Poet Matthew Dickman called from Portland, Oregon earlier this year to talk about his book “All American Poem”– http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-12-30-163001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Hear Andrei Codrescu read from his latest book “The Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara & Lenin Play Chess” published this year by Princeton University Press. We’ll talk about his passion for Dada and how you frame a piece of writing that may want to defy you. We’ll also talk about his poems, Exquisite Corpse and Detroit’s Ho-Ho Inn.… Read more: Andrei Codrescu
From the Archives: Donald Hall reads two poems that he wrote while teaching here at Michigan. We also talk about poetry as a vocation, Eagle Pond farm, a life inside and outside academia, the art of revision, baseball, Edgar Allan Poe, and writing with hope. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2010-01-13-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio photo credit: Linda Kunhardt/Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt December 1,… Read more: Donald Hall
Hear Jonathan Lethem read from his latest novel “Chronic City” published this year by Doubleday. We’ll talk about voice and character–and toast the Rolling Stones with Dr.Pepper. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-11-25-163001-EST.mp3 Download Audio *This program was taped when Jonathan Lethem came to Ann Arbor to read at Borders on November 6th.
From the archive: 2009 Lorrie Moore reads from her novel A Gate at the Stairs (Knopf 2009). We talk about the music of writing within the novel and the short story. We also talk about being part of a community–and writing about loss–our collective and individual sorrows–our awkwardness and joy. And a few words about… Read more: Lorrie Moore
Hear John Hodgman talk about his books “The Areas of My Expertise” and “More” out in paperback this fall with Riverhead Books. We’ll talk about the glory of lists and tables–and the lost art of the almanac. We’ll also talk about achieving a voice of authority–and boxing. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-11-11-163001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Hear David Wevill read poems including work from “Asterisks” published by Exile Editions in 2007. We’ll talk about the self and the non-self as a central force in his work–and whether there is life after poetry. We’ll also talk about image and meditation, “The Group,” and his granddaughter, Isabella. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-11-04-163001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Hear Michigan’s own Laura Kasischke read from her latest novel “In A Perfect World” published this autumn by Harper Perennial. We’ll talk about writing each day, what it takes to see a novel through and the possibilities of poems. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-10-28-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Hear Scott Lasser read from his latest novel “The Year that Follows” published this year by Knopf. We’ll talk about the art of characterization and the challenge within writing about loss–both personal and a country’s. We’ll also talk with Michigan writer R.A. Riekki at the start of the program about his book “U.P.” published in 2008 by Ghost Road… Read more: Scott Lasser
Tune in today to hear poet Emily Warn read from her latest collection “Shadow Architect” published by Copper Canyon Press in 2008. We’ll talk about the forest, spiritual studies and collaboration with a visual artist: how all three are in the making of this book. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-10-14-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Hear Crystal Williams read from “Troubled Tongues” chosen for the 2009 Long Madgett Poetry Award. We’ll talk about chants, epistles and ars poeticas. We’ll also talk about writing plays and poems–and about growing up in Detroit, going to NYC and heading westward. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-10-07-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Hear poet Dean Young read new poems–yet to grace the pages of magazine, web or book. We’ll also talk about his current manuscript called “The Art of Recklessness” to be published by Graywolf Press later this year. We’ll talk about the process of creation, surrealism, and why he exhorts: remember your first urges–why you wrote… Read more: Dean Young
Hear Christopher Schmidt read from his debut book of poems “The Next in Line” winner of the 2007 Slope Editions Book Prize. We’ll talk about blogs, journalism, and a 20th century poetry dissertation entitled “Waste Matters.” We’ll also talk about his recent move from Brooklyn to Ann Arbor, his work at Sweetland Writing Center, and mopeds. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-09-16-163001-EDT.mp3… Read more: Christopher Schmidt
Hear Lawrence Weschler in conversation about his book published by Vintage Books in 1996 “Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology.” Believe it or not, that’s just the half of it. We’ll also talk about the need for doubt, his Convergence Contest with McSweeney’s… Read more: Lawrence Weschler
Hear a conversation with Henry Grimes, the legendary and visionary jazz musician. He will read from his book of poems “Signs Along the Road” published by Buddy’s Knife in 2007 and also will play the acoustic bass and violin. We’ll talk about his early life playing with musicians like Charles Mingus and Benny Goodman, the… Read more: Henry Grimes
