picking a favorite Black punk songlist   At about 47:25, James and Chris respond to Pete’s questions about how they want the book to survive and thrive in coming years, and the rationale on having the book softcover right away   At about 49:15, Pete highlights engaging work from James and Chris in the anthology   At about 50:20, James and Chris talk about exciting future projects   At about 52:30, James and Chris give out their contact info and social media    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 212 with Theresa Runstedtler, award-winning scholar of African American history. Her work focused on intersection of race/masculinity/ labor/sport, and her recent:  Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA.    The episode will air on November 14.

Notes and Links to Dan Sinykin’s Work        For Episode 210, Pete welcomes Dan Sinykin, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and how it showed a sort of rebellion and also spurred him on to a life of books and inspired Big Fiction, as well as salient issues and themes from the book, including mass market populism versus literary aesthetics, autofiction and its connection to marginalized writers of color and women, and the evolving role of editors and the colophon in the continuing conglomeration of book publishing.    Dan Sinykin is an assistant professor of English at Emory University with a courtesy appointment in quantitative theory and methods. He is the author of American Literature and the Long Downturn: Neoliberal Apocalypse (2020). His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, Dissent, and other publications. Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature, is out now through Columbia University Press.     Buy Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature   Dan's Website with Emory University   Interview about Big Fiction with Lincoln Michel  At about 2:40, Dan discusses the intricacies of his book and its October publishing   At about 5:10, Dan highlights early feedback he’s gotten from readers   At about 7:05, Dan gives background on his childhood reading habits and some of his favorite books, series, and writers; he also talks about his father’s reading habits influenced him    At about 11:45, Dan responds to Pete’s questions about the draws of “East Coast” writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald   At about 14:30, Dan cites the greatness and pull of Gravity’s Rainbow   At about 16:55, Pete asks Dan about his connection to David Foster Wallace and other formative writers, who included Wittgenstein    At about 19:40, Pete gives a recommendation about which David Foster Wallace book NOT to read   At about 20:00, Pete wonders about how Dan’s job and research areas for his book has affected his “pleasure reading”   At about 21:45, Dan shouts out Martin Riker’s The Guest Lecture, Dan Kois’ Vintage Contemporaries as current standout reads    At about 23:00, Dan highlights the novels enjoyed by his students, including work by Fernanda Melchor, Jon Fosse, and Rachel Cusk    At about 24:25, Dan discusses the genesis of his book   At about 25:50, Pete and Dan discuss a pivotal event for publishing that Dan focuses on in the book’s Introduction-the firing of Andre Schiffrin   At about 30:15, The Program Era and The Economy of Prestige is highlighted and    At about 32:45, Dan discusses his book as a “continuation of his [Schiffrin’s] work” and how Dan sees value in avoiding labels of conglomeration as “good” or “bad”   At about 34:30, Dan breaks down the importance and symbolism of the colophon; he gives an example from the process of Wallace’s Infinite Jest as representative of the collaborative model   At about 43:30, Pete lays out the book’s five chapters’ structure and asks Dan about “high-brow” and “low-brow”; Dan speaks about the ways these books have been mass-marketed   At about 48:40, Dan traces the rise of romance books and speaks about the incredibly-interesting Danielle Steel and how she and others have become “brands”   At about 52:20, Pete asks Dan about the ways in which historical fiction and other books began to be geared toward literary prizes; he also traces the fairly-recent development of the term “literary fiction”    At about 55:15, Dan speaks to E.L. Doctorow as straddling the lines between the old and newer worlds of publishing   At about 59:40, The two discuss the chapters on trade publishers and autofiction’s importance, especially for female writers   At about 1:03:30, Pete cites Toni Morrison’s experiences and a quandary she ran into, as well as the experiences of many writers of color and “performance,” and Dan speaks to the story of Karen Tei Yamashita as a microcosm of writers of color in publishing    At about 1:10:30, Pete compliments the far-reaching and insightful book and Dan recommends buying the book at a local bookstore, including A Cappella Books, Eagle Eye Books, and Bookish in the Atlanta    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 211 with Theresa Runstedtler, award-winning scholar of African American history. Her work focused on intersection of race/masculinity/ labor/sport, and her recent:  Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA.    The episode will air on October 31.

  Notes and Links to Julie Carrick Dalton’s Work        For Episode 209, Pete welcomes Julie Carrick Dalton, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early relationship with nature and reading, formative and transformative teachers, how her journalism career informs her fiction and vice versa, the wondrous bee, and salient themes and topics from her book, including ecology, loss and love, climate change and hope, and whether the book is a call to action.          Julie Carrick Dalton is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, a CNN, USA Today, Parade, and Newsweek Most Anticipated novel. Her writing has appeared in BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Orion, Chicago Review of Books, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, and other publications. An adjunct writing instructor for Drexel University’s MFA program, Julie is currently working on her third novel, slated for publication in 2025.   Julie's Website   Buy The Last Beekeeper   Book Review from New York Journal of Books At about 1:30, the two discuss Philadelphia   At about 3:00, Julie discusses her upcoming novel, slated for 2025 publication   At about 4:40, Julie describes her experiences as a child with story-including puppeteering!-and nature   At about 6:45, Squirrels and chipmunks-which are which?   At about 7:45, More discussion of puppets shows and foibles!   At about 8:30, Julie and Pete discuss loss of innocence and awe and wonder, and Julie expands on some of her writing that deals with these topics   At about 10:05, Julie discusses formative and transformative reading-including work about “mysterious events”   At about 11:05-12:40, Julie shares experiences with two inspirational teachers of hers and the ways in which her writing skill and affection grew   At about 12:45, Julie responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which journalism affects her fiction writing and vice versa   At about 15:00, When asked to name some current writing that moves and challenges her, Julie shouts out the “engaging” climate reporting from The New York Times, and Charlotte McConaghy   At about 17:15, Julie shares an anecdote about how teaching and parenting have influenced her writing, including a boat trip that led to a book   At about 20:15, Julie responds to Pete’s question about seeds for the book by referencing a real-life loss of 40,000 bees   At about 22:00, Julie speaks about bees’ importance and how food security and honeybees’ pollination    At about 25:45, Pete and Julie discuss the book’s opening scene and the ways in which fictional and real bees are in tune with the “G” note and ideas of “harmony”   At about 28:20, Pete marvels at ideas of notes and harmonizing in music, and Julie as a violinist and pianist explains a bit further   At about 29:30, Pete sets the book’s exposition and asks Julie to summarize the state of the world in the book’s adult timeline    At about 33:00, Julie explains why she chose to omit any mentions of time/years/etc.   At about 33:40, The two discuss and characterize some people in the book, including the protagonist's family and her housemates/squatters, and Julie explains some motivations for the “found family” members   At about 36:15, Julie responds to Pete’s wondering about the world of the story and homophobia    At about 37:30, Pete refers to the book’s apiary and inquires about any psychological insights Julie might have in the father’s actions and choices   At about 40:25, Julie discusses Sasha’s relationships with the bees and her deceased mother    At about 43:10, Julie expands upon the character of Uncle Chuck, “a complicated guy”   At about 45:50, Another Sopranos’ reference from Pete!   At about 47:00, Julie tiptoes around some plot spoilers in describing the book’s pivotal 11th birthday for Sasha   At about 48:25, Pete and Julie discuss some intriguing characters in the book   At about 50:10, Pete compliments the book’s ending and asks Julie about the book as a “call to action”; she talks about the book as allegory and as story    At about 52:00, Julie brings forth some hopeful ideas in the book regarding nature/climate change and she and Pete discuss her elimination of oil and gas in the future   At about 53:55, Pete notes interesting ideas of nature as cyclical and points to “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Bradbury   At about 55:40, Julie gives out social media information and recommends indie stores to buy her book, as well as Bookshop.org       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 210 with Dan Sinykin. He is assistant professor of English at Emory University with a courtesy appointment in Quantitative Theory and Methods whose book, Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature, comes out with Columbia University Press on October 24, the date the episode airs.

Notes and Links to Sowmya Krishnamurthy’s Work        For Episode 208, Pete welcomes Sowmya Krishnamurthy, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early love of hip hop and fashion, and the ways in which the two have always played off one another, her experiences in hip hop journalism and interning with Sean Combs and Bad Boy Records, trends in hip hop fashion and the ways in which they have been in response to racist laws and practice in the past, the power of ambassadors like Jay Z and Aaliyah, hip hop clothing lines, the power of designers from Versace to Virgil Abloh, and the evolution of more inclusive practices and views in the industry.        Sowmya Krishnamurthy is a music journalist and pop culture expert. Her work can be found in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, XXL, Playboy, High Snobiety, Complex, New York Magazine, Village Voice and Time. She has interviewed artists from J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar to Ariana Grande, Travis $cott and Alicia Keys. As an on-air host, she has appeared on MTV, MSNBC, VH1, Hot 97, Build Series, E!, BET, CNN, NPR, BBC, and more. Her work has been aired in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Israel.  She hosted and programmed SiriusXM’s The Look Out radio show. Her first book: Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion comes out October 10, 2023 (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster). Sowmya began her career at William Morris Endeavor’s Agent Training Program, CNN and Bad Boy Records. She is a graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.     Sowmya on Twitter   Buy Fashion Killa   Excerpt from Fashion Killa in Rolling Stone, October 3, 2023: "How Lil' Kim's Left Boob Symbolized a Shift High Fashion" At about 2:00, Sowmya talks about the “surreal” run-up to the October 10 publication date for her book   At about 3:20-3:57, Sowmya gives some seeds for the book’s genesis   At about 4:00, Sowmya talks about the book’s process and research, including how the pandemic provided time for the book’s writing   At about 7:30, Sowmya reflects on how to sum up 50 years of hip hop and the difficulty of doing a chapter outline   At about 9:15, Sowmya talks about her focus on various topics in the books, including representing all regions of the country, international voices, and women   At about 11:00, Sowmya notes the arbitrariness of the 1973 “birthdate” for hip hop, not taking into account African traditions-call-and-response, etc.-and also how hip hop’s origin with DJ Herc and Sidney Campbell came partly through fashion   At about 12:45, Sowmya highlights Dapper Dan and the importance of logos and “social signaling,” who gets to wear what, “sumptuary laws,” etc.   At about 15:20, Sowmya recounts the story of how Google Images started after Jennifer Lopez wore her iconic dress   At about 16:50, Pete fanboys over Pharrell, and Sowmya recounts how Jay Z’s shift to a more formal clothing style and Pharrell and others bringing in skinny jeans were in some ways revolutionary   At about 20:20, Sowmya reflects on the outsized influence that 90s hip hop had on pop culture    At about 23:10, Sowmya talks about her upbringing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, especially her connections to music and 90s culture and things like Page Six   At about 27:00, Pete quotes from Sowmya’s book-she cites a beautifully chaotic scene in the passage-and she expands upon the importance of these type of scenes pre-social media     At about 29:00, Pete wonders about Cam’ron inventing a color, and Sowmya talks about his and Kanye West and others wearing pink as a bold choice   At about 31:30, Pete shouts out some early hip hop purchases, and Sowmya describes her early hip hop influences and purchases    At about 33:50, Sowmya discusses some of her early writing opportunities in the hip hop and pop culture space   At about 34:20, Pete and Sowmya rate the verses from Drake’s “Forever”   At about 35:20, Sowmya gives background on how she got a job with Sean Combs and Bad Boy Records   At about 41:30, Sowmya charts a surreal first experience in the Bad Boy offices   At about 45:00, Sowmya discusses the famous “Making the Band” skit from Chappelle Show, being that she worked with Sean Combs, and she shouts out his unceasing work ethic    At about 47:00, Sowmya talks about her work ethic and the era in which she started her work career   At about 48:35, Sowmya shouts out places to buy her book, including Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC, and she talks about the importance of the cover aesthetics    At about 50:50, Sowmya talks about the importance of the book’s subject matter and books as “luxury items”   At about 52:15, Sowmya discusses the importance of her book’s blurber, Slick Rick, and his importance in hip hop and fashion; additionally, she shouts out other “heartening” blurbs   At about 54:20, Sowmya talks about the title’s genesis and she and Pete discuss the book’s opening and early hip hop and self-expression    At about 55:40, Sowmya recounts the experience of buying a new CD in the 90s and early 2000s-the “connection” to the music    At about 58:30, Pete cites the book’s opening and ending and its “bookend” quality; Sowmya expounds on “the walking billboard” that was the big logos of Hilfiger, etc., as well as the ways in which people do and don’t show off wealth   At about 1:03:10, The two discuss the importance of The Source and Vibe as game-changers in representation and how much of hip hop fashion went against racist clothing laws of the past   At about 1:04:15, Sowmya gives some background on “backpack rap” in response to Pete’s questions   At about 1:07:10, Pete reflects on interesting anecdotes and interviews    At about 1:08:10, The two discuss the clothing brand battles of the 90s and beyond-Sean John, ENYCE, etc., and Pete laments the loss of a treasured sweater   At about 1:09:00, Pete asks Sowmya to talk about what she sees happening in the future, involving hip hop/pop culture and fashion   At about 1:12:10, The two highlight some amazing photos in the book, including an heretofore obscure photo of Tupac in Milan    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 209 with Julie Carrick Dalton. She is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, named a Most Anticipated 2021 novel by CNN, Newsweek, USA Today, Parade, and others, and an Amazon Editor’s pick for Best Books of the Month. Julie is also a frequent speaker and contributor to multiple magazines about Fiction in the Age of Climate Crisis.    The episode will air on October 17.

Notes and Links to Ursula Villarreal-Moura’s Work        For Episode 207, Pete welcomes Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early San Antonio Spurs’ education, her omnivorous reading habits, particularly in her childhood, a formative writing contest and reading event, her transitioning from poetry to short stories and flash fiction, and salient themes addressed in her collection, including mental health issues, trauma, delusion, ideas of identity and self-perception, and imagination and story.         Ursula Villarreal-Moura is the author of Math for the Self-Crippling (2022), selected by Zinzi Clemmons as the Gold Line Press fiction contest winner, and Like Happiness (Celadon Books, 2024). A graduate of Middlebury College, she received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and was a VONA/Voices fellow. Her stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous magazines including Tin House, Catapult, Prairie Schooner, Midnight Breakfast, Washington Square, Story, Bennington Review, Wigleaf Top 50, and Gulf Coast. She contributed to Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, a flash anthology by writers of color, and in 2012, she won the CutBank Big Fish Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Contest. Her writing has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, a Pushcart Prize, and longlisted for Best American Short Stories 2015.     Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Website   Buy Math for the Self-Crippling   Interview in Tri-Quarterly     At about 2:20, Ursula shares her love of the Spurs and the ways in which the Spurs culture was infused in her schooling   At about 5:00, Ursula talks about the ways in which she became an omnivorous reader, and how a Judy Blume book really flipped the reading switch    At about 7:10, Ursula describes her first writing as “exotic,” including stories set in boarding schools   At about 10:00, Ursula describes being “receptive” and maybe not as “expressive” in Spanish, and ideas of representations, including as an “Ursula”    At about 13:30, Ursula talks about the “beautiful readings” she witnessed from Sandra Cisneros and the big impact    At about 15:30, Ursula talks about the beginnings of her writing and writing career, including a memorable writing contest that she placed well in at a young age    At about 20:55, Ursula responds to Pete’s questions about genre and how Ursula sees her work in terms of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, etc.    At about 23:45, Ursula describes short stories, including from Denis Johnson, Roberto Bolaño, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sandra Cisneros, Donald Barthelme, Tobias Wolff, and Amy Bloom that inspired her   At about 26:00, Ursula   At about 27:00, Ursula speaks to the idea that her work, like that of many women, is more likely assumed to be autobiographical    At about 27:50, Ursula answers Pete’s questions about the chronology of her book, and she describes how much of it was written in the library    At about 29:35, Pete cites the collection’s first story in asking Ursula about ideas of truth in storytelling and imagination   At about 31:00, Ursula and Pete shout out past guest Oscar Hokeah’s Calling for a Blanket Dance and an example of things being “true but unreal”   At about 32:35, Pete cites an example of a story having to do with self-discovery and personas, and Ursula expands upon these ideas   At about 33:55, The two reflect on the power of a story about mental health and Sophia Loren   At about 36:20, Ursula reflects on meanings for the book’s title, and Pete cites a Cherry Valance example from The Outsiders in connection to ruminations on seemingly life-changing experiences   At about 39:30, Ursula reflects on the narrator’s disappointment and despair after a nonchalant comment from a possible boyfriend    At about 41:50, Ursula describes the ways in which therapy is featured in the book and differing ways in which it can be delivered in the real world   At about 43:00, Ursula expands on items of “totems”   At about 45:00, Pete highlights an important quote about “the power of suggestion” and Ursula describes how real-life events and ideas of “delusion” inspired a story in her collection   At about 45:52-Ursula’s cat makes an appearance!   At about 47:10, Ideas of trauma affecting adult experiences and relationships is discussed    At about 50:55, The two reflect on ideas of observers and how Ursula skillfully uses second and third-person   At about 52:25, Ursula shares exciting new projects   At about 54:50, Ursula gives out contact info and social media info and recommends Bookshop.org, Powell’s, and McNally-Jackson as 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.    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 208 with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a music journalist and pop culture expert whose work can be found in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, XXL, and Time.  Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion comes out on October 10, which is the date the book will be published! Also, look out for a late October/early November print conversation with me and Sowmya that will be in Chicago Review of Books.     Again, this episode will air on October 10.

Notes and Links to David Mura’s Work      For Episode 206, Pete welcomes David Mura, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing and the ways in which his parents’ imprisonment as Japanese-Americans affected their and his views of being an American, his more expansive reading as he matured that changed world views, the prescience and fullness and profundity of James Baldwin’s writing, ideas of shame/guilt and white supremacy, the stories told about ”great” white men, and blind spots-unintentional and intentional-that have led to racism in policing, schooling, medical care, and so many other parts of American life.        David Mura's memoirs, poems, essays, plays and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. Their topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. He gives presentations at educational institutions, businesses and other organizations throughout the country.     David's Website   David’s Wikipedia Page   Buy The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself   Review for The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself from The Star Tribune At about 1:45, David discusses the ways in which Japanese-American concentration camps, language and ethnicity shaped his reading and family’s life   At about 6:30, David discusses the ways in which he now looks back at work that was trumpeted as about “great (white) Americans” that he read in the past, including a sharper view of Abraham Lincoln   At about 11:00, David talks about the ways in which white Americans have failed to learn from past wrongdoing   At about 13:00, David expands upon a meaningful and emblematic meeting between James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Robert F. Kennedy, and others   At about 14:55, David describes the ways in which James Baldwin was prophetic in his depiction of the moral/spiritual emptiness of white racism   At about 16:55, David responds to Pete’s question about texts and quotes and passages and writers that thrilled and challenged him-he quotes (verbatim!) from an excerpt of a profound text from Baldwin-"The Devil Finds Work"   At about 21:45, David recounts racist and transformative experiences that shaped James Baldwin’s world view   At about 24:35, David reflects on ideas of forgiveness and how Baldwin’s views on Black and white people and myths and stories were shaped by experiences in New Jersey, the American South, and elsewhere   At about 28:25, Pete details a memorable example of hypocrisy involving Tom Tancredo and past guest Gustavo Arellano   At about 29:30, Pete asks David to further explain shame/guilt as it mentioned with regards to white racism in David’s book   At about 30:35, David reads a telling passage from his book related to the above question, and he references Tom Cotton and Ron DeSantis as two of many examples of denial of racism and white backlash   At about 33:15, David continues talking about shame and guilt and likens reactions to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ work  At about 37:00, David deals with the hypocrisy and white supremacy shown by Ron DeSantis’ takedown of AP African-American history and ideas of white validation    At about 40:00, Pete wonders if David sees any improvements and hope coming with younger generations and a more inclusive story; he brings up the ways in which Ruby Bridges’ story is emblematic of conservative, Moms for Liberty backlash   At about 44:45, The two discuss an infamous photo featuring Jerry Jones, and Pete cites a stunning story from the book involving Kiese Laymon and a racist incident with a future politician    At about 47:30, David provides historical background on “blackness” and “whiteness” and the ways in which the white elite has promoted these ideas to working-class whites   At about 49:40, Pete talks about ideas of reading and empathy, and he asks David about burdens and learning and working against ignorance    At about 52:30, David tells a story of learning about different perspectives from Alexs Pate and from Black artists “laughing with pain” from DWB (Driving While Black) experiences     At about 55:20, David relates a telling anecdote related to the movie and novelization of Amistad and the ways in which these two works of art showed disparate understandings of race and racism    At about 1:00:30, David describes the potency of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart   At about 1:03:15, Pete cites a moving specific and universal story from Douglas Kearney in the book, and David homes in on ideas of “what American means” to students of color in the Minneapolis area and connections to Black men killed by police and systemic racism   At about 1:09:40, David cites medical racism and ignorant and regressive ideas cited in a 2016 study of white medical students; he cites connections    At about 1:12:05, Pete and David wonder about the NRA’s lack of action in support of the Black Panthers and Philando Castile    At about 1:13:40, Moon Palace, Birchwood Books, and Magers & Quinn as good places to buy his 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 207 with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, the author of Math for the Self-Crippling, Gold Line Press fiction contest winner; writing has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, a Pushcart Prize, and longlisted for Best American Short Stories 2015    The episode will air on October 3.

Notes and Links to Josh Riedel’s Work      For Episode 205, Pete welcomes Josh Riedel, and the two discuss, among other topics, his Midwestern upbringing and early reading and writing, his love of Choose Your Own Adventure books, his evolving reading tastes, the experiences in early tech-at Facebook and as Employee #1 for Instagram-that inspired much of his book, and throughlines in the book like intimacy and connections, the free and not so free exchange of ideas, and the ways in which social media and Big Tech has altered our world and ourselves.      Josh Riedel was the first employee at Instagram, where he worked for several years before earning his MFA from the University of Arizona. His short stories have appeared in One Story, Passages North, and Sycamore Review. Please Report Your Bug Here is his first novel. He lives in San Francisco, California.     Josh Riedel's Website   Buy Please Report Your Bug Here   Chicago Review of Books Review of Please Report Your Bug Here       At about 1:45, Josh discusses his childhood reading and writing and Midwest upbringing in response to Pete citing an intriguing quote from    At about 5:20, The two discuss Josh’s writing style and his reading and understanding of fellow Illinoisian David Foster Wallace and the power of Dave Eggers’ work   At about 7:50, Peter Rock and Tony Early and Tin House are highlighted as helpful in shaping Josh’s love of writing and writing and writing style   At about 9:30, Josh discusses his early days of working at Facebook and seeing working in tech as an aesthetic pursuit    At about 12:40, Josh gives background on how he became Instagram Employee #1   At about 16:20, Josh discusses what drew him to early tech worlds, and what he still respects about the industry    At about 20:45, Josh shares seeds for the book   At about 22:10, Josh talks about how time and physical distance helped him to better write his book   At about 23:40, Johs defines and explains the meanings of “bug” in the tech world and provides some examples    At about 24:45, Pete relates some of the book’s exposition and Josh replies to Pete’s questions about NDA’s in tech and the ways they affect the consumer    At about 26:35, Josh speaks about the ways in which he characterizes The Founder in the book   At about 30:30, Josh speaks about the book’s mission statement scenes and the possible naivete of the protagonist Ethan     At about 33:15, Josh and Pete speak about the work/rest balance in tech companies and the ways in which it has changed/evolved   At about 37:40, Pete wonders who Noma is to Ethan in the book and Josh responds    At about 38:50, Pete sets up what happens early in the book with Ethan’s 100% match; Josh describes how this scene pushes the book in a surreal direction    At about 42:15, Josh and Pete describe how Noma takes Ethan out of his work bubble    At about 43:20, The two sum up the startup’s roster and lay out The Corporation’s machinations    At about 44:30, Yarbo is described by Josh in its makeup and philosophy   At about 46:00, Pete charts the Portals and surrealism of the book that becomes a/the main conflict    At about 49:00, Josh talks about bigger issues of connection that have changed since the book’s main setting of 2010 ish   At about 52:10, The two discuss “curated profiles” based on a profound quote from the book   At about 53:45, Josh responds to Pete’s questions on the unique and successful ending   At about 55:45, Josh discusses interesting upcoming projects and mentions a different topic about which he recently wrote for Esquire     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 206 with David Mura, whose memoirs, poems, essays, plays and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. The topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. His most recent standout is The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself.    The episode will air on September 29.  

