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Upstart Crow

Upstart Crow Podcast

Dedicated to promoting books and culture through engaging and informative podcasts. Our mission is to inspire our listeners to explore the literary arts and appreciate the diversity of ideas within our amazing world. We invite a diverse range of writers, historians, and cultural influences to share their expertise. From established artists to up-and-coming creatives, our guests provide unique perspectives on writing, the literary arts, and culture. Hosted by Ken Budd, Jennifer Disano, and William Miller.

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  • #52
    Yesterday · 1 hr

    Shubha Sunder - The Push and Pull of Constructing a Life

    Second of four in the Upstart Crow–Fairfax County Public Library Interview Series, celebrating America's 250th anniversary. More information about the series and upcoming interviews is available below. If a person has room and time to choose where and how to construct a life, what will they choose? How aware will they be of the process before, during, and after? How much awareness does it take to make wise choices? How will the person deal with the consequences of choosing? These are the overarching questions that run through the books of Shubha Sunder. Her stories are low-key and calm, but they bring to the forefront major decisions by individuals—decisions that stem from their past, determine their future, and limit their further options. In her first book, a collection of short stories titled Boomtown Girl, set in her native Bangalore, India, Sunder dramatizes ordinary lives in the 1990s in a part of India poised to jump into the anachronisms of the twenty-first century. The region would become India's Silicon Valley, even as the name of her hometown shifted from the Anglicized Bangalore to the more historic Bengaluru. These are everyday choices with big consequences: parents who overindulge their children; adults who move between the United States and India in search of better opportunities; children who want to attend college in the States but whose parents cannot afford it—or who don't have the grades; and young adults caught between letting their parents arrange their marriages and choosing for themselves the person with whom they will spend the rest of their lives. Quiet acts, but consequential ones. Now shift time forward. Take one of those young women and bring her to the United States, where she has earned her undergraduate degree and is staying for a year of Optional Practical Training—the title of Sunder's first novel and the program her central character enters after graduation. Framed almost entirely through conversations, the novel depicts the choices and challenges involved not so much in starting over as in simply getting started. Vulnerabilities abound in both the stories and the novel. Sunder captures her characters in those significant moments of vulnerability that accompany making choices—experiences shared by people everywhere. Shubha Sunder is a 2025 Whiting Award winner. Her collection of stories, Boomtown Girl, won the 2021 St. Lawrence Book Award, and her novel, Optional Practical Training, won the 2025 New American Voices Award and was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. She lives in Boston and teaches in the creative writing MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Key Takeaways • Home is not necessarily a fixed place. Sunder explores how the meaning of home changes as people move between countries, cultures, and different stages of life. • Immigration is an internal experience as much as an external one. The choices, questions, and evolving sense of identity that accompany immigration can be just as significant as the practical challenges of moving to another country. • Constructing a life involves vulnerability. Even people who appear confident and capable are often navigating uncertainty, competing expectations, and difficult decisions. • Opportunity and privilege are not the same as security. Even immigrants who have education, resources, and a legal path to remain in the United States can face considerable uncertainty. • Conversations can reveal character and move a story forward. Sunder explains how the unconventional structure of Optional Practical Training, told almost entirely through conversations, allows readers to understand her protagonist through the people she encounters. • Cultural expectations are constantly evolving. Through the characters in Boomtown Girl, Sunder examines the changing expectations surrounding marriage, family, education, ambition, and personal independence in 1990s Bangalore. • A writer's perspective can change over time. Sunder discusses how writing short stories about her native India helped prepare her to write about the immigrant experience in the United States. • Identity and belonging are ongoing negotiations. The experience of becoming an immigrant involves continually reassessing one's relationship with the place left behind and the place chosen as home. Topics Discussed • Growing up in Bangalore and the city's transformation during India's economic liberalization in the 1990s • The cultural shifts between traditional Indian family expectations and emerging Western influences • The characters and stories in Boomtown Girl, including questions of arranged marriage, family responsibility, ambition, and opportunity • The vulnerability of people navigating major life decisions • The challenges of writing a novel after developing as a short-story writer • The unconventional conversational structure of Optional Practical Training • The experience of an immigrant coming to America by choice rather than fleeing war or oppression • The meaning of home, identity, and belonging • The role of privilege, education, and opportunity in the immigration experience • Sunder's completed second novel, Conditional Permanent Residency, and her developing third novel, Alien Naturalization • Audience questions about revisiting earlier work, identity, and what readers take away from a book A Few Memorable Thoughts from the Conversation "Home is an idea and it's fungible." "I was interested in this experience of the privileged immigrant." "The inner wrestlings, the choices we make either consciously or unconsciously." "The things that people say to us and about us are how we construct our identities." About the Upstart Crow–Fairfax County Public Library Interview Series This four-part interview series marks America's 250th anniversary. The first episode, an interview with Lois Romano about her book Mary Todd Lincoln: An Inconvenient Widow, is available through the Upstart Crow podcast channels and the Fairfax County Public Library YouTube channel. Two more interviews remain in the series: Valerie Tripp – Tuesday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m. Tripp talks with host Jennifer Disano about writing historical fiction for young readers and why these stories matter so much. The Upstart Crow episode will be available November 17. Jane Kamensky – Wednesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. Kamensky, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and a historian, talks with host Ken Budd about her recent book, Declare: A Civil Gospel, focusing on the founding generation and civic discourse. The Upstart Crow episode will be available November 25. You can register to livestream the interviews through Fairfax County Public Library. Find Out More Visit Shubha Sunder's website to learn more about her writing and publications. Learn more about Optional Practical Training through Graywolf Press. Visit UpstartCrow.org for more information about our hosts, guests, upcoming events, and ways you can support the show. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Watch the full interview and clips on our YouTube channel. Follow Upstart Crow podcast on Facebook and stay connected with our latest episodes and events. Recorded and Produced by Jon D PodCom of Old Hundred Productions LLC. Upstart Crow is part of Watershed Lit Radio. A production of the Upstart Crow Podcast ©2026 – All Rights Reserved. #ShubhaSunder #OptionalPracticalTraining #BoomtownGirl #UpstartCrow #AuthorInterview #LiteraryPodcast #ImmigrantExperience #ImmigrantFiction #IndianAmericanLiterature #Bangalore #IdentityAndBelonging #ConstructingALife #ShortStories #LiteraryFiction #WatershedLitRadio #FairfaxCountyPublicLibrary #Americas250th

  • #51
    Thursday · 58 min

    Liam Callanan - Stone Age Astronaut

    What makes an extraordinary accomplishment disappear from the history books? And what does it take to leave one life behind and begin another? Liam Callanan, author of four novels, a short story collection, and his first work of nonfiction, Stone Age Astronaut, joins host William Miller for a conversation about aviation history, the art of storytelling, and the surprising connections between the two. Stone Age Astronaut tells the story of Lester Maitland, who piloted the first plane to cross the Pacific Ocean in 1927, just weeks after Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. While Lindbergh became a household name, Maitland's achievement largely faded from public memory. Callanan explores why, examining the extraordinary risks of the flight, the experimental navigation technology that helped guide the plane toward Hawaii, and the courage required to cross thousands of miles of open ocean in an era when aviation was still in its infancy. The conversation also explores Callanan's fiction, including The Cloud Atlas, Listen, All Saints, Paris by the Book, and When in Rome. Callanan discusses the historical research behind his work, the recurring presence of water and bears in his stories, the importance of emotional honesty, and the mysteries that draw readers deeper into a narrative. He also reflects on redemption, the possibility of changing one's life, and the people who help us find our way when we take a chance on something new. Find out more about Liam Callanan and his writings here. Topics Discussed Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger's historic 1927 flight from California to Hawaii Why Maitland's achievement became less famous than Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight The dangers of early aviation and the experimental technology used to navigate the Pacific The radio-beacon system, sextants, chronometers, and other tools used during the flight The disastrous Dole Air Derby and the risks of early attempts to fly to Hawaii The growth of aviation and the development of commercial air travel across the Pacific The archival research behind Stone Age Astronaut and the challenge of reconstructing forgotten history The Japanese balloon weapons that inspired Callanan's novel The Cloud Atlas How Callanan's short stories and novels evolve through research, revision, and discovery The role of water as both a barrier and a means of connection in Callanan's fiction The use of gesture, silence, and emotion to reveal a character's inner life The mysteries, unexpected turns, and recurring themes that connect Callanan's books How characters confront major life changes, leave familiar circumstances behind, and seek new beginnings Redemption, mercy, and the people who help us navigate life's turning points Key Takeaways Lester Maitland's historic flight deserves a place alongside Lindbergh's achievement. Maitland and navigator Albert Hegenberger crossed the Pacific to Hawaii in 1927, accomplishing a remarkable feat at a time when aviation technology was still developing. Their flight was dangerous, technically demanding, and important to the future of military aviation. Yet its significance was overshadowed by Lindbergh's solo flight and the publicity surrounding it. Early aviation required extraordinary courage and ingenuity. The pilots and navigators of the 1920s had to rely on experimental equipment, astronomical navigation, radio signals, and careful calculations. Even the most promising technology could fail, leaving crews to fall back on older methods. The risks were real, and subsequent attempts to fly to Hawaii demonstrated just how unforgiving the Pacific could be. Historical research can uncover remarkable details hiding in the archives. Callanan describes finding original documents from Maitland and Hegenberger's flight, including a note passed between the men as they attempted to determine their position over the ocean. These artifacts brought the experience to life and helped Callanan reconstruct not only what happened, but what the flight felt like for the people involved. The best fiction often begins with a question that will not go away. Callanan's The Cloud Atlas grew out of research into Japanese balloon weapons used during World War II. A postcard discovered in the historical record helped spark the story. He explains how research can lead a writer toward a narrative that eventually becomes something more than the original facts alone could tell. Water, time, and survival connect many of Callanan's stories. Across his fiction and nonfiction, Callanan returns to people crossing boundaries, confronting the past, and discovering what it means to survive. Water can divide people and places, but it can also provide a route between them. Looking back across time can reveal patterns and connections that were not apparent in the moment. Emotion is most powerful when it feels honest rather than forced. Callanan discusses how writers can communicate emotion through physical gestures, silence, and carefully chosen words. He aims to let readers understand what characters feel without becoming overly sentimental or relying on violence and death as shortcuts to dramatic stakes. Changing your life is rarely something you accomplish alone. Callanan reflects on leaving a career in public relations and corporate communications to pursue writing and teaching. He sees a similar willingness to make a dramatic change in Lester Maitland, who later left his civil service career to become an Episcopal priest. Both stories underscore how important it is to have people and communities that help make a new beginning possible. “The courage these guys showed, or lack of fear, is remarkable.” “Sometimes stories, we're finished with stories, but then sometimes stories aren't finished with us.” “I do believe in redemption. I believe in the quality of mercy.” #LiamCallanan #StoneAgeAstronaut #AviationHistory #LiteraryFiction #WritingCraft #UpstartCrow For more information about our guests, hosts, upcoming events, and ways you can support the show, be sure to visit our website. Like and subscribe to our Facebook page. Recorded and produced by Jon D PodCom of Old Hundred Productions LLC. Upstart Crow is part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast. All rights reserved.

  • #50
    October 20 · 1 hr 5 min

    Lois Romano – Mary Todd Lincoln: An Inconvenient Widow

    Lois Romano – Mary Todd Lincoln: An Inconvenient Widow This is the first of four interviews in the Upstart Crow–Fairfax County Public Library Interview Series, presented as part of the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Details about the remaining three interviews appear below. “Tell people you’re reading a book about Mary Todd Lincoln, and they might well say something like, ‘Oh, wasn’t she crazy?’” When Abraham Lincoln met Mary Todd at a soiree, she was a young, intelligent, well-educated, and stylish woman from an affluent family. He was a country lawyer of humble origins. Both had big-time aspirations, and both were whip-smart. Together, they helped engineer his election to the highest office in the land. Lincoln became one of the most pivotal presidents in American history, taking office at a time when the presidency and the role of the first lady were under intense public scrutiny. Neither Abraham nor Mary was quite prepared for the unprecedented pressures that came with those positions. But crazy? Far from it. Mary had lost three sons and was sitting beside her husband when an assassin entered the room and fired a single shot into the back of his head. Lincoln died hours later. During those hours, Mary was unable to be alone with her husband because so many others wanted to be in the room. Men—all of them men. In the months that followed, Mary struggled to access money to support herself, despite her husband having left a substantial estate. The man responsible for managing that estate refused to release the funds to her. Her son Robert eventually brought her before a court, where testimony about her ability to care for herself and manage her finances led a jury to determine that she should be placed in a treatment facility. A few months later, Mary managed to secure her release. Lois Romano is a veteran national journalist who has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist for The Washington Post and Politico. A keen observer of the relationship between politics and human nature, Romano brought her insights and extensive research to An Inconvenient Widow, telling Mary Lincoln’s story from beginning to end in a way that has rarely been explored before. In this episode of Upstart Crow, Romano joins host William Miller to discuss the research behind the book, the truth about Mary Todd Lincoln, and how she began a project that consumed more than five years. The conversation concludes with a live-stream audience Q&A, in which Romano answers questions about Mary Lincoln’s life, legacy, and treatment by history. Topics Discussed Lois Romano’s research and the writing of An Inconvenient Widow Mary Todd Lincoln’s childhood, family background, and relationship with Abraham Lincoln Mary’s political ambitions and influence on Lincoln’s career How nineteenth-century media coverage shaped Mary Lincoln’s public reputation The myths and historical assumptions surrounding Mary’s mental health Mary’s charitable work and support for formerly enslaved people The financial struggles and public scrutiny she faced after Lincoln’s assassination Her relationship with her son Robert and her confinement in a mental institution How Mary Lincoln’s story challenges traditional views of first ladies and women in American political history Key Takeaways Mary Todd Lincoln’s reputation was shaped by bias as much as by history. Romano explains how inaccurate reporting, political hostility, and repeated stories helped establish a negative image of Mary that persisted for generations. Her research revisits the historical record to distinguish documented facts from long-standing assumptions. Mary Lincoln was a politically astute partner, not simply a burden to her husband. Mary was ambitious, intelligent, and deeply interested in politics. Romano argues that she and Abraham Lincoln shared a meaningful partnership and that Mary played a more consequential role in his rise than many accounts have acknowledged. The media scrutiny Mary faced was extraordinary for a first lady of her era. Unlike many women who had occupied the role before her, Mary was extensively covered in newspapers. Digitized historical reporting allowed Romano to compare contemporary accusations with the evidence and uncover how sensational coverage affected Mary’s legacy. Mary’s private struggles were compounded by the expectations placed on women. In a time when women could not vote and were expected to remain within the domestic sphere, Mary navigated political life, family responsibilities, public criticism, and financial uncertainty with limited control over her own circumstances. Mary’s efforts to survive were often portrayed as personal failings. After Lincoln’s death, Mary struggled to access her husband’s estate and fought for a pension. Her attempt to sell clothing to support herself became a public scandal, illustrating how harshly she was judged even when trying to secure her financial independence. Revisiting the evidence can change how we understand historical figures. Romano’s work demonstrates the value of returning to original documents, letters, and contemporary newspapers rather than accepting a familiar historical narrative at face value. “I think if she had been born one hundred years later, Mary Lincoln would have been everybody’s adored feminist.” “I think they truly had a very good partnership.” “She was very independent. I mean, she was very independent about her life, about her travel, about her money.” Upcoming FCPL Interviews Shubha Sunder — Tuesday, October 27, at 6:30 p.m. Author Shubha Sunder joins Upstart Crow to discuss Optional Practical Training and the immigrant experiences that inspired her novel. The episode will be available November 3. Valerie Tripp — Tuesday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m. Author Valerie Tripp talks with host Jennifer Disano about writing historical fiction for young readers and why these stories still matter. The episode will be available November 17. Jane Kamensky — Wednesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. Jane Kamensky, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, joins host Ken Budd to discuss her book Declare: A Civil Gospel, the founding generation, and civic discourse. The episode will be available November 25. All three interviews are part of the Upstart Crow–Fairfax County Public Library series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Registration: https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov Registration for the Valerie Tripp event opens October 20 at 6:30 p.m. Registration for the Jane Kamensky event opens October 28 at 6:30 p.m. Registration for the Shubha Sunder event is open now. Lois Romano, Mary Todd Lincoln, An Inconvenient Widow, Abraham Lincoln, first ladies in American history, Mary Lincoln biography, Civil War history, women in politics, American history books, historical research, Upstart Crow, Fairfax County Public Library, America’s 250th anniversary #LoisRomano #MaryToddLincoln #AnInconvenientWidow #AbrahamLincoln #AmericanHistory #UpstartCrow For more information about our guests, hosts, upcoming events, and ways you can support the show, be sure to visit our website. Like and subscribe to our Facebook page. Recorded and produced by Jon D PodCom, a production brand of Old Hundred Productions LLC. Upstart Crow is part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast. All rights reserved.

