Épisodes

  • Renegade Grief with Carla Fernandez

    Renegade Grief with Carla Fernandez
    Sep 23 2025
    Carla Fernandez is an impact strategist, facilitator and writer exploring how circles of people come together for change when a new status quo is needed. And she’s the author of Renegade Grief, a resource for people at any stage of the grieving process. In this episode, Annmarie and Carla talk about rituals and support networks to help us understand that there is no “getting over” the loss of a loved one but rather grief can be a pathway into our own version of a soulful life. Episode Sponsors: Blue Willow Bookshop – A locally-owned, independently-minded West Houston bookstore. Blue Willow is run by a team of opinionated, well-read women. Our staff meetings are full of laughter, our back room is full of snacks, and we absolutely love putting the right book into a reader’s hands. We’ve got recommendations. We’ve got pizzazz. And we look forward to welcoming you to our happy place. Stop in or shop online at bluewillow bookshop.com. Oblong Books – Independently owned and operated bookstores in the Hudson Valley. Since 1975, Oblong has featured a carefully curated collection of books in all genres. Find your next great read and shop online at oblongbooks.com. Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Renegade Grief: A Guide to the Wild Ride of Life After Loss, by Carla Fernandez The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us, by Ruthie Ackerman Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age, by Amanda Hess All the Mothers: A Novel, by Domenica Ruta For more information about The Dinner Party, click here. Here is the preview for the film Chocolat. Follow Carla Fernandez: Instagram: @carlitafernandez LinkedIn: @carlafernandez Substack: @carlafernandez www.carlafernandez.co **Writing Workshops: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. Or if you’re in Northeastern Ohio and looking for an in-person class to jumpstart your writing, you can find that here. Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 min
  • In Defense of Dabbling with Karen Walrond

    In Defense of Dabbling with Karen Walrond
    Sep 9 2025
    Karen Walrond is an award-winning author, speaker, and leadership coach. And she’s on a mission to create a kindness revolution. She’s the author of The Lightmaker’s Manifesto and Radiant Rebellion, and she’s out now with a new book, In Defense of Dabbling, in which she urges all of us to stress less and play more. In this episode, Karen and Annmarie talk about cultivating curiosity, self-compassion, and even failure in order to do the things we love– even if we’re not any good at them. Episode Sponsors: Blue Willow Bookshop – A locally-owned, independently-minded West Houston bookstore. Blue Willow is run by a team of opinionated, well-read women. Our staff meetings are full of laughter, our back room is full of snacks, and we absolutely love putting the right book into a reader’s hands. We’ve got recommendations. We’ve got pizzazz. And we look forward to welcoming you to our happy place. Stop in or shop online at bluewillow bookshop.com. Lit Youngstown – A literary community proud to support beginning and experienced writers who seek to hone their craft, foster understanding, and share and publish their creative work. Read, write, and tell your story at lityoungstown.org. Books by Karen Walrond: In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change Without Losing Your Joy The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit And here’s our previous conversation with Karen about Radiant Rebellion. Follow Karen Walrond: Instagram: @heychookooloonks Facebook: @chookooloonks Substack: Karen Walrond www.chookooloonks.com **Writing Workshops: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. Or if you’re looking for an online class to jumpstart your memoir, you can find that here. Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 min
  • Sacramento Noir with Maureen O’Leary and Naomi Williams

    Sacramento Noir with Maureen O’Leary and Naomi Williams
    Aug 26 2025
    Maureen O’Leary and Naomi J. Williams are California authors who join us to discuss their inclusion in Sacramento Noir, an anthology showcasing the gilded splendor and, as editor John Freeman puts it, the “not-at-all-buried contradictions” of that historic state capital. In today’s episode, Naomi, Maureen, and Annmarie talk about the erasure of a Japanese-American neighborhood, the powerful sway of mean girls, and what we can learn from the dark stories our cities hide in plain sight. Episode Sponsors: Pegasus Books – With shops in Berkeley and Oakland, Pegasus bookstores are welcoming and inclusive neighborhood spaces, where we believe in the printed word and in the alchemy of sharing books with one another. Find a huge selection of new, used and sale titles in our stores or shop online at PegasusBookstore.com. Green Apple Books– We’ve been connecting curious San Francisco readers to great books since 1967. Browsing at Green Apple is a unique experience. From our handmade signs and book recommendations to the many nooks and crannies, you can both get lost in here and find serendipity. Our friendly, well-read employees also stand ready to help you in any way. For your next great read, stop by or go to greenapplebooks.com Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Sacramento Noir, edited by John Freeman Landfalls, by Naomi J. Williams Physics of Weight: Collected Poems, by Maureen O’Leary Time’s Mouth, by Edan Lepucki Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters The Heart of It All, by Christian Kiefer (You can listen to our WPL conversation with Christian here.) Here’s the opening for The Brady Bunch. What do you think – terrifying or not? Here’s the trailer for the noir film Notorious with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Follow Maureen O'Leary: Instagram: @maureenow Twitter/X: @maureenow Bluesky: @maureenow.bsky.social‬ maureen-oleary.com Follow Naomi J. Williams: Instagram: @naomijwilliams Twitter/X: @NaomiWilliams Bluesky: @naomijwilliams.bsky.social‬ naomijwilliams.com **Writing Workshops: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. Or if you’re looking for an online class to jumpstart your memoir, you can find that here. Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Photo Credits: Jesse Egner for Naomi Williams Aaron Cameron for Maureen O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 6 min
  • The Grand Paloma Resort with Cleyvis Natera