Notes and Links to Kara H.L. Chen’s Work      For Episode 204, Pete welcomes Kara H.L. Chen, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and constant desire to write, the ways in which law has affected her writing, YA and its pull for her, seeds for Love and Resistance, and salient themes and related real-world issues from the book like racism and anti-Asian hate, cliques and social media and high school culture, and keeping a book fresh in the world of rapidly-advancing technology.           Kara H.L. Chen grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, where she once had to shovel snow off her car with a plastic trashcan. She now lives on the West Coast with her husband and daughters, and is learning how to use an Instapot. She has undergraduate degrees in English and economics, a J.D., and a MFA in fiction. She has used her economics degree exactly once, when she tried to make a joke about marginal costs and marginal returns. It did not go well.   Kara's Website   Buy Love and Resistance   Nerd Daily Interview At about 2:25, Kara discusses languages and reading and writing in her early days    At about 4:00, Kara relates the ways, subtle and not, that Taiwanese spoken in her family makes its way into her writing   At about 5:00, Pete and Kara geek out about their kids reading the new generation of The Babysitters’ Club and Kara discusses books and writers that influenced her-including more recent ones by Anthony Doerr, RF Kuang, Shawna Yang Ryan, and Ann Liang   At about 8:15, Kara responds to Pete’s asking about how her path in law and other life experiences dovetailed with writing for a profession    At about 9:30, Pete wonders about using different parts of the brain in writing for law and writing YA   At about 11:00, Kara speaks to the times in which she felt pulled/pushed into writing a novel/writing in general   At about 11:45, Kara shares her experience with representation and mentorship and care from Jen Ung   At about 14:15, Kara traces her interest in writing YA   At about 17:10, Kara talks about the years of work and querying that led to the book’s publication and the affirming feedback she’s received    At about 18:45, Kara gives a little summary of the book and discusses seeds for the book   At about 20:10, Pete cites important lines from the book’s beginning and Kara talks to protagonist Livvy’s ideas of school as a type of combat   At about 21:40, The two discuss Mitzi’s “in crowd” and microaggressions that come from the group, including an inciting incident when peers make racist comments   At about 23:00, Kara responds to Pete’s laying out some early and formative experiences in Livvy’s family   At about 25:10, The two discuss the light touch and lack of patronizing that makes Livvy’s mother a loving one, and Kara emphasizes the importance of the mother as a mentor figure and one who bridges generational/cultural gaps   At about 29:45, The Nerd Net and Livvy’s budding relationships are traced   At about 31:15, Peter, a pivotal character is discussed, in his purity, and Pete wonders if we or Kara should feel sorry for Mitzi due to some misfortunes    At about 34:30, Kara talks about the “Ocean’s Eleven” crew and the connections between Griff and Livvy and how the crew balances each other out and how Livvy is herself challenged in her assumptions about others   At about 37:18-39:43, Kara speaks about the racism in the micro-the book-and talks about how its subject matter has evolved over time and unfortunately been in line with a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes   At about 40:00, Kara and Pete discuss the universality of the book and how to chart the quick changes in technology   At about 41:12, Kara talks about the spoken word venue in the book and its connection to ideas of self-expression    At about 44:05, The two discuss feelings of “something else” and its connection to the adolescent years and racism in Livvy’s case   At about 48:30, Kara shares news on Asking for a Friend, her exciting new book set to be published in 2024   At about 50:00, Kara recommends Books, Inc., Keppler’s and others as places that have signed copies of her book and shares contact information/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.    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 205 with Josh Riedel. He was Instagram Employee #1, and he is the author of the novel Please Report Your Bug Here; his essays and short stories have appeared in Esquire, Slate, LitHub, One Story, Joyland, and elsewhere.    The episode will air on September 26.

Notes and Links to VV Ganeshananthan’s Work      For Episode 203, Pete welcomes VV Ganeshananthan, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and the ways in which Tamil has influenced her English writing, formative and transformative writing and writers, the ways in which her podcasting influences her writing and vice versa, the writing that resonates with her college students, and the towering achievement that is Brotherless Night-background and seeds for the book, cultural subtleties and nuances featured in the book, the complicated ways in which various groups interacted in the Sri Lankan conflicts, writing tenderness into such darkness, and the ways in which the storyline affected VV emotionally.      V. V. Ganeshananthan (she/her) is the author of the novels Brotherless Night, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. Her work has appeared in Granta, The New York Times, and The Best American Nonrequired Reading, among other publications.    A former vice president of the South Asian Journalists Association, she has also served on the board of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and is presently a member of the boards of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. The National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, Yaddo, MacDowell, and the American Academy in Berlin have awarded her fellowships. She has served as visiting faculty at the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan and at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and now teaches in the MFA program at the University of Minnesota, where she is a McKnight Presidential Fellow and associate professor of English. She co-hosts the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast on Literary Hub, which is about the intersection of literature and the news.     VV's Website   Buy Brotherless Night   "Terrorist to Whom"-New York Times Review of Brotherless Night   Listen to the fiction/non/fiction Podcast     At about 3:00, VV discusses her busy and productive schedule    At about 4:00, VV responds to Pete wondering about her early relationship with language   At about 5:20, VV reflects on Brotherless Night  bering referred to as having a Tamil feel, and expands on how the language of Tamil may figure in to her English    At about 8:15, VV speaks about early reading and literary influences   At about 10:30, Pete gives a pop spelling quiz    At about 11:15, VV discusses formative writers and works that put her on the path to becoming a writer, as well as an unforgettable visit from Gregory Maguire   At about 14:00, VV talks about the secret clubs she wasn’t (allegedly) part of at Harvard   At about 15:15, VV outlines the ethic and style of the podcast she cohosts with Whitney Terrell   At about 17:30, VV talks about the writers and writing that resonates with her college students, including the work of Carmen Maria Machado and Yiyun Li   At about 19:45, VV responds to Pete’s question about working on Brotherless Night for 20 years (?!), and she shares seeds for the book, including a class with Ethan Canin   At about 22:30, VV describes the emotional impact the book had on her   At about 24:00, Pete runneth over with compliments for the novel   At about 24:55, Pete speaks on the book’s Prologue and highlights meaningful lines at the beginning   At about 26:15-29:45, Pete wonders about the usage of only an initial for a main character, K, and VV gives some insight   At about 29:45, VV describes the ways in which Sasha looks at K   At about 32:15, The two discuss the town of Jaffna and ist makeup and early scenes involving a pivotal political rally   At about 34:20, VV gives background on Jaffna, how political Sashi’s family was and why she decided to set the novel there    At about 37:30, VV responds to Pete’s questions about how much colonialism’s shadow and aftereffects play in to the book’s events and traumas    At about 39:40, VV speaks about Indian forces and their role in the Sri Lanka   At about 41:00, VV reflects on the ways in which she was prompted to include rare, but meaningful, direct address in the book   At about 46:30, Pete tiptoes around plot spoilers while he and VV discuss a pivotal death in the book and the resulting action, or lack thereof, by Sashi’s father    At about 49:00, The two discuss aftereffects of the pivotal death and ideas of empathy, sympathy, and judgment for the actions of those involved in the conflicts    At about 50:35, VV responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which she presented a multifaceted view of the complicated conflict in Sri Lanka   At about 54:15, Pete remarks on the book’s tenderness in the midst    At about 55:55, Pete cites a right-on blurb from Brit Bennett   At about 56:10, VV shouts out Magers & Quinn as one of many places to buy the book   At about 57:10, VV shares future exciting projects and shouts out Julie Schumacher and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield    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 204 with Kara HL Chen. Kara has undergraduate degrees in English and economics, a J.D., and a MFA in fiction. Love and Resistance, published in July 2023, is her YA debut.    The episode will air on September 19.

Notes and Links to Dennis Sweeney’s Work        For Episode 202, Pete welcomes Dennis Sweeney, and the two discuss, among other topics, Dennis’ early relationship with books and almost-averse view of nature, some formational and transformational writers and writing, DFW and his outsized footprint, the power of small press poetry and other resonant books for Dennis and his students, as well as salient themes in his poetry collection, like patriarchy, emptiness versus fullness, isolation, change, retreat and escape in the modern world.        Dennis James Sweeney is the author of You’re the Woods Too and In the Antarctic Circle, as well as four chapbooks of poetry and prose, including Ghost/Home: A Beginner’s Guide to Being Haunted.    His first book, In the Antarctic Circle, won the Autumn House Rising Writer Prize and was a Debut Poetry Book of 2021 in Poets & Writers, as well as a finalist for the National Poetry Series and the Big Other Book Award. His second book, You’re the Woods Too, is a Small Press Distribution bestseller and a finalist for the Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Prize.    His fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in Ecotone, Ninth Letter, The New York Times, The Southern Review, and Witness, among others. Formerly a Small Press Editor at Entropy and Assistant Editor at Denver Quarterly, he has an MFA from Oregon State University and a PhD from the University of Denver.    His writing has been supported by residencies from Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, I-Park Foundation, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He is the recipient of a Fulbright grant to Malta.    Originally from Cincinnati, he lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he teaches at Amherst College.     Dennis' Website   Buy You're the Woods Too   “You’re the Woods Too by Dennis James Sweeney Review by Xander Gershberg” for Mayday Magazine At about 2:55, Dennis talks about his early reading and writing, exploring “fantastical” worlds, and   At about 4:35, Dennis follows up on some of his early reading experiences, including reading his fellow bandana-wearer David Foster Wallace and he expands on revisionism   At about 6:50, Pete shouts out Wallace’s amazing “A Supposedly Fun Thing…” and the two discuss maximalism and minimalism and Wallace’s place among white male writers who have often been excused for wrongdoing   At about 8:00, Dennis talks about how some enjoyable reading differed from Wallace’s    At about 12:15, Dennis talks about retreat and escape and implications   At about 13:00, Dennis shouts out some favorite contemporary writers that thrill and challenge him, including Emilia Gray and her AM PM, Lynn Xu, Sawako Nakayasu, Toni Morrison, and Billy-Ray Belcourt   At about 15:00, Dennis discusses Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Petina Gappah, and other writers whose resonates with her students   At about 16:25, Dennis responds to Pete’s questions about searching for muses   At about 18:20, Pete and Dennis discuss changes in life and writing life with the advent of fatherhood   At about 20:00, Dennis breaks down the title’s pronunciation and origins of the collection   At about 22:35, Pete cites Erica Berry’s work and asks Dennis about the natural setting of Oregon that inspired his work   At about 23:30, Dennis expands on moss and its importance and symbolism while citing Gathering Moss by Robin Kimmerer    At about 26:00, Is Dennis a believer in birds not being real??   At about 26:20, Dennis responds to Pete’s asking about any individual importance of the varied mosses that title the collection’s poems    At about 28:40, Pete and Dennis talk about ideas of nature being uncontrollable and the importance of “GREEN” and the use of “we” in the collection   At about 31:20, The two discuss the cabin setting for the second poem and beyond and Dennis responds to Pete’s thoughts on the pen and its significance    At about 34:20, Dennis speaks about ideas of emptiness versus fullness and their myriad meanings    At about 38:55, Pete muses on ideas of Paradise and “The Fall” and asks Dennis about ideas of God and spiritual ideas from the collection    At about 42:30, The two discuss ideas of travel and men as the exalted travelers and ideas of “theater” and who’s telling the stories   At about 47:15, Pete poses questions to Dennis about any changes from the retreat charted in the collection   At about 50:30, Pete makes yet another “Everlong” reference and compares it to ideas from later poems of Dennis’ and finding peace   At about 53:50, Dennis discusses exciting new writing he’s been working on    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 203 with V.V. Ganeshananthan, the author of the novels Brotherless Night, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. She also co-hosts the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast on Literary Hub. Brotherless Night is one of the most memorable books Pete has read in years, if not ever.    The episode will air on September 12.

Notes and Links to Erica Berry’s Work      For Episode 201, Pete welcomes Erica Berry, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and generational traumas and anxieties that have colored her life and many of our lives, her move from poetry into nonfiction and an eventual embrace of many different types of writing and lenses, the “ecology of fear,” travel and confronting fears, and making storylines about seemingly disparate topics-land rights, myth, wolves, fear-into a coherent and superb book.        Erica Berry’s nonfiction debut, Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear, was published in February 2023 by Flatiron/Macmillan (US+Canada), and Canongate (UK+Commonwealth) in March 2023.     Her essays and journalism appear in Outside, Catapult, Wired,. Winner of the Steinberg Essay Prize, she has received grants and fellowships from the Ucross Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, and Tin House.    She teaches workshops for teenagers and adults through the Attic Institute, Literary Arts, the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, the New York Times Student Journeys, and Oxford Academia. She was the 2019-2020 National Writers’ Series Writer-in-Residence and Teaching Fellow at Front Street Writers in Traverse City, Michigan.    She graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014, and received her MFA from the University of Minnesota as a College of Liberal Arts Fellow in 2018. She now lives in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she is a Writer-in-the-Schools and an Associate Fellow at the Attic Institute of Arts and Letters. Buy Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear   Erica's Website   Review of Wolfish for The Atlantic: “The Book That Teaches Us to Live With Our Fears”   "Why Do We Fear Wolves?" from LitHub, 2017     At about 2:15, Erica reps The Chills at Will swag!   At about 2:55: Erica quotes Rebecca Solnit in describing her early reading and writing and the relationships to anxiety and ease and pleasure    At about 4:20, Erica focuses in on some favorite readings and writers from growing up, including Cornelia Funke, in addition to the importance and shortcomings of journaling in her life    At about 8:55, Erica talks about her early connections to farms in her family, as well as poetry and nonfiction and her views of them as she got into high school and college   At about 13:05, Pete asks Erica about traumas and fears and how generational traumas have affected her family, her, and her writing    At about 17:15, Pete shouts out his son’s soccer debut in asking Erica about confronting fears; Erica quotes a telling example from Rachel Cusk’s work   At about 19:45, Erica responds to Pete’s questions about the connections between travel and exploration as imperatives for writers   At about 23:00, Pete shouts out Jean Guerrero’s top-notch Crux in asking Erica about her multidimensional writing style; Erica speaks about the background and rationale for her “interdisciplinary omnivorousness”    At about 26:00, Erica replies to Pete’s questions about what helped her to solidify seemingly-disparate topics into Wolfish; she discusses how early iterations of the book didn’t feature fear so prominently    At about 29:30, Pete sets the scene for the book’s opening, the start featuring the discovery of a wolf corpse, as well as further exploration by Erica of “crying wolf” and the many permutations of Little Red Riding Hood   At about 31:20, Erica speaks of ways in investigating the wolf’s effect on society’s consciousness through various expressions across the world involving the wolf    At about 33:00, Erica reads from Page 6 of her book, an excerpt involving false perceptions about worldwide wolf attacks on humans   At about 35:45, Erica discusses myths and stories and cultures that don’t always match up with perceptions of wolves, as well as ideas of indigenous’ connections to wolves and ideas of boundaries   At about 39:10, Pete and Erica chart the journeys of OR-7 and other wolves   At about 40:15, Pete cites Oregon’s horrific laws of the past involving Black people in asking Erica about how she brought together seemingly-unrelated issues and histories     At about 43:45, Erica and Pete discuss binaries and how Erica wrote against them    At about 44:45, The two discuss real-life tragedies and rational fears, and Erica discuss the implications of the “ecology of fear”   At about 49:20, Erica discusses her time at a wolf sanctuary in England and its aftereffects    At about 52:40, Erica discusses her heightened understanding of ranchers and food systems and the “stewards of the land” in eastern Oregon and beyond   At about 57:00, Erica discusses “connecting with the land” and ranchland   At about 58:15, The two discuss Erica’s trip to Sicily and ideas of getting past fears/living with minimized fear   At about 1:02:20, Erica discusses exciting upcoming projects    At about 1:04:00, Pete shares two pertinent quotes paraphrased by Erica’s teachers and she highlights their importance and genesis    At about 1:04:50, Broadway Books and Powell’s in Portland are highlighted as indie bookstores at which to but Erica’s 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 202 with Dennis J. Sweeney, a cross-genre writer and the author of You’re the Woods Too and In the Antarctic Circle, as well as four chapbooks of poetry and prose. He has been a finalist for the National Poetry Series and the Big Other Book Award.    The episode will air on September 5.

Notes and Links to Adam Vitcavage’s Work      For Episode 200, Pete welcomes Adam Vitcavage, and the two discuss, among other topics, Adam’s early reading and writing and the spark provided by writers like Jesmyn Ward, his early writing in the world of music criticism and literary criticism, the background on his penchant for working with debut authors, a lot of sports analogies, dream guests he’s worked with and still hopes to work with, The Babysitters Club, and shared experiences in the world of literary podcasting.        Adam Vitcavage is the founder of Debutiful, a website and podcast where readers can discover debut authors. The podcast was named one of the Best Book Podcasts by Book Riot, Town and Country, and Los Angeles Review of Books in 2022. His criticism and interviews have also been featured in Electric Literature, Paste Magazine, Literary Hub, Phoenix New Times, among others. He currently lives in Denver.  Listen to Debutiful   Debutiful Website   “A Mix of Paean and Elegy: The Millions Interviews Jamel Brinkley” by Adam   For Electric Literature: "Is Iceland the Most Literary Country in the World?" At about 4:30, Adam responds to Pete’s questions about his early relationship with the written word   At about 6:15, Adam gives background on his studies of literature, and how he began to compile bylines    At about 7:45, Adam talks about covering bands in his early writing career   At about 8:30, Adam talks about formational and transformational reading, like Salinger, Roth, and Salvage the Bones and how changed he was after reading it, and Jesmyn Ward as his “favorite living writer”   At about 11:30, Pete and Adam fanboy about Brandon Taylor   At about 12:20, Pete and Adam talk podcast shop, editing and what they leave in and take out   At about 14:55, Adam talks about how his writing/criticism is informed by his podcast, and vice versa   At about 16:40, Pete asks Adam to describe his podcast and about its seeds   At about 21:55, Adam provides interesting feedback received from learners   At about 23:55, Pete wonders why Adam chose to home in on debuts, and Adam responds   At about 24:30, Pete makes the analogy involving one’s first book/sports championship and asks Adam about “hunger”   At about 26:10, Adam discusses what it’s like to read for pleasure/business/the podcast and then poses the same question to Pete   At about 29:45, Pete asks Adam which genre is his favorite and how he would handle one last episode; he shouts out Jesmyn Ward    At about 31:00, The two discuss dream guests   At about 31:50, The two discuss interview guests of Adam’s, including George Saunders and his telltale book blurbs, and a vast array of non-literary guests    At about 35:20, Adam shouts out his two favorite NBA players of all-time   At about 37:00, Some love for Alanis Morrisette!   At about 38:25, Pete asks Adam about any plans for his own writing and any future projects/formatting   At about 41:40, Adam gives out social media and contact 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.    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 201 with Erica Berry, a writer and teacher based in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Her essays appear in The Guardian, Wired, Outside, The Atlantic, Guernica, and others. Winner of the Steinberg Essay Prize and Kurt Brown Prize in Nonfiction, her book Wolfish came out in Feb 2023 to great acclaim.     The episode will air on August 29.

Notes and Links to Jared Beloff’s Work      For Episode 198, Pete welcomes Jared Beloff, and the two discuss, among other topics, an early reading challenge that supercharged his voraciousness, contemporary and not-so contemporary writers who left an imprint on him with their visceral work and distinctive worldbuilding, his quick rise to published and acclaimed poet, and pertinent themes in his collection, including nostalgia, indifference, a fading and changing ecosystem, and the myriad effects of climate change.         Jared Beloff is the author of the Who Will Cradle Your Head (ELJ Editions, 2023).    He earned degrees at Rutgers University (BA in English) Johns Hopkins University (MA in English Literature, specializing in the novel and Romantic/18th Century Literature).    Jared has been an adjunct professor at Queensborough Community College, an English teacher and a teacher mentor in NYC public schools for 16 years.    Jared is currently a peer reviewer for The Whale Road Review. His poetry can be found in Contrary Magazine, Barren Magazine, KGB Bar Lit, The Shore, Rise Up Review, Bending Genres and elsewhere. His work has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Queens, NY. Buy Who Will Cradle Your Head   Jared's Website   From Identity Theory: “Cracking Open Clams: A Conversation Between Jared Beloff and Candice Kelsey” At about 2:35, Jared talks about a reading challenge that put his reading intake into high-gear   At about 4:25, Jared updates on his reading this summer/including The Sealey Challenge   At about 5:25, Jared reflects on the psychological/philosophical roots of his reading, especially his early reading   At about 7:35, Jared lists some formational and transformational works and writers, like Angels in América and English Patient, as well as Pablo Neruda, Bishop, and Forche’s work   At about 10:00, Jared reflects on how his own work reflects that which he has read and enjoyed throughout his life   At about 11:30, Jared responds to Pete’s questions about how he has been inspired and moved by fiction and poetry written about climate change; he cites Allegra Hyde’s impressive work, as well as work by Hila Ratzabi, Craig Santos-Perez, and Claire Wahmanholm;    At about 14:40, Jared shouts out Diane Seuss, who blurbed his collection, and how her work informs his, as well as how Obit and its metaphors “blew [him] away”   At about 15:20, Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky is highlighted as a stimulus for Jared’s writing   At about 16:25, Pete highlights Mai Der Vang’s Yellow Rain, and Nguyen and Anthony Cody are shouted out by Jared as influential in his work   At about 17:35, Jared talks about seeds for his collection, especially the “Swamp Thing” poems by Jack Bedell and the ways Todd Dillard uses “wonder”   At about 23:05, Pete highlights the collection’s first poem, one “After” Aimee Nezhukumatathil; Jared discusses the methodology of these “After” poems, the ideas of a “muse,” and how he often writes after what/who he teaches   At about 27:50, Jared discusses the background and content of “Animal Crackers”   At about 30:45, Pete compliments Jared on his work regarding his children, and Jared talks about thinking through poems and “allowing wonder to stay” despite “grief-laden” poems   At about 34:30, Jared explains how he used climate change as a proxy a(or vice versa?) for other types of grief both personal and societal    At about 35:40, Pete highlights profound lines and asks about Sasquatch’s importance throughout the collection   At about 39:50, Pete and Jared talk structure in Jared’s collection, including the diamond/pyramid structure and its uniqueness and power    At about 41:30, Jared shouts out Diana Khoi Nguyen’s work and using some structural stimuli   At about 45:05, Pete cites meaningful lines revolving around nostalgia and ideas of energy; he asks Jared about a cool and clever and depressing poem involving the Golden Girls   At about 48:15, Pete asks Jared his views on nostalgia in his work; Jared connects nostalgia with climate change circumstances    At about 51:15, Indifference in the face of climate emergencies is discussed, and Jared discusses “complic[ity]” and political choices   At about 53:00, Jared responds to Pete’s questions about climate change advocacy in the system  “tied/tired” as used in a poem   At about 54:00, Jared gives history on Freshkills and its history and eccentric future   At about 55:30, Jared reads the portion of the above poem that features the collection’s title and explains the title’s genesis    At about 59:00, Jared discusses exciting new projects    At about 1:01:30, Jared shouts out places to buy his 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 200 with Adam Vitcavage, who is the founder of Debutiful, a website and podcast where readers can discover debut authors. The podcast was named one of the Best Book Podcasts by Book Riot, Town and Country, and Los Angeles Review of Books in 2022. His criticism and interviews have also been featured in Electric Literature, Paste Magazine, Literary Hub, Phoenix New Times, among others.     The episode will air on August 22.  

