The San Diego Writers Festival was born out of a passion to unite our community through storytelling and to give a voice to those who often feel voiceless. We celebrate inclusivity and accessibility, creating a day that celebrates all races, genders, religions and abilities. If you missed our inaugural event, we’re pleased to announce that we will continue to offer year-round programming and resources for writers. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list for what’s to come in 2019, and what’s on...
Jul 21, 2020•57 min
Today’s episode goes into detail about how and why Ackerman wrote his latest novel, Red Dress in Black and White . You’ll hear how his work is informed by his experience living overseas and how his themes are born out of real world events. This episode is a detailed exploration of his creative process. Oh, and it turns out, Eliot was also in the CIA, and Jeniffer tries to get him to reveal what he may know about a certain agency plot involving a 1980’s Hair Metal band and the Cold War....
Jul 07, 2020•41 min•Ep. 23
In today’s episode Jeniffer and Chad talk with Carlos De Los Rios about Hollywood insider stuff, how he came into screenwriting, and some of the work he’s done. They get into some details of his first producer credit, the documentary, The Curse of the Man Who Sees UFOs. They talk Hollywood film history, tropes, and speculate as to the future of filmmaking in a post-COVID world. Carlos also has some suggestions for good stuff to stream right now, since production is currently halted. And you’ll b...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 22
Today’s episode is a conversation in partnership with Warwick’s Books. Jeniffer talks with Jason Stanley about his latest book, How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. Stanley is a Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and contributor to publications such as NYT and Boston Review. He also serves on the board of the Prison Policy Initiative. He explains how Fascism is insidious in that it’s not just a regime. It’s many things. It’s policy. It’s language and rhetoric. And it’s dangero...
Jun 09, 2020•50 min•Ep. 21
Mark Coker, founder of the ebook publishing and distribution platform, Smashwords talks with Jeniffer and Chad about the world of Indie publishing. He tells them about why and how he started Smashwords, the inner workings of the machine that is Amazon, how Smashwords is different, and they discuss what it really means to be an Indie author. And of course, there are some fun, off topic musings about talking Japanese toilets.
May 26, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 20
In this episode Author and Artist, Keith Rosson chats with Jeniffer and Chad about his latest novel, Road Seven; a genre-bending mix of character driven literary fiction and Sci-Fi/fantasy. There's talk of everything from exploding whales, to unicorns, to how important consuming art is in relation to creating it. And of course, some excellent, practical advice on the writing process, query letters, the benefit of writing groups, and what inspires Keith to write what he does.
May 12, 2020•53 min•Ep. 19
Marni Freedman, writing coach and co-founder of the San Diego Writer's Festival joins Jeniffer and Chad to discuss how physical distancing and Covid-19 challenges us and how we can respond. Marni discusses her new book, Writing to Heal, why she wrote it, and her process. She also explains how writing brings about mindfulness and ways we can use writing to cope and heal, now and always. There's also some talk of personal journeys,preppers, old cars, cheese puffs, and overcoming those little disas...
Apr 29, 2020•50 min•Ep. 18
Today on The Premise Chad and Jeniffer talk to Jerry Yudelson about his role in the first Earth Day, his newest book, "The Godfather of Green", and how we can look to other cultures and even the past to create solutions for now and the future. Jerry is a Harvard and Cal Tech educated civil and environmental engineer and the author of 14 books on global green building and sustainable design. He reminds us that small things we do can make a difference, and also of the progress we've made, despite ...
Apr 22, 2020•52 min•Ep. 17
Jeniffer and Chad talk with Jeff Ourvan in this episode. Jeff is currently a literary agent, writer and writing coach. They talk about his past as a corporate attorney, the wonder of rocks and fishing, and how Jeff ended up where is today after a past full of varied careers. You'll learn about the value of workshops and a fancy educations, or lack thereof, the state of Indie publishing, and many more valuable tidbits. There also happens to be a brief discussion of a UFO sighting. But Jeff says h...
Apr 15, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 16
Eilene Zimmerman, long-time journalist and contributor to The New York Times talks with Jeniffer and Chad about her new memoir, Smacked:A Story of White Collar Ambition, Addiction and Tragedy. Eilene shares how she was oblivious to her successful ex-husband's addiction until tragedy struck. She also explains her process in deciding how and why to tell her story. This is an eye-opening episode on hidden realities, but as usual, there's some fun book talk and interesting musings from the hosts and...
Apr 08, 2020•57 min•Ep. 15
While Warwick's may have canceled their in-house author events, they're still shipping books. Help independent bookstores and keep yourself safe and entertained in these unsure times. Julies Picks Warwick's San Diego Writer's Festival
Apr 06, 2020•18 min
Elise is most interested in well-written narrative non-fiction (particularly trade-friendly history, cultural studies, and science) as well as character-driven literary fiction. Some of Elise's representative non-fiction titles include Cynthia Barnett’s Rain: A Natural and Cultural History (Crown), which was long-listed for the National Book Award and the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award; Meera Subramanian's A River Runs Again: India’s Natural World in Crisis, from the Barren Cliff...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 14
Jeniffer and Chad talk to Audio Book Narrator, Writer and Performer Tavia Gilbert. They discuss her background in theater and how one ah-ha moment sparked her passion. She tells them how she got her start narrating audio books and the details of the process that goes into it. Gilbert gives some good tips on having an audio friendly voice, talks about how her past informs the tone of the characters she narrates, and proves that when one door shuts, there is always another way in. This one might a...
