Jonathan Lethem & Deb Olin Unferth on Writers on Writing

Jonathan Lethem, author of More Alive and Less Lonely: On Books and Writers, joins Marrie to talk about the books and writers he loves, his pen-pal relationship with Thomas Berger, the value of misinterpreting an author's work, some fabulous advice for writers, how to read like a writer, and much much more.

In the second half, Deb Olin Unferth shares her collection, Wait Till You See Me Dance.  She talks about the art of flash fiction, how her experiences in war and prisons influence her writing, but why she never seeks out those experiences to serve her writing, and she deconstructs one of her stories from inception to completion.

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(Broadcast date: April 5, 2017)

Ariel Levy and Caitriona Lally on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM in Irvine

Memoirist and New Yorker writer Ariel Levy joins Marrie Stone to talk about her memoir, The Rules Do Not Apply.  She shares her story of losing her wife, her son, and her life in rapid succession, and deriving a narrative arc out of her life.  She discusses how to dig deep into her life for answers, while protecting the loved ones who appear in her book.

In the second half, Caitriona Lally talks about her debut novel, Eggshells.  She talks about writing an unsavory character, her obsession with lists, how losing her job helped her write the novel, how physical work (housecleaning) aids her writing, and the value of walking her city with her own feet, but with the eyes of her character.

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(Broadcast date: March 15, 2017)