More to the Story Podcast with Janna Maron
All things writing & publishing creative nonfiction with book coach, editor & lit mag publisher Janna Marlies Maron, on a mission to help as many woman as possible write the books they need to write. moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, April 21, 2025
The Universe Will Send You What You Ask For
This week I want to tell you a story about an experience I had a the beach and relate it to something I’ve been learning about and focusing on in my life and observing how it manifests in our writing, creative, and publishing lives. In this episode: - my husband Jeremy and I have been vacationing in Baja California, Mexico and we recently decided to see how it would be to drive there from our home in Northern California - on our visits we take daily walks on the beach and would collect sea shells - I really wanted a whole sand dollar, and I found a lot of broke pieces but never found a whole one - I found not one, but two on our most recent trip, but not exactly what I wanted - unrelated, I was reading the book 10x Is Easier than 2x, and one concept that really stuck with me for how to measuring progress and success with a perspective that is either negative or positive - how this negative vs. positive perspective for measuring success shows up in our creative life - an example from a conversation I had with a woman at the AWP conference I attended in LA last month - the sand dollars are on the alter by my window as a reminder of the message that the universe will send me what I ask for, but maybe not how I expect - check out the show notes for this episodes to see a picture of the sand dollars - ask the universe for your own reminder and see how it manifests Links mentioned in this episode: - Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery . - the book 10x Is Easier than 2x, by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy - Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com - Follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies - Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, April 14, 2025
What is a book coach? (Part 2)
I’m revisiting the topic of what a book coach does, and t’s on my mind because of the two conferences I went to last month in March (Alt Summit & AWP). At both conferences I held 15-minute mini book coaching session and had so many great conversations with women who are working on books. There were also a lot of people, more so at AWP, talking about what they do professionally and how they help writers in the books/publishing world from book coaches like me to writing coaches, editors of all kinds, and publishers. At AWP I was hearing a lot around the topic of book coaching that gave me pause, because it doesn’t align with how I do things. So I wanted to continue the conversation, talk about what I was hearing, why I disagree, and why I feel like it doesn’t align with the way that I work. In this episode: - giving myself time to recover from two back-to-back conferences - why I disagree that coaches and editors need to be different people - one of my superpowers as a coach an editor & the resistance that often comes up around the story that authors actually need to tell - maybe I’m a unicorn (?), but based on the way that I work, why I am someone who can be both a coach and an editor - why I will never preach absolutes - why I don’t like the use of the word “codependent” in the context of areas in life where we actually need help, support, or accountability. - there is no shame in needing accountability for taking action - how Gretchen Rubin’s book and the framework The Four Tendencies applies to what motivates you to take action, and why needing external accountability to meet your goals is a real thing - more important than whether or not we are ”codependent” is the question: how do we respond to expectations? - dispelling the absolute that coaches must be published in the genre that you are trying to publish - the coach’s track record with clients is more important than publishing record - the importance of focusing on what you can actually take action on and what you can control (i.e. unless you self publish, you don’t have control over whether you get published or not!) - the difference between coaching/editing/ghostwriting, and why I don't agree that editing is prescriptive and coaching is never prescriptive - a question I get a lot: isn’t developmental editing the same as, or very similar to, ghostwriting? Links mentioned in this episode: - More about Under the Gum Tree - More about working with me - Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery . - The f
Mon, April 07, 2025
When You Learn a Lesson the Hard Way
Whew, we made it to April. March was an incredibly busy month for me. I was out of town March 14-17 for a conference called Alt Summit, and then again March 22-30 for another conference called AWP. Even before leaving for both those trips I was asking myself the question: was that the best decision? To commit to going to two conferences back-to-back? Last year when AWP was in Kansas City, I was one year post-relapse and new treatments but still had a lot of lingering symptoms. So instead of attending the entire conference for 3 days, I stayed just 2 nights and my priority for being there was the off-site reading event that I have been hosting for 9 years now with three other nonfiction publications. In this episode: - how it was such a relief to still attend the conference in a way that works for me - why I was in no condition to travel and had to skip the AWP conference in 2023 - when we don't have the capacity, bandwidth, energy to deal with, yes travel and logistics, but also our creative lives - how I'm able to get my monthly medication infusions at home - even getting my treatments at home, why the infusions in February and March went badly - what I learned from two bad infusions in a row & why this was such an eye-opening experience - how this lesson came up for me again when attending the Alt Summit conference - the anxiety that came up for me around needed additional support to do the things that I used to be able to do on my own - learning to be okay with the reality of being dependent - how leaning into asking for help and accepting support directly impacts creative work - how to cultivate self-awareness, advocate for the support you need, and have the conversations you need to have with people in your life - if you have been learning lessons the hard way, what do you need to do to make change? Links mentioned in this episode: - Alt Summit: https://altitudesummit.com/ - AWP conference: https://awpwriter.org/ - follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jannamarlies - follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/undergumtree/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, March 31, 2025
What is a book coach?
