Wild Precious Life

Elissa Bassist is an award-deserving author, humor writer, teacher, and speaker. Her first book is HYSTERICAL, a semi-finalist for The Thurber House Prize for American Humor. Her latest, co-authored with Caitlin Kunkel, is INSIDE JOKES: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers.

In this episode, Elissa and Annmarie discuss hair-care products, female medical symptoms and how they’re often dismissed by male doctors, and whether or not writers can be taught to be funny. 

Bookstore Shout-outs:

Gramercy Books – A locally-owned, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore located in the heart of Bexley, Ohio. Our philosophy at Gramercy Books is simple: we’re about inspiration and discovery, community and adventure. We connect readers and writers with books they love, and host special events and ongoing visits by authors, poets and songwriters who provoke conversation. Stop by or shop online at gramercybooksbexley.com.

Loganberry Books – An independently owned and operated bookstore in the historic Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Loganberry features a carefully curated collection of new, used and rare books in all genres for both readers and collectors, with an inventory over 100,000 volumes. Find your next great read and shop online at loganberrrybooks.com.

Titles Mentioned in This Episode:

Hysterical, by Elissa Bassist

Inside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers, by Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel

Like This, But Funnier, by Hallie Cantor

Acne: A Memoir, by Laura Chinn

Here’s a trailer for Florida Girls. 

Follow Elissa Bassist:

Instagram: @elissabassist

Facebook: @elissa.bassist

LinkedIn: @elissabassist

Substack: @elissabassist

elissabassist.com

**Writing Workshops: 

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. 

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here. 

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

For anyone looking for a month of accountability writing hours and workshops, learn more here.

For women looking for a weekend beach retreat to Florida, early bird pricing is available here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan Batchelor is the author of the collection The Judas Goat and Other Southern Horrors. In this episode, Nathan and Annmarie talk about unlikely midlife friendship, diving into books across genres, and how to keep both the reader and the writer surprised by the sometimes tedious work of drafting sentences.

Bookstore Shout-outs:

Gramercy Books – A locally-owned, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore located in the heart of Bexley, Ohio. Our philosophy at Gramercy Books is simple: we’re about inspiration and discovery, community and adventure. We connect readers and writers with books they love, and host special events and ongoing visits by authors, poets and songwriters who provoke conversation. Stop by or shop online at gramercybooksbexley.com.

Loganberry Books – An independently owned and operated bookstore in the historic Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Loganberry features a carefully curated collection of new, used and rare books in all genres for both readers and collectors, with an inventory over 100,000 volumes. Find your next great read and shop online at loganberrrybooks.com.

Titles to Explore Based on This Episode:

The Judas Goat and Other Southern Horrors, by Nathan Batchelor

Edgar One, written by Nathan Batchelor and performed by voice artist Kristin Holland

The Heart Response, by Nathan Batchelor

Hellraiser: Resurrections Vol. 0, by Clive Barker

Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng

White Noise, by Don DeLillo

The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Here’s a scene from the 1987 film Moonstruck, one of the only movies that Nathan and Annmarie both enjoy.

Follow Nathan Batchelor:

Twitter/X: @NateBatchelor

**Writing Workshops:

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below.

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here.

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

For anyone looking for a month of accountability writing hours and workshops, learn more here.

For women looking for a weekend beach retreat to Florida, early bird pricing is available here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanessa Hua is the award-winning, best-selling author of Forbidden City,  A River of Stars, and Deceit and Other Possibilities. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Newsweek, among other publications. In this episode, Annmarie and Vanessa talk about her latest book, Coyoteland, which asks “vital questions about race, class, and what it takes to truly belong.” 

Bookstore Shout-outs:

Booksmith – An independent bookstore and mainstay of San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district since 1976. Booksmith offers signed copies by local authors and ships worldwide. Shop online at booksmith.com.

Orinda Books – An independently-owned bookstore just 30 minutes east of San Francisco. We are open six days a week with free parking, and the Orinda BART station is a pleasant half-mile walk away. We provide a    diverse range of books and our children's department is extensive and inviting. Besides books, we also carry puzzles, toys, cards, and calendars, as well as locally-made chocolate, olive oil, ceramics, and artwork. We love to read and recommend our favorites — so don't hesitate to ask! Stop by or shop online at orindabooks.com.

