Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley
1,100 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsFinding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing!
Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even.
For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there.
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Episodes
[Julie Gerstenblatt, practical matters]: On writing novels that will never be published + stepping out into a new genre Ep 1098
June 24, 2024 09:00 - 23 minutesThis week I am talking with Julie Gerstenblatt, whose debut novel, “Daughters of Nantucket,” came out last year and was included in several most anticipated lists for 2023. Prior to writing novels, Julie was a middle school English teacher and earned her PhD so that she could teach at the college level, but she ended up leaving teaching because she wanted to be a novelist. (Her story of how she admitted this desire to herself–and her advisors–during her PhD dissertation is incredible!) We cov...
[Lisa Tener: what’s coming up]: The simple shift that “makes life juicier” + a recipe for Lisa’s all-time favorite tea Ep 1097
June 21, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn this final installment of my conversation with award-winning book coach (who has helped dozens and dozens and dozens of experts get five- and six-figure book deals) and author of the brand-new book “Breathe. Write. Breathe.” Lisa Tener, we get a look at what’s coming up for her, and she answers my fast five final questions. Wa talked about: The trippy experience of re-reading something you first encountered years ago and having a completely new and different take on it How discovering Sark...
[Lisa Tener, inner stuff]: Practical ways to get out of the fear of not making enough money + embracing surrender Ep 1096
June 19, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn this second part of my interview with Lisa Tener–award-winning book coach and author of the brand-new “Breath. Write. Breathe.”--we get into the squishier parts of writing. Warning, this part of our conversation is super juicy! Not in a sexy way, but in a “wow I’m really thinking differently about stuff that’s been plaguing me forever” kind of way. You’ll learn: Her least favorite part about promoting her work, and how she works with that resistance Finding the right balance between taking...
[Lisa Tener, practical matters]: The tools that help Lisa get her writing done + an easy and fun physical exercise that gets you in the flow Ep 1095
June 17, 2024 09:00 - 22 minutesThis week I am talking with award-winning book coach and award-winning author–of the books The Joy of Writing Journal and the brand-new Breathe.Write. Breathe.--Lisa Tener. Lisa served on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School’s continuing education course on writing and publishing books for over a dozen years. And she has helped hundreds of experts and thought leaders write and publish their books and secure five and six figure book deals. I was so happy and honored to write the foreword ...
[Donna Russo, what’s coming up]: How to keep writing fresh (11 books in) + a love song to lobster Ep 1094
June 14, 2024 09:00 - 20 minutesIn this third and final installment of my interview with Donna Russo, author of “Vincent's Women, the Untold Story of the Loves of Vincent Van Gogh,” as well as 10 other award-winning and internationally bestselling historical novels, we get a peek at what’s coming up next for her and she answers my fast five questions about what she’s stayed up too late reading and watching. How she’s feeling now that she’s on the verge of becoming a grandmother A sneak peek at her next book, which is alread...
[Donna Russo, inner stuff]: How to get yourself psyched to start a new project + stay steady through the pre-release nerves Ep 1093
June 12, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn this second part of my conversation with Donna Russo, author of “Vincent's Women: the Untold Story of the Loves of Vincent van Gogh, as well as 10 other award winning and internationally best selling historical novels, we explore the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that influence her work. We talked about: Why the time period just before your book comes out is the most nerve-wracking, “like walking out naked and the world gets to comment” The thrill of being in the same room as a group of y...
[Donna Russo, practical matters]: Writing through trauma + taking yourself seriously as a writer in a culture that doesn’t value artists Ep 1092
June 10, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutesUp this week is Donna Russo, an internationally best-selling author of 11 multiple award winning historical novels, including “Gilded Dreams” and “Gilded Summers”, a trio of books about Leonardo da Vinci, including “Portrait of a Conspiracy,” “The Competition,” and “The Flames of Florence.” Her newest book, “Vincent’s Women” is just out, and tells the story of everyone's favorite tortured artist through the lens of the women in his life. (I have to point out Vincent's women managed to get 4. ...
[Marlon Weems, what's next]: Manifesting an appearance on "Good Morning America" + the two wildly different songs that get Marlon moving Ep 1091
June 07, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutesIn part three of my interview with Marlon Weems, author of the prize-winning essay "How Starting an Investment Business Almost Landed Me in Federal Prison" and founder of The Journeyman Substack, where he covers American culture and anti-Black racism, we get a peek at where his throughline is leading him next. I had to leave out the meandering and enlightening and fun conversation we had about the upcoming presidential election, but now we're thinking about starting a separate podcast on that...
