In this episode, I interview Gauraa Shekhar. Gauraa Shekhar is a Founding Editor of No Contact, the Interviews Editor at Maudlin House, and an Assistant Editor at X-R-A-Y. Her debut short story “Other Significant Others: A Glossary” was a finalist for the Francine Ringold Awards for Emerging Writers and earned a nomination for the PEN/ Robert J. Dau Award. Gauraa’s work has appeared in Nimrod, Contrary, Sonora Review, Vol.1 Brooklyn, Literary Hub, Hobart After Dark, and elsewhere. She lives in Richmond, Viriginia with her husband and young dachshund.

Show notes:

0:40- Mallory’s racist building manager

3:08- Christmas trees

7:15- names that no one pronounces  right

9:47- Coffee 

17:14- Covid

25:48- Millennials and social media 

31:35- Gen Z

32:36- whitewashing of American history

33:43- Gen Z playlist names

35:53- Blink-182

37:35- My Chemical Romance

39:08- feeling like a Tall Child

41:02- TikTok

43:12- Kevin Sterne’s tweet about perfect albums from the last 10 years 

44:13- sad girl music

48:00- Lena Dunham

49:29-  music memoirs

50:16- KISS

53:44- divisive musicians (Steely Dan, Taylor Swift…)

1:03:32- No Contact Magazine

1:04:45- Fav Music Genre

1:06:43- music vs writing

1:09:59- Allen Ginsberg

1:11:25- Gauraa’s current writing

1:13:13- Gauraa’s playlists

1:15:40- Being short at concerts

1:17:19- music festivals

1:22:28- Coping with the loss of concerts during the pandemic

1:23:15- WiFi names

1:25:38- Gauraa reads “MARISSA COOPER IS PROUD OF WHAT SHE DID AND SHE’D DO IT AGAIN”