Mar 25, 2020•55 min•Ep. 13
Dr. Gloria Chance is a Creative/Expressive Arts and Peak Performance Psychologist and the Founder, CEO The Mousai Group. In this episode Jeniffer and Chad talk with her about her work bringing art and business together to find creative solutions. Dr. Chance tells them about her workshops and retreats and her holistic processes to create new patterns and trigger active creative thinking. This one is a fascinating look into our minds and how our past and habits can affect our choices and limit our...
Mar 18, 2020•48 min•Ep. 12
Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, president of Warner Coaching Inc. and the author of Write On, Sisters!, Green-light Your Book, and What’s Your Book? She's also a TEDx speaker and the former Executive Editor of Seal Publishing and a current columnist at Publishers Weekly. And these are just some of her accomplishments. In this episode Jeniffer and Chad talk with Brooke about why she left traditional publishing and forged her own path forward with a mission to create...
Mar 11, 2020•58 min•Ep. 11
Susan Blackwell is a Broadway and TV actor, who is also a playwright and host of the talk show, Side by Side by Susan Blackwell. Chad and Jeniffer talk with her about some of the outrageous things she's done on stage as well as her experience in the corporate world and ultimate escape from it. Susan explains how she maintains balance in her life and they talk creativity, impostor syndrome, and the vampires of self-doubt that plague even the most accomplished and seemingly self-confident of us. T...
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 10
Prolific writer and author of the NYT Bestseller, Shanghai Girls, Lisa See talks with Jeniffer and Chad about how she began writing books and how those humble aspirational beginnings turned into a life-long career. Her other works include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and most recently, The Island of Sea Women, among several others. They discuss her writing process, her inspiration, and the time it takes to research her historical dramas. Lisa also gives a bit of a lesson on the tea making pro...
Feb 26, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 9
Marika Flatt, Founder of PR By the Book, a book publicity firm, and Travel Editor for Texas Lifestyle Magazine talks with Jeniffer and Chad about her path to the world of publicity. You'll learn what she and other publicity firms do. And don't do. They also talk about who does what during the book marketing process and what's expected of authors themselves. Marika tells The Premise how she manages to do all she does, and what it's like to own your own business and work with your spouse—which Jen...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 8
In this episode, Jeniffer and Chad have the pleasure of talking with Belo Cipriani, Founder of Oleb Books, Oleb Media and the author of the memoir, Blind. Belo is also an equal rights advocate, journalist, and a Lambda Literary and Yaddo fellow—amongst other titles. They discuss his path to entrepreneurship, career shifts, and the events that drove those decisions, including the one that changed the trajectory of his life by leaving him blind. This one will make you think! And introduce you to s...
Feb 12, 2020•51 min•Ep. 7
Check out Joe's website at: https://www.joeide.com/ He'll also be at the San Diego Writers Festival on April 4th 2020 https://sandiegowritersfestival.com/
Feb 06, 2020•15 min
Check out Mara's website at http://www.mara-altman.com/ Check out Mara's hilarious videos here: http://bit.ly/2Si18jx
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 6
Check out Dr. Nan Wise at: https://askdoctornan.com/
Jan 29, 2020•53 min•Ep. 5
In this episode Jeniffer and Chad talk with Laura Cathcart Robbins & Scott Slaughter of the podcast, The Only One in the Room. They discuss everything from the origins of their podcast to life as a podcasting couple. Plus they share their favorite episodes and biggest challenges, and talk movies, inspiration and the true meaning of equity. There's even a meet-cute in there.
Jan 23, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 4
This episode's guest is Marni Freedman, Writing Coach and co-founder of the San Diego Memoir Writers Association and the San Diego Writers Festival. They talk about her and Jeniffer pulling off a major writing festival against the odds and their other co-projects as partners in almost-crime. They discuss crafty ways to sneak true intentions and cultural signifiers past Hollywood gatekeepers, how rough times can bring the brightest kinds of inspiration, and finding paths to our true callings in u...
Jan 16, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 3
In this mini-episode Jeniffer ventures out to join Julie Slavinsky, Director of Events, at La Jolla's boutique bookstore, Warwick's. They chat about the store's history, its upcoming events, and the hottest books of the moment. If you're a reader who loves to stay on top of the what's what and who's who in the literature scene you've gotta listen to this high-energy mini.
Jan 09, 2020•15 min
Jeniffer and Chad talk with Lee Wind, Director of Marketing & Programming at IBPA, about his mission to write the books he wishes he'd read as a gay youth. They discuss Lincoln, examining history in closer detail to reveal the true selves of historical figures, and how it can create new role models and new perspectives. You'll also hear from Lee about his writing process, his ups and downs in the publishing world, and the wild tale of a rogue agent( the literary kind).
Jan 02, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 2
Thanks to Gill Sotu for coming into the studio and chatting with us. Check out more of his work GillSotu.com Also thanks to our sponsors: Writing coach Marni Freedman Design firm and platform builders Monkey C Media Last but certainly not least San Diego Writers Festival...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 1
