Tune in today to hear poet Brittany Rogers read from Good Dress (Tin House 2024). We talk about writing, teaching, performance, podcasting, and the day-to-day work of humanity. Please join us this wintry afternoon– http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2025-01-29-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio *thanks… Read more: Brittany Rogers
Tune in today to hear Morgan Parker read from You Get What You Pay For: Essays (One World 2024). We talk about essays, poems, YA novels, the *best* titles, Los Angeles, and her dog. Shirley. Please join us… Read more: Morgan Parker
Tune in today to hear Andre F. Peltier read from his latest book of poems Petoskey Stones (Finishing Line Press 2024). We talk about writing place and writing memory in poems. We also talk about online poetry, teaching, soccer, and comic books. Please… Read more: Andre F. Peltier
Today Phranc reads from The Butch Closet. Phranc is currently in residency with The Butch Closet exhibit at the Institute of Humanities Gallery. We talk about art and identity, making, the Women’s Center, LA’s punk movement, folk music, cardboard… Read more: Phranc
Hear a conversation with Kemp Powers in town last week to give the keynote lecture for the 2024 Hopwood Awards Ceremony. We talk about playwriting and screenwriting; the writers’ room; living life as a storyteller; and the special… Read more: Kemp Powers
Kathleen Rooney reads from Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey (Penguin Books 2020). http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2020-10-07-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Ebony Roberts reads from The Love Prison Made and Unmade: My Story (Amistad 2019). We talk about fathers, fairytales, prisons, resilience and writing memoir. We talk about Shaka Senghor and his book Writing My Wrongs:… Read more: Ebony Roberts
While in Ann Arbor, Kristin Hersh, Grant-Lee Phillips, and John Doe talk about their The Exile Follies 2020 tour. We talk about collaboration and process, mystery, and creating experience. We also talk about how music is fearless. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2020-02-12-170001-EST.mp3… Read more: Kristin Hersh, Grant-Lee Phillips and John Doe
Kiley Reid reads from her debut novel Such A Fun Age (Putnam 2019). We talk about listening to your characters, writing about class and race, and building strong plots.
Michigan Quarterly Review editor Khaled Mattawa, guest editor Benjamin Paloff and contributor Jeremiah Chamberlin talk about the Fall 2019 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review: What Does Europe Want Now? We talk about MQR’s mission, its… Read more: Michigan Quarterly Review
Lo Dagerman and Nancy Pick read from The Writer and The Refugee (originally published by Norstedts Förlag, Stockholm 2017; English translation 2019). We talk about being a detective in your own family mystery, long term research projects,… Read more: Lo Dagerman + Nancy Pick
Polly Rosenwaike reads from her debut stories Look How Happy I’m Making You (Doubleday 2019). We talk about stories, motherhood, characters, agents and babies. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2019-04-24-1700-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Nate Powell talks about his graphic novel Come Again (Top Shelf Press 2018). We talk about starting out in comics, DIY and punk, imagining another world, and working with Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.… Read more: Nate Powell
Richard Russo reads from Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life (Knopf 2018). We talk about looking backwards to make sense of things, creativity and mental illness, voice and honesty, Springsteen, and destiny. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2018-07-12-170001-EDT.mp3 Download… Read more: Richard Russo
Guest host Amanda Uhle speaks with Hannah Pittard about her novel Visible Empire (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2018), book tours, writing inspired by true events, racism, siblings, and the legacy of loss. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2018-06-21-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Gregory Pardlo reads from his book of poems Digest (Four Way Books 2014), winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize. We talk about translation, community, Richard Wright and Air Traffic. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-12-07-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Derek Peterson talks about his books Creative Writing (2004), Ethnic Patriotism and the East African Revival (2012) and his current projects funded by his MacArthur Fellowship. We talk about building stories, archival preservation, Mountains of the Moon University, Idi… Read more: Derek Peterson
Michigan’s own Stephen Rush reads from Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman (Routledge 2017). We talk about the principle of human equality, enlightenment, unison, and interviewing Ornette Coleman. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-11-09-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Nancy Pearl reads from her novel George & Lizzie (Touchstone 2017). We talk about imagining characters into life, carrying an unfinished poem within you, and being America’s Librarian. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-10-05-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio To head to Nancy… Read more: Nancy Pearl
