Today, we have something new. This past spring, Annmarie gathered with eight local writers to try a podcasting project. Over the course of six weeks together, they wrote side-by-side, saying YES to whatever stories arose. About friendship and loss, dreams and possibility, parents and belief. These sessions were sometimes tearful and painful, but they were always beautiful. And powerful. Because something important happens when we create in community. In this episode, we share eight short essays. Some folks have been writing for decades. Others are just getting started. All of them have stories to tell.

Episode Sponsors:

Literary Cleveland – Developing writers, amplifying voices, and transforming our community through storytelling. You can explore other voices and discover your own. Search for classes and find your creative community at litcleveland.org.

Mac’s Backs – A proud Cleveland indie bookstore with three floors for browsing, great online service, and chocolate milkshakes right next door. Find your next great read and shop online at macsbacks.com.

Writers Showcased in this Episode:

Alvis Pettker

Tamar Cloyd

Jackie Sliva

T. Lee Peters

Deborah Taddeo

Emily Jaster

L.P.

Amy Alspach

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Crystal Wilkinson is the award-winning author of several books including Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks. She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023, and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor. In today’s episode, Crystal and Annmarie discuss kitchen ghosts, family recipes – including how biscuits need to “kiss,” and the blessings and self-awareness we find in the stories of our ancestors.

Episode Sponsor:

Charis Books and More – An independent feminist bookstore. Charis fosters sustainable feminist communities, works for social justice, and encourages the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. When you spend your money or your time at Charis Books and More, you are investing in the radical belief that multi-racial organizing and movement- building centered in a Southern, queer, feminist, anti-racist practice can

shift culture and change lives and we appreciate your support. Stop by our

Decatur, Georgia store or find us online at charisbooksandmore.com.

BEM | books and more – BEM is a bookstore specializing in food literature of the African Diaspora, inspired by a line of dynamic and brilliant Black women who season with love and spin tales with the best of them. Honoring that legacy and those of Black folks and families across time and place is at the heart of what they do. Food opens a door to life, to sustenance, to love, to politics, and BEM | books and more is thrilled to welcome you into their community to explore it all together. Discover more online at bembrooklyn.com or on their Instagram @bembrooklyn.

Wild Precious Life listeners receive 10% off their orders at BEM | books and more. Just type in the code WILDPRECIOUSLIFE (all one word) when you check out.

Titles Discussed in this Episode:

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, by Crystal Wilkinson

Perfect Black, by Crystal Wilkinson

The Birds of Opulence, by Crystal Wilkinson

Other conversations with Crystal Wilkinson:

PRAISESONG FOR THE KITCHEN GHOSTS: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM FIVE GENERATIONS OF BLACK COUNTRY COOKS

PERFECT BLACK: CRYSTAL WILKINSON IN CONVERSATION WITH KIESE LAYMON

BREATH BETTER SPENT: LIVING BLACK GIRLHOOD--DAMARIS B. HILL IN CONVERSATION WITH CRYSTAL WILKINSON

Follow Crystal Wilkinson:

Instagram: @crystalwilki

Twitter: @crystalwilki

Facebook: @wilkinsoncrystal

crystalewilkinson.net

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Christina Cooke was born in Jamaica and is now a Canadian citizen who lives and writes in New York City. BROUGHTUPSY is her debut novel. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Christina discuss cultural upbringings, the cruelty of children, the joys of weightlifting, and how all humans are complex and contradictory and deserving of love. 

Episode Sponsor:

Zora’s Den – Dedicated to empowering the lives of Black women writers. At Zora’s Den, we host a monthly reading series, conduct workshops, and invite writers to share their work-in-progress for feedback and constructive criticism. Our hope is to build a sisterhood of writers at every level of accomplishment and to strengthen the voices of the unheard and unacknowledged. If you’re a Black woman writer, you’re welcome to join us. Learn more at zorasden.com.

Brain Lair Books – A black-owned, woman-owned children's bookstore located in South Bend, Indiana. At Brain Lair, we partner with local schools and universities to help build an inclusive, welcoming community. We specialize in juvenile and young adult literature written by and for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+, and Disabled communities, as well as adult nonfiction about ending white supremacy, promoting anti-racism, and becoming a social activist. We can help you find the books you need. Drop by or browse online at brainlairbooks.com.