    The Grand Paloma Resort with Cleyvis Natera
    Aug 12 2025
    Cleyvis Natera is a novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic, whose debut novel, Neruda on the Park, was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and awarded a Silver Medal by the International Latino Book Awards. Her second book, The Grand Paloma Resort, is out now. In today’s episode, Cleyvis and Annmarie discuss the often long and winding road to literary publication, marathons versus triathlons, and the high cost of luxury travel both on and off the resort. Episode Sponsors: McNally Jackson – Independent booksellers with locations in Nolita, Williamsburg, Seaport, Rockefeller, and Downtown Brooklyn. To find your next great read, drop by or shop online at www.mcnallyjackson.com Books Are Magic – A family-owned independent bookstore in Brooklyn, committed to being a welcoming, friendly, and inclusive space for all people. We believe that books are indeed magic and that literature is one of the best ways to create empathy, transportation, and transformation. Stop by or shop online at booksaremagic.net. Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Neruda on the Park, by Cleyvis Natera The Grand Paloma Resort, by Cleyvis Natera The Farming of Bones, by Edwidge Danticat In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, by Angie Cruz (You can listen to our WPL conversation with Angie here.) Here’s the trailer for the Netflix series Envidiosa. Follow Cleyvis Natera: Instagram: @cleyvisnatera Twitter/X: @cleyvisnatera Bluesky: @cleyvisnatera.bsky.social‬ cleyvisnatera.com **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing abroad, consider joining Annmarie for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We’d love to help you make your wishes come true. This will sell out. Act now and join us! Or if you’re looking for an online class to jumpstart your memoir, you can find that here. Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 4 min
  • True Home with Janet Clare

    True Home with Janet Clare
    Jul 29 2025
    Janet Clare is a former apparel designer-turned-writer whose first novel, Time Is the Longest Distance, was published in 2018, and now, nearly seven years later, her second, True Home is making its debut. Janet worked on True Home during the difficult days of her husband’s illness. And in her words, his “humor and supreme focus on living every moment” taught her how to press on and do the same. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Janet talk about coming-of-age stories, author blurbs, and how writing can be a powerful antidote in the face of grief and loss. Episode Sponsors: Book Soup – Known for our floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, high-profile author readings, limited-edition books, vinyl records, and celebrity clientele, Book Soup is an essential stop on any tour of Los Angeles. Find your next great read and shop online at booksoup.com. Village Well Books & Coffee – A community-focused & impact-driven bookstore-café in the heart of Downtown Culver City, California. Village Well is a third place where we go for rest and nourishment between home and work. A place where neighbors have surprise encounters and people who might otherwise feel lonely at home can be surrounded by the comfort of lively, friendly human interaction. Stop by to eat, read, connect, learn about our community and our world, and be inspired, healed, accepted and loved. Or find us online at villagewell.com. Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Time Is the Longest Distance, by Janet Clare True Home, by Janet Clare James, by Percival Everett Kitchens of the Great Midwest, by J. Ryan Stradal The Snowbirds, by Christina Clancy The Heart of Winter, by Jonathan Evison On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous AND The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong Here’s the trailer for the 1973 film, The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford.  Follow Janet Clare: Facebook: @janet clare Instagram: @janetclare1 Bluesky: @janetclare.bsky.social‬ janetclarewriter.com **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing abroad, consider joining Annmarie for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We’d love to help you make your wishes come true. This will sell out. Act now and join us! Or if you’re looking for an online class to jumpstart your memoir, you can find that here. Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 min
  • The Art Spy with Michelle Young

    The Art Spy with Michelle Young
    Jul 15 2025
    Michelle Young is an award-winning writer and journalist, and the author of the narrative non-fiction book The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland, which is longlisted for the 2025 American Library in Paris Book Award. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Michelle talk about Rose Valland, an unsung hero of the French war effort, and how an unlikely heroine infiltrated the Nazi leadership to save the world’s most treasured masterpieces. Episode Sponsors: McNally Jackson – Independent booksellers with locations in Nolita, Williamsburg, Seaport, Rockefeller, and Downtown Brooklyn. To find your next great read, drop by or shop online at www.mcnallyjackson.com Bluestockings – A collectively-run NYC activist center, community space and feminist bookstore that offers mutual aid, harm reduction support, non-judgemental resources, and a warming/cooling place that is radically inclusive of all genders, cultures, expansive sexualities and identities. Bluestockings seeks to empower all people to challenge oppression and participate in creating a society which is equitable, cooperative, and free, and we strive to empower our worker-owners through non-hierarchy, cooperation, and consensus-based decision making, providing an example of the society we are working toward. Stop by or shop online at bluestockings.com. Titles Mentioned in This Episode: The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland, by Michelle Young The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage that Made an American Icon, by Laurie Gwen Shapiro, the aviator and the showman Here’s the trailer for the 1964 film, The Train, starring Burt Lancaster. Follow Michelle Young: Instagram: @michelleyoungwriter Threads: @michelleyoungwriter Twitter/X: @michelleyoungny Bluesky: @‪michelleyoung.bsky.social michelleyoungwriter.com **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing abroad, consider joining Annmarie for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We’d love to help you make your wishes come true. This will sell out. Act now and join us! Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 6 min
  • The Husbands with Holly Gramazio