Notes and Links to Sarah Thankam Mathews’ Work        For Episode 198, Pete welcomes Sarah Thankam Mathews, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and experience with multilingualism, contemporary and not-so contemporary writers who left an imprint on her with their visceral work and distinctive worldbuilding, “seeds and fertilizer” for her standout novel, including the vagaries of post-college life and the tragedies and communal love that came with the COVID pandemic, and pertinent themes in her book, like alienation, sexual trauma, “found family” and community building, and problematic capitalism.        Sarah Thankam Mathews grew up between Oman and India, immigrating to the US at seventeen. She is author of the novel All This Could Be Different, shortlisted for the 2022 National Book Award and the 2022 Discover Prize, nominated for the Aspen Literary Prize. Formerly a Rona Jaffe Fellow in fiction at the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and a Margins Fellow at The Asian American Writers Workshop, she has work in Best American Short Stories 2020 and other places. A proud product of public schools, she lives in Brooklyn, New York. Buy All This Could Be Different   Sarah's Website   Sarah's Substack   Review of All This Could Be Different from Los Angeles Review of Books At about 1:35, Sarah discusses her current paperback tour and what she’s heard about the book from readers and observations she has after a year of publication for All This Could Be Different   At about 4:50, Sarah gives background on her early relationship with languages, particularly Hindi, English, and Mayalalam   At about 7:30, Sarah discusses early reading that was influenced by living in what she calls a “tertiary” book market; she mentions transformational and formational books like The Bluest Eye and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things as books that left her “profoundly rearranged”   At about 10:20, Sarah shouts out Jamaica Kincaid’s Luck as a helpful companion as she wrote All This Could Be Different   At about 12:20, Sarah responds to Pete’s question about how Sarah saw her early reading in terms of representation; she points to ideas of visceral pleasure with that reading     At about 14:20, Sarah expands on ideas of pathos as a driving force at times as she wrote her book   At about 15:30, Sarah cites C Pam Zhang, Isle McElroy, Lydia Kiesling,  as some of the many contemporary writers who she admires and is thrilled by   At about 17:45, Sarah coins the cool term “proprietary physics” and how Lydia Kiesling exemplifies the phrase   At about 19:15, Sarah highlights Cohen’s The Netanyahus and Homeland Elegies from Ayad Akhtar   At about 20:15, Sarah drops a haunting and amazing fact about publishing from 9/11   At about 20:40, Sarah provides seeds for the book, both in the immediate past and the thought process from the more distant past   At about 23:20, Sarah talks about Bed Stuy Strong, a mutual aid organization she started in 2020, and how the “seeds and fertilizer” for the book came from this time    At about 29:10, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and Sarah responds to why she chose to set the book in 2012 or so   At about 32:30, The two discuss the book’s pivot point, which happened before the book’s main chronology; Sarah expands on the ways in which Sarah’s relationships and ethic and view on her previous life in India come from this pivotal and traumatic event   At about 37:30, Sarah speaks to the importance of Milwaukee and its history and her knowledge of it, and why she made the setting what it was    At about 42:10, Sarah responds to Pete’s asking about Sneha’s complicated relationship with her parents   At about 46:30, Sarah talks about the “absolutely bonkers act” that leads to a misunderstanding between Marina and the smitten Sneha   At about 49:40, Sarah gives background on Sneha’s boss and how his character evolved in her various drafts   At about 51:15, The two discuss the idea of “The Pink House” and its significance   At about 54:00, Sarah discusses her book as a coming of age story and her desire to portray deep friendships and love   At about 58:40, Pete notes the success of the well-drawn flashbacks and flashforwards and fanboys over the fabulous and eminently memorable last scene and last line of the book, and Sarah describes what the “page [was] revealing to her” as the book’s ending morphed   At about 1:02:05, Sarah discuss the book as (perhaps subtly) hopeful   At about 1:03:10, Pete asks Sarah about future projects   At about 1:04:00, Sarah drops some important insights that are useful advice for young (and old) writers   At about 1:04:50, Sarah shares contact info, social media, and bookstores where to buy her book, including The Word is Change in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn    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 199 with Jared Beloff. He is the author of Who Will Cradle Your Head and the microchap This is how we say “I love you.” He is also a peer reviewer for The Whale Road Review, and his work has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize.    The episode will air on August 15.

Notes and Links to Chloé Cooper Jones’ Work        Chloé Cooper Jones is a professor, journalist, and the author of the memoir Easy Beauty, which was named a best book of 2022 by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Memoir. She was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing in 2020. She is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant recipient and a Howard Foundation Fellow. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.      For Episode 197 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Chloé Cooper Jones, and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with reading, writing, seeking beauty, her parents’ influences on her world views, formative and transformative writers (and “fun trash” she read), and salient topics from her powerful memoir, such as muses and aesthetes, pop culture and philosophy, bigoted views on women as those with disabilities, and the pertinent trips that Chloé took in seeking beauty, catharsis, and hope.      Buy Easy Beauty: A Memoir   Chloe's Website   Chloe’s Pulitzer-Prize Nominated Article for The Verge- “Fearing for His Life”   People Magazine 2022 Article about Easy Beauty-“Author Chloé Cooper Jones, Who Has a Visible Disability, On Deciding to Claim Space For Herself and Her Son” At about 1:35, Chloe lets the listener in on her mindset in hearing about her second Pulitzer Prize nomination, including the beauty of combining family pursuits and career    At about 6:55, Chloe gives out information regarding where to buy her book, and her contact information, including Greenlight and Books are Magic, and Lawrence, KS’ The Raven Bookstore   At about 8:45, Chloe talks about her childhood and its focus on beauty as impressed upon her by her parents in their different ways; she calls “having a rich interior life a survival mechanism”    At about 13:15, Pete shouts out a short story idea from Chloe’s father that was emblematic of his mind   At about 14:00, Chloe details some of the reading that excited and challenged her as she grew up, and “the fun trash” too   At about 16:40, Chloe lists Diane Williams and Cormac McCarthy, among many others, as formative writers   At about 17:30, Pete asks Chloe about David Foster Wallace and some other nonfiction she may have read; she notes how “exciting” his sportswriting was, and Janet Malcolm and John McPhee as other great influences   At about 20:20, Chloe shouts out the recently-released and incredibly versatile work of Andrew Leland-The Country of the Blind, Rachel Aviv’s work, and Jessamine Chan’s School for Good Mothers   At about 22:10, Chloe responds to Pete’s question about if she felt represented in what she read growing up, and she answers the question using Coming Home as one anomaly   At about 26:30, Chloe reflects on the use of the word “disabled” and its myriad meanings    At about 28:05, Chloe answers Pete’s questions about the balance between disabled people educating others and well-meaning people and possible dehumanizing actions; she cites a telling excerpt from Andrew Leland’s book   At about 33:30, Pete cites Elaine Scarry and how Chloe connects ideas of processing beauty and ignorance   At about 34:15, Pete lays out the structure for the book as based on trips Chloe took, and he and Chloe discuss the importance and circumstances of the first trip chronicled, the trip to see Beyonce at San Siro; Chloe builds on the idea and definitions of “easy beauty”   At about 41:55, Pete compliments Chloe’s genuine writing about her son and motherhood   At about 42:55, Chloe explains the power of Beyonce and her “radical presence”   At about 45:50, The two discuss the freeing nature of Chloe’s reporting trip to see Roger Federer, which leads to further discussion of how Chloe’s melds philosophy and more aesthetic ideals with a more pop(ular) sensibility   At about 51:10, Chloe discusses an opening scene from the book that engendered strong feelings for her, as well as pervasive beliefs    At about 54:45, Chloe reflects on what was different about her reaction to the above conversation and the phenomenon of “The Neutral Room”   At about 56:35, The two discuss the book’s “Indifferent Man”   At about 59:20, Chloe gives background on her trip to Rome and seeking beauty and connections to her father’s philosophies    At about 1:04:15, The two discuss Chloe’s trip to Cambodia, and she discusses the evolving nature of her research and searching questions, as catharsis and society’s desire for witnessing violence become topics   At about 1:13:10, Pete notes the emphasis on capitalism in “dark tourism” and the seeming normality of dark tourism sites   At about 1:14:35, The two discuss a final scene dealing with perspective and Chloe’s mother and a trip to Miami   At about 1:19:25, Chloe responds to Pete’s question about how she deals with writing on profound and deeply painful and tragic topics   At about 1:23:45, Chloe talks about upcoming events and projects, including working with Matty Davis in Bentonville, AR    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 198 with Sarah Thankam Mathews, who is the author of the novel All This Could Be Different, which was shortlisted for the 2022 National Book Award and the 2022 Discover Prize, and nominated for the Aspen Literary Prize. She is formerly a Rona Jaffe Fellow in fiction at the Iowa Writers Workshop, and a Margins Fellow at The Asian American Writers Workshop. 

Episode 196 Notes and Links to Rachel Howzell Hall’s Work       On Episode 196 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Rachel Howzell Hall and the two discuss, among other things, her devotion to reading throughout her life, her love of crime writing and thrillers, the draw of her favorite writers, and ideas raised and dealt with in her writing, including themes of loneliness, identity, racism, traumas both historical and individual, gentrification, and fear.      Rachel Howzell Hall’’s debut novel, A Quiet Storm, was published in 2002 by Scribner to great notice, and was chosen as a “Rory’s Book Club” selection, the must-read book list for fictional television character Rory Gilmore of The Gilmore Girls.    She is the critically acclaimed author and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for And Now She’s Gone, which was also nominated for the Lefty-, Barry- and Anthony Awards. A New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister with James Patterson, Rachel is an Anthony-, International Thriller Writers- and Lefty Award nominee and the author of They All Fall Down, Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series as well as the author of the bestselling Audible Original, How It Ends.    Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and has been a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers Programs.    She lives in L.A. with her husband and daughter.       Buy What Never Happened   Rachel's Website   Review of What Never Happened from Kirkus Reviews  At about 1:20, Rachel talks about her mindset in the days leading up to the publication of What Never Happened on August 1, 2023; she also    At about 4:20, Rachel talks about the realism she seeks in her writing, particularly the book’s ending   At about 5:30, The two discuss the book’s bold opening   At about 6:15, Rachel gives background on her early reading and writing and love for LA, as well as her lifelong fascination with crime   At about 8:55, Rachel talks about the power of Stephen King’s work, particularly It   At about 10:20, Rachel talks about her experience at UC Santa Cruz   At about 11:00, Rachel discusses representation in the work she read growing up, and her desire to reflect different realities in her work in her specific way   At about 13:30, Rachel cites Laura Lippman, Megan Abbott and Gillian Flynn as writers whose treatment of “complex female characters” inspires her and her own work; she also cites Dennis Lehane and his “twists”; Eric Larson (telegraphs) and Jon Krakeur, too, are nonfiction writers who have influenced her    At about 16:30, Rachel responds to Pete’s question about how she sees genre and she highlights “sense of place” by Jordan Harper and Tod Goldberg   At about 19:20, Rachel talks in general and specifically about What Never Happened regarding writing the balance between plot/theme/allegory, etc.   At about 22:05, Rachel discusses the book’s setting and seeds for the book, including the draw of Catalina Island for someone who grew up in Los Angeles    At about 24:15, Rachel talks about the pandemic and obituaries and their effects on the books   At about 25:15,    At about 26:40, Pete and Rachel discuss Southland and their shared love for the show, as Pete connects the show’s in medias res to the book’s beginning   At about 29:00, The two discuss complications in the book and important characters in Coco’s life, including her spurned and threatening ex-husband   At about 31:55, Rachel talks about how the tragedies that Coco experienced affects her as a “people pleaser”   At about 33:45, Rachel and Pete give a little historical background on Catalina Island, its landscape and unique social climate; Rachel shares some interesting historical anecdotes and trivia based on her research and some of her rationale in building upon themes in the book with regard to the island   At about 39:50, Rachel vouches for the historical veracity of the racist wording used in the Avalon newspapers in the archives Coco searches in the book   At about 42:00, The two shout out Gwen, who Rachel calls “everyone’s sassy aunty”    At about 43:00, Pete quotes a great line from Gwen   At about 44:00, Rachel characterizes Noah, and how he views Coco   At about 46:30, Pete lays out a series of crimes that terrorize the island in the book, in tandem with the beginning of the Covid epidemic; Rachel expands upon ideas of the despicable things done in quarantine   At about 49:00, Pete highlights the cascading problems and scares that complicate Coco’s life as the book goes on   At about 50:15, Pete recounts an early scene with a cab driver that is prophetic   At about 51:30, Pete outlines some key themes of the book-racism, gentrification, etc.: and Rachel expands on ideas of classicism and ideas of loneliness, as well as Garden of Eden   At about 54:10, Pete and Rachel   At about 55:40, Pete asks Rachel about writing in different voices-obituary, narration, etc.,-as well as the genesis of the book’s title   At about 58:50, Rachel imagines who would play Coco if a movie of What Never Happened took place   At about 59:35, Rachel 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.    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.    Check out the next episode, which airs on August 1 Chloe Cooper Jones is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine; She is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing for “Fearing for His Life,” a profile of Ramsey Orta, the man who filmed the killing of Eric Garner, and the recipient of the 2020 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and the 2021 Howard Foundation Grant from Brown University, with both grants in support of her 2023 book, Easy Beauty.    The episode will air on August 1.

Notes and Links to Jessica Cuello’s Work      In Episode 195, Pete welcomes Jessica Cuello, and the two discuss, among other topics, her deep love for poetry and the French language, the power of libraries, transformational work by Jamaica Kincaid, the history of Mary Shelley, her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and the chaotic and amazon lives led by the family members, ideas of guilt, trauma, misogyny, feminist power, death, doomed love, and identity.     Jessica Cuello’s most recent book is Yours, Creature (JackLeg Press, 2023). Her book Liar, selected by Dorianne Laux for The 2020 Barrow Street Book Prize, was honored with The Eugene Nassar Prize, The CNY Book Award, a finalist nod for The Housatonic Book Award, and a longlist mention for The Julie Suk Award. Cuello is also the author of Hunt (The Word Works, 2017) and Pricking (Tiger Bark Press, 2016). Cuello has been awarded The 2022 Nina Riggs Poetry Prize, two CNY Book Awards, The 2016 Washington Prize, The New Letters Poetry Prize, a Saltonstall Fellowship, and The New Ohio Review Poetry Prize. In addition, Cuello has published three chapbooks: My Father’s Bargain (2015), By Fire (2013), and Curie (2011). In 2014 she was awarded The Decker Award from Hollins University for outstanding secondary teaching. She is poetry editor at Tahoma Literary Review and teaches French in CNY.      Buy Yours, Creature   Jess' Website   Review of Yours, Creature At about 2:30, Jessica responds to Pete asking about where to buy Yours, Creature, and her social media/contact information   At about 3:40, Jessica talks about her relationship with language and literature, as well as books like Jamaica Kincaid’s that changed her trajectory, and her relationships with libraries, small towns, and urban areas   At about 11:10, The two discuss teaching foreign language and evolving pedagogy   At about 12:05, Jessica answers Pete’s questions about any links between French-which she teaches-and her own writing    At about 14:30, Pete talks about Mary Wollstonecraft and his knowledge or lack thereof in asking Mary about the links between her and her daughter, Mary Shelley; Jessica talks about seeds for her interest in the Marys   At about 20:10, The two discuss the frenetic life, particularly her teens and 20s, of Mary Shelley   At about 21:20, Pete asks about the rationale for the poetry collection’s title; Jessica speaks to its significance    At about 22:55, Pete speaks about the epistolary form of the letters and wonders about the formality of much of the work   At about 24:10, Jessica gives background on her structure for the book and its iterations    At about 25:50, Pete lays out the book’s first poem and birth and death; he reads from Page 4 and asks Jessica about ideas of revenge; she speaks of an evocative image   At about 28:30, Jessica cites evidence of Shelley’s father, Godwin, and the stories he wrote about her life and the violence he perpetrated    At about 30:25, Pete reads from some early poems, laying out the divide between mother and stepdaughter   At about 31:00, The theme of loss is discussed   At about 31:50, Jessica reflects on her usage of initials for the males in the collection, particularly Godwin   At about 34:50, The two concentrate on a poem that deals with “threes” and the family dynamic after Mary Wollstonecraft’s death and ideas of guilt   At about 37:10, Jessica explains a blank in a poem and its meanings and her rationale   At about 38:40, Jessica explains a legend about Mary Shelley and Percy’s trysts    At about 40:25, Pete reads telling and moving lines about grief from the collection   At about 41:20, Men in Shelley’s life are discussed in their flightiness, and Pete asks Jess about what shone through for Mary in loving Percy   At about 44:15, Pete highlights strong imagery, and Jess talks about Fanny, a half-sister of Mary, and ideas of women not wanting to “inconvenience” others   At about 47:25, Traumas of many types are discussed    At about 49:00, Jessica responds to Pete’s wondering about “the creature” and its origins and meanings; Jessica and Pete reflect on the creature as “feminine”    At about 52:30, The two discuss the ways women’s bodies are viewed, as Pete cites important lines from the collection   At about 54:00, Pete asks about any future project that Jessica is working on     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.    Check out the next episode, which airs on August 1. Chloe Cooper Jones is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine; She is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing for “Fearing for His Life,” a profile of Ramsey Orta, the man who filmed the killing of Eric Garner, and the recipient of the 2020 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and the 2021 Howard Foundation Grant from Brown University, with both grants in support of her 2023 book, Easy Beauty.    The episode will air on August 1.

Episode 194 Notes and Links to Ruth Madievsky’s Work       On Episode 194 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ruth Madievsky and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with Moldova and the former Soviet Union, her bilingual journey, formative and transformative writers and works, her sensibility as a poet and novelist, and prominent themes and issues about and surrounding her book, such as generational trauma and its effect on families and individuals, sexual violence, homophobia, codependent relationships, and dark humor that comes with pain and trauma.         Ruth Madievsky is the author of a novel, All-Night Pharmacy (Catapult, July 2023), an instant national bestseller. An Indie Next Pick, All-Night Pharmacy has been named a Best/Most Anticipated 2023 Book by over 40 venues, including NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vulture, and Buzzfeed.   Her fiction, nonfiction, and poetry appear in The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, Harper's Bazaar, GQ, Tin House, Guernica, them, Ploughshares, The American Poetry Review, and elsewhere. Her debut poetry collection, Emergency Brake (Tavern Books, 2016), was the winner of the Wrolstad Contemporary Poetry Series and spent five months on Small Press Distribution's Poetry Bestsellers list. She was the winner of The American Poetry Review's Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize, The Iowa Review's Tim McGinnis Award for fiction, and a Tin House scholarship in poetry. She is a founding member of the Cheburashka Collective, a community of women and nonbinary writers whose identity has been shaped by immigration from the Soviet Union to the United States.   She has recently completed a second poetry collection. Originally from Moldova, she lives in Los Angeles, where she works as an HIV and primary care clinical pharmacist. She tweets her existential longings at @ruthmadievsky.       Buy All-Night Pharmacy   Ruth's Website   Review of All-Night Pharmacy from Kirkus Reviews   Article about All-Night Pharmacy in The Los Angeles Times   Conversation and Article with Adrian Florido on NPR’s “All Things Considered” At about 2:50, Ruth discusses her mindset in this time immediately after two milestones-the birth of her daughter and great success for All-Night Pharmacy   At about 4:25, Ruth shouts out Skylight Books as a great place, among many, to buy her book-also, Book Soup   At about 5:00, Ruth talks about her family’s history with the Russian language and their Jewish identity in the former Soviet Union and reasons for emigration    At about 8:10, Ruth talks about communities of those who spoke Russian and those who shared her love for reading and writing and storytelling    At about 12:15, Pete asks which books and writers were formative and transformative for Ruth   At about 14:20, Ruth talks about the “contradictory, complicated” Los Angeles of her youth and beyond   At about 16:00, Ruth shouts out Richard Siken, Marie Howe, Terrance Hayes, Bryan Washington, Raven Leilani, as inspirational and challenging writers   At about 17:35, Pete compliments the book’s “arresting” last image   At about 18:30, Ruth describes why she’s “a poet writing novels,” in relation to recent fun viral posts   At about 20:15, Ruth highlights a fun “deleted scene” article from Guernica   At about 22:55, Pete highlights the book’s epigraph and an early strong characterization of Debbie   At about 24:10, Ruth gives a characterization of Debbie   At about 26:00, The two juxtapose the narrator and Debbie and shout the “earnest” Ronnie   At about 28:50, Ruth gives background on the “cursed bar game”-“Wealthy Patron” and the bar Salvation    At about 30:30, The two discuss Ronnie as “stable” in light of Debbie and the narrator's troubled parents    At about 31:30, Ruth talks about traumas and how they inform the actions of Debbie and the narrator’s mother   At about 33:20, Generational gaps are highlighted, particularly among Debbie and the narrator’s grandmother and them; the larger idea of Jewish and other immigrants and ideas of hardship are discussed   At about 35:05, Ruth responds to Pete’s question about what one does to “live up to” their forebears’ sacrifices; she points to the narrator’s guilt/conflicted feelings and trying to “honor”   At about 37:15, A heavy and darkly humorous party from the book is highlighted   At about 37:45, Ruth speaks to the ways in which the sisters acted out in connection to their father as “mostly a nonentity”   At about 39:15, Ruth discusses the knife and statue and ideas of agency in the narrator's life   At about 42:10, The two discuss touch and “cutting” and the transference of pain   At about 43:00, Ruth discusses ideas of “being a victim,” particularly in the ways in which Debbie and her sister deal with their sexual abuse   At about 47:00, The two discuss the codependent relationship between sisters, as well as Sasha’s    At about 50:00, Ruth talks about the contrast between the narrator’s relationship with Sasha in the US and Moldova and how their relationship evolved    At about 52:50, Pete quotes some meaningful lines from the book that deal with generational traumas    At about 54:00, Pete wonders if Ruth has plans to further explore issues and characters from All-Night Pharmacy in future projects   At about 56:30, An article in Full Stop that cites a reason for the book’s title is mentioned  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 195 with Jessica Cuello, whose book Liar was selected by Dorianne Laux for The 2020 Barrow Street Book Prize; her latest book is Yours, Creature, a creative and stirring look at the life of Mary Shelley.  The episode will air on July 28.

Episode 193 Notes and Links to Ethan Chatagnier’s Work       On Episode 193 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ethan Chatagnier, and the two discuss, among other things, Ethan’s early reading and writing-John Saul!-his transformative and formative moments and educators at Fresno State, and salient issues in Singer Distance like emotional distance, entropy, father-child relationships, optimism and pessimism, and successful plot structures and schematics.       Ethan Chatagnier is the author of Singer Distance, a novel published by Tin House Books in October 2022, and of Warnings from the Future, a story collection from Acre Books in 2018. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of literary journals including the Kenyon Review Online, Georgia Review, New England Review, Story, Five Points, Michigan Quarterly Review, and the Cincinnati Review. His stories have won a Pushcart Prize and been listed as notable in the Best American Short Stories and the Million Writers Award.    He is a graduate of Fresno State, where he won the Larry Levis Prize in Poetry, and of Emerson College, where he earned an MA in Publishing and Writing. He lives in Fresno, California with his family.       Buy Singer Distance   Ethan's Website   Review of Singer Distance from Kirkus Review At about 3:00, Ethan discusses his early relationship with reading and writing-John Saul shout out!   At about 6:30, Ethan discusses his wrestling career and how writing and reading became more of interest    At about 9:30, Ethan discusses mentors and great professors at Fresno State, including Juan Felipe Herrera and Steve Yarbrough   At about 11:40, Ethan responds to Pete’s questions about whether or not he wants to write widely or more focused on single subjects   At about 14:10, Ken Kalfus’ Equilateral is cited as inspiration for Singer Distance   At about 15:15, Erika Swyler,  Kazuo Ishiguro, and R.F. Kuang are shouted out as contemporary writers who thrill and challenge Ethan    At about 17:20, Pete compliments Ethan for plot twists and asks him about how he balances science and plot   At about 18:15, Ethan summarizes the book and gives necessary background information and backstory   At about 23:15, Ethan responds to Pete’s wondering about the speculative nature of women, especially Crystal Singer, in a pre-ERA world   At about 24:40, Pete reads a profound line from the book and asks Ethan about young and fervent love’s role in the book   At about 26:50, Ethan connects an analogy about garbage in the book to Crystal and Rick’s relationship    At about 28:30, Ethan and Pete share some of the early plot and discuss ideas of fame and ethereal happiness   At about 31:50, Ethan sums up Crystal’s actions after her great feat in the Arizona desert, and what motivations she might have had due to her family situation    At about 34:30, Crystal and Rick are discussed in their shared love for Holliday, a famous scientist in the media   At about 36:35, Pete wonders about Rick’s fractured relationship with his dad, Ethan talks about it being “a rift that was waiting to happen”   At about 37:55, Ethan shares a telling anecdote about fathers and sons from Steve Yarbrough’s class at Fresno State   At about 39:30, Pete notes the ways in which “distance” is used in the book and spotlights a beautifully-drawn scene   At about 40:25, Pete lays out the book’s structure and its parts and charts the beginning of Part II   At about 42:00, Ethan follows up on Pete noting that Rick’s colleague Angie can’t quite break through his emotional armor and why Rick sort of “get[s] by” in life and in his career   At about 44:25, The two discuss entropy and its usage in the book   At about 45:00, “Loneliness on the top” and obsession with regards to Crystal is discussed; he also juxtaposes with an author’s situation in writing a second book after a successful first one   At about 48:55, Pete reads some heaping praise for the book, including from NPR, and Ethan talks about connections made and renewed after publicity for the book   At about 50:40, Pete asks Ethan about optimism and pessimism in the book, specifically in its ending; Ethan calls it “surprisingly hopeful” and gives an example of a vastly-depressing short story of his   At about 55:15, Ethan talks about his work and any interest in screenwriting   At about 57:45, Ethan talks about choosing upcoming projects, and gives out social media and 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 194 with Ruth Madievsky, whose debut novel, All-Night Pharmacy, came out on July 11 with Catapult, and has been named a Best/Most Anticipated 2023 Book by The Los Angeles Times, Vogue, and Buzzfeed. Ruth’s debut poetry collection, Emergency Brake, was winner of the Wrolstad Contemporary Poetry Series.     The episode will air on July 25.

