Vermont author, educator, environmentalist, and Co-founder of 350.org and Th!rd Act Bill McKibben , in a conversation about his 2022 memoir, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened (Henry Holt & Co). This week’s Write the Book Prompt was generously offered by my guest, Bill McKibben, and it’s a wonderful back-to-basics exercise that I love as our final prompt. Describe your childhood home. As you hea...
Mar 26, 2023•49 min•Ep. 773
Vermont Author Nathaniel Ian Miller in a conversation about his novel, The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven (Little Brown) . This week’s Write the Book Prompt was generously offered by my guest, Nathaniel Ian Miller, who recently heard someone extoll the virtues of writing about one’s work. Nathaniel commented that he liked this idea, and that he would like to see more of it. The supposedly mundane aspects of a job, the things you might consider boring about your work, might be full of detail and very ...
Mar 17, 2023•56 min•Ep. 772
Award-winning Vermont Author Brad Kessler in conversation about his 2021 novel, North ( Overlook Press ). One review of Brad Kessler’s work, a blurb by the author Chris Abani , mentions the way that Brad lets his characters’ dignity lead the story. I love this observation, and have been thinking a lot about it. This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to consider the dignity of your characters, no matter what their goals, obstacles, or plight. Consider their dignity as you work to make them real, ho...
Feb 27, 2023•51 min•Ep. 771
British Author Caroline Lea , whose new novel is PrizeWomen (Harper Perennial). This week's Write the Book Prompt was suggested by my guest, Caroline Lea. It's an assignment she sometimes gives to her students. Go somewhere you wouldn't normally go, and write about it. (Don’t get arrested, she says. Or if you do, don’t blame her!) Her students have visited cemeteries, they've gone to other dorms and spoken with students they wouldn’t usually speak to. Caroline says that there's something about p...
Feb 23, 2023•44 min•Ep. 770
An interview from 2015 (with our old music!) with literary agent Emily Forland, of the Brandt Hochman Agency in New York. This week’s Write The Book Prompt is to write about a season you are not presently experiencing. Is it warm where you are? Write about the cold. Is spring coming on? Write about the fall. Work from memory, as much as you can, and then in revising, allow yourself to look at pictures, read online, and check your weather app to be sure you're not forgetting what that other seaso...
Feb 23, 2023•57 min•Ep. 769
Vermont Author Annie Seyler , whose debut novel is The Wisdom of Winter ( Atmosphere Press ). This week's Write the Book Prompt was generously offered by my guest, Annie Seyler. Identify a moment from your childhood that shaped you somehow and write it out as a scene, but with a different ending or outcome than the way you lived it. Good luck with your work in the coming week, and tune in next week for another prompt or suggestion. Music Credit: Aaron Shapiro 767...
Feb 06, 2023•43 min•Ep. 768
Olena Kharchenko and Michael Sampson, co-authors The Story of Ukraine ( Brown Books Kids ). We have two Write the Book Prompts this week. Michael Sampson offered one that seemed rather dark, so he turned it on its head and offered another that’s more upbeat. First, describe a nightmare you’ve had, including setting and details that explain why it is so terrifying. Second, look into the future and write about the happiest day you can imagine, including the location, and making your emotions come ...
Jan 30, 2023•41 min•Ep. 767
Award-winning science writer and journalist Jessica Nordell , author of The End of Bias: A Beginning ( Metropolitan ). This week's Write the Book Prompt was generously suggested by my guest, Jessica Nordell, who points out that observing our own bias can be a challenge. She suggests considering, What would you write if you could be certain that you had infinite love and acceptance - if you didn't have to worry about others' love and acceptance going away? What would you write if you felt that fr...
Jan 24, 2023•58 min•Ep. 766
Fall 2022 Green Mountain Book Festival panel on Mysteries and Thrillers, moderated by Rachel Carter and featuring authors Miciah Bay Gault , Margot Harrison , Sarah Stewart Taylor , and Sarah Strohmeyer . This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to play two truths and a lie with a few writing friends. Think of the three scary stories to tell: two that are true and one, a lie. Let the game with friends be fun, but also let it fuel and energize your writing in the coming week and beyond! Good luck wit...
Jan 09, 2023•54 min•Ep. 765
Vermont Author Erika Nichols-Frazer , speaking about her new memoir, Feed Me: A Story of Food, Love and Mental Illness ( Casper Press ). This week's Write the Book Prompt was generously offered by my guest, Erika Nichols-Frazer. Feed Me is all about memories and food. Think of a food that holds some emotional significance: a pie you used to bake with your grandmother, something that you eat on special occasions, maybe something you've discovered in your travels. Describe that food in all its sen...
