25. The Parenthood Podcast: The Postmasters Talk Kids & Art & How to Deal

Lacy attempts to write with a 4-year-old office mate

It’s the parenthood podcast! Art and parenthood. What gets sacrificed? What is more important? How does one feed the other? Lacy (at 37-weeks pregnant) and Audrey (with a 4-month old in her arms) address the way motherhood affects the writing life, both directly and indirectly [25:48].

 

Highlights

Lacy on completing an MFA as the mother of young kids:

“I had a three-year-old and an almost one-year-old… and they were just so much for me to handle… I just knew that if I didn’t do something to make myself write–which, for me, came out as an MFA–that I would go crazy. So, that’s why I did it, for my sanity. It was crazy to try to do an MFA with really young kids, but it would have been crazier not to.”

Audrey on keeping a journal as a brand new mom:

“It’s not even a journal about my days. It’s more like a journal that forces me to write something happy that happened, so that I am aware of that thing, because it’s so much easier to dwell on the bad stuff… I’ve started calling it Dispatches from the Isle of Motherhood.”

Audrey on the necessity of continuing to write:

“Writing is the way I figure things out. I need to write in order to get through [early motherhood] in a healthy manner in my mind, but I don’t always have the time or the energy to do it. And the days when I do get something out on paper are better than the days when I don’t.”

Lacy speaking truth:

“It’s important to be really forgiving of yourself, really generous with yourself.”

Who’s Who

Purity by Jonathan Franzen

Zadie Smith

Ayelet Waldman

Zoë Harris

Barbara Kingsolver

Susanna Hislop

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison

The Same Sky by Amanda Eyre Ward

The Dear Sugar Podcast by Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond

Closing Quote

I say this in spite of the fact that children are giant endless suck machines. They don’t give a whit if you need to sleep or eat or pee or get your work done or go out to a party naked and oiled up in a homemade Alice B. Toklas mask. They take everything. They will bring you the furthest edge of your personality and abso-fucking-lutely to your knees. They will also give you everything back. Not just all they take, but many of the things you lost before they came along as well.”
― Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

24. Let Me Explain You: an Interview with Author Annie Liontas

Annie Liontas’ debut novel, LET ME EXPLAIN YOU, is forthcoming from Scribner in 2015. Her story “Two Planes in Love” was selected as runner-up in BOMB Magazine’s 2013 Fiction Prize Contest. Since 2003, Annie has been dedicated to urban education, working with teachers and youth in Newark and Philadelphia. Currently she co-hosts the TireFire Reading Series. She lives with her wife in Philadelphia across the street from the best pizza joint [22:38].

 

Visit Annie’s website

Follow Annie on Twitter: @aliontas

Highlights

On writing her novel…

“I worked on it for about three years, but it was during my MFA so in people years, that would have been like five [years].”

“I think all writers… are looking to get blessed or christened. And like, no one really does that.”

On her MFA program…

“Syracuse is wonderful, in that they help support you. You don’t get in there for the contacts. And, you know, nothing is guaranteed. But it was really the relationships that I developed that led to this fortuitous thing.”

On the editing process…

“I found everyone at Scribner to be really in support of the work and not wanting to water it down or change it. It felt like they took the book on because they believed in it and everything they did would only make it better and I should stop being so precious…for me that was such a pleasant experience.”

On the Philadelphia Literary Scene…

“If you’re a writer and you don’t want to be in Brooklyn, then you should probably move to Philly.”

Who’s Who

Syracuse MFA program

Christine Schutt — author of Prosperous Friends

Ellen Litman — author of The Last Chicken in America

Arthur Flowers — Annie’s Syracuse mentor & “Hoodoo visionary from Tennessee”

Sarah Rose Etter — Tire Fire Reading Series co-host

Tire Fire Reading Series Guests: Colin Barrett, Kelly Link, Roxanne Gay, Diane Cook

Bocas Lit Fest — held in Trinidad & Tobago

Closing Quote

“No death for you; you are involved.” –Welden Kees

 

“If there’s a book you really want to read but hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” –Toni Morrison

 

23. The Turner House: a Conversation with Debut Novelist Angela Flournoy

ANGELA FLOURNOY is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she received a Dean’s Fellowship, and the University of Southern California. She has taught writing at the University of Iowa and Trinity Washington University, and has worked for the District of Columbia Public Library. She was raised in Southern California by a mother from Los Angeles and a father from Detroit. The Turner House is her first novel [23.33].