[Marlon Weems, inner stuff]: Turns out growing up Black in the South in the 60s is excellent training for writing about topics that tend to invite trolls Ep 1090
June 05, 2024 16:37 - 18 minutesIn this second part of my interview with Marlon Weems, founder of The Journeyman newsletter on Substack, where he covers American culture, anti-Black racism, and growing up Black in the Deep South, we talk about the mindset side of writing, including: - The best place to look for your closing paragraph - How having to make cold calls for a living is excellent training for dealing with (read: ignoring) trolls - The story of how he almost went to federal prison after getting entangled with some...
[Marlon Weems, practical matters]: Writing in odd places, at odd times, using only your phone Ep 1089
June 05, 2024 16:34 - 23 minutesThis week I am talking with Marlon Weems, a former Wall Street trader who started his career in finance in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he founded the first Black-owned asset management firm and the first Black-owned venture capital firm in the state. Since leaving the industry in 2012, Marlon has transitioned to writing. His essay, "How Starting an Investment Firm Almost Landed Me in Federal Prison, was named one of the best stories of 2023 on Medium. Marlon now writes about American culture...
[Shannon Watts, what's next]: Being OK with not exactly knowing what's coming up next + the recipe for the perfect cup of coffee Ep 1088
May 31, 2024 09:00 - 11 minutesIn this final part of my interview with Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts, we get a look at what's coming up for her--and how that might not involve being in the public eye at all after 11 years of being 'the tip of the spear' as a common sense gun law advocate. I also ask her what's she's reading, watching, listening to, drinking in her morning cup, and what she'd have for dinner tonight if she could have anything in the world. We talked about: - Her voracious love of podcasts (includ...
[Shannon Watts, inner stuff]: When your inner critic is terrified you'll come off as corny or woo-woo + taking aim at mom guilt Ep 1087
May 29, 2024 09:00 - 23 minutesIn the second part of my interview with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, author of "Fight Like a Mother, and host of the Substack newsletter "Playing with Fire" (where she addresses overlooked topics head on, such as ADHD in women and girls and the benefits of hormone therapy for relief of menopause symptoms), we get into the mindset side of writing. We covered: - Reckoning with the enormity of needing to produce 60,000+ words for a book - The "small miracle" or crystallizing a t...
[Shannon Watts, practical matters]: The Facebook post heard 'round the world, the upsides of ADHD, and a standing desk fail Ep 1086
May 27, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesThis week I am talking with badass advocate, author, Substacker, and "summoner of women's audacity," Shannon Watts. Shannon is the founder of Moms Demand Action, the grassroots movement for common sense gun reform that grew to include more than 10 million members who have helped pass over 500 gun safety laws across the country. She's also the author of "Fight Like a Mother", and her opinion pieces have been published in the Washington Post, Elle, Time, and more. Shannon has also been named Gl...
[Eric Jay Dolin, part 3: what's next]: Visualizing selling 500,000 copies + why chicken parm is the perfect food Ep 1085
May 24, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutesIn the final part of my interview with maritime history author Eric Jay Dolin, we get a tantalizing look at his next book, which he's working on now, about a shipwreck in the Pacific that involves a clash of East and West. We also covered: - Why his kids hate going to museums with him - Using a desire to travel as motivation for selling more books - The PBS show Eric considers comfort viewing - Why Friday is the perfect day - The bachelor meal he makes whenever his wife is out of town Visit E...
[Eric Jay Dolin, part 2: inner stuff]: Riding that balance of being grateful for the audience you have, while also hoping to grow it Ep 1084
May 22, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn the second part of my conversation with Eric Jay Dolin, (author of "Left for Dead," a true story about a captain of a sealing ship who was marooned on the Falkland Islands for 18 months in the early 1800s), we talk about the squishier side of writing, including dealing with your inner critic, getting through the parts of sharing your work that you'd really rather avoid, and managing your own expectations for how many copies your book will sell while also doing what you can to sell as many ...
[Eric Jay Dolin, part 1: practical matters]: A path to writing that is lined with sea shells and diplomas Ep 1083
May 20, 2024 09:00 - 27 minutesCalling all lovers of true tales about the sea! This week I'm talking with Eric J. Dolin, bestselling author of numerous books that explore some aspect of American history, generally as it relates to the sea. His latest book is "Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World." Eric has a really interesting through line that started with him studying to be a marine biologist, then morphed into studying environmental policy, and includes a big list of cool, interesti...
