Episode 131 - J.D. Barker

In her debut collection Some Final Beauty and Other Stories (University of Nevada Press), California author Lisa Alvarez writes about her home town of Los Angeles with deep affection. These compelling stories chronicle lives that are indelibly affected by pivotal moments in the history of the city and of the world beyond, honoring the courageous people who chose to fight for peace, justice and civil rights.https://www.lisaalvarez.com/Support the show

Nigerian author Olajide Omojarabi discusses his story "Messenger Meg," which was published in the Ploughshares Summer 2025 issue. The interview is conducted by fellow writer Daniel Dykiel. Olajide reads "Messenger Meg" in the episode.Support the show

Montreal author Veena Gokhale's new collection, Annapurna's Bounty: Indian Food Legends Retold (Dundurn Press), is a literary smorgasbord. It's a potent brew of folk tales, myths and legends taken from India's rich tapestry of oral and written history, re-imagined for modern readers. But the best surprise is the inclusion of recipes for the individual dishes at the heart of every story. https://www.veenago.com/Support the show

As a child, NY Times bestselling author J.D. Barker would never set foot in the basement. He'd read the stories about what happens to little boys who wander off into places like that. Now he's writing those stories - and they're doing the same thing to a whole new generation of readers. SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS is his latest. It's from Simon & Schuster. https://jdbarker.com/Support the show

Toronto author Catherine Bush writes about intimacy and connection - but ventures far beyond the human-to-human. She explores the indefinable realm where it may be possible for the natural world to reveal to us the sublime nature of all things - if we have the courage to see. Her new collection is Skin (Goose Lane Editions). For this episode, the title story from Skin is read by the author. https://catherinebush.com/Support the show

SoCal author William R. Hincy discusses his collection WITHOUT EXPIRATION, winner of the 2021 American Book Fest American Fiction Prize. He's the host of the long-running literary interview series on YouTube known as WRITERS DRINKING WHISKEY. We read "Flying," which was first published in Ancient Paths Literary Magazine. https://williamrhincy.com/Support the show

Award-winning NJ author Laury A. Egan's new collection is Contrary - an eclectic mix of twenty-one stories which also includes a two-act play. She's the author of seventeen books of fiction and four poetry volumes. We read her story "The Impaired Pair," which appears in Contrary. https://www.lauryaegan.com/Support the show

The literary journal Saw Palm was created in 2006 by John Henry Fleming, Phd and the MFA students of the Creative Writing Program at the University of South Florida. Saw Palm's mission is to go beyond the tourist brochures and capture the unique experience of Florida lives, landscapes, and tropes. The episode features a discussion about the making of Issue 19 with Dr. Fleming and student editors Elizabeth Pottinger and Andrea Figueroa-Irizarry, moderated by fellow editor Daniel Dykiel. We read a story from the issue: "Alligator Soup" by Brittany Hague. https://www.sawpalm.org/Support the show

Award-winning Toronto author Caitlin Galway speaks with us about her "mad scientist" approach to writing, which has produced some of the most startling and original fiction being written today. Her new collection is A Song for Wildcats, published by Dundurn Press.https://caitlingalway.wixsite.com/caitlin-l-galwaySupport the show

Canadian author Pratap Reddy was born in India, but has lived in Mississauga, Ontario since 2002. In his fiction, he pays homage to the courageous men and women who have braved hardships of every kind while seeking a new future in the West. His new collection is Remaindered People & Other Stories (Guernica Editions). From the collection, we read  "Storm in a Teacup."https://pratapreddy.com/index.htmlSupport the show