Little Bang Theory–Terri Sarris, Doug Shimmin and Frank Pahl– talk about their work and about the Ann Arbor Film Festival featuring the film A Page of Madness with musical accompaniment by Little Bang Theory–with Ichiro Kataoka as the benshi.… Read more: Little Bang Theory: Terri Sarris, Doug Shimmin & Frank Pahl
Benjamin reads from And His Orchestra published by Carnegie Mellon University Press. We talk about David Bowie, translation, riffs and associations, structure and The Nation. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-02-01-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Eileen Pollack reads from her latest novel A Perfect LIfe published by Ecco. We talk about writing a scientific detective story, genetic markers, uncertainty and risk. We also talk about a book finding its time and publisher. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2016-09-21-170001-EDT.mp3 Download… Read more: Eileen Pollack
Diane Rehm reads from her latest book On My Own published by Borzoi Books, an imprint of Knopf. We’ll talk about determination, dignity and light. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2016-03-30-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio For more about the author, click here!… Read more: Diane Rehm
Tune in today to hear Arundhati Roy talk about her introduction to B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste: The Annotated Critical Edition published by Verso this October. We’ll talk about ‘The Doctor and The Saint: The Ambedkar-Gandhi Debate: Race, Caste, and… Read more: Arundhati Roy
Karen Russell reads from her collection of short stories Vampires in the Lemon Grove published by Alfred A. Knopf. We talk about the imagination and the making of short stories or a novel. We also talk… Read more: Karen Russell
Dale Peck reads from The Garden of Lost and Found (2012) published by Mischief & Mayhem. We talk about novels, memoir, criticism, activism, young adult books, pie, and a writer’s manifesto. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2013-10-09-1700-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Benjamin Paloff reads from his book of poems The Politics (2011) published by Carnegie Mellon University Press. We talk about philosophers, Polish poets, Atlantic City and Boston. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2012-02-01-163001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
From the archive: 2011 Carl Phillips reads from Double Shadow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011). We also hear poems from The Rest of Love, Riding Westward, and A Quiver of Arrows: Selected Poems 1986-2006. We… Read more: Carl Phillips
From the archive: 2010 ZZ Packer reads from Buffalo Soldiers, her novel-in-progress. We talk about Drinking Coffee Elsewhere (Riverhead Books 2003) and about sending stories out into the world–and how much work it actually takes… Read more: ZZ Packer
Hear Michigan’s own Sharon Pomerantz read from her novel “Rich Boy” published this August by Twelve. We’ll talk about the 70s and 80s as historical fiction and about loving your characters even when they are… Read more: Sharon Pomerantz
Hear Nathaniel Philbrick read from “The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn” published this May by Viking. We will talk about considering audience and finding your voice within historical… Read more: Nathaniel Philbrick
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… Read more: Jay Platt
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… Read more: David Ritz
Hear poet Nancy K. Pearson read from her first collection “Two Minutes of Light” winner of the 2008 Perugia Press Prize. We’ll talk about winning a first book prize, addiction and survival, and Provincetown, too.… Read more: Nancy K. Pearson
Sam Quinones reads from his book “Antonio’s Gun and Delfino’s Dream: True Tales of Mexican Migration” published by University of New Mexico Press in 2007. We’ll talk about creative nonfiction and journalism. We’ll talk about… Read more: Sam Quinones
Tune in today to hear Jeff Parker read from “Ovenman” published by TinHouse Books in 2007. We’ll talk about the first person voice-driven narrative and breakingaway from the tradition of the gifted narrator as in… Read more: Jeff Parker
From the archives: 2008 Richard Price reads from his novel Lush Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2008) . We talk about Manhattan’s Lower East Side and his method for finding the story. We also talk… Read more: Richard Price
Kathleen Rooney reads from Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey (Penguin Books 2020). http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2020-10-07-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Ebony Roberts reads from The Love Prison Made and Unmade: My Story (Amistad 2019). We talk about fathers, fairytales, prisons, resilience and writing memoir. We talk about Shaka Senghor and his book Writing My Wrongs:… Read more: Ebony Roberts
While in Ann Arbor, Kristin Hersh, Grant-Lee Phillips, and John Doe talk about their The Exile Follies 2020 tour. We talk about collaboration and process, mystery, and creating experience. We also talk about how music is fearless. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2020-02-12-170001-EST.mp3… Read more: Kristin Hersh, Grant-Lee Phillips and John Doe
Kiley Reid reads from her debut novel Such A Fun Age (Putnam 2019). We talk about listening to your characters, writing about class and race, and building strong plots.
