Updates, Updates!

First off, I must apologize; I’ve been terrible about keeping up with my blog! Just to update you on the shows that have been posted since I last wrote, they are:

#71 (10/26/09) Thea Lewis
#70 (10/19/09) Christopher Noel
#69 (10/12/09) Tanya Lee Stone
#68 (10/05/09) Philip Graham
#67 (9/28/09) Robert Cohen
#66 (9/14/09) Rowan Jacobsen
#65 (9/7/09) Doug Wilhelm
#64 (8/31/09) Vivian Dorsel
#63 (8/24/09) Arnold Kozak
#62 (8/7/09) Richard Russo
#61 (8/3/09) Natasha Saje
#60 (7/27/09) Mary McGarry Morris
#59 (7/13/09) Clare Rossini

To listen to any one of those great shows, just click on my guest’s name (above). I hope you enjoy each of them. Stay tuned for information on the show for Monday, November 9th, an interview with Vermont publicist and former bookstore owner Elaine Sopchak.

Sue William Silverman: Fearless Confessions

What about yourself would you rather not talk about? Either because it feels shameful, or implicates someone you care about, or because other people might not understand. The latest Write The Book features an interview with Sue William Silverman, who overcame her painful past and the resulting anorexia and sex addiction, in large part, through writing. Her new book is Fearless Confessions: A Guide To Writing Memoir. And the interview was great fun, despite what might sound like a very intense description. You can find the podcast here.

Yesterday’s Interview With Sarah Dillard

Sarah Dillard, featured guest on yesterday’s show, is a writer and illustrator, author of the recently published Perfectly Arugula! In keeping with the theme of her book (perfection), I offered the following prompt at the end of the show: As you work this week, try not to be perfect. Try not to be tidy. Aim for mess, clutter and fabulous chaos. For more about the show, or to listen, go to http://writethebook.podbean.com or find Write The Book on iTunes.

Jim DeFilippi, Writing For The Joy of It

Jim DeFilippi knows success in publishing. And he knows the hard work of it, even after that first novel hits the store shelves. Fed up with the publishing runaround, he decided to write just for the joy of it. He’s made all of his novels available as free downloads at jimdefilippi.com   My interview with Jim is likewise available at writethebook.podbean.com and on iTunes. Enjoy!

Why always at the worst times?

Ever wonder why you get those ideas for your writing when you’re unable to write them down? You’re taking a shower or taking a run, driving a car on a lovely warm day with the radio on, when suddenly the solution to your latest writing problem comes to you in a flash. Why? Why then? Well, the writer Jonah Lehrer writes in a recent Real Simple Magazine article: Studies show that moments of insight often arrive when you’re not aware that you’re thinking of the problem, such as during a warm shower or a long stroll. This is because insights are typically generated by a rush of high-frequency gamma-band neural activity in the brain’s right hemisphere, and a mind is better able to tune in to that hemisphere when it is stress-free. Which might mean that, when you’ve got writer’s block, you really do need to just let go and not rush it. Don’t sit idle, waiting for inspiration. Keep writing, always write. But try not to stress.

Robin Hemley, Do-Over!

I broadcast the interview with Robin Hemley yesterday. Really fun conversation. Robin is the director of the nonfiction writing program at the University of Iowa. As his book jacket proclaims, he is a 48-year-old father of three, and he undertook a project we can all, perhaps, relate to: he went back to the scenes of various childhood embarrassments and relived them. Literally. He went back to kindergarten for a week. And summer camp. Sixth grade. Eigth grade. He went back to the prom! And he even managed to find the owner of a home he’d lived in as a teenager, who was willing to let him move in for a week. A few new embarrassing moments here, but also many strides forward in understanding who he was as a child, and how his life shaped him into the man he is today. Hoping you’ll take a moment to listen…  writethebook.podbean.com

Laurel Neme, Animal Investigators

Did you know that there are only five thousand tigers in the wild, but over ten thousand tigers are kept as pets in the world? And many of those are in the U.S. Well, I didn’t either. This week on Write The Book, Laurel Neme, author of the book Animal Investigators, talks about the world’s first wildlife forensics lab and her work writing their story. The podcast is available on iTunes and at writethebook.podbean.com

Also, Laurel has a very helpful and interesting website: laurelneme.com

Write The Book, A Radio Show

Long awaited? Maybe not, given that I’m probably the ninety millionth person to start a blog. Nevertheless, this might be a good place to learn what’s happening on The Radiator’s writing show: Write The Book, which goes out to writers and curious readers every Monday from 2-3 pm on WOMM-LP 105.9 FM in Burlington, Vermont. I’m the host, Shelagh Shapiro. The show can be streamed live at http://theradiator.org. And Podcasts are available at http://writethebook.podbean.com and on iTunes. This week’s guest was Castle Freeman, Jr., Vermont writer of essays, short stories, and novels. We discuss Castle’s latest, ALL THAT I HAVE. Check it out. All feedback is appreciated. Comment here, or send an email to me at writethebook@gmail.com. Thanks much!