Hear a conversation with Jay Platt, owner of West Side Book Shop. We’ll talk about bookselling and life on Liberty for thirty-four years and counting. We’ll also talk about Doug Price’s collection of Edward Curtis Prints–and polar exploration, The Wind in the Willows, and Jack Kerouac’s first wife. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-08-05-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Robert Fanning reads from his collection American Prophet out with Marick Press. We talk about creating a character that speaks for an entire book of poems and what that allows to surface in the work. We also talk about humor, Detroit, the vision within Elvisfest and the karaoke of a Master. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-07-29-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio To visit… Read more: Robert Fanning
Hear historian and writer Juan Cole discuss his latest book “Engaging the Muslim World” published this March by Palgrave Macmillan. We’ll talk about entering into historical and political discussions as a professor here at Michigan, as a blogger on his popular “Informed Comment” and as guest on political talk shows. We’ll also talk about his writing life, science fiction,… Read more: Juan Cole
Hear Carlos Ruiz Zafon read from his novel “The Angel’s Game” published this summer by Doubleday. We’ll talk about Gothic stylization, Barcelona, and novels in a series. We’ll also talk about visual storytelling and breaking out of what you believe to be your own constraints as a working writer. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-07-01-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio *this program was taped… Read more: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Hear Ali Sethi read from his debut novel “The Wish Maker” published this month by Riverhead Books. We’ll talk about writing a family story that encompasses multiple generations and historical moments in a nation’s history–in this case Pakistan. We’ll also talk about his intentions at the core of the novel–concerning the soul and wish-making. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-06-24-163002-EDT.mp3 Download Audio… Read more: Ali Sethi
Hear poet Josie Kearns read from her latest books “The Theory of Everything” and “Alphabet of the Ocean” published this year by Mayapple Press and March Street Press respectively. We’ll talk about detail and awareness–and how to capture the perfect image. We’ll talk about compiling anthologies and also about the research involved in writing nonfiction using her… Read more: Josie Kearns
Staff and friends of Shaman Drum Bookshop stop by the station to talk about book life in this community for the past 29 years. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-06-03-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Hear Laurie R. King read from her latest in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series “The Language of Bees” published this May by Bantam Dell We’ll talk about the strong form of the mystery or crime genre–and about writing in a series versus a stand-alone novel. We’ll also talk about settings (especially Sussex and San Francisco),… Read more: Laurie R. King
Colson Whitehead reads from his novel Sag Harbor published by Doubleday. We talk about drawing on your own past and using elements of autobiography to frame what ideas you want to explore in your fiction. What are the risks and pay-offs involved? We also talk about summer at the shore and the 80s: music, fashion, and… Read more: Colson Whitehead
Hear Valerie Laken read from her debut novel “Dream House” published in 2009 by HarperCollins. We’ll talk about “the way our homes define and defy us” and how the spirit of obsession can lead to the writing of a kind of ghost story. We’ll also talk about how you find your subject or if it finds you–and… Read more: Valerie Laken
Hear author David Ritz talk about writing collaborative autobiography and biography–and why he prefers the term “ghost writer.” We’ll talk about his book “Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye” reissued by Da Capo Press in 1991–and hear the story of how he co-wrote the lyrics for Sexual Healing one evening in Europe. We’ll be joined in the studio by… Read more: David Ritz
Hear Steve Amick read from his second novel “Nothing But A Smile” published this March by Pantheon Books. We’ll talk about growing up in Ann Arbor and returning–and even setting almost 1/5 of his novel here (the bulk takes place in Chicago). We’ll also talk about music, maps, the state of the publishing industry, and… Read more: Steve Amick
Hear poet Mary Jo Bang read from her latest collection “Elegy” published in 2007 by Graywolf Press. We’ll talk about her path to writing, what stands out in the Boston Review slush pile, and aporia. We’ll also hear an Alice in Wonderland poem from her book “The Eye Like a Strange Balloon” and talk about creating… Read more: Mary Jo Bang
