Shows
WMFAEnlarging People’s Perception of Sylvia Plath w. HEATHER CLARKHeather Clark is the author of Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist now out in paperback from Knopf. She and Courtney discuss how biography is like archeology, the "hysterical woman writer" stereotype, and the "profound and bottomless optimism" needed to undertake a large writing project.In the bonus segment, Heather talks about finding joy in the writing process and how the joy she found writing Red Comet influenced the book's structure. Bonus segments are available to Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. 2021-10-201h 00
WMFAWMFA ARCHIVES: Creating Reassuring Writing Frameworks w. KRISTEN ARNETTKristen Arnett's latest novel, WITH TEETH, is out now from Riverhead. In this conversation from 2019, she and Courtney talk about queer writing beyond the coming-out narrative, creating supportive frameworks for getting the work done, and, of course, taxidermy.In the bonus segment, Kristen talks about writing about her home state of Florida. Listen to this and other bonus segments by visiting Patreon.com/wmfapodcast and pledging just $2 a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2021-06-1655 min
WMFATurning Your Past into Narrative w. ELISSA WASHUTAElissa's new essay collection, White Magic, is out now from Tin House. She and Courtney discuss reckoning with your past selves, time loops, and giving up control over the process. We also discuss one of Courtney's and the book’s favorite subjects: Twin Peaks.In the bonus segment, Elissa—who has received fellowships and awards from numerous institutions, including Creative Capital and the National Endowment for the Arts—shares some great advice on successfully applying for grants and other funding. Bonus segments are available to Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about yo...2021-04-2849 min
WMFAWMFA ARCHIVES: Fictionalizing Real Life w. LISA KOIn this conversation from 2018, Courtney and Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers, discuss complicating the notions of motherhood, why working on your characters is working on yourself, and keeping the faith through seven years of novel drafts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2021-03-2455 min
WMFANot Coddling Your Characters w. DANTIEL W. MONIZDantiel W. Moniz's debut collection, Milk Blood Heat, is out now from Grove Atlantic. She and Courtney discuss not protecting your characters, the inextricableness of place and identity, and deciding to take your writing seriously. In the bonus segment, Dantiel talks about endings and death, and what makes for a good short story ending. Bonus segments are available to Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2021-03-1050 min
WMFAExamining Extremely Online Life w. LAUREN OYLERLauren Oyler's debut novel, FAKE ACCOUNTS, is out now from Catapult. She and Courtney discuss social media, autofiction, and our various efforts to be understood online and on the page.In the bonus segment, Lauren talks about how she approaches her reading habit, especially as a critic, and we talk about books we’re excited about. Bonus segments are available to Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2021-02-2458 min
WMFARethinking Craft and Workshops w. MATTHEW SALESSESMatthew's latest book is Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping. He and Courtney discuss what's wrong with the way we talk about our work, how we can do better, and the most ill-used terms in craft discussions—some of which Matthew has banned from his own workshops.In the bonus segment, Matthew talks about the workshop experience that led Matthew down a two-year dead end for his own novel in progress, and how he got himself turned back around. Bonus segments are available to Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast....2021-01-2754 min
WMFAKeeping Writing Fun w. MATEO ASKARIPOURMateo Askaripour's debut novel, Black Buck, is out now. He and Courtney talk about the intimacy of first-person POV, managing plausibility, and what we learn from the novels we don’t sell. (NOTE: There are some Black Buck plot spoilers between 40:30-45:15.)In the bonus segment, Mateo discusses point of telling and addressing the reader in your work. Bonus segments are available to Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2021-01-1350 min
WMFAFlipping Received Narratives w. DANIELLE EVANSDanielle Evans' latest book is The Office of Historical Corrections, out now from Riverhead Books. She and Courtney talk about flipping received narratives, reckoning with the past, and the relationship between a work's active and emotional plots. In today's bonus segment, Danielle and Courtney talk about race and the craft of writing. Bonus segments are available to WMFA Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-12-1652 min
WMFAExploring the Quiet Moments w. SIMON HANSimon Han's debut novel is Nights When Nothing Happened, out now from Riverhead Books. He and Courtney discuss the tricky label of universality, turning a short story into a novel, and how writing is like the Fast & Furious franchise.In today's bonus segment, Simon and Courtney talk about the value of writing the suburbs. Bonus segments are available to WMFA Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-12-0259 min