[Kate Schapira, what's next]: Finding ways to share your work with more people that feel good, helpful, and nourishing (not like selling or marketing) Ep 1082
May 17, 2024 09:00 - 13 minutesIn this final section of my conversation with "Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth," Kate Schapira, we cover: - Finding ways to bring her work to groups that are already gathering for another reason (hint: need to a professional development speaker or workshop leader to talk on working with climate anxiety?) - Using the concept of cross-pollenization as a guiding principle - The writers whose work has changed Kate's life - The books, beverage, and songs that Kate can't get enoug...
[Kate Schapira, inner stuff]: Getting comfortable with the vulnerability of "telling the truth and showing your butt" in your writing Ep 1081
May 15, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutesIn this second part of my conversation with Kate Schapira, author of "Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth," we cover the squishier parts of writing, including: - The process of deciding just how vulnerable to be in your writing - The emotional difference between writing poetry and writing prescriptive non-fiction - How her inner critic is a salty SOB - How a writing group holds you accountable to write despite what your inner critic is telling you - A peek inside the mechanics a...
[Kate Schapira, practical matters]: How one act of inspiration (mixed with desperation) turned in to a book + dealing with climate anxiety Ep 1080
May 13, 2024 09:00 - 22 minutesThis week I'm talking with Kate Schapira, author of "Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth," which takes readers through the practical skills and emotional shifts needed to navigate our way to a more livable future. Kate is also the author of six books of poetry, and her prose has appeared in The Rumpus, The Toast, and other places. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, where she teaches nonfiction writing at Brown University. And fun fact about Kate, she has never met a tide poo...
[Jacquelyn Mitchard, what's next]: Owning your jealousy of other writers + gobs of amazing book recommendations Ep 1079
May 10, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutesIn part three of my conversation with multiple New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of "A Very Inconvenient Scandal" and "The Deep End of the Ocean," among many other titles, we talk about how having writer friends is so important, even if you "jealous them", the vision of the future that's fueling her to keep writing, and the recent books that made her swoon. - The writers--and books--that make Jacquelyn jealous (a word that she uses as a verb, as in, "I'm jealousing ...
[Jacquelyn Mitchard, inner stuff]: Cultivating the relationship between author and reader when "every sentence is a struggle" Ep 1078
May 08, 2024 09:00 - 22 minutesIn this second part of my interview with the brilliant and hilarious Jacquelyn Mitchard, we talk about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: - The specific reader Jacquelyn imagines as she writes - Why she's devoted to social media, and why she thinks of it like having a hamster - How some of her books have 'missed the mark' (but she's not going to tell you which ones) - The pep talk that...
[Jacquelyn Mitchard, practical matters]: On deleting Oprah Winfrey's VMs + writing a book, one sentence at a time Ep 1077
May 06, 2024 09:00 - 22 minutesThis week I am thrilled to be talking with Jacquelyn Mitchard, the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels for adults and teenagers. Her newest novel is "A Very Inconvenient Scandal," and her first novel, "The Deep End of the Ocean" was the first selection of the Oprah Winfrey book club and has sold more than 3 million copies and been translated into 34 languages. We covered: - How losing her husband in her late thirties put her on a quest to publish a novel "to prove that I could have...
[Sari Botton: what's next]: The magic combination of reverence and irreverence Ep 1076
May 03, 2024 09:00 - 13 minutesIn the final installment of my interview with generous and prolific writing goddess Sari Botton (she publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism on Substack, authored And You May Find Yourself: Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen X Weirdo, Goodbye to All That, and Never Can Say Goodbye, and was the essays editor at Longreads), we talk about what's coming up next for her, as well as her favorite shows, books, songs, time, and food. - What projects she’s dreaming about ...
[Sari Botton, inner stuff]: Bucket lists, the subconscious desire for permission, and clogs Ep 1075
May 01, 2024 09:00 - 16 minutesIn part two of my interview with Sari Botton, founder of Oldster Magazine and author of And You May Find Yourself: Confessions of a Gen X Weirdo, we dive deep into the inner stuff, including: - Her favorite part of sharing her work with the world - How she navigates the ethics of including other people in her personal writing - How her inner critic loves to tell her she doesn’t haven’t permission to write about what she wants to write about—and how she gets past it - How getting older, and de...
[Sari Botton, practical matters]: The power of curiosity + to-do list trickery Ep 1074
April 29, 2024 09:00 - 16 minutesSari Botton is the author of And You May Find Yourself: Confessions of a Late-Blooming, Gen-X Weirdo and Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York. She's also the creator of Oldster, a Substack newsletter devoted to exploring the joys of getting older. (Her Oldster questionnaire was a direct inspiration for my starting this podcast.) Sari was my first ever guest on Finding the Throughline--I'm replaying her episodes this week. - The continuing ed class she took as a 20-somet...
[Sonya Huber: What’s coming up]: Ep 1073
April 26, 2024 09:00 - 13 minutesIn this final part of my interview with Sonya Huber, professor at Fairfield University and author of Voice First: A Writer’s Manifesto, we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions. We talked about: Her beautiful vision of the future include a possible memoir of living with anxiety and… goat writing retreats! Sonya’s four aunts who were nuns and role models for living a joyous, industrious life The classic short stories Sonya reads and re-re...
[Sonya Huber, inner stuff]: How your personal writing can deepen your relationships + how not to hate writing Ep 1072
April 24, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes[Sonya Huber, inner stuff]: How your personal writing can deepen your relationships + how not to hate writing In this episode I'm talking with Sonya Huber, author of eight books including Voice First: A Writer’s Manifesto and professor in the low-residency MFA at Fairfield University about the mindset piece of writing–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: Ways to handle the anxiety that comes when in the months before yo...
[Sonya Huber, practical matters]: Secrets to having a healthy relationship with writing Ep 1071
April 22, 2024 09:00 - 22 minutesThis week I am interviewing Sonia Huber, a prolific and award winning writer in many genres, but primarily in creative nonfiction. Her book of essays on chronic pain, Pain Woman Takes Your Keys and Other Essays from a Nervous System was named a best book of 2018 by The New Statesman. Her other books include Love and Industry (2023), Voice First: A Writer's Manifesto (2022) and Supremely Tiny Acts (2021). Her essays have been included in the Best American Essays series numerous times. And she ...
[Joanne McNeil: What’s coming up]: “I just want to make writing part of my life throughout my life” Ep 1070
April 19, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutesIn this final part of my interview with Joanne McNeill, author of Wrong Way (a novel set in the near future at a company that manages driverless cars) and Lurking (a non-fiction look at the history of the internet from a user’s perspective), we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions. We talked about: The novel The Lodgers by Holly Pester, about the housing crisis, and how it hurts a little bit every time she has to put it down because it’...
[Joanne McNeil, inner stuff]: Owning your outsider status + “doing what I can do with with the tools that I have” Ep 1069
April 17, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn this episode I'm talking with Joanne McNeil, author of Wrong Way (a novel set in the near future at a company that manages driverless cars) and Lurking (a non-fiction look at the history of the internet from a user’s perspective), about the inner workings of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs that either help you do your work, or get in the way. Warning, there’s a tiny bit of cursing and a mention of sexual harassment in the workplace–not a specific story, but just the topic in ge...
[Joanne McNeil, practical matters]: On finding your ambition and building your own opportunities + a Trader Joe’s shopping list for fueling your writing Ep 1068
April 15, 2024 09:00 - 20 minutesThis week I am talking with journalist, essayist, and novelist, Joanne McNeil. Joanne's first novel Wrong Way came out in 2023. It's a sci-fi novel set in the near future that takes a look at the intersection of the gig economy and big tech and is both satirical and touching–it also made a lot of lists of the best books of 2023 and The New Yorker called it “a literary sneak attack on the very idea of 'the future.'” Joanne's first book, Lurking, is a nonfiction look at the history of the inter...
[Hayley Krischer: What’s coming up]: What she’s recently learned about understanding her character’s psyches + the incredible allure of hot tubs Ep 1067
April 12, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutesIn this final part of my interview with Hayley Krischer, journalist and author of the soon-to-be-released “Where Are You, Echo Blue?” we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions. We talked about: The incredible allure of hot tubs How re-watching “The Actor’s Studio with James Lipton” was a key part of her research process for “Where Are You, Echo Blue?” What she learned from studying actors about getting in to the psychology of her characte...
[Hayley Krischer, inner stuff]: True confessions about how “horrible” writing can feel + why–and how–she wrote her next novel in longhand Ep 1066
April 10, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutesIn this episode I'm talking with Hayley Krischer, author of the upcoming “Where Are You, Echo Blue?”, which is poised to be the beach read of the summer, about the squishier side of creativity– including: The steps Hayley takes–and the tools she uses–to immerse herself in the world of her novels and inside her characters’ psyches What she does when she’s feeling stuck How good it feels when you connect with someone who loved your work in the real world The YA author Hayley fan-girled all over...
