Tag

Writing

Essays, Humor, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Mar 05: Itching to Love with Award-winning Author Shelley Fraser Mickle

March 5, 2025

The Story of a Dog

Itching to Love with author Shelley Fraser Mickle

“[Shelley’s writing] warms us with the wisdom and perspective that come from a lifetime filled with animals, people, history, science, and literature. An absolutely unique memoir by one of the South’s great storytellers.”

— Danny Rubin, Screenwriter (Groundhog Day)

When you’re used to being needed and hearing someone shout “Mom” a hundred times a day, who are you, and what do you do when the kids leave home? Like millions of other moms, award-winning writer Shelley Fraser Mickle faced that same dilemma. Her solution found her.

Today Shelley shares why she wrote to author William Faulkner and how that worked out. We discuss the importance of storytelling and passing down family stories. How humor helps us physiologically; why we should laugh out loud and try to find the humor even during dark days. Shelley shares her love of horses, and the dog who saved her, Buddy. We also discuss the challenges and joys of writing a memoir, ITCHING TO LOVE: The Story of a Dog.

Meet Shelley Fraser Mickle

Shelley Fraser Mickle is a multiple award-winning author and beloved storyteller. Her readings delighted listeners on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition from 2000 to 2006.  Shelley’s second novel, REPLACING DAD, won a Friends of American Writers Award and was adapted into a Hallmark Channel movie. Currently, her 2023 narrative history WHITE HOUSE WILD CHILD: HOW ALICE ROOSEVELT BROKE ALL THE RULES AND WON THE HEART OF AMERICA is in development as a film series. ITCHING TO LOVE: The Story of a Dog is Shelley’s memoir.

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Conservation, Memoir, Nature, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Feb 26: Bad Naturalist – Paula Whyman

February 26, 2025

One Woman’s Attempt to Restore 200 Acres of Farmland in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Bad Naturalist with author Paula Whyman

With humor, humility, and awe, writer Paula Whyman faces her limitations, while getting to know a breathtaking corner of the natural world.

When she first climbed a peak in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains looking for a home in the country, she had no idea how little she knew about hands-on conservation, or how quickly her tidy backyard ecology project would grow into a massive endeavor.

From Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop we explore some of Paula’s many challenges, failures, and successes as she learns hour by hour how to work with nature and its seasons, with indigenous versus invasive growth, and nature … the ultimate boss.

Meet Paula Whyman

Paula Whyman’s new book, Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop, is a blend of memoir, natural history, and conservation science. Her short story collection You May See a Stranger, earned praise from The New Yorker, a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and won the Towson Prize for Literature. Paula Whyman’s stories have appeared in journals including McSweeney’s Quarterly and Virginia Quarterly Review, and her fiction was selected for the anthology Writes of Passage: Coming-of-Age Stories and Memoirs from The Hudson Review. Whyman’s nonfiction has been featured on NPR, and in the Washington Post, The American Scholar, and The Rumpus. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the literary journal Scoundrel Time.

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Adventure, Exploration, Historical, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Feb 19: Outdoor Adventure Author Buddy Levy with Realm of Ice & Sky

February 19, 2025

Triumph, Tragedy, and History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue

Realm of Ice and Sky with author Buddy Levy

Winner of 2023’s National Outdoor Book Award, Buddy Levy, returns to Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair, this time to talk about his latest Arctic survival book, Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy, and History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue.

  • “The gripping account of a fatal polar adventure. Hair-raising suffering and heroism in the Arctic.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

Levy says it’s not the history of one voyage. It’s the history of one TYPE of voyage – trying to reach the north pole airborne, in an airship. If successful, it would signal a changing of the guard – from dog and sled travel, to the new technology of airborne travel.

We explore “the greatest Arctic rescue” – a dramatic, nearly forgotten 19th-century mission that tested human resilience, ingenuity, and survival in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. We also discuss the journeys of the three key explorers; their challenges, failures, and successes. And Buddy shares how he pieced together these 19th century adventures to make a riveting story.

Meet Buddy Levy

Buddy Levy is the author of nine books including Realm of Ice and Sky, and Empire of Ice and Stone: The True Story of the Canadian Arctic Expedition That Went Horribly Wrong. [Hear that PODCAST.] His work has been featured or reviewed in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, USA Today, The Washington Post, and many other outlets. He was the co-star, for 25 episodes, on HISTORY Channel’s hit docuseries Brad Meltzer’s DECODED. In 2018 he was an on-camera expert on the 4-part TV Series THE FRONTIERSMEN: The Men Who Built America (HISTORY, Executive Producer Leonardo Di Caprio).

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Memoir, Non Fiction, Women's Issues

Jan 08: Patricria Bonis Married Her Ideal Man – Or Did She?

January 8, 2025

JEDDAH BRIDE: A Testament to How Far a Mother Will Go to Protect Her Children

Jeddah Bride with author Patricia Bonis

When Patricia Bonis fell madly in love with Rahman Abbar, scion of a wealthy Saudi Arabian family, their wedding was the happiest day of her life. But her joy as a JEDDAH BRIDE soon evaporated into a life she was ill prepared for.

Patricia Bonis shares her journey from a smart, free-spirited student at Wellesley College, to living a life she found intolerable … a restricted life as a Saudi wife, viewing the world through curtains and veils and outdated rules. And, ultimately, to her final escape, painful sacrifices, and long-term triumphs.

Meet Patricia Bonis

PATRICIA BONIS is a renowned interior designer who has spent more than three decades designing the homes, offices, and embassies of some of the world’s most influential leaders, including top CEOs, ambassadors, and international financiers. She now splits her time between Palm Beach Florida, and Millbrook, New York, with her current husband. JEDDAH BRIDE is Patricia’s debut book.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Jan 01: Happy New Year! NYT Bestselling Author Grant Blackwood on Successful Author Collaboration

January 1, 2025

Red Star Falling coauthored by NYT Bestselling Author Steve Berry & Grant Blackwood

Grant Blackwood coauthor of Red Star Falling

Grant Blackwood joins us to discuss Red Star Falling, his latest thriller collaboration with Steve Berry,

In the waning days of the Cold War, Steve Berry’s returning protagonist Luke Daniels, sets out to find the legendary lost library of Ivan the Terrible. Will that unlikely key end a looming threat orbiting two hundred miles above the Earth?

Since more authors are collaborating these days, curious minds want to know how they work together and why. What are the benefits? The challenges? Who drives the plot? The story? The action scenes? Do they each adopt a specific role or do they dig in together and hash things out? And what about research and travel? Did Steve and Grant both visit Russia and Ukraine for Red Star Falling? Listen in to find out.

Meet Grant Blackwood – NYT Bestselling Author

Grant Blackwood is the New York Times bestselling author of the Briggs Tanner series. He’s also the coauthor of The Fargo Adventure Series with Clive Cussler. The New York Times bestselling Dead Or Alive with Tom Clancy. And Kill Switch with James Rollins. A US Navy veteran, Grant Blackwood spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an operations specialist and a pilot rescue swimmer. Red Star Falling is the second book he has coauthored in Steve Berry’s Luke Daniels Thriller Series.

Steve Berry originated the Luke Daniels character and thriller series. Steve is the NYT and #1 Internationally bestselling author of 18 Cotton Malone novels, five stand alone thrillers, and several works of short fiction. He has more than 26 million books in print, translated into 41 languages. Steve Berry is the founder of History Matters; serves as an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board; and was a founding member and former co-president of the International Thriller Writers. Steve Berry has been our guest on many occasions – to find conversations with Steve, type Steve Berry into Conversations Live search box.

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Essays, Non Fiction, Uncategorized, Writers on Writing

Dec 18: Nancy Slonim Aronie on Writing the Story You Have Inside You

December 18, 2024

Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay: Crafting the Story Only You Can Tell

Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay with author Nancy Slonim Aronie

For Nancy Slonim Aronie, helping people tell their stories has been a lifelong mission. In Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay, Nancy reveals secrets that help shape your story so that it moves, connects, and resonates with readers.

Nancy shares why she encourages new writers to master the personal essay. How you benefit from what she calls the gift of opening yourself up. How to cope with a writer’s feelings of vulnerability. How to find your voice (hint … you already have it) and what makes a story storyworthy. We discuss honesty, how to deal with negative feedback and constructive criticism, how to gather ideas, and more.

Meet Nancy Slonim Aronie

Nancy Slonim Aronie is the founder of the Chilmark Writing Workshop on Martha’s Vineyard, and the author of Memoir as Medicine; Writing from the Heart; and now Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay: Crafting the Story Only You Can Tell. A regular commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered, Aronie has taught at Harvard University and conducted writing workshops and lectures at Kripalu, Omega, Esalen, Rowe Conference Center, Wainwright House, and the Open Center in New York City.

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Fiction, Suspense, Writers on Writing

Dec 11: Rachel Kushner Introduces Creation Lake

December 11, 2024

“Brain-spinning tale of lies, greed, surveillance, crimes against nature, and ecowarriors…” Booklist Starred Review

Creation Lake with author Rachel Kushner

Rachel Kushner’s protagonist, Sadie Smith a former U.S. spy and ruthless observer of human behavior, has total faith in her ability to manipulate that behavior. She’s hired to infiltrate an anarchist commune in rural France and stir up trouble. Meanwhile, a radical from an earlier generation is living in a network of caves — a life that Sadie finds increasingly appealing.

Rachel Kushner joins us to talk about Creation Lake and its storyline. She shares insight into the character development of her protagonist, and why Sadie is the opposite of the author. How the story’s structure was inspired by noir fiction, yet Rachel says her book doesn’t exactly follow noir storytelling. And more.

Meet Novelist Rachel Kushner

Rachel Kushner is the author of the novels CREATION LAKE, THE MARS ROOM, THE FLAMETHROWERS, and TELEX FROM CUBA, a book of short stories, THE STRANGE CASE OF RACHEL K, and THE HARD CROWD: ESSAYS 2000-2020. She has won the Prix Médicis and been a finalist for the Booker Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Folio Prize, the James Tait Black Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was twice a finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction. She is a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and the recipient of the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Rachel’s books have been translated into 27 languages. Her fiction has been published in the New Yorker and the Paris Review, and her nonfiction in Harpers and the New York Times Magazine. 

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Environment, Nature, Non Fiction, Science, Wildlife

Dec 04: Barrett Klein with The Insect Epiphany

December 4, 2024

How Our 6-legged Allies Shape Human Culture

The Insect Epiphany with author Barrett Klein

The impact insects have on our shaping human culture is staggering … far beyond what most of us realize. Today’s guest, entomologist Barrett Klein, shares some of the insights from his latest book, THE INSECT EPIPHANY: How Our 6-legged Allies Shape Human Culture.

We explore the many things we take for granted that happen as a direct result of insects … and what life without them would be like. We discuss how we use insects’ bodies for silk, pigments, food, medicine. How we try to recreate them for flight technology, architecture, social structures. And how we mimic them for fighting (think Kung Fu and Muhammad Ali) yoga, music, and even fashion.

Full of photos, art, illustrations, fascinating stories, and fun facts and anecdotes, The Insect Epiphany is a great way to nerd out and learn things you never knew you needed to learn!

Meet Entomologist Barrett Klein

Barrett Klein investigates mysteries of sleep in societies of insects, creates entomo-art, and is forever on the search for curious connections that bind our lives with our six-legged allies. Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona. He fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, worked with honey bees for his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Nov 28: Preston & Child – The OGs of Collaborative Thriller Writing

November 27, 2024

Angel of Vengeance: A desperate bargain is broken. A clever trap set. And a vengeful angel will not be deterred.

Angel of Vengeance with authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Preston & Child continue their #1 bestselling thriller series with Angel of Vengeance as protagonists, FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Constance Greene, take a final stand against New York’s deadliest serial killer.

As well as discussing the storyline of Angel of Vengeance, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child share how they met and why they’ve written together for the past 40 years.

We explore character development throughout a series, story research, what’s next. They share what they’ve learned from each other – including an amusing tale about who owns bragging rights for writing the best (and dreaded) sex scenes. And how the authors break up their roles as they write collaboratively.

Meet Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Preston & Child)

Preston and Child’s Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number‑one box office hit movie. They’ve collaborated together for 40 years and in addition to coauthoring the famed Pendergast series, their recent novels include The Cabinet of Dr. Leng, Diablo Mesa, Bloodless, The Scorpion’s Tail, and Crooked River. Douglas Preston is also the author of the award-winning nonfiction book The Lost City of the Monkey God.  And Lincoln Child has published eight novels of his own, including bestsellers, Chrysalis and Deep Storm.

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Biography, History, Memoir, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Relationships, Travelogue, Writers on Writing

Nov 13: Eric Weiner In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life

November 13, 2024

Ben & Me

Ben and Me with author Eric Weiner

When Eric Weiner followed Benjamin Franklin’s journey from Philadelphia to Paris, and Boston to London, in addition to discovering Ben’s life lessons, this self-described philosophical traveler discovered many of his own.

BEN & ME is a wonderful combination of Franklin’s biography, Weiner’s memoir, and a travelogue. It’s a guide to thinking well. Living a useful life. It’s about curiosity, diligence, constant learning. And – most of all – the elusive goal of self-improvement.

Eric Weiner shares how asking someone to do you a favor could improve your relationship – a psychological phenomenon known as The Ben Franklin Effect. We discuss Franklin’s seemingly conflicting views, his biggest strengths, human flaws, and what Eric found most disappointing about Ben. Eric also shares what he discovered about himself on this literal and metaphorical journey.

Meer Eric Weiner – Author, Speaker, Philosophical Traveler

Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker, Eric Weiner‘s latest book is Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life. Weiner’s other books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, Man Seeks God and The Socrates Express. Eric Weiner is a former foreign correspondent for NPR, and reporter for The New York Times. He is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, BBC Travel, and AFAR, among other publications. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

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