From college to priesthood, Tobi Ogundiran, author of In the Shadow of the Fall, has not led the most usual life, but the shocking part is how relatable his journey has been on a fundamental level. A question of agency and deities has cast a shadow over Tobi's life for a long time, and today we discuss how his work not only relates to his royal experiences, but also how he has dealt with the resounding silence from the universe. 

I've never been to the Deep South, and I'll be honest, us yanks don't learn a lot about it in school. Tell you what though, Snowden Wright's American Pop and Queen City Detective Agency have gotten me interested. Drawn from his personal life and familial experiences, Snowden forces you to be interested in the history of the Mississippi backwaters.

I had never considered that life after prison could be so...Buddhist. That's not the normal story you hear, but, frankly, none of our conversation today should be considered, quote-unquote, normal. In one of my best conversations to date, Douglas Cole, author of The White Field, reveals not just the inspirations that informed his work, but also the psychological process underlying it.

I had never considered that life after prison could be so...Buddhist. That's not the normal story you hear, but, frankly, none of our conversation today should be considered, quote-unquote, normal. In one of my best conversations to date, Douglas Cole, author of The White Field, reveals not just the inspirations that informed his work, but also the psychological process underlying it.

I’ve got a lot of crazy family stories, but I’m not quite sure if any of them are interesting enough to write about, for me at least. Kimberly Nixon, on the other hand, definitely has one worth talking about. Join us today to discuss Rock Bottom, Tennessee and find out how her grandma robbed a train!

I've yet to interview a soldier, but I think this episode cuts pretty close. Today I speak with Andy Smart, author of The More You Hate Me, for a genuinely radically honest and complicated discussion about the effects of trauma born out of a single movie, Full Metal Jacket.

I've yet to interview a soldier, but I think this episode cuts pretty close. Today I speak with Andy Smart, author of The More You Hate Me, for a genuinely radically honest and complicated discussion about the effects of trauma born out of a single movie, Full Metal Jacket.

Memory is a tricky thing, isn't it. In most cases, memory is thought of as a reflection of your past, but have you ever considered it a reflection of your present, or even your future? Today I speak with Kirby Porter, author of Frances Creighton: Found and Lost, about, perhaps, the greatest occupational hazard.

Today we go on a journey, a voyage, back in time and through to the present of our guest's life and ancestry. Lyn Patterson shares the bits of her and her family's history in her latest work, The Postcards I Never Sent. Lyn's poetic memoir makes for an interesting conversation about the force of family and the power of “black girl magic”. 

For William Keeling, author of The Gay Street Chronicles, the terror of five finger sandwiches is accompanied by some of his most joyous memories: today, we're talkin' tea parties. Yeah, tea parties, and a heck of a lot more that he slipped into his work. Fancy cravats, anyone?

For William Keeling, author of The Gay Street Chronicles, the terror of five finger sandwiches is accompanied by some of his most joyous memories: today, we're talkin' tea parties. Yeah, tea parties, and a heck of a lot more that he slipped into his work. Fancy cravats, anyone?

Today, a rebel doctor joins us to talk about their dreams—of famous dead people. Andriana Minou’s latest work, The Fabulous Dead, is a collection of such stories. What the back jacket omits, however, is how these famous people intersect, say, with King Kong and a singing chicken. Wait. What?

Today, a rebel doctor joins us to talk about their dreams—of famous dead people. Andriana Minou’s latest work, The Fabulous Dead, is a collection of such stories. What the back jacket omits, however, is how these famous people intersect, say, with King Kong and a singing chicken. Wait. What?

Do you believe in the paranormal? Swing and a miss? Well, what about magic? Not sold? Well, neither is Lynn. Award-winning Lynn Schmeidler reveals just how she created her illusions in her short story collection, Half-Lives. (Here's a hint: they're not so fabricated.) 

I speak with Elisa Carlsen about Cormorant, her poetry collection. By the way, a cormorant is a type of bird. This ain’t your normal “if only I could fly” collection, but a gritty tale about validation, corruption, and murder. How much am I exaggerating? You will have to listen to find out!

I speak with Elisa Carlsen about Cormorant, her poetry collection. By the way, a cormorant is a type of bird. This ain’t your normal “if only I could fly” collection, but a gritty tale about validation, corruption, and murder. How much am I exaggerating? You will have to listen to find out!

War, war never changes, except all the time. The nature of a man, however, is far more predictable—and yet elusive. Chidi Ebere pins down the nature of a man, of a certain type, in his novel, Now I Am Here. While his work may deal with the ordinary, it incorporates his extraordinary life at every opportunity. I'd spoil it here, but that's against the rules. 

War, war never changes, except all the time. The nature of a man, however, is far more predictable—and yet elusive. Chidi Ebere pins down the nature of a man, of a certain type, in his novel, Now I Am Here. While his work may deal with the ordinary, it incorporates his extraordinary life at every opportunity. I'd spoil it here, but that's against the rules.