Jan 06, 2023•51 min•Ep. 764
Vermont Author Andrew Liptak , whose recent book is Cosplay: A History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life ( Saga Press ). This week’s first Write the Book Prompt won’t surprise you, if you listened to the interview. Dress in costume and write about the person you see yourself representing. If you have a costume that works for a character you’re working on, great. If not, try to change one thing about your appearance to help you access that character. Does he ...
Dec 20, 2022•47 min•Ep. 763
Fall 2022 Green Mountain Book Festival panel on Nonfiction, moderated by Shelagh and featuring authors Brian Michael Murphy , Sandra Matthews , Jessica Nordell , and Erik Shonstrom . This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to try your hand at writing a nonfiction essay about something that has lately been on your mind: perhaps a news item, a weather event, or a personal experience. Include details and facts that you find through research, and present them as objectively as you can. Decide if you mi...
Dec 20, 2022•51 min•Ep. 762
An interview from the archives with cancer survivor, yoga teacher and author Tari Prinster . We discuss her 2014 book Yoga for Cancer: A Guide to Managing Side Effects, Boosting Immunity, and Improving Recovery for Cancer Survivors ( Healing Arts Press ). This week’s Write The Book Prompt is to spend five-to-ten minutes focusing on your breathing before you begin work. Breathe in through your nose, counting to 3 slowly. Hold at the top for two counts more. Then breathe out through your nose for ...
Dec 20, 2022•58 min•Ep. 761
Our second NaNoWriMo check-in of the month is a conversation with Vermont Author Reina Pennington , military history expert and former Norwich University Professor. This week's second Write the Book Prompt comes from Reina Pennington, who suggests writing with the same implement that your character might have written with. Not all the time, but at least once, give a quill a try. A fountain pen. An old manual typewriter. In Reina’s case, her characters in the pilot seat had to write on rough pape...
Dec 01, 2022•22 min•Ep. 760
Vermont Poet and Publisher Samantha Kolber, of Rootstock Publishing . One of this week's Write the Book Prompts comes from Samantha Kolber, who suggests writing for seven minutes without stopping. Put your pen to the page or your fingers to the keys, and have at it for seven minutes straight. Samantha loves this exercise and finds she comes up with great material by doing this: a draft poem that can be revised later. Good luck with your work in the coming week, and tune in next week for another ...
Dec 01, 2022•27 min•Ep. 759
Angela Palm moderates this Fall 2022 Green Mountain Book Festival panel on Memoir, featuring fellow Vermont Authors Jay Parini, Brett Ann Stanciu , and former Governor Madeleine May Kunin. This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to write a short memoir containing three things: the story of how you came to have your name, a recent dream you’ve had, and the way a certain color features in your life right now, the way Governor Madeleine May Kunin spoke on this panel about her Prius, and why it was imp...
Nov 23, 2022•44 min•Ep. 758
Local author and professor Dr. Millicent Eidson , who writes a series of novels concerning the work of fictional CDC veterinarian Dr. Maya Maguire. A regular NaNoWriMo participant, Millie spoke with me live on WBTV-LP about that experience. This Write the Book Prompt was generously suggested by my guest, Dr. Millicent Eidson, who reminds us that conflict and challenges are important in our work. As an example, the weather has just changed from mid-70s to mid-30s. Our clocks have just changed aga...
Nov 18, 2022•23 min•Ep. 757
Live radio interview with Roseanne Montillo , author of Deliberate Cruelty (Atria Books). Roseanne Montillo was kind enough to offer a Write the Book Prompt during our conversation. Keep a journal, recording both the trivial and mundane observations, but also details about your travels, your memories, your interpretation of favorite books. Good luck with your work in the coming week and tune in next week for another prompt or suggestion. Music Credit: Aaron Shapiro 754...
Nov 18, 2022•33 min•Ep. 756
Author Thomas H. McNeely , whose new collection is Pictures of the Shark: Stories ( Texas Review Press ). This week’s Write the Book Prompt was generously suggested by my guest, Thomas H. McNeely, and it is drawn from our conversation. We talked about the objects that writers bring into stories, and the power that objects can hold. This week, consider doing one of two things as you work. First, write about objects that you remember from a certain period of your life. What did they mean to you at...
Nov 09, 2022•50 min•Ep. 755
Writer, speaker and storyteller Gareth Higgins , author of how not to be afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying ( Broadleaf Books ). Gareth Higgins was kind enough to allow me to share one of the invitations in his book, how not to be afraid, as this week’s Write the Book Prompt. The invitation is shared in full at the end of the podcast (as is a breathing exercise from the book, which we discuss during the interview). Here's a summary of the Invitation to Name Your Fears, i...