    The Husbands with Holly Gramazio
    Jul 1 2025
    Holly Gramazio is a writer, game designer and curator. She founded the experimental games festival Now Play This, wrote the script for the award-winning indie videogame Dicey Dungeons, and her debut novel, The Husbands, is out now in paperback. In today’s episode, Annmarie and Holly talk about attics, games, husbands, online dating apps, and how art can help people to interact with their surroundings in new ways. Episode Sponsors: Another Story Bookshop – Located in the West end of Toronto, Another Story Bookshop sells a broad range of literature for children, young adults, and adults with a focus on themes of social justice, equity, and diversity. We are a proudly independent bookstore with 30 years of history and a commitment to providing quality customer service. Stop by or shop online at anotherstory.ca. Blue Heron Books – The unpretentious atmosphere of Blue Heron with its comfy chairs, wood shelving, and creaky floors lends itself to long, slow, browsing sessions. However, under that sleepy atmosphere vibrates a strong pulse. In its storied, thirty-plus-year history, Blue Heron Books has played host to and continues to showcase a veritable who’s who of the world’s literary community. Two-time winner of The Libris Award (Best Bookstore in Canada), Blue Heron is a hub for the community and a bastion of friendly chaos where everyone is welcome. Stop by or shop online at blueheronbooks.com. Titles Mentioned in This Episode: The Husbands, by Holly Gramazio Dicey Dungeons Art Deck, created by Sophie Sampson and Holly Gramazio Greta & Valdin, by Rebecca K. Reilly Memento Mori, by Eunice Hong Glorious Exploits, by Ferdia Lennon Follow Holly Gramazio: Instagram: @holly_gramazio Bluesky: ‪@hollygramazio.bsky.social‬ hollygramazio.net Photo credit: Diana Patient **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing abroad, consider joining Annmarie for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We’d love to help you make your wishes come true. This will sell out. Act now and join us! Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 1 min
  • Detective Aunty with Uzma Jalaluddin

    Detective Aunty with Uzma Jalaluddin
    Jun 17 2025
    Uzma Jalaluddin is a critically acclaimed and bestselling novelist, playwright, public speaker and teacher. She writes authentic, nuanced and entertaining stories about Muslims, South Asians, and Canadians and is the author of DETECTIVE AUNTY, MUCH ADO ABOUT NADA, THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING, HANA KHAN CARRIES ON, and AYESHA AT LAST, as well as her first play, THE RISHTA. Her novels have been optioned for film and television by Amazon Studios and Mindy Kaling. In today’s episode, Annmarie welcomes Uzma back to talk about how to write a mystery, how to revise a book, and how to walk in the direction of your wildest dreams. Episode Sponsors: Another Story Bookshop – Located in the West end of Toronto, Another Story Bookshop sells a broad range of literature for children, young adults, and adults with a focus on themes of social justice, equity, and diversity. We are a proudly independent bookstore with 30 years of history and a commitment to providing quality customer service. Stop by or shop online at anotherstory.ca. Blue Heron Books – The unpretentious atmosphere of Blue Heron with its comfy chairs, wood shelving, and creaky floors lends itself to long, slow, browsing sessions. However, under that sleepy atmosphere vibrates a strong pulse. In its storied, thirty-plus-year history, Blue Heron Books has played host to and continues to showcase a veritable who’s who of the world’s literary community. Two-time winner of The Libris Award (Best Bookstore in Canada), Blue Heron is a hub for the community and a bastion of friendly chaos where everyone is welcome. Stop by or shop online at blueheronbooks.com. Books by Uzma Jalaluddin: DETECTIVE AUNTY MUCH ADO ABOUT NADA THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING, co-authored with Marissa Stapley HANA KHAN CARRIES ON AYESHA AT LAST Other Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Blood Betrayal, by Ausma Zehanat Khan The Unquiet Dead, by Ausma Zehanat Khan Here’s a trailer for The Good Place. Follow Uzma Jalauddin: Instagram: @uzmajalaluddin Twitter: @UzmaWrites Facebook: @UzmaJalaluddinAuthor Substack: @uzmajalaluddin uzmajalaluddin.com **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing abroad, consider joining Annmarie and co-leader Athena Dixon for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We’d love to help you make your wishes come true. This will sell out. Act now and join us! Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 min