Jim Shepard reads from his latest story collection Like You’d Understand, Anyway in paperback from Vintage. Ron Hansen reads from his novel Exiles published with FSG. A sort of homecoming–these two writers met here at Michigan some years ago, their offices across the hall from each other in Angell Hall. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-02-25-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Patrick Lane and Lorna Crozier read poems from among their many poetry books including Last Water Song from Harbour Publishing and The Blue Hour of the Day published by McClelland & Stewart. We talk about the ways of “seeing”–how these ways might be determined without our even knowing it in our formative years. Patrick looks very close-up to things, and Lorna‘s vision requires… Read more: Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane
Nami Mun reads from new stories from Miles From Nowhere. We discuss the life of the writer inside and outside of academia, linked stories within a collection, and her experience with writers‘ residencies like Yaddo and The MacDowell Colony. We also talk about being a criminal investigator and a dramatist. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-01-28-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio *This program was taped January… Read more: Nami Mun
Khaled Mattawa reads from his latest poetry collection Amorisco (2008) published by Ausable Press. We also hear selections from two books of his translations of Iman Mersal and Joumana Haddad–and talk about how working in translation impacts and informs his own poetry. We talk about his early years in Libya and what it is like to make a… Read more: Khaled Mattawa
Michael Shilling reads from his debut novel Rock Bottom from Little, Brown & Company. We talk about writing from multiple character perspectives. We also talk about humor and pacing–and the challenge of creating a story as an insider within a particular culture or industry that others dream about. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-01-14-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio
From the Archives: Donald Hall reads two poems that he wrote while teaching here at Michigan. We also talk about poetry as a vocation, Eagle Pond farm, a life inside and outside academia, the art of revision, baseball, Edgar Allan Poe, and writing with hope. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2010-01-13-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio photo credit: Linda Kunhardt/Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt December 1,… Read more: Donald Hall
From the archive: 2009 Lorrie Moore reads from her novel A Gate at the Stairs (Knopf 2009). We talk about the music of writing within the novel and the short story. We also talk about being part of a community–and writing about loss–our collective and individual sorrows–our awkwardness and joy. And a few words about… Read more: Lorrie Moore
Robert Fanning reads from his collection American Prophet out with Marick Press. We talk about creating a character that speaks for an entire book of poems and what that allows to surface in the work. We also talk about humor, Detroit, the vision within Elvisfest and the karaoke of a Master. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-07-29-163001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio To visit… Read more: Robert Fanning
Colson Whitehead reads from his novel Sag Harbor published by Doubleday. We talk about drawing on your own past and using elements of autobiography to frame what ideas you want to explore in your fiction. What are the risks and pay-offs involved? We also talk about summer at the shore and the 80s: music, fashion, and… Read more: Colson Whitehead
Jim Shepard reads from his latest story collection Like You’d Understand, Anyway in paperback from Vintage. Ron Hansen reads from his novel Exiles published with FSG. A sort of homecoming–these two writers met here at Michigan some years ago, their offices across the hall from each other in Angell Hall. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-02-25-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Patrick Lane and Lorna Crozier read poems from among their many poetry books including Last Water Song from Harbour Publishing and The Blue Hour of the Day published by McClelland & Stewart. We talk about the ways of “seeing”–how these ways might be determined without our even knowing it in our formative years. Patrick looks very close-up to things, and Lorna‘s vision requires… Read more: Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane
Nami Mun reads from new stories from Miles From Nowhere. We discuss the life of the writer inside and outside of academia, linked stories within a collection, and her experience with writers‘ residencies like Yaddo and The MacDowell Colony. We also talk about being a criminal investigator and a dramatist. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-01-28-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio *This program was taped January… Read more: Nami Mun
Khaled Mattawa reads from his latest poetry collection Amorisco (2008) published by Ausable Press. We also hear selections from two books of his translations of Iman Mersal and Joumana Haddad–and talk about how working in translation impacts and informs his own poetry. We talk about his early years in Libya and what it is like to make a… Read more: Khaled Mattawa
Michael Shilling reads from his debut novel Rock Bottom from Little, Brown & Company. We talk about writing from multiple character perspectives. We also talk about humor and pacing–and the challenge of creating a story as an insider within a particular culture or industry that others dream about. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2009-01-14-161501-EST.mp3 Download Audio