At one of the two conferences I attended last month, one of the questions I got was: what is a book coach? Which is the perfect question for a podcast episode. In this episode: - a newly published book by one of my clients! - the meetup I hosted on authors & publishing at the Alt Summit conference last month - realizing that I haven’t talked about what a book coach is on this podcast - certification for book coaches, and why I’m not certified or think it’s necessary - an overview of my 20+ career history from my first job out of college to starting my business in 2020 - a big part of the way that I work as a book coach & an inside joke for WWJD with my clients - my take on how coaching is different from editing: not all coaches are editors & not all editors are coaches - the difference between book coaches, writing coaches, and author coaches - what exactly a book coach can help you with, and when to engage one - tune in next week for more on managing health & energy, regardless of what it is you’re doing, whether it’s traveling and attending conferences or your every day creative work Links mentioned in this episode: - Order books at bookshop.org to support independent book stores. - Christina Larocco’s book, Crosshatch: Martha Scofield, the Forgotten Feminist (1839-1916 ) - The Alt Summit conference: https://altitudesummit.com/ - Jennie Nash’s Substack, The Art & Business of Book Coaching & the post, “Book Coaching 101, Part 1: What‘s a Book Coach?” - Jane Friedman’s book The Business of Being a Writer - Get my list of resources for finding literary agents - follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies - follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree - Show notes & subscribe to More to the Story Podcast on Substack: https://moretothestorypodcast.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, March 24, 2025
I’m at AWP in LA this week!
I’m at AWP this week! If you’re also in LA for this annual conference, be sure to stop by Under the Gum Tree’s booth 1213 to say hello. Two things I’m doing at AWP this year: 1. Hosting 15-minute mini-consults for women working on nonfiction books. If you could use a mini book coaching session, check here to see if there are any spots available and grab one . 2. Under the Gum Tree’s off-site reading in partnership with Fourth Genre , River Teeth , and Hippocampus Magazine . On Friday, March 28 from 6-8p at Bonaventure Brewing Co. Under the Gum Tree’s featured readers are Laura Julier and Brad Snyder. In this episode: - If you’re not familiar, what is AWP? An overview and quick & dirty intro for first-timers - What to expect with the conference schedule - What to expect at the book fair, and why it’s probably my favorite part of the conference - A reflection on my first ever AWP back in 2009 or 2010 (can’t quite remember which year) - What came out of that first conference for me (practically everything I’m doing with my writing & business now) - Info on this year’s off-site event, in partnership with three other nonfiction publication Links mentioned in this episode: - Under the Gum Tree: underthegumtree.com - More to the Story coaching & editing for women: moretothestory.co - AWP in LA, March 27-29 - Becky Tuch's Substack, Lit Mag News , and this post about the AWP conference - Link to schedule a 15-min book coaching session with me - Under the Gum Tree’s off-site reading on Friday 3/28 at 6p - The book I mentioned, On Our Best Behavior , by Elise Loehnen & the work of manifestation expert Lacy Phillips - Summer 2024 issue of Under the Gum Tree , featuring Laura Julier - <a target="_blank" href="https://underthegumtree
Mon, March 17, 2025
What if you’re right on time?
For months now, maybe even a year or more, I have been wanting to spend 10 minutes, first thing in the morning, drinking my coffee outside. I set up the perfect spot to sit, with chairs facing east toward the rising sun, moved the gas fire pit over to the chairs. But for some reason I couldn’t get myself to take my coffee outside in the mornings. Actually I know exactly the reasons: 1. It’s been winter time, and cold, and less sunny, and not the ideal weather for wanting to be outside. 2. Because of the time I get up in the mornings, I would wake up, look at the clock and automatically think, “I’m behind.” In this episode: - more about why I sleep so much, which precipitated the “I’m behind” narrative - a conversation with a friend who was telling herself the same thing, about a completely different situation - how we both got ourselves out of the “I’m behind” cycle and laughed at ourselves - how you can get out of that cycle too Links mentioned in this episode: - Under the Gum Tree: underthegumtree.com - More to the Story coaching & editing for women: moretothestory.co - AWP in LA, March 27-29 - follow me on Instagram: @jannamarlies - follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, March 10, 2025
There’s no crying in self-promotion!
I saw a Notes thread on Substack recently that someone had shared an article, commenting that it was the saddest thing she had read on Substack that day. It had a lot of comments, so I clicked to read out of clarity and then curiosity. Clarity, because at first I didn’t get what was so sad about the article. Then curiosity, because as soon as I figured it out, I wanted to see what others had said. Maybe you already guessed that this thread was one long b***h-fest. The comments were all writers bemoaning that Substack has been infiltrated by what they called "Linked-In self promotion content," complaining that all they want to do is write and not try to figure out how to hack the system for growth. I have thoughts. In this episode: - why selling & self-promotion doesn’t have to be icky - how to make selling & self-promotion not icky - why anyone with writing they think can help (or teach, or entertain, or comfort) others should actually want to share it - why self-promotion isn’t selling out (unless you don’t want to be successful as a writer) Links mentioned in this episode: - Under the Gum Tree: underthegumtree.com - More to the Story coaching & editing for women: moretothestory.co - Alt Summit in Palm Springs, March 14-17 - AWP in LA, March 27-29 - follow me on Instagram: @jannamarlies - follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, March 03, 2025
Do I need 100,000 followers on social to get published?
Someone sent me this question recently, and man did it get me fired up. Whenever I hear any so-called advice (from anyone) saying you need XYZ specific thing in order to get published, my first response is: Well, how does saying that benefit THEM? Here’s the thing: do you need 100,000 followers to get published? NO. Absolutely not. Would it be helpful? Of course. But (and this is a big BUT), there is a lot of nuance to this question, which I unpack in this episode. Listen in for: - thinking through using Substack, making work sustainable, whether or not to turn on paid subscriptions for this podcast, and doing work that’s easy and that I want to do - why someone would say something like, “you need 100,000 followers to get published” - what we mean when we say “get published” & the importance of distribution - how to determine whether going after hundreds of thousands of followers makes sense for YOU - why your own personal vision + goals are the most important thing to inform your book publishing decisions Links mentioned in this episode: - Subscribe to More to the Story podcast in Substack: https://moretothestorypodcast.substack.com/ - Under the Gum Tree: underthegumtree.com - More to the Story coaching & editing for women: moretothestory.co- Past More to the Story episode ”If you want to publish a book, what is it that you actually want?” - Brooke Warner’s Substack & post on distribution - Alt Summit in Palm Springs, March 14-17 - AWP in LA, March 27-29 - follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies - follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, February 24, 2025
When You’ve Never Done Something Before
When an opportunity for expansion and growth presents itself, but it’s something you’ve never done before, what’s your first instinct? To avoid doing it? To dismiss it simply because you’ve never done it? Maybe the idea of trying the thing hasn’t even occurred to you because you’ve never done it. But just because you’ve never done something doesn’t mean you can’t do it, or shouldn’t do it. In fact I would argue that when this type of resistance comes up it’s a good indicator that it’s time to do some self-reflection and some exploring by first, getting curious and asking yourself some questions, and, second, taking one small action to get just a little closer to the thing you’ve never done. In this episode I share an example of a client who came up against this resistance + some questions to ask yourself when it comes up for you. Links mentioned in this episode: - Subscribe to the podcast on Substack: moretothestorypodcast.substack.com - My signature video course: Nonfiction Bootcamp - Follow me on Instagram: @jannamarlies - Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram: @undergumtree - Sign up for my email list: jannamarlies.com/keep-in-touch - Alt Summit in Palm Springs, March 14-17 - AWP in LA, March 26-29 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, February 17, 2025
Writing a Book is Kind of Like Producing the First Episode of Saturday Night Live
When I introduce myself as a book coach, nearly every single woman I meet responds with, “Oh my gosh, I’ve always wanted to write a book.” Then we get to talking about what’s holding them back, and it is always some variation of “I’m not ready.” It usually sounds something like: - I’m waiting until I have a larger following. - I’m waiting until my kids are older. - I’m waiting until my business is more established. - I have to take care of XYZ thing first. - Now isn’t the right time because of XYZ. - I’m not a good enough writer. - I don’t know where to start! - It’s a big, scary, overwhelming project, and I don’t know how to do it! All of these are a version of feeling like you’re not ready to do this thing that you say you’ve always wanted to do, and here’s a secret: If you’re waiting until you’re “ready,” you never will be! It’s kind of like producing the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live , which I talk about in this episode after watching the movie Saturday Night on Netflix. That first night, the network producer kept trying to convince Lorne Michaels, the creator of the show, that they were’t ready and they should just try again the next week. But if he had done that, would there even be the great institution of American culture and comedy that we know and love today? Links mentioned in this episode: - Subscribe to the podcast on Substack: moreothestorypodcast.substack.com - More about Under the Gum Tree: underthegumtree.com - More about my coaching & editing: moretothestory.co - Sign up for my email list: jannamarlies.com/keep-in-touch This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, February 10, 2025
If you want to publish a book, what do you actually want?
Aspiring authors: do you have a pre-set idea of how to write and publish your book, based on what experts and gurus have said is the (best/only/most effective) way to do it? Have you already decided that you need to do XYZ because that's what so-and-so says to do? If you answered YES to any of these questions, this episode is for you. And I have some questions for YOU. Here's the deal: there is no one-size-fits all path to getting published and, in fact, if you haven't gotten clear on a few things for yourself first, then you may be following bad advice. Take a listen to find out what I mean. Subscribe to the podcast on Substack: moreothestorypodcast.substack.com More about Under the Gum Tree: underthegumtree.com More about my coaching & editing: moretothestory.co Sign up for my email list: jannamarlies.com/keep-in-touch This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Mon, February 03, 2025
Time is On Your Side
After a nearly four-year hiatus, More to the Story Podcast is back! Brought to you by Janna Marlies Maron, book coach and editor for women writing nonfiction, and editor and publisher of the creative nonfiction lit mag, Under the Gum Tree. Time is on your side: many of previous podcast guests have published books since being on the show; what’s been happening for Janna & plans for this podcast going forward. Subscribe to the podcast on Substack: moreothestorypodcast.substack.com Sign up for Janna’s email list: jannamarlies.com/keep-in-touch This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, July 08, 2021
MTS 23: Self-care, community, and the Nonfiction Bootcamp with Janna Maron
Janna Marlies Maron (she/her) is a professional editor with nearly 20 years of experience helping writers to complete their projects and produce the best work possible. Her experience includes time as a magazine editor, college professor, agency editorial director, and content director for a popular internet brand. Her life’s work began when she was a kid writing in a spiral bound notebook, and she has since turned an MA in creative writing into a successful career as an editor, publisher, and director of her own business supporting women authors writing nonfiction. In addition to founding and editing Under the Gum Tree , she‘s the host of More to the Story, a podcast all about creative nonfiction, as well as private online community for nonfiction writers also called More to the Story. In the episode I talk about: What’s been happening in the past three years, since the last season of More to the Story The importance of stepping back and taking a break when necessary Self-care as an essential component of work and life Showing up for the people you care about My new business working with nonfiction authors More to the Story, my private community for nonfiction authors. Find more info at jannamarlies.com/community Nonfiction Bootcamp, the 9-month coaching and editing program designed to help nonfiction authors finish a complete draft of their book manuscript. Find more info at jannamarlies.com/nonfictionbootcamp The best way to stay in touch with me is to subscribe to my email list at jannamarlies.com Thanks so much for tuning in to this season of the More to the Story podcast! Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, July 01, 2021
MTS 22: Tinkering & braiding the threads of science and literature with Nicole Walker
Nicole Walker is the author of Processed Meats: Essays on Food, Flesh and Navigating Disaster (2021) Sustainability: A Love Story (2018) and the collaborative collection The After-Normal: Brief, Alphabetical Essays on a Changing Planet (2019). She has previously published the books Where the Tiny Things Are (2017), Egg (2017), Micrograms (2016), Quench Your Thirst with Salt (2013), and This Noisy Egg (2010). She edited for Bloomsbury the essay collections Science of Story (2019) with Sean Prentiss and Bending Genre: Essays on Creative Nonfiction (2013) with Margot Singer. She is the co-president of NonfictioNOW and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts award and a noted author in Best American Essays. Her work has been most recently published in the New York Times , Longreads , and Manifest-Station . She teaches at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. You can find her website at nikwalk.com . In the episode we talk about: Nonfiction feeling particularly apt for the time that we’re living in Star Trek and approximating an “extra inch of brain stuff” by examining things in writing The connecting point of imagination, drawing threads between two ideas as a way to enter braided essays The collaborative nature of writing, and writing & editing as a paired job The “bird’s eye” view of an editor and how the work of a good editor can elevate writing The idea that climate justice is racial justice The human capacity to care more about each other than personal freedoms Science as a lens to examine the world Tinkering as a process crossing over from science to writing Nicole’s current project examining the privilege and trauma of moving, and how it ties into climate change The constant feeling that we should be doing more Find Nicole online at nikwalk.com / Twitter & Facebook Read stories people shared during the pandemic as part of the How We Are project at howweare.org Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you’re looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, <a href="https://w
Thu, June 24, 2021
MTS 21: Intersectionality through essays, memoir, and poetry with Kristie Robin Johnson
Kristie Robin Johnson is an educator, essayist, and poet from Augusta, Georgia. She is the current Chair of the Department of Humanities at Georgia Military College’s Augusta campus where she is an Assistant Professor of English. A graduate of the MFA Creative Writing program at Georgia College and State University, Kristie’s writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has received other awards and recognition, including an AWP Intro to Journals award, the 2020 Porter Fleming Prize for Nonfiction, and the 2021 Page Prize for Nonfiction from The Pinch Literary Journal. Her work has been published in numerous literary magazines, journals, and anthologies. Her first book, High Cotton , was released in 2020 by Raised Voice Press. In the episode we talk about: Hip hop as Kristie’s first introduction to literature Writing essays as a function of journaling, being a young mother, and writing letters to her unborn child The transition from being a poet to being an essayist Maya Angelo, Harlem Renaissance writers, and imagining her first poems as if Tupac or Biggie and Langston Hughes had a baby Billy Collins’s theory that every poet has 200 bad poems that they have to get out Determining whether a piece is an essay or a poem Writing about the same things over and over as a writer of color, in reference to the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery and his murder being particularly difficult because of not being able to gather during COVID The impact that reading Black male authors had on her young son Addressing race with kids and how parents make the choice of when, where, and how to talk about it How the media has changed the frequency at which we see racial injustice Kristie’s strongest writing coming out of examining the intersections of life as a woman, a Black person, a single mom, and a returning college student The benefits of publishing with a small press Find Kristie online at kristierobinjohnson.com Kristie’s essay collection High Cotton is available on raisedvoicepress.com and everywhere books are sold Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you’re looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! This is a
Thu, June 17, 2021
MTS 20: Reinventing the addiction memoir & writing as recovery with Tim Hillegonds
Timothy J. Hillegonds is the author of The Distance Between (Nebraska, 2019), a finalist for the 2020 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award. A Pushcart Prize nominee, Tim's work has appeared in The Guardian, the Chicago Tribune, Salon, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, Assay, Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction, River Teeth, Baltimore Review, Brevity, Under the Gum Tree, Hippocampus Magazine, The Fourth River, Midway Journal, RHINO, Bluestem Magazine, r.k.v.r.y. quarterly, and others. In 2019, Tim was named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of their thirty "Writers to Watch,” and he currently serves as a contributing editor for Slag Glass City, a digital journal of the urban essay arts. In the episode we talk about: The practice of writing in rehab at the beginning of a serious writing life and as an integral part of healing Coming to nonfiction as a result of trauma Getting an undergrad degree at age 30 Recovery as never being singular, we're constantly recovering from one thing or another Never writing the same book twice and giving yourself permission to try something different Crafting a persona in creative nonfiction Truth vs subjectivity in nonfiction, honesty in recovery Using the second-person perspective in nonfiction The challenges of an addiction memoir and a story of abuse from the perpetrator’s point of view The benefits of publishing with a university press Writing visceral scenes of using after being sober The moral inventory of self and wrestling with privilege working on his behalf How to reinvent a story like an addiction that is, let’s be honest, so played out Writers Hope Edelman , Michele Morano , and Sheryl St. Germain Find Tim online at timhillegonds.com. Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you’re looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothes
Thu, June 10, 2021