[Hayley Krischer, Practical Matters]: The power of just keeping going + how to capture those great ideas that come when you’re not at your desk Ep 1065
April 08, 2024 09:00 - 23 minutesThis week I am talking with journalist and novelist Haley Krischer. Haley's journalism has won awards and appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and Elle, among other places. She has profiled celebrities like Tatum O'Neill and Celine Dion and Gabrielle Union, and she's reported on trends through a feminist lens. Haley's first two novels were for young adults: “Something Happened to Allie Greenleaf” and “The Falling Girls.” This summer, her first adult novel...
[Jennifer Fink: What’s coming up]: The lure of leaving it all behind and becoming a flight attendant + the Post-It note sayings that light the path Ep 1064
April 05, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutesIn part three of my conversation with author of Building Boys, Jennifer Fink, we talk about the mind trip that is beginning to envision retirement. I have to point out that this is the third interview in a row where my guest mentions that they have a phrase written on a Post-It note hanging above their computer monitor. In addition to sharing what she’s written on her Post-It notes (plural–there are two), Jennifer shares some of her go to shows, snacks, and songs. The lure of leaving it all b...
[Jennifer Fink, inner stuff]: Dealing with internalized trolls + aqua aerobics! Ep 1063
April 03, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn this episode I'm talking with Jennifer about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: Finding the inspiration to write about controversial subjects in today’s age of nasty comments and trolling Jennifer’s trick for keeping herself accountable and not avoiding writing about the hard stuff The power of talking to other writers The things her inner critic says, and how it gets louder when sh...
[Jennifer Fink, Practical Matters]: Writing what you know + the book she found at the library that launched her writing career EP 1062
April 01, 2024 09:00 - 23 minutesToday I am talking with Jennifer Fink, an award winning freelance writer who covers parenting, education, and health for magazines and websites. started her career as a registered nurse, but shortly after her oldest son, and as you'll find out, she has four boys, pivoted to writing full time. Her most recent book is called Building Boys, Raising Great Guys in a World that Misunderstands Males. She is also the co host of the podcast “On Boys,” which covers, you guessed it, real talk about pare...
[Antonia Angress: What’s coming up]: “I aspire to get to a place where I can be a hermit and let my work stand on its own” Ep 1061
March 29, 2024 09:00 - 16 minutesIn this final part of my interview with Antonia Angress, author of "Sirens & Muses," we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions. We talked about: - The novels about motherhood Antonia is reading to prepare for when her baby is born - The pressure on young women authors to be likable, available, and approachable - The two writers Antonia looks to for inspiration on being successful while “resisting the machinations of publicity that can dev...
[Antonia Angress, inner stuff]: Throwing away the work that isn’t working + adapting to the public speaking side of being a writer Ep 1060
March 27, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutesIn this episode I'm talking with Antonia about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: - The part of the writing process that Antonia relishes - The specific point in the book-writing process where Antonia focuses on making her sentences pretty - How she only kept “a few paragraphs” from the first draft of her second novel (!!) - Adapting to the public speaking portion of being a writer - T...
[Antonia Angress, Practical Matters]: The self-doubt that never goes away, and how to keep writing despite it Ep 1059
March 25, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesThis week I am talking to writer Antonia Angress. Antonia is the author of "Sirens & Muses," which starts off as a campus novel set at a New England art school, but then blooms into an exploration of the intersection of home and belonging versus individualism and seeking to stand out, set in the New York City art scene during the Occupy Wall Street era. "Sirens & Muses" was named one of the best books of the year by Glamour Magazine and won the Minnesota Book Award, and Antonia was recently n...
[Daisy Alpert Florin, what’s coming up]: “I really do feel that having done the work of raising kids that now really anything is possible for me.” Ep 1058
March 22, 2024 09:00 - 14 minutesIn this final part of my interview with Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year, we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions. We talked about: The mega pop star who makes Daisy “want to get back to the page” Daisy’s role models who show her how to “just keep getting up and keep going” The benefits of being a mom to teenagers The song by said mega pop star that gets Daisy riled up (in a good way) The hardest question of them all...
[Daisy Alpert Florin, inner stuff]: “Cloaking yourself” in fiction + getting over the idea that you don’t have the right pedigree Ep 1057
March 20, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutesIn today’s portion of my interview with Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year, we talk about the mindset side of creating. (Honestly, these are always my favorite episodes!) We covered: How you can “cloak” your story by writing fiction–incorporating the feelings of things you’ve experienced if not the exact experiences themselves Worrying that people are sick of hearing you talk Getting over the voice that says “you don’t have the proper training to write a novel” What’s on the...
