Wild Precious Life

Annmarie and Harry discuss babies, boundaries, bottle-feeding, his newest book Tender, and how poetry just might help us change the world.

Annmarie and Rosemerry discuss grief, joy, how to write a poem, how to launch grown-up-but-still-our-babies children into the world, and the playful possibility of a daily writing practice.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.