MTS 19: Diary entries becoming essays & the short form with Kelly Fig Smith
Kelly is an award-winning essayist and a Pushcart nominee. She has an MFA in nonfiction from Lesley University. Her essay “Do No Harm” was awarded the $1000 Best Essay Prize and appeared in Creative Nonfiction’s Issue #55, The Memoir Issue, Spring 2015. Her essay, "Paper Moon" was shortlisted for The Pinch's 2017 Literary Award. Kelly enjoys the quiet life of rural Ohio. When she's not chasing children around the house, she can usually be found corn field watching from beneath an apple tree in her backyard. Kelly is currently seeking representation for her first book a collection of essays. In the episode we talk about: Grief journals and turning them into essays Needing a place to figure out what an experience means Giving readers the benefit of the doubt, and essays that are a slow burn The short form of flash and “micro” writing Loss and learning to love things without consuming or owning them Using care in the things we create vs. self-imposed deadlines or goals Kelly’s piece "Winter Soliloquy" in Hippocampus Connect with Kelly on Twitter @WhaleLetters Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you’re looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, June 03, 2021
MTS 18: Heartbreak, heart devices, and conflict minerals with Kati Standefer
In this episode I talk with writer Katherine Standefer. Katherine's debut book, Lightning Flowers , published November 2020 from Little Brown, was shortlisted for the 2018 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Prize from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Her work was featured in The Best American Essays 2016 , won the 2015 Iowa Review Award in Nonfiction, and most recently appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review , Kenyon Review Online , New England Review , Crazyhorse , Quarterly West , and The Normal School . She was a Fall 2018 Logan Nonfiction Fellow at The Carey Institute for Global Good, and earned her MFA in Creative Nonfiction at the University of Arizona. As a creative entrepreneur, she teaches intimate, electric writing classes that help people tell their stories about sexuality, illness, and trauma. She is also a professor in Ashland University's Low-Residency MFA. In the episode we talk about: Heartbreak and conflict minerals Illness as a driver force for writing nonfiction Owning a story vs. disguising it in thinly veiled fiction The need for narrative distance to craft nonfiction Processing illness through writing Research as a means of survival The personal is enough, a personal story well told can change lives Kati’s book, Lighting Flowers , story of a complicated relationship with her ICD, the American healthcare system, and the global supply chain. Book forthcoming March 2020 - Nov 2020, Little Brown IG / Twitter: @girlmakesfire / FB: writewithkatistandefer / katherinestandefer.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you're looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, May 27, 2021
MTS 17: Parenthood and the confluence of son & father with James Chesbro
In this episode, I talk with writer James M. Chesbro. James is the author of A Lion in the Snow: Essays on a Father’s Journey Home . His work has appeared in The Writer’s Chronicle , America , The Washington Post , The Millions , Essay Daily , and The Huffington Post . Essays from A Lion in the Snow were chosen as notable selections in The Best American Essays series 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018, as well as The Best American Sports Writing 2014. In the episode we talk about: Making sense of things in a private journal Mourning the loss of a parent while trying to keep children alive at the same time The confluence of the role of son and father, feeling like a kid forever How becoming a father allowed him to learn about and understand his own father who passed away before he had kids How the memories that we attach to objects allow them to take on a life of their own Jamie's book, A Lion in the Snow , Essays on a Father’s Journey Home compiling an essay collection Finishing a project, even when it takes almost a decade, has to be an obsession The importance of books about men for men and exploring emotions as men jamesmchesbro.com / jamie_chesbro on Twitter & Instagram Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you're looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, May 20, 2021
MTS 16: The Soundtrack of a neighborhood & processing grief with Tori Weston
In this episode I talk with Tori Weston, creative writer and visual artist. Tori received a BFA in Writing and Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. While working for the Professional Studies department and finishing her last semester of graduate school, she wrote a proposal for a creative writing high school program. Fifteen years later, she is now the Assistant Director of Pre-College Programs at Emerson College. When not running the pre-college program, she balances her professional life with her creative life as both a writer and artist. Her writing has appeared in What's Up Magazine , Providence Journal-Bulletin , Sleet Magazine , and Under the Gum Tree . She has also been a featured storyteller in the Risk! Live show, podcast, and book. Her artwork has been shown at the Somerville Museum, Diesel Cafe, and Bloc 11 Cafe. In the episode we talk about: Her 6th grad teacher’s quirky essay assignments Tori's love of grammar & being rewarded for memorizing poems with parties The 1991 Doors movie inspiring a generation of creatives writing bad poetry The recurring theme of teachers taking interest, encouraging her to pursue writing Moving to nonfiction as a result of telling personal stories Themes unifying multiple short-short pieces The richness of growing up in a cultural diverse neighborhood Tori’s memoir-in-progress about her whopping 38 roommate situations Check out her work at: ToriWestonWriterArtist.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you're looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, December 21, 2017
MTS 15: Disability in literature & writing about life in a particular body with Rebeckah Taussig
In this episode I talk with Rebekah Taussig, one of Under the Gum Tree’s previous contributors. Rebekah is a writer and teacher with her PhD in creative nonfiction and disability studies from the University of Kansas. She is interested in the powerful connection between the stories we tell and the tangible world we live in. You can find her essays in Under the Gum Tree and The Florida Review and can follow her flash-memoirs on her Instagram @sitting_pretty. Her essay “Reupholstered” appears in the October 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree . In this episode we talk about: Wanting to make sense of the world through words Disability stories in nineteenth century literature The Moonstone and Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins Responses of Rebekah's students in her high school disability and literature class The challenge and discomfort engaging with "others," people who are different from we are Rebekah's experience of transitioning to using a wheelchair as a child Writing life stories that are shaped by Rebekah's experience with her body Rebekah's memoir Do You Feel This: The Story of a Voice Lost and Reclaimed Writing flash-flash memoir on Instagram Visit Rebekah online at rebekahtaussig.com and follow her on Instagram @sitting_pretty Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at jannamarlies.com/cnf101course . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, December 14, 2017
