The Process with Jude Brewer

Matt Haig reads an excerpt from "The Midnight Library," backed by an original Storybound remix with Robert Wynia, and sound design and arrangement by Jude Brewer. Matt Haig is an author for children and adults. His memoir "Reasons to Stay Alive" was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children’s book "A Boy Called Christmas" was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It is being made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent, and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. His novels for adults include "How To Stop Time," "The Radleys," "The Humans," and the New York Times bestseller "The Midnight Library." He has sold over three million books worldwide. Robert Wynia is a founding member of the Portland band Floater. Known for their progressive concept albums, Floater is famous for incorporating stylized storytelling into their work. Wynia also releases music under his own name, and released his book "Night Walks" with its own accompanying soundtrack in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morgan Jerkins reads an excerpt from her book "Caul Baby," backed by an original Storybound remix with French Cassettes, and sound design and arrangement by Jude Brewer. Born and raised in Southern New Jersey, and now residing in Harlem, New York, Morgan Jerkins is the New York Times Bestselling author of "This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America" and "Wandering In Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots." She holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Princeton University and an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and teaches regularly at Columbia University. Her third book "Caul Baby" was one of 2021's most anticipated books by TIME, Buzzfeed, and Oprah Magazine. French Cassettes is a harmony-driven power-pop group from San Francisco. The quartet's new LP, Rolodex, is hook-filled and rooted in pop, layered with intricate vocal harmonies and counter-harmonies, inventive percussion, and every shade of clean and fuzzy guitars stacked up like an orchestra. These uncommonly majestic, esoteric pop forms serve as the perfect delivery service for their playful and verbose lyrics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Klosterman reads an excerpt from "Raised in Captivity: Fictional Nonfiction," backed by an original Storybound remix with Portico Quartet, and sound design and arrangement by Jude Brewer. Chuck Klosterman is an author and essayist. He's written eight books of nonfiction, including "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs," and two novels ("Downtown Owl" and "The Invisible Man"). He has written for publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post, was the Ethicist for The New York Times Magazine for three years, and was an original founder of the website Grantland with Bill Simmons. "Raised in Captivity" is his newest work of "Fictional Nonfiction." Portico Quartet has created their own singular, cinematic sound over the course of six studio albums since 2007. Their debut album "Knee-Deep in the North Sea" was nominated for a Mercury Prize and was Time Out's Jazz, Folk, and World album of the year 2007. Their newest album "Terrain" is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A brand new season, bigger than ever. Storybound is a radio theater program designed for the podcast age. Hosted by Jude Brewer and with original music composed for each episode, the podcast features the voices of today’s top literary icons reading their essays, poems, and fiction. Season 4 begins publishing next Tuesday, June 8th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie Frankel reads an excerpt from her forthcoming novel "One Two Three", accompanied by an original Storybound remix. Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of three (going on four) novels. Her new novel, One Two Three, is out June 8, 2021. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Publisher’s Weekly, People Magazine, Lit Hub, The Sydney Morning Herald, and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and been optioned for film and TV. A former college professor, she now writes full-time. She was recently named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Seattle where she lives with her family and makes good soup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madhuri Vijay reads an excerpt from her novel "The Far Field," with an original Storybound remix. Madhuri Vijay was born and raised in Bangalore. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Non-Required Reading, Narrative Magazine, and Elle India, among many other publications. The Far Field is her first book, and won the second JCB Prize for Literature, India’s most prestigious literary award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shayla Lawson reads is an excerpt from her book This Is Major, with an original Storybound remix. Shayla Lawson is the author of This is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls & Being Dope, and three poetry collections. She has written for ESPN, Salon, Guernica, Vulture, and The Cut. She's a MacDowell and Yaddo Artist Colony Fellow, and is a 2020 National Book Critics Circle Finalist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie Frankel reads an excerpt from her forthcoming novel "One Two Three", with sound design and music composition from Anna Tivel. Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of three (going on four) novels. Her new novel, One Two Three, is out June 8, 2021. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Publisher’s Weekly, People Magazine, Lit Hub, The Sydney Morning Herald, and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and been optioned for film and TV. A former college professor, she now writes full-time. She was recently named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Seattle where she lives with her family and makes good soup. Anna Tivel is an American singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon. She has released four studio albums on Portland-based Fluff & Gravy Records. Her 2017 album Small Believer received positive reviews and was named a "Top 10 underheard album of 2017" by Ann Powers of NPR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Russell reads from his comic "Second Coming". In 2015, Russell made his comic book debut with his critically acclaimed reboot of the 1973-74 comic Prez about a teenager who is elected to serve as President of the United States. Following Prez, Russell was hired to write The Flintstones comic book series for DC Comics, winning two Eisner Awards, including Best Limited Series and Best Humor Publication. Russell followed up with another DC venture titled, Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, reinventing the titular Hanna Barbera character as a gay southern gothic playwright living in 1950s New York. For this, Russell won the 2019 GLAAD Award for Outstanding Comic and was nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Writer and Best Limited Series. Music in this episode was provided by Epidemic Sound and includes the following artists: Da Sein, Dylan Sitts, and LoFive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Jones Jr. reads from his debut novel "The Prophets", with an original Storybound remix featuring Josh Garrels. Robert Jones, Jr. is a writer from New York City. He received his B.F.A., magna cum laude, in creative writing, and M.F.A. in fiction from Brooklyn College. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times, Essence, and The Paris Review. He is the creator and curator of the social justice social media community Son of Baldwin, which has over 250,000 followers across platforms. Jones was recently featured in T Magazine’s cover story “Black Male Writers of Our Time.” Singer/songwriter Josh Garrels has built his career on deeply personal, introspective lyrics and exploratory sounds that range from pastoral indie folk to hip-hop. Emerging in the early 2000s, he is the co-founder of Small Voice Records, on which he issued 2008's Jacaranda. In 2015, he landed on the Billboard 200 with Home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deesha Philyaw reads from her book "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies", with an original Storybound remix featuring GLASYS. Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies" was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction, a finalist for The Story Prize (2020/2021), and longlisted for the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Her work has been listed as Notable in the Best American Essays series, and her writing on race, parenting, gender, and culture has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, The Rumpus, Brevity, dead housekeeping, Apogee Journal, Catapult, Harvard Review, ESPN’s The Undefeated, The Baltimore Review, TueNight, Ebony and Bitch magazines, and various anthologies. Deesha is a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and a past Pushcart Prize nominee for essay writing in Full Grown People. GLASYS (Gil Assayas) is a pianist, synthesist, producer and vocalist who delivers intricate virtuosic keyboard parts, electronic soundscapes and impassioned vocals in one package that combines his many influences including Electronic music, Alternative Rock, Jazz and Classical music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shayla Lawson reads "Black Lives Matter, Yard Signs Matter," which is an excerpt from her book This Is Major, with an original Storybound remix featuring Maita. Shayla Lawson is the author of This is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls & Being Dope, and three poetry collections. She has written for ESPN, Salon, Guernica, Vulture, and The Cut. She's a MacDowell and Yaddo Artist Colony Fellow, and is a 2020 National Book Critics Circle Finalist. MAITA is a Portland, OR based musician who's music has been described by Consequence of Sound as "anxious heartbreak that rips somewhere between Mitski and Summer Cannibals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soraya Nadia McDonald reads her essay "Wandering In Search of Wakanda", with an original Storybound remix featuring Marco Pavé. Soraya Nadia McDonald is the culture critic for The Undefeated. She writes about pop culture, fashion, the arts, and literature. She is the 2020 winner of the George Jean Nathan prize for dramatic criticism, a 2020 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism, and the runner-up for the 2019 Vernon Jarrett Medal for outstanding reporting on black life. Marco Pavé has forged a twin identity as a champion of indie Southern rap and as an educator working to stimulate community activism and entrepreneurship through the lens of hip hop music and culture. Pavé has opened for Mobb Deep, Waka Flocka Flame, and Young Dolph and worked with GRAMMY Award-winning producers like Carlos Broady. Pavé's work has been written up in outlets like The Source, The Root, and MTV News. In 2017, he released his debut album Welcome to Grc Lnd, which cast a documentarian lens on Memphis’s grassroots activists who were raising their voices in protest of the city’s endemic racism and poverty. In 2018, he was commissioned to turn the album into Memphis’s first-ever rap opera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Diamond reads an excerpt from "The Sprawl", with an original Storybound remix featuring Xander Marsden. Jason Diamond is the founder of the website Vol. 1 Brooklyn and has worked as Editor and Writer at outlets such as Flavorwire, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, and Insidehook.com. He's written for the New York Times, Outside, The Paris Review, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, The Wall Street journal, New Republic, Vice, Tablet, The Awl, Pitchfork, McSweeney's, NPR, and more. His memoir Searching for John Hughes was published in 2016. The Sprawl is his second book. Xander Marsden is a singer and songwriter living in LA. He is 15 years old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noé Álvarez reads an excerpt from "Spirit Run", with an original Storybound remix featuring composition by Daniel Frankhuizen of Locator. Noé Álvarez was born to Mexican immigrant parents and raised working-class in Yakima, Washington, which are both topics covered in detail in his book, which – btw – is a debut. And some debut it was, garnering a Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly and an Editor's Choice Selection from the New York Times. This is one of those rare stories that skirt the edge of travel, adventure, outdoors, family memoir, and spiritual. Locator is the solo project of cellist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Frankhuizen. By putting the cello in the driver seat melodically, texturally, and emotionally, Locator cuts out a unique path between contemporary classical and electronic minimalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Lisicky reads an excerpt from "Later: My Life at the Edge of the World", with an original Storybound remix featuring Jordan Warmack. Paul is the author of five books. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts, and he teaches in the MFA program at Rutgers University-Camden. Paul's work has been praised everywhere from the New York Times and Slate to the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe. Jordan Warmack is a member of Whiston and Warmack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Jane Anders reads an excerpt from "Victories Greater Than Death", with an original Storybound remix featuring Oginalii. Charlie Jane Anders is the author of Victories Greater Than Death, the first book in a new young-adult trilogy coming in April 2021, along with the forthcoming short story collection Even Greater Mistakes. Her other books include The City in the Middle of the Night and All the Birds in the Sky. Her fiction and journalism have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney's, Mother Jones, the Boston Review, Tor.com, Tin House, Conjunctions, Wired Magazine, and other places. Oginalii is comprised of Emma Hoeflinger, Ryan Quarles, Simon Knudtson, and Emma Lambiase. Together, they create a sound that can’t be pinned down; sludgy-psyche-rock meets technical talent that surpasses initial expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Greenberg reads an excerpt from his book "Sandworm", with an original Storybound remix featuring Locator. Andy Greenberg is a senior writer for WIRED, covering security, privacy, and information freedom. He’s the author of the book Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers. The book and excerpts from it published in WIRED won a Gerald Loeb Award for International Reporting, a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Cornelius Ryan Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club. Locator is the solo project of cellist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Frankhuizen. By putting the cello in the driver seat melodically, texturally, and emotionally, Locator cuts out a unique path between contemporary classical and electronic minimalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madhuri Vijay reads an excerpt from her novel "The Far Field", featuring French Cassettes. Madhuri Vijay was born and raised in Bangalore. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Non-Required Reading, Narrative Magazine, and Elle India, among many other publications. The Far Field is her first book, and won the second JCB Prize for Literature, India’s most prestigious literary award. French Cassettes are a harmony driven power pop rock quartet out of the Bay Area. Their new album, Rolodex, is just out and can be found at fullfrenchy.com. This episode samples their song, Utah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Junot Díaz reads his short story "Aurora", featuring Y La Bamba. Junot Díaz was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Drown; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and This Is How You Lose Her, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist. He is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, PEN/Malamud Award, Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, and PEN/O. Henry Award. A graduate of Rutgers College, Díaz is currently the fiction editor at Boston Review and the Rudge and Nancy Allen Professor of Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the cofounder of Voices of Our Nation Workshop. Y La Bamba has been many things, but at the heart of it is singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza’s inquisitive sense of self. Their fifth record, Mujeres, carries on the Portland-based band’s affinity for spiritual contemplation, but goes a step further in telling a story with a full emotional spectrum. Coming off Ojos Del Sol, one of NPR’s Top 50 Albums of 2016, Mujeres exhibits the scope of Mendoza’s artistic voice like never before. “Soy como soy,” Mendoza says, and that declaration is the bold— even political— statement that positions Mujeres to be Y La Bamba’s most unbridled offering yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storybound is a radio theater program designed for the podcast age. Hosted by Jude Brewer and with original music composed for each episode, the podcast features the voices of today’s top literary icons reading their essays, poems, and fiction. Season 3 will begin publishing next Tuesday, December 8th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruth Reichl reads a selection of Letters to the Editor from Thanksgiving issues of Gourmet Magazine, with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. Ruth Reichl was Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine from 1999 to 2009. Before that she was the restaurant critic of both The New York Times (1993-1999) and the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993), where she was also named food editor. As co-owner of The Swallow Restaurant from 1974 to 1977, she played a part in the culinary revolution that took place in Berkeley, California. In the years that followed, she served as restaurant critic for New West and California magazines. She has authored the critically acclaimed, best-selling memoirs Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires, and For You Mom, Finally, which have been translated into 18 languages. In 2014 she published her first novel: Delicious! Ms. Reichl has been honored with 6 James Beard Awards. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Danler reads a second excerpt from her memoir "Stray" (the first can be found here) with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. Stephanie Danler is a novelist, memoirist, and screenwriter. Her memoir, Stray, was just published by Knopf on May 5, 2020. She is the author of the international bestseller, Sweetbitter, and the creator and executive producer of the Sweetbitter series on Starz. Her work has appeared in the Sewanee Review, Vogue, The New York Times Book Review, and The Paris Review Daily. Her nonfiction received an Honorable Mention in Best American Essays 2018, and her criticism won the 2019 Robert B. Heilman award from the Sewanee Review. She is based in Los Angeles, California. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Klay reads an excerpt from his forthcoming novel "Missionaries," with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. Phil Klay is a veteran of the US Marine Corps. His short story collection Redeployment won the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. He currently teaches fiction at Fairfield University. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yaa Gyasi reads an excerpt from her novel "Transcendent Kingdom," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Tim Karplus. Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. Her debut novel, Homegoing, was awarded the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for best first book, the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first book of fiction, the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” honors for 2016, and the American Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast. This episode is brought to you by: W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback. Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook. Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy. Since you're listening to Storybound, you might enjoy reading, writing, and storytelling. We'd like to suggest you also try the History of Literature or Book Dreams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Stern reads an excerpt from her memoir "Little Panic," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Hayley Lynn. Amanda Stern is the host of the Bookable podcast and the founder of the popular literary event series Happy Ending at Joe’s Pub in New York City, Stern is also a writer. Happy Ending ran for more than a decade and was selected as New York’s best book-related series by New York Magazine, The Village Voice and NY Press. The New York Times Magazine singled out Stern as a force keeping “downtown New York alive.” With a voice that silences every crowd and lyrics that cut you in two, Hayley Lynn has gained momentum as one of Portland's top singer-songwriters. Hayley's sound echoes the work of Ani Difranco with the bite and grit of Elle King and Fiona Apple. She's written over 200 songs and released her first debut EP 'Hypnotize' in 2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan Angelo reads an excerpt from "Followers," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Tim Karplus. Megan Angelo has written about television, film, women and pop culture, and motherhood for publications including The New York Times (where she helped launch city comedy coverage), Glamour (where she was a contributing editor and wrote a column on women and television), Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, and Slate. She is a native of Quakertown, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Villanova University. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her family. FOLLOWERS is her first novel. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Garth Greenwell reads an excerpt from "Cleanness," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Ryan Dann of Holland Patent Public Library. Garth Greenwell is the author of What Belongs to You, which won the British Book Award for Debut of the Year, was longlisted for the National Book Award, and was a finalist for several other prizes, including the PEN/Faulkner Award and the LA Times Book Prize. His new book of fiction, Cleanness, was published in January and has been named a Best Book of 2020 so far by Time, Esquire, Entertainment Weekly, and the BBC. A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, he lives in Iowa City. Ryan Dann is a sound designer and composer based in Brooklyn, New York. His resume ranges from festival circuit short films like The Music Lesson to composing all the original music for Joe Pera Talks With You, a comedy on Adult Swim, and producing podcasts through the Podglomerate network. He recently won the Brave+Bold Award at the Sarah Awards and has been in the process of pitching an original audio drama to Audible. Sandwiched in between these projects, he’s been working on a second album for his personal music project, Holland Patent Public Library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chloe Caldwell reads her essay "The Opposite of Light," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Tony Kieraldo. Chloe Caldwell is the author of three books: novella Women and essay collections I'll Tell You in Person and Legs Get Led Astray. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Vice, Salon, New York Magazine, Nylon, and half a dozen anthologies including Goodbye To All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NYC. Her essay "Hungry Ghost" was named notable in Best American Nonrequired Reading 2017. Her memoir, The Red Zone, will publish Spring 2022 from Soft Skull. She lives in Hudson, N.Y. and teaches personal essay and creative nonfiction online at Catapult. Tony Kieraldo is an international recording artist, pianist, musical director and composer. He’s currently a pianist with Postmodern Jukebox, musical director for the National Dance Institute in NYC and Celebrate the Beat in Colorado. He's performed twice for the Obama's at the White House, conducted a critically acclaimed opera and has toured North America, South America and Europe with various musical groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sopan Deb reads an excerpt from "Missed Translations," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Jordan Holloman. Sopan Deb is a basketball writer and a contributor to the culture section for The New York Times. Before joining The Times, he covered Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign for CBS News. He is also a New York-city based comedian. He is the author