Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share [Cynthia Weiner, practical matters]: How living a boring life helped her write a novel titled, ironically, “A Glorious Excitement” Ep 1179
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
[Cynthia Weiner, practical matters]: How living a boring life helped her write a novel titled, ironically, “A Glorious Excitement” Ep 1179
This week I'm talking with Cynthia Weiner, author of “A Gorgeous Excitement,” a coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City. “A Gorgeous Excitement” is inspired by Cynthia's own 80s upbringing on the Upper East Side of New York, as well as the infamous Preppy Killer, a former prep school student who killed a girl in Central Park in the summer of 1986 and who frequented a bar called Dorian's, where Cynthia spent many nights drinking with friends.
Her work has won the Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in the Coolest American Stories. Cynthia is also the assistant director of the writer's studio in New York City where, fun fact, I took classes with her in the early 2000s.
We covered:
- The award she won in second grade that hooked her on the writing life
- How she stumbled into teaching writing
- Writing as a “weird compulsion”
- The plus sides of working on a novel for nearly 10 years
- The daily rituals that help her write
- The time management technique that helps her get unstuck
- Why catching up with a friend helps her write
- How living a boring life leaves more space for the work
Connect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweiner
There are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
View all episodes
By Kate Hanley
4.8
105105 ratings
This week I'm talking with Cynthia Weiner, author of “A Gorgeous Excitement,” a coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City. “A Gorgeous Excitement” is inspired by Cynthia's own 80s upbringing on the Upper East Side of New York, as well as the infamous Preppy Killer, a former prep school student who killed a girl in Central Park in the summer of 1986 and who frequented a bar called Dorian's, where Cynthia spent many nights drinking with friends.
Her work has won the Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in the Coolest American Stories. Cynthia is also the assistant director of the writer's studio in New York City where, fun fact, I took classes with her in the early 2000s.
We covered:
- The award she won in second grade that hooked her on the writing life
- How she stumbled into teaching writing
- Writing as a “weird compulsion”
- The plus sides of working on a novel for nearly 10 years
- The daily rituals that help her write
- The time management technique that helps her get unstuck
- Why catching up with a friend helps her write
- How living a boring life leaves more space for the work
Connect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweiner
There are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More shows like Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley
View all
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
38,649 Listeners
TED Radio Hour
22,054 Listeners
Multiamory: Rethinking Modern Relationships
888 Listeners
The Ben Shapiro Show
153,896 Listeners
10% Happier with Dan Harris
12,513 Listeners
The Lazy Genius Podcast
6,507 Listeners
The Daily
111,761 Listeners
Throughline
15,977 Listeners
Life Kit
4,298 Listeners
What A Day
12,205 Listeners
The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
10,508 Listeners