Writers on Writing

Short story writer Gabriel Houck shares his debut collection, You or a Loved One. Gabe talks with Marrie about beginnings, endings and first sentences. He shares insights on how revealing ourselves through fiction, as opposed to essays, is often easier. He deconstructs a few of his stories from initial kernel of an idea, throughout the revision process, and all the artistic decisions he made along the way. He talks about weaknesses and overcoming them, literary influences, and so much more. In the second half, Caeli Wolfson Widger joins to talk about her novel, Mother of Invention. Caeli talks about the origins of her ideas, how to construct (and adhere to) a coherent set of rules for novels set in alternate realities, as well as her research process. Caeli shares how she grapples with difficult characters, how to sustain a reader's intrigue, and much more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: July 11, 2018)

Novelist and short story writer Victoria Patterson joins Marrie Stone for the full hour to talk about her latest collection, The Secret Habit of Sorrow.Victoria talks about her love/hate relationship with Orange County, addiction, and the geographical terrain of her fiction. She also provides practical advice on the craft and living in the world as a writer. As an added bonus, KUCI intern Kerry sits in on the show and they discuss the collection's cover art, which Kerry happens to have tattooed on her rib cage. A discussion of spirituality, mythology and religion ensures. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: August 8, 2018)

White House stenographer Beck Dorey-Stein joins Marrie Stone to talk about her memoir, In the Corner of the Oval. She talks about her time in the Obama White House and the lessons President Obama imparted about writing, storytelling, and the power of words. She shares her wisdom for being vulnerable on the page, her commitment to copious notes, and the benefits of writing in the immediate aftermath of an intense event. In the second half, Allie Rowbottom joins to talk about her memoir, Jell-O Girls: A Family History. She discusses the urgency of telling her mother's story against the backdrop of feminism, and the weight of her family's inheritance of the Jell-O fortune. In part memoir, history, feminist philosophy and more, Allie talks about how she wove all those threads, avoided being didactic, and organized the massive amount of research she accumulated. Download audio. (Broadcast date: August 1, 2018)

Memoirists Melissa Stephenson, author of Driven, and Elizabeth Rosner, author of Survivor Cafe, talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about the art, craft, and business of writing their books. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: July 25, 2018)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talks with Patt Morrison, author of Don't Stop the Presses! and Amy Wallen, author of the memoir, When We Were Ghouls. Download audio. (Broadcast date: July 18, 2018)

Novelist and essayist Alexander Chee joins Marrie Stone for the hour to talk about his latest collection of essays, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel. He discusses the important distinction between writing for therapy versus writing for publication. He discusses the pitfalls of readers' interest in what is "true" and autobiographical about a writer's work. And he deconstructs a few essays from point of origin to completion. Download audio. (Broadcast date: June 27, 2018)

Marrie Stone chats with the very funny Abbi Waxman, author of Other People's Houses. They talk about the differences between British and American humor and values, and the ways in which problems in other people's marriages can affect our own. Abbi shares how her prior career in copywriting and advertising helps her fiction, and how life experiences can be fodder for her books. In the second half, Kirstin Chen joins to discuss her latest novel, Bury What We Cannot Take. She discusses writing about a time and place not her own, working with unsympathetic characters, the lessons we can take from history, and more. Download audio. (Broadcast date: June 13, 2018)

Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers, joins Marrie Stone for the full hour to talk about her pull towards the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Chicago. She talks about the unexpected origins of the novel, her massive amount of research, and the ways empathy can only take a writer so far. She shares techniques for getting inside a character's skin, managing momentum, and more.  Download audio. (Broadcast date: June 20, 2018)

Sue Halpern, author of Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, joins Marrie Stone to talk about the healing power of libraries and the unlikely friendships made there. They chat about the importance of telling the story only you can tell, allowing the story to tell the writer what it needs, and working with different voices inside a single novel. In the second half of the show, guest host Nicole Nelson talks to Curtis Sittenfeld, author of the new story collection You Think It, I'll Say It about the appeal of characters who are "smart but wrong," letting plot drive characterization, treating endings as an opportunity to open another door, and more. Download audio. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'} (Broadcast date: June 6, 2018)

Christina Lynch, author of The Italian Party and memoirist Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir, spend this penultimate day of May talking about their work with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on Writers on Writing, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: May 30, 2018)

Novelist and short story master Richard Bausch spends the full hour with Marrie Stone talking about his latest collection, Living in the Weather of the World. He talks about his early influences in writing, his connection to poetry, and his approach to the short story. Along the way, he dissects some of the stories in his collection, from first spark to final edit. All the while, he shares his wisdom, recites a little poetry, and even renders the last few stanzas of a song.  Download audio. (Broadcast date: May 23, 2018)

Claire Fuller, author of Swimming Lessons, joins Marrie Stone to chat about her novel, her later-in-life journey to writing, her process and advice. She discusses ways writers can survive the first draft, her revision process, and the intimacy of tucking memorabilia away inside books. Mark Sarvas joins in the second half to discuss his novel, Memento Park. He talks about his research process, how some ideas are made to wait until the right time, dealing with elusive characters, and his love of playing with time in a novel's structure. More information can be found about Mark at his website. He's also on Twitter and Facebook. Download audio. (Broadcast date: May 16, 2018)

Novelist Michael Zadoorian, author of The Leisure Seeker talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about his novel (recently made into a film with Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland). Download audio. (Original broadcast date: March 31, 2010)

Novelist Lisa See, author of the novel, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett for the entire hour about her book, how it came to be, Pu'er tea, and the Akha culture. They also discuss her mother, the late great writer, Carolyn See. The station is in the midst of their annual fund drive. If you've enjoyed the show and listen to it or to the podcast, consider donating. Any amount will do. You can donate online at KUCI.org or call 949 824 5824 if you'd like a premium. Remember to say Writers on Writing is the show you listen to. This year the show is 20 years old and all that time we have volunteered. Thanks so much for helping out.  Download audio. (Broadcast date: May 9, 2018)

Rachel Khong, author of Goodbye, Vitamin, and Julia Fierro, author of The Gypsy Moth Summer join Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to discuss their novels and the art, craft, and business of writing.   Download audio.  (Broadcast date: April 11, 2018)