- Publisher |
- Solid Listen
- Media Type |
- audio
- Categories Via RSS |
- Arts,
- Books,
- Society & Culture
The Downtown Writers Jam is a part of the Solid Listen Network. Visit at Patreon.com/SolidListen for more.
- People |
- Country Of Origin |
- USA
- Produced In |
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Premiere Date |
- 2014-09-02
- Frequency |
- Weekly
- Explicit |
- Yes
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Submit ReviewOne of our favorite authors, Wanda M. Morris, stopped by the Bunker for an After Party storytelling Q&A with Brad. Her latest book, Any Where You Run, is out now. Wanda and Brad swapped stories about their parents, shared their best advice to writers, and talked about how writing helps them make sense of the world.
Plus, they had a callback to Brad's favorite Wanda story: how she wrote her first book without anybody knowing until it was done!
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Designer David Lee Csicsko dropped by the Bunker for a Jam Session about his latest project, LGBTQ+ Icons: A Celebration of Historical LGBTQ+ Icons in the Arts. David and Brad discussed their strange overlapping experience in the Indianapolis theatre scene, his work as a graphic designer, and the process he and his writing partner went through in narrowing down the 50 stories they wanted to tell in this book.
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Author Felice Cohen dropped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love. Be warned, Felice came ready with some amazing stories. She and Brad went on a long, winding road through her life. They talked playing sports growing up, her fearless drive to explore, family, and even a little bit about living in that very tiny New York apartment. (But not too much. Just, um, a little.)
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One of Brad's favorite guests, author Sergio Troncoso, dropped by the bunker After Party to talk about his latest novel, Nobody's Pilgrims. The two talked about Sergio's evolution in thinking about "voiceless" characters, the "flow" in writing, and probably other topics we could put in quotes.
Oh, and the time Sergio met George W. Bush.
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Author and professor Natalia Molina stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles Nourished its Community. Natalia and Brad has a long, wide-ranging discussion about comedians (Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler in particular), audio books, meeting famous people, and the trauma of academia.
Plus, how place intersects with race, class, and gender in America.
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Author and journalist Keri Blakinger stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, Corrections in Ink, a fascinating examination of the women's prison system told through the lens of somebody who made it to the other side of incarceration. It's a fantastic book, and one you want to read. Of course, Keri and Brad talked about the rest of her life: growing up as a competitive skater, trying to fit in, and navigating her career as a journalist after.
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Journalist and author Katie Hafner stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, The Boys. She and Brad took a stroll through some of the difficult times she had growing up and as a professional, but swerved through the difficulties of switching from nonfiction to fiction. And the joy of writing about goodness.
Oh, and we forgot to mention that Katie not only influenced Brad's early career, she also taught a class he took at Berkeley. (There's only a few fanboy moments.)
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Author Emi Nietfeld stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, Acceptance, which is—in many ways—a story about the cost of surviving. For that, you can check out the book. She and Brad took a walk through her childhood in Minnesota, her almost modeling career, her search for her own identity, and ultimately the road where she found her own path through...everything.
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Author Angelique Pesce stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her latest book, American Pastime, and the importance of family. She grew up working in her father's bakery. She went to law school because of her grandfather. She started a nonprofit because of her grandmother. And she watched her mother blazer her own career. All of those forces shaped her journey as a writer, a producer, and filmmaker.
It is—in the mythological way that we tell ourselves these stories—the American Dream.
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Author Elisabeth Sharp McKetta came back to the Bunker After Party to talk about her latest book, Awake with Asashoryu and Other Essays.
She joined Brad to tell some stories about why it's so hard to sit in the chair to write, why writers only really believe the bad reviews, what it means to be a writer, and the joy of making things (and being in a family that makes things)!
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Author Jenny Colgan stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, An Island Wedding, and the conversation was just delightful.
She and Brad talked about the weirdness of their respective small towns (Elvis and castles, but not how you think), the circular nature of family dynamics, the impact of class, and the importance of finding your art community!
But what they didn't discuss: all of her work with Doctor Who. At least not as much as Brad wanted.
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Author Jeevani Charika—who also writes under the pseudonym Rhoda Baxter that was inspired by the bacteria she studied while getting her Ph.D. in Microbiology—stopped by to talk with Brad about romcoms, Legos, science, travel, and basically all things nerdy! In other words, it's a great day in the Bunker.