  • #49
    September 8 · 53 min

    Ilan Stavans – A Nation Wrestles with God

    Internationally known, award-winning writer and editor Ilan Stavans sees an anthology as something akin to a library where the books come down from the shelves at night and fly around, mixing and mingling and enriching each other in a great time of sharing. So it makes perfectly good sense that Stavans would mark the 250th birthday of his adopted country by editing a book of more than 100 works spanning four centuries—all connected by a shared theme: How Americans have grappled with God. The anthology includes fiction, essays, political pieces, songs, poems, speeches, sermons, comic strips, and even a photograph of a TIME magazine cover. Together, they explore a country founded on the principle that its people were “endowed by their Creator” with certain rights; a country that, a little more than 200 years later, put “In God We Trust” on its money and “One Nation, Under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. Yet America is also a country where record numbers of people identify as religiously unaffiliated, while roughly 90 percent still profess to believe in a higher power. In this episode of Upstart Crow, Ilan Stavans talks with William Miller about the idea behind his anthology, the works he chose and why, and some of the nearly 100 pieces he removed from an early draft. They explore what Americans have done with the idea of God—and what that idea has done to the people of America. About Ilan Stavans Ilan Stavans has published more than 30 books and is well known for his investigations of language and culture, as well as his work in anthologies. Born in Mexico in 1961 to a Jewish family with roots in Eastern Europe, Stavans was raised in a multilingual environment. His autobiography, On Borrowed Words, appeared in 2001. He is known for his research on English, Spanish, Yiddish, Ladino, and, in particular, Spanglish. In 2003, he published Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language, which includes a lexicon of approximately 6,000 terms and a Spanglish translation of the first chapter of Don Quixote. He subsequently completed a Spanglish translation of the entire novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Stavans is the author of several award-winning short-story collections. The internationally released, award-winning feature film My Mexican Shivah, co-produced by John Sayles, was based on his story “Morirse está en hebreo.” His story The Disappearance, adapted for the stage by the experimental theater troupe DoubleEdge, has toured the world. His one-man show The Oven has been seen in cities across the United States. Stavans is also the author of Resurrecting Hebrew, books on love and the Bible, Dictionary Days: A Defining Passion, Quixote: The Novel and the World, and a biography of Gabriel García Márquez's career through the publication of One Hundred Years of Solitude. His work has been translated into fifteen languages. His lectures on Don Quixote and on visions of the divine across cultures are available from Recorded Books. Stavans is also editor-in-chief of Oxford Bibliography: Latino Studies. KEY TAKEAWAYS • America’s relationship with God is complicated. Ilan Stavans explores how Americans have questioned, negotiated, embraced, and sometimes weaponized religion throughout the country’s history. • Religion can be both medicine and illness. It can provide morality, community, and structure while also becoming a source of division, violence, and destruction. • Doubt is essential to being human. Stavans argues that questioning—not certainty—is at the heart of intelligence, belief, and personal growth. • An anthology is a conversation across time. A Nation Wrestles with God brings together more than 100 voices and perspectives, allowing writers from vastly different eras and backgrounds to “speak” to one another. • Literature gives us access to interior life. The conversation explores how writers such as Flannery O’Connor and Mark Twain reveal the complexity of what happens inside a character’s mind. • Language matters. Stavans discusses the importance of allowing dialects, slang, Spanglish, Yiddish, and other forms of language to retain their complexity rather than being “streamlined.” • America is shaped by perception. The discussion moves from Walter Lippmann and Rashomon to the question of whether there is a single reality—or simply the realities we perceive. • Technology and AI may threaten our interior voices. Stavans worries that increasingly powerful technology could diminish the space we have for uncertainty, reflection, and internal dialogue. • America’s religious identity is changing, but religion isn’t disappearing. Even as traditional religious participation declines, belief in some form of God remains widespread. • Outsiders can help us understand ourselves. Stavans sees the immigrant and outsider perspective as a valuable way of challenging assumptions held by people immersed in their own culture. “Doubt is the mother of intelligence. Doubt is the mother of belief.” - Ilan Stavans Purchase a copy of the anthology, A Nation Wrestles with God, here. Visit the Upstart Crow website. You can watch this full interview on our YouTube channel. Thank you for listening to the Upstart Crow Podcast, a part of Watershed Lit Radio Produced by Upstart Crow Podcast Recording and Audio Production by Jon D PodCom Copyright © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast - All Rights Reserved #IlanStavans #AmericanLiterature #ReligionInAmerica

  • #48
    September 1 · 52 min

    Nicholas Reynolds and Katie S. Sanders – Ortiz’s War

    From 1932 until the end of World War II, Peter J. Ortiz was almost constantly involved in international warfare—13 years of it—either fighting or gathering intelligence about fighting. He started in the French Foreign Legion, moved to the U.S. Marines when the United States entered the war, and was one of the first people to serve in America’s fledgling spy network, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). He was invaluable. He had grown up spending a lot of time in Europe and spoke at least five languages; some reports put the number as high as 10. By the end of the war, he had been decorated with two dozen medals from three countries. The subtitle to the book offers some insight as to why he was so acclaimed: "The Allies’ Secret Weapon Against the Nazis in France." Nicholas Reynolds graduated from Oxford University with a Ph.D. in modern history. Having grown up in the shadow of World War II and developing an interest in history and military history especially, he immediately joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving as an infantry officer and then as an historian. He later served as a CIA officer, ending with a years-long stint as CIA Museum historian. He now teaches and writes. His books include Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence, which was designated a best book of 2022 by The New Yorker. He also wrote Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy (2017), which looks at the life and work of Ernest Hemingway and, in a way, links back to this book about Ortiz. In it, Nick looks at the OSS and Hemingway’s involvement with it in the closing days of World War II in Europe. Katie S. Sanders is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and an award-winning journalist who has written for National Geographic, The New York Times, Washington Post Magazine, New World, Time, Smithsonian, Vanity Fair, Insider, Glamour, and Marie Claire. Her reporting brought her to the CIA and the White House, and into the homes of many World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors. Her late grandfather, a Jewish-American bomber pilot who was shot down over France while dropping supplies behind enemy lines, was among those rescued by Peter Ortiz and the resistance fighters he led. It was this connection that brought her to team with Nick to write the story of Ortiz’s War. Buy Ortiz’s War wherever books are sold, including Amazon. Find out more about our guests on their websites: Nicholas Reynolds Katie S. Sanders Follow and tag @ortizswarbook. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Peter J. Ortiz was an extraordinary World War II warrior who served in the French Foreign Legion, U.S. Marine Corps, OSS, and British Special Operations Executive. • The OSS was essentially built from scratch during World War II, growing from virtually no organization into a major American intelligence operation. • Ortiz operated far beyond the traditional role of an intelligence officer, gathering intelligence, working with the French Resistance, recruiting couriers, conducting raids, and even stealing Gestapo staff cars. • His fluency in French, familiarity with France, and experience in the French Foreign Legion made him uniquely effective behind enemy lines. • Ortiz's leadership was defined as much by restraint as by courage. His decision to surrender to a vastly larger German force in order to protect a French village and give his men a chance to escape became one of the defining moments of his story. • Nick Reynolds and Katie Sanders explore what made extraordinary battlefield leaders like Ortiz and Wild Bill Donovan different, including their tolerance for risk, discomfort, and uncertainty. • Katie Sanders' connection to Ortiz is deeply personal: Ortiz helped save the life of her grandfather, a U.S. Army Air Forces pilot whose B-24 was shot down over France. • The authors combine military records, oral histories, contemporary accounts, and other archival material to separate the documented history of Ortiz from the many legendary stories that grew up around him. • At its heart, Ortiz's War is a story about courage, sacrifice, duty, leadership, and the extraordinary individuals who operated outside conventional molds during World War II. "There's something extra in their makeup that is a tolerance for risk that a lot of us don't have." - Nick Reynolds "It's not only tolerance for risk, but it's tolerance for discomfort." - Katie Sanders You can also watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Be sure to visit our website Thank you for listening to the Upstart Crow Podcast, a part of Watershed Lit Radio Produced by Upstart Crow Podcast Recording and Audio Production by Jon D PodCom Copyright © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast - All Rights Reserved #WorldWarII #MilitaryHistory #OSS

  • #47
    August 18 · 47 min

    Marty Ross-Dolen – Always There, Always Gone

    Marty Ross-Dolen’s memoir Always There, Always Gone, winner of the 2026 Ohio Book Awards Readers’ Choice Award, carries the subtitle “A daughter’s search for truth.” Marty Ross-Dolen is the daughter. What she searches for is a fuller knowing of her grandmother, her mother’s mother, about whom her mother will talk but can’t seem to do so without looking pained or breaking into tears. What Marty knows are the bare facts: Her grandmother and grandfather were killed in an airliner disaster over NYC in December, 1960, when a United flight from Chicago ran into a TWA flight from Columbus, Ohio. Everyone on both planes and six people on the ground were killed. Marty’s grandparents were executives in the family business, Highlights for Children. Marty’s mother was 14 at the time, and she and her four siblings were moved from Ohio to Texas to live with their uncle and aunt. So Marty constructs a portrait of her grandmother—the warmth, the wit, the vitality and charm—a portrait she drew from poring over correspondence, photos, records, family memorabilia. Along the way, she asks, “When do humans stop defining ourselves by tragedies?” When will we stop using words like survivor, hero, warrior to describe ourselves? Her answer: Possibly never again. What emerges is a memoir that bends the form memoirs usually take, that informs readers of the life of a woman who comes of age in the 1940s and becomes a mother working in a singular business during the 1950s, and then looks at the layering of lives and the impact of protracted mourning, and of healing through love. Marty Ross-Dolen is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is a retired child and adolescent psychiatrist. She also earned an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Earlier, she worked in graduate-level workshops at the Ohio State University. Her essays have appeared in North Dakota Quarterly, Redivider, Lilith, Willow Review and the Brevity Blog, among others. Her essay “Diphtheria” was a notable essay in The Best American Essays series. She writes, teaches writing, and lives in Columbus, Ohio. In this episode of Upstart Crow, Marty Ross-Dolen discusses Always There, Always Gone, her memoir about family, grief, memory, tragedy and healing. She talks about her grandmother, the 1960 New York City plane crash that changed her family, her connection to Highlights for Children, and the process of reconstructing a life through photographs, letters, correspondence and family records. Key Takeaways How Marty Ross-Dolen used hundreds of letters and thousands of pages of family correspondence to reconstruct the life and personality of a grandmother she never knew. Why her memoir focuses on her grandmother’s life rather than allowing the tragedy of her death to define her. How the sudden loss of her grandparents shaped three generations of women in her family and became an exploration of multigenerational trauma. Why absence can have just as profound an impact on a family as the people who are actually present. The surprising role that Highlights for Children played in Marty’s family history and how her grandparents helped build the iconic children’s magazine. How seemingly small decisions can affect generations of people in ways we could never predict. Why memoir doesn't always have to follow a traditional chronological structure. How Marty used creative techniques, including erasure poetry and a game-show-style section, to tell a deeply personal family story. Why writers need to learn how to use feedback without necessarily following every piece of advice they receive. How writing a memoir can change the way we understand our own family history, grief, identity, and the stories that have been passed down to us. Hosted by William Miller Find out more about Marty and the book, on her website. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram You can also watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Be sure to visit our website Thank you for listening to the Upstart Crow Podcast, a part of Watershed Lit Radio Produced by Upstart Crow Podcast Recording and Audio Production by Jon D PodCom Copyright © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast - All Rights Reserved

  • #46
    August 11 · 42 min

    Kathryn DeZur - Objects of Affection

    Kathryn DeZur – Objects of Affection The things Kathryn DeZur focuses on—a doll, a quilt, bookshelves, a gun, an ashtray, a table, a finial—in this book of 15 essays are things that connect her to and shape her memories, which is to say that inform her sense of self, her history, her culture, the people around her. Hence, objects of affection. She is a daughter whose father was asked by her mother to leave the home before Kathryn was 1 and who did, leaving Kathryn to live in poverty with her alcoholic mother; and so, when Kathryn was 10, she had to pick out her mother’s burial clothes after the alcoholism took her mother’s life. She moved to live with her father, to a better life in some ways but he had two preoccupations, neither of which was Kathryn. Even in this carefully constructed sense of self, Kathryn shows, things and people can knock everything askew. Though even now she regards her father as that because he fulfilled the role, he wasn’t, it turns out, her biological dad. Before this book of personal essays, Kathryn published a poetry chapbook, Blue Ghosts, and she maintains samples of her photography at KDZ Photography on her website at kathryndezur.com. Individual essays by her have appeared in HerStry, Dorthy Parker’s Ashes, and The Nassau Review among other places. She lives and writes in the northern Catskill Mountains and she is a professor emerita in English at SUNY Delhi. Topics Discussed The relationship between objects, memory, and personal meaning How memory shapes and reinforces our sense of identity The ways memory can be reconstructed, incomplete, or unreliable Growing up with an alcoholic parent Kathryn's childhood in Oakland and her move to suburban San Jose Childhood experiences of loneliness, belonging, and people-pleasing How art can provide distance and structure for processing difficult memories Kathryn's mother's artistic life and influence The story behind the Easy-Bake Oven Discovering that the man who raised Kathryn was not her biological father Using DNA testing to uncover family history Discovering six half-siblings later in life The ways genetics can manifest through mannerisms, speech, and behavior The significance of the essay "Nothing" The emotional meaning of home, safety, and permanence Being forced to leave a beloved home because of a threatening neighbor Kathryn's attempt to use minimalism and decluttering to regain a sense of control Why sentimental objects can carry profound emotional meaning The story of Tammy, Kathryn's childhood doll The connection between objects and feelings of belonging Letting go of possessions versus letting go of the past Finding a second "Tammy" later in life Self-forgiveness and the idea of self-abandonment How writing Objects of Affection became a form of reckoning with the past Key Takeaways Memory is creative. We don't simply retrieve memories; we reconstruct them, fill in gaps, and sometimes reshape them over time. Objects can become repositories of memory. A seemingly ordinary possession can carry layers of personal history, emotion, and meaning. Art can help us approach difficult experiences. The structure and distance created through writing and photography can make painful memories easier to examine. Belonging matters. Homes, objects, and relationships can become tangible representations of safety and permanence. Decluttering doesn't necessarily erase emotional history. Getting rid of objects doesn't mean getting rid of the memories attached to them. Identity isn't determined solely by biology. Kathryn's discovery about her biological father did not fundamentally change her understanding of who she was. Loss and replacement aren't the same thing. The second Tammy couldn't replace the childhood doll, but it could take on a new meaning. Self-forgiveness can be part of healing. Sometimes an object or experience can help us recognize where we've abandoned our own needs and begin to forgive ourselves. “Objects can serve as places of meaning and of memory and of experience and history.” - Kathryn DeZur Find out more about Kathryn and purchase Objects of Affection on her website. Follow Kathryn on Instagram. This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved --- #UpstartCrow #KathrynDeZur #ObjectsOfAffection #Memoir #PersonalEssays #Memory #Identity #MemoirWriting #CreativeWriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #DNA #Minimalism #LiteraryArts #WatershedLitRadio