MTS 14: Place often makes the people & paying attention to surroundings Liz Stephens
In this episode I talk with Liz Stephens, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Liz is currently growing the Mojave Desert Arts project, a residency and workshop space outside Joshua Tree, California. Recent work can be found in the anthologies Brief Encounters: A Collection of Contemporary Nonfiction and Dirt: A Love Story. Other work can be found in Fourth Genre and Terrain.org , among others. She has served as managing editor of Brevity , and teaches nonfiction with the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program and through private workshops and retreats. Liz’s essay “Because Faint Glitter Came Off Everything” appears in the April 2017 issue of Under the Gum Tree . In this episode we talk about: The difference between journaling and crafting true stories for an audience How writing creative nonfiction has taught Liz the craft and structure needed for returning to writing ficton Being in transition as an adult and part of the artistic class How places are created, whether people create it or whether place shapes and forms people Living in the desert and choosing to stay in a place that's more difficult to live The inconvenience of wanting something that isn't easy Paying attention to surroundings as a way to occupy an over-thinking mind An artist residency that Liz is working on starting called the Mojave Desert Arts Visit Liz online at thedaysaregods.com follow Liz on Instagram at @doc_stephens Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at jannamarlies.com/cnf101course . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, December 07, 2017
MTS 13: Embracing your subjective version of the truth & cult-classic films with Dorian Fox
In this episode I talk with one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors, Dorian Fox. Dorian essays, articles and stories have appeared in december , Gastronomica , Alimentum , Monkeybicycle , National Parks Magazine , and elsewhere. His work has also been shortlisted for awards by Ploughshares , Phoebe and The Bellingham Review . He received his MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College and teaches writing at Grub Street in Boston. His essay "The Other First," appears in the January 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree . In this episode we talk about: The nakedness that comes with writing nonfiction and claiming your personal experience How to not get tripped up by facts when writing nonfiction Embracing and honoring your own subjective version of truth when writing Anxieties and concerns that develop when we age, and when we age in a relationship How we revise, recast, or recalibrate our personal life stories and see it with fresh perspective Dorian's work teaching at Grub Street in Boston Teaching writing and how it influences Dorian's own creative work as a writer The craft books * The Art of Memoir*, by Mary Karr ; * The Situation and the Story*, by Vivian Gornick ; and * On Writing*, by Stephen King The cult-classic films Motorphsyco! and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Visit Dorian online at dorianfox.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at jannamarlies.com/cnf101course . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, November 30, 2017
MTS 12: Telling lies, asking questions & discovering personal truth in writing with Yahdon Israel
In this episode I talk with Yahdon Israel, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Yahdon is 27-year-old writer from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, who has written for Avidly , The New Inquiry , Brooklyn Magazine , LitHub , and Poets and Writers . He graduated from the MFA Creative Non-Fiction Writing program at the New School. He is the Awards and Membership VP of the National Book Critics Circle. Run a popular Instagram page which promotes literature and fashion under the hashtag Literaryswag , and host a web show for writers called LIT . In this episode we talk about: Writing as a means to confronting the world Telling lies to find your voice, and writing as a way to be heard Getting to the truth of feelings through false constructs like memory and objectivity How James Baldwin has influenced Yahdon as a writer White editors and their expectation that black writers should answer their questions Complexity of asking questions that reveal assumptions and lies we tell ourselves The essay as a form of asking questions that may never be answered What the literary market wants and expects from writers of color The Women, by Hilton Als The importance of literary citizenship and contributing to community beyond writing Yahdon's interview with Pulitzer Prizewinning poet Tyehimba Jess Yahdon's popular Instagram hashtag #literaryswag and his new web show for writers called LIT . Visit Yahdon online at yahdonisrael.com . Follow him on Instagram @yahdon and on Twitter @yahdonisrael . Follow Yahdon's projects on Instagram @litplatform and @literaryswagbookclub . Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at <a href="http://jannamarlies.co
Thu, November 23, 2017
MTS 11: Writing about family & developing sympathy for others with Stephen Gutierrez
In this episode I talk with Stephen Gutierrez, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Stephen has published three books of stories and essays. Live from Fresno y Los won an American Book Award, and The Mexican Man in His Backyard is his most recent. He has published widely in magazines and anthologies, including nonfiction in Fourth Genre , River Teeth , Under the Sun , Alaska Quarterly Review , Third Coast , ZYZZYVA and Cleaver Magazine . He is working on a collection of essays and hybrid nonfiction. He teaches at California State University East Bay. His essay "Spiritual Direction" appears in the October 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree . In this episode we talk about: Writing both fiction and nonfiction, and discovering a new voice in nonfiction Taking a stand for writing a positive tribute of a family member What we learn about ourselves and others close to use when we write about family How writing can help us learn sympathy for others by being willing to challenge our own beliefs Stephen's three-volume box set: Elements , Live from Fresno y Los , The Mexican Man in his Backyard Visit Stephen online at stephendgutierrez.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram [@undergumtree][4]. Follow me on Twitter [@justjanna][5] and [@jannamarlies][6] on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at [ jannamarlies.com/cnf101course][7] . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, November 16, 2017
MTS 10: Structure is a b*tch & processing grief through writing nonfiction with Carol Marsh
