First Draft with Sarah Enni

The super-savvy, super-smart author Renée Watson (her most recent young adult novel, PIECING ME TOGETHER, is out now!) and founder of the I, Too Arts Collective, talks taking herself seriously as a writer from a young age, creative therapy for young people, and finding people who are about something.

 

Renée Watson Show Notes

An article about Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian student killed by three neo-Nazis in Portland.

Richard Scarry's Bedtime Stories

Judy Blume

BEEZUS AND RAMONA by Beverly Cleary

Lucille Clifton (poet)

Gwendolyn Brooks (poet)

Langston Hughes

 

Zora Neale Hurston

Toni Morrison

A PLACE WHERE HURRICANES HAPPEN  by Renée Watson

 

THIS SIDE OF HOME by Renée Watson

Sarah McCarry

 

WHAT MOMMA LEFT ME by Renée Watson

Community-Work Project (NYC education organization)

DreamYard (NYC education organization)

Christian Robinson, illustrator

Meg Medina

Jason Reynolds

I, Too Arts Collective

Langston Hughes, “I, Too

 

Direct download: Rene_Watson_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:41pm PDT

Let’s break it down with Sarah Jae-Jones, debut author of WINTERSONG, podcaster at large with the PubCrawl Podcast, and former editor at St. Martin’s Press, as she talks about learning to write to avoid Korean school, the possible titles for her memoir on publishing, evil threshold magic, and the not-entirely-nice ways that publishing surprised her.

 

Sarah Jae-Jones Show Notes

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Kongji and Patzzi

Pride and Prejudice (BBC miniseries)

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

Sesame Street

Kristin Nelson’s blog Pub Rants

JJ’s podcast co-host, Kelly Van Sant

Al Zukerman, chairman of Writer’s House

Simplenote

Dropbox

Scrivener

Marie Lu (listen to her First Draft interview here!)

JJ’s blog post about writing the sequel

Direct download: Sarah_Jae-Jones_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:28pm PDT

The delightful Rhoda Belleza, debut author of EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES, on being a slow reader, hating dress codes, working with teens to develop professional skills, and magical trolls who hide things in your house. 

 

Rhoda Belleza Show Notes

My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV show)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

The Babysitters Club by Anne M Martin

Gwen Stefani

Sanctuary Art Center in Seattle

Ray Bradbury

Planned Parenthood (donate here!)

Susan G. Komen Foundation

AOL

MapQuest

YWCA

Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena

Paper Lantern Lit

Kami Garcia

Tiffany Liao (editor at Razorbill)

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Imprint Imprint

Erin Stein (head of Imprint)

 

Direct download: Rhoda_Belleza_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 4:08pm PDT

Hello from Veronica Roth’s tour in support of her new book, Carve the Mark! Veronica invited me to go with her on tour as emcee, and we take a break after one of our shows to talk about entering an alternate dimension in the Atlanta airport, amazing bookstore dogs, and when we first learned the power of language.

Veronica Roth minisode

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

How Did This Get Made

Mary Todd Lincoln’s instagram

Colson Whitehead

Zadie Smith

Depression Beard” from Supernatural

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

After the Fall by Kate Hart

Donate to RAINN in honor of After the Fall!

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (and its sequel One Dark Throne)

How To Break A Boy by Laurie Devore

Direct download: Veronica_Roth_Minisode.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:01am PDT

Author of the DIVERGENT series Veronica Roth - whose new book, CARVE THE MARK, is out Jan. 17 - returns to the podcast to update me on what she’s been up to since her last episode, giving her story ideas code names, why she’s obsessed with iron grates over windows, and why she decided her next novel should be set in space.

 

Veronica Roth Show Notes

Listen to her previous First Draft interview here!

FOUR, the collection of Divergent short stories

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

"Inertia," Veronica’s short story in the Summer Days and Summer Nights anthology, edited by Stephanie Perkins

Baba Yaga

Teen Vogue

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman (listen to her First Draft podcast here) and Jay Kristofftx

 

Direct download: Veronica_Roth_2.0_3.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

Join me as I talk to D.J. MacHale, author of dozens of middle grade novels, including THE CURSE OF THE BOGGIN, first book in his new series THE LIBRARY, out now! DJ also created and wrote the Nickelodeon series ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? He talks about writing and starring in a 90-minute original Marx Brothers movie, outlining 10 books in a week, and taking critique from his mother.

 

DJ MacHale Show Notes

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson 

Dr Seuss

Dr. No

Alfred Hitchcock’s scary short story compilations

Ernest Hemingway

ABC after school special Seasonal Differences

Uta Hagen, actress in seasonal differences

Encyclopedia Brown

Chris Cross (TV show)

The Shining by Stephen King

Are You Afraid of the Dark podcasts:

Nostalgianauts revisit the TV series

Are You Afraid of the Snark, comedians doing live commentary on episodes

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Show interviews DJ

R.L. Stine

Quantum Leap (TV show)

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne 

Direct download: DJ_MacHale.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:43am PDT

Hear Sona Charaipotra, co-author of TINY PRETTY THINGS and SHINY BROKEN PIECES and co-founder of CAKE Literary, talks about her Halloween welcome to the U.S., being married to your greatest accountability partner, and fostering mentorship.

Sona Charaipotra Show Notes

Bollywood

The Partition of India

The Babysitter’s Club by Anne M. Martin

The Vampire Diaries (TV show)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Dhonielle Clayton (listen to her First Draft interview here)

 

Bombay Talkie by Ameen Amir

Judy Blume

Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

YA authors Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han (listen to her First Draft interview here), Coe Booth

Alloy Entertainment

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Patrick Swayze

 

Book by Kaye (@gildedspine) sold to Salaam Reads

Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriano

 

Bajirao Mastani (Bollywood film)

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

 

 

Direct download: Sona_Charaipotra_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:08pm PDT

Hear Amie Kaufman, New York Times best-selling co-author of the STARBOUND trilogy and the ILLUMINAE series, talk shipwrecks and her favorite sound, how science fiction is fantasy for the real world, using "shenanigans ensue" as a plotting device, and my new favorite thing: the “shut up and take my money” list.

 

Amie Kaufman show notes

THIS SHATTERED WORLD by Amie and Meagan Spooner (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Enid Blyton

THE BOXCAR CHILDREN by Gertrude Chandler Warner

THE BABY SITTERS' ISLAND ADVENTURE The Baby Sitters' Club Super Special #4 by Ann M. Martin

Gravity (film)

THE HORSE AND HIS BOY by C.S. Lewis

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA by Jules Verne

Anne McCaffrey, THE DRAGON RIDERS OF PERN, THE TOWER AND THE HIVE series

Alan Lee, iliustrator of THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV series)

SKYLARK by Meagan Spooner

John Green's Vlogbrothers video, “What Makes Us Human

Firefly (TV show)

#LoveOzYA

Stephenie Meyer

Marie Lu, THE YOUNG ELITES and LEGEND

UNEARTHED, Amie’s new book with Meagan Spooner

Indiana Jones (films)

Tomb Raider (video game)

Phillip Pullman, HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy

Quote from Pullman (in THE GOLDEN COMPASSabout ideas having a “soap bubble” phase: “The idea hovered and shimmered delicately, like a soap bubble, and she dared not even look at it directly in case it burst. But she was familiar with the way of ideas, and she let it shimmer, looking away, thinking about something else.”

Victoria Schwab (listen to her First Draft interview here)

THE ANDROMEDA CYCLE, the new series coming from Amie and her co-author Jay Kristoff

Stephanie Perkins’ blog post: Love Lists

Kelly Link

Sarah Rees Brennan

Direct download: Amie_Kaufman.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:25pm PDT

Some past and future First Draft interviewees share their stories about voting, how their characters would vote, love of stickers, and one story of a jujutsu-master suffragette!

Special Election Podcast Show Notes

Morgan Matson, author of THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING, AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Elana K. Arnold, author of INFANDOUS, FAR FROM FAIR, the forthcoming WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Sabaa Tahir, author of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES and A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT

Mackenzi Lee, author of THIS MONSTROUS THING and THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Brandy Colbert, author of POINTE and the forthcoming LITTLE AND LION (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Cat Winters, author of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, THE CURE FOR DREAMING, and THE UNINVITED, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Somaiya Daud, author of the forthcoming MIRAGE (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Amy Plum, author of the DIE FOR ME series, the AFTER THE END series, and the forthcoming DREAMFALL (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Marie Lu, author of the LEGEND series, the YOUNG ELITES trilogy (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Maurene Goo, author of SINCE YOU ASKED and the forthcoming I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Claire Legrand, author of THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, and FOXHEART, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Amy Lukavics, author of DAUGHTERS UNTO DEVILS, THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS, and the forthcoming THE RAVENOUS (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Lance Rubin, author of DENTON LITTLE'S DEATHDATE and DENTON LITTLE'S STILL NOT DEAD (listen to his First Draft interview here)

Samantha Mabry, author of A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON and the forthcoming THE REAL MARVELOUS (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Natalie C. Parker, author of the BEWARE THE WILD series and editor of the forthcoming anthology TRIANGLES: THE POINTS OF LOVE ANTHOLOGY 

Elissa Sussman, author of STRAY and BURN (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Kirsten Hubbard, author of RACE THE NIGHT (out today!), WATCH THE SKY, WANDERLOVE and LIKE MANDARIN (listen to her First Draft interview imminently!)

Direct download: Special_Election_Podcast_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:11am PDT

Join me and Josephine Angelini, author of the STARCROSSED trilogy, and the WORLDWALKER series (the finale, WITCH’S PYRE, is out now!), as we talk about houses burning down, trading a diary for writing fiction, and how long you can avoid the reality that you are meant to write.

 

Josephine Angelini Show Notes

MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Details on the sexual assault allegations against Bradley by her daughter

Anne McCaffrey DRAGON RIDERS OF PERN

DARKOVER series by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ursula le Guin A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

ON THE JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta

Direct download: Josie_Angelini_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:38pm PDT

Join me and Ransom Riggs, New York Times best-selling author of MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN - which was recently released as a major motion picture - and the new selection of short stories, TALES OF THE PECULIAR, as we talk about living side by side with the past, making friends with the neighbor kids, and the freedom of having no expectations.

Ransom Riggs Show Notes

Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Stephen King

Dragonlance (video game)

The Legend of Zelda (video game)

The Terminator (movie)

The Shining (movie)

Friday the 13th (movie)

Win Wenders (filmmaker)

Kenyon College (and their alumni magazine's interview with Ransom here!)

USC Cinematic Arts

The Sherlock Holmes Handbook

Edward Gorey

 

Direct download: Ransom_Riggs_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:18am PDT

Join Tahereh Mafi, New York Times best-selling author of FURTHERMORE (out now!) and the SHATTER ME series, as we discuss childhoods full of new starts and goodbyes, the ways contemporary books can feel like fantasy, and writing 5,000 words every single day for two years (!).

Tahereh Mafi Show Notes

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Judy Blume

Absolute Write forums

Kami Garcia

Julie Strauss-Gabel

Direct download: TMa.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:44pm PDT

Hear Zan Romanoff, whose brilliant debut novel A SONG TO TAKE THE WORLD APART is out now, talk about using her Yale diploma to ward off Hanson haters, generational trauma, the terrifying power of puberty, and her follow-up novel, GRACE AND THE FEVER (May 2017)!

 

Zan Romanoff show notes

Kate Hart (listen to her First Draft episode here)

The Iowa Review

The Babysitter’s Club by Anne M. Martin

Anne McCaffrey

Frank McCourt

Winnie-the-Pooh

Hanson, “Mmmbop

Dawson’s Creek (TV series)

Brenna Yovanoff, PLACES NO ONE KNOWS

Don Delillo

"California Girls," Zan’s piece in the Paris Review about Joan Didion

Girl Crush Zine, by Jenna Wortham & Thessaly La Force

Writing Workshop LA

Edan Lepucki 

"There is No Such Thing as the Young Adult Novel," Zan’s article on The Millions about what is YA

Logan Garrison Savits, Zan’s agent

GIRLS ON FIRE by Robin Wasserman

One Direction

Zan’s essay about Taylor Swift conspiracy theories in Broadly

Larry Stylinson

Direct download: Zan_Romanoff.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:11pm PDT

Leila Howland, author of NANTUCKET BLUE, THE FORGET-ME-NOT SUMMER, and its sequel THE BRIGHTEST STARS OF SUMMER (and the forthcoming HELLO, SUNSHINE, due out next summer!), talks writing hiatus, learning structure from screenwriting, and finding inspiration in well-intentioned missteps.

Leila Howland Show Notes

STUART LITTLE by E.B. White

A LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

HEIDI by Johanna Spyri

THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien 

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame

Young Frankenstein (movie)

Sara Crowe (agent)

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder

10 Cloverfield Lane (movie)

The Godfather (movie)

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LAUNDAU BANKS by E. Lockhart

Lost It by Kristin Tracy

Bridesmaids (movie)

Elin Hilderbrand (author)

Josephine Angelini (author)

 

Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper on Mad Men, TV show)

HELLO SUNSHINE, forthcoming book from Leila

Barnsdall Art Park

Kayla Cagan (author)

 

SUMMER IN THE INVISIBLE CITY by Juliana Romano (Leila's review for her debut book, FIRST THERE WAS FOREVER)

Robert Hass: “Take the time to write. You can do your life’s work in half an hour a day.

 

  

Direct download: Leila_Howland.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:20am PDT

Join me and Jenny Han, New York Times best-selling author of the TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE series and the SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY series, among other things, about reading in the bathtub, how food is political, intense first love, and mixing friendship and money by co-writing with your best friend.

 

Jenny Han Show Notes

 

DEAR MR HENSHAW by Beverly Cleary

BEEZUS AND RAMONA by Beverly Cleary

HATCHET by Gary Paulsen

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA by C. S. Lewis

THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E. L. Konigsburg

Leigh Bardugo (listen to her First Draft interview here)

My So-Called Life (TV show)

Romeo + Juliet (movie)

Basketball Diaries (movie)

Titanic (movie)

Silence of the Lambs (movie)

X Files (TV show)

Law & Order (TV show)

John Grisham

Particia Cornwell

Mark Cuban

THE BABYSITTER’S CLUB by Ann M. Martin

SWEET VALLEY HIGH by Francine Pascal

SLEEPOVER FRIENDS by Susan Saunders

PEN PALS by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

SADDLE CLUB by Bonnie Bryant

Christopher Pike

Sarah Weeks (middle grade author)

When Harry Met Sally (movie)

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia

WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by David Leviathan and John Green

LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott

 

Direct download: Jenny_Han.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 2:38pm PDT

Hang with me and Dhonielle Clayton, co-author of TINY PRETTY THINGS and its sequel, SHINY BROKEN PIECES (out now!), as well as author of forthcoming series THE BELLES (spring ’17). She talks about weekly childhood trips to the bookstore, being a writing n00b, accidentally getting a boarding school job, and writing to arrested development.

And don't forget to take the First Draft Podcast listener survey!

 

Dhonielle Clayton Show Notes

X Men

THE PAHNTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster

Virginia Hamilton

Walter Dean Myers

I WANT MY HAT BACK by Jon Klassen

Hillary Homzie

The Hanging Garden (group of writers on Tumblr)

David Leviathan

Sarah Weeks

The Longstockings: Jenny Han, Coe Booth, Siobhan Vivian, Lisa Graff

Tin House

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Pretty Little Liars (TV show)

OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck

CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Mildred Taylor

Shonda Rimes

Grey’s Anatomy (TV show)

Alloy Entertainment Books

Paper Lantern Lit

Full Fathom Five

The Story Foundation

Victoria Marini, literary agent at ICM

THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano

The Princess Bride (movie)

We Need Diverse Books 

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Peterson

Direct download: Dhonielle_Clayton.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:28am PDT

Grab a beer with me and Lance Rubin, author of DENTON LITTLE’S DEATHDATE and its sequel, DENTON LITTLE’S STILL NOT DEAD (Feb. ’17!) while we talk improvising teen dramas, the importance of establishing reader expectations, and the ephemeral nature of art.

 

Lance Rubin Show Notes

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOON by Frank Asch

PEE WEE SCOUTS Judy Delton

MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN by Bruce Coville

Louis Sachar

THE STINKY CHEESE MAN by Jon Sciezka

Beverly Cleary

Judy Blume

JURASSIC PARK by Michael Crichton

Dick Francis (Is Dick Francis a horse?)

Mary Higgins Clark WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN

Mr. Show (TV show)

Upright Citizens Brigade

Ray Munoz (his friend, of The Lance and Ray Podcast)

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

Dawson’s Creek

Felicity

The O.C.

Beverly Hills 90210

Judd Apatow advice to Freaks & Geeks, telling them to write

Joe Iconis?? Jason Sweet Tooth Williams

Broadway Bounty Hunter” at Barrington Stage, Written by Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin, and Jason "Sweettooth" Williams 

BIRD BY BIRD Ann Lamott

ON WRITING Stephen King

THE WAR OF ART by Steven Pressfield

 

Direct download: Lance_Rubin.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:54am PDT

Join me and Lindsey Klingele, debut author of THE MARKED GIRL, as we discuss magical forests, being in the room where stories happen, and our favorite portals.

 

Lindsey Klingele Show Notes

First Draft Live 2, with Lindsey

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis

Amie Kaufman

Ann M. Martin

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV show)

Veronica Marsx (TV Show)

X-Men (comic)

Philip Roth

 

That article about watching Vinyl instead of Game of Thrones, written by Jeffrey Sconce, an associate professor of film and media studies at Northwestern University

 

The Lying Game (TV Show)

Twisted (TV Show)

Chuck Pratt, Jr. (Melrose Place)

Homeland Security hires science fiction writers to identify possible future threats

The Last Bookstore

Children of Tendu (podcast)

Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Direct download: Lindsey_Klingele.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:26am PDT

Pretend to be an adult with Julie Buxbaum,New York Times best-selling author of TELL ME THREE THINGS, THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, and AFTER YOU, who chats with me about gathering at the AMPM market, creating myths about yourself, and writing parent hate mail (to your own parents).

Julie Buxbaum show notes

Laurence H. Tribe, Harvard Law professor

Elaine Koster, literary agent

THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini

Lauren Groff's quote about balancing work and motherhood (from The New Yorker)

Direct download: Julie_Buxbaum_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 3:43pm PDT

A mashup of lightning-round interviews conducted at the YALLWEST festival with Susane Colasanti, Kody Keplinger, Alexandra Bracken, Kiersten White, Gwenda Bond, Adi Alsaid, Margot Wood, Stephanie Kuehn, Jessica Spotswood, Brendan Reichs, Robin Benway, Ellen Oh, Amy Tintera, Maurene Goo, Marie Lu, Victoria Aveyard, Erin Bowman and Seth Fishman.

YALLWEST 2016 episode show notes

The LATFoB First Draft show

Alexandra Bracken, THE DARKEST MINDS, PASSENGER, A NEW HOPE: THE PRINCESS, THE SCOUNDREL, AND THE FARMBOY

Kiersten White, PARANORMALCY, AND I DARKEN (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

The BOXCAR CHILDREN series 

Adi Alsaid NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES, NORTH OF HAPPY  (listen to his full First Draft interview here)

Amy Tintera, RUINED (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Ellen Oh, the PROPHECY series, THE SPIRIT HUNTERS (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Erin Bowman, TAKEN, VENGEANCE ROAD, RETRIBUTION RAILS (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Gwenda Bond, the LOIS LANE series, GIRL ON A WIRE

Brendan Reichs, VIRALS and NEMESIS

J. R. R. Tolkien THE HOBBIT

Jessica Spotswood the CAHILL WITCH CHRONICLES and WILD SWANS, and A TYRANNY OF PETTICOATS

LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott

RAYMIE NIGHTENGALE by Kate DiCamillo

Margot Wood EPIC READS

The Addams Family (TV show)

Hannibal (TV show)

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Thomas Harris

TIGER LILY by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Maurene Goo SINCE YOU ASKED and I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES by Meg Cabot

Zadie Smith

Kody Keplinger, THE DUFF, RUN

Rainbow Rowell ELEANOR & PARK

Marie Lu, LEGEND and THE YOUNG ELITES (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Leigh Bardugo, SIX OF CROWS (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Brian Jacques MATTIMEO

Robin Benway, EMMY & OLIVER (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Seth Fishman THE WELL’S END and DARK WATER

LORD OF THE RINGS by J. R. R. Tolkien

Liz Moore THE UNSEEN WORLD

Stephanie Kuehn THE SMALLER EVIL and CHARM AND STRANGE (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Susane Colasanti LOST IN LOVE

Victoria Aveyard RED QUEEN series (listen to her full First Draft interview here)

Direct download: YALLWEST_2016_Episode.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 7:44pm PDT

Morgan Matson, New York Times best-selling author of THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING, AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR and SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE, among others, on reading on the bathroom floor, death defying road trips, and being forced to think of book ideas because Twitter is down.

 

Morgan Matson Show Notes

Vroman’s bookstore

Christopher Pike

Judy Blume

R.L. Stine FEAR STREET

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS by Ann Brashares

THE PRINCESS DIARIES by Meg Cabot

WRITING DOWN THE BONES by Natalie Goldberg

Stephanie Kuehn (listen to her First Draft interview here)

David Levithan

Jenny Han

Siobhan Vivian

Coe Booth

Melissa C. Walker

David Benioff (show runner Game of Thrones), CITY OF THIEVES

Stephen King DESPERATION

 

Sarah Dessen THIS LULLABY

Scandal (TV show)

The Good Wife (TV show)

 

Direct download: Morgan_Matson_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 3:59pm PDT

Lightning round questions with some of the fantastic authors I came across at the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, including Susan Dennard, Ransom Riggs, M.A. Larson, Tahereh Mafi, Maggie Hall, Danielle Paige, Victoria Aveyard, Kara Thomas, Maurene Goo, and Julie Buxbaum!

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Roundup Show Notes

 

Susan Dennard, author of the SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY series and TRUTHWITCH

Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica (TV show)

Mal from Firefly (TV show)

BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young

THE CATHEDRAL OF THE WILD by Boyd Varty

Ransom Riggs author of MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

M.A. Larson author of THE PENNYROYAL ACADEMY

Tahereh Mafi SHATTER ME series and FURTHERMORE

RainyMood.com

Maggie Hall author of THE CONSPIRACY OF US and MAP OF FATES

 

Cassandra Clare

Danielle Paige author of the DOROTHY MUST DIE series and STEALING SNOW

Mary Shelley FRANKENSTEIN

Crimson Peak (film)

Guiding Light (soap opera)

Margaret Stohl

Melissa de la Cruz

Kami Garcia

Anne M. Martin

Victoria Aveyard author of RED QUEEN

Kara Thomas THE DARKEST CORNERS and PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL

Maurene Goo author of  SINCE YOU ASKED and forthcoming K-Drama romcom!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film)

Last of the Mohicans (movie)

Wonder Woman theme from Batman and Superman (movie)

Julie Buxbaum (SP) author of TELL ME THREE THINGS

 

Direct download: LATFoB.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:50am PDT

Hang out with kittens, wild parrots, and Maurene Goo, author of SINCE YOU ASKED and a forthcoming K-Drama romcom, due out in 2017! We talk about writing fan fiction of her own life, letting teen girls be silly, and not being able to deny being an L.A. girl.

 

Maurene Goo Show Notes

Elvis Costello

THE GOOD EARTH by Pearl S. Buck

THE BABYSITTER’S CLUB books by Ann M. Martin

Mary Higgins Clark

V. C. Andrews

Charles Dickens

Robin Benway (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Felicity (TV show)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES by Meg Cabot

GOSSIP GIRL by Cecily von Ziegesar

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth (listen to her First Draft interview here)

John Green 

David Sedaris

How Did This Get Made's “Teen Witch” podcast

Amy Spalding (listen to her First Draft interview here)

STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL by Louis Sachar

Direct download: Maurene_Goo_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:06am PDT

This episode is the audio equivalent of a spray tan! Join me and Jessi Kirby, author of THINGS WE KNOW BY HEART, GOLDEN, IN HONOR, and MOONGLASS, as we discuss human hearts, the lasting impact of inspiring teachers, and what actual IRL teens are reading.

Jessi Kirby Show Notes

FRECKLE JUICE, TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING by Judy Blume

Herman Hesse SIDDHARTHA, NARCISSUS AND GOLDMUND

NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA by Robert K. Massie

Robin Benway (listen to her First Draft interview here)

 THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin

Kerry Winfrey’s blog Year of Romcoms

Nora Ephron

Compatible immune systems

Gail Godwin HEART

 

Direct download: Jessi_Kirby.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:26pm PDT

Victoria Schwab (also known as V. E. Schwab), New York Times bestselling author of A GATHERING OF SHADOWS, VICIOUS, THE ARCHIVED, and more!, talks about the slippery nature of memory, book-writing amnesia, why editorial letters should be more like stacked Oreos, and feeding the fanfic trolls. 

 

Victoria Schwab Show Notes

Kristin Kittscher (hear her First Draft interview here)

Harpeth Hall

Robert Ludlum, THE BOURNE IDENTITY

Kelly Link, GET IN TROUBLE

Victoria’s sticker system

Susanna Clarke JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL

Neil Gaiman NEVERWHERE

Victoria Aveyard (listen to her on First Draft Live here, and her First Draft interview here)

Holly Black

 

SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

 

Direct download: Victoria_Schwab.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 2:13pm PDT

Talking to Elana K. Arnold (author of FAR FROM FAIR, out now!, as well as INFANDOUS and THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES) about literal and metaphysical skin suits, sex on the page, whether we write FOR teens or ABOUT teens, and middle grade as a happy place.

 

Elana K. Arnold Show Notes

Cheryl Strayed, “The Love of My Life,” TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS

Sarah MCarry (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Madonna

Cyndi Lauper

ROOM (and the movie)

Mark Childress CRAZY IN ALABAMA

Thelma & Louise (movie)

SPLENDOR by Elana K. Arnold

Squaw Valley Community of Writers

STORY by Robert McKee

TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

 

Cheryl Strayed’s letter to a young writer ("Write Like a Motherfucker")

Aimee Bender

 

 

Carrie Mesrobian

 

Stephanie Kuehn (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Andrew Karre (editor with Dutton Books for Young Readers)

 

Rubin Pfeffer

 

Neil Gaiman

Paul Auster

 

Direct download: Elana_K._Arnold.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 6:39pm PDT

The prolific and amazing A.R.Kahler, author of SHADES OF DARKNESS (out now!) among many many other things, sits for what is my favorite interview because I got to say, “Where was the circus?”

 

Alex Kahler Show Notes

Neil Gaiman

Phillip Pullman

The Aerial Angels

Dollhouse (TV show) by Joss Whedon

47 North

Kirsten Hubbard

You Must Remember This (Charles Manson podcast)

WITCH EYES by Scott Tracy

 

C. Alexander London’s First Draft podcast

 

Direct download: A._R._Kahler.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:01am PDT

First Draft Live Show Notes

Victoria Aveyard RED QUEEN, GLASS SWORD

Elissa Sussman, STRAY, BURN

Lindsey Klingele, THE MARKED GIRL

Maurene Goo, SINCE YOU ASKED

Kirsten Hubbard, RACE THE NIGHT, WATCH THE SKY, WANDERLOVE, LIKE MANDARIN

Skylight Books

Isaac Asimov

ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine

The Legand of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time

DEALING WITH DRAGONS by Patricia C. Wrede

Alexandra Bracken A NEW HOPE: THE PRINCESS, THE SCOUNDREL, AND THE FARM BOY

Joseph Campbell THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES

 

Modern Harry Potter

My Book in a Bar

SERAPHINA and SHADOW SCALE by Rachel Hartman

1776 by David McCullough

YOU and HIDDEN BODIES by Caroline Kepnes

THE DEVIL AND THE BLUEBIRD by Jennifer Mason-Black

Direct download: First_Draft_Live-Victoria_Aveyard_Elissa_Sussman_Lindsey_Klingele.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 2:54pm PDT

Isabel Quintero, Morris Award winner for GABI, A GIRL IN PIECES, talks getting in trouble for reading in the dark, the final straw that took her away from teaching high school, and when a life crisis almost made her into a pastry chef.

Isabel Quintero Show Notes

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

e e cummings “anyhow lived in a pretty how town”

Michele Serros

William Carlos Williams

Walt Whitman

Pablo Neruda

John Steinbeck

M. Night Shyamalan

FAT KID RULES THE WORLD by K.L. Going

OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse

CRANK by Ellen Hopkins

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney

Direct download: Isabel_Quintero.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:23pm PDT

Ava Dellaira, author of LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD, talks writing a book from a great title, hibernating with poetry in Iowa, and we enjoy a little bit of Greek pop music for spice.

Ava Dellaira

Leigh Bardugo called Ava “deep as a well” in her First Draft interview

Nirvana (band)

Lisa Loeb, “Sandalwood,” “Stay,”

The Counting Crows, “Anna Begins

U2, “One

Stephen Chbosky, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

River Phoenix (actor)

Jennifer Egan

 

Direct download: Ava_Dellaira.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:27am PDT

Elissa Sussman, author of STRAY and its sequel BURN, discusses the “f—k page” of her teen journal, how ‘guilty pleasure’ is a gross term, and what three things every writer needs.

Elissa Sussman Show Notes

RENT (musical)

Archie comics

Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal

Babysitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin

Roswell (TV show)

X-Files (TV show)

Battlestar Galactica (TV show)

Star Trek (TV show)

REDWALL by Brian Jacques

DEALING WITH DRAGONS by Patricia C. Wrede

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (movie)

The Secret World of Alex Mack (TV show)

Downstage (program at Sarah Lawrence)

Adrienne Dawes (playwright)

Vagina Monologues

Angels in America (play)

 

Wicked (play)

Into the Woods (play)

 

Direct download: Elissa_Sussman_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:56pm PDT

Hear the lovely Kristen Kittscher, author of THE WIG IN THE WINDOW and THE TIARA ON THE TERRACE talk about getting kicked out of high school, writing characters who are getting all growed up, and visualizing our inner writer.

Kristen Kittscher Show Notes

Danielle Steele

Mary Higgins Clark

Ellen Emerson White, THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER

HELTER SKELTER by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry

STUART LITTLE by E.B. White

THE STAND by Stephen King

WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams

Au Revoir Les Enfants (movie)

 

Umberto Echo, THE NAME OF THE ROSE

Write To The Finish (online class)

Taos Writing Conference

Kirsten Miller, KIKI STRIKE and NIGHTMARES with Jason Segel

Rebecca Stead GOODBYE STRANGER

Claire Legrand (her First Draft interview)

 

Direct download: Kristen_Kittscher_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 7:46pm PDT

The wondrous Amy Plum (author of the DIE FOR ME series, the AFTER THE END series, and DREAMFALL, due out in 2017) and Lenore Appelhans (author of the MEMORY CHRONICLES series) share stories of starting their literary careers writing letters, the false reality of social media, and psychopaths (real ones).

 

Amy Plum & Lenore Appelhans Show Notes

Vermont College of Fine Arts

SCBWI

J.R.R. Tolkien

Madelein L’Engle, A WRINKLE IN TIME

Robert A. Heinlein (SF writer)

Isaac Asimov

C.S. Lewis

Ursula LeGuin

Emma Trevayne, CODA

 

Flatliners (movie)

Wes Craven’s THEY (movie)

The Far Side by Gary Larson

 

Direct download: Amy_Plum__Lenore_Appelhans.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:19pm PDT

Pour a glass of wine to keep up with me and Kendare Blake, author of ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD, the Goddess War series, SLEEPWALK SOCIETY, and the forthcoming THREE DARK CROWNS (due out in 2016), as we talk about her training as a stock trader, screeds about Superman, and living with anxiety.

Kendare Blake Show Notes

Stephen King, On Writing

Anne Rice, Prince Lestat

Fear Street, Freeze Tag

Silent Hill (video game)

Supernatural (TV show)

 

 

Direct download: Kendare_Blake.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:28pm PDT

Pour a strong drink and leave your denim culottes at home for this conversation with Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, who together make up blogging and writing duo the Fug Girls (of Go Fug Yourself)! We talk about how terrible the new X Files is going to be, hear behind the scenes stories about America’s Next Top Model, talk writing as a team, and ask the universe for an oral history of how Summer '07 was the best time Hollywood gossip ever.

 

Fug Girls Show Notes

Pamela Ribon

Television Without Pity (previously Mighty Big TV)

Tough Enough (MTV show)

Judging Amy

BrilliantButCancelled.com

Wolf Lake (TV show)

Linda Holmes, NPR's pop culture reporter

Richard Glatzer (director, Still Alice)

Morgan Spurlock

Sleepover (movie)

Brooks Barnes (formerly WSJ, New York Times)

The Royals (TV show)

Fug Girls articles on The Toast

Direct download: Heather_Cocks_and_Jessica_Morgan_the_Fug_Girls_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:59pm PDT

Get red lipstick and fill up a goblet to enjoy this chat, wherein Leigh Bardugo, New York Times best-selling author of The Grisha series and the newest book in that world, SIX OF CROWS, talks about being a childhood outsider, making rules for magic, and profesh makeup tips.

Leigh Bardugo Show Notes

Inside Out (film)

DUNE by Frank Herbert

Jacqueline Kerry, author of KUSHIEL'S DART

Ava Dellaira

Aziz Ansari and Eric Klineberg, MODERN ROMANCE

NK Jemisin

Writing with Color

 

Direct download: Leigh_Bardugo.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:55am PDT

For the first First Draft Live event on October 30, Marie Lu (NYT best-selling author of the LEGEND trilogy, THE YOUNG ELITES and its sequel, THE ROSE SOCIETY), Margaret Stohl (NYT best-selling co-author of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, author of ICONS, IDOLS, and of Marvel's Black Widow's YA adaptation, FOREVER RED), Anna Carey (author of the EVE trilogy, and YA thriller BLACKBIRD and its sequel DEADFALL), and Kali Wallace (debut author of SHALLOW GRAVES, due out in January 2016!) got together at Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena to talk about scary stories and why we love them.

Also! Listen to full First Draft interviews with Marie Lu; Margaret Stohl; and Anna Carey.

I want to thank three local authors and members of the First Draft Live team for making this possible: Elissa Sussman (author of STRAY and its forthcoming sequel, BURN); Maurene Goo (author of SINCE YOU ASKED and a forthcoming K-Drama rom-com due in 2017); and Kirsten Hubbard (author of middle grade series WATCH THE SKY and its forthcoming sequel RACE THE NIGHT, and YA books WANDERLOVE and LIKE MANDARIN).

Direct download: First_Draft_Live.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:08pm PDT

Join me and Samantha Mabry, debut author of A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON*, in Dallas discussing JFK assassination conspiracy theories, grandmothers warnings about witches, and being close but not too close to dangerous things.

*Note: In the show, Sam refers to A FIERCE AND SUBTLE poison by its earlier title, LEAVES.

Samantha Mabry Show Notes

LIBRA by Don Delillo

Annie Dillard

Jo Ann Beard

Susan Orlean

HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS by Isabelle Alende

Louise Erdrich

Salman Rushdie

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Dennis Covington, SALVATION ON SAND MOUNTAIN

Most Haunted (TV show)

Nathaniel Hawthorne, RAPPACCINI'S DAUGHTER

Esmerelda Santiago CONQUISTADORA

William Carlos Williams, The Fountain of Eternal Youth (essay)

Donald Judd (NY based artist who built Marfa)

Cormanc McCarthy

Direct download: Samantha_Mabry.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:22pm PDT

Join me in chatting with Stephanie Kuehnert, author of BALLADS OF SUBURBIA and I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE and a forthcoming memoir of her teen years. We talk about promises made to cats, heart cities, and Riot Grrl.

Stephanie Kuehnert Show Notes

Richard Hugo House

Story Studio (Chicago, IL)

The Replacements

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Riot Grrl

Girl Power! by Hillary Carlip

Stephanie’s essays on Rookie

Sleater-Kinney

Francesca Lia Block

 

Joe Meno, HAIRSTYLES OF THE DAMNED

Susie X, illiustrator

The Writer's Center, Bethesda, MD

Pete Holmes’ podcast, You Made It Weird

 

Direct download: Stephanie_Kuehnert_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:33am PDT

Amy Lukavics, debut author of YA horror DAUGHTERS UNTO DEVILS, talks about the appeal of truly scary stories, creepy kids, the tiny details that can drive an entire story, and “candy bar” scenes.

 

Amy Lukavics Show Notes

Kirsten Hubbard

PAINT IT BLACK by Janet Fitch

GOOSEBUMPS, FEAR STREET, R.L. Stine

FULL DARK, NO STARS Stephen King

IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS by Cat Winters (listen to her First Draft interview)

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by April Tucholke

Katy Perry “California Gurls

The Red Dragon (movie)

The Woman in Black (movie)

Stephanie Perkins’ Love List

Storm of the Century, written by Stephen King

MISERY by Stephen King

Laura Ingalls Wilder

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK by Alvin Schwarz

AbsoluteWrite.com

Sumayyah Daud (listen to her First Draft interview)

Kody Keplinger THE DUFF

 

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson

 

Direct download: Amy_Lukavics_3.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:01am PDT

Talking to Aaron Hartzler, author of WHAT WE SAW (out Sept. 22!) and RAPTURE PRACTICE, about YA memoir, desert hippies, and taking others off the hook for your happiness.

Aaron Hartzler Show Notes

Teen Read Week

Ellen Hopkins

Nicky Weinstock

DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL by John Berendt

The New Yorker: The Lessons of Steubenville; Life After Steubenville; Trial by Twitter

Dan Savage

Josh Sundquist WE SHOULD HANG OUT SOMETIME: EMBARRASSINGLY, A TRUE STORY

Paige Rawl, Ali Benjamin POSITIVE: A MEMOIR

POPULAR: VINTAGE WISDOM FOR A MODERN GEEK by Maya Van Wagenen

Nic Sheff TWEAK: GROWING UP ON METHAMPHETAMINES

Kate Sullivan, Senior Editor of YA & MG books at Delacorte

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie

Michael Bourret, agent with DGLM

Andrew Smith

GLASS CASTLE Jeanette Walls

Julia Sweeny, IF IT'S NOT ONE THING, IT'S YOUR MOTHER

Ira Glass, This American Life

Billy Ray, screenwriter

Holly Goldberg Sloan, COUNTING BY 7S

Erin Jade Lange, author of BUTTER (listen to her First Draft interview here)

New Yorker article: The Scourge of Relatability

Melissa de la Cruz OFF THE BOAT

Malinda Lo

A.S. King

Tim Federle

David Leviathan, HOLD ME CLOSER: THE TINY COOPER STORY, and Tiny Cooper musical

GODLESS by Pete Hautman

Laura McNeal DARK WATER

FAR FAR AWAY by Tom McNeal

Maria Semple THIS ONE IS MINE, WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE

Natalie Goldberg WRITING DOWN THE BONES

Anne Lamott BIRD BY BIRD: SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON WRITING AND LIFE

Direct download: Aaron_Hartzler_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:29am PDT

Do you know the difference between a blacksmith and a ferrier? Mackenzi Lee, debut author of THIS MONSTROUS THING (out Sept. 22!), does! Learn about that, Mary Shelley, and so much more in our Harvard Square conversation!

 

Mackenzi Lee Show Notes

The Coop in Harvard Square

Pirates of the Caribbean (movie)

THE STRANGER by Albert Camus

The War of the Roses

Avi, author of THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE, and CRISPIN: THE CORSS OF LEAD

Richard Peck, A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO

THE GOOSE GIRL by Shannon Hale

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me

Margaret Murphy (British crime fiction)

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma

THE THIEF LORD by Cornelia Funke

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld

Mary Wollstonecraft A VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN

THE LADY AND HER MONSTERS by Roseanne Montillo

BONES AND ALL by Camille DeAngelis

THE ART OF ASKING by Amanda Palmer

Direct download: Mackenzi_Lee_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:17pm PDT

Nicola Yoon, debut author of EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, talks about her secret foosball skills, the mix tape that won her husband over, and the 4 AM fish that turned her book into an unusual story.

 

Nicola Yoon Show Notes

Nicola Yoon’s one-sentence story on The Butter by Roxanne Gay

Life is Strange (video game)

Final Fantasy (video game)

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

Wendy WunderTHE PROBABILITY OF MIRACLES

Charlotte Huang FOR THE RECORD

The Fearless 15ers

SCBWI

Brandy Colbert

Veronica Roth, her First Draft Podcast

Harold and Kumar (movie)

Before Sunrise (movie)

Direct download: Nicola_Yoon.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:51am PDT

Take a siesta with fast-talking goofball C. Alexander London, author of new middle grade series THE WILD ONES, talk diverse sci-fi with smooth-talker Alex London, and even get a glimpse of the elusive non-fiction writer Charles London in the first interview with a built-in drinking game! Also: adorable dog noises.