She has a book out now, Playing for Love, and another coming out in September—because she somehow manages to write two books a year! You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
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Author Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, The Displaced. He and Brad talked a lot about finding your home and finding your voice, and the long road it takes to do that. And Rodrigo's journey took him into some hard places. But when he realized he was at a fork in the road, he decided to find his way back to writing, filmmaking, and storytelling (including writing his first book while he was in college!)
He's a fantastic storyteller. And if you stick around long enough, you'll get a little Wu-Tang. You can—and should—find him on Instagram.
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Author Bobi Conn (A Woman in Time) stopped by the After Party to share a little Appalachian storytelling with Brad. Bobi's own story has been filled with a lot of hard times (In The Shadow of the Valley), but that's only one part of her tale. She and Brad talked about the joy of writing, the happiness her children bring her, and importance of finding peace with yourself. Oh, and a bit about the humor that comes out in places we don't expect.
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Author Kelly Sokol (Breach) stopped by the Bunker this week to talk with Brad about her journey, which included a stop at the Capitol and a job on the railroad. She's had an interesting ride that has taken her from Nebraska to Virginia Beach, with lots of stops in between. Oh, and she's an ultramarathoner as well. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Vermont author Catherine Drake (The Treehouse on Dog River Road) stopped by the Bunker for a wild After Party with Brad to talk about how Christmas card writing led to her writing career, her brush with Bernie (it's Vermont, duh!), a hometown parade that featured a float of her book, and her fiftieth birthday party at Burning Man. And trust me, you don't want to miss her grand-daughter's idea for a BookTok channel because it's brilliant!
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Author Rebecca van Laer (How to Adjust to the Dark) stopped by the Bunker After Party to talk a bit one of our favorite topics: the anxiety of writing and writers! She and Brad also shared stories about patience with your writing, most definitely avoiding people who believe they are gatekeepers, and ghosts in New Orleans. Should have led with the ghosts! You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
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Writer Nicole Exposito stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her fiction podcast, The Burned Photo, which frankly scared the crap out of Brad. They talked about her awkward childhood, finding her community while working on student films, graduating in a recession, her work at an EMT (yikes!), and how that all led her back to writing. Plus, they took a long digression about the work of Tom Robbins and the writer brain!
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Author Louise Mumford (The Safe House) stopped the Bunker for the After Party! She and Brad discussed why it's important to be less polite (especially if you're a young woman), happiness as nothing, and road tripping across the United States in an RV without really understanding how big this country is. (Louise is from Wales!) Plus, the state of watching movies when you're a writer.
Find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Author Sophie Flynn stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her latest book, Keep Them Close. She and Brad explored her transformation from a "mean girl" (not our words, folks!) into the theater and music world where she began to find her own footing. It's a joyous, funny, and thoughtful conversation about how life—and expectations—crash together!
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Colin Kersey (Swimming with the Angels) joined Brad in the Bunker for an After Party Q&A to discuss how he became a writer (it took some time), the importance of mentors, and the things that make him happiest. He also doled out a bit a wisdom to his younger self, which you might recognize from television: Just do it!
You can find him on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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Author Lisa Knopp joined Brad in the Bunker this week for the first Jam Session, a deep dive conversation into her book From Your Friend, Carey Dean. The book is an examination of prison culture, religion, and friendship, and the conversation explores the complexity of writing about a confessed murder who goes through a profound personal evolution while incarcerated before being executed.
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Author Louise Mangos joins us in the Bunker this week from her writing retreat in the Swiss Alps (!!!) to talk about her latest book, The Beaten Track. She and Brad spent an hour talking about growing up in a small town in England, an aborted backpacking trip that ended with a 16-year stay in Switzerland, the around the world trip that eventually happened, plus painting and genre fiction. You can find Louise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Author Sam Holland (The Echo Man) stopped by Bunker for an After Party Q&A. She talked about her greatest writing epiphany (Post-it Notes!), and she proceeded to tell the grossest story ever told on the program! It's delightfully hilarious, but we don't recommend eating while you listen to this one!
Sam can be found on Twitter and Instagram.
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Author Mintie Das stopped by the Bunker to talk about her YA novel, Brown Girl Ghosted. It's rare to meet somebody more extroverted than Brad, but we've found with Mintie, whose journey is amazing. She's truly a child of the world. She was born in India, raised in Illinois, and now lives in Helsinki. She's traveled extensively and has stories that'll knock your socks off. After fifteen years working in public relations, she embarked on her writing career and has found her voice writing about "kickass heroines of color."