In this episode I talk with author and Under the Gum Tree contributor Carol Marsh. Carol's essay, “Pictures in Leaves,” won the 2016 New Millennium Writings Nonfiction Prize. Her essay "Highest and Best" received an honorable mention in Under the Gum Tree's inaugural essay contest and appears in the January 2017 issue of the magazine. It is an excerpt from her memoir Nowhere Else I Want to Be. Additional excerpts of her book have appeared in Soundings Review , bioStories , and Jenny magazine. In this episode we talk about: Processing grief and experience through writing creative nonfiction Why Carol started Miriam's House, a nonprofit shelter for women in Washington, D.C. living with aids How writing played a role in maintaining emotional and spiritual health during her time at Miriam's House The importance of self-care when having others to take care and creating physical and emotional boundaries Why structure is a b***h and how to create it a memoir with multiple storylines Carol's memoir Nowhere Else I Want to Be The online school for people in public service that Carol started, Forum for Growth in Service Visit Carol online at caroldmarsh.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram [@undergumtree][4]. Follow me on Twitter [@justjanna][5] and [@jannamarlies][6] on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at [ jannamarlies.com/cnf101course][7] . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, November 09, 2017
MTS 09: Modern day monsters and crafting segmented essays with Ira Sukrungruang
In this episode I talk with Ira Sukrungruang, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Ira is the author of The Melting Season , Southside Buddhist , Talk Thai , and In Thailand It Is Night . He teaches in the MFA program at University of South Florida. His essay "The Animatronic Dog" appears in the April 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree . The pen name that Ira used when he used to submit stories to the New Yorker as a teenager How Ira shifts between writing in all three genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction The difference between writing personal stories as nonfiction versus autobiographical fiction Exploring the meaning of the word "monster," where monsters come from and what we are really afraid of Crafting segmented essays, determining the sequence and what to include or leave out What to do with material that doesn't end up in an essay The role of being an editor and how it affects Ira's work as a writer The online literary magazine Sweet , where Ira is a founding editor Ira's new memoir Buddah's Dog , coming out in spring 2018 Visit Ira online at buddistboy.com , follow him on Twitter at @sukrungruang Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram [@undergumtree][4]. Follow me on Twitter [@justjanna][5] and [@jannamarlies][6] on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at [ jannamarlies.com/cnf101course][7] . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Thu, November 02, 2017
MTS 08: Writing through trauma & redefining identity with Matt Young
In this episode I talk with Matt Young, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Matt is a marine veteran, writer, and teacher. He lives in Olympia, Washington where he teaches at Central College. He holds an MA in creative writing from Miami University. His work can be found in Yemassee , Word Riot , Tin House , River Teeth , and others. His essay "Equal and Opposite" appears in the July 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree . His memoir Eat the Apple comes out in February 2018. In this episode we talk about: How Matt came to writing after his military career Navigating the often conflicting identities of being both a war veteran and a writer Dealing with re-traumatization when writing memoir Different types of reactions Matt experiences to his military stories Matt's new memoir Eat the Apple , which will be published February 2018 and available for preorder now Visit Matt online at http://mattyoungauthor.com/ or on Twitter at @young_em_see Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree . Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at jannamarlies.com/cnf101course . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Sat, March 26, 2016
MTS 07: Short-short nonfiction & creating literary community with Penny Guisinger
Welcome to episode seven of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this episode, I talk with previous Under the Gum Tree contributor, Penny Guisinger. Penny Guisinger lives and writes on the easternmost tip of Maine. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Fourth Genre , River Teeth , Guernica , the Brevity blog, Solstice , Under the Gum Tree , and others. Her first book, Postcards from Here , was recently released by Vine Leaves Press. Her second book, Shift , is in progress. Penny is the founding director of Iota: Short Prose Conference and a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA Program. She lives with two dogs, two kids, her wife, and a family of porcupines that trundle across the lawn like bulldozers. In this episode, we talk about: Penny’s new book, Postcards from Here Writing short-short prose, and assembling a book Finding material to write about by paying attention Getting published, and finding the exact right home for your work Incriminating ourself one the page first, before anyone we right about The importance of creating and participating in literary community Iota: The Conference of Short Prose , annual writing conference Penny founded Visit Penny online at pennyguisinger.com , and on Twitter @pennyguisinger Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Fri, March 18, 2016
MTS 06: Spending a night in jail & turning an unpleasant experience into art with Maddy Walsh
Welcome to episode six of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this episode, I talk with previous Under the Gum Tree contributor, Maddy Walsh. Maddy is the lead singer and primary songwriter for Ithaca, NY-based, nationally touring, seven-piece moxy rock band The Blind Spots. She received her Bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 2005 and received her Master’s degree in the same field from California State University Sacramento in 2007. Her thesis was a manuscript of poetry, the form that most heavily influences her songwriting. Maddy’s essay “Placer County Jail” appears in the October 2012 issue of Under the Gum Tree and was listed as a notable in The Best American Essays 2013 . Learn more about her current work, visit www.theblindspots.com and maddmoxy.blogspot.com . In this episode, we talk about: Discovering cohesive of a life story without spewing unnecessary details Writing and sharing about a shame-inducing experience Turing an unpleasant experience into a piece of art The benefits of sharing stories instead of not talking about unpleasant experiences Maddy's song writing and her band, The Blind Spots Visit Maddy online at www.theblindspots.com and maddmoxy.blogspot.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Sat, March 12, 2016
MTS 05: Sense of place & compiling a book manuscript of essays with Timothy Kenny
Welcome to episode five of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this episode I talk with former Under the Gum Tree contributor, Timothy Kenny. Tim is a former USA Today foreign editor, a non profit foundation executive, a Fulbright scholar, and associate professor of journalism at the university of Connecticut. In addition to USA today , his reporting and op-ed piece shave appears in the Toronto Star , The Los Angeles Time , The Wall Street Journal Europe , The Chicago Tribune , among many others. His narrative nonfiction has appeared in several literary magazines including the Kenyon Review Online , the Louisville Review , the Gettysburg Review , and of course Under the Gum Tree . His piece “Turning 66 and 6 in Umbria,” appears in the January 2013 issue of Under the Gum Tree . Tim’s first book is a collection of creative nonfiction entitled Far Country: Stories from Abroad and Other Places , and it was just published in May 2015. Before we get to the interview, here is Tim reading an excerpt from his new book. In this episode, we talk about: Tim’s writing background and what draws him to creative nonfiction Why Tim prefers creative nonfiction to journalism Writing about how our sense of place affects who we are Process of compiling a book manuscript of essays Tim’s book Far Country: Stories from Abroad and Other Places on Amazon Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Fri, March 04, 2016
MTS 04: Spirituality, sexuality & how journalism informs creative nonfiction with Samuel Autman
Welcome to episode four of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this episode I talk with former Under the Gum Tree contributor, Samuel Autman. Samuel is a member of DePauw University's writing faculty in Greencastle, Indiana where he specializes in the personal essay. "Invisible Nails" won first place in the SLS-DISQUIET 2015 Literary Contest in the nonfiction category. His work has appeared in The Chalk Circle: Prizewinning Intercultural Essays , Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam's Call , Ninth Letter , The Common Reader , Under the Gum Tree , Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction , I'm Black and I Travel , The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project . His essay “The Tongues of Angels” appears in issue seven of Under the Gum Tree, published in April 2013. In this episode, we talk about: Samuel’s writing background and what draws him to creative nonfiction The difference between journalism and narrative nonfiction How journalism informs writing creative nonfiction What caused Samuel to begin writing about his family and growing up in Arkansas Determining the difference between what belongs to the writer and the page, and what belongs to the writer and his or her personal relationships Internal conflict with personal stories and learning how to grow into boldness Visit Samuel online at samuelautman.com , and @samuelautman on Instagram and Twitter Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Fri, February 26, 2016
MTS 03: Food writing, bipolar disorder & Christina Rosetti with Kate Washington
Welcome to episode three of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this episode I talk with former Under the Gum Tree contributor, Kate Washington. Kate is a writer based in Sacramento, California. Her work has appeared in such publications as The Washington Post , Yoga Journal , Sunset and the Bellingham Review , and she is a contributing writer at Sactown magazine. She is a co-founder of Roan Press, a small nonprofit literary press. Kate’s essay “Promises Like Piecrust” appears in the October 2014 issue of Under the Gum Tree , and it was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. In this episode, we talk about: Kate’s writing background and what draws her to creative nonfiction The impetus for “Promises Like Piecrust” Precise language and descriptions when writing about food Christina Rosetti’s poem “Promises Like Piecrust,” and pies during the Victoria Age Promises, what they mean, and what happens when we inevitably break them Living with a mother who has bipolar disorder Visit Kate online at kawashington.com or on twitter @washingtonkate. Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Fri, February 19, 2016
MTS 02: Writing about grief & shaving your head with Laurie Easter
Welcome to episode two of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! Today I talk with previous Under the Gum Tree contributor Laurie Easter. Laurie writes from her home in Southern Oregon where she lives in a funky little cabin off the grid and on the edge of wilderness. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has been awarded a fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center. Her work has appeared in Hippocampus Magazine, Connotation Press: An Online Artifact, and Oregon English Journal. She is working on an essay collection about loss and grief. Her essay, “Something to do With Baldness,” appears in the January 2014 issue of Under the Gum Tree , and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. In this episode, we talk about: Laurie’s writing background and what draws her to creative nonfiction The impetus for writing “Something to do With Baldness” Writing about grief Laurie’s experience shaving her head Femininity and the perception of beauty The sometimes challenging dynamic of female friendships Visit Laurie online at laurieeaster.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Fri, February 12, 2016
MTS 01: Collecting vinyl records & father-daughter relationships with Katy Sargent
Welcome to episode one of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this episode I interview previous Under the Gum Tree contributor, Katy Sargent. Katy is a recent graduate from the Stonecoast MFA program. She is a freelance, nonfiction writer who dabbles in screenwriting. She lives in South Portland, Maine with her husband, two daughters and three chickens. Her story, “Long Play,” was published in the April 2014 issue of Under the Gum Tree, and she is one of four writers we published that year who were nominated for the Pushcart Prize, which is one of the most coveted literary awards. In this episode, we talk about: Katy’s writing background and what draws her to writing creative nonfiction Jo Ann Beard The Boys of My Youth and In Zanesville The origin of her story “Long Play” How connection to objects shapes our memories Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life , Steve Martin’s memoir Visit Katy online at enter link description here katherinesargent.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com . Visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
Fri, February 05, 2016
MTS 00: What it means to tell stories without shame & the origin of Under the Gum Tree magazine with Janna Marlies Maron
Welcome to the pilot episode of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world! In this first episode, I talk about: What to expect from this first season of More to the Story What it means to tell stories without shame Where the name Under the Gum Tree comes from My story “The Gum Tree” Sign up for Under the Gum Tree email list and get a free digital copy of the Premiere issue ! Find more information about the magazine at UndertheGumTree.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moretothestorypodcast.substack.com
loading...