Writers on Writing

Tom Sleigh, essayist and poet, spends the hour with Marrie Stone discussing his works The Land Between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees and House of Fact; House of Ruin: Poems. Tom talks about his work with refugees, crafting a narrative, interviewing subjects, and more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: January 10, 2018)

Journalist and nonfiction author Kathleen Sharp joins Marrie for the entire hour to talk about all things nonfiction. Finding the stories, interviewing the subjects, shaping mounds of information into a cohesive narrative, research processes, and more. Kathleen is an award-winning journalist and an accomplished speaker. Her works include Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood, Blood Medicine, Stalking the Beast, and more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: January 3, 2018)

Short story writers Michelle Ross, author of There's So Much They Haven't Told You, and Jess Arndt, author of Large Animals join Marrie to talk about the short story form. They deconstruct their work, talk about inspiration, playing with form, assembling a collection, developing themes, identity and more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: November 8, 2017)

Maud Casey (The Art of Mystery) and Edwidge Danticat (The Art of Death) join Marrie to talk about Graywolf Press's "Art Of" series. They provide insights into craft, process and the techniques they incorporate when writing their own fiction. Maud discusses a number of ways to create a sense of mystery in your characters, imagery, structure and more. Edwidge discusses how to find new ways in an ancient topic. Download audio. (Broadcast date: December 13, 2017)

Journalist and true crime author Caitlin Rother joins Marrie Stone for the entire hour to give a mini-course on writing true crime and narrative nonfiction. She talks about the necessary elements she looks for when choosing a subject, interview techniques, research and investigation tools, organizing her materials, creating a compelling narrative, and more. Caitlin is the author of a dozen books, a writing coach, teacher and investigative journalist. She can be found both on FaceBook and her website: http://caitlinrother.com/. Download audio. (Broadcast date: November 29, 2017)

Beverly Gray, author of Seduced by Mrs. Robinson, and Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties, talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about their new books and the art, craft, and business of writing. Download audio. (Broadcast date: November 22, 2017)

Jeffrey Eugenides joins Marrie Stone for the entire hour to discuss his short story collection, Fresh Complaint. The stories were written over several decades. Jeffrey talks about revisiting old work, a story's inspiration, how the story form is more difficult from the novel, how writing helped him deal with his mother's dementia, one mistake new writers are making that's got him worried, and much more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: October 25, 2017) DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed on this program do not reflect those of KUCI, its management, or the UC Board of Regents. For more information on this talk show, or other talk shows, visit our website at www.kuci.org.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan Beach, A Visit from the Goon Squad, and Look at Me, joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett for the entire hour. Jennifer is a writer's writer, so generous in sharing her writing process. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: Oct. 18, 2017)

David Williams, author of When the English Fall, an epistolary dystopian novel that takes place in Lancaster, PA, after a solar storm disrupts all technology, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about getting an agent and how Nanowrimo helped. Download audio. (Broadcast date: October 4, 2017)

Novelist and short story writer Nathan Englander joins Marrie to talk about his latest "turducken" of a novel, Dinner at the Center of the Earth. They chat about humor, how the personal becomes universal, the benefits of writing as an ex-pat, and how to write intentional chaos. In the second half, CNN correspondent and novelist Alisyn Camerota joins to talk about her debut, Amanda Wakes Up. She talks about writing what you know, how she did (or did not) predict the 2016 election, her thoughts on how journalism has changed, and the magic of writing 5 minutes a day. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: September 20, 2017)

Richard Polt, author of The Typewriter Revolution, and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talk about typewriters, why they're becoming popular again, and why writers should give them a chance. Download audio. (Broadcast date: Sept. 27, 2017)

Novelist Nathan Hill, author of The Nix, joins Marrie for the hour. They talk politics, betrayal, what we owe each other and what we don't, how history repeats itself, writing over the course of a decade, weird Amazon reviews, and much, much more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: September 6, 2017)

Wendy Corsi Staub, mystery author with more than 75 books to her credit, talks with B. DeMarco-Barrett about writing mystery and suspense fiction, and her path to becoming a NYT bestselling author. Staub will be a keynote presenter at Ladies of Intrigue, sponsored by the Orange County chapter of Sisters in Crime, on Oct. 1, 2017. More info here.  Download audio. (Broadcast date: Sept. 13, 2017)

Don Winslow, author of The Force, and Janelle Brown, author of Watch Me Disappear join Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to talk about their latest novels. Don talks about a writer's job and his pathway to publication, and Janelle talks about how Watch Me Disappear began as a story about a dysfunctional family and turned into a suspense novel about a mother who disappears. Janelle will be a guest at the Pen on Fire Speaker Series & Salon's final 2017 gathering on Tues. Sept 12. Click here for more information and to register. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: August 30, 2017)

Short story writers Meghan Kenny, Love Is No Small Thing, and Michael Knight, Eveningland, join Marrie to talk about their collections. Both writers discuss the importance of place in their fiction. They dissect a few of their most challenging stories, beginning from the original kernel of an idea through the revision process and how the final product came to be. They discuss titles, endings and beginnings. And they each share the wisdom and advice that sustains them as writers. Download audio.   (Broadcast date: August 23, 2017) Please note that the views and opinions expressed on this podcast do not reflect those of KUCI, its management, or the UC Board of Regents.