Books by Vanessa Hua:

Forbidden City

Coyoteland

Deceit and Other Possibilities

A River of Stars

Other Titles Discussed in This Episode:

How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder, by Nina McConigley

Where the Girls Were, by Kate Schatz

Bad Asians, by Lillian Li

When We're Born We Forget Everything, by Alicia Jo Rabins

Here’s a Link to the Recipe for Summer Cake on SmittenKitchen.com

Follow Vanessa Hua:

vanessahua.com

**Writing Workshops: 

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. 

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here. 

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

For anyone looking for a month of accountability writing hours and workshops, learn more here.

For women looking for a weekend beach retreat to Florida, early bird pricing is available here.

Photo Credit: Marc Puich

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Milan Carter-Gilkey is a writer, a lover of books, and a bookseller. She writes personal essays, articles, creative nonfiction and occasionally, fiction. Her work has appeared in Huffington Post, mater mea, Mutha Magazine, the anthology All the Women in My Family Sing, and elsewhere. In this episode, Meilan and Annmarie talk about favorite books of the past, present, and future, and how to reach for a title to transport you to a world you didn’t know was possible.

Episode Sponsors:

Octavia’s Bookshelf – An independent bookstore in Pasadena, California where readers of all walks of life can enjoy our store full of books written by BIPOC writers. Octavia’s Bookshelf is a place to find your new BFF inside a book, a space to find community, enjoy a cup of coffee, read, relax, find unique and specially curated products from artisans from around the world and in our neighborhood. Stop by or shop online at octaviasbookshelf.com.

Porter Square Books: Boston Edition – A welcoming space to gather with neighbors, linger over books, read with kids, chat with booksellers, and feel part of the community. Whether it’s an author series, book club, or regular story hour, we’ll work to make it happen. Shopping with us also supports GrubStreet, one of the nation's leading creative writing centers. Learn more or shop online at portersquarebooks.com.

Titles Recommended in This Episode:

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

Then Again, Maybe I Won’t, by Judy Blume

A Handful of Earth, a Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia Butler, by Lynell George

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Sula, by Toni Morrison

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Kin, by Tayari Jones

Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones

The Untelling, by Tayari Jones

Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom Is Dead, by Angela Nissel

Oreo, by Fran Ross

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, by Deesha Philyaw

Long Division, by Kiese Laymon

Heavy, by Kiese Laymon

Martyr!, by Kaveh Akbar

O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy

There’s Always This Year, by Hanif Abdurraqib

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

Wild Seed, by Octavia E. Butler

Dawn, by Octavia E. Butler

Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler

The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy

Running in the Family, Michael Ondaatje

Things in Nature Merely Grow, by Yiyun Li

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution, by R. F. Kuang

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, by Dawnie Walton

Good Talk, by Mira Jacob

Follow Meilan Carter-Gilkey:

Instagram: @meilancg

Substack: @meilancartergilkey

**Writing Workshops:

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below.

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here.

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

For anyone looking for a month of accountability writing hours and workshops, learn more here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie Carrick Dalton’s most recent novel, THE FOREST BECOMES HER, has been described as “a lush, lyrical exploration of sisterhood, rage, and the sacred ties between women and the wild.” In this episode, Julie and Annmarie talk about Transcendentalism, favorite trees, the blessings of mugwort, and how to open our eyes more fully to the beauty of the natural world.

Episode Sponsors:

Porter Square Books: Boston Edition – A welcoming space to gather with neighbors, linger over books, read with kids, chat with booksellers, and feel part of the community. Whether it’s an author series, book club, or regular story hour, we’ll work to make it happen. Shopping with us also supports GrubStreet, one of the nation's leading creative writing centers. Learn more or shop online at portersquarebooks.com.

Belmont Books – An honest to goodness real mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar bookstore in beautiful Belmont, MA. Why would we open a bookstore in the age of Kindles, Kobos, iPads and eBooks? Because: Every town needs one; People still love to browse real books on real shelves; Traditional bookstores provide more help, expertise and personal service than online ones; Small town stores are centers where people come together in the most impromptu fashion and exchange ideas and stories, make new friends, and find support. Plus, real bookstores often come with coffee shops. Stop by or shop online at belmontbooks.com

Titles by Julie Carrick Dalton

Waiting for the Night Song

The Last Beekeeper

The Forest Becomes Her

Titles and Author Discussed in This Episode:

Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy

Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward

The Gatepost, by Tim Weed

Westerly, by Susan Donovan Bernhard

Follow Julie Carrick Dalton:

Twitter/X: @JulieCarDalt

Instagram: @juliecdalton

Facebook: @JulieCarrickDalton

Substack: Julie’s Plot Twist

juliecarrickdalton.com

Photo Credit: Sharona Jacobs

**Writing Workshops:

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below.