WMFAContextualizing Research into Prose w. ANNE HELEN PETERSENAnne Helen Petersen's latest book is Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She and Courtney talk about the difficulty behind advice about "doing what you love," what freelance writing careers look like now, and how she synthesizes research into prose.In today's bonus segment, Anne and Courtney talk about burnout and writing. Bonus segments are available to WMFA Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-11-1159 min
WMFAWriting Into Contradictions w. DEESHA PHILYAWDeesha Philyaw's fiction debut, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, is a National Book Award finalist. She and Courtney talk about creating complex characters, writing Black women, and staying true to your vision even in the face of rejection.In today's bonus segment, Deesha and Courtney talk about what makes good sex writing. Bonus segments are available to WMFA Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/wmfapodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-10-281h 01
WMFAWMFA ARCHIVES: Fighting Perfectionism w. CELESTE NGOriginally airing on November 8, 2017, Courtney and Celeste Ng—author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You—do a deep dive into process: what makes a good beginning, finding the voice, reverse outlining and more. They also discuss writing about identity and the other, and the importance of multiple narratives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-08-061h 03
WMFAWMFA ARCHIVES: Being Patient and Indulgent w. GARTH GREENWELLGarth Greenwell is the author of What Belongs to You and Cleanness, and a 2020 Guggenheim fellow. In 2017, he and Courtney talked about being a poet novelist, the language of desire, and why he writes first drafts by hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-07-221h 03
WMFAWMFA ARCHIVES: Storytelling as an Act of Love w. WAYÉTU MOORECourtney and Wayétu Moore, author of She Would Be King, discuss diasporic literature, the trouble with magical realism, and how to preserve your relationship with your craft. Wayétu's latest book is the memoir The Dragons, The Giant, The Women. (original air date 10/24/18) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-07-081h 11
WMFAInventing Complex Characters w. GENEVIEVE HUDSONGenevieve Hudson's debut novel, BOYS OF ALABAMA, is out now from Liveright. They and Courtney talk about developing complicated characters, writing the supernatural, and exploring "capital-T truth" in fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-06-2454 min
WMFAMinisode: TransformationWhat in your creative process are you ready to say goodbye to? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-06-1704 min
WMFACapturing Grief and Collective Memory w. CARTER SICKELSCarter Sickels latest novel, THE PRETTIEST STAR, is out now from Hub City Press. He and Courtney talk about activist art, writing poignancy without sentimentality, and documenting queer rural narratives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-06-1051 min
WMFAWRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE: Book Tour EditionIn the second quarantine call-in episode, writers with new releases share their favorite moments from a very different kind of book tour than they’d expected. Plus they shout out the new releases they’re reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-05-2012 min
WMFAMinisode: Paying AttentionOn being with our surroundings—and our creative work—in a new way during quarantine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-05-1305 min
WMFAMining for Character in Verse w. ELIZABETH ACEVEDOElizabeth Acevedo's latest book, the novel-in-verse CLAP WHEN YOU LAND, is out now from Quill Tree Books. She and Courtney talk about creating character while working in verse, discovering the container that each story needs, and the "secret projects" she has as an author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-05-0657 min
WMFAWriting For Your Characters w. C PAM ZHANGC Pam Zhang's debut novel, How Much of These Hills Is Gold, is out now. She talks with Courtney about writing a book for the characters in it, capturing nuanced performances of gender, and reinventing the myth of the American West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-04-2242 min
WMFAMinisode: Aloneness, Or How I’m Learning to Love SolitudeWriters should be great at solitude, right? I’m not. Today I'm talking about how isolation is forcing me to confront that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-04-1506 min
WMFACapturing Contradictory Truths w. EMMA COPLEY EISENBERGEmma Copley Eisenberg's first book, The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, was released in January. She and Courtney discuss the complicated nature of truth and how she wrote a complex narrative that weaves first-person reportage with memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-04-0853 min
WMFAMinisode: A Conversation Across TimeI'm reading excerpts from the diary of one of my literary idols, Virginia Woolf, that resonate with our current moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-04-0112 min