C Alexander London Show Notes

IT by Stephen King

REDWALL by Brian Jacques

Refugees International

Anna Freud child psychologist

Robert Coles child psychiatrist at Harvard

THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

ONE DAY THE SOLDIERS CAME by Charles London

Sterling Lord

Jack Kerouac

Walter Lord A NIGHT TO REMEMBER and DAY OF INFAMY

Blood Diamond (movie)

Chris Crutcher

Scott Westerfeld

Upton Sinclair THE JUNGLE

David Levithan

Truman National Security Fellowship

Affluenza

ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card (and his homophobia)

GIOVANNI’S ROOM by James Baldwin

Rick Riordan

Cassandra Clare

Veronica Roth

THE GREAT GREENE HEIST by Varian Johnson

THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu

Tim Federhle BETTER NATE THAN EVER

GRACEFULLY GRAYSON by Ami Polonsky

Direct download: C_Alexander_London.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:15am PDT

In which I refer to the trajectory of the life of Adi Alsaid, author of LET’S GET LOST and NEVER, ALWAYS, SOMETIMES as his “plot line,” we discuss the power of imaginary places, and he answers my hundreds of questions about being trilingual. Enjoy!

Adi Alsaid Show Notes

ABC Children’s Institute

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Stephen King

Kurt Vonnegut

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Emilia Rhodes with Alloy Entertainment

Katie McGarry

She’s All That (movie)

Meg Wolitzer

Ellen Oh

Jandy Nelson

THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER by Leslye Walton

Victoria Schwab

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertali

Direct download: Adi_Alsaid.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:24am PDT

Little did I know when I met up with Brandy Colbert, author of POINTE and LITTLE AND LION, due out 2017, that I was meeting my future roommate and one of my best writing buddies. She's the cat's pajamas, and I hope you enjoy our convo as much as I did!

Brandy Colbert Show Notes

Sweet Valley High

Clueless (movie)

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)

Verla Kay's Blue Boards

CRACKED UP TO BE by Courtney Summers

LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott

Center Stage (movie)

Brandy’s post on Nova Ren Suma’s blog about the book of her heart

I Know My First Name Is Steven (movie)

ZZ Packer DRINKING COFFEE ELSEWHERE

Colson Whitehead SAG HARBOR

Coe Booth

Varian Johnson

Matt de la Pena

Jacqueline Woodson

Judy Blume’s IGGIE’S HOUSE

Tina Wexler

Direct download: Brandy_Colbert_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:28am PDT

Drink 'em if you got 'em: Join me and Sarah McCarry (aka The Rejectionist), author of ALL OUR PRETTY SONGS, DIRTY WINGS, and the third book in the trilogy, ABOUT A GIRL, as we talk about mosh pits, the gift of anonymity, and waiting for the end of the world in a temperate rain forest. HEADS UP -- this interview has significant background noise, so I'm providing a transcript of our entire conversation (even more than appears in the audio episode)!

 

Sarah McCarry Show Notes

HARRIET THE SPY by Louise Fitzhugh

THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt

TAM LIN by Pamela Dean

Sara Goodman at St Martin’s

THE INTERN (aka Hilary T Smith, listen to her First Draft interview here)

Nathan Bransford’s blog

Miss Snark

Kelly Link

Elizabeth Hand

Francesca Lia Block WEETZIE BAT

Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop

Gift (movie) 

Jane’s Addiction (band)

GIRL WALKING BACKWARDS by Bett Williams

TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES by Joy Nicholson

Sarah Hannah Gomez, Sumayyah Daud (her First Draft interview), Kaye 

Guillotine 

Bojan Louis

 

Kim Gordon

Direct download: Sarah_McCarry_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 4:49pm PDT

Nina LaCour, author of Morris Award nominated HOLD STILL, THE DISENCHANTMENTS, and EVERYTHING LEADS TO YOU, is a freaking delight. Join us as we discuss west coast travels, novels springing from one beautiful sentence, and Nina’s story about a school visit that makes me cry every time I hear it.

 

Nina LaCour Show Notes

John Green LOOKING FOR ALASKA

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson

FAT KID RULES THE WORLD by K.L. Going

THE FIRST PART LAST by Angela Johnson

FOREVER by Judy Blume

Zoetrope All Story fiction contest

Joan Didion

Michele Bachmann

Southern Poverty Law Council 

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Stephanie Perkins

Sarah Dessen

Katie Byron

Like Crazy (movie)

 

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertali

Direct download: Nina_LaCour_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:16am PDT

Apply SPF 70 and get into the shade with me and John Corey Whaley, author of Printz and Morris award-winning WHERE THINGS COME BACK and National Book Award finalist for NOGGIN, while we talk about vague endings in teenage stories, the magic of librarians, and when books just don’t work.

John Corey Whaley Show Notes

Printz Award

Morris Award

Jessica Love, and her First Draft interview

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth (her First Draft podcast interview)

Maggie Stiefvater

Daniel Handler

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut

Holly Goldberg Sloan COUNTING BY SEVENS

Direct download: John_Corey_Whaley_1.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:25am PDT

Imagine you’re watching a sherbet-colored sunset in the Hollywood hills while enjoying avocado toast with Anna Carey, author of the EVE trilogy and DEADFALL, the sequel to BLACKBIRD, out now!

Anna Carey Show Notes

Lorrie Moore

Aimee Bender

Nicole Krauss

Amanda Davis

Lisa Papademetriou

The Sackett Street Writer's Workshops

Julia Fierro

826NYC & the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store

Michael Cunningham

Etsy print of It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect, it Just Has to Exist, by Gemma Flack

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING by Jonathan Safran Foer

Ira Glass quote

Alison Cherry FOR REAL (her First Draft interview)

Stephen King ON WRITING

YALLWest

Ransom Riggs, Gretchen McNeilKatie Alender

Anna Solomon

Dr. Brene Brown

NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

 

 

Direct download: Anna_Carey.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 10:50am PDT

Find a spot to sit in the sun and enjoy my conversation with the lovely Robin Benway, author of AUDREY, WAIT!, THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY & JUNE, the ALSO KNOWN AS series, and EMMY AND OLIVER, out now!

 

Robin Benway Show Notes

Rob Roberge, author and teacher at UCLA extension

Book Soup in West Hollywood, CA

David Leviathan THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

My So-Called Life (TV Show)

Freaks and Geeks (TV Show)

Rachel Cohn, author of YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME and others, and co-author of DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES

Rooney’s “I’m a Terrible Person” (song)

Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed, The SmithsSuede

Jennifer Rudolph Walsh

Ally Carter (Heist Society series)

Morgan Matson

Article with Joss Whedon  (inspiration for Firefly)

Sara Zarr

Stephanie Perkins ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

John Green THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Direct download: Robin_Benway.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:02pm PDT

Holy Harry Potter superfans, it’s Adam Silvera! He calls himself tall for no reason, but I think the reason is he is solidly 6 foot something worth of awesome. Grab a comfy chair and enjoy my delightful chat with the debut author of MORE HAPPY THAN NOT about his self-made MFA, reppin’ the Bronx, and the theme of choice in all our lives.

Adam Silvera Show Notes 

Charmed (TV show)

Supernatural (TV show)

SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

Brooks Sherman, Adam’s agent

Hannah Ferguson, literary agent

WINGER by Andrew Smith

Erin Bowman

Figment.com

Shelf Awareness

Paper Lantern Lit

Lauren Oliver

NOGGIN by John Corey Whaley

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Saenz

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIEN AGENDA by Becky Albertalli

ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END

David Arnold (MOSQUITOLAND)

MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES by Jasmine Warga

THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison

Joseph Delaney THE LAST APPRENTICE

Heidi Schulz HOOK’S REVENGE

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster

THE WIZARD OF OZ by L. Frank Baum

Courtney C. Stevens FAKING NORMAL

Victoria Schwab 

 

Julie Murphy SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY

Direct download: Adam_Silvera.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:41pm PDT

Settle in somewhere quiet and contemplate the beauty around you with Hilary T Smith, author of WILD AWAKE and A SENSE OF THE INFINITE, out May 19! 

Hilary T Smith Show Notes

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BIPOLAR BUT WERE TOO FREAKED OUT TO ASK

Hilary’s guest post on YA Highway about how to be a nomad

DUNE by Frank Herbert

Direct download: Hilary_T_Smith.output_1.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:29am PDT

Petite in stature, big in life experience and YA book feels, join me and Corey Ann Haydu, author of OCD LOVE STORY, LIFE BY COMMITTEE, and MAKING PRETTY, out May 12, as we talk acting, traveling, loneliness, and the shifting, shifty concept of “work.”

Corey Ann Haydu Show Notes

Sylvia Plath

Corey’s essay on loneliness

SAVVY by Ingrid Law

LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow

RULES FOR STEALING STARS, Corey's new middle grade book, due out September 2015

Susan Van Metre, teacher at the New School MFA program

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson

 

THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES by Julie Andrews Edwards

Direct download: Corey_Ann_Haydu.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:59am PDT

Get your taste buds ready for a walk through a farmer’s market, and a kitchen-based adventure with Kristin Halbrook, author of NOBODY BUT US and EVERY LAST PROMISE (out now!). 

Kristin Halbrook Show Notes

TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert

Bechdel Test

HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff

JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta

HOW TO WRITE THE BREAK OUT NOVEL by Donald Maass

 

Direct download: Kristin_Halbrook_3.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:24pm PDT

Join me and Erin Bowman, author of the TAKEN trilogy—the final book, FORGED, is out now!—and the forthcoming VENGEANCE ROAD as we talk imposter syndrome, the lasting impact of Harry Potter, and how the Internet made living in the woods way less lonely.

Erin Bowman Show Notes

Gibson’s bookstore

REWORK (book about startups) by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Pub Rants, Kristin Nelson’s agency website

Nathan Brantford

Caroline Richmond

Sara Crowe

Sarah J. Maas

Susan Dennard

Pub(lishing) Crawl

Firefly (TV show)

Gillian Flynn

Tana French

 

STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST by Austin Kleon

Direct download: Erin_Bowman_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:44am PDT

Get yourself a Big Gulp of caffeine and sit back as Amy Spalding, author of THE REECE MALCOLM LIST, INK IS THICKER THAN WATER, and KISSING TED CALLAHAN (AND OTHER GUYS), out April 7, talks discovering voice, diving into experiences that scare you, and how soon her books will let you travel every neighborhood in LA without leaving the couch.