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Author Hannah Mary McKinnon (Never Coming Home) stopped by the Bunker to be our first guest on a Q&A show. A master storyteller, Hannah is going to have you riveted as she talks about why she writes, what makes her happiest, and the insane way she met and married her husband, the history of her hometown. Plus, there's a whole lot of talk about the things that drive writers mad.
Find Hannah on Facebook and Instagram @hannahmarymckinnon, and on Twitter @HannahMMcKinnon.
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Author Wanda M. Morris stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, All Her Little Secrets. She and Brad discussed their love of structure and rules (but not in writing), which led her to a career in law, advocating, storytelling, and writing. (They are connected: promise!) Plus, they discussed how Wanda wrote a whole book without anyone knowing.
Learn more at wandamorriswrites.com or follow Morris on social media on Instagram: @wandamowrites or Twitter: @WandaMo14.
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Crime author Gillian McAllister dropped by the Bunker just a few weeks before we went on hiatus. We've been gone so long that her last book, That Night, is now out everywhere and her current book, Wrong Place, Wrong Time just dropped in the U.K. (and comes to the U.S. in August). She and Brad talked about the pressure of success, growing up as a creative kid, and the long, winding road to finding your way in the world. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or over at her website.
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Two-time National Magazine Award winner and author Chris Jones stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, The Eye Test, a treatise on expertise and the art of making decisions. This isn't your typical Jam. Chris and Brad took a deep dive into the ideas in the book. But, they also go back a few years (at least online). So, they also talked about the work men need to do on themselves, Chris' story "The Things That Carried Him," editing and writing, and sports. Plus, a whole bunch of stories about the magazine world that will never make it on air!
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A little tired from the holiday season? We've got the cure here in the Ohio Bunker! The fantastic and lovely Elisabeth Sharp McKetta stopped by to talk about her first novel, She Never Told Me About the Ocean. She and Brad talked about life in Texas, fairy tales, Harvard and M.I.T., English living, and the intricacies that make a writer a writer. Pour a little holiday cheer and join them for a high-energy hour of fun.
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Author and friend of the program Elizabeth B. Splaine stopped by the Bunker to talk about her historical fiction novel, Swan Song. Buckle up for this conversation as Elizabeth and Brad take a deep dive into the events that led to her writing the book and the nuggets of information that she uncovered while doing her research!
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Author and activist Ari Honarvar stopped by the Bunker to talk about her novel, A Girl Called Rumi. She immigrated from Iran when she was young, and she's spent the better part of her adult life using music, dance, and poetry to connect with refugees and people in war-torn regions. She and Brad chatted about empathy and trauma, the importance of art, and the joy that you can find in life through dance and words.
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Award-winning journalist and author Rachel Krantz stopped by the program to talk about her reporter memoir, Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy. She and Brad took a deep dive into the difficulty of mining your own life for a story, the stigma that women face when writing—and talking about—sex, and powerful social structures that keep people from talking about their sex life.
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Friend of the program and author Jacqueline Friedland stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest novel, He Gets That From Me, a story that mixes her romcom storytelling with her legal training. She and Brad talked about the idea that sparked this book, why she's returning to historical fiction for her next book, and the joy of getting to do some in-person events! You can also check out her Jam interview on Episode 93.
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Author, comedian, and TV writer Sophie Santos stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, The One You Want to Marry, and her live stage show, The Lesbian Agenda. Since she (mostly) grew up in Alabama so talk naturally turned to college football. (Don't worry, we cut a lot of that out.) But, she talked with Brad about growing up in a military family, musical theatre, surviving two years in a sorority, and finding her voice in NYC.
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Professor, anti-death penalty legal advocate, and author Bruce Ledewitz stopped by the Jam Bunker for a very soberting conversation about his latest book, The Universe Is on Our Side: Restoring Faith in American Public Life. Bruce and Brad sit down to discuss whether the United States can build a humane society without religion at the center of life, and the similarities between religion and secularism. You know: just a nice holiday dinner conversation!
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Television producer turned author Sophie Cousens joined Brad in the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Just Haven't Met You Yet. Sophie made the career switch from producing comedy to writing where she eventually settled on romcoms, the genre that fit the voices in her head! She and Brad talked about her life on the isle of Jersey, how comedy helped shape her writing, and the insufferable nature of writers at parties!
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Author Clifford Garstang stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about his latest book, Oliver's Travels. Clifford is one of those fascinating people who may slip under the radar because of his understated style, but he and Brad took a trip through his unhappy at times childhood that catapulted him into a world of travel, volunteering, and service. From the Peace Corps to the World Bank to a staple of the literary magazine world, Clifford's story is fantastic. So, pour a glass of holiday cheer and sit down for a great story!
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Author and vending machine repair guide writer sanders.com/">Dan Sanders stopped by the Bunker to talk about his novella, The Loop. But this turned out to be one of the GenX, West Coast, weird writer connection chats as Dan and Brad covered writing in the Bay Area, McSweeney's, Dave Eggers, and the end of the word processing DIY aesthetic. Oh, and the nostalgia for those times that comes with growing old!
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Travel writer and author Kia Abdullah stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest novel, Next of Kin, which was the Times Crime Book of the Month September 2021. She and Brad talked about growing up in a family with eight children, her decision to get a degree in computer science and work in the technology industry, and the leap of faith she took when she started her travel website Atlas & Boots, an award-winning outdoor travel blog covering thrilling activities in far-flung places.
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Author, archaeologist, and retired National Geographic writer Ann R. Williams stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her latest book, Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs, a beautiful book that explores one-hundred of the most important—and fascinating—archeological finds. In this episode, Brad just sat back and let Ann tell some of the riveting stories you'll find in the book. And, she and Brad discussed how closely connected we are to human history, no matter how far back it stretches.
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Author, TV producer, and Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her latest book, The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. She and Brad had a fascinating, fun, and funny discussion about her current work researching more than 300 coffins from the ancient world. Along the way, they pulled in feminist and cultural critiques of history as well as the importance of drawing lines from the past to present. Plus, a whole lot about how difficult it is to find your voice when you exist outside the dominant paradigm.
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Author and friend of the program Louise Fein is back to talk about her sophomore book, The Hidden Child, which is climbing the best-seller charts! Like her debut, People Like Us (Daughter of the Reich in North America), Louise taps her family's history and weaves it through the late twenties and early thirties in England—with some American flavor. Plus, she and Brad talked about the creative ways she's done research during the pandemic: lots of books and Zoom calls!
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Renowned economist, politician, and author Yanis Varoufakis stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, Another Now, which is an alternate history in which our world developed into a post-capitalist world after the economic crash in 2008. Yanis shared the story of how he was politicized early after the Greek civil war and his father's imprisonment, and how that helped shape his economic vision that led him to become an accidental politician (he led the bailout talks between Greece and the European Union) and a best selling author.
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Playwright Laura Zlatos stopped by the Bunker to talk about her writing journey and her latest play, The Empress of Jupiter, which debuts in December at the New Perspectives Theatre Group. A fascinating writer with a laser-sharp sense of voice, she and Brad talked about finding your way into an idea and a story. But they also talked about Pittsburgh BBQ (Walter's is the best) and her interesting (and amazing) exposure to writing early in her education, and their shared dislike of being on stage (also developed early).
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Author Robert McCaw stopped by the Bunker to talk about the latest in his Koa Kane mystery series, Treachery Times Two. But Robert has led a fascinating life, traveling all over the world first with his military family and later as a U.S. Army lieutenant. He eventually went to law school, became a lawyer, and settled in Hawaii, where he immersed himself in the culture for twenty years. And he took Brad on a brief—but fascinating—dive into the history and politics of Hawaii.
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Author Teresa K. Miller stopped by the bunker to talk about her memoir reflection in poetry, Borderline Fortune. She and Brad talked about the impact of family trauma, healing and therapy, the power of storytelling, and how we think about interacting with the world around us. And, those conversations were grounded in the very real nature of interacting with people, our neighbors, and those with whom we disagree.
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Introverts: buckle up! Author Nadine Matheson stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, The Jigsaw Man. But she and Brad got right down to it, discussing the existential melancholy of getting older, pushing their way in to places where others didn't want them, and telling stories all the way. They talked so much, in fact, that Nadine's earbuds ran out of charge! (There may need to be a Part II someday soon.)
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Sometimes Brad has a guest on for personal reasons. Like this week. Author Robbie Bach stops by the Bunker to talk about his debut thriller, The Wilkes Insurrection. However, Brad knew Robbie when he was in charge of developing the Xbox and Brad was writing at Wired. So, they talked about how storytelling in games, cinematic stories, and marketing helped teach him how to write a novel.
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Author Samantha Specks has one of the most interesting origin stories: A clinical social worker, she hadn't planned on becoming a writer. But she had a story in her that she couldn't shake, and that became her debut novel, Dovetails in Tall Grass. She and Brad talked about the work it takes to write historical fiction when your story involves cultures and experiences outside of your own, and how her training as a social worker helped her along the way!
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Author Ed Davis stopped by the Bunker South (aka, our Birmingham studio) to talk about his latest book, The Last Professional. But he and Brad had so much more than just the book to discuss. They talked about Skywalker Ranch and George Lucas, jumping trains, the joy of traveling, a love of working with their hands (even if Brad is terrible at that), and how writing became a way to both chronicle and make sense of living life outside the box.
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Author, journalist, and mariner Jessica DuLong stopped by the Bunker to talk about one of the most fascinating books we've read here at the Jam. Her book, Saved at the Seawall, chronicles the 800 civil mariners who helped rescue more than 400,000 from New York City on 9/11. Brad and Jessica took a deep dive into the life of the civil mariners who work with the Coast Guard all across the country and the strength of resolve people show in times of great tragedy.
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Author Lee Matthew Goldberg stopped the Bunker to talk about his latest novel, Stalker Stalked. Lee, who came on the Jam last year (Episode 74), has been cranking out books and scripts through the pandemic. He and Brad talked about finding your place in the literary world, and maybe more importantly, how you can structure your work so that watching reality television becomes part of your research. It's always a good time when Lee stops by!
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Author Jan Beatty stopped by the Bunker to talk about her award-winning memoir, American Bastard. If you follow the show, you know that title alone was going to Brad interested. But, the two writers took a really deep dive into some difficult subjects: adoption, addiction, recovery, trauma, therapy, and the brokenness of some families.
Just the little things that make up life. This conversation is long, slow burn, and one of the best we've had on the Jam.
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Author J.L. Torres stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, Migrations, that takes a deep dive into the inbetween-ness many Puerto Ricans experience living in America. He and Brad had a long, wonderful conversation about their love of writing, baseball (obviously), and the struggle to write and tell stories about people who exist in two worlds. Maybe most importantly, they talked about the importance of boys reading and developing empathy for the stories of other people. And, did we mention: baseball?
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Author Spencer Fluery stopped by the Bunker to talk about his first novel, How I’m Spending My Afterlife, a title that absolutely ensured Brad would invite him on the program. They also got around to discussing San Francisco, their shared favorite bar (The Lucky 13) that closed, and living as a writer in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
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Dr. Ellen Michaelson stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel The Care of Strangers. And this is one of those delightful interviews where the writer, and Brad, discovers something! And to be honest, Brad wasn't sure how you draw a line from doctor to novelist, but Ellen connected all the dots, including her work with NW Narrative Medical Collaborative, an initiative that helps train doctors how to hear patient stories in order to provide better care.
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Sometimes, we have unexpected conversations in the Bunker. That's exactly what happened when author Chevy Stevens stopped by to talk with Brad about her latest thriller, Dark Roads. The two bonded over a shared love of the outdoors, a rural upbringing, and their battle with anxiety and depression. That last part spurred a twenty-minute discussion about the difficulties of creating while taking care of their mental health.
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Author Robyn Harding is the latest Canadian thriller writer to stop by the Bunker, and she joined Brad to talk about her latest book The Perfect Family, which is out now. But she's also one of our many guests who bounced between screenwriting and novel writing. Oh, and add that she ALSO wrote comedy novels with women at the center. Let's just say she's a writer whose voice spans genres.
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Buckle up for this conversation. Brad strays from the traditional structure in the Bunker. Instead, he has a long discussion with author and speaker Sumbul Ali-Karamali who stopped by to discuss her third book, Demystifying Shariah: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It's Not Taking Over Our Country. She takes a deep-dive into how the Radical Right used fear-mongering around Islamic law to push through its agenda. And, she and Brad are talking scientific studies, discussions of the law, the Nation of Islam, 9/11, a little media analysis...and this being the Jam—about ten minutes of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica.
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Author Louise Mumford stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut book, Sleepless, which is out in stores now. A former middle-grade English teacher, Louise struck gold after being discovered at a literary festival in 2019. Her novel has since been optioned for television!
But, she and Brad also took some time to talk about camping (!!) and the leap she took a few years ago to become a full time writer.
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Author Colleen van Niekerk stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, A Conspiracy of Mothers (October, 2021), which blends together life in apartheid South Africa and northern Appalachia. And so, Colleen and Brad went on a deep exploration of Colleen's life growing up in Cape Town, her love all Tom Robbins and magic realism, and her journey exploring the world. (We had a long talk about parrots, but that's for another show!)
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Author Eddy Boudel Tan stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, The Rebellious Tide, which is out in stores now. But, Brad had more than just book talk on his mind. The two writers talked about Eddy's Sidewalk Supper Project, which is a neighborhood initiative he co-founded to provide homeless people with home-cooked meals. They also discussed the changing economic landscape of Vancouver, where Tan lives with his husband.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are all talking about those three ideas these days. But one of the big challenges is how to create systemic change built around those ideas. Author Minal Bopaiah stopped by the Bunker to talk about her book Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives. And, she and Brad weren't just talking about the book. They also took a deep dive into what Minal's company Brevity & Wit does to help companies and groups build better working environments.
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Buckle up, good people, because actor, screenwriter, and author Tommy Swerdlow stopped by the Bunker to talk about his novel Straight Dope. While you have probably seen the movies he's written—Cool Runnings, The Grinch, and Little Giants—and the movies he's acted in—Real Genius and Hamburger Hill, he and Brad had a LOT to more to discuss: addiction, writing, famous friends, and the joy of storytelling. It's one of those GenX Writers Collide interviews (even though Tommy isn't technically GenX. But, he kinda is.)
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Author Roz Nay is one of Brad's favorite types of people: a traveler and adventurer. She's been to twenty-eight countries, and has spent a lifetime making semi-questionable decisions while exploring the world. And now, she's turned her eye to creating rich worlds on the page. Her third book, The Hunted, is a story about two people who weren't quite so lucky with their bad traveling choices!
But this show isn't so much about them as it's about Roz and Brad! Well, mostly Roz!
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Author Nydia Hetherington has been creating worlds in her head since she was a child in Leeds, dreaming about fairies and the sea. She channeled that energy into...well, a lot of things: working as an actor, a clown, and eventually creative writing. She stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her first book, A Girl Made of Air.
And David Bowie. She loves David Bowie.
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Scottish author Philippa East came out of the gate hot when her first book Little White Lies was longlisted for the Guardian's prestigious "Not The Booker" prize. Her her second book Safe and Sound came our earlier this year, and she stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about growing up in Scotland, her wonderful group of creative friends, her training as a psychologist and philosophy at Oxford, and the trauma of success.
Plus: castles. There's a surprising amount of talk about castles.
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There is nowhere better than here! You’ll know when you know. Author Tim Ewins came to the Bunker to talk about his book, We Are Animals. But, of course, you know he and Brad spent a lot of time talking about traveling, comedy (Tim was a stand-up comedian), and the long, weird road to writing fiction.
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Drs. Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer are the latest researchers to stop by the Bunker to talk about their work understanding why people are rejecting science these days. Their book, Science Denial, is out now. Gale, Barbara, and Brad took a deep dive into the psychology of why people deny some parts of science and discussed the ways we can understand the underlying fears and concerns people have. This is a Don’t Miss Episode!
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Author Steven Tingle stopped by the Bunker to talk about his book, Graveyard Fields. And, along the way, Brad and he discussed his circuitous route into writing books, which included stops working at a golf course and writing for luxury brand magazines.
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You ever meet one of those people who just seem to be good...at everything? Well, you're about to meet one! Author, screenwriter, producer, and documentarian Bonnie MacBird stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest Sherlock Holmes novel, The Three Locks. But, she and Brad took a long, deep dive through her life growing up around art and science, her screenwriting career (Tron, anyone?), the horrible obstacles a woman in Hollywood faced, and her drive to continue writing and telling stories.
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Short story writer and author Evan Morgan Williams stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest collection, Stories of the New West, an examination of personal risks and the aftermath that comes with those. He and Brad also talked about the joys of building a writing community, finding a home with a press, and the differences between writing books and short stories.
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Poet and author Jiordan Castle stopped by the Bunker to talk about her recently acquired memoir in verse, Disappearing Act. Even though it won't hit stores until 2023, Brad convinced her to come on the Jam to talk about her most recent writing successes (including a poem in The New Yorker), her work with the New York reading series Pigeon Pages, and maybe most importantly her dog, Hacksaw!
