Wild Precious Life

Alejandro Varela is the author of THE TOWN OF BABYLON, a finalist for the National Book Award, and THE PEOPLE WHO REPORT MORE STRESS, which The New York Times called “a master class in analyzing the unspoken” and praised Varela for shedding light on complex societal problems with “seemingly effortless wit and empathy." Varela has a Master’s Degree in Public Health, and believes strongly in reparations, land back, a national health service, and a $36 minimum wage pegged to inflation. In this episode, Annmarie and Alejandro talk about social justice, online dating, and whether writing fiction can help foster the collective liberation of our society. Episode Sponsors: The Word Is Change – A neighborhood bookstore in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn,selling used and new books, hosting readings and meetings, buying books for resale, and supporting visual artists. Come into the store and find the perfect book you were looking for, or the perfect book you didn’t even know you were looking for. And shop online at thewordischange.com. Greenlight Bookstore – Through knowledgeable staff, curated book selection, community partnerships, and a robust e-commerce website, Greenlight combines the best traditions of the neighborhood bookstore with a forward-looking sensibility, and welcomes readers of every kind to the heart of Brooklyn. Learn more and shop online at greenlightbookstore.com. Titles Discussed in This Episode: THE TOWN OF BABYLON, by Alejandro Varela THE PEOPLE WHO REPORT MORE STRESS, by Alejandro Varela FALTAS: LETTERS TO EVERYONE IN MY HOMETOWN WHO ISN’T MY RAPIST, by Cecilia Gentili Here’s the trailer for PAST LIVES. Follow Alejandro Varela: Instagram: @drovarela Twitter: @drovarela alejandrovarela.work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lou-Andrea Callewaert was a chronically ill child who learned to write through her pain. She’s the author of I FELL IN LOVE WITH HOPE, the story of young hospital patients who support one another throughout their terminal diagnoses and promise to live fully for as long as they are able. Lou writes under the pen name Lancali, and in this episode, she and Annmarie talk about grief, horseback riding, and the necessity of clinging to hope even when it seems like there is no reason to do so. Episode Sponsors: San Marco Books and More – An indie shop in Jacksonville, Florida, offering a large stock of classic fiction, a full range of children's books, an extensive choice of leather-bound titles, and literary gifts for folks of all ages. Drop by or shop online at sanmarcobooksandmore.com. Parnassus Books – An independent bookstore located in Nashville, Tennessee, Parnassus is co-owned by bestselling author Ann Patchett and Managing Partner Karen Hayes. Parnassus provides a refuge for Nashvillians of all ages who share in our love of the written word. Learn more and shop online at parnassusbooks.net. Titles Discussed in This Episode: I FELL IN LOVE WITH HOPE, by Lancali Here’s the trailer for TWO BROTHERS. Follow Lou-Andrea Callewaert: TikTok: @lancali Instagram: @lancalii Twitter: @lancaliii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vauhini Vara’s debut novel, THE IMMORTAL KING RAO, has been published around the world, is being adapted for television, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She’s out now with a new story collection, THIS IS SALVAGED, which Lit Hub and Electric Literature named one of the most anticipated books of the year. In this episode, Annmarie and Vauhini talk about the opportunities and costs of technology, writing through grief, and how to use Battlestar Galactica to solve craft problems. Episode Sponsors: Pegasus Books – Offering a huge selection of new, used and sale titles, Pegasus bookstores are welcoming and inclusive neighborhood spaces, where we believe in the printed word and in the alchemy of sharing books with one another. Find your next great read and shop online at pegasusbookstore.com. StoryStudio Chicago – A writing center located in Chicago and online, which helps writers hone their craft, express their creativity, and tell their stories. With classes covering a wide variety of topics, genres, and levels, there is truly something for everyone at StoryStudio. Learn more at storystudiochicago.org. Writing by Vauhini Vara: The Immortal King Rao This Is Salvaged Ghosts Confessions of a Viral AI Writer Unknown Unknowns: UFOs, Autonomous Cars, and Someone Who Can Beat Trump Other Titles Discussed in This Episode: The Sorrow of Others, by Ada Zhang Blue (Da Ba Dee), by Eiffel 65 Here’s the video for Disney’s Lava (It’s okay to cry.) Even if you’re not into sci-fi, check out Battlestar Galactica. Follow Vauhini Vara: Twitter: @vauhinivara Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karen Walrond is the author of THE LIGHTMAKER’S MANIFESTO and THE BEAUTY OF DIFFERENT, and she’s out now with a new book, RADIANT REBELLION, in which she urges all of us to reexamine the myths and celebrate more of the opportunities of growing older. In this episode, Karen and Annmarie talk about reclaiming aging, practicing joy, and how to take charge of our own stories as we walk, dance, and even hula hoop into the second half of our lives. Episode Sponsors: Blue