Writer's Voices

B.K. Loren joins us for a discussion of her debut novel, “Theft,” categorized by writer Ann Pancake as a riveting combination of “part environmental novel, part elegy to place, part family tragedy, part murder mystery.” Her writing has garnered Pushcart nominations, fellowships, and inclusion among Best American Spiritual Writing anthologies. She has worked as a naturalist, large predator monitor for Colorado State Parks, professional brainstormer, assistant chef, ranch hand, UPS driver, furniture maker, and college professor while still managing to produce prose that reviewers deem visceral, lyrical, and incandescent.

BK lives with her partner, two dogs, and two cats in Colorado, where long, daily walks enrich her reflections on life.

One of the most common problems writers face is the dreaded “writer’s block”. Our guest, Rosanne Bane, a writing and creativity teacher, has, for decades, been giving writers help with this problem. Her new book, entitled, “Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance”(Tarcher/Penguin), deals with the problems writers face in a new and innovative way. Using the latest discoveries in brain science to help understand the origin of this writing resistance – a fight-or-flight response hard-wired into our brain, which can make us desperate to avoid the sources of our anxieties, her book lays out an effective plan to solve that resistance.

Senior Editor and Multimedia Editor at The Atlantic, Jennie Rothenberg Gritz produces an online edition of the magazine, edits TheAtlantic.com’s National Channel, and creates original videos for the website. Before being with The Atlantic, she was senior editor of Moment, a national magazine founded by Elie Wiesel.

Jennie grew up in Fairfield, earned her B.A. in Literature from the Maharishi University of Management, and received an M.A. in Journalism from the University of California in Berkeley. Her writing has been featured in The Chicago Tribune and the book “The Kindness of Strangers”, a Lonely Planet travel writing anthology.

Eric Johnson discusses writing, marketing, and formatting ebooks and other topics related to new trends in publishing. Eric, founder of Inkslinger Industries, has written, “How to Make a Book with iBooks Author”. He created it in an ebook format. Eric explored book arts at Brown University, where he handcrafted books using techniques taught by Walter Feldman, whose artists’ books are included in over 150 public collections. Eric also studied the artistic practice of Cave Writing.(Cave Writing takes place in a CAVE simulator, a virtual reality environment typically reserved for scientific visualization.) While at Brown, Eric also served as a Writing Fellow.

Lynda Young returns for a very special conversation. Her new book, “Hope for Families of Children on the Autistic Spectrum”, is a helpful book at this time when 730,000 children in the United States between the ages of 0-21 have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her book provides useful information, encouragement, and guidance for the entire family.

In her book, “Lies Beneath,” she answers that question. “Lies Beneath” is a Young Adult fantasy about three scary mermaids and their more compassionate brother.

Anne lives in Minnesota with her patient husband and three hilarious children Originally broadcast 6/29/12.

Nancy B. Kennedy has gathered a collection of inspiring stories from all branches of medicine in her book, “Miracles & Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Doctors”, the second in her “Miracles and Moments of Grace” book series. From family doctors, military doctors, dentists, neurosurgeons, missionary doctors and more, they each tell their stories, both tragic and triumphant, from around the world as they care for people who need their help. Nancy is the author of four previous books, two children’s books, and numerous articles and personal essays for books, magazines and newspapers. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and son.

Larry Baker, an Iowa City writer, returns to Writers’ Voices to discuss his new book, “Love and Other Delusions”. This book puts a fresh perspective on a story of a married woman’s affair with a younger man. It is a complicated and confusing journey inside a relationship. Larry’s other books include, “Athens, America” and “The Flamingo Rising”. He is also an adjunct Assistant Assistant Professor for the University of Iowa and adjunct instructor at Kirkwood Community College. Larry will present a reading Saturday, June 9, 2012, 1 PM at Revelations Bookstore in Fairfield, IA.

Sharelle Byars Moranville, the award-winning versatile author of fiction for all ages, has had her recent book, “The Hop”, published by Disney/Hyperion. The book chronicles the intertwined stories of Tad, a small toad trying to save his home, and Taylor, a girl determined to stop her grandmother’s pond from being turned into a strip mall as their quests take many twists in this tale of friendship, family, and growing up.

Sharelle is also the author of 5 other books including “Over the River”, “The Snows”, and “A Higher Geometry.” She has been a writing teacher at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival at the University of Iowa and other venues.

Humorist, Polly Frost is the guest on this episode of Writers’ Voices. Polly will be presenting her one-person show, “How To Survive Your Adult Relationship with Your Family”, Saturday, May 19 at The Englert Theatre, in Iowa City. Combining anecdotes, storytelling, and humorous tips, Polly takes a heartfelt and humorous exploration of what families go through as they grow and change in often unexpected ways. Polly has had her work published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many other magazines. Her 2010 humor collection, “With One Eye Open”, inspired Elle columnist, E. Jean Carroll, to call Polly Frost “the Edith Wharton of her generation.”