Michigan Quarterly Review editor Khaled Mattawa, guest editor Benjamin Paloff and contributor Jeremiah Chamberlin talk about the Fall 2019 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review: What Does Europe Want Now? We talk about MQR’s mission, its… Read more: Michigan Quarterly Review
Lo Dagerman and Nancy Pick read from The Writer and The Refugee (originally published by Norstedts Förlag, Stockholm 2017; English translation 2019). We talk about being a detective in your own family mystery, long term research projects,… Read more: Lo Dagerman + Nancy Pick
Nate Powell talks about his graphic novel Come Again (Top Shelf Press 2018). We talk about starting out in comics, DIY and punk, imagining another world, and working with Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.… Read more: Nate Powell
Richard Russo reads from Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life (Knopf 2018). We talk about looking backwards to make sense of things, creativity and mental illness, voice and honesty, Springsteen, and destiny. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2018-07-12-170001-EDT.mp3 Download… Read more: Richard Russo
Guest host Amanda Uhle speaks with Hannah Pittard about her novel Visible Empire (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2018), book tours, writing inspired by true events, racism, siblings, and the legacy of loss. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2018-06-21-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Gregory Pardlo reads from his book of poems Digest (Four Way Books 2014), winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize. We talk about translation, community, Richard Wright and Air Traffic. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-12-07-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Derek Peterson talks about his books Creative Writing (2004), Ethnic Patriotism and the East African Revival (2012) and his current projects funded by his MacArthur Fellowship. We talk about building stories, archival preservation, Mountains of the Moon University, Idi… Read more: Derek Peterson
Michigan’s own Stephen Rush reads from Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman (Routledge 2017). We talk about the principle of human equality, enlightenment, unison, and interviewing Ornette Coleman. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-11-09-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Nancy Pearl reads from her novel George & Lizzie (Touchstone 2017). We talk about imagining characters into life, carrying an unfinished poem within you, and being America’s Librarian. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-10-05-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio To head to Nancy… Read more: Nancy Pearl
Little Bang Theory–Terri Sarris, Doug Shimmin and Frank Pahl– talk about their work and about the Ann Arbor Film Festival featuring the film A Page of Madness with musical accompaniment by Little Bang Theory–with Ichiro Kataoka as the benshi.… Read more: Little Bang Theory: Terri Sarris, Doug Shimmin & Frank Pahl
Benjamin reads from And His Orchestra published by Carnegie Mellon University Press. We talk about David Bowie, translation, riffs and associations, structure and The Nation. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2017-02-01-170001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
Eileen Pollack reads from her latest novel A Perfect LIfe published by Ecco. We talk about writing a scientific detective story, genetic markers, uncertainty and risk. We also talk about a book finding its time and publisher. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2016-09-21-170001-EDT.mp3 Download… Read more: Eileen Pollack
Diane Rehm reads from her latest book On My Own published by Borzoi Books, an imprint of Knopf. We’ll talk about determination, dignity and light. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2016-03-30-170001-EDT.mp3 Download Audio For more about the author, click here!… Read more: Diane Rehm
Tune in today to hear Arundhati Roy talk about her introduction to B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste: The Annotated Critical Edition published by Verso this October. We’ll talk about ‘The Doctor and The Saint: The Ambedkar-Gandhi Debate: Race, Caste, and… Read more: Arundhati Roy
Karen Russell reads from her collection of short stories Vampires in the Lemon Grove published by Alfred A. Knopf. We talk about the imagination and the making of short stories or a novel. We also talk… Read more: Karen Russell
Dale Peck reads from The Garden of Lost and Found (2012) published by Mischief & Mayhem. We talk about novels, memoir, criticism, activism, young adult books, pie, and a writer’s manifesto. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2013-10-09-1700-EDT.mp3 Download Audio
Benjamin Paloff reads from his book of poems The Politics (2011) published by Carnegie Mellon University Press. We talk about philosophers, Polish poets, Atlantic City and Boston. http://beanball.wcbn.org/rss/Living_Writers/wcbn-living_writers-2012-02-01-163001-EST.mp3 Download Audio
From the archive: 2011 Carl Phillips reads from Double Shadow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011). We also hear poems from The Rest of Love, Riding Westward, and A Quiver of Arrows: Selected Poems 1986-2006. We… Read more: Carl Phillips
From the archive: 2010 ZZ Packer reads from Buffalo Soldiers, her novel-in-progress. We talk about Drinking Coffee Elsewhere (Riverhead Books 2003) and about sending stories out into the world–and how much work it actually takes… Read more: ZZ Packer
From the archives: 2008 Richard Price reads from his novel Lush Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2008) . We talk about Manhattan’s Lower East Side and his method for finding the story. We also talk… Read more: Richard Price