Titles Discussed in this Episode:

BROUGHTUPSY, by Christina Cooke

IMAGINARY HOMELANDS, by Salman Rushdie

WHITE TEETH, by Zadie Smith

It’s All Coming Back to Me Now, by Celine Dion.

Learn more about Louise Bennett, a Jamaican folklorist and poet. 

Follow Christina Cooke:

Instagram: @christina.j.cooke

Twitter: @christinajcooke

www.christinajcooke.com

Photo credit: Eli Jules Photography 

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Sarah Kain Gutowski is the author of Fabulous Beast and along with interdisciplinary artist Meredith Starr, she’s co-creator of Every Second Feels Like Theft, a conversation in cyanotypes and poems, and It's All Too Much, a limited edition podcast and art project. She’s out now with a new book of narrative poetry, The Familiar. In today’s episode, Sarah and Annmarie discuss the ache of literary ambition, how parenthood divides us from ourselves, and how Moonstruck is one of the best movies of all time.

Episode Sponsor:

Zora’s Den – Dedicated to empowering the lives of Black women writers. At Zora’s Den, we host a monthly reading series, conduct workshops, and invite writers to share their work-in-progress for feedback and constructive criticism. Our hope is to build a sisterhood of writers at every level of accomplishment and to strengthen the voices of the unheard and unacknowledged. If you’re a Black woman writer, you’re welcome to join us. Learn more at zorasden.com.

Split Rock Books – A locally-owned, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Split Rock carries a curated selection of new books with a focus on literary fiction and non-fiction, small presses, local interest, and children's books. We host a variety of family programming, book clubs, readings, signings and discussions. And we’re located steps from the Cold Spring train station, which is just over an hour from New York City. Learn more or shop online at splitrockbks.com.

Titles Discussed in this Episode:

The Familiar, by Sarah Kain Gutowski

Fabulous Beast, by Sarah Kain Gutowski 

Kate Bush's album 50 Words for Snow

One of Annmarie and Sarah’s favorite scenes from the movie Moonstruck.

Hills Like White Elephants, a short story by Ernest Hemingway.

​

Follow Sarah Kain Gutowski:

Instagram: @sarahkaingutowski

Twitter: @skgutowski

Facebook: /sarahkaingutowskiauthor

TikTok: @sarahkaingutowski

Email: sarah.kain.gutowski [at] gmail.com

Website: https://www.sarahkaingutowski.com

Photo credit: Priyanca Rao

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Originally from Argentina, Cecilia Gentili came to the U.S. pursuing a safer life as a transgender woman. She lived undocumented for 10 years. After surviving arrests and an immigration detention, she accessed recovery services and won asylum. Cecilia founded Transgender Equity Consulting, which works to ensure all people living on the margins receive dignity and respect. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Cecilia talk about growing up on the margins, emigrating to the United States, and how to love and forgive people who struggle to offer dignity or understanding in return.  

Cecilia Gentili passed away on Feb. 6, 2024. She was 52 years old.

Episode Sponsor:

The Word Is Change – A neighborhood bookstore in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, selling used and new books, hosting readings and meetings, buying books for resale, and supporting visual artists. Come into the store and find the perfect book you were looking for, or the perfect book you didn’t even know you were looking for. And shop online at thewordischange.com.

Titles Discussed in this Episode:

FALTAS, by Cecilia Gentili

Here are links to some of Cecilia’s favorite songs:

Isabel Pantoja singing “Abrásame Muy Fuerte,” (or Hug Me Really Hard.

Gilda singing “No me Arrepiento de este Amor,” (or I Don't Regret This Love). 

Laura Branigan singing “Gloria.” 

Here’s a clip from Cecilia Gentili appearing as Ms. Orlando in POSE.

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Leslie Jamison has written two essay collections, The Empathy Exams and Make It Scream, Make It Burn. She also gained prominence for her critical memoir, The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath. She’s out now with a new book, Splinters, about raising a child during the end of a relationship and the beginning of the pandemic. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Leslie talk about motherhood and how it’s both a mad transformative mystery and a boring daily slog. It’s both the Cheerios ground into the carpet and the love etched into your heart. 