Notes and Links to Donovan X. Ramsey’s Work    For Episode 192, Pete welcomes Donovan X. Ramsey, and the two discuss, among other things, his early relationship with language, formative and transformative writers like bell hooks, Zora Neale Hurston, Phillip Roth, Colson Whitehead, and the inimitable Toni Morrison, connotations and legal policies that are products of the mythmaking and propagandizing of the “crack era,” the emblematic stories of the people followed in Donovan’s book, historical precedent for the over policing and oppression of Black people in the US, and optimism and pessimism to be seen in the stories of the crack era and of today.      Donovan X. Ramsey is a journalist, author, and an indispensable voice on issues of identity, justice, and patterns of power in America. His reporting has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, GQ, WSJ Magazine, Ebony, and Essence, among other outlets. He has been a staff reporter at the Los Angeles Times, NewsOne, and theGrio. He has served as an editor at The Marshall Project and Complex. Ramsey’s writing career has been focused entirely on amplifying the remarkable unheard stories of Black America. He believes in people-first narratives that center individuals and communities—not just issues. His memorable magazine work includes profiles of Deion Sanders, Killer Mike, and Bubba Wallace for GQ; and Bryan Stevenson and Ibram Kendi for WSJ Magazine. Ramsey is the author of When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era, a work of narrative nonfiction exploring how Black America survived the crack epidemic for One World, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher. He was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He holds degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he concentrated in magazine journalism, and Morehouse College, a historically black college in Atlanta. Today, he calls Los Angeles home.     Buy When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era   Donovan's Website   Review in The New York Times of When Crack Was King   Interview with The Los Angeles Times about When Crack Was King At about 2:55, Donovan gives background on his early reading and writing life   At about 6:00, Donovan and Pete fanboy over Toni Morrison, who Donovan calls “the greatest to ever do it”   At about 7:30, Donovan discusses his love of Phillip Roth’s work, as well as that of Zora Neale Hurston and Colston Whitehead’s work   At about 9:50, Donovan talks about ideas of representation and how he was taken care of intellectually   At about 12:30, Donovan references current writers who thrill and challenge him, including Colson Whitehead, Mat Johnson, and Stephen King, whose cover of It inspired the cover for When Crack Was King   At about 14:30, Donovan responds to Pete’s questions about long form versus “longer form” and how he dove into the research   At about 17:50, Donovan cites jazz as a must when he’s writing   At about 19:00, Pete points to “crack era laws” Donovan references that seemed to be seeds for the book, and Donovan responds by mentioning Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration as an important “seed” for the book   At about 23:00, Donovan talks about the connotations that come with the word “crackhead,” as well as government and official language that served to dehumanize drug users and Black Americans    At about 26:20, Pete compliments and notes about a “good historical revision” in use of language that is not dehumanizing    At about 27:10, Pete marks the book’s eight-part structure    At about 28:30, Pete points out the book’s interesting and necessary historical background that is provided   At about 29:05, Donovan responds to Pete’s asking about Nixon’s “War on Drugs” and the preceding and succeeding years in drug and policing policies; he specifically speaks about Nixon’s “Southern Strategy”    ***At about 33:10, The two discuss connections between events charted in the book with events of today and lament how, since history is cyclical,” there is little   At about 34:20, Pete and Donovan discuss the “inconsistent[cy}” in the US government’s and society’s view of drugs and punishment    At about 38:15, Donovan explains the Richard Pryor story and Lenny Bias’ tragic death in the context of mythmaking and propaganda around crack cocaine   At about 40:10, The newspaper article “Jimmy’s World” and the almost unbelievable circus around it is discussed    At about 44:20, “Gabo” weighs in on “Jimmy’s World!”   At about 44:45, Donovan charts the historical consequences of racist tropes regarding drugs and their supposed transference of superhuman qualities for Blacks and other people of color   At about 47:25, The two discuss Kurt Schmoke’s turn towards the decriminalization of drugs    At about 52:00, Donovan reflects on the economic ties between so much of society and the “War   At about 53:15, The two discuss the Democrats’ emphasis on “tough on crime” in the crack era and beyond, as well as the need for making things right now, with the adjustment of laws and redress of past wrongs   At about 57:20, Pete discusses the importance of Dre Dre and other hip musicians as part of bringing the crack era to an end, as well as communities standing up to bring use down   At about 58:40, Donovan talks about pessimism that came after finishing the book in 2020, including the case of young Black men being barred from selling water in Atlanta    At about 1:02:25, Pete highlights the power of the individual stories in the book, including a beautiful andeote involving Shawn-Coach McCray   At about 1:04:00, Donovan responds to Pete’s questions about any optimism he feels in examining the individual stories of Shawn, Lennie, Elgin, Kurt, and others   At about 1:06:50, Donovan talks about exciting upcoming projects, including podcast potential    At about 1:08:00, Donovan shouts out Reparations Club in Los Angeles, For Keeps Bookstore in Atlanta, and McNally Jackson Books in New York as good places to buy his book, as well as his social media/contact 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.    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. Check out the next episode with Ethan Chatagnier, which airs today, July 18.    Ethan is the author of Singer Distance, a novel lauded by NPR Books and The Millions. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of literary journals including the Kenyon Review Online and he has won a Pushcart Prize and been listed as notable in the Best American Short Stories.     Again, the episode with Ethan will air today, July 18.  

Episode 191 Notes and Links to Sarah’s Work       On Episode 191 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Sarah Fawn Montgomery, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading and writing, storytelling, growing up in Central California, the ways in which blue-collar Americans have been depicted-or not depicted in literature, and salient themes in her essay collection, like nostalgia, father-daughter relationships, cycles of poverty and violence and trauma, and evolving ideas of home.      Sarah Fawn Montgomery is the author of Halfway from Home (Split/Lip Press, 2022), Quite Mad: An American Pharma Memoir (The Ohio State University Press, 2018) and the poetry chapbooks Regenerate: Poems of Mad Women (Dancing Girl Press, 2017), Leaving Tracks: A Prairie Guide (Finishing Line Press, 2017), and The Astronaut Checks His Watch (Finishing Line Press, 2014). Her work has been listed as notable in Best American Essays many times, and her poetry and prose have appeared in Brevity, Crab Orchard Review, DIAGRAM, Electric Literature, LitHub, New England Review, The Normal School, Passages North, Poetry Foundation, The Rumpus, Southeast Review, Terrain, and numerous other journals and anthologies. She holds an MFA in creative writing from California State University-Fresno and a PhD in English in creative writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is an Associate Professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.      Buy Halfway from Home: Essays   Sarah's Website   Review of Halfway from Home: Essays from Kirkus Review   Split Rock Review-Review of Halfway from Home   At about 2:20, Sarah talks about her early relationships with reading and writing, and about how she wanted to write stories about often-overlooked working-class people   At about 4:20, Sarah cites some early favorite books and writers, and she analyzes the ways she reads a favorite, Joan Didion, now differently than she did then   At about 7:00, The two discuss class and how it is talked about in our society (or not) and represented in literature    At about 9:00, Sarah discusses how she got excited about writing-she shouts out to a high school teacher who gave a meaningful and transformative journal assignment and invited Sarah to keep writing   At about 13:00, Sarah references nonfiction writers who thrilled her in college-like Audre Lorde, Sandra Cisneros, and Jamaica Kincaid-and thrill her today, like Chen Chen, Ada Limón, Donika Kelly, Saeed Jones, Dorothy Chan, and torrin a. greathouse     At about 14:40, Sarah recounts the genesis of her Halfway From Home collection and answers Pete’s questions about making the individual essays cohere   At about 17:40, Pete summarizes the book’s first essay and its “dig sites” and focus on her father’s whimsy and her love of dirt-it’s called “Excavation”    At about 19:00, Sarah speaks to the significance of “excavation” in the first story and beyond   At about 21:00, Pete compliments the story’s “imagined ending” and Sarah speaks about its significance and background    At about 23:25, Sarah discusses the power and symbolism of fire and light, cold and darkness, as featured in her book   At about 26:10, The two discuss ideas of homes, serenity, and respite from traumas and chaos   At about 31:30, The two discuss her essay on cartography   At about 35:40, Pete muses   At about 37:00, The history of Sarah’s family in mines is discussed, along with the multiple meanings of “descendants”   At about 40:50, Sarah talks about “complicating humanity,” especially with regards to her grandfather and grandmother   At about 42:15, Pete asks about the end of an essay and how Sarah approached its second-person address   At about 44:20, The two discuss nostalgia and its connections to the essays, the intriguing concept of saudade, and nostalgia’s history as something to be discouraged   At about 48:35, Pete recounts how nostalgia has informed the podcast’s ethos   At about 50:45, Sarah confesses to being “anti-time” (!) and the two reference a classic Saved by the Bell scene   At about 54:45, Cycles of violence as depicted in the essay are examined   At about 56:45, Sarah reflects on how she sees and saw he father throughout her collection and in more recent times   At about 1:01:00, Pete notes the ways in which women in Sarah’s family are portrayed in her collection    At about 1:02:30, Pete compliments a beautiful scene with father and daughter and Sarah talks about the nostalgia associated with parents and childhood-Pete    At about 1:04:45, Sarah shares an interesting new project involving combatting ableist writing as default    At about 1:05:50, The two fan boy/girl over Alice Wong’s work   At about 1:06:15, Sarah shouts out her publisher Split Lip Press as a place to buy her book   At about 1:06:45, Sarah gives out social media/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 192 with Donovan X Ramsey. He is a journalist, author, and indispensable voice on issues of identity, justice, and patterns of power in América; When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era comes out on June 11, i.e. the day this episode with Sarah has been published.  The episode will air on July 18.

Episode 190 Notes and Links to Ellen Birkett Morris’ Work      On Episode 190 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ellen Birkett Morris, and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with the written word and Southern gothic writers, her increased confidence in world building that led to her embracing writing as a profession, writers whose work thrills her, her upcoming award-winning novel, promoting her Lost Girls story collection during the onset of Covid, pertinent themes from her collection, such as misogyny, the innocence of youth, aging and its attendant repercussions, connections/intimacy, and death, as well as her mindset in writing emotional and wrenching pieces.       Ellen Birkett Morris is an award-winning, multi-genre writer, teacher, and editor based in Louisville, Kentucky. Morris is the author of SURRENDER (Finishing Line Press). Her poetry has appeared in Thin Air Magazine, The Clackamas Literary Review, Juked, Alimentum, Gastronomica, 3Elements Review and Inscape, among other journals.  Morris won top prize in the 2008 Binnacle Ultra-Short Edition and was a semi-finalist for the 2009 Rita Dove Poetry Prize. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.    Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Notre Dame Review, South Carolina Review, Sliver of Stone, Great Jones Street, Santa Fe Literary Review, and Upstreet, among other journals. She is the 2015 winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for her story “May Apples” and won the Betty Gabehart Prize for Fiction.      Morris’s plays have appeared in Mud City Journal, Monologue Bank, and Plays, The Drama Magazine for Young People. Her ten-minute play, “Lost Girls,” was a finalist for the 2008 Heideman Award given by Actors Theatre. “Lost Girls’ received a staged reading at Cincinnati’s Arnoff Center.    Her essays can be found in trade paperback books including NESTING: IT’S A CHICK THING, THE WRITING GROUP BOOK, THE GIRLS’ BOOK OF LOVE, and THE GIRLS’ BOOK OF FRIENDSHIP, in journals including Brevity blog, The Common, The Butter, The Fem and South Loop Review, and on National Public Radio.    Morris teaches creative writing at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky.       Buy Lost Girls   Ellen’s Website   Review of Lost Girls by Yvette Benavides for Texas Public Radio   At about 3:20, Ellen describes her relationship with the written word, including the impact of the Southern Gothic she often was read   At about 4:45, Ellen talks about initial nervousness and small successes that “catapulted [her] into writing”   At about 5:40, Ellen keys in on what improvements she made in worldbuilding and “the magic of populating” her writing   At about 7:00, Ellen highlights Bobbie Ann Mason, Barbara Kingsolver, Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Berg as writers who have shaped her own work, as well as how her jour; Elizabeth Strout, George Saunders, and Rebecca Makkai are cited as beloved contemporary writers   At about 8:15, Pete remarks on the book’s economy of language, and Ellen adds how her pacing propels her work and how her journalism career has aided her later writing   At about 10:55, Ellen shouts out Rebecca Kuang’s Yellowface as a must-read   At about 12:40, Pete remarks on Ellen’s fabulous variety of work and asks her about muses and how she writes in different mediums; she provides an anecdote involving her father that illustrates her philosophy   At about 13:55, Ellen talks about how workshop help from Erin Flanagan provided the catalyst for her upcoming novel At about 15:10, Ellen shares exciting news regarding her upcoming novel winning the Donald L. Jordan Award At about 18:05, Ellen discusses the difficulties in the promoting and release of Lost Girls in June 2020 At about 19:30, Ellen calls the book a “loosely-linked collection of stories” and its connections to “Winesberg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson At about 20:40, The two discuss the title story and the real-life backstory that inspired Ellen’s desire to center women in her story collection At about 22:00, Ellen explains how she complicates the title story At about 24:00, The two discuss the story of “Inheritance” and Ellen discusses “sin-eating,” themes of oppression and cycles of poverty and trauma and death and the story’s resonant title At about 28:15, Ellen calls the story’s ending the most “raw, heart wrenching” she’s written At about 28:55, The story “Religion” is discussed, including its emphasis on intimacy and social groups, and Ellen underlines the story’s humor At about 30:30, The two talk about “Harvest” and themes of vitality and ageism and misogyny At about 33:20, Pete fanboys over the story “The Afterlife” and the two discuss the grief and complicated mourning that takes place At about 35:20, Ellen discusses advice received about complicating characters to create more compelling work At about 37:10, Pete asks Ellen how emotionally-taxing this story was for her At about 38:55, Pete compares the story to Alice Elliott Dark’s “In the Gloaming" At about 39:40, The two discuss “fresh starts” as a theme and “After the Fall” and its connections to the Biblical story, its telling opening line, and its “metaphorical weight” At about 42:05, The two discuss human connection as a throughline in the collection At about 44:00, Tony, a repeated character, is highlighted, along with ideas of connections and unrequited love At about 46:10, Through discussing “Neverland,” the two discuss its pertinent themes of connection and childhood traumas after Pete reads a story excerpt At about 47:35, Ellen talks about the juxtaposition of youth and aging and complicity fits in the story At about 48:55, Pete cites the innocence of youth as successfully-rendered by Ellen, including in the story “Kodachrome” At about 51:45, Ellen responds to Pete’s question about how she ordered the story collection-she cites Lee Martin’s advice At about 53:55, Ellen gives out publishing info for his work, including Carmichael’s in Louisville; she also gives contact info/social media

Episode 189 Notes and Links to Andrés Reséndez’s Work       On Episode 189 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Andrés Reséndez, and the two discuss, among other things, his early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and his work with nonfiction and historical writing, the origins of his book on “the other slavery,” the interplay between disease and warfare and focred labor in decimating Native populations, and the machinations, greed, racism, and laws that guided the enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.      Andrés Reséndez is a historian at the University of California, Davis. His specialties are Mexican history, early exploration and colonization of the Americas and the Pacific Ocean, and borderlands history.    In 2017, Reséndez won the Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy for The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America. Reséndez grew up in Mexico City, and he is currently a professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Davis.     Buy The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America   Andres Resendez's Wikipedia Page   NPR Review: "Horrors Pile Up Quietly In The Other Slavery"   At about 1:35, Andrés describes his early reading and writing and language experiences   At about 3:25, Andrés references formational writers    At about 4:20, Andrés responds to Pete’s questions about his background with fiction and nonfiction, and he and Pete discuss the “amazing character” of Carvajal    At about 6:05, Andrés lists contemporary “must-reads” like Robert Darnton and Simon Schama   At about 7:30, Pete asks Andrés about connections between the treatment of the indigenous in México and Andrés’ scholarship    At about 10:00, Andrés cites Cabeza de la Vaca’s expedition-a subject of his earlier book-as one of the catalysts for The Other Slavery   At about 13:20, Andrés describes the significance of the book’s title    At about 15:25, Pete and Andrés remark on the “amazing” phenomenon of Spain ruling an empire across the world and the arbitrary nature of the enforcement of the prohibition of indigenous slavery    At about 18:35, Pete lays out a guiding hypothesis of Andrés’ in the book, regarding the central role Indian slavery had on the decimation of many groups    At about 21:00, Andrés connects the cycle that brings together epidemics and slavery   At about 22:10, Pete wonders about the ways in which people have used Andrés’ research since the book’s publication    At about 24:25, Andrés speaks about the use of the term “Indian”   At about 25:40, The two discuss the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and their unique histories   At about 29:00, Andrés discusses the overwork and slavery and exploitation that decimated the peoples of the Caribbean    At about 30:50, Andrés responds to Pete’s question about white supremacy and social caste and how these ideas permeated the laws and regulations and practices of the conquistadors   At about 36:00, Andrés answers Pete’s questions about whether or not he found any “heroes” in his research    At about 37:15, Andrés explains how the US Civil War led to an uptick in the slavery of the indigenous   At about 39:30, Andrés gives background on how the US Congress played a role in ending indigenous slavery   At about 41:30, Pete and Andrés’ draw historical comparisons to today and    At about 42:30, Pete compliments Andrés’ “humanizing” of the historical figures, and Andrés responds to Pete’s question about how he avoids “moralizing”   At about 44:20, Andrés shares an exciting future project regarding the Philippines and South Asia 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 190 with Ellen Birkett Morris. She is an award-winning, multi-genre writer, teacher, and editor based in Louisville, Kentucky. She is also the 2015 winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for her story “May Apples” and won the Betty Gabehart Prize for Fiction. The episode will air on July 5.

Episode 188 Notes and Links to Kavita Das’s Work       On Episode 188 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Kavita Das, and the two discuss, among other things, her early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and writing, how writing her first book and working in social change led her to write Craft and Conscience, and ideas of history, forgotten histories, personal narrative, writing about emotional issues, the power of anthology and writing being in conversation with other writing, writing as political, and ideas of power.      Kavita Das worked in social change for close to fifteen years, addressing issues ranging from community and housing inequities, to public health disparities, to racial injustice. Although Kavita remains committed to social justice issues, she left the social change sector to become a full-time writer and to tell the life story of Grammy-nominated Hindustani singer Lakshmi Shankar through her first book Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar  (Harper Collins India, June 2019).    At the root of both her writing and social change work is Kavita’s desire to provoke thought and engender change by recognizing and revealing the true ways in which culture, race, and gender intersect especially when it comes to societal inequities. Kavita has been a regular contributor to NBC News Asian America, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Rumpus. In addition, her work has been published in WIRED, Poets & Writers, Catapult, LitHub, Tin House, Longreads, Kenyon Review, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Guernica, McSweeney’s, Fast Company, Quartz, Colorlines, Romper, and elsewhere. She was nominated for a 2016 Pushcart Prize.     Kavita created the popular “Writing About Social Issues” nonfiction seminar, which inspired her second book, Craft and Conscience: How To Write About Social Issues,  and has taught at the New School and Catapult, along with being a frequent guest lecturer. Her essays on social issues have been included in two creative writing textbooks. Kavita received a B.A. in Urban Studies from Bryn Mawr College and a M.B.A. in Marketing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A native New Yorker, Kavita and her husband, Om try to keep up with their toddler, Daya and Harper, their hound.     Buy Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues   Kavita Das' Website   Review of Craft and Conscience from Hippocampus Magazine   At about 2:55, Kavita shares social media/contact info and places to buy her work, as well as discussing where to connect with her over writing and writing classes   At about 5:25, Kavita discusses her early journeys involving language, reading, imagination, and searching for a diversity of books and characters     At about 8:45, Kavita shares her first impressions upon reading some of the chill-inducing greats, such as James Baldwin, and seeing literature for the first time as personal   At about 9:50, Pete and Kavita highlight her writing about her experience with a cleft palate, and she connects the last chapter to the first chapter and Orwell’s writing, as well as her own rationale in writing as she does and what lessons she has learned through her life that informed    At about 16:40, Kavita reflects on the influences that Bengali and Tamil have had on her and her writing   At about 19:25, Kavita shares an indicative saying from Tamil   At about 21:10, Kavita responds to Pete’s questions about seeds for the book and why she chose to make it an anthology   At about 23:30, Kavita homes in on how her first book influenced Craft and Conscience   At about 27:45, Kavita details writer’s workshops and classes and experiences that helped her solidify her writing and teaching skills and philosophies    At about 30:10, Kavita remembers her learning and early emphasis on honing her writing craft in using her knowledge base in conjunction with what makes compelling reading    At about 33:00, Pete lays out the book’s structure and highlights Mira Jacob’s and Kavita’s Introduction, which leads Kavita to expand upon why the book took the form of anthology   At about 36:20, Pete cites the resonant epigraph from Jericho Brown, and homes in on Chapter One and connections between writing and politics   At about 38:20, Kavita expands on ideas of craft and culture and their connections     At about 39:55, Pete highlights a meaningful quote from Christiane Amanpour-”being truthful and not neutral” and Kavita discusses the “key distinction for [her]” and underlines Kaitlyn Greenidge’s powerful piece in the anthology   At about 42:20, Pete references James Baldwin’s evolving philosophy on his writing topics and what how he chronicled culture    At about 45:55, The two discuss the often-lacking forethought that governs well-meaning writers’ work   At about 51:10, Pete notes the anecdote from the book about Alexander Chee choosing not to write a story, and Kavita muses about his thought process and wishes more writers stepped back a bit before writing a piece/book   At about 53:55, The two discuss objectivity and subjectivity and the connection between readers/writers/subjects-they cite great works by Garnette Cadogan, Jaquira Diaz, and Kavita (writing on Jyoti Singh)   At about 57:40, Kavita recounts a chance meeting with her editor, the legend Roxane Gay   At about 58:55, The two discuss the power of writing-Pete and Kavita fanboy over Cadogan’s work-in inviting empathy; Kavita also cites the powerful “My Body is a Confederate Monument” by Caroline Williams   At about 1:03:45, Pete cites thought-provoking pieces from Dunbar Ortiz and Imani Perry and he and Kavita point to the importance of context and family histories in the pieces;    At about 1:05:30, Kavita underlines the importance of “power” as a common theme in the collection and discusses the culture need and often unwillingness to really engage on tough cultural histories    At about 1:08:20, Kavita keys in on textbooks and education and the ways in which they have sometimes been purposefully lacking in material/insights     At about 1:10:30, Societal change and its connection to uncomfortable writers and writing is discussed    At about 1:13:10, The “how” is discussed-that is, the book’s featuring important craft ideas, including the power of “hybrid” writing that combine data-driven and personal writing   At about 1:16:05, Pete references José Antonio Vargas and Yashica Dutt as someone personally-affected and how they took their    At about 1:19:10, The two discuss Nicole Chung’s thought-inducing piece from the anthology    At about 1:22:10, Pete compliments the piece from the anthology on “tolerance” written by Kavita and she reflects on the word’s shifting meaning for her   At about 1:25:10, Kavita continues to reflect on the implications of power and repressed histories and complicity and exciting new explorations of these issues, including work by Crystal Z. Campbell   At about 1:30:15, The two discuss the book’s present impact and future implications    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 189 with Andrés Reséndez. He is a historian at the University of California, Davis, and in 2017, he won the Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy for The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America.     The episode will air on June 27.

Episode 187 Notes and Links to V Castro’s Work       On Episode 187 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes V Castro, and the two discuss, among other things, her early and lifelong fascination with horror, the ways in which her family stories and stories of Texas and México have shaped her sensibilities and her writing, the indie horror writers who thrill and inspire her, connections to The Mexican Revolution and La Llorona which populate The Haunting of Alejandra, and themes of misogyny and self-determination, emotional warmth and coldness, the importance of therapy in formal and informal ways, and generational trauma and working to overcome or control its effects.          V Castro is a two time Bram Stoker award nominated writer born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mexican American parents. She’s been writing horror stories since she was a child, always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas. Castro now lives in the United Kingdom with her family, writing and traveling with her children.     Buy The Haunting of Alejandra   V Castro's Website   Southern Review of Books: “V. Castro’s “The Haunting of Alejandra”: A Feminist Folk Lore Remedy”   At about 1:40, V talks about being a “bookworm” and her relationship with reading, writing, and the lack of exposure to Latinx horror writers as she was growing up    At about 4:20, V points to reasons for her love of horror from a young age   At about 6:20, V responds to Pete’s questions about how much of her family’s histories were told to her, and how she sought out scary stories over the years   At about 7:50, V discusses finding her communities of horror writers/readers, and how seeking them out was a catalyst for her own writing   At about 9:50, V cites the thriving “indie horror community” inspiring her, including Haley Piper, Laurel Hightower, Gabino Iglesias, Eric LaRocca, Chuck Wendig, Gemma Amor, and Brian Keene   At about 10:45, V speaks to her varied writing and how she views “genre”   At about 11:30, V describes her mindset after her book is out in the world, and she gives contact info and social media info, indie.org, and other websites to buy her book   At about 13:05, V talks about seeds for The Haunting of Alejandra   At about 14:10, V responds to Pete’s questions about the relationship between storyline and themes/symbolism-especially in The Haunting of Alejandra   At about 15:20, Pete references the story’s epigraph, and V points out the historical reality of Flor Castillo’s friend in the book   At about 17:30, Pete lays out the book’s exposition, and V reflects on an opening scene and its implications    At about 20:55, V explains the ways in which Alejandra “puts herself last” and feels anxious and angry and frustrated and sad    At about 23:30, Pete and V talk about Melanie and therapy and how different generations have had access or not   At about 24:40, Pete cites the book’s flashback to Atzi and V discusses a pivotal deal that is made and leads to the family’s curse   At about 27:25, Pete and V further discuss the relationship between Alejandra and Melanie and explorations of generational trauma and connections between Catrina and Mictlāntēcutli and their importance up to today   At about 30:00, Pete charts a slow growth in autonomy    At about 31:30, V traces Cathy’s story and history, especially with regard to her pregnancy, and she and Pete talk about Cathy’s mother Francés and her connection to La Llorona   At about 33:10, Pete and V discuss Alejandra’s “cleansing” of her house   At about 34:50, Pete asks V about Matthew and she (succinctly) describes his genesis    At about 36:05, Flor’s story/chapter is explored, and V connects her to the other women in the    At about 38:10, Pete and V explore generational trauma and the ways in which people, especially the women in the book,    At about 40:20, Emilio Robles Avila and his amazing life is discussed    At about 41:35, Pete wonders if V “sat in judgment” of her characters    At about 43:00, The two discuss the book as “timely” and “timeless”   At about 44:30, V talks about exciting upcoming products, including a book about Rebel Moon         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 188 with Kavita Das. She worked in social change for close to fifteen years, addressing issues ranging from community and housing inequities, to public health disparities, to racial injustice and now addresses social injustice through writing and editing, including her first book, Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar. She is writer/editor of Craft and Conscience: How To Write About Social Issues, an anthology featuring countless stellar writers      The episode will air on June 20.

Episode 186 Notes and Links to Stephanie Feldman’s Work   *Content Warning-Please be aware of discussion of sexual assault*        On Episode 186 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Stephanie Feldman, and the two discuss, among other things, her early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and writing, genre and genre-less writing, the balance between allegory and plot in Saturnalia, the book’s focus on Philadelphia and on the world at large, hedonism/inaction  in the wake of climate disasters, the long echoes of sexual assault, class and power in her book, and whether the book has a sense of optimism.       Stephanie Feldman is the author of the novels Saturnalia and The Angel of Losses, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Crawford Fantasy Award, and finalist for the Mythopoeic Award. She is co-editor of the multi-genre anthology Who Will Speak for America? and her stories and essays have appeared in or are forthcoming from Asimov’s Science Fiction, Catapult Magazine, Electric Literature, Flash Fiction Online, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Rumpus, Uncharted Magazine, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Weird Horror, and more. She lives outside Philadelphia with her family.     Buy Saturnalia   Stephanie Feldman's Website   Review of Saturnalia from John Mauro at Grimdark Magazine   At about 1:55, Stephanie describes her early reading and writing, and being “fated” to be a writer   At about 4:00, Stephanie shouts out Anne Rice, Jeanette Winterson, and others as formational and transformational writers   At about 6:00, Stephanie cites the “world building and atmosphere” of Rice’s work that inspired Saturnalia and the Philadelphia of the book   At about 7:20, Stephanie highlights Sofia Samatar, her work regarding Uzbekistan especially, and Jeffrey Ford as beloved contemporary writers   At about 9:00, Stephanie responds to Pete’s questions about the importance (or lack thereof) of genre   At about 11:55, Stephanie gives background on/seeds for Saturnalia, including The Masque of Red Death and the Covid pandemic   At about 15:00, Pete asks about the balance/timing involving the book’s allegory/symbolism and its plot/premise   At about 16:30, The two discuss the epigraph from Umberto Eco and its connection to hedonism and climate change    At about 18:40, The exposition is laid out, and Stephanie discusses connections to Saturn and fortune telling’s importance in the book   At about 22:45, Pete summarizes the night of the winter solstice, including The Lord of Misrule, and Nina’s tough times that lead her to do a job for Max    At about 24:30, Pete connects a telling quote from Faulkner to the book’s pivotal violation and gender roles and power dynamics   At about 30:50, Stephanie responds to Pete’s musings about the book’s commentary on social class and power    At about 33:00, Stephanie and Pete speak about Philadelphia’s small-town feel and Niña’s feelings of being “trapped”   At about 36:55, Stephanie responds to Pete’s questions about any optimism/pessimism that comes from the book   At about 38:55, Alchemy and myth and the stories are discussed    At about 40:00, Stephanie talks about the ways she and readers continue to experience the book some seven months after publication    At about 41:40, Pete shares the book’s blurb from Carmen Maria Machado    At about 42:00, Stephanie shares an exciting future project   At about 43:00, Stephanie gives the history of the “blue laws” in PA   At about 44:00, Stephanie shares social media/contact info and places to buy her work, including Main Point Books, A Novel Idea, Weird Horror “The Getaway”      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 187 with V Castro. She is a two-time Bram Stoker award nominated writer born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mexican American parents, and she has been writing horror stories since she was a child, always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas. Her latest is The Haunting of Alejandra.    The episode will air on June 13.

Episode 185 Notes and Links to Toni Ann Johnson’s Work   *Content Warning-Please be aware of discussion of sexual assault*      On Episode 185 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Toni Ann Johnson, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading and love for the theater and acting, her college and formative reading lists, the ignorance surrounding her film on Ruby Bridges, growing up in an almost all-white town, racism and ignorance, writing objectively when her fiction is heavily-based on her real life, as well as pertinent issues and themes discussed in her award-winning collection, like racism, ignorance, adultery, neglect, sexual assault, and class.      Toni Ann Johnson is a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.  She won the 1998 Humanitas Prize and the 1998 Christopher Award for her script Ruby Bridges. In 2004, she won a second Humanitas Prize for her script Crown Heights. She was nominated for a 2015 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author.  Remedy for a Broken Angel also won a 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award for Multicultural Fiction and a 2015 International Latino Book Award for Most Inspirational Fiction Book. In 2020 her novella Homegoing won Accents Publishing's inaugural novella contest. She won the 2021 Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction for her linked short story collection Light Skin Gone to Waste.   Buy Light Skin Gone to Waste   Toni Ann Johnson's Wikipedia Page   Toni Ann Johnson’s Website   Los Angeles Times Article Regarding Story Collection- “For one award-winning Black L.A. author, light skin was no refuge”   Interview from Moria Online- "A Story Can Be Both: An Interview with Toni Ann Johnson"   Hawai’i Review of Books-"What Color Is Your Scapegoat?" with Dr. Stephanie Han    At about 2:00, Toni Ann talks about her early literary life, and how her earliest love was acting-plays especially-which led her to read a lot of plays   At about 4:15, Toni cites James Baldwin as the first writer whose complete works she read; Pete asks her about his fiction versus his nonfiction   At about 5:45, Toni relates her shared airplane flight with James Baldwin   At about 7:20, Toni talks about her time at the Lee Strasberg Theater and getting to know the founder and other legendary actors/directors   At about 9:15, Toni explains Monroe, New York’s placement in the state   At about 11:20, Toni discusses influential writers and writing, including Bessie Head   At about 13:00, Toni gives background on her time as a student of Chinua Achebe and Stella Adler   At about 16:50, Pete and Toni discuss method acting, with Toni providing interesting commentary on her view of it, as informed by her career in entertainment and her mentors   At about 22:40, Toni responds to Pete’s questions about muses; she references using memory as a muse   At about 27:20, The two discuss the state of book bans and historical manipulation happening currently, especially with regard to Toni’s 1998 Ruby Bridges and its recent headlines   At about 32:50, Toni relates comments she’s heard from teachers and parents over the years about feelings of empathy for Ruby   At about 35:20, The cover of the book is shouted out and Toni talks about seeds for the book and the balance between fiction and nonfiction in Light Skin Gone to Waste    At about 38:20, Toni responds to Pete’s questions about any difficulties with objectivity    At about 40:15, Pete lays out the book’s first story, exposition, and main character’s/conflicts, especially with Phillip and Velma’s lives   At about 42:40, Pete wonders about Phil’s mindsets    At about 46:40, Pete and Toni juxtapose the naivete of children and ignorance and bias in adulthood, as seen in the fictional stories   At about 48:00, Toni replies to Pete’s questions about how she sees her hometown’s biases and how much can be blamed on personal choice vs. “society”   At about 52:15, “Lucky” and the story’s throughlines and title and “turning point” events are discussed    At about 55:40, Toni gives background on help in revising “Lucky” from Roxane Gay   At about 1:01:50, Noble and ignoble actions by Phillip from the story are discussed, as well as the real experiences these events were based on   At about 1:02:20, Pete sets up the collection’s only two-narrator story and he and Toni discuss the housekeeper Gertie and her pivotal action or inaction   At about 1:06:45, Toni discusses multiple meanings of “scars” as used in the book and any connections to optimism    At about 1:10:00, Toni connects recent years and Trumpism and how her optimism has been regulated   At about 1:11:55, Toni talks about an exciting upcoming project based on/culled from her recent collection, as well as the fascinating background on curating her award-winning collection     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 186 with Stephanie Feldman. She is the author of the novels Saturnalia and The Angel of Losses, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Crawford Fantasy Award, and finalist for the Mythopoeic Award. The episode airs on June 6.  

Episode 184 Notes and Links to Robert Ottone’s Work   *Please be aware of Content Warning for Discussion: This episode contains conversation about suicidal ideations       On Episode 184 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Robert Ottone, and the two discuss, among other things, bagels and cream cheese, Seinfeld’s greatness, Robert’s early appetite for books of many genres and types, his writing journey, his diverse interests, writing as catharsis and writing as therapeutic, hyperbole, allegory, and real-life issues like medical racism, pregnancy, adulthood, parenting, and friendship that informed The Vile Thing We Created.      Robert P. Ottone is the author of the horror collection Her Infernal Name & Other Nightmares (an honorable mention in The Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 13) as well as the young adult dystopian-cosmic horror trilogy The Rise.    His short stories have appeared in various anthologies as well as online. He’s also the publisher and owner of Spooky House Press.    Robert is also an English as a New Language teacher, as well as a teacher of English Language Arts. He can be found online at SpookyHousePress.com or on Twitter/Instagram (@RobertOttone). He delights in the creepy and views bagels solely as a cream cheese delivery device.     Buy The Vile Thing We Created   Robert Ottone's Website with This is Horror    Interview with NFReads   At about 1:35, Robert lays out his bagel routine and philosophy, as well as tales from the tipping world   At about 4:10, Pete and Robert analyze Seinfeld and its legacy and incredible outfits and hairstyles and ironies   At about 7:50, Robert fills in the readers on his YA trilogy and his feelings upon being nominated for a Bram Stoker Award   At about 10:10, Robert talks about his voracious and diverse reading, as well as his superhero loves and the beautiful connections with his father through reading    At about 13:00, Robert talks about his experience with Batman and the movies   At about 14:10, The two discuss Stephen King and his phenomenal writing and his iconic craft guide “On Writing”   At about 17:30, Robert discusses writers and writing that inspired him, including his favorite book of all-time, Less Than Zero, Elmore Leonard,    At about 20:45, Robert talks about his progression in reading and delving into journalism and music writing, including his appreciation for Alex Garland   At about 26:10, Robert shouts out the great Erika Wurth, for her partying abilities and incredible generosity and mentorship and friendship   At about 27:30, Robert muses on horror writers as good people   At about 29:05, Robert appreciates Paul Tremblay and his humility and genius and kindness, as well as the up-and-coming Todd Keisling   At about 30:55, Robert responds to Pete’s questions about what it’s like to live “in the muck” when writing and ideas of writing as catharsis; Robert discusses maternity and institutional racism and how this type of real-life issue is more scary than the fantastical    At about 33:30, Robert discusses the ideas of writing as catharsis, and he shares ways of mourning and grieving his beloved father’s death   At about 37:15, Robert connects exorcising fears and ideas of closure through his work   At about 42:05, The two discuss psychological horror and real-life scares like racism and how creativity comes in    At about 45:45, Robert discusses body horror and the issues that come into play with pregnancy, especially for women of color    At about 47:40, Pete cites part of the book’s exposition involving a scene that shows Ian and Lola feeling alienation from those who have kids   At about 49:20, Robert speaks about societal pressures and other causation for Lola and Ian    At about 53:20- “For spite”-Seinfeld reference    At about 53:30, Pete and Robert discuss Lola’s horrendous pregnancy    At about 55:00, Robert gives background on Lola’s giving birth and how it was “an amped-up version of what happened to a friend’s partner”; he cites an interesting “cosmic” connection to childbirth    At about 58:20, Jonesy, the child, is characterized as tranquil and chill while Lola experiences depression and anger   At about 59:10, Dannah’s role and her gift- a seven-pointed star, are discussed and put into historical context   At about 1:01:00, Darkness as a symbol and before/after pregnancy are discussed    At about 1:03:00, Pete wonders about hyperbole and its role in shining a light on societal and familial issues    At about 1:05:05, Robert explains his imaginings of Jonesy and how he’d fit into the real world   At about 1:11:30, Robert gives contact info/social media    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 185 with Toni Ann Johnson. A true Renaissance woman, she is the recipient of two Humanitas Prizes and a Christopher Award for her screenplays, which include Ruby Bridges, for Disney/ABC and Crown Heights, for Showtime Televisión; her acclaimed story collection is Light Skin Gone to Waste.    The episode airs May 30.

Episode 183 Notes and Links to Eli Cranor’s Work       On Episode 183 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Eli Cranor, and the two discuss, among other things, his childhood athletic and reading life, writers and writing that formed and informed his sensibilities, his views on genre fiction and mentors and anchor texts who helped him sharpen his abilities, and pertinent issues and themes like moral relativity, vengeance and redemption, poverty, and playing with tropes and archetypes.       Edgar-Award-winning author Eli Cranor lives and writes from the banks of Lake Dardanelle, a reservoir of the Arkansas River nestled in the heart of True Grit country. His critically acclaimed debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by USA Today and one of the "Best Crime Novels" of 2022 by the New York Times. Eli also pens a weekly column, "Where I'm Writing From" for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly at CrimeReads. ​Eli's newest novel Ozark Dogs ​is now available wherever books are sold.   Buy Ozark Dogs   Eli Cranor's Website   USA Today Blurb for Ozark Dogs: “...5 new must-read books”     At about 1:50, Eli describes what it’s been like having two books out within a year, including his debut, and the tendency to want to compare the two experiences    At about 4:15, Eli responds to Pete’s question about the relationship between athletics and reading; Eli relates a cool story about his dad’s enforcing a 20-pages-per-day rule   At about 6:30, Eli talks about the “classic works” and other books that influenced him, including Bradbury’s writing   At about 8:20, Pete and Eli fanboy about Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” and Eli touts the greatness of “The Happiness Machine”   At about 10:15, Eli explains how he “cut [his] teeth on Southern writing” with Larry Brown, Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Jesmyn Ward, and others; he recounts how he got in touch with and mentored by Jack Butler and Johnny Wink   At about 13:20, Pete wonders how genre and regional distinction affect Eli’s work and mindset; Elmore Leonard is shouted out   At about 15:15, Eli talks about how crime writing allows for room to delve into social topics, and how his teaching in juvenile facilities has informed his writing   At about 16:35, Pete points to Ozark Dog’s Acknowledgments and ideas of moral relativity    At about 19:50, Pete lays out the book’s exposition and the book’s motifs of “cameras always watching”   At about 21:00, Eli describes wanting to explore the lingering effects of murders in small towns as he describes the relationship between Jo and her grandfather, Jeremiah   At about 23:15, Pete and Eli discuss Jeremiah’s demons   At about 24:10, Pete gives background on Jo and Colt’s relationship and her homecoming disappointment    At about 25:00, Eli reflects on Jeremiah’s sobriety and mindset   At about 27:10, Mona McNabb is characterized    At about 28:40, The Ledfords are characterized, and Eli responds to Pete asking about creating “eccentric” characters    At about 33:15, Pete wonders if Eli was “making a statement” with his depiction of some KKK members    At about 37:20, the two discuss Belladonna, a mother from the book who bucks tropes and archetypes, which Eli expounds upon  At about 39:25, Eli highlights Lacey as a favorite character, and Pete the book’s stirring plot   At about 40:30, Eli speaks to ideas of redemption and vengeance in the book, particularly with regard to Jeremiah   At about 43:30, the two reflect on symbolism of a rose in the book   At about 44:15: Eli explains meanings and significance of the book’s title; he shouts out Alex Taylor and The Name of the Nearest River collection and Alex’s important and interesting help in shaping the book and the title   At about 49:15, Eli outlines his Summer of 2024 Broiler book   At about 50:30, Eli discusses the real-life parallels between the book’s nuclear tower and the famous/infamous one that is close to his house        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 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 184 with Robert Ottone. Robert is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Triangle; author of the much-anticipated THE VILE THING WE CREATED, out as of April 18. We talked about Seinfeld, The Godfather, Part II, cream cheese, and many serious topics as well. It’s a can’t miss episode.    The episode airs May 23.

Episode 182 Notes and Links to Talia Lakshmi Kolluri’s Work       On Episode 182 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, and the two discuss, among other things, her prodigious love for libraries in her youth and beyond, her fascination with animals’ inner/hidden lives, formative writing and writers, anthropomorphizing, writing as action, writing as fun, the true stories that inspired some of her moving writing, and themes of maternal pull, environmental destruction, joy, and the boundaries, imposed and not, that govern the animal world and animal/human interaction.       Talia Lakshmi Kolluri is a mixed South Asian American writer from Northern California. Her debut collection of short stories, What We Fed to the Manticore (Tin House 2022), is a finalist for the 2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the 2023 Pen/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection, and was selected as a 2023 ALA RUSA Notable Book. It’s available now wherever books are sold. Her short fiction has been published in the Minnesota Review, Ecotone, Southern Humanities Review, The Common, One Story, Orion, Five Dials, and the Adroit Journal. A lifelong Californian, Talia lives in the Central Valley with her husband, a teacher and printmaker, and a very skittish cat named Fig.   Buy What We Fed to the Manticore   Talia Kolluri's Website   For Bomb Magazine: "A Different Experience Is Possible: Talia Lakshmi Kolluri Interviewed by Rebecca van Laer"   The Florida Review Interview Regarding What We Fed to the Manticore   From One Story: "Nature Is Wild: An Interview with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri"   At about 3:40, Talia talks about her rich reading life during her childhood, including her wide reading and love for libraries    At about 8:10, Talia discusses imagination and its connections to her love of animals and curiosity about the lives of animals   At about 9:50, Talia talks about ideas of representation and not seeing “[her] exact self represented in literature” and the connections to “leaps of imagination” and what she read growing up, such as the inspiring Watership Down   At about 14:15, Pete and Talia talk about books in translation and the great work done by Jenny Bhatt   At about 15:05, Talia outlines her path to becoming a writer and her philosophy of revision    At about 19:00, Pete highlights and compliments the book’s originality, and Talia discusses books and writers that the collection is “in conversation with,” such as Panchatantra, The White Bone, and The Great Derangement    At about 23:45, Pete asks Talia about the book’s Acknowledgments and Talia’s views on being an observer and observing and connection to action or inaction    At about 25:40, Pete wonders about Talia’s writing as a call to action/activism    At about 28:00, Talia responds to Pete’s questions about the ways in which she anthropomorphized her characters in original and not trite ways   At about 30:35, Talia gives background on the inspiration for the collection’s memorable “Toy Man”-Arvind Gupta   At about 31:30, Pete references the collections’s first story, “The Good Donkey” and Talia responds to Pete’s wondering about the story’s Gaza inspiration    At about 36:35, Talia recommends a powerful book, a diary of living in Gaza during conflict, The Drone Eats with Me: A Gaza Diary   At about 37:50, Talia discusses the title story and the meanings of the manticore, both mythically and in her story   At about 43:00, Pete highlights “Someone Must Watch Over the Dead” and he and Talia talk about dakhmas and their implications   At about 47:50, Pete cites the saiga antelope and its consumption and the two reflect on ideas of predators and willful ignorance    At about 50:40, “May God Forever Bless the Rhino Keepers” is discussed, including its beautiful portrayals of connections and love and maternal pull   At about 54:00, “A Level of Tolerance” is discussed, including its beautiful and gutting last page, Pete’s hatred for Groundhog Day, and Talia remarks about the evolution and significance of the title; 832F, the famous wolf, is cited as inspiration   At about 1:00:05, “Let Your Body Meet the Ground” is highlighted, as Pete makes a comparison to “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote, and “Tía Chucha” by Luis Rodriguez   At about 1:03:30, Talia highlights a novel that she’s working on   At about 1:05:15, Talia gives her contact info 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 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 183 with Eli Cranor, whose critically acclaimed debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by USA Today and one of the "Best Crime Novels" of 2022 by the New York Times; his highly-acclaimed Ozark Dogs came out on April 4.    The episode airs May 16.

