Episode 75: Stephanie Scott
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 75: Stephanie Scott: This one is a wild ride. We begin with breakfasting with orangutan, move to translating Dante, slip through banking, and wind our way to author Stephanie Scott's debut, . And you're going to learn a great deal about Brad's desire to befriend Stephanie's father. Pull up chair and get ready to laugh. This is our last episode before launching with the on Monday, August 3.
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Episode 74: Lee Matthew Goldberg
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 74: Lee Matthew Goldberg: It's not often you meet a writer who wrote a four season television show as a middle school student, but author Lee Matthew Goldberg did just that. In other words: He knew he was going to write from very early. Goldberg stopped by the Bunker to talk about his new book, , growing up in New York City, and (gasp) not enjoying Mister Rogers as a kid! (We're not holding that against him, good people.)
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Episode 73: Bobi Conn
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 73: Bobi Conn: It's not too often the Jam comes to you with this much accent. But author Bobi Conn stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her book, , a memoir about her life growing up in Appalachia, her escape from her violent upbringing, and her building a life outside of her small, rural town. There's a little bit of humor. A bit of down home storytelling. And a lot of wrangling with the legacy of Appalachia.
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Episode 72: Nikki Smith
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 72: Nikki Smith: There's nothing like getting a job at a bank to inspire you to pursue your passion. And that—along with a Facebook message from an old classmate—absolutely helped kickstart British author Nikki Smith's writing career. Well, sort of. So, pull up a chair and listen to Nikki and Brad talk pets, writing, accidental careers, and her road to writing , a deep
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Episode 71: Dr. Megan Kate Nelson
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 71: Dr. Megan Kate Nelson: Author and U.S. historian Dr. Megan Kate Nelson and Brad take a deep dive into the cultural discussion happening about statues, placemaking, and the lens through which we view history. From history vacations with her family to graduating from Harvard, she’s spent her life learning, teaching, and now writing about the United States. Her book, , examines the Civil War and the American West through three different lenses: indigenous people, soldiers, and civilians. But, the show isn’t all heavy. Brad and Megan talked about her father’s love of paper maps,...
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Episode 70: Stephanie Storey
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 70: Stephanie Storey: Author Stephanie Storey (Raphael, Painter in Rome) took a rather circuitous route from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Hollywood. After studying Art History at Vanderbilt, she made her way to Los Angeles where she began working in television. There, she learned the craft of storytelling and interviewing while working her way up as a producer on various television programs. Then, she wrote her first book——which became a best seller. So what comes next besides the existential dread that comes with success? Her second book, , which is out now.
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Episode 69: Helen Zuman
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 69: Helen Zuman: The search for meaning often takes us on interesting journeys. For author Helen Zuman, that search led the Harvard graduate to Zendik Farm in 1999. But, this isn't the story you are expecting. Sit down and listen as Helen and Brad talk about her book, , her search for meaning in the world, and the fallout—and her subsequent rebirth—after nearly losing herself in a cult of personality.
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Episode 68: Aimee Liu
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 68: Aimee Liu: The pandemic has given everyone enough time to sit with our own philosophical musings. And author and Brad brought that to the show, ruminating on the meaning of time and the fallacy of memory. It wasn't all existentialism, though. They also covered her early modeling career, her eating disorder, a failed painting career, and how all of that shaped her writing and her career. (A career that has spanned both fiction and non-fiction!) Her latest book, , is out now.
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Episode 67: Joe Clifford
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 67: Joe Clifford: Buckle up for this interview. It's unlike anything else you've heard on the program. But this is no Hero's Journey for either author ( + ) or Brad. Joe came out of the block on fire, and they covered everything from Donald Trump (two thumbs down), addiction, white privilege, empathy, toxic masculinity, mental health, and therapy. Oh, and writing. There was some talk of writing. If you listen closely.
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Episode 66: Hannah Mary McKinnon
The Downtown Writers Jam
Episode 66: Hannah Mary McKinnon: You're going to learn a little bit about German dialects and the insanity of the word "the" in the German language in this episode. But stick around—Brad and author Hannah Mary McKinnon aren't just talking languages. They are here to talk about her book, , which is a Canadian best seller. Oh, her family's drive to consistently reinvent themselves. So, yeah, come for a chat with a marvelous author and stay for your daily dose of German.
info_outlineEpisode 67: Joe Clifford: Buckle up for this interview. It's unlike anything else you've heard on the program. But this is no Hero's Journey for either author Joe Clifford (Occam's Razor + The Lakehouse) or Brad. Joe came out of the block on fire, and they covered everything from Donald Trump (two thumbs down), addiction, white privilege, empathy, toxic masculinity, mental health, and therapy. Oh, and writing. There was some talk of writing. If you listen closely.