Episode Sponsors:

Greenlight Bookstore – Through knowledgeable staff, curated book selection, community partnerships, and a robust e-commerce website, Greenlight combines the best traditions of the neighborhood bookstore with a forward-looking sensibility, and welcomes readers of every kind to the heart of Brooklyn. Learn more and shop online at greenlightbookstore.com.

Flourish After Forty – A women’s retreat cultivating growth and contentment in midlife. Join facilitators Dr. Shannon Sherfey and Holly Stencil for a weekend of nourishing your body, mind, and spirit. We’ll examine struggles, let go of narratives that do not serve us, and shift our mindset toward blooming in midlife. If you’re looking to step away from stagnation and move into joy and gratitude, check out the Flourish After 40 Women’s Retreat today. Go to tinyurl.com/FlourishAfterForty to learn more.

Titles by Leslie Jamison:

SPLINTERS: ANOTHER KIND OF LOVE STORY

THE EMPATHY EXAMS

MAKE IT SCREAM, MAKE IT BURN

THE RECOVERING: INTOXICATION AND ITS AFTERMATH

THE GIN CLOSET: A NOVEL

Other Titles and Authors Discussed in this Episode:

Easy Beauty, by Chloé Cooper Jones

Flight, by Lynn Steger Strong

Here’s a trailer for the latest season of Love Island.

Follow Leslie Jamison:

Twitter: @lsjamison

www.lesliejamison.com

Photo credit: Beowulf Sheehan

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Angeline Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She is a former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education and is the author of two bestselling novels, Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed. In today’s episode, Angeline and Annmarie talk about the need to protect and celebrate indigenous artifacts, cultures, and stories.

Episode Sponsors:

Brain Lair Books – A black-owned, woman-owned children's bookstore located in South Bend, Indiana. At Brain Lair, we partner with local schools and universities to help build an inclusive, welcoming community. We specialize in juvenile and young adult literature written by and for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+, and Disabled communities, as well as adult nonfiction about ending white supremacy, promoting anti-racism, and becoming a social activist. We can help you find the books you need. Drop by or browse online at brainlairbooks.com.

International Writers' Collective – The Collective offers fiction and poetry workshops online and in the Netherlands and a vibrant international community to support you in your writing goals. Many students view their program as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to an MFA. Learn more and find a class at internationalwriterscollective.com.

Titles and Authors Discussed in This Episode:

The Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley

Warrior Girl Unearthed, by Angeline Boulley

House Party, edited by justin a. reynolds

Yellowface, by R.F. Kwon

The Shadow Sister, by Lily Mead 

Promise Boys, by Nick Brooks

The Only Good Indians, Stephen Graham Jones.

Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger

English-Cayuga/Cayuga-English Dictionary, by Frances Froman, Alfred J. Keye, Lottie Keye, and Carrie J. Dyck

Here’s a sneak peak of the movie Interstellar.

Follow Angeline Boulley:

Instagram: @angelineboulley

Twitter: @FineAngeline

Facebook: @angelineboulleyauthor

Angelineboulley.com

Photo credit: Marcella Hadden

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Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Athena Dixon is a poet, essayist, and editor. She is the author of The Loneliness Files, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, and No God In This Room, winner of the Intersectional Midwest Chapbook Contest. In this episode, Annmarie and Athena talk about mental health, women who die alone, and how having loneliness in common might just be the connection we need to take better care of one another.

Episode Sponsors:

A Novel Idea – A community-minded bookstore and event space in East Passyunk, Philadelphia. At A Novel Idea, we hope to create and foster a space of diversity and inclusivity, and we want to help our customers fall in love with books, either for the first time or the millionth. More than anything, our goal is to cultivate community. Stop in or shop online at anovelideaphilly.com.

Zora’s Den – Dedicated to empowering the lives of Black women writers. At Zora’s Den, we host a monthly reading   series, conduct workshops, and invite writers to share their work-in-progress for feedback and constructive criticism. Our hope is to build a sisterhood of writers at every level of accomplishment and to strengthen the voices of the unheard and unacknowledged. If you’re a Black woman writer, you’re welcome to join us. Learn more at zorasden.com.