Amy Spalding Show Notes

THE PRINCESS DIARIES by Meg Cabot

Lois Lowry

Studio City tattoo (Mike Erwin)

NICK AND NORA’S INFINITE PLAYLIST by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Easy A (film)

LOST

 

Style Smoothie

Direct download: Amy_Spalding_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:27pm PDT

Join me as I chat with Amy Tintera, author of REBOOT and REBEL, and the forthcoming RUINED series (due out Summer 2016!), about how screenplays are more than just dialogue, living in every time zone in the U.S., and embarking on new starts.

Amy Tintera Show Notes

Garden State (movie)

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

Nathan Bransford, QuerySharkAbsolute Write

SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass

CINDER by Marissa Meyer

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J Maas

GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson

GAME OF THRONES by George R R Martin

IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Stephanie Perkins

Aaron Sorkin

Burning Man

Kirsten Hubbard

Amy Spalding

Corrine Duyvis

eShakti.com

Kiera Cass

Liz Norris

 

Aprilynne Pike

Direct download: Amy_Tintera_3.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 4:23pm PDT

Grab a Fiji water and a pillow mint and imagine you’re in a Boston hotel room with me and Veronica Roth, author New York Times bestselling DIVERGENT series, as we talk about writing being the way grown-ups get to play pretend, embracing critique, and marveling at people who think first drafts are fun.

Direct download: Veronica_Roth_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 2:12pm PDT

Join me and Jessica Love, author of PUSH GIRL and the forthcoming IN REAL LIFE, as we hang with her dogs on a sun-soaked southern California balcony to talk pen pals, world travels, and hear what slang the kids are using these days.

Jessica Love Show Notes

Brand New “Sic Transit Gloria” the inspiration for her first NaNo book 

Punchline (band) “Ghostie,” “Universe

Blue of Colors (band) “Your Face” 

THIS LULLABY by Sarah Dessen

Spalding University 

STORY by Robert McFee

THE ART OF FICTION by John Gardner

Push Girls on Sundance

Catfish (TV show)

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

Sumayyah Daud

Jessica BS (@JeskuhBS)

Rainbow Rowell

500 Days of Summer (movie)

BEAUTIFUL ADDICTIONS by Season Vining

Melissa Landers YA sci-fi (four adult romances under Macy Beckett)

 

Direct download: Jessica_Love.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:57am PDT

Take a siesta with Kiersten White, New York Times best-selling author of the PARANORMALCY series, MIND GAMES, THE CHAOS OF STARS and more, as she talks about the challenge of balancing writing with kids, the fresh new challenge that every book brings, and hear her read some amazing(ly hilarious) high school poetry!

 

Kiersten White Show Notes

 

Natalie WhippleStephanie Perkins

Kiersten’s blog

Erica Sussman

Jim Di Bartolo

Laini Taylor

 

LIPS TOUCH: THREE TIMES by Laini Taylor with illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo

Direct download: Kiersten_White_2.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 11:28am PDT

One of my favorite humans, Kate Hart is author of AFTER THE FALL, due out in 2016 from FSG, and is basically everywhere on the internet. She and I took a break from a marathon Twilight series re-watch to talk witches and talking birds, what a gross word “networking” is, and finding the courage to tell our stories. Also Twilight.

 

Kate Hart Show Notes

Badass Ladies You Should Know (my interview here!)

Field Trip Friday

YA cover statistics

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

Tim O’Brien

Zilpha Keatley Snyder

A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle

Absolute Write

Katie Alender

Corinne Jackson

Myra McEntire

Kirsten Hubbard

Kate's agent Michelle Andelman

Natural State Treehouses, Kate's family treehouse business! 

R&R = revise and resubmit

THE HANDMAID’S TALE by Margaret Atwood

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Sylvia Plath

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor 

Stacked, librarian book blog

 

Kelly Jensen

Direct download: Kate_Hart_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:20am PDT

Imagine yourself in sunny San Diego as Stephanie Diaz, author of EXTRACTION and its sequel, REBELLION, out February 10, talks about moving from film to books, querying before high school, and the scary reality of moving cross-country.

Stephanie Diaz Show Notes

THE EGYPT GAME by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

HIS DARK MATERIALS by Phillip Pullman

IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman

Cristin Terrill

Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner THIS SHATTERED WORLD, and its sequel, THESE BROKEN STARS

Firefly (TV show)

LEGEND by Marie Lu

Battlestar Galactica

WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard

 

OPEN ROAD SUMMER by Emery Lord

Direct download: Stephanie_Diaz_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 10:03am PDT

Grab a seat poolside with Erin Jade Lange, author of BUTTER, DEAD ENDS, and the forthcoming REBEL BULLY GEEK PARIAH, as she talks about abandoning the Midwest, the lasting impacts of bullying, and her personal vendetta against "Larry" McAfee.

Erin Jade Lange Show Notes

Dark Heart (from Care Bears)

John McAfee

Abraham Biggs

WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson

Ilsa Bick (ASHES)

 

Gemma Burgess (agent)

Direct download: Erin_Jade_Lange_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 3:35pm PDT

Have a sunny afternoon coffee with me and Victoria Aveyard, debut author of RED QUEEN (out Feb. 10!), as we discuss the Venn diagram of her screenwriting and author careers, why Hollywood won’t make the next Star Wars without novelists, and Pokemon (obviously)!

Victoria Aveyard Show Notes

FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY by E.L. James

WOOL by Hugh Howey

Suzie Townsend, Pouya Shahbazian, and Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary

Gennifer Hutchison, screenwriter for THE RED QUEEN

Looper (film)

Direct download: Victoria_Aveyard_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 4:10pm PDT

Take a champagne break as I chat with Megan Shepherd, author of A COLD LEGACY, the final installment of THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER series (out Jan. 27), about the magic of Asheville, Jack versus Sawyer, and the allure of historical fantasy over mimosas!

Megan Shepherd Show Notes

Beth Revis, Meagan Spooner

Blog post of Megan’s YA book event at her parents’ book store

STOLEN by Lucy Christopher

Alvina Ling (Editor-in-Chief, Little, Brown)

THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU by H.G. Wells

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson

FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley

FEAR STREET by R.L. Stine

THE CAGE, the first book in Megan’s next series, out May 26!

The Chocolate Lounge in Asheville

Malaprops

Direct download: Megan_Shepherd.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 7:44am PDT

I was in nerd heaven chatting with Margaret Stohl, co-author of the New York Times best-selling BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, author of ICONS and IDOLS, and hard at work at the YA novel based on Marvel’s Black Widow. The frenetic energy of an evil genius, and the degrees to match, Margie talked  about her experiences being the only girl in the room for her years running a video game company, always checking wardrobes for Narnia, and the origin of YALLFest/YALLWest.

Margaret Stohl Show Notes

Y’ALLFest

Tiger Beat

Y’ALLWest

Psuedonymous Bosch 

Jeffrey Wright (actor)

Eudora Welty

William WordsworthClark Coolidge

Ron Howard (actor/director)

Zork: NemesisZork: Grand Inquisitor (video games)

Melissa de la Cruz

Kami Garcia

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE C.S. Lewis

THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper

Diana Wynne Jones

Apocalypse (video game)

Gayle Forman

CHILDHOOD’S END by Arthur C. Clarke

Marie Lu

Ned Vizzini (his obituary)

Cassandra Clare

Fracesca Lia Block

HARRY BOSCH series by Michael Conneley

Holly Black

Carrie Ryan

Melissa Marr

Kelley Armstrong

Romantic Times

Jonathan Sanchez, Blue Bicycle Books

 

Kwame Alexander

Direct download: Margaret_Stohl_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:24am PDT

YA author Julie Murphy, who wrote SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY and has a new book, DUMPLIN’, coming out this year from Balzer + Bray, meets me in Texas to talk epic homecoming mums, unlikeable characters, and how she thought Twilight was a boy band.

Julie Murphy Show Notes

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

Drop Dead Gorgeous (film)

TITHE by Holly Black

WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr

Kristin Travenio (Irving County Library YA librarian)

Blue Valentine (film)

Jolene” by Dolly Parton

 

Alessandra Balzer at Balzer + Bray

Direct download: Julie_Murphy_2.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:50am PDT

Katie Coyle, debut author of VIVIAN APPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD, talks about how Thorin Oakenshield taught her she wasn’t cut out to act, writing ghosts and magic into her hometown, and how Neil Gaiman gave her her big break.

 

Katie Coyle Show Notes

Katie’s wedding picture in which she and her friend re-enact THE HOBBIT

PRETTY MONSTERS by Kelly Link

Neil Gaiman’s tumblr

The Young Writer’s Prize by Hot Key Press

Cathy Day, represented by Sarah Burnes, professor at Pitt

Rachel Fershleiser of Tumblr

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANK LANDAU BANKS by E Lockhart

Tavi from Rookie

Welcome to Nightvale

I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith

Direct download: Katie_Coyle.m4a
Category:Literature -- posted at: 4:14pm PDT

Boisterous, eloquent, and just the tiniest bit zany, Cynthia Leitich Smith, New York Times best-selling author of TANTALIZE and RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME, took me out for tacos and taught me a thing or twelve. I loved hearing her wise words on diversity in YA, paying it forward with newer writers, and writing 200 drafts of a single picture book.

 

Cynthia Leitich Smith Show Notes

Dear Sugar

Kathi Appelt  and Austin SCBWI

Greg Leitich Smith

Varian JohnsonDon Tate

Brett Hartman

JINGLE DANCER

Ming Doyle, illustrator for Cynthia’s graphic novels

Deborah Noyse at Candlewick press (editor)

SANTA KNOWS illustrated by Steve Bjorkman (edited by Mark McVeigh at Dutton)

HOLLER LOUDLY

TWILIGHT

Joss Whedon

FERAL PRIDE

Sara Zarr 

Ellen Oh’s post on Cynsations

FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L. Konigsburg

Judy Blume

 

Direct download: Cynthia_Leitich_Smith.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:36pm PDT

Myra McEntire, author of the HOURGLASS series, is as refreshing as a cool glass of sweet tea, and it was a joy to sit with her and talk British TV, living with intention, and handling life’s unexpected curveballs. 