Episode 181 Notes and Links to Ramona Reeves’ Work       On Episode 181 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ramona Reeves, and the two discuss, among other things, Ramona’s early reading and literary likes and inspiring works and writers, her journey to MFA and her stellar collection, Mobile, Alabama’s impact on her work, and issues and themes of class, old versus new, loss and trauma, racism, and regrowth in her story collection, as well as reflections on pessimism/optimism in her work. Ramona is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Her linked short story collection It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories won the 2022 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and was published by University of Pittsburgh Press last fall.  She spent a decade in the Northeastern U.S. where she wrote freelance articles, proofread for a men’s fashion weekly, and performed production roles for Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, and Esquire before moving into technical editing and writing. She eventually moved to Texas for several years before leaving to pursue her MFA in fiction. She has since returned and is nearing completion on a novel. Ramona has served as a board member for A Room of Her Own (AROHO), moderated and appeared on panels at conferences, taught college-level writing courses, and served as an associate fiction editor for Kallisto Gaia Press. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Southampton Review, Pembroke, Bayou Magazine, New South, Superstition Review, Texas Highways and other publications. She’s won the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors’ Prize, been a resident at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, and is a Community of Writers alum.   Buy It Falls Gently All Around   Ramona Reeves' Website   Interview for Chicago Review of Books Regarding Her Collection     At about 2:05, Ramona discusses that night’s Sergio Troncoso Award she’ll be receiving    At about 3:00, Ramona describes her experience working as a writer   At about 5:00, Ramona gives background on her reading life, including how her grandmother influenced her writing and literary life; she shouts out Beverly Cleary and the Bible as formative    At about 7:45, Pete wonders about Ramona’s connections to Southern writers and Mobile’s cultures   At about 10:05, Ramona responds to Pete’s questions about any influence she received from Flannery O’Connor   At about 11:30, Ramona shouts out ZZ Packer, Jesmyn Ward, and Tim Gatreaux as current writers    At about 13:30, Ramona recounts the journey to her becoming a writer; she highlights Antonya Nelson’s huge contribution in guiding her to New Mexico State; Pete shouts out Antonya Nelson’s In the Land of Men, and Ramona, Female Trouble    At about 16:25, Pete asks about thematically-linked short stories and seeds for Ramona’s collection, as well as if/how the book followed Ramona’s life; she cites a class given by Robert Boswell   At about 19:00, Pete shouts shouts a challenging high school teacher and reading list   At about 20:15, Ramona responds to Pete’s question about charting time in a short story collection and the “spaces” in between   At about 22:20, Pete outlines the first story of the collection and the two characterize Babbie and Rowan individually and in their relationship    At about 25:50, Pete lays out the plot and characters, mainly Donnie, from the collection’s second story, and Ramona expands on his encounter with a physic     At about 28:35, Ramona speaks to the influences that yoga had on her writing of the book   At about 30:10, Pete and Ramona discuss ideas of lineage, class, and history that are at the heart of the book   At about 32:10, Ramona cites Mobile’s history with Mardi Gras and “mystic societies”   At about 34:15, The two talk about the role race and racism play in the cultures and places described in the story collection; Ramona highlights Ramona Brown’s Descendant, a documentary that comments on the previously-mentioned topics   At about 35:00, Ideas of trauma and loss and miscarriage are discussed; Pete compliments a scene from the story, moving in its depiction of multiple generations experiencing and processing loss, and Ramona responds to this by connecting class and loss   At about 38:55, Ideas of class and decorum are discussed, including Donnie’s uncomfortable laughs throughout the book, and Pete and Ramona share their experiences with this type of laughing    At about 42:00, The two discuss religion and ways   At about 43:15, The two analyze an important scene and the ways in which racism was covered in the collection    At about 45:30, The two talk about themes of rebirth, recovery, and growth, and the baptismal as new birth/new life   At about 46:20, Pete cites Fay as a sympathetic character and an interesting one; Ramona talks about her writing towards happy endings   At about 48:30, Ramona gives kudos for Deesha Philyaw’s work with happy endings    At about 49:05, Ramona ruminates on Pete’s asking if this collection is an optimistic one   At about 50:30, Ramona discusses her exciting new novel project   At about 51:30, Pete and Ramona shout out former guest Rus Bradburd      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 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 182 with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, the author of What We Fed to the Manticore, which was a finalist for the 2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the 2023 Pen/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection.   The episode airs on May 12.

Episode 180 Notes and Links to Jennifer Dawn Carlson’s Work       On Episode 180 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jennifer Dawn Carlson, and the two discuss, among other things, her unique schooling and relationship with her father which led her to reading widely and doggedly, her formative times at UC Berkeley, her views on writing for different audiences and in the arenas of sociology and journalism, and pertinent issues from her latest book: the roles of gun sellers, an evolving customer base for guns since the pandemic started, partisanship as fleshed out during the last few years, especially 2020, guns sellers and political views, and political divisiveness with regard to gun culture.       Jennifer Carlson is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Government & Public Policy at the University of Arizona. Prior to coming to University of Arizona, she was an assistant professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. A graduate of Dartmouth College, she received her Ph.D. in Sociology in 2013 from University of California, Berkeley. Her research examines American gun culture, policing and public law enforcement, and conservative politics. She is the author of the book Citizen-Protectors: The Everyday Politics of Guns in an Age of Decline (2015; Oxford University Press) as well as articles appearing in Social Problems, British Journal of Criminology, Contexts, Theoretical Criminology, Law & Contemporary Problems, Gender & Society, Feminist Criminology, and Violence Against Women. Her research has won awards from the American Sociological Association Sex and Gender Section and Race, Gender & Class Section as well as from the American Society of Criminology Division on Women & Crime and Division on Critical Criminology. In addition to scholarly writing, her work has been featured in popular venues such as NPR, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, BBC, and Detroit News.  Her latest book, Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy, is out as of May 2, 2023.     Buy Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy   Jennifer Dawn Carlson's Website   Jennifer Carlson at The MacArthur Foundation Website   At about 6:40, Jennifer speaks on the importance of her childhood and the “valu[ing] of education” in her household, including the impact her father had on her    At about 8:25, Pete asks about the connections between Catholicism and conservatism, especially in Jennifer’s household    At about 11:20, Indiana Academy is shouted out and Jennifer discusses her “super amazing” experience there and the ways in which it informed her reading and learning   At about 14:00, Pete and Jennifer discuss UC Berkeley and her formative time there, and Jennifer gives background on how interview subjects for her first book viewed the school   At about 16:30, Jennifer responds to Pete’s questions about distinctions and connections between journalism and sociology    At about 17:45, Jennifer discusses works, writers, and programs that have informed her own writing, such as The Op-Ed Project, as well as how she approaches writing for different audiences    At about 22:50, Jennifer talks about having her new book out in the world, and how “it was a fundamentally different process” than her previously-published work; she also shouts out The National Science Foundation and U of A grad student helpers    At about 27:10, Jennifer expands upon wondering about ideas of timeliness with the book and all writing   At about 30:50, Jennifer reflects on the initial months of the pandemic, and the uncertainty that informed a lot of the subject matter of her interviews for the book   At about 32:20, Pete wonders about what Jennifer learned about race and racism in gun culture through her interviews with gun sellers; she muses about the ways in which gun sellers reference the “great equalizer” of gun sales, especially since 2020   At about 37:30, Jennifer expands on the connections between ideas of “democracy” and gun sales, and who is “fit” to buy guns   At about 38:55, Jennifer continues with her explanation of ideas of democracy, especially post-January 6   At about 40:10, Jennifer references her second book as she and Pete discuss Philando Castile as an example of a Black man not dealt with in the same way by the NRA as white men have been; Jennifer argues that the NRA backed down from defending him as part of a fear of being seen as anti-police     At about 42:10, Partisanship is discussed with regard to the ways the gun sellers see liberals-”Awake but not Woke”   At about 44:10, “The great run on guns” and some stats and facts of 2020’s gun sales are discussed; “conservative gun culture” and a great paradox of gun sales and laws is brought up by Jennifer    At about 47:15, Pete outlines the book’s structure and its chapters; “experience versus expertise” is discussed as a big part of many gun sellers’ mindsets   At about 49:00, Conspiracy and skepticism and individualism are analyzed with regards to gun culture    At about 52:20, “Doing your research” is discussed, and an important quote creates conversation about “knowledge-making process”   At about 54:00, Pete points out an interesting explanation from Chapter Three of the connection between Protestant Christianity and political divisiveness; Jennifer highlights important work by Francesca Tripodi    At about 56:35, The two discuss dark and sobering statistics and opinions as seen in some research questions that sum up the political divide    At about 58:40, Jennifer highlights the book’s last chapter and lessons that can be built on about “building bridges”   At about 1:02:35, Pete compliments the book’s last chapter and its “call to action,” as well as the skillful rendering of the pre-politicization of the NRA    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 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 181 with Ramona Reeves. She is author of the linked short story collection It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories, which won the 2022 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and The Sergio Troncoso Award for Best First Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Southampton Review, Pembroke, Bayou Magazine, New South, Superstition Review, Texas Highways and other publications.    The episode will air on May 5.

Episode 179 Notes and Links to Sarah Cypher’s Work         On Episode 179 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Sarah Cypher, and the two discuss, among other things, Sarah’s early reading and writing and the artistic gene she inherited, finding herself (or not) in her adolescent and college reading, the research needed for her book, Palestine as a muse, and motifs and themes of identity, the pull of home, exile, familial strife from her wonderful debut novel.      Sarah Cypher is a freelance book editor and author of The Skin and Its Girl. She has an MFA from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, where she was a Rona Jaffe Graduate Creative Writing Fellow in fiction. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, New Ohio Review, Majuscule, North American Review, LEON Literary Review, Crab Orchard Review, and others. She grew up in a Lebanese Christian family near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife.   Buy The Skin and its Girl   Sarah Cypher's Website   Sarah’s Substack   Kirkus Reviews for The Skin and its Girl       At about 2:20, Sarah talks about her mindset as the book comes out this week and her love for those helping with the cover (check out her Substack article about the cover process), editing, and promotion    At about 4:20, Sarah points to an artistic strain in her family and connects her writing and the book’s art   At about 5:20, Sarah gives background on her love of reading and writing and relationship with language growing up   At about 7:30, Sarah speaks about queerness as often treated as “unspeakable” when she was growing up and how she “found herself”   At about 9:30, Sarah discusses “resistance” in this time of banning books and censorship and homophobia     At about 11:30, Pete and Sarah get very grammary as Pete points out some subtleties that make Sarah’s book so good    At about 13:15, Sarah reflects on “exploring voices outside of [her] own”   At about 15:00, Sarah shouts out Patricia Engel, Rachel Cusk, and Katie Kitamura, among others, as some of her favorite and inspiring contemporary writers   At about 17:40, Sarah responds to Pete’s question about muse(s) for her project and research and seeds for the book by giving background on the book’s history and her own life experiences as a second-generation Arab-American (“before 9/11 and after 9/11”)   At about 22:00, Sarah details her connection to the famous soap from Nablus in Palestine   At about 24:15, Pete quotes the book’s epigraph and asks Sarah about its significance to “return” and home   At about 26:10, Sarah speaks to the book as “epistolary/” “direct address” and muses on how queer literature often uses direct address structures   At about 28:25, Sarah reflects on the connections between the Tower of Babel story and Nuha Rummani’s take on the story’s morals and buildings/towers as motifs   At about 31:10, Pete details the book’s opening sequences and discusses Betty’s dramatic birth   At about 32:50, Pete and Sarah discuss Tashi and her traumas and her background    At about 36:15, Sarah talks about how Tashi and her life are burdens/gifts from the family’s history and lineage   At about 37:40, The two discuss coincidences and meanings with Betty being born the day that the family soap factory was destroyed; Sarah connects to The Battle of Nablus in 2022   At about 41:20, Sarah speaks to ideas of “aftermath” in her work   At about 42:10, Pete outlines Nuha’s stories and their morals and her rationale; some of these stories include the parallel storylines between Alissabat and Betty    At about 44:10, Sarah is asked about Nuha’s character with regards to ideas of openness and living her truths    At about 47:30, Pete relates the saga of Betty’s schooling   At about 49:10, The two discuss ideas of difference in its many iterations and assimilation   At about 50:00, Sarah talks about those who “bullied” their way into the story in response to Pete’s compliments about strong women   At about 53:00, Pete and Sarah reflect on ideas of “long memories” and history’s long reach   At about 57:10, The two meditate on the “pull of home” and shifting concepts of “home”    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 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 180 with Jennifer Dawn Carlson. She is author of  Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy, and Associate Professor of Sociology and Government & Public Policy at the University of Arizona, and a 2022 MacArthur Fellow.     The episode will air on May 2, the Pub Day for her book!

Episode 178 Notes and Links to Stephen Buoro’s Work       On Episode 178 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Stephen Buoro, and the two discuss, among other things, his early relationship with math, as well as the written and spoken word, particularly through his connection to, and education with, The Catholic Church, his early reading and love of Kafka and Richard Wright and other standouts, his book’s satirical/humorous components, his inspiration for the book’s opening and beyond, and important themes and motifs of Ani/Afrofuturism, traumas both personal and societal, permutation theory, colonialism and its legacies, fetishization of West and East, and pessimism and optimism.      Stephen Buoro was born in Nigeria in 1993. He has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia where he received the Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship. He lives in Norwich, United Kingdom. The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa is his first novel.     Buy The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa from Bloomsbury Publishing   Stephen Buoro's Website   From The Guardian: “The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro review – astute story of self-discovery”   From The Economist: "Wit and wisdom in 'The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa' "    At about 6:30, Stephen describes how “surreal” it is in the week or so leading up to his book’s publication date   At about 7:50, Stephen describes Ian Rankin’s and Max Porter’s sterling blurbs for his book   At about 8:40, Stephen responds to Pete’s question about how he sees his book as of the moment and also existing timelessly   At about 12:50, Pete asks Stephen about his reading background, and his relationships with the world; Stephen describes how he became a voracious reader of Irish lit, encyclopedias, and so much more   At about 19:45, Stephen highlights Richard Wright’s Black Boy as pivotal in his reading and his path towards becoming a writer himself, including how the book was both “depressing” and “uplifting”   At about 21:40, Stephen    At about 22:15, Pete points out some connections between Andy from the book and Stephen’s reading of Kafka and Joyce, and Stephen reflects on meanings for him for the book   At about 24:30, Pete confesses his not all-encompassing love (gasp!) for The Metamorphosis   At about 25:20, Stephen reflects on moments that led to him becoming a writer    At about 29:55, Stephen talks about the moments and experiences that guided his love of and fascination for words, and he and Pete discuss the allegories and performances and wonder that religion brought with it   At about 33:25, Pete asks Stephen about perspective, and how moving to the UK allowed him to write differently about Nigeria   At about 35:45, Stephen summarizes the book’s first chapter and describes the genesis of the book in 2018   At about 39:20, Pete and Stephen highlight the legendary Blackberry!   At about 39:45, Pete and Stephen reflect on the powerful and funny opening scene of the book, and Stephen talks about some ignorance of the book being funny   At about 42:00, Pete outlines the book’s five sections, based on the Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Jesus’ last days, and Stephen responds to Pete wondering about permutations    At about 45:35, The book’s exposition is set, with descriptions of the coming party for the parish priest’s niece, and Andy’s mother and Andy’s deceased brother and his role as “Ydna”   At about 49:50, Stephen discusses duality and the character of Andy as representative of other ideas and groups of people   At about 52:30, Stephen talks about “HXVX” and its implications and connections to Andy and his friends’ superhero storyline   At about 53:40, The two discuss Zara’s role in the book, ideas of “Anifuturism,” and pessimism and optimism in the book   At about 58:20, The friends (“the droogs”) of Andy are described and characterized    At about 1:00:55, Slim and his homosexuality are put into the context of the book and its friend group and societal expectations/pressures    At about 1:02:05, Pete notes the inclusion of Oga Oliver and his connection to those who have emigrated and want to emigrate from Nigeria    At about 1:02:50, The party of all parties is described, with Eileen’s appearance    At about 1:04:10, Andy responds to Pete’s musings and questions about Eileen and her role in the book and what/who she represents    At about 1:07:30, Pete compliments the “skillful” final scene of the book and the book’s “timeless” and specific greatness, while avoiding plot spoilers (!)   At about 1:09:40, Stephen discusses 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 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 179 with Eli Cranor, whose critically acclaimed debut novel, Don't Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by USA Today and one of the "Best Crime Novels" of 2022 by the New York Times; his highly-acclaimed Ozark Dogs came out on April 4.    The episode will air on April 25.

Episode 177 Notes and Links to Laura Warrell’s Work       On Episode 177 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Laura Warrell, and the two discuss, among other things, her early love of writing and acting, important works and writers who steered her into her own career, how teaching literature at Berklee College of Music informed her writing and creative outlook, and issues in Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm around love, connection, traumas, promiscuity, character development, real-life inspirations, and structural and character-based decisions.       Laura Warrell is a contributor to the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and the Tin House Summer Workshop, and is a graduate of the creative writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work has appeared in HuffPost, The Rumpus, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other publications. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm was published in September 2022, and has been rightly lauded since.   Buy Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm   Laura Warrell's Website   Los Angeles Times Portrait of Laura's Journey in Writing Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm   At about 1:40, Laura talks about the “flurry of activity” that followed her book’s publication, and Pete asks her to speak about “moving on” to her next project and how she sees her first book now and how she remembers her characters are for her   At about 5:00, Laura gives background on her very early writing (“I came to writing before I came to reading”) and reading    At about 8:20, Laura recalls her early desire (and continuing until college) desire to become an actress/theater major   At about 11:00, Laura and Pete muse on the fading idea of the writer as celebrity   At about 12:50, Laura discusses how acting became secondary to writing in her pivotal college days, as well as writers like Toni Morrison, Toni Cade Bambara, Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, among others, who inspired her   At about 16:05, Pete asks about how Laura’s time as an instructor at Berklee College of Music informed the book and its coverage of art, artists, and creativity   At about 22:20, The two discuss a pivotal and memorable scene where the protagonist Circus receives a wakeup call and    At about 24:30, Laura gives background on the title and its genesis, and she responds Pete’s questions about why Laura used jazz as a topic for the book    At about 28:15, Laura speaks to ideas of centering the multiple women in Circus’ orbit    At about 32:10, Laura points to a particular book she was reading about a “playboy” that made her sure to have the women’s perspective front and center for those in relationships with Circus   At about 34:40, Laura lays our characteristics of Circus’ daughter, Koko, and how fleshing her out led to more narration from Circus   At about 36:30, Maggie is described, and the book’s opening scene is described and how it leads to a pivotal choice for Circus   At about 37:20, Laura talks about basing Maggie on Cindy Blackman, and Pete and Laura discuss a scene where Maggie delineates differences for her between Tip and Circus   At about 41:20, Pete references the opening scene for Koko, and Koko’s “father issues,” and Laura talks about Koko as a caretaker for her mother, Pia   At about 45:05, Pia is described, especially with regard to her maternal outlook   At about 46:05, A key scene involving Odessa (Pete is very complimentary of the craft) is discussed, and Laura talks about readers’ feedback involving Odessa    At about 48:35, Pete and Laura discuss key scenes involving Koko, especially in her unease in growing up   At about 50:20, The theme of aging is discussed, especially in terms of creative output and the world’s expectations    At about 51:25, Pete marks Raquel as in important character, a barometer, and Laura describes the role of Raquel   At about 55:10, The theme of father-daughter relationships and traumas and love is referenced and examples given, with Laura reflecting on the “broken mechanism” that steers Circus’ motivations and actions   At about 1:00:10, Pete and Laura cite a rough scene that calls to mind misogyny in a memorable way   At about 1:01:50, Pia is highlighted for ideas of trauma and ways to cope, and Laura picks up on a thread to reinforce why she wanted to write the book as she did   At about 1:05:40, Treading lightly-not wanting to give plot spoilers, Pete outlines some of the book’s twists   At about 1:06:50, Laura highlights ideas from the book on expectations for success, dreams, family life, and the immediacy of these things    At about 1:09:00, Laura gives social media info, and highlights Octavia’s Bookshelf and Skylight Books as two of many great places to buy her book   At about 1:10:05, Laura talks about an exciting new book project   At about 1:11:50, Laura gives suggestions on possible actors who might play Circus if the book were ever put on the big/small screen    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 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 178 with Stephen Buoro. Stephen was born in Nigeria in 1993 and at The University of East Anglia in the UK, he was the 2018 recipient of the Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship. He has a first-class degree in Mathematics and is currently studying for a PhD in Creative-Critical Writing at UEA on a fully funded studentship. His book, Andy Africa and The Five Sorrowful Mysteries, is bound to be a sensation. Pete’s interview with him regarding the book is forthcoming in Chicago Review of Books.    The episode will air on April 18, the Pub Day for the book!

Episode 176 Notes and Links to Raegen Pietrucha’s Work       On Episode 176 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Raegen Pietrucha, and the two discuss, among other things, her early voracious reading, her pivot to poetry and being amazed and inspired by writers like Louise Gluck and Mona Simpson, her interest in particular myths around Medusa, her collection’s genesis, and attendant themes and motifs in the book around sexual violence, misogyny, grief, trauma, and resilience and reinvention; additionally, she discusses her important fundraisers that combine Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Poetry Month in raising money for and awareness of victims of sexual violence.     Raegen Pietrucha writes, edits, and consults creatively and professionally. Her chapbook, An Animal I Can’t Name, won the 2015 Two of Cups Press competition; her debut poetry collection, Head of a Gorgon, was published by Vegetarian Alcoholic Press in May, 2022; and she has a memoir in progress. She received her MFA from Bowling Green State University, where she was an assistant editor for Mid-American Review. Her work has been published in Cimarron Review, Puerto del Sol, and other journals. Connect with her at raegenmp.wordpress.com and on Twitter @freeradicalrp.   Get Involved in Raising Money for and Awareness of Victims of Sexual Violence through Raegen’s Fun and Unique Fundraisers through Resilience   Buy Head of a Gorgon from Vegetarian Alcoholic Press   Buy Head of a Gorgon from Amazon   Raegen Pietrucha's Website   2022 Interview with FourWay Review   At about 7:35, Raegan talks about her early reading prowess and early creations of creative work, including the reading contests that she and Pete remember so well     At about 11:20, Raegen talks about memorable reads as she developed as a reader and writer  and an ever-growing TBR pile due to her wide reading   At about 13:00, Shout outs to the quiiiiite eccentric Shel Sílverstein   At about 15:10, Raegen sings the praise of Louise Gluck, especially her poem “Mock Orange,” and Mona Simpson’s “Lawns” as pivotal/revelatory for Raegen    At about 20:00, Raegen responds to Pete’s inquiries about how she reads differently after having served as an editor over many years; she discusses the ways in which her choices have changed over the years in valuing the visceral more    At about 28:05, Pete makes an incredibly terrible/smooth transition as the two talk about the background and important facts around Head of a Gorgon-publishing, etc.     At about 29:35, Pete reads one of the collection’s epigraphs and Raegen discusses seeds for the books and connections in her life and those of loved ones to the myths of Medusa   At about 35:35, Raegen delineates her view of and focus on a particular lesson and her lens in looking at a particular version   At about 36:50, Pete and Raegen discuss the book’s trigger warnings and lay out the book’s outline and structure and ideas of “rein   At about 41:20, Pete highlights skillful onomatopoeia, sound, and creative and active verbs in the collection’s first poem; Raegen talks about decapitation (!) and describes her rationale in writing the poem in 20-30 lines and reads the poem-it is called “The Gorgon’s Parting Thought”   At about 45:50, The two discuss water as a motif throughout the collection, as well as speaker and audience for the collection and the multiple “Your Captain is Speaking” poems in the collection    At about 50:10, The two discuss the poem “Sex Ed” and its implications about “willful ignorance” and an imagining of a young Medusa    At about 53:10, Pete gives an example of a humorous Simpsons scene that pokes at the the often “woefully adequate” ways    At about 56:10, Pete reads the powerful ending of “Sex Ed”     At about 56:50, The themes of misogyny and women as existing in juxtaposition with powerful men through reading of resonant lines   At about 58:00, Raegen discusses the ideas in her work and beyond about women as being viewed as “sacrificial”     At about  59:20, Raegen relates some of her early encounters with Medusa in an artistic way   At about 1:01:40, Ideas of snakes as venomous and victimizing and treacherous and men as predatory, though less so as the woman discovers her power as the book goes on are discussed     At about 1:05:15, Pete likens parts of the collection to ideas of “light” and “blinders” in the collection and “Allegory of the Cave”; Raegen answers Pete’s questions about sources of strength for survivors in “finding the light”   At about 1:09:35, Pete cites lines from the collection, connecting ideas of fate and free will and self-worth in Greek myth    At about 1:10:50, Pete quotes from the powerful poem “Cheer,” with its meditations of grief and “reinvention”   At about 1:11:40, Pete and Raegen discuss the collection's denouement and the ways in which internalized shame and grief and the external relate   At about 1:13:50, Pete compliments the ways in which realizations and growth are shown throughout the collection, quoting from a powerful ending   At about 1:15:40, Raegen gives details on SAAM (Sexual Assault Awareness Month) and National Poetry Month, and the extensive work she is doing to fundraise in so many fun and unique ways for victims of sexual violence-here’s the link for her work in partnership with Resilience    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 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 177 with Laura Warrell. She is the author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the Golden Poppy Book Award through the California Independent Booksellers Alliance; her writing has been published in the New York Times, Lit Hub, Los Angeles Review of Books, Huffington Post, The Rumpus, The Writer, and other publications.    The episode will air on April 11.

