Novelist Scott Spencer

Scott Spencer, author of An Ocean Without a Shore, discusses his new book, and the art, craft, and business of writing, with host Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

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(Broadcast date: Aug. 19, 2020)

Musical intro/outro by Travis Barrett. Find him on Spotify.

A Panel Discussion of "Alone Together: Love, Grief, & Comfort in the Time of Covid-19" on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM

When the pandemic hit last March, Jennifer Haupt asked herself what she could do in its face to help her literary community. She put out a call to artists—essayists, poets, and authors—asking them to contribute their impressions. Seventy-six people answered her call and Alone Together: Love, Grief, & Comfort in the Time of Covid-19 was born. The artists contributed their work, and all proceeds of the book sales go to benefit BINC (Book Industry Charitable Foundation).

 

Editor and contributor Jennifer Haupt joins Marrie Stone, along with contributors Amber Flame, Robin Black, and Roberto Lovato, to talk about the collection. They discuss not only their own struggles to make artistic sense of this time, but their struggles with being artists of color and how their various backgrounds contributed to their work.

 

What emerges is a frank and sensitive discussion of race, class, and privilege in the time of Covid. 

As a bonus, we're asking writers to contribute their favorite writing prompts and exercises. The following were recommended by this panel:

Robin Black: I like to ask students who their characters are when they aren't in the story being written, when they aren't doing the things the author needs them to do. I'll ask them to write a few pages of some other event in the character's life, incorporating "out of character" facts about them; a couple of neurotic habits the character has; unusual hobbies they might have, and so on  - characteristics that expand the humanity of the character beyond the most stringent needs of the story. I am big these days into going beyond the idea of "necessity" in fiction - especially short fiction - and going for generosity instead. 

Flame:  I’ve been guiding groups with ekphrastic writing - looking or watching another piece of art and then using reaction/responses as a prompt. It’s a good way to get out of your head and personal experience while being in communion with other art forms.

 

Roberto Lovato: My main prompt is the conscious, daily reminder of my commitment to what I'm writing, its integrity, my need to sing and whatever virtuosity I can bring.

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 (Broadcast date: August 26, 2020)

Margot Livesey on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM

Novelist Margot Livesey joins Marrie Stone to talk about her latest, The Boy in the Field. She discusses the draw of writing a coming-of-age novel at this point in her career, her play with police procedurals, her personal connection to her character's quest to find his family of origin, and how she tackled those various points of view. She also talks about how characters off stage, and other minor characters, can motivate action and accelerate plot. This, and so much more, in the conversation.

Margot also contributes this writing prompt to spark your creativity:

One of my jobs, during my brief career as a deputy supermarket manager, was to apprehend shoplifters. I was hopeless at this, in part because most shoplifters were teenagers or senior citizens, and they often stole trivial items.  

So your character, not necessarily an employee of the shop, notices someone—a friend? a stranger?—shoplifting something: a wedge of cheese, a pack of Kleenex.  Write what happens next.

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 (Broadcast date: August 12, 2020)

Novelist Ottessa Moshfegh, Death in Her Hands

Ottessa Moshfegh, author of the new novel, Death in Her Hands, joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to discuss the art, craft, and business of writing.

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(Broadcast date: August 5, 2020)

The intro and outro music is by Travis Barrett. Find more of his work on Spotify!

Lucie Britsch, author of the novel SAD JANET

British novelist Lucie Britsch, author of Sad Janet, talks about writing her debut novel with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett. 

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(Recorded in July 2020)