  • #45
    July 28 · 55 min

    Emil Wilson - The Nightingales

    Emil Wilson – The Nightingales. Based in San Francisco, Emil Wilson is an advertising art director and illustrator as well as a comic artist. His work has appeared in magazines and newspapers, on websites, the Oscars, even the Super Bowl. You’ve probably seen his work and not known it. The Nightingales is his first book, a graphic novel. He sets it in Oregon and the story he tells is semi-autobiographical. It’s the story of a family, a sick man, a charitable act by one family member and the repercussions that act has for the other members of the family. Set in 1985, the novel has strong relevance to today—the social phenomenon called othering, how people deal with issues, or don’t, the meaning of an offer of sanctuary. Emil talks with host William Miller about the themes of the novel, the seeds of the story, how he shaped it and the why’s behind his choices, and his work to illustrate it—spreads rather than panels, for example—that together resulted in the created artifice this novel is. Topics Discussed The true family story that inspired The Nightingales Why the novel is set during the AIDS epidemic of 1985 Compassion versus fear during times of crisis Growing up in small-town Oregon Family dynamics under extraordinary circumstances The challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities during the early AIDS crisis How volunteering with AIDS patients shaped Wilson's life Creating a graphic novel that feels like memory instead of a comic book Using sketchbooks and visual language to tell emotional stories The lasting impact of kindness and empathy Key Takeaways Small acts of compassion can have life-changing consequences. Fear often grows from misunderstanding and lack of information. Kindness sometimes comes with personal sacrifice but can transform everyone involved. Graphic novels can tell emotionally rich literary stories equal to traditional novels. Memory is imperfect, and visual storytelling can capture its emotional truth. Understanding people unlike ourselves begins with empathy rather than judgment. Family relationships are rarely simple, but compassion can bridge difficult divides. "Kindness is transformational. Whether you're the one receiving it or the one giving it, it can drastically change a life." — Emil Wilson This episode is perfect for: Readers of literary fiction Graphic novel enthusiasts Fans of memoir and family stories Writers and illustrators History enthusiasts interested in the AIDS epidemic LGBTQ+ history readers Anyone interested in stories about compassion, resilience, and humanity Find out more about Emil through his website. Follow Emil on Instagram. Purchase your own copy of The Nightingales here. #TheNightingales #MLWilson #GraphicNovel #BookTube #AuthorInterview #LiteraryPodcast #UpstartCrow #WilliamMiller #BookDiscussion #HistoricalFiction #Memoir #VisualStorytelling #LGBTQHistory #AIDSCrisis #BookLovers --- This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #44
    June 16 · 50 min

    Lina Patton - The Lake Club

    Lina Patton – The Lake Club A spirited read about the sort of people who spend summer days sitting poolside and playing golf, versus ambitious young adults starting their lives and wanting to right all the wrongs they know of even as they make their own mistakes. Competing goals among a troika of main characters, mysteries, wrongs to be set right—all within a tight-knit community in the land of 10,000 lakes. Lina Patton is a writer, illustrator, and teacher. She is a native of Maine who spent her teen years in Minnesota. She earned her BA from Elon University and her MFA from George Mason University. Her writing has appeared in Elle, The Cut, Narrative, and Driftwood Press, among other publications. She and her husband lived abroad for seven years and currently live in Washington, DC. The Lake Club is her first novel. Hosted by William Miller Key Takeaways and Highlights Lina Patton discusses how her debut novel The Lake Club evolved from a single character's perspective into a layered story about class, power, ambition, and belonging. The conversation explores the realities behind wealth and privilege in exclusive communities and how fiction can reveal hidden social dynamics. Patton explains how mystery, romance, and character-driven storytelling work together to create narrative tension. A fascinating discussion on writing craft, including lessons learned from acclaimed author and teacher Alan Cheuse at George Mason University. The episode examines how character motivation drives plot and why understanding what characters truly want is essential to compelling fiction. Patton shares how real-life experiences in Minnesota country clubs, advertising, and international living informed the novel's setting and characters. Insights into the difference between literary and commercial fiction—and why great storytelling can successfully blend both. "Writing is an act of empathy. Reading is an act of empathy." "When you're young, you think if you just put the puzzle pieces into place, you'll become the version of yourself you want to be." - Lina Patton Find out more about Lina and purchase your own copy of The Lake Club on her website. #LinaPatton #TheLakeClub #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #LiteraryFiction --- This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #43
    June 9 · 27 min

    Melody Lomboy-Lowe - Author & Founder, Luna Peak Foundation

    Melody Lomboy-Lowe — Founder, Luna Peak Foundation Melody Lomboy-Lowe was 6 years old when she planned her own funeral. She had been diagnosed with leukemia, and in 1983, treatment options were limited. But Lomboy-Lowe survived, and today her Los Angeles-based organization, the Luna Peak Foundation, publishes books on cancer and grief. Luna Peak has donated over 4,000 books to children, families, hospitals, palliative care and hospice centers, therapist offices, schools, and universities. This includes workbooks, children’s books, and an inspirational photography book, Beyond Remission. Upstart Crow host Ken Budd profiled Melody for his “Everyday Heroes” column in The Saturday Evening Post and he interviews her here about survival, hope, and helping others. Episode Highlights Melody Lomboy-Lowe shares her remarkable journey from being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age six to becoming a long-term cancer survivor. Hear how she planned her own funeral as a child and why that experience gave her a sense of control during treatment. Learn how surviving cancer in the 1980s shaped her outlook on life, family, and purpose. Discover how the Luna Peak Foundation uses books, care packages, and creative resources to support cancer patients and their families. Melody discusses the inspiration behind her books Beyond Remission, Follow Me Cancer Free, Sean's Best Week at Camp Luna Peak, and more. An emotional story about a young cancer patient named Zoe illustrates the power of representation and hope. Why Melody believes cancer doesn't have to define a person—and can even become a source of strength and purpose. A candid conversation about grief, mortality, and why we need to talk more openly about death. Key Takeaways Children are often more resilient than adults realize when facing serious illness. Honest communication can help young patients feel empowered rather than helpless. Cancer affects entire families, not just the person receiving treatment. Seeing yourself represented in stories can provide comfort, encouragement, and hope. Community and connection are critical for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and siblings. Surviving a life-threatening illness can profoundly change your perspective on everyday life. Hope doesn't always come from grand gestures—it often comes from knowing you're not alone. "Cancer doesn't have to define you. It can enhance your life and you can become a different person because of it." "There's always a possibility of doing something. Maybe you have to adapt, but there's always a way to reach your goals." "If you can see a survivor, you can see yourself in them." Discussion Topics Childhood leukemia and cancer treatment in the 1980s Growing up after a life-threatening diagnosis The role of honesty when talking to children about illness Cancer survivorship and long-term emotional impacts Creating books that inspire hope for patients and families Supporting siblings and caregivers during cancer treatment Grief, loss, and preparing for life's difficult conversations The mission of the Luna Peak Foundation Who Should Listen? Cancer patients and survivors Parents and caregivers Healthcare professionals Nonprofit leaders Anyone facing adversity or life challenges Readers interested in inspirational true stories People seeking hope, resilience, and perspective --- This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #42
    June 2 · 47 min

    Caroline Bock - The Other Beautiful People

    Caroline Bock – The Other Beautiful People In the entertainment world, there are the on-stage, front-of-camera, beautiful people, and there are those who actually make things happen. The ones who work behind the scenes, who make the deals, sell the projects, ensure the funding, move things forward. It is their lives that are the focus of this taut and evocative novel. The story juxtaposes the shocks and aftereffects of 9/11 with the more routine shocks of normal everyday life when business-world reasoning comes to bear on entertainment-world decision-making, and catches the lead character, Amy Greene, in the vortex. She has a life and a love she understands, until she doesn’t, until she is sure of almost nothing, including herself. Caroline Bock was a movie-loving executive of tv, working for 20 years in the cable television industry at AMC, Bravo, IFC and IFC Films, before stepping out of that world and writing. She is the author of the short story collection Carry Her Home, winner of the Fiction Award from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House, and also the young adult novels Before My Eyes and LIE. She graduated from the City College of New York and its MFA Fiction program, and she also attended Syracuse University. The Other Beautiful People is her first novel for adults. "The other beautiful people are the people behind the scenes—the ones who make everything happen, but rarely get the credit." "It doesn't matter if the world's ending. What matters is what you're going to do today." -Caroline Bock Hosted by William Miller Key Takeaways 1. Every Industry Has Its "Other Beautiful People" The novel shines a light on the overlooked professionals working behind the scenes in television, film, and media—the people who make success possible without ever appearing in the spotlight. 2. Personal Stories Help Us Understand Historic Events Bock discusses how experiences surrounding 9/11 shaped both her life and her fiction, demonstrating how major historical events are ultimately experienced through individual lives. 3. Career Success Often Comes with Difficult Choices Amy Green's journey explores the tension between ambition, family, relationships, and personal fulfillment—questions many professionals continue to face today. 4. Change Is Constant Whether it's technological disruption, corporate mergers, or shifts in personal identity, adapting to change becomes one of the novel's central themes. 5. Writing Doesn't Have an Expiration Date Bock's path to publishing her first adult novel demonstrates that creative success can happen at any stage of life. 6. Fiction and Reality Often Intertwine The conversation explores autofiction, memory, and how writers transform real-life experiences into compelling stories. Episode Highlights Caroline Bock discusses the inspiration behind The Other Beautiful People. A behind-the-scenes look at cable television during the early 2000s. How the events of 9/11 influenced both her life and her fiction. The challenges of balancing career ambition, marriage, and family. Why the "other beautiful people" are often the most important people in the room. The role of autobiographical experiences in shaping fiction. Caroline's journey from YA fiction to publishing her first adult novel. The surprising story of how the book found its publisher. Purchase a copy of The Other Beautiful People here at Regal House Publishing, or wherever books are sold. #WritingCommunity #LiteraryFiction #AuthorInterview #UpstartCrow #TheOtherBeautifulPeople #CarolineBock #9/11 #BehindTheScenes This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #41
    May 22 · 54 min

    Zach Powers -The Migraine Diaries: A singular, first-person novel.

    Zach Powers – The Migraine Diaries: A singular, first-person novel. This story goes into the interior life of a thirty-something man who has just lost the best friend he ever had, a man he has known for ten years, a man he has seen most every day of those ten years as they pursued their separate creative projects and shared a social life, a man who knew to kick the narrator’s butt when it needed kicking and offer the right encouraging words when it was words and not a kick the narrator needed. All of that, suddenly gone. Told in the form of a headache journal, the novel renders the first year of loss starting with the beachside funeral/ash spreading of the friend’s remains, and captures the mix of headache hopelessness with the need to carry on, building to the final resolve. In this way, it is like life itself. Not all bleak. Filled with humor. Even offering moments of weirdness. Zach Powers is the author of the short story collection Gravity Changes, winner of the BOA Short Fiction Prize; and also a prior novel, First Cosmic Velocity, which combines history and fiction to look at the sham of the Soviet space program in 1964 and earlier. His writing also has appeared in American Short Fiction, Lit Hub, and other publications. He is the executive and artistic director of The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Poet Lore, the nation’s oldest poetry journal. He is originally from Savannah, Georgia, and now lives in Arlington, Virginia. Hosted by William Miller Episode Highlights Zach Powers discusses how The Migraine Diaries functions not just as a grief novel, but also as a chronic illness narrative and, most importantly, a story about friendship and surviving loss together. The conversation explores the ethics of writing chronic illness narratives, especially avoiding the traditional “everything gets resolved” story arc that doesn’t reflect real-life experiences with migraines or grief. Zach shares deeply personal inspirations behind the novel, including the deaths of close friends and his own struggles with chronic migraines, while emphasizing the book is fiction rather than autobiography. A major theme of the interview is how friendship can become the emotional anchor of a story, sometimes even more powerful than romance. Zach explains his fascination with experimental storytelling, layered narratives, fragmented structure, and allowing readers to interpret meaning rather than over-explaining themes. The discussion dives into the surreal “corgi” sequences in The Migraine Diaries, which blend grief, hallucination, memory, and imagination into symbolic emotional journeys. Zach reflects on his earlier novel First Cosmic Velocity and how his writing evolved from more traditional narrative structures into more expansive and unconventional literary forms. The episode also explores Zach’s acclaimed short story collection Gravity Changes, including his philosophy that fiction does not need to explain every surreal or impossible element to the reader. “You don’t have to explain the sheep.” — Zach Powers on discovering the freedom of literary fiction and surreal storytelling. “The friendship aspect is the actual thing driving everything in the background — how to be a good friend and maintain that in the face of adversity.” Find out more about Zach Powers on his website. This entire interview is also available to watch on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 - Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved #LiteraryFiction #WritingCommunity #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview

  • #40
    April 21 · 55 min

    Caroline Bicks – Monsters in the Archive: My Year of Fear with Stephen King

    Caroline Bicks – Monsters in the Archive: My Year of Fear with Stephen King Monsters in the Archives – that’s the main title of Caroline Bicks’ latest book, which is based on her experience digging through the archives of manuscripts and margin notes, plus her own interviews and emails with him, to gather insights into the workings of the creative soul behind all those scary works. In the book, she paints a detailed portrait of Stephen King, how he has grown up as a person and as a writer, and how those two relate to each other; and how he sees not only his work but also himself. Here, she shares some of those insights in conversation with Upstart Crow host William Miller. Caroline Bicks studied Renaissance poetry as an undergrad at Harvard and then at Stanford she earned her Ph.D. in English literature. She was a tenured professor at Boston College when the Harold Alfond Foundation created the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine. King, an alum of UMaine, was not part of creating the chair or scoping its mission, except he agreed to lend his name to it and, by doing so, he signaled support for its mission. The occupant of the King Chair is to support the public humanities. After Caroline Bicks became the inaugural occupant of the King chair, she moved from Boston to Maine, and began to bring award-winning writers and journalists, educators, and activists to speak and work with Maine communities. She also began to support the work of students in internships and research projects, to give talks around the state, and, of course, in more recent years, to spend time in King’s private archives looking at early drafts of some of his most iconic works and distill her take-aways into Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King. Her earlier books are Cognition and Girlhood in Shakespeare’s World and Midwiving Subjects in Shakespeare’s England. She co-authored Shakespeare Not Stirred: Cocktails for Your Everyday Dramas. She co-hosts the Everyday Shakespeare podcast. Her essays and humor have appeared in the Modern Love column of the New York Times, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and the show Afterbirth. She lives in Blue Hill, Maine, with her family. “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.” — Macbeth, explored here as the key to understanding why Stephen King’s stories stay with us. “It’s not really a vampire story. It’s about vulnerability.” — Caroline Bicks on the deeper emotional truth inside horror fiction. Stephen King calls Monsters in the Archive: My Year of Fear with Stephen King “the best book about my process that I have ever read.” Hosted by William Miller You can purchase a copy of Caroline's book, Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King and find out more information about her other writings at CarolineBicks.com Episode Highlights Stephen King’s stories resonate because they tap into real human fears like grief, loss, and helplessness. Horror works best when it reveals emotional truth, not just monsters or gore. King is a meticulous reviser who carefully crafts language, sound, and pacing. Shakespeare and King both explore ambition, trauma, fear, and the darkness within people. Reading horror gives audiences a safer, more personal way to confront fear than film often can. Vulnerability is at the heart of all great literature. Caroline Bicks’ access to King’s archives reveals the serious craftsmanship behind his success. Stephen King and Tabitha King are known for generosity and philanthropy beyond their literary legacy. #StephenKing #CarolineBicks #WritingCraft #LiteraryPodcast #UpstartCrow #WritersInterview This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #39
    April 3 · 46 min

    Olufunke Grace Bankole - The Edge of Water

    Olufunke Grace Bankole – The Edge of Water In an immigration novel not like others, a Nigerian daughter wants to try life in America, and so once more she enters the visa sweepstakes. Her mother says nothing, though she has been forewarned by a conduit of the oracle, “this time, the order of things will be shaken. The souls will lose their own way.” These are the tensions within Olfunke Grace Bankole’s first novel, The Edge of Water. There are matters here of faith in self and faith in matters larger than the self, as well as events that outstrip all planning and vision—including the failure to envision some real possibilities. What comes from this is a novel with a linear narrative constructed across an arc whose parts are anything but linear—where the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. The Edge of Water was a finalist for the New American Voices Award given by the Institute for Immigration Research, which is presented at the Fall for the Book festival. Olufunke Grace Bankole is a Harvard-educated lawyer and recipient of the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship, and her original writing has appeared in Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, AGNI, Michigan Quarterly Review, New Letters, the Antioch Review and Stand. Her work won first place in the Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers, and she was a Bread Loaf-Rona Jaffe Scholar in Fiction at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She also has been awarded an Oregon Literary Fellowship in Fiction, a Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation grant, a residency-fellowship from the Anderson Center at Tower View, and a Pushcart Special Mention for her writing. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Find out more about Grace on her website. Connect with Grace on Instagram. Purchase a copy of The Edge of Water on Bookshop.org. A powerful exploration of fate vs free will, and how belief systems shape the choices we make. Redefines “home” in immigrant stories—less about place, more about identity, community, and peace. Moves beyond the typical American Dream narrative, showing the emotional and psychological realities of immigration. Highlights women’s resilience and agency, especially within patriarchal and cultural expectations. Examines how generational trauma and relationships between mothers and daughters shape identity. Shows how small decisions during major life moments can completely alter someone’s path. Blends spirituality, Yoruba tradition, and modern life, creating a layered, immersive world. “We like to think we’re in control—until life reminds us how much of it was never ours to decide.” - Olufunke Grace Bankole #UpstartCrowPodcast #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #OlufunkeGraceBankole #TheEdgeOfWater #ImmigrantExperience #AfricanAuthors #WomenWriters #LiteraryFiction #BookRecommendations #ReadersOfInstagram #WritersOfInstagram #Storytelling #FateVsFreeWill #MotherDaughterStories This episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #38
    March 9 · 41 min

    Jung Yun - All the World Can Hold

    Jung Yun – All the World Can Hold It is Sunday, Sept. 16, 2001. The Sunday after 9/11. Five days after the Tuesday when hijacked planes are flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in DC, and a field in Pennsylvania. As searchers still comb through smoldering wreckage, a cruise ship that should have left from New York’s Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan instead sets off from Boston for a cruise to Bermuda. Aboard are more than 600 passengers, and in Jung Yun’s new novel, All the World Can Hold, we follow three passengers in particular. Three who, as they travel on this voyage that is anything but mundane, undergo experiences that will leave them never the same again. Jung Yun joins host William Miller to talk about the origins of the novel, her writing of it, her own insights into the characters, and how the book is different from yet similar to her previous two novels. Jung Yun was born in Seoul, Korea, and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. Prior to All the World Can Hold, she published Shelter (2016) a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Great New Writers Award and also long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First-Novel Prize; and O Beautiful (2021), a New York Times Editor’s Choice book as well as a Times Group Read book, and a San Francisco Chronicle Book of the Year choice. Currently, Jung Yun lives in Maryland and teaches in the George Washington University creative writing program. Key Takeaways 1. Turning personal history into fiction Author Jung Yun discusses how her novel All the World Can Hold was inspired by her own experience taking a cruise shortly after the September 11 attacks. Rather than focusing directly on the tragedy, the novel explores how ordinary people process and move forward after a world-altering event. 2. A cruise ship as a literary “crucible” The story follows three strangers whose lives intersect aboard a cruise ship headed to Bermuda. By placing characters in an enclosed environment where they cannot escape their pasts or their choices, Yun builds tension and explores how people confront regret, ambition, and unresolved relationships. 3. Characters shaped by their own flaws and decisions Yun explains her fascination with flawed characters who carry the seeds of their own undoing. Across her novels—from Shelter to O Beautiful—she often writes about disasters people create for themselves and how those pressures reveal their deepest motivations. 4. Writing about disasters—personal and societal A recurring theme in Yun’s work is how individuals react when systems or circumstances collapse, whether it’s the housing crisis, an oil boom, or national trauma. Her stories focus less on the event itself and more on the human responses that follow. “I’m always writing about disaster… the disasters we create for ourselves and how people respond when you put them into these pressurized situations.” - Jung Yun #JungYun #AllTheWorldCanHold #AuthorInterview #LiteraryFiction #UpstartCrowPodcast Learn more about Jung Yun and her books here. Purchase a copy of All the World Can Hold or any of Jung's other books here. This entire episode is available to view on our YouTube channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #37
    March 5 · 50 min

    Cristina Jimenez - Dreaming of Home

    Cristina Jimenez – Dreaming of Home The subtitle of Cristina Jimenez’s memoir is, “How we turn fear into pride, power, and real change.” In the book, she defines “home” as a place of self-acceptance, which was not an easy place for her to find after she, her parents and her brother, fled the chaos of her hometown in Ecuador and settled in New York in 1998. She tried to be a “good” immigrant, but because she was undocumented, what is sometimes called an “illegal” immigrant, it didn’t matter how hard she worked, how much she studied, how well she did in school, how observant she was about rules and regulations, she was not accepted, not acceptable. But she kept at it. She endured. She persevered. Dreaming of Home tells the story. Cristina Jimenez is the cofounder and, for a time, was executive director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant-youth-led organization in the country. She played a leading role in getting approval of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. She also received a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, was named to Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people, and became a distinguished lecturer at City University of New York. With host William Miller, she discusses her memoir and the life experiences that led her to write it, including what it’s like to be an unwelcome immigrant, and what compelled her family to go to such a length. Find out more about Cristina Jimenez on her website. This entire episode is also available to watch on our YouTube channel. Key Takeaways 1. The meaning of “home” goes beyond geography. Cristina Jimenez reflects on how immigrating from Ecuador forced her to rethink the concept of home. Over time she came to see home not just as a place, but as a sense of belonging found in community, self-acceptance, and the people who make you feel seen and valued. UC - Christina Jimenez 2. Personal stories are central to social movements. Cristina discusses how undocumented immigrant youth built a powerful movement by sharing their stories publicly, organizing together, and advocating for policy change—including helping push forward protections like DACA. 3. Economic and political forces often drive migration. Her family’s journey from Ecuador was shaped by poverty, political instability, and the influence of international corporate and political decisions that affected working-class families and forced many to leave their homes. 4. The U.S. economy relies heavily on immigrant labor. The conversation highlights the contradiction of industries depending on undocumented workers while those same workers face exploitation, wage theft, and the threat of deportation. #ImmigrantStories #ImmigrationPolicy #DreamingOfHome #SocialJusticeVoices #UpstartCrow #Author Podcast “Home is the place where you can look in the mirror and like what you see.” --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

  • #36
    February 27 · 43 min

    Shubha Sunder - Optional Practical Training

    Shubha Sundra – Optional Practical Training In 2006, when this novel is set, American immigration law allows students, scholars, trainees, teachers, etc., on temporary visas to have a year of practical training not required by the person’s basic program. Optional Practical Training. The novel covers just such a year in the life of Pavitra, a young woman from Bangalore, India, who has finished her bachelor’s degree in physics and gotten a job teaching at a private high school near Cambridge, Massachusetts. Told through a series of conversations Pavitra has with various people as she shapes her life, the novel provides a more nuanced portrait of the immigrant experience than that often featured in novels. Optional Practical Training (Graywolf Press) is Shubha Sundra’s first novel. It won the 2025 New American Voices Award sponsored by the Institute for Immigration Research and presented at the annual Fall for the Book festival. She also is the author of an earlier short story collection, Boomtown Girl, set in her hometown of Bangalore, India. That book won the 2021 St. Lawrence Book Award. Her individual stories and essays have appeared in Catapult, The Common, New Letters, Crazyhorse, and Narrative Magazine. Her work has received notable mentions in the Best American Short Stories anthology. She teaches in the creative writing MFA program at UMass Boston. Borders are made without our permission and we really don’t have control over border crossing — we’re essentially at the mercy of the border guards.” - Shubha Sunder Hosted by William Miller Find out more about Shubha Sunder on her website. You can purchase a copy of Optional Practical Training from Bookshop.org here. Or you can buy a copy at on independent bookseller near you. Check out the link here. This episode is also available on our YouTube channel. Key Takeaways 1. Immigration as a Liminal State The novel explores the precarious “in-between” status of Optional Practical Training (OPT), where identity, stability, and future plans all hinge on visa structures beyond one’s control. 2. Free Will vs. Systems of Power Through the historical case of Bhagat Singh Thind, the book examines how institutions shape identity — and how personal agency often exists within forces much larger than the individual. 3. Home Is Situational — Borders Are Not While home can feel portable and internal, legal borders are rigid realities. The novel powerfully contrasts the emotional idea of home with the political reality of border enforcement. 4. Identity Is Formed in Conversation Structured around pivotal conversations, the novel shows how what others say to us — and assume about us — shapes our evolving sense of self, especially as immigrants navigating unfamiliar systems. #OptionalPracticalTraining #LiteraryFiction #ImmigrationStories --- Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom

  • #35
    January 27 · 51 min

    Margaret Hutton - If You Leave

    Margaret Hutton – If You Leave With the intrusive, catalytic forces of two wars, World War II and Vietnam, Margaret Hutton’s debut novel, If You Leave, tells of two women who mother one baby girl into her own young womanhood. Each of the three discovers the strength of herself as an individual as well as the strength of unity. Thus does this quietly vibrant story illustrate the way one life impacts others, decisions made either quickly or slowly can have similarly devastating consequences, and the need of the human heart for love competes with the need to find meaning. Margaret Hutton’s short fiction has appeared in numerous journals and magazines, including The Sun, The South Carolina Review, The Chattahoochee Review, the Antioch Review, and Abundant Grace. She earned an undergraduate degree with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MFA from George Mason University. She is a native of North Carolina and formerly was an environmental reporter. She divides her time between Washington, DC, and her art studio in Chester County, PA. If You Leave was published by Regal House Publishing and is available wherever books are sold. Hosted by William Miller --- Key Takeaways War as a Turning Point for Women If You Leave examines how World War II and Vietnam temporarily expanded women’s independence and opportunity—while exposing how fragile those gains could be. Art, Agency, and Interruption Through Audrey’s life as a painter, the novel explores how women’s creative ambitions are often disrupted, underestimated, or constrained by social expectations. The Power and Cost of Leaving Every major character is shaped by acts of leaving—home, relationships, or identity—revealing how personal choices ripple across generations. Interiority and Empathy in Fiction Margaret highlights fiction’s ability to reveal inner lives, inviting readers to understand characters beyond surface-level judgment. “The novel gives us access to another person’s interior life—and that’s something we never fully have in real life.” - Margaret Hutton #LiteraryFiction #HistoricalFiction #WomenWriters Find out more about Margaret Hutton on her website. Purchase her book here. Follow her on Instagram. This entire episode is available to watch on our YouTube channel. --- Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom

  • #34
    January 20 · 41 min

    Linda Chavez - The Silver Candlesticks: A Novel of the Spanish Inquisition

    Linda Chavez – A Novel of the Spanish Inquisition: The Silver Candlesticks Linda Chavez began working on The Silver Candlesticks after appearing on the PBS series Finding Your Roots during which she discovered that members of her family were Converso Jews who fled Spain in 1597. Using details the PBS researchers uncovered as well as her own work on the Spanish Inquisition, she created a fictional weave of love and faith, and the perils of ardent religious faith transformed by the obdurate endurance of a persecution. Earlier, Linda spent decades in politics and the media, having served as a White House official in the Reagan administration and been a syndicated columnist. She is the author of three previously published nonfiction books and individually published short stories. She earned her MFA from George Mason University. “No matter how good you think your life is, it isn’t unless you are actually free.” — Linda Chavez Hosted by William Miller The Silver Candlesticks is published by Wicked Son, an imprint of Post Hill Press. You can purchase a copy on their website here, or anywhere that books are sold. Key Takeaways History brought to life through fiction Linda Chavez discusses how The Silver Candlesticks uses meticulous historical research to humanize the Spanish Inquisition, revealing how fear, power, and persecution shaped everyday lives. Hidden identity and inherited trauma The novel explores the dangers faced by Jewish converts in 16th-century Spain and how secrecy, forced assimilation, and inherited identity ripple across generations. Villains, morality, and belief systems Chavez unpacks the challenge of writing morally complex antagonists—especially religious figures who commit atrocities while believing they are acting righteously. Personal history as creative catalyst The story is rooted in Chavez’s own family history, uncovered through archival research and her appearance on Finding Your Roots, demonstrating how personal discovery can inspire powerful storytelling. This episode is also available to watch on our YouTube channel. Check out more about Linda on her Substack. #HistoricalFictionPodcast #SpanishInquisitionHistory #AuthorInterview #TheSilverCandlesticks -- Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2025 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom

  • #33
    January 13 · 1 hr 2 min

    W. Ralph Eubanks - When It's Darkness on the Delta

    W. Ralph Eubanks – When It’s Darkness on the Delta Some today would cross off the Mississippi Delta as a backwater beyond redemption or a region where bad history happened, but W. Ralph Eubanks drives the area roads and small-town streets, meets the people who live and work there, some of whom strive hard to make it more than it is, and through his evocative writing he portrays not just the economic oppression but also the area’s resilience. In his newest work of nonfiction, Eubanks, a son of Mississippi, looks at the region with a clear, if not dispassionate eye. Seeking further knowing about this particular area, he finds insights into the soul of America. Slavery got turned into sharecropping. Civil rights were cruelly suppressed under Jim Crow. Poverty became so entrenched, it has resisted any number of efforts to eradicate it—even the spending of millions of dollars. He finds the pervasive inequality that hinders the expansive possibilities. As he writes, “The story of the Delta is not just a Mississippi story. Nor is it just a Southern story. At its very core, the Delta’s story is an American story. The idea of American exceptionalism has rendered the Delta and other places like it invisible since the story of the Delta is exceptional in only disturbing ways. By reckoning with the story of the Delta, we as Americans, can also begin to confront the other disadvantaged places like it that dot the American landscape, from sea to shining sea.” W. Ralph Eubanks is a faculty fellow and writer in residence at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture, where his work focuses on race, identity, and the American South. He is the author previously of two other works of nonfiction, Ever Is a Long Time and The House at the End of the Road, as well as A Place Like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape. He has been a Guggenheim fellow and a Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellow, as well as a recipient of the 2023 Mississippi Governor’s Arts Award for excellence in literature. “To change what we see on the landscape, we have to change what we know about it.” — W. Ralph Eubanks Hosted by William Miller Key Takeaways: The Mississippi Delta is not an isolated regional problem but a national mirror, reflecting economic, racial, and political systems found throughout the United States. Race in America operates as an economic construct, with policies after slavery preserving inequality by separating political rights from economic power. Romanticized narratives of the Delta obscure the structural forces that created generational poverty, allowing poverty to be blamed on individuals rather than systems. Lasting change depends on sustained local leadership and historical truth-telling, not outside saviors or short-term philanthropic fixes. #MississippiDelta #AmericanPoverty #RaceAndEconomics You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel here. Find out more about Ralph Eubanks and his books, you can visit his website here. His books for sale here. Follow and connect with him on Instagram, and Facebook. --- Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org Follow us on Facebook here. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2025 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved Edited & Produced by Jon D PodCom

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