LITerally Podcast

Heather Sappenfield joined us via radio network. She bounced off satellites to join us. Well, she didn't, but I love that we got to talk to her from long distance. Remember when we had to pay to talk long distance. Heather and I don't; we're not old enough for that. We chatted about writing, about the YA business, and about imagining worlds.

Nita Sweeney outran depression, literally, and she shares this journey in her memoir Depression Hates a Moving Target, an inspiring look at how running (for all) can change a life and how our furry friends run right alongside us.

Elizabeth Levinson, poet and friend and teacher, joined the LITerally Podcast in the first ever recording in the camper inside The Monarch Building in the heart of Ogden's Nine Rails Arts District. We talked poetry, life, and, yes, teaching. It was so lovely to hear her read and to find out that her new book of poetry will be out next year! Listen!

Leigh Camacho Rourks' two favorite drinks are a Whiskey Neat and Prosecco with Mango Nectar. Sound like a study in contrasts? Maybe. Her work and her new short story collection, Moon Trees and Other Orphans, is a controlled, beautiful, and powerful study in contrasts. We talk about the St. Lawrence Book Award collection on, you guessed it, the LITerally podcast where Rourks says, a great insight for writers who are pitching their work, "Every book is different to every reader (editor) every day."

In this episode, we flipped the actual stage. At the Utah Arts Festival on the Big Mouth literary stage, we talked to readers and writers to look at where they believe literature, its readers, and the industry sits today. Thanks to Mary Johnstun, Kari Lane, and Allison McLennon for joining us on stage.

Adrian Todd Zuniga (Yes, that famous guy who started Literary Death Match) talked to us on the LITerally Podcast, and we laughed a lot! We talked about his book Collision Theory that came out 2018 after its own 13-year journey to publication. It's a great book that deserved a home and found one with a publisher who believed in it. If you're in the thick of things, this podcast is for you. It's honest and uplifting, and very funny.

Sean Prentiss, author of Finding Abbey and editor of multiple creative books, talked to us for what seemed to be no time at all. We wished we could have talked longer. We delve into creative nonfiction, into crafting narrative, in what it means to be 'true' in you memoir. For those looking for an episode that delves heavily into craft, this one is for you.

Interview with Tessa Fontaine, author of The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts, A New York Times Editors' Choice; A Southern Living Best Book of 2018; An Amazon Editors' Best Book of 2018; A Refinery29 Best Book of 2018; A New York Post Most Unforgettable Book of 2018

Amanda Luzzader schooled us on what it means to build worlds and then tear them apart and start again -- in the book and as the writer at the desk. We talked Among These Bones, and I can't wait to read the next installment.

Roxanne Veletzos took us to Romania and back not only in her BESTSELLING Novel The Girl They Left Behind but also in our interview with her. She was such a great guest, teaching us more than we thought we could learn, and the book…the accolades from the media and from readers are so well deserved.