WMFAWriters-in-ResidenceWelcome to this experimental episode of WMFA, featuring messages from writers around the country about how they’re handling creative life in quarantine. Let me know if you liked this episode—I might do more as this surreal reality continues! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-03-2521 min
WMFAMinisode: Where We're At NowA check-in during unstable times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-03-1806 min
WMFASurviving the Publishing Process w. COURTNEY MAUMCourtney Maum's most recent book is the indispensable writers' guide Before and After the Book Deal. She and Courtney talk about navigating everything from contracts to marketing to what to pack on book tour. They also talk about Courtney's latest novel, Costalegre. In the Patreon bonus segment, Courtney talks about the advice she most wishes she'd received as a debut author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-03-1144 min
WMFAMinisode: GratitudeOn the last episode of the season, I'm reflecting on gratitude for our work, and how often (or rarely) we feel it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-11-2705 min
WMFAReturning to Your Humanity w. ALEXANDER CHEEAlexander Chee's latest book is the essay collection How to Write an Autobiographical Novel. He and Courtney discuss the process of becoming real to yourself, staying accountable to the work, and how to keep a novel journal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-11-2037 min
WMFAReturning to Your Humanity w. ALEXANDER CHEEAlexander Chee's latest book is the essay collection How to Write an Autobiographical Novel. He and Courtney discuss the process of becoming real to yourself, staying accountable to the work, and how to keep a novel journal.2019-11-2036 min
WMFAMinisode: ConstraintBuilding containers for creative freedom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-11-1305 min
WMFAPlaying to Your Strengths w. JAMI ATTENBERGJami Attenberg's latest novel, All This Could Be Yours, is out now from HMH Books. She and Courtney discuss writing family narratives, identifying and playing to your strengths, and keeping the work fun for the reader.2019-11-0636 min
WMFAPlaying to Your Strengths w. JAMI ATTENBERGJami Attenberg's latest novel, All This Could Be Yours, is out now from HMH Books. She and Courtney discuss writing family narratives, identifying and playing to your strengths, and keeping the work fun for the reader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-11-0638 min
WMFAMinisode: The FutureAre we acting for our future selves? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-10-3005 min
WMFACrafting a Compelling Voice w. BRIAN ALLEN CARRBrian Allen Carr's novel Opioid, Indiana is out now from Soho Books. He and Courtney discuss finding a character's voice, writing fast, and why he loves writing prompts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-10-2345 min
WMFAMinisode: A Tiny (and in Retrospect Totally Obvious) EpiphanyThe important piece of writing advice that finally sunk in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-10-1605 min
WMFAMinisode: RestHow good are you at letting yourself (and your work) just be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-10-0204 min
WMFACultivating Patience w. MARY RUEFLEPoet and essayist Mary Ruefle's new collection, Dunce, was just long-listed for the National Book Award. She and Courtney discuss boredom, uncertainty, and letting go of expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-09-2535 min
WMFAMinisode: IsolationKeeping ourselves connected in the solitary work of writing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-09-1807 min
WMFAKeeping Faith in the Process w. R.O. KWONR.O. Kwon's novel THE INCENDIARIES was one of last year's biggest debuts, and it was 8 years in the making. We talk about keeping faith in the writing process, holding characters at a distance, and thinking not just about who is telling the story but also why it's being told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-09-1152 min
WMFAMinisode: On Fear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-09-0415 min
WMFADefining Your Writing Identity w. MARGINALLY PODCASTIt's a special crossover episode with Olivia and Meghan from Marginally Podcast! We talk about defining your own identity as a writer, our works in progress, and how we make writing and podcasting sustainable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-08-281h 07
WMFAMinisode: Writing NeedsWhat do you need—and how do you figure out what you need anyway? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-08-2107 min
WMFAGrowing Into Your Practice w. MICHAEL PARKERAuthor Michael Parker's latest novel, Prairie Fever, follows the fraught relationship of two sisters in early 1900s Oklahoma. He and Courtney talk about writing crackling dialogue, how he thinks about plot, and growing into your creative practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-08-1451 min
WMFAMinisode: Rewriting Our StoriesWhat aspect of your creative life needs a new narrative? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-08-0707 min
WMFAFinding Writerly Courage w. SAVANNAH SIPPLEAppalachian poet Savannah Sipple wrote her piercing debut collection, WWJD and Other Poems, during a period in which she was also coming out of the closet. She and Courtney talk about the long journey of claiming her voice and finding the courage to use it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-07-3138 min