Willow Bookshop – A locally-owned, independently-minded WestHouston bookstore. Blue Willow is run by a team of opinionated, well-read women. Our staff meetings are full of laughter, our back room is full of snacks, and we absolutely love putting the right book into a reader’s hands. We’ve got recommendations. We’ve got pizzazz. And we look forward to welcoming you to our happy place. Stop in or shop online at bluewillow bookshop.com. Lit Youngstown – A literary community proud to support beginning and experienced writers who seek to hone their craft, foster understanding, and share and publish their creative work. Read, write, and tell your story at lityoungstown.org. Books by Karen Walrond: RADIANT REBELLION: RECLAIM AGING, PRACTICE JOY, AND RAISE A LITTLE HELL THE LIGHTMAKER’S MANIFESTO: HOW TO WORK FOR CHANGE WITHOUT LOSING YOUR JOY THE BEAUTY OF DIFFERENT: OBSERVATIONS OF A CONFIDENT MISFIT Other Titles Discussed in This Episode: Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive, by Dr. Kristin Neff Good Talk, by Mira Jacob Follow Karen Walrond: Instagram: @heychookooloonks Facebook: @chookooloonks www.chookooloonks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Kiefer is the director of the low-residency MFA at Ashland University. He’s the author of The Infinite Tides, The Animals, and Phantoms which was one of Kirkus Reviews and the BBC’s Best Books of 2019. And he’s out with a new novel, THE HEART OF IT ALL. Christian is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize for his short fiction and has enjoyed a second career in music, releasing a number of albums primarily in the folk-rock and avant-garde traditions. In this episode, Annmarie and Christian talk about love stories, goose attacks, and how any of us manage, in an increasingly divided America, to find a sense of family and community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sept. 16, 2023, one of our beloved guests, Echo Brown, passed away. We were incredibly saddened by the news, this is for her. Echo Brown’s recent memoir, THE CHOSEN ONE, examines the opportunities and costs of an Ivy League education, and the obligation universities have to support and safeguard first-generation college students. Annmarie and Echo discuss inequity, community, and the need to be a promised land for one another. Additionally, Echo talks about her current health crisis and her urgent campaign to find a kidney donor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jean Kwok immigrated from Hong Kong to Brooklyn when she was five,where she lived with her family in an unheated, roach-infested apartment. Her 2010 book, GIRL IN TRANSLATION, is a fictionalized account of how Jean worked in a clothing factory for much of her childhood. She followed that with MAMBO IN CHINATOWN which echoed the three years that Jean worked as a professional ballroom dancer, and SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE, which was an instant NYTimes bestseller and a Read with Jenna Book Club pick. Now Jean’s out with a new novel, THE LEFTOVER WOMAN, which is an “evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood.” In this episode, Jean and Annmarie talk about the immigrant experience in this country, the joy of ballroom dancing, and the emotional truth at the core of the best fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saeed Jones is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer whose first collection of poetry, PRELUDE TO BRUISE, was a 2014 finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His 2019 memoir, HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES, won the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction. And his second poetry collection, ALIVE AT THE END OF THE WORLD, is a 2023 winner of an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the only national juried prize for literature that confronts racism and explores diversity. In this episode, Annmarie and Saeed talk about weaving both joy and sadness into poetry and what it means to speak each other’s language in grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather Drago is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Clever Girl Marketing and the host of the That’s a Hard No podcast. A recent cancer survivor, Heather has been on a journey lately of turning down situations, experiences, and people who do not serve her. On today’s bonus episode, Annmarie and Heather discuss how to set healthy boundaries, saying NO, and what might be possible when we make a little more room for ourselves in these busy and hectic days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In both fiction and memoir, William Dameron writes about coming out as a gay man, and what it might look like to start again with a great love affair in the second half of life. Dameron is the award-winning author of THE LIE, A MEMOIR OF TWO MARRIAGES, CATFISHING & COMING OUT. His most recent project, THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE, is a novel, and it’s out now. In this episode, Bill and Annmarie talk about second-chance love, the various delights of both fiction and nonfiction, and why Annmarie needs to stop using idunno1234 for all her passwords. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices