Ann Leary has led an extraordinary life. Married for over 30 years to actor and comedian Denis Leary, Ann has walked red carpets, partied with stars, and traveled the world, all while sustaining her own rich career in writing. But she’s also relatable to the everywoman. She’s struggled with alcoholism. Struggled in her marriage. Struggled with her neighbors and her tennis game. Women of a certain age will likely relate to Ann’s life.

Her latest, a collection of 20 essays called I’ve Tried Being Nice, is a kind of coming-of-middle-age book. Ann joins Marrie Stone to talk about what makes an effective essay, finding the story within the situation, writing essays for particular markets and the gift of the prompt, how to write about family members without angering them, and more. Along the way, they discuss their favorite essays (Ann’s can be found here and Marrie’s here).

For more information on Writers on Writing and extra writing perks, visit our Patreon page. To listen to past interviews, visit our website. Support the show by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. We’ve stocked it with titles from our guests, as well as some of our personal favorites. You’ll support independent bookstores and our show by purchasing through the store. Finally, on Spotify listen to an album’s worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at [email protected]. We love to hear from our listeners.

(Recorded on May 23, 2024) 

Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Host: Marrie Stone
Music and sound editing: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)