Gary Phillips, One-Shot Harry

Gary Phillips, author of One-Shot Harry, is my guest. Gary has been a community activist, labor organizer and has published various novels, comics, short stories as well as editing several anthologies including Orange County Noir (which is how we met; I have a story in the Akashic anthology) and the award-winning The Obama Inheritance: Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir. Violent Spring, first published in 1994 was named in 2020 one of the essential crime novels of Los Angeles. He was a senior story editor on FX’s Snowfall, about crack and the CIA in 1980s South Central where he grew up. His newest novel is One-Shot Harry, which has been receiving quite a bit of love from the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere. On the show we discuss why he set his novel in the early 60s, loglines, creating a photographer protagonist, and so much more. 

Download audio. 

(Recorded on May 5, 2022) 

Music and sound design by Travis Barrett 

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: www.penonfire.com 

Marrie Stone: www.marriestone.com 

Travis Barrett: https://travisbarrett.mykajabi.com

Find Writers on Writing on Patreon and become a Patron!

Robert Kerbeck, author of Ruse: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street

Robert Kerbeck joins Marrie Stone to talk about his memoir, Ruse: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street. From corporate espionage to uncomfortable encounters with O.J. Simpson, Kevin Spacey and others, Kerbeck weaves an incredible tale of deception and redemption, peppered with Forrest Gump-like brushes with fame. 

Kerbeck shares both his incredible story, as well as mounds of writing advice and publishing wisdom—from the benefits of reading plays to insights on how to market your book after publication. Memoir writers will take away insights on how to treat chapters as short stories, the benefits of writing short and tight, how writing groups can help your career, the critical role of networking and more.

Download audio. 

(Recorded on March 11, 2022)
(Podcast on May 9, 2022)

Visit our Patreon page here for additional benefits. 

Music and sound design by Travis Barrett
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: www.penonfire.com
Marrie Stone: www.marriestone.com
Travis Barrett: https://travisbarrett.mykajabi.com

Poet Kim Dower, I Wore This Dress for You, Mom (Red Hen Press)

Kim Dower, West Hollywood poet laureate, instructor at UCLA Extension and Antioch LA, and book publicist, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her latest volume, I Wore This Dress for You, Mom (Red Hen Press). They talk about inspiration, on not getting an MFA, what to do when you hit a wall, and more.

Download audio.  

(Recorded in April 2022) 

Music and sound design by Travis Barrett 

Visit our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/writersonwriting

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: www.penonfire.com 

Marrie Stone: www.marriestone.com 

Travis Barrett: https://travisbarrett.mykajabi.com

Annie Hartnett, author of "Unlikely Animals"

Annie Hartnett, author of the 2017 novel Rabbit Cake, returns with what The Millions calls "One of the most anticipated books of 2022." Part mystical, part mystery, Unlikely Animals is filled with quirky characters, problematic animals, and chatty ghosts. 

Hartnett joins Marrie Stone to talk about the importance of following your obsessions and establishing a strong writing routine, as well as good tips on how to do it. (Hint: check out this article by Aimee Bender.) Hartnett also talks about mistakes she made in finding an agent and how to avoid them. Perhaps best of all, she shares some insightful tips for how to approach the revision process. 

Download audio.  

(Recorded on April 7, 2022)
(Broadcast on April 24, 2022)

Writers on Writing is now available on Patreon. Check out our fun perks and special offers for members. For the first ten patrons who join, we're offering the benefits of the next highest tier for one month.

Music and sound design by Travis Barrett 

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: www.penonfire.com 

Marrie Stone: www.marriestone.com 

Travis Barrett: https://travisbarrett.mykajabi.com

T. Jefferson Parker, A Thousand Steps

T. Jefferson Parker, author of the new novel, A Thousand Steps (Forge) talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about the book he's wanted to write for years, finding his voice, rituals, and more. 

This interview was originally recorded as a Sisters in Crime Zoom event (which was Zoom-bombed, but that's another story). If you'd like to view the interview (minus the Zoom-bomb), visit YouTube and search out the Sisters in Crime Orange County channel.

Download audio. 

We are now on Patreon. If you're a loyal listener and would like to show your appreciation, any amount helps. Visit Patreon.

(Recorded in March and April, 2022) 

Music and sound design by Travis Barrett 

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: www.penonfire.com

 

Marrie Stone: www.marriestone.com 

Travis Barrett: https://travisbarrett.mykajabi.com