Nov 02, 2022•59 min•Ep. 754
Vermont author and poet Rebecca Valley , author of the chapbook The Salvageman , whose new book is Curious Cases: True Crime for Kids - Hijinks, Heists, Mysteries and More ( Bloom Books for Young Readers ). This week’s Write the Book Prompt was generously suggested by my guest, Rebecca Valley. Let a main character or a community about which you are writing grapple with an unsolved mystery. This mystery could be the main thrust of the story, or it could linger in the background, serving to amplif...
Oct 25, 2022•38 min•Ep. 753
An interview from the archives with veteran Boston Globe Reporter Stephen Kurkjian , author of Master Thieves , the story of the the largest art theft in history, published by PublicAffairs . This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to write 300 words about a theft that goes wrong in some way. The stolen items could involve art, jewels, people, pets, or even just penny candy. Who steals what and why? What goes wrong? Does this create a problem for the thief, or for the victim of the theft? Where doe...
Oct 20, 2022•59 min•Ep. 752
The editors of Vermont Almanac discuss their work. A recording of a Green Mountain Book Festival panel discussion featuring Virginia Barlow, Dave Mance III, and Patrick White. This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to write about an insect or arachnid. We aren’t all as focused on insects as Virginia Barlow, but they are vital. This is a quote from the Florida Museum at the University of Florida: a diverse range of insect species is critical to the survival of most life on Earth, including bats, bi...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 751
Guest Interviewer Kim MacQueen speaks with John Killacky, author of Because Art , and Mark Redmond , author of Called , both published by Onion River Press . Last week the Green Mountain Book Festival came to Burlington and it was a fantastic event! I'm on the board. As the festival plans for next year, we'd love to hear ideas for panels. So your Write the Book Prompt this week is to write to me (Shelagh) and share your panel ideas! Thanks so much. Good luck with your work in the coming week and...
Sep 29, 2022•59 min•Ep. 750
Writer, editor and photographer Kimberly Garrett Brown , whose new book is Cora's Kitchen ( Inanna Publications ). This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to consider an unlikely friendship. Who are the individuals and why would a friendship between them be unexpected? How do they meet? Are they in the same town, on vacation, at a rest area, in a nursing home? Do they hit it off from the start, or do they find common ground gradually? Consider these questions and these characters, find a setting th...
Sep 26, 2022•49 min•Ep. 749
A new interview with Vermont author Doug Wilhelm about his nonfiction book, Catalysts for Change: How Nonprofits and a Foundation Are Helping Shape Vermont's Future ( Rootstock ). This week’s Write the Book Prompt was kindly suggested by my guest, Doug Wilhelm, who thinks about stories all the time. Find one observation: something you’ve overhead or seen, and make a story from it. This can be a piece of conversation or part of an argument, an interesting person who stood out for some reason. Tak...
Sep 16, 2022•47 min•Ep. 748
Two interviews from the archives - with our old music! - with Vermont author and editor Angela Palm and Vermont poet Malisa Garlieb . Angela Palm's collection Riverine: A Memoir from Anywhere but Here won the Graywolf nonfiction award, was an Oprah.com pick for "Powerful Memoirs by Powerful Women," an Indie Next List pick, and A Kirkus Best Book in 2016. Poet Malisa Garlieb's work has appeared in Qu , RHINO Poetry, Rust + Moth , Rathalla Review , Tar River Poetry, Calyx , Painted Bride Quarterly...
Sep 16, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 747
Vermont Poet Daniel Lusk , who's new collection is Every Slow Thing ( Kelsay Books ). This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to consider what Daniel calls his “farthings,” tiny Zen-like poems that share wit, irony, natural beauty, and wisdom. Here are a few of his, kindly shared with us: Sepals - As if priests were magpies and souls were shiny objects. As if brothels were little seminaries of corporeal art. After the Storm - And Noah sent forth birds, voiceless gestures over the fathomless silence...
Aug 30, 2022•54 min•Ep. 746
New York Times bestselling author Fiona Barton , whose new novel is Local Gone Missing ( Berkley ). This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to write about an altercation between someone who lives full time in a small town and a visitor, seasonal homeowner, or tourist. What sets them off and what preceded the incident for each of them? How does the full-time resident feel about outsiders before this event, and what changes? Good luck with your work in the coming week, and tune in next week for anoth...
Aug 18, 2022•44 min•Ep. 744
An interview from the archives (with our old music!) with Vermont poet and UVM Professor Stephen Cramer. We discussed his book From the Hip: A Concise History of Hip Hop (in sonnets) . Since that time, Stephen has published a number of other books. His latest collection, The Disintegration Loops, "attempts to uncover the music within the world's dissolution and fragmentation, from Italian masters painting over the work of previous artists, to the innocence of childhood giving way to scars, to th...
Aug 09, 2022•40 min•Ep. 745