Episode 175 Notes and Links to Jordan Harper’s Work       On Episode 175 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jordan Harper, and the two discuss, among other things, his early reading and writing, his forays into journalism and creative writing, a pivotal screenwriting opportunity, his work writing for the small screen and lessons learned in this world regarding writing style and appropriate behaviors; additionally, his recent book, Everybody Knows, gets the spotlight, with discussions of the importance of LA as setting, the worlds of Hollywood and politics as representative of so many larger parts of society, writing genre (or not), the book’s links to police corruption and deputy gangs, and the moral ambiguity that reigns in the book.   Jordan Harper is the Edgar-Award winning author of EVERYBODY KNOWS, SHE RIDES SHOTGUN and LOVE AND OTHER WOUNDS. Born and educated in Missouri, he now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and producer for television.   Buy Everybody Knows   Jordan Harper's Substack   Maureen Corrigan Reviews Everybody Knows for NPR’s Fresh Air   Jim Ruland Reviews Everybody Knows for The Los Angeles Times At about 6:50, Jordan talks about growing up in Jefferson City, MO, and his reading habits in his childhood and adolescence    At about 9:25, Jordan talks about his fandom of Hunter S. Thompson and how he was inspired to take creative writing and journalism due to Thompson’s influence   At about 12:10, Jordan gives background on a pivotal Warner Bros program that helped him get a writing job with The Mentalist after being moved by directors like Michael Mann, Tarantino, Scorcese,    At about 14:25, Jordan responds to Pete’s questions about finding his place in the writer’s room, and Jordan narrates a summary of his television writing career, including a lot of work with Bruno Heller and Monica Cutter   At about 18:50, Jordan talks about the benefits of the sometimes-formulaic writing style for the screen   At about 20:30, Jordan responds to Pete’s question about if he watches TV differently now that he is a TV writer    At about 23:10, Pete asks Jordan about his thoughts on labels-”crime writer, etc.”- for literary genres, and Jordan and Pete shout out top-tier writers like Steph Cha, Megan Abbott, and Tod Goldberg   At about 25:25, Pete wonders what fiction provides for Jordan, writing in this style versus nonfiction   At about 29:10, Jordan ruminates on the ways in which Hollywood particularly has systems in place like those for which Mae from Everybody Knows works   At about 31:40, Pete defines “noir” and Jordan connects this to the book’s moral ambiguity and darkness and ending   At about 32:50, Jordan discusses the research process for this book and his other work    At about 35:35, Pete lays out the book’s opening and outlines the narrator, Mae’s, job and personality   At about 36:25, Pete shares a stirring quote from the book’s Hannah Heard that is resonant    At about 37:35, Jordan describes Mae’s company and the idea of real-life PR firms and spokespeople, including what inspired the book’s title    At about 41:55, Jordan describes a truism of much of society’s ideas of performance versus action    At about 43:05, The two discuss ideas of acculturation in any industry with power and “bending to the powers”; **Good Fellas and A Bronx Tale references!   At about 45:25, Pete references a powerful and memorable scene involving the Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Department, and Jordan explains a change in wording in policy and legal standards    At about 46:55, Mae’s childhood is described, as well as discussion of how much of her personality and mantras were “nature,” and how much were “nurture”   At about 48:55, Jordan talks about how when high-pressure and morally ambiguous    At about 51:35, Jordan gives some cool inside info on characters on tv and in movies and their physical progress through filming   At about 53:00, Pete notes the importance of the “unsaid” in the book and Pete and Jordan ruminate on ideas of silences in society   At about 55:35, Jordan reflects on ideas of moral ambiguity and “soft nihilism” in his work and in the world   At about 57:00, Pete shouts out some incredibly skillful dialogue in the book   At about 58:25, Jordan talks about the important quote from Hannah Heard and shines a light on Corey Feldman’s allegations, for one, as emblematic of much of the world of Hollywood power   At about 1:01:25, Pete asks Jordan’s about real-life connections to BlackGuard from the book and describes the draw of main character Chris   At about 1:03:55, Jordan points out Winnie M. Li’s Complicit as an example of those who have written eloquently about The “Me Too” Movement in saying that he    At about 1:05:10, Pete brings up a moving and honest scene involving main character Chris, and Jordan talks about why he chose to “zoom out” in this scene   At about 1:06:55, The two discuss a telling scene and anecdote about a French style of eating the whole bird, and Jordan and Pete note the sweeping symbolism of the napkin   At about 1:08:45, The two discuss the differences between power and visibility and power and responsibility, especially with regard to how Mae and her company work   At about 1:09:45, The passive voice is discussed (hehe-get it?) with regard to public statements from PR firms and spokespeople    At about 1:11:30, Pete highlights the ways in which Mae and Chris thrive on action, and Jordan notes how they often don’t think about the why and how this affects their often willful ignorance of what they do on a daily basis   At about 1:13:45, Pete reflects on Chris and Mae pursuing “The Life,” and Jordan comments on how the two live lies together    At about 1:15:10, Pete asks Jordan about the book’s setting, and Jordan reflects on Los Angeles as “América writ large”   At about 1:17:35, Pete remarks on Jordan’s precision with CalGangs in the book with John Montez, and Jordan talks about the real-life police ridealong that inspired this part   At about 1:19:45, Pete highlights a resonant line that is emblematic of the greatness of the book and Jordan gives background on its usage; Pete connects the quote to Parker, the highly unethical politician 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. 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 176 with Raegan Pietrucha. She writes, edits, and consults on professional and creative bases. Head of a Gorgon is her debut full-length poetry collection. Her debut poetry chapbook, An Animal I Can't Name, won the 2015 Two of Cups Press competition.     The episode will air on April 4.

Episode 174 Notes and Links to Allegra Hyde’s Work       On Episode 174 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Allegra Hyde, and the two discuss, among other things, her lifelong love of reading and love for librarians (like her mom!) and libraries, her varied reading and writing genres, inspirations for her dazzling and inventive worldbuilding, dark humor, the main throughline of her story collection, ideas of climate change, “global weirding,” action and inaction, encroaching technology, misogyny and patriarch with regard to climate issues, and why she has hope for our world.      Allegra Hyde is the author of ELEUTHERIA, which was named a "Best Book of 2022" by The New Yorker. She is also the author of the story collection, OF THIS NEW WORLD, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award. Her second story collection, THE LAST CATASTROPHE, is out in the world as of today, March 28, published by Vintage.    A recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, Hyde's writing has also been anthologized in Best American Travel Writing, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. Her stories, essays, and humor pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, American Short Fiction, BOMB, and many other venues.    Hyde has received fellowships and grants from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, The Elizabeth George Foundation, the Lucas Artist Residency Program, the Jentel Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright Commission, and elsewhere.    She currently teaches at Oberlin College.     Buy The Last Catastrophe   Allegra Hyde's Webpage   Our Culture Mag Profile of Allegra Hyde and The Last Catastrophe     At about 7:10, Pete compliments The Last Catastrophe, referring to Allegra’s work as “prophet[ic],” and Allegra talks about her mindset with her book now entering the world   At about 9:15, Allegra talks about her childhood relationships with the library, reading, and writing; she shouts out her love for The Chronicles of Narnia and audiobooks in general   At about 10:45, Pete wonders about any childhood experiences that may have steered Allegra to particular types of reading    At about 12:10, Pete highlights a particular story from the collection that is indicative of Allegra’s skill with worldbuilding; she explains her approach to worldbuilding   At about 14:10, Allegra describes the “privilege” in doing authorial research and she and Pete shout out librarians and decry the recent spate of book banning   At about 15:40, Pete asks Allegra about who/what she is reading these days; she highlights Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon and Thornton Wilder   At about 17:15, Pete references the book’s blurb as “dazzling and inventive” (Alexandra Kleeman) and Allegra describes her approach in writing one of those “dazzling” stories   At about 18:55, Allegra defines “retrofuturism,” and she describes how it was guiding her in these stories; she points out her story “Democracy in América” as an example   At about 20:15, Allegra characterizes the throughline of her short story connection, defining and expounding upon the term “Global Weirding”   At about 23:05, Pete cites an important and evocative opening line of the collection and asks Allegra about the line’s larger meaning and if it served as a catalyst   At about 24:45, Pete and Allegra discuss the plot and significance of the story “Mobilization”   At about 27:55, Pete references a joke from Marc Maron and inaction on climate change/global weirdness; Allegra highlights the need to approach the crisis from a communal lens   At about 29:20, Pete refers to grass and drought issues and its connection to wealth and    At about 30:05, Pete quotes from the book and he and Allegra discuss ideas of optimism and pessimism regarding the future, particularly with regard to climate change/global weirdness   At about 32:35, Pete references the story “Zoo Suicides” and Allegra speaks to the story’s intent and how it was “after” Donald Barthelme and Dana Diehl   At about 35:00, The two discuss the power of the dark humor in the book, and Allegra discusses the story “Afterglow” and its connections to global weirding and a more individual story of grief   At about 38:45, Allegra discusses the gender identity of the narrator of “Democracy in América” and talk about issues particular to America, especially as seen from outside the US   At about 40:55, Allegra describes the process of “Consignment,” which speaks to ideas of consumerism and an American obsession with youth and beauty, from the above story   At about 42:25, Commodification and issues of wealth inequality are discussed with regards to her story collection, especially with regards to how wealth and global weirding are so closely linked   At about 44:40, Pete highlights “The Future is a Click Away” as a standout story and he and Allegra discuss “The Algorithm” in the story as almost “mythical” and “god-like”   At about 47:30, “Cougar” is discussed as another story that deals with encroaching technology, and Allegra talks about “merg[ing] real pieces from her life with research and imagination   At about 49:40, “Endangered” and its statements on the state of art and artists, as well as captivity and endangerment in today’s world, is discussed    At about 52:30, Misogyny and what Allegra calls “the mysterious nature of ‘Chevalier’ ” are discussed, as well as ideas of invisibilia, both by the world at large and by the narrator of the story, who may be more directed by love than she would let on   At about 56:00, Allegra connects her stories to patriarchy and global weirding   At about 58:00, Pete and Allegra discuss legislative action and other ways in which women and other oppressed groups are being ignored and degraded    At about 58:55, Allegra explains why she “chafe[s]” against her writing being described as “satirical”    At about 59:30, Pete laugh over the absurd and awesome story involving a woman    At about 1:00:25, Allegra explains how she finds cause for optimism despite some often dark topics that populate the world and her work   At about 1:03:15, Allegra shouts out her upcoming tour dates, and shouts out Ben Franklin/Mindfair Books as one of many places to buy her book   At about 1:04:35, Allegra highlights her exciting upcoming project-there are caves involved!    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 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.

Episode 173 Notes and Links to Rachel Heng’s Work       On Episode 173 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Rachel Heng, and the two discuss, among other things, her love of reading and her early relationships with the written word and multilingualism, her research and the family stories concerning Singapore’s transformation and its history of ethnic diversity and kampong culture, the book’s “complications” concerning the ways in which “The Great Reclamation” played in on micro- and macro levels for the people of Singapore, her beautiful portrayals of change, grief, and guilt, and her inspirations for writing the book.   Rachel Heng is the author of the novels The Great Reclamation (Riverhead, 2023) and Suicide Club (Henry Holt, 2018), which has been translated into ten languages worldwide and won the Gladstone Library Writer-In-Residence Award. Rachel's short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney's Quarterly, One Story, Kenyon Review, and has been recognized by anthologies including Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions and Best New Singaporean Short Stories. She was recently longlisted for the 2021 Sunday Times Short Story Award, “the world’s richest and most prestigious prize for a single short story.” Her non-fiction has been listed among Best American Essays’ Notable Essays and published in Al Jazeera, Guernica, BOMB Magazine, The Rumpus and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Sewanee Writers' Conference, Fine Arts Work Center and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Rachel received her MFA in Fiction and Playwriting from the Michener Center for Writers, UT Austin, and her BA in Comparative Literature & Society from Columbia University.     Buy The Great Reclamation   Rachel Heng's Webpage   Rachel Speaks about The Great Reclamation on NPR’s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon   Oprah Daily Cover Reveal and Article about The Great Reclamation     At about 7:50, Rachel discusses her mindset and emotions as her book tour begins with a March 28 event with Kirstin Chen and the book is published on March 28    At about 8:55, Pete asks about Rachel’s early relationship with the written word and multilingualism; Rachel talks about a heavy diet of British writers in school in Singapore and her route to becoming a writer   At about 12:40, Rachel discusses seeds for the book and research done for the book, including how the book came from a “curiosity to revisit that time” often referenced by older family members   At about 14:35, Rachel speaks to the ethnic makeup of Singapore, and how British colonialism affected Singapore’s ethnic history   At about 16:40, Pete reads the book’s epigraph and Rachel explains its connection to themes from the book, including Singapore’s look to the future   At about 19:10, The two characterize the Lee family    At about 20:25, Pete cites the wonderful opening line of the book and asks Rachel about the meanings and personal significance of the kampong    At about 23:55, Rachel expands upon ideas of the “kampong spirit” and the communal “national fabric” of Singapore for the duration of the book and now   At about 25:40, Pete wonders if there any connection between recent pushes toward MAGA and her book’s subject matter   At about 26:50, Pete and Rachel discuss Uncle’s character and sympathies for him   At about 27:25, The two lay out early events in the book with Ah Boon and family locating ethereal islands and Rachel gives background on how POV and a key throughline inspired the beginning of the book   At about 30:00, Pete talks about the slow inevitability of change in the book and asks Rachel about Pa’s parenting style   At about 31:40, Rachel gives background on Siok Mei, her family life, and what draws her and Ah Boon to each other   At about 33:55, Pete highlights the powerful and beautiful flashbacks in the book   At about 34:45, Pete cites Rachel’s skill with recognizable yet dynamic characters   At about 35:15, Pete quotes from the book to provide background on Ma and her marriage to Pa   At about 35:50, Pete and Rachel discuss the significance of the Japanese occupation in 1942 and its aftereffects   At about 38:30, Pete describes an important decision that Pa and Uncle are faced with during the Japanese occupation   At about 39:25, Pete and Rachel discuss “The Disappearing Years” and the post-war attitude exhibited by Ah Boon and Singaporeans    At about 42:15, The two discuss student protests that came about when Siok Mei and Ah Boon reacted to the real-life controversial case involving Nadra   At about 44:30, Rachel talks about the “Gah Men” and the ways in which they acted and were perceived by the public   At about 46:45, Natalie is discussed as representative of the government, especially with regard to diction like “greater good,” and Rachel describes parts of Singaporean history as “complicated” and “an interesting case study”    At about 50:20, Rachel talks about the environmental effects of The Great Reclamation    At about 51:25, Class division is described as a book theme through an anecdote from Natalie   At about 52:30, Pete quotes government officials from the book and ideas of “greater good”   At about 53:00, Pete compliments Rachel’s depictions of grief and she speaks to inspirations for these depictions   At about 54:40, Rachel explains a quote of hers regarding her perspective in writing this book while living in the US    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 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 174, another episode dropping today, March 28, celebrating pub day for Allegra Hyde.  Allegra Hyde is a recipient of three Pushcart Prizes and author of ELEUTHERIA, named a "Best Book of 2022" by The New Yorker. She’s also the author of the story collection, OF THIS NEW WORLD, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award, and her second story collection, THE LAST CATASTROPHE, is her new one. The episode will go live around noon on March 28.

Episode 172 Notes and Links to Robert Lopez’s Work       On Episode 172 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Robert Lopez, and the two discuss, among other things, growing up on Long Island, his renewed vigor for, and focus on, reading and writing in his early 20s, his inspirations in writers like Hemingway and Carver, John D’Agata, Eula Biss, ideas of erasure and assimilation that populate the book, his Puerto Rican heritage, his love of tennis as a sport and as metaphor, the idea of "dispatches" and how they inform his book, and his writing style of understatement and braided narrative.      Robert Lopez is the author of three novels, Part of the World, Kamby Bolongo Mean River —named one of 25 important books of the decade by HTML Giant, All Back Full, and two story collections, Asunder and Good People. A new novel-in-stories, A Better Class Of People, was published by Dzanc Books in April, 2022. Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere, his first nonfiction book, was published by Two Dollar Radio on March 14 of this year. His fiction, nonfiction, and poetry has appeared in dozens of publications, including Bomb, The Threepenny Review, Vice Magazine, New England Review, The Sun, and the Norton Anthology of Sudden Fiction – Latino. He teaches at Stony Brook University and has previously taught at Columbia University, The New School, Pratt Institute, and Syracuse University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.   Buy Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere   Robert Lopez's Webpage   Sara Lippman Reviews Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere for Chicago Review of Books     At about 7:15, Robert describes the experience of having a book recently out in the world   At about 8:20, Robert discusses his adolescent reading habits    At about 9:50, Robert gives background on how a TV production class senior year of college inspired him to become an ardent reader and writer   At about 11:20, Robert responds to Pete’s questions about Long Island and its cultural norms   At about 14:15, Pete asks Robert about writers and writing that inspired him to become a writer himself; Robert points out a few, especially Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway   At about 16:25, The two talk about their shared preference for Hemingway’s stories over his novels   At about 17:00, Pete shouts out Robert’s paean to Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”   At about 18:05, Robert speaks to the book’s background and seeds for the book in response to Pete’s questions about what it was like to write nonfiction/memoir   At about 21:20, Pete cites a blurb by Eula Biss that trumpets the book’s universality and specificity, leading Robert to define “Puerto Nowhere”   At about 23:20, Pete and Robert connects a quote from the book to Robert’s comment that the book is more in search of questions than answers/conclusions    At about 26:05, Pete posits Sigrid Nunez’s work as an analogue to Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere   At about 27:15, Vivían Gornick, Maggie Nelson, Eula Biss, Ander Monson, John D’Agata are referenced as writers whose work is “in conversation” with Robert’s   At about 28:35, Pete asks about the structure/placing of the dispatches, and Robert describes how the book was put together with some sage advice from Eric Obenauf at Two Dollar Radio   At about 30:50, Pete aska bout Robert’s understanding of “dispatches” and what it was like to write in first-person/personally   At about 32:25, Pete references two important lines from the book-the book’s opening line and its connection to forgetting, and an important quote and its misquote from Milosz, which Robert breaks down   At about 36:00, Pete and Robert highlight and analyze key quotes from the book dealing with Spanish language loss and forced and subtle assimilation and connections to cultural erasure   At about 40:40, Robert discusses the parallel storyline from the book that deals with his grandfather, about whose journey to the States   At about 42:20, Pete wonders if Robert still has designs ongoing to Puerto Rico and doing family research after the pandemic    At about 43:40, Tennis references in the book are highlighted, and Robert talks about how and why he made connections to important topics in the book, like police violence and racism and loss in the family   At about 51:35, Robert describes a good friend referenced in the book who is a great example    At about 52:35, the two discuss second-generation Americans and forward and the realization that often there are many more creature comforts as the generations go in   At about 55:10, Pete compliments the book’s powerful understatement and a resonant image involving Robert’s grandfather eating     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 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 173 and 174, TWO episodes dropping on March 28, celebrating pub days for Rachel Heng and Allegra Hyde.     Rachel Heng is author of the novels The Great Reclamation-her new one-and Suicide Club, which has been translated into ten languages worldwide and won the Gladstone Library Writer-In-Residence Award. Her short fiction has been recognized by anthologies including Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions and Best New Singaporean Short Stories.    Allegra Hyde is a recipient of three Pushcart Prizes and author of ELEUTHERIA, named a "Best Book of 2022" by The New Yorker. She’s also the author of the story collection, OF THIS NEW WORLD, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award, and her second story collection, THE LAST CATASTROPHE, is her new one.    The episodes air March 28.

Episode 171 Notes and Links to Danielle Prescod’s Work       On Episode 171 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Danielle Prescod, and the two discuss, among other things, Danielle’s voracious reading as an adolescent and beyond, issues of body image in school and in the fashion world, her work in the fashion publishing world and how her personal experiences as recounted in her enthralling and enlightening Token Black Girl can be seen as microcosmic in relation to larger societal issues of racism, fatphobia, and misogyny.        Danielle Prescod is an author, content creator, and journalist. She is also a fifteen-year veteran of the beauty and fashion industry and a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. A lifelong fashion obsessive, she was most recently the style director of BET.com. Her book, Token Black Girl, is part memoir, part narrative nonfiction and an exploration of the ways that modern media can influence one’s self-esteem. Buy Token Black Girl   Danielle Prescod's Website   From Marie Claire: #Read with MC Review of Token Black Girl At about 7:00, Danielle talks about her prodigious reading and love of reading as a kid.    At about 8:50, Danielle describes the feeling of seeing her book out in the world   At about 10:00, Danielle charts some of that early reading-a lot of YA-Judy Blume, Pascal, V.C. Andrews, etc.   At about 11:30, Pete asks Danielle about how she sees her childhood reading in hindsight, and she talks about ideas of representation and references a powerful quote from Tracee Ellis Ross   At about 13:25, Danielle highlights Marley Dias and her incredibly impressive #1000blackgirlbooks project   At about 16:20, Danielle talks about 2020 and the high amount of anti-racism books that came to prominence and how the white mainstream as an audience    At about 17:55, Danielle speaks to the seeds for her career in fashion, and her love of writing and magazines   At about 19:35, Pete lays out the book’s introduction and he and Pete and Danielle discuss her focus on a 2003 magazine cover that was emblematic of ideas of erasure of women of color   At about 21:20, The definitions and explanations of a “token white girl” are explained; Danielle speaks to assimilation and indoctrination as described in the book; Danielle talks about the “limiting” binary of racism   At about 23:40, Danielle explains a “pretty naive concept” she had as a younger person    At about 25:25, Danielle talks about racism when falsely viewed through a “nice/mean” dichotomy and the injurious effects of this mindset   At about 28:40, Pete cites moving examples of racism experienced by Danielle’s grandfather and asks her about how his experiences and her parents’ experiences led to the ways she and her sister were raised and taught   At about 30:10, Danielle responds to Pete’s questions about racism and the ostensibly liberal environments she grew up in   At about 33:45, Pete highlights Danielle’s poetic language with a few examples regarding white supremacy and a fitting citing of Dubois; Danielle speaks to ideas of pressures in “representing” Black people   At about 35:10, The two discuss Danielle’s early environment at NYLON-and the greater societal environment- and how it affected her   At about 38:00, Danielle speaks to allure of fashion and its attendant issues    At about 40:00, Danielle gives an standout explanation of “fashion theory” and connects it to human history    At about 43:20, Danielle and Pete discuss a pivotal scene from the book that deals with discussions on body image in a college class of hers   At about 44:50, Danielle responds to Pete’s questions about connections between problematic societal body image issues and features and media coverage and ideas of stakeholders    At about 48:00, Pete compliments Danielle’s depictions and personal story   At about 49:10, Pete refers to a particularly egregious example of racism experienced by Danielle   At about 49:55, Danielle speaks to the “psychological warfare” of the publishing/fashion worlds, and its similarities to high school dramas, and she Pete discuss how society and these worlds often mirror each other   At about 51:00, Pete is highly complimentary of Danielle’s honesty in her book and Danielle speaks about what she might tell her younger self and other younger people about ways to find more peace   At about 54:40, Pete and Danielle reflect on ideas of perpetuating racism through societal norms   At about 55:55, Danielle shares edifying reader feedback she’s gotten regarding the book   At about 56:35, Danielle shares an exciting future project she’s working on   At about 58:20, Danielle provides social media and contact 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 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 172 with Robert Lopez. He is author of three novels, including Kamby Bolongo Mean River—named one of 25 important books of the decade by HTML Giant, All Back Full, two story collections, and a novel-in-stories, A Better Class Of People. The LA Times wrote, "Lopez has the ability to give readers whiplash with his unconventional and bewitching stories."  The episode will air on March 24.

