Lifewriting: Write for Your Life!

Tananarive talks to debut author Brent Lambert about his critically acclaimed new novella, A NECESSARY CHAOS and the power of queer speculative fiction, how growing up as a queer Army brat fed his love for writing, and keys to worldbuilding and characterization in speculative fiction. 

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Steve and Tananarive welcome powerhouse actor David Dastmalchian, star of Shudder's Late Night with the Devil -- also from Oppenheimer, Suicide Squad (Polka- Dot Man!), Dark Night, Last Voyage of the Demeter and other films. A candid conversation spanning his earlier struggles with addiction, why the idea of playing Jack Delroy on Late Night with the Devil scared him, how his family has inspired him -- and how he feels about the film's AI controversy (based on 15 seconds of interstitial art). 

And, of course, how he manages the work/art/life balance! 

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Fresh from Tananarive winning an LA Times Book Prize in Speculative Fiction for her latest novel, The Reformatory, a replay episode: Steve and Tananarive talk to New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo (Ninth House, Hell Bent, Shadow and Bone) on her incredible career: from jobs she didn't like to publishing her first book at 37 to getting her work adapted for Netflix...and beyond! Also how she keeps herself balanced as her popularity grows. 

And don't forget to check out Leigh's newest book, The Familiar! 

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This week, Tananarive talks to two of her favorite podcasters, Kat and Jazz (Kathleen White and Jazzmin Crawley), co-hosts of Dread Central's "Girl, That's Scary!" podcast -- which, as they say, is all about friendship and horror. 

How these two horror lovers found their voice as horror podcasters after GET OUT, the reaction to their show, their horror likes and dislikes, and why they both love horror. 

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This week, it's a mini reunion of the documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror as Steve and Tananarive welcome horror scholars Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman (who wrote Horror Noire) and Mark H. Harris, who have teamed up to write THE BLACK GUY DIES FIRST: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar. 

A Black Horror roundtable on some of the worst tropes (including the Black character dying first), how times are changing, and why we love horror! 

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In this episode, Steve and Tananarive welcome actress-turned-author Erin E. Adams, who made a splash with her terrifying debut horror novel, JACKAL -- and also has short stories in Jordan Peele's OUT THERE SCREAMING anthology as well as the brand new THE BLACK GIRL SURVIVES IN THIS ONE (out 4/2). 

On how her background as the daughter of Haitian immigrants affects her storytelling, why she transitioned from acting to writing, and how she used her experience with rejection as a superpower to learn how to be a writer. 

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Steve is back! This week Steve and Tananarive talk to horror writer Jonathan Janz -- high school teacher by day, horror writer by night -- who recently revealed his true identity after writing under a pseudonym. His novel CHILDREN OF THE DARK was recently reissued. On making his mark, why he loves horror, and balancing his work, family and writing life. 

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In this episode, award-winning YA author Lamar Giles talks about writing YA horror aimed at Black boys -- his road from self-publication to fighting his way into mainstream publishing with FAKE ID and THE GETAWAY. His upcoming novel, RUIN ROAD, is a great read blending a demon's curse with true-life issues facing Black teens. On his secret to success and how he distinguishes YA horror from adult horror. 

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Tananarive talks to award-winning author Alma Katsu (The Hunger, The Fervor, Red London) about her unique career both as a horror writer and her spy novels powered by her former career in national intelligence. On the challenges of straddling both genres and her rise to success...and how The Fervor drew upon her Japanese background in a horror novel set during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.  

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Steve and Tananarive talk to actor LeVar Burton about his career spanning from 1977's adaptation of Alex Haley's ROOTS, where he played Kunta Kinte in an iconic role at the age of only 19, to the recent Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reunion where he reprised his role as Giordi La Forge for Star Trek: Picard. He also discusses Jeopardy and taking his fate in his own hands by creating his hit podcast "LeVar Burton Reads."

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