Titles Discussed in This Episode:

The Loneliness Files, by Athena Dixon

The Incredible Shrinking Woman, by Athena Dixon

No God in This Room, by Athena Dixon

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, by John Koenig

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Here’s a sneak peak of the movie Goodfellas.

Here’s the video for Hollywood by Victoria Monét.

Follow Athena Dixon:

Instagram: @the_muse_paper

Twitter: @AthenaDDixon

Facebook: @athenadevondixon

athenadixon.com

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Olga Mecking is a writer, journalist, and translator based in the Netherlands, and she’s the reporter who made Niksen (“doing nothing”) go viral. Her New York Times article on the subject was shared over 100,000 times. In this episode, Annmarie and Olga talk about the health and creativity benefits of doing nothing and why it is that pauses, rests, and breaks too often feel out of reach for our overworked selves.

Episode Sponsors:

The American Book Center – Booksellers with a personal touch. This family-owned bookstore, opened in 1972, has been quirky, friendly and knowledgeable from the start, and just counting our present staff, we represent more than 700 years of combined bookselling experience. Our Amsterdam location is often listed as one of the Ten Most beautiful Bookshops in the World, and our stores are highly rated for assortment and personal service. Drop by to touch and smell the books, or shop online at abc.nl.

International Writers' Collective – The Collective offers fiction and poetry workshops online and in the Netherlands and a vibrant international community to support you in your writing goals. Many students view their program as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to an MFA. Learn more and find a class at internationalwriterscollective.com.

Titles Discussed in This Episode:

Niksen: The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing, by Olga Mecking

One Chance in a Thousand: A Holocaust Memoir, by Jan Balicki and Olga Mecking

Here’s the trailer for FLASHDANCE.

Here’s the video for YELLOW SUBMARINE by the Beatles.

Follow Olga Mecking:

Instagram: @olgamecking

Twitter: @OlgaMecking

Facebook: @OlgaMeckingWriter

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Prince Shakur’s debut memoir, When They Tell You to Be Good, is a political and personal exploration of his coming of age as a writer and activist. In this episode, Laura Maylene Walter talks to Prince Shakur about how race and identity shaped his formative years, how journaling providing him with a creative outlet, his experience with activism and protest, the challenges he faced in the publishing industry, and working with Hanif Abdurraqib as his editor at Tin House Books, and more.

Follow Page Count

Follow Laura Maylene Walter

Follow Prince Shakur

Instagram: @sweetblackprince

Twitter: @prshakur

YouTube: @PrinceShakurYouTube

www.princeshakur.com

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Alejandro Varela is the author of THE TOWN OF BABYLON, a finalist for the National Book Award, and THE PEOPLE WHO REPORT MORE STRESS, which The New York Times called “a master class in analyzing the unspoken” and praised Varela for shedding light on complex societal problems with “seemingly effortless wit and empathy." Varela has a Master’s Degree in Public Health, and believes strongly in reparations, land back, a national health service, and a $36 minimum wage pegged to inflation. In this episode, Annmarie and Alejandro talk about social justice, online dating, and whether writing fiction can help foster the collective liberation of our society.

Episode Sponsors:

The Word Is Change – A neighborhood bookstore in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, selling used and new books, hosting readings and meetings, buying books for resale, and supporting visual artists. Come into the store and find the perfect book you were looking for, or the perfect book you didn’t even know you were looking for. And shop online at thewordischange.com.

Greenlight Bookstore – Through knowledgeable staff, curated book selection, community partnerships, and a robust e-commerce website, Greenlight combines the best traditions of the neighborhood bookstore with a forward-looking sensibility, and welcomes readers of every kind to the heart of Brooklyn. Learn more and shop online at greenlightbookstore.com.

Titles Discussed in This Episode:

THE TOWN OF BABYLON, by Alejandro Varela 

THE PEOPLE WHO REPORT MORE STRESS, by Alejandro Varela

FALTAS: LETTERS TO EVERYONE IN MY HOMETOWN WHO ISN’T MY RAPIST, by Cecilia Gentili

Here’s the trailer for PAST LIVES.

Follow Alejandro Varela:

Instagram: @drovarela

Twitter: @drovarela

alejandrovarela.work

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