WMFAMinisode: Healthier Harvests, or Another Kind of FlowWhat kale, checks, and writing have in common. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-07-2406 min
WMFACreating Reassuring Writing Frameworks w. KRISTEN ARNETTQueer fiction writer Kristen Arnett wrote her debut novel, the eccentric and darkly hilarious Mostly Dead Things, while working full-time as a librarian. We talk about the framework she developed to keep writing, and why she wanted to write a book that looks at day-to-day queer life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-07-1755 min
WMFAMinisode: Why Do You Write?Why it's helpful to check in with our whys—plus a special request. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-07-1005 min
WMFAKnowing What You Need as a Writer w. CASEY CEPJournalist Casey Cep—author of Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee—is on the show discussing the mysteries of Harper Lee, knowing what you need as a writer, and the lines that can be drawn and erased between invention and reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-07-031h 00
WMFAMinisode: Goody Two Shoes WritingWhen you're showing up but not really showing up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-06-2606 min
WMFAWriting More Diverse Narratives w. TOMMY ORANGETommy Orange—author of last year's fantastic There There—visits WMFA to talk about being a messy writer, creating diverse narratives, and how parenthood made him take writing more seriously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-06-1947 min
WMFAMinisode: Agent AnxietyWelcome to the first listener-request minisode! We’re talking about finding the right agent for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-06-1206 min
WMFADeveloping an “Occult Sensibility” of Your Writing w. KAREN RUSSELLThe fantastic Karen Russell is on the show discussing her new short story collection, Orange World, and developing an "occult sensibility" for shaping your work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-06-0536 min
WMFAMinisode: PatienceSlowing down to speed up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-05-2907 min
WMFACrafting Narratives from History w. DAVID K. RANDALLJournalist David K. Randall's new book, Black Death at the Golden Gate, is a gripping work of literary nonfiction about the race to stop the bubonic plague from spreading through San Francisco and beyond in the early 20th century. He and Courtney discuss bring real (dead) people to life, organizing all that research, and why creative constraint can be a good thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-05-2248 min
WMFAMinisode: Writing Without WritingA mini mini from my artist residency (👋) on expanding our ideas of process. Tell me how you write without writing by tagging @cfbalestier and using the hashtag #wmfawrites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-05-1503 min
WMFAWriting Into the Darkness w. SUSAN CHOISusan Choi's explosive and riveting new novel, Trust Exercise, is out now from Henry Holt. She and Courtney discuss the manipulative qualities of storytelling, the slipperiness of memory, and the advice Susan would give to her younger self as a debut novelist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-05-0852 min
WMFAMinisode: Choosing Your MindsetHow do you approach your practice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-05-0106 min
WMFAReimagining Narrative Structure w. JANE ALISONJane Alison's new book about narrative structure, Meander, Spiral, Explode, is out now from Catapult. She and Courtney discuss breaking narrative convention and how the traditional dramatic arc is and isn't like sex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-04-2446 min
WMFAMinisode: Accepting Your ProcessHow do you feel about the way you get writing done? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-04-1708 min
WMFABuilding a Narrative Labyrinth w. SUMMER BRENNANJournalist Summer Brennan's new book, High Heel, is out now from Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series. She and Courtney discuss her fragmented meditation on feminism and the patriarchy, organizing an extensive research collection, and creating a narrative labyrinth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-04-1050 min
WMFAMinisode: Taking Yourself SeriouslyIt's foundational to writing—and it's not always easy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-04-0307 min
WMFATelling the Hard Truths w. MORGAN PARKERMorgan Parker's poetry collections include There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé and Magical Negro, out now from Tin House. Morgan and Courtney talk about representation and misrepresentation, writing into the vastness of black identity, and how hard it is to tell the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-03-2748 min
WMFAMinisode: Being a StudentOn always learning and the wisdom of beginner's mind for writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-03-2005 min
WMFAShould You Get an MFA? w. ERICA DAWSON & LEAH HAMPTONShould you get an MFA? Courtney talks with special guests Erica Dawson (poet, author, MFA program director) and Leah Hampton (writer, editor, current MFA fellow) about one of the biggest—and most mystifying—decisions a writer can make.
Erica Dawson is the author of When Rap Spoke Straight to God, The Small Blades Hurt, and Big-Eyed Afraid. Her work has appeared in three editions of Best American Poetry, The Believer, Virginia Quarterly Review, and other journals and anthologies. She is an associate professor of English and Writing at University of Tampa, where she directs the low-residency MFA program.
Leah Hampton is a fel...2019-03-131h 30
WMFASeason 4 Teaser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-02-1304 min
WMFAHow to Not Always Be Working w. MARLEE GRACECourtney and Marlee Grace, author of How to Not Always Be Working, discuss inner critics, inspirational women, and turning our creativity into money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-12-191h 05
WMFAMinisode: Jealousy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-12-1214 min
WMFATurning Family Members into Characters w. NICOLE CHUNGCourtney and Nicole Chung, author of the memoir All You Can Ever Know, discuss the missing perspective in adoption narratives, re-examining familial truths, and writing through grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-12-051h 06
WMFAMinisode: Voices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-11-2811 min
WMFAHolding Yourself Accountable w. HEATHER HAVRILESKYCourtney and Heather Havrilesky, author of What If This Were Enough?, discuss cultivating “weird aunt vibes,” owning the artist identity, and finally reaching the place where you write to please yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-11-211h 12
WMFAMinisode: Centeredness, or Surviving Creative Adolescence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-11-1414 min
WMFAFinding Creative Freedom w. LIANA FINCKCourtney and Liana Finck, artist and author of the graphic memoir Passing for Human, discuss the work of finding your artistic path, how comics are like poetry, and how Instagram grants her creative freedom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-11-071h 02
WMFAMinisode: Writing as Relationship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-10-3110 min
WMFAStorytelling as an Act of Love w. WAYÉTU MOORE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-10-241h 11
WMFAMinisode: Priorities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-10-1709 min
WMFAWriting While Parenting w. KAT GARDINER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-10-101h 14
WMFAMinisode: On Shame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-10-0311 min
WMFABeing a Steward of Others’ Stories w. LINDA KAY KLEIN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-09-261h 16
WMFAMinisode: On Fear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-09-1915 min
WMFATaking Control of Your Narrative w. ERICA DAWSON Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-09-121h 02
WMFAListening to Your Inner Voice w. MARGARET WILKERSON SEXTON Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-07-251h 05
WMFAFictionalizing Real Life w. LISA KOCourtney and Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers, discuss complicating the notions of motherhood, why working on your characters is working on yourself, and keeping the faith through seven years of novel drafts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-07-1155 min
WMFAEngaging Your Characters w. ROBIN MACARTHUR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-06-2757 min
WMFAGetting the Writing Done w. NATALIE GOLDBERG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-06-1343 min
WMFAWriting the Book You Want to Read w. SILAS HOUSE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-05-301h 05
WMFACatching History Before It's Forgotten w. ELIZABETH CATTE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-05-1659 min
Keep the Channel OpenCourtney Balestier & Mike SakasegawaCourtney Balestier is a writer and the host of WMFA, a podcast where writers talk writing. I've been a fan of WMFA for several months now so I was very excited to collaborate with Courtney on this episode, which will be released jointly on both shows. In our conversation we took a behind-the-scenes look at both of our shows, diving into our interviewing processes and why each of us started our podcasts. We also talked about the creative projects we've been working on recently, and our shared fascination with place and identity. (Conversation recorded November 29, 2017.) Subscribe: 2017-12-061h 16
WMFAMaking Art and Podcasts w. MIKE SAKASEGAWA & COURTNEY BALESTIER
Self-portrait by Mike Sakasegawa.