of the memoir "Missed Translations: Meeting The Immigrant Parents Who Raised Me." Jordan Holloman, musician and independent producer, hails from Salt Lake City, UT, where he lives with his wife, dogs, and child-to-be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lauren Groff reads her short story "Flower Hunters" from her short story collection Florida, with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Naomi LaViolette. Lauren Groff is the author of five books. Her latest, Florida, a story collection, and Fates and Furies, a novel, were both finalists for the National Book Award. She was a Guggenheim Fellow and was named one of Granta‘s Best of Young American Novelists. She lives in Gainesville, Florida. Naomi LaViolette’s original music has received great reviews and critical acclaim from media including Oregon Music News, The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, Willamette Week, The Inessa Blog, KATU’s AM Northwest, KINK.fm, and KMHD.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tommy Orange reads his short story "Copperopolis" with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Ryan Dann of Holland Patent Public Library. Tommy Orange is faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts MFA program. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He was born and raised in Oakland, California, and currently lives in Angels Camp, California. He’s the author of There There, which was one of the finalists for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize, a winner of the American Book Awards, was named one of the ten best books of 2018 by the New York Times Book Review, won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and was named one of the best books of the year by the The Washington Post, NPR, Time, O, The Oprah Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Entertainment Weekly, The Boston Globe, GQ, The Dallas Morning News, Buzzfeed, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews. Ryan Dann is a sound designer and composer based in Brooklyn, New York. His resume ranges from festival circuit short films like The Music Lesson to composing all the original music for Joe Pera Talks With You, a comedy on Adult Swim, and producing podcasts through the Podglomerate network. He recently won the Brave+Bold Award at the Sarah Awards and has been in the process of pitching an original audio drama to Audible. Sandwiched in between these projects, he’s been working on a second album for his personal music project, Holland Patent Public Library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Danler reads an excerpt from her memoir "Stray" with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Naomi LaViolette. Stephanie Danler is a novelist, memoirist, and screenwriter. Her memoir, Stray, was just published by Knopf on May 5, 2020. She is the author of the international bestseller, Sweetbitter, and the creator and executive producer of the Sweetbitter series on Starz. Her work has appeared in the Sewanee Review, Vogue, The New York Times Book Review, and The Paris Review Daily. Her nonfiction received an Honorable Mention in Best American Essays 2018, and her criticism won the 2019 Robert B. Heilman award from the Sewanee Review. She is based in Los Angeles, California. Naomi LaViolette’s original music has received great reviews and critical acclaim from media including Oregon Music News, The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, Willamette Week, The Inessa Blog, KATU’s AM Northwest, KINK.fm, and KMHD.fm. She is praised for her songwriting and balanced combination of chops and lyricism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten new stories, one new season. Storybound is a radio theater program designed for the podcast age. Hosted by Jude Brewer and with original music composed for each episode, the podcast features the voices of today’s top literary icons reading their essays, poems, and fiction. Season 2 will begin publishing next Tuesday, July 14th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mitchell S. Jackson reads an excerpt from his memoir "Survival Math" with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Zane featuring Stephanie Strange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Doughty reads an excerpt from her novel "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?" with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Stephanie Strange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diksha Basu reads an excerpt from her novel "The Windfall" with sound design by Jude Brewer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan Hill reads an excerpt from his novel "The Nix" with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Tim Karplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adelle Waldman reads an excerpt from her novel "The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Haley Johnsen and Tim Karplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Rhysider reads his story "The Old Church of St. Louis" with original composition from Shane Brown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim Barnes reads an excerpt from her memoir "Hungry for the World," with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Pretty Gritty and Bryan Daste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Gallagher reads his short story "Know Your Enemy: Celebrating 50 Years of the Forever War" from the 2016 fiction issue from Wired magazine, with sound design by Jude Brewer and music composition from Colin Hogan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lidia Yuknavitch reads her powerful short story “Street Walker," from her upcoming collection Verge, with sound design and music composition from Whiston & Warmack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mitch Albom reads an excerpt from his new book Finding Chika. Musical compositions by Maiah Wynne & Aliephant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storybound is a radio theater program designed for the podcast age. Hosted by Jude Brewer and with original music composed for each episode, the podcast features the voices of today’s top literary icons reading their essays, poems, and fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices