Episode #54 - Jolene McIlwain: "The Steep Side"

Author Allison Field Bell grew up in California, and has been a desert-dweller for much of her life. She now resides in the desert state of Utah, where she is pursuing her PhD in Prose at the University of Utah. In both her fiction and nonfiction, she explores how being neuroatypical affects the daily routines of individuals in ways that confine and sometimes enlarge their lives. We read her story "River Mountain Summer," which was published in West Branch. https://www.allisonfieldbell.com/Support the show

Wisconsin author Scot Mitchel May boasts an unusual job resume. He's been a short order cook in a fast food joint as well as a staff writer for Wisconsin senators. And now he's a novelist, with a newly-published work, Breakneck, and two other books due to be released later this year. We read his story "Naked Cake," which was published in The Metaworker.  https://www.scottmitchelmay.com/homeSupport the show

Author Kimberly Elkins made her way from the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia to New York City, where her writing career took flight. She began as a playwright, but soon found that writing fiction was her real jam. Her award-winning novel WHAT IS VISIBLE would prove that to the world. We read her story "Boys With Wings," which was published in SLICE Magazine. https://www.kimberlyelkins.com/Support the show

 As the daughter of a mixed-race mother whose own mother had come to the U.S. from Japan, Emily Doyle saw how religion, culture and society held them down, and was moved to choose a different path for herself. It was as a writer that she would find the agency she longed for. We read her story "Thursdays For Haru," which was first published in The Sun Magazine. https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/565/thursdays-for-haruSupport the show

We continue our series CULTURE IN FICTION with a conversation with Italian-Canadian writers. Josie Di Sciascio-Andrews, Eufemia Fantetti, Lori Sebastianutti and Natalie Welsh join Jon in a conversation about growing up as the children of Italian immigrants in the Toronto area, and the ways in which their cultural heritage has influenced their work. https://on.soundcloud.com/f7n7Z https://nsjcp.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/default/article/view/46/30https://www.eufemiafantetti.com/ https://poetryimages.weebly.com/https://linktr.ee/nataliewelsh285https://lorisebastianutti.com/Support the show

The stories of New York author Carrie Esposito can be searing in their attention to the frailties found in family relationships - whether they're families of origin or families of choice. She understands the ways in which the roles we're given in life - wife, mother, son, father - can push us to our limits as we strive to learn who we really are. We read the story "Man of the House," which was published in Ruminate.   https://www.carrieesposito.com/Support the show

In her story collection Sidle Creek, Pennsylvania native Jolene McIlwain writes about the rural America she grew up in with compassion and tenderness. That's not to say that every character is a charmer. She understands how hardship can harden folks, and writes with blinding clarity about the brutality that resides there as well. We read a story from the collection entitled "The Steep Side." https://www.jolenemcilwain.com/Support the show

To commemorate the 1 year anniversary of the podcast, we're honoring our very first guest author, John Henry Fleming, with a reading of his short story "Song for the Deaf," from his collection "Songs for the Deaf." (Burrow Press)Support the show

Indian author Mandira Pattnaik's writing career began with a surprising discovery: under the mantle of science fiction, she could express her outrage at the harm done to society by the introduction of the cellphone. She has gone on from there to address, in her stories, societal and environmental concerns such as global warming and the overdevelopment of her beloved country. We read her story "Whether an Apocryphal Story?" https://mandirapattnaik.com/Support the show

Missouri author L Mari Harris's flash fiction is not for the faint of heart. It is her aim to push readers into uncomfortable places. Nothing is off limits: taboos, family secrets - in her stories, they're all fair game. We read two of her flash stories: "They're So Beautiful When They're Sleeping" and "The Exterminator."Support the show