 

Highlights

On writing about Detroit…

“For me, I think of Detroit as a place of warmth. My experiences are obviously colored by the fact that it’s like a reunion when I got there…I don’t necessarily think of Detroit as a city of blight.”

“I had people immediately saying: this book needs to be grittier. It’s so light. It’s so happy. It’s so funny. This book needs to be darker. You know, basically like–kill some dogs in this book.”

On the paranormal…

“I think people incorporate all sorts of beliefs in the paranormal or supernatural. But for some reason in the fictional world, if you mention a ghost and you give it some sort of seriousness, all of a sudden it puts you in some kind of other sort of category. I don’t necessarily think it pulls your book out of the realm of realism.”

On first pitching her novel to agent Ellen Levine…

“I was going to meet with her even if I had nothing. So I wrote the first scene…and told her: ‘Oh, I have 100 pages of this thing.'”

On her experience at Iowa…

“A writing program is not the best proving ground for everyone, but for me, it helped me be able to explain to myself why I [make the decisions I make in my writing].”

“One of the things I learned in Iowa…is that you cannot hang your hat on criticism.”

Who’s Who

Marilynne Robinson, Edward Carey, & Paul Harding — Authors and Angela’s teachers at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop

Ellen Levine — Literary Agent with Trident Media

Ayana Mathis — Author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Closing Quote

Mouths don’t empty themselves unless the ears are sympathetic and knowing. — Zora Neale Hurston, from Mules and Men

22. The Selkie’s Daughter: Winner of The Postmasters Podcast Short Story Contest

Thank you to everyone who entered our first annual short story contest. It was a pleasure to read your fiction. There were many, many fantastic stories to choose from, but in the end our winner was clear. “The Selkie’s Daughter” by Gina L. Grandi caught us in a fishing net of visceral prose.

Gina L. Grandi is a doctoral student and adjunct professor in the Educational Theatre program at New York University’s Steinhardt School. In her former life, she was a public school teacher in San Francisco and a teaching artist and arts administrator in New York. She is currently the co-founder and artistic director of The Bechdel Group, a new play development company dedicated to challenging the role of women on stage. Her writing was recently featured on the site 100 Word Story and she has received a number of very kind rejection letters from a wide variety of publishers and literary journals. Gina has a BA from Vassar College, a Masters from New York University, and an extensive finger puppet collection. She can be found on twitter at @yonderpaw.

 

Excerpt

“But the sea does not let go and she was part of the sea. She was drawn again and again to the water’s edge, trailing her fingers through the foam. She held fistfuls of wet sand in her pockets. The hems of her skirts were stiff with salt. She smelled my father’s hands when he came home, pressing her face into the brine and the tang of fish that lived in the crease of his palms.”

Highlights & Stuff

The Legend of the Selkie

“I really love mermaids. I wrote my undergrad thesis on mermaids.”

Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer (Persephone retelling)

21. Flying & Throwing Pots: Thoughts on the Interdisciplinary Writing Life with Alisa Hagerty Miller

Alisa Hagerty Miller recently completed her Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies from Western New Mexico University with major concentrations in English and Writing. Before enrolling in graduate school, she worked for ten years as a commercial pilot. In January 2015, Alisa represented WNMU’s graduate division in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and presented a research poster, “Interdisciplinary Education in Action,” for New Mexico Legislature’s first annual Graduate Education Day. She is completing a final revision of her first young adult fantasy novel, while actively submitting short stories and essays for publication about the flying life and other subjects. Look for one of her latest CNF pieces in the spring edition of WNMU’s literary journal, Twisted Vine. [28:57].

Along with discussing the impact of Alisa’s flying life on her writing life, her experience at WNMU, and her publishing aspirations, we also talk about post-MFA teaching opportunities. Lacy teaches three college-level writing classes online; Audrey is in the midst of an MA in English Literature at the University of Oslo; and Alisa remained at her school for an extra semester in order to pick up some important literature-based classes, potentially making her a more attractive candidate for teaching jobs. We hope these insights help you, dear listeners!

Highlights

“I got into flying because I thought it would fuel my writing life… and I also had this fantasy that pilots had all this time off!”

“I found [WNMU] by providence and by luck… I didn’t really see a clear path back into education as I got older. I think it’s a common thing for people in their 30s and 40s: They’re like, I’ve put [grad school] off for this long, am I ever going to do this?”

On Interdisciplinary Studies…

“[IS] gives students the opportunity to design their own degree plans, usually in two or three disciplines… and the goal is to ultimately draw connections between those disciplines.”

“I think my whole life had been interdisciplinary. Flying is just about the most interdisciplinary career I’ve ever encountered.”

Management Information Systems: “A branch of computer science; you don’t have to code, but you learn about really cool technical concepts and organizations using technology.”

“I think that education should be dynamic. That flexibility [at WNMU] was really important to me.”

20. Poetry & Social Justice: A Dialogue w/ Poet Enzo Surin

Enzo Surin is a Haitian-born poet​, publisher​, and social advocate, and the author of the chapbook, HIGHER GROUND (Finishing Line Press, 2006). His poetry​ is forthcoming and​ has appeared in publications such as ​The BreakBeat Poets anthology, Ozone Park Journal, sx salon, Tidal Basin Review, Reverie: Midwest African American Literature, The Caribbean Writer, among other literary journals. ​Surin hold an MFA in Creative Writing and currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at Bunker Hill Community College.​ He is also founder and publisher at Central Square Press, a small, independent, literary press that publishes poetry with a commitment to African-American, Caribbean and Caribbean-American communities. (25:53)

Visit Enzo’s Website

Follow Enzo on Twitter @enzothepoet

REMINDER: The deadline for The Postmasters Podcast Short Story Contest is 14 February! The prize is $100 and a chance to read the winning story as part of our April episode. No entry fee! Submit today!

Highlights

To kick off the episode, Enzo reads a new WIP poem for us, titled Trace Commodity, inspired in part by the recent controversial events in Ferguson, Missouri and “cities like it.”

On his inspiration for a given poem…

“The piece I just read to you… there’s always endless news cycles about violence happening in different states, and I always consider what’s happening to the folks after what I call the trauma of the violence. When the news are gone, when the protests are gone, when the trials are done, whether or not the person is found guilty or not guilty, people are still dealing with the trauma and the effects of the situation. I focus more on the individual, the aftermath of everything else.”

19. Peace, Translation & Diversity: A Dialogue w/ Poet Andrea Beltran

Andrea Beltran is a poet currently living in El Paso, Texas. She is a graduate student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and her poems have recently appeared in Luna Luna, Word Riot, Mom Egg Review, Superstition Review, and Acentos Review. (26:41)

Read Andrea’s Blog/Follow Andrea on Twitter @drebelle

And we announce our first Postmasters Podcast Short Story Contest! Submissions are now open. Send us your fiction before Valentine’s Day 2015!

Highlights

“I wish I could say that I’m one of those writers who, you know, wakes up every morning and has a set routine… I tend to be a binge writer. I find I’m more at peace with that.”

“[VCFA] has changed my life… I’m so grateful I got over my fear and just did it. I feel a lot more comfortable with my writing now than I ever have. But I feel like I’m a better reader, and I think, coming away from VCFA, that’s what I’m most proud of.”

“I am very nervous to work with [Rigoberto González], if I do get to work with him, but I feel it will probably be the most rewarding semester… He expects a lot from his students, and I feel like I need–and I want–that challenge at this point in my writing… I also have not [yet] been able to study with a Latino writer, which is very important to me.”

18. Gifts for Writers: Ask Audrey & Lacy

We’ve got our list–for Santa and our listeners–of great Christmas gift ideas for writers! If you’re shopping for a writing friend, or if you’re a writer who needs to inspire those who love you in this season of gift-giving, you don’t want to miss this episode {26:40}.

 

#1 A DIY Writing Retreat

Time, space, and money. It’s hard for anyone to get her hands on all three at once. Gift your favorite writer a couple of nights away! Find an affordable hotel (we also suggest exploring AirBnB for options) and book a weekend someplace easy enough for the writer to reach without too much travel time or personal expense, but far enough away for him or her to feel as though she has retreated from real life and can truly create!

#2 Out of Print Clothing

These folks put cool, bookish images on t-shirts, tote bags, etc. Darling options for both men and women. Don’t forget to check out the Poe-ka-dots Collection! Visit outofprintclothing.com today to take advantage of their Cyber Monday deals.

#3 Book Store Gift Cards

Far from being the worst, most impersonal gifts in the world, gift cards from book stores are usually a big hit with the writing crowd. Really, what you’re saying when you give a book store gift card to a writer is:

“I understand that this is your thing and that you have very nuanced tastes that I can’t even begin to predict. So, please, have at it! Go wild with whatever you want to buy!”

And please don’t use Amazon. Shopping for books at Amazon is like under-cutting every would-be author’s future in publishing. The best option is to patronize your local, independent bookseller, but we know online shopping is extremely convenient. We recommend that you look to BookDepository.com (They ship for free worldwide!) or ABEBooks.

17. Voices Not Her Own: A Dialogue w/ Author Frances Kay

Frances Kay lives in Wales and Ireland. She writes plays for children for The Ark Children’s Centre, Dublin, Theatre Lovett, ‘The Morbegs‘ on RTE [Irish national television], BBC TV’s ‘You and Me‘ children’s programmes, and Siamsa Tire Theatre in Kerry. Her novel for adults, ‘Micka‘ (published by Picador) was runner up for the Society of Authors’ 2011 McKitterick Prize, and was featured on BBC Radio 4’s ‘A Good Read‘ programme. Her new novel, ‘Dollywagglers‘, is published by Tenebris Books. She also writes romances under the name of Pan Zador; two novels, ‘Act of Love’ and an erotic version of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ were recently published by Crimson Romance. (26:42)

Highlights

“I like to write in voices that aren’t me.”

“I started when I was twelve. I got a typewriter for my birthday, and I immediately thought, I’m going to write a novel!”

“The work I do for children is very honest and I tackle difficult subjects–I’ve looked at suicide in a play for teenagers–but I also believe in giving them optimism and hope.”

“My aim in writing [‘Micka’] was to get adults to see how two boys of that age can grow up with no compassion… of course, it’s a lot to do with their upbringing.”

On working with a niche publisher [Grimbold Books]:

“I wanted a new, young publishing house… I found from day one, as soon as Zoë said she liked the book and wanted to publish it, it was a wonderful journey. I felt really taken care of as a writer, because they [Sammy Smith and Zoë Harris] are both writers and they understand the creative process.”

On her writing process:

“Well, you can forget consistency and discipline!”

“Writing is one of the very few things that gets better the older you get.”

You don’t want to miss Frances speaking to us as her alter ego Pan Zador!

Who’s Who

George Orwell, author of 1984

Joan Littlewood, called “The Mother of Modern Theater”, producer of Oh, What a Lovely War!

Murder of James Bulger, case involving the two youngest convicted murderers in modern British history

Eimear McBride, author of A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing

Closing Quote

If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skulls, then why do we read it? Good God, we also would be happy if we had no books and such books that make us happy we could, if need be, write ourselves. What we must have are those books that come on us like ill fortune, like the death of one we love better than ourselves, like suicide. A book must be an ice axe to break the sea frozen inside us. ~ Franz Kafka, someone “quite mad”

15. Essay Therapy: A Dialogue w/ Nonfiction Writer Suzanne Hegland

Suzanne Hegland completed her MFA in Nonfiction at Lesley University in 2011. Something of a perpetual student, she also holds a Master’s in History and a Master’s in Education. Founder of Essay Therapy, Suzanne has combined her deep knowledge of what goes on “back stage” in higher education with her love of teaching and her passion for narrative nonfiction to work with students on the dreaded college application essay. Suzanne teaches College Writing and is the Director of the Writing Center at New England Conservatory in Boston. When she’s not talking about writing to musicians, she plays the role of Associate Dean of Students. Suzanne’s work has appeared in The Boston Globe, The World Scholar, Femamom, The Huffington Post, and Creative Nonfiction. She claims to be working on her manuscript Comfort Measures Only, and sometimes this is true. {27:54}