Author photo by Michelle and Chris Gerard.
Episode 21This is a special joint episode with Mike Sakasegawa, host of the arts podcast Keep the Channel Open, where he has in-depth conversations with artists across disciplines. Mike is a photographer and writer. His photography has been featured on the influential photo websites Lenscratch and LensCulture and has been included in group exhibitions around the country, and his writing has appeared on Catapult. He lives in San Diego.Many thanks to Mike for editing our conversation. Discussed I...2017-12-061h 12
WMFAMaking Art and Podcasts w. MIKE SAKASEGAWA & COURTNEY BALESTIERIn this special joint episode, Courtney and Mike Sakasegawa—photographer, writer, and host of the arts podcast Keep the Channel Open—talk about podcasting and what they're working on off the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-12-061h 13
WMFAFighting Perfectionism w. CELESTE NGCourtney and Celeste Ng—author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You—do a deep dive into process: what makes a good beginning, finding the voice, reverse outlining and more. They also discuss writing about identity and the other, and the importance of multiple narratives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-11-081h 01
WMFACoaxing Out Your Subconscious w. CARMEN MARIA MACHADOCarmen Maria Machado's debut short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties, is short-listed for the National Book Award. She joins Courtney to talk about how short stories are like algebra (in a good way), processing life through narrative, and why she also loves writing erotica. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-10-1156 min
WMFARewriting And Rewriting More w. MATTHEW NEWTONMatthew Newton—author of Shopping Mall, part of Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series—talks with Courtney about the mall's place in our culture and his life, balancing memoir and reportage, and the question to ask before starting your next project.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-09-2758 min
WMFAWriting as Empathizing w. JENNIFER HAIGHJennifer Haigh's novel Heat and Light won a 2017 Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She and Courtney discuss writing about Appalachia, how writing a novel is an exercise in empathy, and why no one knows where her writing studio is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-08-021h 03
WMFADiscovering and Deep Editing w. RACHEL KHONGRachel Khong is a writer and former Lucky Peach editor whose debut novel, Goodbye, Vitamin, was just released by Henry Holt. She and Courtney discuss Rachel's fascination with memory, when to go to grad school and the weird world of ambient sound recordings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-07-1953 min
WMFALearning to Trust Your Work w. HANIF ABDURRAQIB
Episode 12Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His first collection of poems, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was released by Button Poetry in 2016. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, is forthcoming from Two Dollar Radio in winter 2017.Discussed In This EpisodeColumbus, gentrification and the erasure of memory. "None of this is land we got honest." Colonization and contempt for the poor. good kid, m.A.A.d. city by Kendrick Lamar. Bruce Springsteen. "The middle-of-the-country narrative, particularly for young bla...2017-07-051h 00
WMFALearning to Trust Your Work w. HANIF ABDURRAQIBHanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic whose work bridges personal experience and popular culture, covering everything from Ric Flair to the erasure of memory. He and Courtney discuss the deeper meanings of pop culture, writing as a physical act, and why Hanif believes the best poets are in black barber shops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-07-051h 01
Edacious052 - Courtney Balestier, WriterWriting Work. Are West Virginia pepperoni rolls "just" bread and pepperoni? Or is it something more? Food as symbol of Appalachian identity, culture, and pride. Meet Courtney Balestier who used the word "just" as the starting point and focus of her talk at this year's Appalachian Food Summit in Berea, Kentucky where this conversation was recorded. Where most people see just a few ingredients, a simple food easy to dismiss, Courtney sees something ingenious and quite meaningful. Courtney is a James Beard-nominated fantastic new voice in food writing and her thoughts on the devoted followers of the pe...2016-10-2652 min