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This is a very special and wonderful episode with children's book author and actor Greg McGoon. Greg stopped by to talk about his latest Oliver Gilmore: A Doxie's Diary, but he and Brad took a deep, heartfelt, and hilarious dive into why he's spent his life helping people. It's a long journey—running a candy store in elementary and middle school (yes, you read that correctly), finding himself through theater, working as a resident assistant, writing children's books, and founding and running a creative nonprofit for children—but one you are going to want to hear!
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Author Claire Cox stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, Silver Beach. But before she and Brad got to that, they covered a lot of ground: religion, family trees that have some mis-shaped branches, misfits in high school, never quite fitting in, and teaching and writing. Don't let the laughing fool you. They took a deep dive into the what it means to be a writer.
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Wanderer, drifter, lawyer, teacher, and author Simon Van Der Velde stopped by the Bunker to talk about his book, Backstories. An award-winning short story writer at heart, Simon combined his childhood love of heroes with his adult love of meeting people from around the world. So, he and Brad sat down to commiserate on the nature of truth, traveling, and people. You know: the little stuff.
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Dog lovers of the world: unite: Author Alice Kaltman stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad (and Maxx) about her book, Dawg Towne, a series of interconnected stories of people sharing the same space. And, you know, dogs. It's a lovely conversation about their shared love of animals and the strangeness of turning short stories into a book.
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Author Vanessa Carlisle stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Take Me With You, a novel she wrote while getting her PhD in Creative Writing, Literature, & Gender Studies. (Stick around for that story!) But, she’s more than just a brilliant writer. She’s hosted a radio program about sexuality. She appeared on Season One of Showtime’s Polyamory. And she’s currently a sex worker and death doula.
So, naturally she and Brad talked about growing up working class, the struggle to find oneself, and all of the things they each did just because somebody told them they couldn’t!
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Drs. Sara and Jack Gorman stopped by the Bunker to talk about one of the most important issues we’re facing: science deniers. The father and daughter doctor combo just released a revised edition of their book Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us. And that co-founded a company, Critica, that is working to advance that mission. And uncharacteristically for Brad, he stayed entirely focused on that topic. So take a deep breath because these two brought a whole lot of smart to the Jam.
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Author B.B. Russell stopped by the Bunker to talk about her young adult novel Kindreds. She and Brad have more than just writing in common. B.B. has a PhD in Education, so she and Brad commiserated on the complexities of YA novels (and, let’s face it, YAs!) and the difficulty switching between academic and trade writing.
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Author Amanda Headlee has been thinking about fear and folklore more of her life, which was all Brad needed to hear to have her on the show. She stopped by the Bunker to talk about her love of all things dark fiction and her book Till We Become Monsters. And, this being the Jam, she and Brad talked about bookshelves and adventure racing!
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Award winning author Sergio Troncoso stopped by the Bunker to talk about his eighth book, an edited collection titled Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in Between Worlds. Along with his writing, he's the President of Texas Institute of Letters, board member of the Author's Guild Council, and judge for the PEN/Faulkner Awards. So, obviously, he and Brad spent a ton of time talking about growing up in small towns, and Sergio's propensity to write truths other people didn't necessarily want to hear!
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Author Hannah Tovey popped by the Bunker to talk about her forthcoming novel, Is This Is?, which hits shelves in July and a follow up to her first book The Education of Ivy Edwards. Naturally, she and Brad spent a good deal of time talking about her home country of Wales, a place Brad feels a kinship with!
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Author larson.com/">Greg Larson dropped by the Bunker to talk about one of Brad’s favorite subjects: baseball. Larson spent two years as the a clubhouse attendant for Cal Ripken Jr.’s Aberdeen IronBirds, the short-season single-A affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles. His book Clubbie: A Minor League Baseball Memoir recounts that time.
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Award-winning author and researcher Ross Benes stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about one of his favorite topics: the transformation of the Republican party and rural America. Benes' new book Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold is both a personal account of the change in his home town and a deep-dive into the political figures who have moved Nebraska far to the political Right.
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Sometimes—ever so rarely—Twitter isn't a dumpster fire. And, a few weeks ago the hellsite brought author and journalist Don Merrill to the Bunker. He's the author of Pledge, a book about nonprofit radio, but he's also one of the most interesting people to join Brad on the Jam. He served in the military, where he discovered his passion for journalism. He's also worked in public affairs, all while keeping one foot in the world of journalism. And after retiring to Portland, he joined a community radio station and helped build out its news operation.
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British author Lucie Elven stopped by the Bunker to talk about her first book, The Weak Spot. She and Brad also talked about the weirdness of book readings, being multilingual (well, one of them!), and...well...there's a lot about language.
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Buckle up GenX'ers. Author Andy Abramowitz and Brad sat down in the bunker to discuss Baltimore, baseball, David Simon, Phil Collins, music, and weird stuff about writers. In between, we also chatted about Andy's third book, Darling at the Campsite.
Oh, and AA baseball and Michael Jordan as a three-story banner.
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Brad enjoyed having horror-comedy author Lucy Leitner on the first episode of the video podcast so much, he invited her to Jam to talk about her latest book, Outrage: Level 10. But they weren't just talking zombies and comedy! They covered growing up in small towns, playing sports, abandoning journalism, and the joys of striking out on your own as a writer. Plus, zombies.
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Brad came across author Leah Hampton on Twitter, and he was immediately sold for two reasons: She had Appalachia in her bio and her book is called Fuckface and Other Stories. The rest was just logistics. Before they delved into those two juicy topics, the conversation took some turns through Hungary, Eastern Europe, and the struggles of community college. Trust us, it all fits together. More or less.
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Author Gian Sardar stopped by the Bunker to talk about her second novel, Take What You Can Carry, which is a fictionalized version of her mother and father's trip back to northern Iran for a Kurdish wedding. Fortunately, thier crazy dogs didn't make an appearance as they discussed what happens when you're writing a book about your family.
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Peter Quinn stopped by the Bunker to talk about the re-release of his 1995 American Book Award-winning novel Banished Children of Eve: A Novel of Civil War New York. But his story runs so much deeper. His family has been in New York for two hundred years. And much of his work–whether fiction or non-fiction—has chronicled the ever-changing landscape there. This is a conversation you do not want to miss!
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Kim Catanzarite stopped by the Bunker to talk about her novel, They Will Be Coming For Us. Kim is also an editor, working with Writer’s Digest Books, and she teaches copyediting at Writer’s Digest University. And, she’s a self-publishing advocate, which is one of our passions here at the Jam!
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Author Margo Orlando Littell stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, The Distance from Four Points, which is set in Northern Appalachia. Not only that, Margo just moved back to Pittsburgh, making her the ideal Jam guest. She and Brad sat down to discuss her life growing up in Pennsylvania, finding her way into graduate school, publishing her first book Each Vagabond by Name, traveling, and eventually finding her way back to Appalachia.
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Hannah Mary McKinnon stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Look What You Made Me Do. But Hannah is a more than just a writer. She’s a true literary citizen, and so she and Brad also talked about how she accidentally started the First Chapter Fun literary community, where she and her partner read the first chapter from books that are about to his the shelves.
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Nikki Smith’s book All in Her Head was one of Brad’s favorite psychological thrillers from 2020. And now, Nikki is back with her follow up, Look What You Made Me Do. She stopped by the Bunker to talk about pandemic publishing, writing thrillers, and escape that writing gave her. And, don't forget to check out our first interview with Nikki on Episode 72.
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This week in the Bunker, author and poet Sarah Elaine Smith stops by to talk about her debut novel, Marilou Is Everywhere, "a coming-of-age tale that reveals itself as a parable about race in America." But she and Brad also talked about growing up in the country, the joys of "home ownership," hiking, nature, and snakes. You should probably know, the two of them had a LOT of thoughts about Appalachia. A lot.
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Sometimes, we interview authors because of their book title. This is one of those times! Stop by the Bunker to listen to Brad interview Phil Bowne, whose book Cows Can't Jump is out now. Phil is hilarious (obviously. Plus, we’re here to support first-time authors, particularly award winning ones! And his novel won’t the SPOTLIGHT FIRST NOVEL prize this year!
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Anytime a third wave, GenX feminist writer stops by the Bunker, we know it's going to be a good day. And author Kathleen Rooney did not disappoint. While Kathleen stopped by the program to talk about her latest book, Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, she and Brad took a deep dive into politics, feminism, generational labels, Oprah's book club, the great outdoors, and the joys of running a publishing press!
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