[Daisy Alpert Florin, practical matters]: “Writing in to the abyss,” setting “super low goals” + finding your rhythm Ep 1056
March 18, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutesDaisy Alpert Florin, author of a book I truly adored, My Last Innocent Year, about a young woman in her last year of college, which is recently out in paperbook and–hot tip–would make an excellent book group pick. My Last Innocent Year was a New York Times Book Reviews Editor's Choice and Good Morning America called it one of those stories that stays with you. I've had the pleasure of being on a writing retreat with Daisy and getting to know her both in person and on the page.And I am very ex...
[Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 3]: The joy of going down a research wormhole, a preview of her second memoir ) + matcha latte mustaches Ep 1055
March 15, 2024 09:00 - 20 minutesA preview of her second memoir, which has a central theme of earthquakes, both the geological variety and the personal kind (it sounds amazing I cannot wait) The allure of folk tales and fairy tales The joy of going down a research wormhole Nada’s current wormholes–turtle migration, and early African-American history in Rhode Island Getting over the very human desire for external validation Nada’s beautiful vision of a free Palestine The YA novels Nada can’t put down Oat milk matcha lattes (a...
[Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 2]: Reader feedback as creative rocketfuel, being the only Arab-American kid around + astrology talk! Ep 1054
March 13, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutesIn this episode I'm talking with Netta about what I call inner stuff, the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: The process of her least favorite part of writing (sharing her work) becoming her most favorite part The type of reader feedback that fills her heart and lights her up and fuels her to create Feeling out of step with the world–and being OK with that Being the only Arab kid around in the 90s Nada’s plea–that we wake...
[Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 1]: Writing by feeling vs. knowing, pandemic productivity + the importance of getting out of the house Ep 1053
March 11, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutesNada Samih-Rotondo is a multi-genre Palestinian-American writer, teacher, and mother, who recently published her first book, a memoir called All Water Has Perfect Memory. Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, Nada immigrated to the U.S. at the age of six to Rhode Island. Her work has been published in the The Master's Review, Squat! Birth Journal, and Gulfstream Literary Magazine. Nada and I are talking on a school holiday because she is a teacher and I am so grateful that she made time for ...
[Chelsey Goodan, part 3: Owning your weird self as a way to find your people and your path] Ep 1052
March 08, 2024 10:00 - 15 minutesIn this final installment of my talk with Chelsey Goodan, author of Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls, we talk a lot about the many, many perks of embracing your particular brand of weirdness, as well as: The power of friends to keep you inspired What teens AND adults can do to find their people and make meaningful friendships The payoff that comes from paying attention to what in your life needs to change Using a milestone birthday–even one that’s a ways off–as fuel Chel...
[Chelsey Goodan, part 2: Balancing ambition with knowing you’re already enough + a super helpful skill-assessment tool] Ep 1051
March 06, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutesIn part 2 of my interview with Chelsey Goodan, author of Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls, we really break down the inner parts of writing, including how to be OK with the fact that people may misunderstand you. Other things we cover: The mistake most well-intentioned parents make How Chelsey deals with her biggest fear about her work–being misunderstood Dealing with a perfectionistic inner critic Chelsey’s “intense” relationship to time The one cultural belief Chesley wo...
[Chelsey Goodan], part 1: What teens really need from adults + keeping track of inspired ideas + the most delightful way to meditate Ep 1050
March 04, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutesThis week I’m talking with Chelsey Goodan, author, keynote speaker, and screenwriter whose new book Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls is coming out any minute now! As the mom of a 16-year-old girl, I just didn’t even think twice about inviting Chelsey on to Finding the Throughline. I literally read the title of her book and was like YES. In this first part of our interview, we unpack: The seeds of self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and people pleasing that are sown during the ...
[Sarah Montana, Part 3]: The art of the ask, finding the right role models, and “horn-y” music Ep 1049
March 01, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutesIn this final installment of interview with memoirist, speaker, and screenwriter Sarah Montana, we dive into where’s she’s headed–who her role models are, what’s perking up her ears, and how she’s taking what she learned as an advocate on the front lines in the writer’s strike and applying it to her own career. Why Sarah no longer has role models, per se, and what she looks to for inspiration instead Having a varied social diet How Sarah is learning to ask for what she wants How growing up in...