Mohanraj and Rosenbaum Are Humans

Mary Anne and Ben find themselves feeling a particular sort of grief: the anticipation of the empty nest kind of grief. Both hosts have children that will one day leave the nest to become individuals of their own in the world, and they're not quite sure how they feel about that. The two also discuss projects they are working on, time management, and the implications of where people choose to live.

Episode show notes: https://speculativeliterature.org/ep-46-show-notes/

On this episode of MRAH, a high number of humans joins Ben to discuss a table top role playing game in the making: Hollyhock. This TTRPG is set in the surreal and theatrical world of the Fae, during an infamous holiday known as the mysterious and delightful Hollyhock Festival. The creators and designers behind Hollyhock: Alanah Tuohey, Daniela Vega, Katherine Townsend, and Milo Duclayan join the podcast to ask seasoned game creator Jay Dragon, of Possum Creek Games, and podcast host Ben questions on game creation, publishing, marketing, and networking in the world of TTRPGs.

To find out more about the Hollyhock TTRPG and where you can follow them, visit: https://linktr.ee/nervousplayhouse

Episode show notes: https://speculativeliterature.org/ep-45-show-notes/

The host of MRAH, Mary Anne Mohanraj, interviews African-American writer, editor, and journalist Nisi Shawl, best known for her 2016 novel, Everfair. Mohanraj and Shawl take a Deep Dive into the violent realities of history in relation to their work, the difficulties that writers of color face in the publishing world, the recent proliferation of Black speculative fiction, and more. This interview is a part of the Portolan Project, an initiative to provide a wealth of exceptional creative writing courses and resources.

Episode show notes: www.speclit.org/ep-44-show-notes/

Mary Anne and Ben have been invited to teach in the first week of the famous writing workshop, Clarion West! Drawing from their past experience as students of the writing workshop, the hosts of MRAH take some time in this episode to brainstorm what their lessons are going to look like for the incoming students. Should the students be taught how to properly critique? What is a sustainable praxis and the Clarion ditto? All these questions and more are explored in this week's episode of MRAH.

Episode show notes: www.speclit.org/ep-43-show-notes

Humans Mary Anne and Ben interview Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, (also human), as well as a Zimbabwean sarungano (storyteller), about her work in her recently published short story collection "Drinking from Graveyard Wells." The hosts of MRAH explore what it means to be a writer from the diaspora with Ndlovu, as well as how she walked the line between speculative fiction and surrealism while ruminating on the rich historical, cultural, and mythological stories of her homeland.

You can find out more about Ndlovu and her short story collection, "Drinking from Graveyard Wells," at www.yvettelisandlovu.com.

Episode show notes: www.speclit.org/ep-42-show-notes

Mary Anne Mohanraj takes a Deep Dive with author K. Tempest Bradford on her work, themes of ritual magic, and travel research. This interview is a part of the Portolan Project, an initiative to provide a wealth of exceptional creative writing courses and resources. This interview has been "Charted" by creative writer and instructor Jasmine H. Wade, with supplemental material in the form of discussion questions and writing exercises that further explores the topics of grief, memory, and structure in the interview: www.speclit.org/portolan-project/k-tempest-bradford/

If you liked the K. Tempest Bradford Deep Dive, you can check out our other "Charted" interviews at: www.speclit.org/portolan-project/

Episode show notes: www.speclit.org/ep-41-show-notes/

The hosts of Mohanraj and Rosenbaum Are Humans return for season 2! Mary Anne and Ben ease back into podcast mode by reflecting on the first season of the show, as well as the kinds of guests they should invite and topics they should explore in the coming episodes. Of course, it wouldn't be an MRAH without the tangents on American politics, the ecological question, and dystopian writing. Welcome back humans!

Episode show notes: www.speclit.org/ep-40-show-notes/

Surprise! It's a bonus season 1 episode we've been keeping on the back burner! Ted Chiang comes onto the show to have a discussion with Ben about what it means to be a person, whether Alan Turing's test for artificial intelligence still holds up, and the persistent themes of parenting and religion in Chiang's work.

Link to upcoming Ben and Ted virtual event for Skylight Books: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/skylit-rosenbaum/register

Episode show notes: https://speculativeliterature.org/show-notes-for-ep-39/

Mary Anne, Ben, and Jed open the episode with a discussion on writing workshops. They explore the kinds of people and critique you can find within them, as well as the hierarchies that can form between student and teacher, between unexperienced and experienced writer. In the second half of the episode the trio react to some of the writing terms and axioms found in Bruce Stirling's "Turkey City Lexicon."

Episode show notes: https://speculativeliterature.org/ep-38-show-notes/

Link to Turkey City Lexicon: https://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/18/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/

As we draw close to the end of season 1 of MRAH, producer Darius figured it would be a good idea for Mary Anne and Ben reflect on some of their most influential writers and books, particularly the ones that have been mentioned a lot on the show. From the authors they adore, to writers couched in controversy, Mary Anne and Ben consider their importance to the podcast , the field, and their own writing.

For episode show notes visit: https://speculativeliterature.org/ep-37-show-notes/