Episode 170 Notes and Links to Richard T. Rodriguez’s Work       On Episode 170 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Richard T. Rodriguez, and the two discuss, among other things, Richard’s childhood full of voracious reading and master wordsmiths in his family, books and media and music that spoke to him and speaks to him, evolving ideas of Chicanismo, masters of Chicanx literature and music and cultural studies, and the seven songs/chapters that constitute his stellar book and build upon ideas of “touch” and a “kiss across the ocean.”      Richard T. Rodríguez is Professor of Media and Cultural Studies and English at the University of California, Riverside. He specializes in Latina/o/x literary and cultural studies, film and visual culture, and gender and sexuality studies, and holds additional interests in transnational cultural studies, popular music studies, and comparative ethnic studies. The author of Next of Kin: The Family in Chicano/a Cultural Politics (Duke University Press, 2009), which won the 2011 National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Book Award, and A Kiss across the Ocean: Transatlantic Intimacies of British Post-Punk and U.S. Latinidad (Duke University Press, 2022), he is currently completing Undocumented Desires: Fantasies of Latino Male Sexuality. The 2019 recipient of the Richard A. Yarborough Mentoring Award, granted by the Minority Scholars' Committee of the American Studies Association, he is the co-principal investigator on a University of California MRPI grant titled "The Global Latinidades Project: Globalizing Latinx Studies for the Next Millennium." His show, "Dr. Ricky on the Radio," can be heard weekly on KUCR.  Buy A Kiss Across the Ocean:  Transatlantic Intimacies of British Post-Punk and U.S. Latinidad   Richard T. Rodriguez's University of California at Riverside Page   Razorcake Review and Summary of A Kiss Across the Ocean     At about 8:00, Richard talks about growing up and his relationship with language and the written word, including the impacts from his parents, who were “wordsmiths” and bilingual    At about 9:45, Richard shouts out Phuc Tran’s Sigh, Gone in describing his own reading and childhood experiences   At about 10:45, Richard discusses his college years at Cal Berkeley, and the huge impact June Jordan and Yusef  Komunyaaka had on him   At about 13:00, Richard responds to Pete’s question about ideas of representation in what Richard read growing up-he points out Victor Villaseñor and Alfred Arteaga, among others   At about 14:40, Pete and Richard discuss the power of Villarreal’s Pocho   At about 16:20, Pete asks Richard about evolving ideas/definitions for “Chicano”   At about 18:35, Richard responds to Pete asking about any “ ‘Eureka’ moments” and how James Clifford in grad school helped him with a “reassessment of language”   At about 20:25, Richard talks about who and what he’s teaching as a college professor, including work by Alex Espinoza, Phuc Tran, and James Spooner    At about 24:05, Pete lays out some of the power of the beginning of the book and asks Richard about how he “saw the world anew” through Boy George and other musicians; he mentions how the music informed his reading and art intake   At about 27:10, Richard describes what spoke to him about Johnny Rotten’s quote about hanging out with Chicanos in SoCal   At about 28:30, Francesca Royster and Carl Stanley and others are referenced as Richard describes what was going on in the world and in his life as impetus for writing the book   At about 30:45, the two discuss teenage years and why they are such “prime” years for music celebration and exploration    At about 33:20, Melissa Mora Hidalgo, with Mozlandia, and Gustavo Arellano are shouted out as models for Richard’s work   At about 35:50, Richard explains “post-punk” and “new-wave” and how he wanted to “reclaim ‘post-punk’ ”   At about 38:15, Pete lays out the structure of the book, compliments its melding of academic and poetic writing, and asks about “goth”-its definition(s) and connections to the focus of Chapter One-Siouxsie and the Banshees   At about 41:40, Richard comments on Kid Congo Powers and his important connections to SoCal Chicano culture and to the Cramps/Siouxsie   At about 43:00, Pete asks Richard to explain his specific use of “touch” in the book   At about 45:20, Richard describes how Latinx writers have been touched by Siouxsie and the Banshees, often referencing the band in their work   At about 46:20, Richard describes his meeting with/touch by Siouxsie   At about 46:45, Richard describes Adam Ant and his connection to Chapter Two’s “Prince Charming,” with both being “two-sided”   At about 49:40, Chapter Three, Bauhaus, and ideas and possibilities of “goth” as racially diverse; the two discuss Myriam Gurba’s work on the general topic and Love and Rockets as a mutual   At about 54:15, Chapter Four is discussed with “Latina queer sensibilities” as a main focus and Marc Almond’s connections to John Rechy’s work   At about 59:10, The two talk about “othering” and exoticization that comes from    At about 1:01:00, Ideas of “secondhand” and history and zoot suits and masculinity are discussed, topics from the book’s Chapter Five   At about 1:04:45, Richard examines conversations around cultural appropriation and Chris Sullivan’s work with the zoot suit and “Latin” music   At about 1:07:05, The two talk about Chapter Six and Pete compliments Richard’s melding of personal and cultural; the chapter deals with “Mexican Americanos” and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, in addition to lead singer Holly Johnson’s solo work   At about 1:12:30, Richard gives background on The Pet Shop Boys and their work with hip hop and freestyle music and the connections between freestyle music and Latinx artists   At about 1:15:50, Pete uses an example of “authenticity” that Richard analyzes so skillfully as an example of ignorance   At about 1:16:50, Richard speaks to the book’s conclusion and the greatness possible through tribute bands in “translating” and “regenerating” music   At about 1:20:10, Richard calls attention to Orange County’s Ghost Town   At about 1:21:45, Richard talks about future projects   At about 1:22:50, Tainted Love shoutout!   At about 1:23:45, Richard recommends LibroMobile, City Lights Bookstore, and other places to buy his book and gives his 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 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 171 with Danielle Prescod. Danielle is an author, content creator, and journalist. Danielle Prescod is a fifteen-year veteran of the beauty and fashion industry and a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. A lifelong fashion obsessive, she was most recently the style director of BET.com. Her book, Token Black Girl, is part memoir, part narrative nonfiction and an exploration of the ways that modern media can influence one’s self-esteem.    The episode will air on March 21.

Episode 169 Notes and Links to Justin Tinsley’s Work       On Episode 169 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Justin Tinsley, and the two discuss, among other things, Justin’s formative and transformative experiences with reading powerful works like The Autobiography of Malcolm X and by masters who combined sports and culture/politics, his wonderful experiences at Hampton University, his learned love of storytelling from his beloved grandmother, the Blog and Kazaa (!) eras, working on a wide variety of stories for Andscape and ESPN, his life-changing experiences with standout mentors and colleagues like Danyel Smith and Tony Reali, the surreal experiences associated with being a panelist on Around the Horn, and Christopher Wallace and The Notorious B.I.G. and the macro and micro that affected his life and legacy and were affected by his life and legacy.      Justin Tinsley is the author of It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him, and Host of ESPN’s 30 For 30 Nipsey Hussle original podcast, The King of Crenshaw. He is Sports and Culture Senior Reporter at Disney’s Andscape and weekly guest on ESPN’s Around the Horn. Buy It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World that Made Him   Justin Tinsley's Website   Listen to The King of Crenshaw Podcast Series on Nipsey Hussle At about 1:50, Justin responds to Pete’s questions about his familial and writerly inspirations, and Justin    At about 5:20, Justin shares an interesting story about his unforgettable and generative conversations with the “phenomenal” Craig Hodges, and Pete and Justin discuss the power of The Jordan Rules    At about 9:40, Justin discusses some of the most formative writers and writing in his life, including the “important” The Autobiography of Malcolm X and work by Ralph Wiley, Danyel Smith and Elliott Wilson   At about 13:25, Justin shouts out his friend and contemporary David Dennis, Jr., and his powerful book and writing   At about 14:15, Justin speaks to the powerful ways in which Hampton University and Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) have influenced him and enhanced his life, including the “most important class [he] ever took at Hampton”   At about 17:00, Justin talks about his days in the “Kazaa Era” and his work in curating music for friends and followers    At about 19:25, Justin discusses his time at ESPN, starting in 2015, being hired by Jason Whitlock, and his work with The Undefeated (which later became Andscape)   At about 21:50, Justin talks about an incredible story regarding Marvin Gaye’s Detroit Lions’ tryout   At about 24:55, Justin gives a moving backstory regarding drives with his grandmother and what he means by the tagline on his website: “Drawing sophisticated parallels between culture and sport”   At about 28:40, Justin gives background on his beginnings on Around the Horn and how he balances being in awe of the show that has been a lifelong favorite and his own performance on the show   At about 30:50, Justin describes the greatness of Tony Reali and gives background on how Tony helped Justin start with the show, and the talent from Here for It, including Monica McNutt   At about 35:40, Justin and Pete discuss more of what makes the show great, including the lack of points that come with the serious topics   At about 38:45, Pete notes how Justin has gotten some life-changing emails and phone calls, which Justin uses to give backstory on seeds for his book on The Notorious B.I.G.   At about 42:25, Justin relates how the pandemic affected the research for his book on Biggie   At about 43:50, Justin recounts some writing advice that helped him broaden his subject matter for the book   At about 46:45, Pete shares the profound line that Christopher Wallace said in his last recorded interview that informed Justin’s writing and is described in the book’s Introduction    At about 48:45, Justin and Pete reflect on the extreme youth of Biggie and Tupac and ideas of “what might have been”   At about 51:20, Justin talks about the memories of Christopher Wallace and talking with people who still have a lifelong heartbreak, including Chico del Vec’s    At about 54:00, Justin discusses the moving last chapter of the book that deals with CJ Wallace, Christopher Wallace, Jr.   At about 56:50, Pete notes the true appreciation and respect for Voletta Wallace, and how Justin so aptly wrote a nuanced book that reflected both macro and micro and the book’s subtitle   At about 58:30, Justin reflects on the profundity of the mural anecdote mentioned in the book, especially profound as it involves DJ 50 Grand and his recent sad death   At about 1:01:40, Pete brings some “lightning-round” questions, including questions    At about 1:02:50, Pete shouts a friend out and is wowed by a real-life reference    At about 1:05:30, Pete sums up the greatness of the book and connects it back to the guiding quote from Christopher Wallace   At about 1:06:20, Justin reads a passage from the book that serves as a sort of summation of the book, in that it neither glorifies nor assails him-on Page 321    At about 1:10:00, Justin shouts out places to buy his book, Books-a-Million   At about 1:11:00, Justin talks about future projects and ideas   At about 1:13:05, Justin gives out social media-jtinsley86 is his TikTok    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 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 170 with Richard T. Rodríguez, a Renaissance Man and Professor of English at the University of California, Riverside. He is the author of A KISS ACROSS THE OCEAN  from Duke Press, and Dr. Ricky on the Radio at KUCR, 88.3FM    The episode will air on March 14.

Episode 168 Notes and Links to Dur e Aziz Amna’s Work       On Episode 168 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Dur E Aziz Amna, and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with writing and reading and multilingualism, formational and transformational texts and writers and mentors, and themes of home, ignorance, xenophobia, connection, maturity, misogyny, and so much more, as chronicled in her stellar novel.    Dur e Aziz Amna is from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and now lives in Newark, USA. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Financial Times, and Al Jazeera, among others. She was selected as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022, and won the 2019 Financial Times / Bodley Head Essay Prize. She is a graduate of Yale College and the Helen Zell Writers' Program at the University of Michigan. AMERICAN FEVER is her debut novel. Buy American Fever   Dur e Aziz Amna's Website   Sana Goyal Reviews American Fever for The Guardian   Anandi Mishra Reviews American Fever for Los Angeles Review of Books At about 6:30, Pete asks Dur e about any secret societies she was part of at Yale   At about 7:25, Pete highlights a standout line from the book   At about 8:45, Dur e speaks about her early language and reading experiences, a “segmented” life of English, Urdu, and Punjabi   At about 12:35, Dur e responds to Pete’s inquiry about the ways in which Urdu as a language informs her writing in English    At about 15:05, The two discuss “I love you” as an interesting use of language logic, particularly with regard to a line from the book   At about 16:50, Dur e responds to Pete’s questions about books and writers that changed her trajectory and how college exposed her to specific writers and genres   At about 18:20, Dur e highlights contemporary reads that thrill and inspire her, and talks of Peter Ho Davies, Nishanth Injam, and Julie Buntin as inspiring mentors    At about 20:05, Dur e gives backgrounds on the book’s genesis    At about 23:40, Pete recounts some key early lines from the book and focuses on the skillful   At about 25:20, Dur e gives background on Kelly, the narrator, Hira’s, host mom and her motivations and reader feedback on the character    At about 27:55, Dur e talks about her curiosity in exploring power dynamics between Kelly and Hira   At about 29:20, The two discuss Hira’s desires to leave    At about 32:40, Dur e gives background on the exchange program that was the basis for Hira’s fictional program    At about 36:50, Dur gives unbelievable stats about the history of tuberculosis and how it’s shaped our world   At about 38:20, The two talk about Hira’s parents and the ways in which their attitudes are representative of ideas about class    At about 43:50, Dur e responds to Pete’s questions about why Hira’s parents let her go to the States   At about 46:30, Pete asks Dur e about a memorable scene involving a car ride and Dur e gives the real-life parallels    At about 49:00, Pete compliments Hira for her nuanced writing   At about 50:30, Pete wonders about Hira’s place as an outsider and as welcomed in her Oregon town   At about 52:40, Pete outlines Hira’s creeping sickness and Dur e reflects on ideas of blame for the sickness    At about 55:30, Pete brings up Ali and Hira’s relationship and her views of the relationship    At about 57:30, Pete asks Dur e to distinguish between the way Hira and Hamid act as exchange students, and this brings up discussion of a “frustrating” thing about Hira for Dur e   At about 1:00:20, Dur e and Pete marvel over similarities between Hira’s quarantine and the world of Covid and talk about the ramifications of Hira’s tuberculosis diagnosis and recovery    At about 1:02:20, Ideas of home are discussed that dovetail with independence    At about 1:03:10, Ideas of gender roles are discussed through the lens of a scene involving a scarf in the book   At about 1:05:20, Saima Sitwat shoutout!   At about 1:06:15, Dur e blithely talks about her upcoming project   At about 1:07:00, Dur e gives backstory on her love for the book’s US cover   At about 1:08:20, Dur e shouts out places to buy her book and social media/contact 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 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 169 with Justin Tinsley, the author of It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him, and Host of ESPN’s 30 For 30 Nipsey Hussle original podcast, The King of Crenshaw. He is Sports and Culture Senior Reporter at Disney’s Andscape and weekly guest on ESPN’s Around the Horn     The episode will air on March 7.

Episode 167 Notes and Links to Mai Der Vang’s Work         On Episode 167 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Mai Der Vang, and the two discuss, among other things, her childhood as bilingual and a voracious reader, formative writers and writing in her life, catalysts to write about Hmong culture, and specifically the towering achievement that is Yellow Rain, with its depiction of an often-dehumanized and preyed upon people and other pertinent issues of empire and colonization.      Mai Der Vang is the author of Yellow Rain (Graywolf Press, 2021), winner of the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets, an American Book Award, and a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, along with Afterland (Graywolf Press, 2017), winner of the First Book Award from the Academy of American Poets. The recipient of a Lannan Literary Fellowship, her poetry has appeared in Tin House, the American Poetry Review, and Poetry, among other journals and anthologies. She teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Fresno State.            Buy Yellow Rain   Mai Der Vang's Website   “Review: YELLOW RAIN – Mai Der Vang (Graywolf Press),” by Ronnie K. Stephens, The Poetry Question, November 18, 2021   Interviews/Press for Mai At about 6:40, Pete and Mai Der shout Fresno stars like Lee Herrick, Juan Felipe Herrera,    At about 8:00, Mai gives background on her reading and language relationships, starting from childhood, and leading to an overview of her multigenerational family background and Hmong as her first language    At about 12:00, Mai responds to Pete’s question about representation for Hmong people in the literary world, including the awkward links to Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down   At about 16:15, Mai discusses writers and writing that have been “game-changers” for her, including the work of Juan Felipe Herrera, Cathy Park Hong, Solmaz Sharif, and Douglas Kearney   At about 19:00, Pete asks Mai about any “ ‘Eureka’ moments” that have guided her into writing as a profession; she cites the Hmong Community Writers’ Collective as a guiding force    At about 21:35, Mai answers Pete’s questions about ideas of dialogue and silence in Hmong communities regarding the “Secret War” and its aftermath    At about 24:15, Pete outlines Yellow Rain’s opening and asks Mai about “following the rains”-she details her research (10 years!)   At about 25:05, Pete refers to a review of the book from The Poetry Question saying the book “defies genre”-Pete asks about goals in mind for the book, regarding its unique and diverse styles   At about 27:40-34:05, Pete cites the Wikipedia article regarding “Yellow Rain” and asks Mai for a background on it in connection to the Hmong and their lives post-”Secret War”   At about 34:05, Pete quotes from and asks about some of the collection’s early poems and refers to ideas of the Hmong as disregarded; Mai discusses an oft-quoted line about “gardening”   At about 36:20, Pete and Mai make comparisons between Roberto Lovato’s incredible work with Unforgetting and Mai’s work   At about 37:10, Pete and Mai discuss a disastrous and racist Radiolab interview regarding the Hmong and yellow rain    At about 39:00, Pete and Mai discuss the theme of dehumanization that runs throughout her collection    At about 40:40, Mai talks about the ineptitude and missteps that led to an inability to make definitive proclamations about yellow rain’s provenance    At about 44:05, The two discuss the double meanings of “specimen” and the ways in which a possible chemical weapon used against the Hmong was incredibly destructive and hard to trace   At about 45:30, The bees are investigated and discussed-ideas that bee feces may have been the reason for the yellow mist were put forth   At about 49:00, Ideas of colonization and American empire are investigated via the book’s poems    At about 52:35, Pete reads a line that sums up so profoundly ideas of “what if’s” and    At about 53:50, Mai talks about ideas of resistance and about any possible political and cultural actions-i.e., the future and any advocacy    At about 59:00, Mai reads the last poem of the collection, “And Yet Still More” and discusses some key lines    At about 1:02:55, Mai gives 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 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!    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 168 with Dur e Aziz Amna. She is from Rawalpindi, Pakistán, now living in Newark, NJ, her work has appeared in the New York Times and Al Jazeera, among others; was selected as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022; her standout debut novel is American Fever.    The episode will air on February 21.  

Episode 166 Notes and Links to Kai Harris’s Work       On Episode 166 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Kai Harris, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading, formative books like Anne of Green Gables and works she read later by Ernest Gaines and Toni Morrison, her current loves in terms of writers and writing, the power of flashback and juxtaposition, as well themes of grief, loss, racism, and many more from her book, and the interesting decision-making that went in to writing the book as she did.        Kai Harris is a writer and educator from Detroit, Michigan. She uses her voice to uplift the Black community through realistic fiction centered on the Black experience, and she is the author of What The Fireflies Knew, the first fiction title from Tiny Reparations Book. She is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Santa Clara University (GO BRONCOS!)          Buy What the Fireflies Knew   Kai Harris's Website   The New York Times “Shortlist” Features What the Fireflies Knew as Part of “The Lives of Black Women, at Home and Abroad” At about 6:35, Kai shouts out places to buy her book (Keppler’s and BookShop Santa Cruz, among others) and upcoming events, in addition to describing the exciting audiobook and paperback extra features   At about 8:20, Kai describes the playlist she made for the paperback edition   At about 10:50, Kai talks about her early reading habits, including how she often read beyond her age, much like her book’s protagonists    At about 11:45, Kai connects her choice of using Anne of Green Gables in her book to themes and connections in the book   At about 13:40, Kai relates how reading A Lesson Before Dying and other books by Black authors changed her literary mindset and worldview   At about 16:00, Kai recounts the importance of discovering Toni Morrison’s work   At about 17:00, Kai describes Jesmyn Ward (especially Salvage the Bones), as a writer who challenges and thrills her    At about 18:55, Kai compliments some favorites in Destiny Birdsong and Deesha Philyaw   At about 22:10, Pete cites Ecclesiastes and a famous quote on stories as cyclical and related   At about 23:10, Kai responds to Pete’s questions about how Detroit has informed her and her writing, and she also describes how writing became a possibility for her   At about 25:45, Kai talks about working as a professor and how her different classes excite her in various ways   At about 29:10, Pete shares a meaningful quote from Kai’s Acknowledgments and asks Kai about seeds for the book   At about 31:30, Pete cites the book as enjoyable for many ages and wonders about how Kai and her publishers see the book’s place as young adult, etc.   At about 34:50, Pete lists some skillful use of childlike vocabulary and references that make the narrator’s POV so powerful and successful   At about 36:10, Pete highlights the book’s stunning opening line and the two discuss the importance of the book’s setting as a cultural turning point   At about 37:20, Pete lays out early events in the book as the book’s family grieves in different ways   At about 38:30, Pete asks Kai about the chronology of the book, as far as how she wrote it and how its flashbacks serve as strong juxtaposition; she gives background on different iterations of the book   At about 40:15, Kai details her thinking on depicting the father of KB in the book   At about 44:25, The two discuss the events surrounding a friendship and its implications; Pete highlights an especially moving scene involving Granddaddy   At about 46:30, Kai discusses the “lived realities” of racism that motivated her to write her book’s characters and events as she did   At about 49:35, Kai describes her mindset after being the victim of racism at a young age    At about 51:00, Pete lays out the situation between Nia and KB and Kai responds to questions from readers about writing from Nia’s perspective    At about 56:30, Kai talks about manifestations of grief shown by KB’s mom and expands upon her struggles and shares how she made the mother’s experience “radical”   At about 59:25, Pete and Kai discuss the fateful interactions between KB and Rondell and how she decided to write these scenes as they are   At about 1:03:25, Pete and Kai talk about Granddaddy and his life’s arc and guilt that he feels, as well as some wise words that he shares    At about 1:05:30, Kai details her emotions in writing the ending   At about 1:07:10, Kai responds to Pete’s questions about what feedback she’s received regarding the book, as well as the ways in which her characters have become “people” of their own   At about 1:10:00, Kai outlines exciting future projects   At about 1:13:30, Kai describes exciting exposure for 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 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! 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 167 with Mai Der Vang is the author of Yellow Rain, winner of the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets, an American Book Award, and a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, along with Afterland, winner of the First Book Award from the Academy of American Poets.  The episode will air on February 17.

Episode 165 Notes and Links to Anna Hogeland’s Work       On Episode 165 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Anna Hogeland, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading and writing, the formative writers, writing, and UC Irvine MFA program that set her on her own writing path, her embrace of Marvel movies as cathartic, her rationale in structuring her book like she did, and the myriad themes and real-life connections that come from the great losses experienced by mothers and loved ones in her profound book.      Anna Hogeland is a psychotherapist in private practice, with an MSW from Smith College School of Social Work and an MFA from UC Irvine. She lives in Vermont.            Buy The Long Answer   Anna Hogeland's Website   LitHub Article: "After Two Pregnancy Losses, I Wrote the Book I Needed to Read”   Brenda Shaughnessy Reviews The Long Answer for The New York Times At about 6:30, Anna shouts out contact info and places (like The Bennington Book Shop) to buy her book The Long Answer   At about 7:15, Anna discusses her “interrupted path” to becoming a writer and her early relationships with reading and writing   At about 9:45, The two talk about David Foster Wallace Infinite Jest and the hubbub around it   At about 10:35, Anna discusses her path to the MFA and reading that inspired and thrilled her, as well as her positive experiences with a loving workshop partner and workshops in general    At about 14:25, Anna gives background on her time applying to and being accepted at UC Irvine’s    At about 15:40, Anna lists some formative writers and current favorites, including Elena Ferrante and Thomas Bernhard   At about 18:20, Pete bringing up Anna’s skill with writing using various tones and POVs leads to Anna explaining her philosophy of writing versatility    At about 20:20, Anna responds to Pete’s question about her writing informs her work as a psychotherapist, and vice versa   At about 25:40, Anna gives background on seeds for the book, as well as her initial visions for the book’s structure   At about 29:10, the two focus on Elizabeth’s chapter to start the book and the icy relationship between the narrator and her sister Margot   At about 31:30, Pete asks about how grief and traumas and resulting relationships are connected in the book and in real life, and Anna speaks to ideas of resentment and wrongs    At about 36:10, The two discuss a memorable and clever scene that ends Part I revolving around mother/son bonds   At about 39:30, Pete and Anna recount Part II and Corrie’s page-turning and action-packed and salacious stories   At about 43:35, The short chapter is discussed with regards to its diction and angry tone    At about 46:35, The two discuss our collective inability to grieve and the awkwardness and silence that often is part of this process   At about 49:20, The juxtaposition between Ruth and Anna’s pregnancy losses are discussed, including the moving writing that focuses on the banal    At about 52:00, Anna focuses on the silences that often accompany pregnancy loss and how common these losses are   At about 53:10, Anna and Pete discuss Marvel-Anna finds them “so moving”   At about 55:10, The two discuss Marisol’s chapter in which Anna has taken a weekend away on an important anniversary    At about 57:15, Anna responds to Pete’s questions about Marisol’s mindset and reasons behind an infatuation with her bosses   At about 58:30, Anna lays out ideas of manipulation and vulnerability that characterize the relationship between Marisol and Ellen   At about 1:01:15, Pete highlights a moving scene between Anna and Marisol    At about 1:02:05, Pete recaps (without spoilers) the fitting last chapter and    At about 1:03:25, Anna responds to Pete’s question about meaningful feedback she’s received about the book   At about 1:05:50, Anna talks about 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 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! 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 166 with Kai Harris. who is a writer and educator from Detroit, Michigan. She uses her voice to uplift the Black community through realistic fiction centered on the Black experience, and she is the author of What The Fireflies Knew, the first fiction title from Tiny Reparations Book. She is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Santa Clara University (GO BRONCOS!)    The episode will air on February 14.