 

Myra McEntire Show Notes

The Kingsport Mets

Trixie Belden series 

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

WTF With Marc Maron (podcast)

Stuff You Should Know (podcast)

Stuff You Missed In History Class (podcast)

The Spy Museum podcast, SpyCast

Mental Illness Happy Hour (podcast)

The Domestic CEO (podcast)

Get It Done Guy's Quick Dirty Tips (podcast)

The Savvy Psychologist (podcast)

Welcome to Night Vale (podcast)

SIMS homeless blog, Alice and Kev, The Story of Being Homeless in The SIMS 3

Horton Foote

Keeping Up Appearnces (BBC sitcom)

Absolutely Fabulous

Vampire Diaries

Kevin Williamson (writer for VD)

SUPERFUDGE by Judy Blume

Stephanie Perkins

THE SHADOW GATE, Myra McEntire’s middle grade series on Storybird with Molly O’Neill

Veronica Roth

CJ Redwine, Jodi Meadows, MG BuehrlenCourtney C Stevens (hear Court's podcast interview here!)

Direct download: Myra_McEntire_3.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:51am PDT

The delightful Alison Cherry, author of RED and FOR REAL (out December 9!) talks traumatic revision experiences, life foreshadowing, “guerrilla friending” — and her cats give us some all-star background purring.

 

Alison Cherry Show Notes

Author Solutions

Literary agent Holly Root

Strauss opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow)

Lorrie Moore

Harvard Bookstore

CHAOS WALKING trilogy by Patrick Ness

Wendy Loggia, Executive Editor at Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Press 

The Amazing Race

Project Greenlight

Survivor

Pete Holmes

Caela CarterMY BEST FRIEND MAYBE

Corey Ann Haydu

Kirsten Hubbard

Lindsay Ribar

Kara Thomas (Taylor)

Maureen Johnson, "Don't be afraid to suck."

 

Holly Root, "Keep your eyes on your own paper."

Direct download: Alison_Cherry_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:43pm PDT

Talking with the wise and lovely Courtney C. Stevens, author of FAKING NORMAL and THE BLUE-HAIRED BOY, about building a writing community, writing how rock climbing made her a better writer.

Courtney C Stevens Show Notes

Stephenie Meyer

SCBWI

Ruta Sepetys and Sharon Cameron

Harper Impulse series

Rae Ann Parker, Kristin TubbHannah Dills 

Margie Lawson

Direct download: Courtney_C_Stevens.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:28am PDT

Talking to Kaitlin Ward, whose debut novel BLEEDING EARTH is due out in Fall 2015, about the SIMS, teen horror, how she recovered from losing her first agent, and what video games inspire her.

 

Kaitlin Ward Show Notes

WHEEL OF TIME series by Robert Jordan

THE GIVER by Lois Lowry

THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Phillip Pullman

REDWALL by Brian Jacques

MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

ERAGON by Christopher Paolini

Realmz

The SIMS

TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Absolute Write

YA Highway

THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers (and the sequel, PLEASE REMAIN CALM)

Goosebumps, Fear StreetChristopher Pike

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Michelle Schusterman (listen to her First Draft interview here!)

ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell

Upton Sinclair

Direct download: Kaitlin_Ward_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:05pm PDT

I meet up with Stephanie Kuehn at a lovely holiday retreat in Vermont, where she set her Morris-award-winning debut, CHARM AND STRANGE. Steph is deeply thoughtful and incredibly silly in equal measure, which makes her simply delightful. As we sat on a back porch with kids playing in a nearby hammock, we talked about Steph’s boarding school days, romanticizing Vermont, movie making, how starting to run gave her the confidence to start writing, and the experience of winning the Morris Award. I also refer to Mark Zuckerberg as a “millionaire.” Sorry for the downgrade, Zucks.

Stephanie Kuehn Show Notes

Debra Driza

Corrine Jackson

Veronica Roth

THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt

COMMITTING JOURNALISM by Dannie Martin and Peter Y. Sussman

Dannie Martin

The Wicker Man (film)

The Conformist (film)

Vertigo (film)

Direct download: Stephanie_Kuehn_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:40am PDT

The conversation continues, with Libba Bray, Printz award-winning YA author of THE DIVINERS and GOING BOVINE, discussing how she came to children's literature, the struggle to balance honesty with self-preservation, and writing with depression.

Libba Bray Part 2 Show Notes

Laurie Halse Anderson

David Levithan

Rachel Cohn

Francesca Lia Block

Angela Johnson

Aaron Zimmerman, New York Writers Coalition

Ann Brashares

Sweet Sixteen

Cecily von Ziegesar

Holly Black

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder

Save The Movie, by Peter Suderman in Slate (the "why are all movies the same?" article)

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Scott Westerfeld

Justine Larbalestier

John Green

Nova Ren Suma

Robin Wasserman

Emily Lockhart

Maureen Johnson

Barry Lyga

C. Alexander (Sandy) London

Adele Griffin

Matt de la Pena

Shannon Hale

Sara Zarr

Jon Skovron

Maggie Stiefvater

Judy Blume

"Miles and Miles of No Man's Land," Libba Bray’s post about depression

Stephanie Perkinsblog post about depression

"The Shame of Depression," by Myra McEntire

HELTER SKELTER by Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry

 

CARRIE by Stephen King

Direct download: Libba_Bray_Part_2_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:35pm PDT

The only thing better than getting to chat with YA icon Libba Bray (author of New York Times best-selling series A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, Printz award-winner GOING BOVINE, and genuinely terrifying historical paranormal THE DIVINERS, among others) about writing was getting to chat with her about life. Libba is as hilarious as she is wise, and our conversation was so fun, I decided to cut it into two parts rather than leave an hour or more on the cutting-room floor. In this episode, Libba talks about having her rock collection stolen as a kid, that one time Wes Anderson helped stage a play she wrote, and talks about how growing up in Texas set her head at a certain tilt.

Libba Bray Show Notes

Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa

Citizen Kane

The Legend of Boggy Creek

The Planet of the Apes

American Gigolo

The Exorcist

Christopher 'Kit' Marlowe

Lois Lowry (her BEA speech)

CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou

THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS by Ernest Hemingway

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster

Aaron Sorkin

Harold Pinter

The Thin Man

Bringing Up Baby

The Marx brothers

Neil Simon plays

Woody Allen

Pitch Perfect

Agent Sarah Burnes

No Country For Old Men

HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford

Rushmore

David Sedaris

Johnny Thunders

Singin’ In The Rain

Fitness Focus Form and Function with Marky Mark

Richard Simmons

Cindy Crawford

THE LAMB WHO SAVED EASTER 

Peter Marks, theater critic of the New York Times and the Washington Post

New York International Film Festival

Mawkish

Direct download: Libba_Bray_Part_1_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:36am PDT

Meeting with Natalie Standiford was like stepping into a world where all my teen fantasies about what life as a writer would look like (amazing NY apartment, effortlessly chic clothes, a separate office with built-in shelves and a bass amp in the corner). It was only made better by the fact that Natalie’s books - HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT, THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE, CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS and so many more - are beautiful, thoughtful, and filled with quirky nuance, just like the books I dreamed (dream!) of writing. Natalie is so sweet and welcoming, and had wise, wise words about building up an immunity to writer’s block, writing about real-world fairylands, and finding creative release outside the written word.

 

Natalie Standiford Show Notes

FEAR STREET (THE CHEATER; LIGHTS OUT; THE SECRET; THE BURNING; THE FEAR STREET SAGA)

Sarah Burnes, agent at The Gernet Co., who represents Natalie (and me!)

Annie Hall, film

Jane O’Connor, FANCY NANCY

Hilary Knight (illustrator of Eloise)

ASTRONAUTS ARE SLEEPING

Parachute Publishing

GOSSIP GIRL by Cecily von Ziegesar

THE CLIQUE by Lisi Harrison

THE DATING GAME by Natalie Standiford

Disney ELLE WOODS books

Harold and Maude (movie)

BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore and her blog post about starting over

Darcey Steinke, adult novelist

Rene Steinke

David Levithan, author and editor at Scholastic, the “camp counselor of the YA writers.”

Dan Ehrenhaft (Editorial Director, Soho Teen, guitarist of Tiger Beat)

Libba Bray (novelist, lead singer of Tiger Beat)

Barnabas (Barney) Miller (author, drummer of Tiger Beat)

 

Direct download: Natalie_Standiford_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:32am PDT

Q&A Show Notes

Support the podcast here!

Find podcast extras here!

Jenn from Appleton video

NAME OF THE ROSE, Natasha Romanov comic by Marjorie Lu

Junot Diaz

BookPeople in Austin

The Strand in NYC

Parnassus Books in Nashville

The Last Bookstore in LA

Politics and Prose in D.C., and Modern Times coffeeshop

NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson (aka Gingerhaze)

Alison Cherry

 

HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Bosh

Direct download: Mini-Ep_QA.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:24am PDT

Cat Winters, author of Morris Award finalist IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS and THE CURE FOR DREAMING (out Oct. 14!) is kind, thoughtful, and soft-spoken, but don’t be surprised if she tells you she was wandering the Oregon woods on the last full moon.

Cat Winters Show Notes

 

The Mandrell Sisters

The Smurfs

THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough

Judy Blume

REBECCA by Daphne Du Marier

SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)

Boardwalk Empire

The Watcher in the Woods (Disney movie)

Something Wicked This Way Comes (movie)

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury

THE GHOST NEXT DOOR by Wylly Folk St. John

The Cottingly Sisters

The Man Who Believed In Fairies, article on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Tom Huntington

Kristen Lawrence Halloween Carols ("Dark Glass")

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

SLASHER GIRLS AND MONSTER BOYS from Jessica Garrison at Dial

DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Direct download: Cat_Winters_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Marie Lu is small only in a strictly physical sense. Her books are big - New York Times best-seller big - and her creativity, both as a novelist and an artist, is awe-inspiring. The written word taught Marie a new language, got her through high school, led her to take a chance on leading a creative life at a pivotal moment as college came to an end, and is now giving her the chance to see the world. Marie has truly inspiring things to say about when to recognize that you aren’t good enough for a story, how her visual thinking shows in her work, and what the push for diversity in YA has taught her.

Marie Lu Show Notes

IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

David Eddings

Terry Brooks

Kristin Nelson, Marie’s agent

Pike’s Peak Writer’s Conference

The graphic novel of Rachelle Mead’s VAMPIRE ACADEMY 

Heather Brewer’s vampire series, EIGHTH GRADE BITES

Kaari with Caravan Studios

Rainbow Rowell’s project writing a graphic novel

Kiersten White and Jim DiBartolo on IN THE SHADOWS

#WeNeedDiverseBooks

Ellen Oh

THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan

"Yes, No, Meh" With Marie and Veronica Roth on CNN

Direct download: Marie_Lu_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:33pm PDT

A chat with Beth Revis, author of the New York Times best-selling ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series, including a new book from that world, THE BODY ELECTRIC, due out Oct. 7! Beth talks about the ten years she spent writing before her breakout novel, and how invaluable the writing community has been to keeping her sane. 

Beth Revis Show Notes

The Biltmore Estate

The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis

Sweet Valley High series

The Babysitter’s Club series

THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe

NIGHT by Elie Weisel

DEAD MAN’S HAND, edited by John Joseph Adams

PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS, edited by Jessica Spotswood

Firefly, television show

Jessica Spotswood, Marie LuAndrea Creamer 

Beth’s Pinterest board

PAPER HEARTS

Wattpad

HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Brosh

 

RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo

Direct download: Beth_Revis.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:08am PDT

Meagan Spooner, author of LARK ASCENDING (out Oct. 1!), the final installment of the Skylark Trilogy, and is co-author of the Starbound Trilogy with Amie Kaufman. Meagan is bright, cheery and welcoming, with the self-assuredness of a girl who has crossed the globe more than once. We talk about her roots in the theater, how fairy tales are the OG fanfic, and that one time her house burned down.

Meagan Spooner Show Notes

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert A. Heinlein

CONTACT by Carl Sagan

THE GIVER by Lois Lowry

THE DRAGON RIDERS OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey

Odyssey writing workshops

Claire Legrand (listen to her podcast interview here!)

Shel Silverstein

SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL by Louis Sachar and Adam McCauley

IN A DARK, DARK ROOM by Alvin Schwartz and Dirk Zimmer

Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner

The Tolkien quote about the "leaf-mould of the mind"

Sarah Maas, Susan Dennard, Amie KaufmanErin Bowman

Direct download: Meagan_Spooner_3.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:21am PDT

Rachel Fershleiser Show Notes

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in NY

Eat Your Feelings: Stories of Food, Jews & Your Mom, with Jami Attenberg and friends

BooksmithBook People, and Tattered Cover (bookstores)

Stock Tips zine Kickstarter

Tumblr's Reblog Book Club

ELEANOR AND PARK and FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Gingerhaze on Tumblr (Noelle Stevenson)

Simini Blocker on Tumblr

Ampersand from YadyKates on Etsy

YA Highway on Tumblr

WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign

GoBookYourself

I, Too, Am Harvard

Planned Parenthood Saved Me

Emily Schultz, author of JOYLANDSpending Stephen King’s Money

Maureen JohnsonCoverflip

 SO MUCH PRETTY by Cara Hoffman

President Obama Tumblr Q&A

YA author Leigh Bardugo

Hot Key Books Young Writers competition, previous winner Katie Coyle

Bookstalker

Last Night’s Reading

Emily Books

Emily Hughes, who runs Random House’s Tumblr

Veronica Roth

THE MAN OF MY DREAMS by Curtis Sittenfeld

Nick Harkaway

Jennifer Close

Tana FrenchGillian FlynnMegan AbbottLaura Lippman

THE UNKNOWNS by Gabriel Roth

CALIFORNIA by Edan Lepucki

NOBODY IS EVER MISSING by Catherine Lacey

HIGH AS THE HORSES' BRIDLES by Scott Cheshire

Emily Gould, author and co-owner of Emily Books

Celeste Ng, author

Direct download: Rachel_Fershleiser_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 6:34am PDT

Gretchen McNeil, author of YA books POSSESSTEN3:59, and GET EVEN (out this week, from Baltzer + Bray!) welcomed me to her home in L.A. for a great conversation about the pros and cons of fast drafting, grassroots marketing, and how to balance being a writer and an extrovert. And her adorable puppy Wolfgang makes an appearance, too!

Gretchen McNeil Show Notes

The 24 Italian Opera songs

TITHE by Holly Black

WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr

Stanislavski acting questions

Nosferatu

Boris Karloff

Amy Lukavics

T.S. Ferguson (Amy's editor at Harlequin TEEN)

Stephanie Perkins

Leigh Bardugo

RT = Romantic Times Book Lover's Convention

ALA = American Library Association

Cindy Pon

Diane Setterfield, THE THIRTEENTH TALE

Direct download: Gretchen_McNeil_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:55am PDT

Heidi Schulz Show Notes

 

Australorp breed of chickens

J.M. Barrie, author of PETER PAN and PETER PAN AND WENDY

Peter Pan (2003 film)

Brooks Sherman, Heidi’s agent

John Hendrix, illustrator for HOOK’S REVENGE

Heidi’s drawing of a sad robot being launched into space 

Claire Legrand, MG author

Emma Trevayne, MG author

KidLit authors Beverly ClearyDiana Wynne Jones, and Judy Blume

 

Authors of creeptastic things, Stephen King and V. C. Andrews

Direct download: Heidi_Schulz_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:33pm PDT

Michelle Schusterman, author of the I HEART BAND series and the forthcoming THE KAT SINCLAIR FILES and MAUDEVILLE, is the kind of girl whose conversation feels more like a hug than a handshake. She’s so open-hearted, curious, and kind, it’s no wonder she’s always worked with middle and high school students, across the globe. 

Michelle Schusterman Show Notes

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Michelle’s agent Sarah Davies

Jordan Hamessly, Michelle’s editor

 

The Coffeehouse Mystery books by Cleo Coyle

Direct download: Michelle_Schusterman.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 8:04am PDT

My good friend and YA author Kirsten Hubbard takes the mic to ask me a few questions for this mini-episode Q&A! We talk about why the podcast got started, why it's been so irregular to date, where it's going in the future, and a discussion of writing while traveling.

Direct download: Minisode-_QA.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 12:21pm PDT

Kara Taylor (soon to be Thomas) has a quick wit and an infectious laugh. In addition to being smart, sharp and funny, she’s a gifted and ambitious writer, crafting YA novels by day (the PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL series and a forthcoming book in 2016 from Random House) and TV shows by night. I caught up with Kara at her home in Long Island, and she gave me the rundown of her almost accidental television writing gig, how having a chip on her shoulder helps get words on the page, and why city life just isn’t for her.

Kara Taylor Show Notes

Clip from Jon Stewart bit about Long Island wanting to secede

Janet Evanovich

Article on how much money California is losing because TV and movie productions are locating in other cities.

Article on the writer of Lethal Weapon

Direct download: Kara_Taylor.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 1:03pm PDT

Claire Legrand has a sweet heart and a dark imagination - a combination that has made for two magical middle grade novels (THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS and THE YEAR OF SHADOWS), and a forthcoming YA, WINTERSPELL, due out September 30 from Simon & Schuster. We met at her home in Princeton, New Jersey to talk scary stories for kids, earning honor badges in life, and finding time amidst the "author" madness to actually write.

 

Claire LeGrand Show Notes

Claire LeGrand’s agent Diana Fox

Claire’s blog post about leaving New York

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Lucy Ruth Cummins with S&S

Sarah Watts, artist for covers with S&S

Karl Kwasny, artist for Year of Shadows with S&S

E.T.A. Hoffmann's original Nutcracker

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik

Story by Robert McKee

Direct download: Claire_LeGrand_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:25am PDT

 

Ellen Oh has been called a force of nature, and it’s true - the woman can get things done. But she’s also a fierce friend and loving mom, whose nearly decade-long quest to publication with debut novel PROPHECY was started because she couldn’t find books that reflected her story, or the Korean history she found so fascinating. Ellen can be series, sure (I mean, she _was_ a lawyer), but her laugh is infectious and she’s a laser-focused ball of energy when it comes to talking about history, how her kids are her toughest critique partners, and of course, spearheading the We Need Diverse Books campaign.

Direct download: Ellen_Oh_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:51am PDT

 

The lovely Cristin Terrill invited me over to discuss theater, Sir Ian McKellen buying tea, and her recent decision to admit a planned sequel to her debut novel, All Our Yesterdays, was not a workable project. Cristin is funny and quick, and her kindhearted vibe may have something to do with the fact that she knows she has a safety net: dog grooming school.

Direct download: Cristin_Terrill.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 9:47am PDT

Petite and a bit quiet, Lindsay Smith has a bit of a mysterious vibe. And once she starts talking, it only gets more interesting! YA's John le Carré, Lindsay is a history buff who is fluent in Russian, and her debut novel, SEKRET, and its follow-up, SKANDAL (due in April 2015 from Roaring Brook Press) explore what would happen if Russia were hiding paranormally-enhanced super-humans behind the iron curtain during the Cold War. Pretty awesome stuff. Lindsay invited me over to talk 20th century politics, the round-the-clock nature of D.C.'s creative types, and the sheer terror of trying to write for adults.

Direct download: Lindsay_Smith_2.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 7:44am PDT

 

Caroline Tung Richmond is a smiling, stylin’ ball of endless positive energy, and with her debut novel set to come out in September (THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, 9/30/14 from Scholastic) I was jazzed to meet up with her in Rockville, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Caroline is full of incredible advice for writers in the trenches, and gives us a perspective on how being a new mother is hurting and, in some ways, helping her writing process. Also, she schools me on awesome sci-fi references — though Stark Trek fans should be warned that Caroline admits her memory of Deanna Troi’s fate may be a bit hazy. (But we won’t hold that against her - she has mad TNG cred.)

Direct download: Caroline_Richmond_copy.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 11:36am PDT

Direct download: Robin_Talley.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 7:49am PDT

The inaugural First Draft podcast! A discussion with the lovely Sumayyah Daud, 24-year old author of the forthcoming BEGIN AGAIN, about radical happiness, Bill Shakespeare’s butt jokes, and #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

 

Direct download: Sumayyah_Daud_Podcast_copy.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 7:56pm PDT