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here.

For anyone interested in an August weekday accountability hour, you can sign up here.

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Searles is the best-selling author of the novels Her Last Affair, Help for the Haunted, Strange but True, Boy Still Missing, and his latest, Single Girls, which is out now. In today’s episode, John and Annmarie discuss the joys and risks of the writing life, and the legendary career of Helen Gurley Brown, the most famous and transformative editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Bookstore Spotlights:

Three Lives & Company Booksellers – Three Lives is an anachronism.​ It’s the shop around the corner. A touchstone in a neighborhood. A place with a human face and a cast of characters. 84 Charing Cross Road colored by the time and place. A haven for people who read. We (the store and our customers) have grown up and evolved together. People come here to see and buy what we consider to be some of the best books available today. We thrive on discovering literary books that might otherwise be overlooked, and we are thrilled to give them to our customers. Stop by our West Village shop and learn more at threelives.com.

BookHampton – Situated in the village of East Hampton on Long Island's storied East End, BookHampton provides a vibrant year-round environment for discovering books that intrigue, amuse, educate, and inspire. A dedicated and knowledgeable staff, lively events with fascinating authors, and a warm, welcoming space all combine to create a community for book lovers. Stop by or shop online at bookhampton.com.

Books by John Searles:

Her Last Affair

Help for the Haunted

Strange but True

Boy Still Missing

Single Girls

Additional Authors and Titles Mentioned in This Episode:

The Foursome, by Christina Baker Kline

Take Me with You, by Stephen Rowley

The Amateur, by Chris Bohjalian

Helpless, by Jessica Knoll

Follow John Searles:

Instagram: @johnsearles

Facebook: @JohnSearlesAuthor

john-searles.com

**Writing Workshops:

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below.

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here.

For anyone interested in an August weekday accountability hour, you can sign up here.

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whitney Vale is the author of two chapbooks, Journey with the Ferry Man, and her latest, Sermon of Swallows, which is out now. Her poetry and prose have been published in Anti-Heroin Chic, Rogue Agent, Black Fork Review, and The Rumpus, among many others. In today’s episode, Whitney and Annmarie discuss the joy of a creative life, the pain of beginning again, and what it might look like if we committed ourselves to filling the world with just a little more beauty.

Bookstore Spotlights:

Newtonville Books – An independent bookstore located at 10 Langley Rd, in Newton, Massachusetts -- in the old stone building at the north corner of the triangle parking lot. Come for the books. Stay for the books. Learn more and shop online at newtonvillebooks.com.

Carmichael's Bookstores – In Louisville, Kentucky. From the very beginning Carmichael’s has been committed to being a community gathering place, open seven days a week and every evening. Our stores are in neighborhoods that hum with activity—walkers, joggers, dogs and children, families and couples—lively streetscapes never darkened by the shadow of a big box store. Carmichael’s is actively committed to Keeping Louisville Weird and spreading the word about the importance of buying from locally-owned businesses. Stop by any of our locations or shop online at carmichaelsbookstore.com

Authors and Titles Mentioned in This Episode:

Journey with the Ferry Man

Sermon of Swallows

Kelli Russell Agodon

Beth Ann Fennelly 

Maggie Smith 

Ada Limón

Kathleen Driskell 

Sarah Freligh

Alison Hurwitz

Kristi Maxwell

Lung Hours, by Jessica Purdy

Diane Seuss

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Joy Harjo

Follow Whitney Vale:

Instagram: @whitneyvale

Facebook: @whitneyvale

whitneyvale.org

**Writing Workshops: 

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. 

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here. 

For anyone interested in an August weekday accountability hour, you can sign up here. 

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Lippmann is the author of the novel Lech and the story collections Doll Palace and Jerks. Her fiction has won the Lilith Prize and been honored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, and her nonfiction has appeared in The Millions, The Washington Post, The Chicago Review of Books, Lit Hub and elsewhere. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Sara discuss the 80s, the 90s, the joy and pain of writing workshops, and what healing can look like when we must reach deep into the past to find our way forward again.

Bookstore Spotlights:

Narberth Bookshop – At Narberth Bookshop, we’re a community of readers, writers, and lifelong learners, and we look forward to welcoming you to our store. Stop by our Narberth, Pennsylvania store or learn more at narberthbookshop.com.

Powerhouse Arena – A laboratory for creative thought in Brooklyn, New York. Home to world-renowned art book publisher POWERHOUSE BOOKS, the Arena is a gallery, boutique, book store, performance, and events space. The POWERHOUSE ARENA showcases a series of landmark exhibitions, performances, and controlled mayhem fusing the worlds of art, photography, design, fashion, pop culture, advertising, music, dance, film, and television into a glorious whirlwind of captivating spectacle. And they’re opening a new location this summer at the Upper West Side in the Shops at Columbus Circle. Learn more and shop online at powerhousearena.com. 

Titles by Sara Lippmann: 

Hidden River

Lech

Doll Palace

Jerks

Smashing the Tablets, co-edited with Seth Rogoff

Other Titles Mentioned in This Episode:

The Delegation, by Avner Landes 

Consolation, by Deborah Shapiro 

The World Between, by Zeeva Bukai

Everybody Needs Something, by Melanie Pappadis Faranello

Follow Sara Lippmann:

Instagram: @sara.lipp

Twitter/X: @saralippmann

Bluesky: @saralippmann.bsky.social

Facebook: @saralippmann

Threads: @sara.lipp

Substack: @saralippmann

saralippmann.com

**Writing Workshops: 

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. 

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here. 

For anyone interested in an August weekday accountability hour, you can sign up here. 

For anyone looking for support writing their memoir, Annmarie is teaching a class here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jill Christman is a 2020 NEA Prose Fellow and the author of If This Were Fiction: A Love Story in Essays and two memoirs, Darkroom: A Family Exposure and Borrowed Babies: Apprenticing for Motherhood, and The Heart Folds Early: A Memoir. In today’s episode, Jill and Annmarie discuss healthcare, heartaches, and how to make it through when the thing we fear most comes true. 

Bookstore Spotlights:

Barrett Bookstore – The oldest and largest independent bookstore in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Woman-founded in 1939 and woman-owned today, Barrett booksellers develop relationships with authors (hosting many events like our yearly Ladies of Summer panel), partnerships with local schools and libraries, and friendships with our loyal patrons. Visit Barrett in Darien, CT or at barrettbookstore.com.

Newtonville Books – An independent bookstore located at 10 Langley Rd, in Newton, Massachusetts -- in the old stone building at the north corner of the triangle parking lot. Come for the books. Stay for the books. And learn more and shop online at newtonvillebooks.com.

Titles by Jill Christman: 

If This Were Fiction: A Love Story in Essays 

Darkroom: A Family Exposure

Borrowed Babies: Apprenticing for Motherhood

The Heart Folds Early: A Memoir.

Follow Jill Christman:

Instagram: @jillchristmanwriter 

Bluesky: @jillchristman.bsky.social

Substack: @riverteethjill

jillchristman.com

**Writing Workshops: 

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. 

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Priya Parmar is the author of the novel, Vanessa and Her Sister, a New York Times Notable Book, and her latest novel, The Original, is out now. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Priya discuss their shared obsession with movie star, Katharine Hepburn, gender norms in old Hollywood, and how to know when a book is really finished. 

Bookstore Spotlights:

Barrett Bookstore – The oldest and largest independent bookstore in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Woman-founded in 1939 and woman-owned today, Barrett booksellers develop relationships with authors (hosting many events like our yearly Ladies of Summer panel), partnerships with local schools and libraries, and friendships with our loyal patrons. Visit Barrett in Darien, CT or at barrettbookstore.com.

Newtonville Books – An independent bookstore located at 10 Langley Rd, in Newton, Massachusetts -- in the old stone building at the north corner of the triangle parking lot. Come for the books. Stay for the books. And learn more and shop online at newtonvillebooks.com.

Titles by Priya Parmar:

Exit the Actress

Vanessa and Her Sister

The Original

Additional Titles Mentioned in This Episode:

The Foursome, by Christina Baker Kline

Desk Set

The Philadelphia Story

Adam’s Rib

Sylvia Scarlett

Follow Priya Parmar:

Facebook: @priyaparmar

Instagram: @priyaparmarwriting

Substack: Plum Bean Notes @priyaparmarwriting

priyaparmar.net

**Writing Workshops:

If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below.

For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices