Blog
Episode 60: Susan Allott
Author Susan Allot went to Australia for a boy, got homesick, came back to Britain, married an Australian...and then more than a decade later she wrote her book about a British woman who returns to Sydney. But, as you'll find out, that's not what she or her book The Silence is REALLY about.
Read More ›Episode 59: Hosho McCreesh
Saddle up to the bar, y'all as author Hosho McCreesh and Brad talk about the world of DIY writing, publishing, and drinking. You're going to want to leave the top of the bottle for this one. Oh, and make sure you check out A Deep and Gorgeous Thirst.
Read More ›Episode 58: Andrew Altschul
Author Andrew Altschul stopped by to talk about his latest book, The Gringa. In between their shared love of dogs and the outdoors, you can sidle on up to the bar for an insider conversation on what it means to be a writer.
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This Could Be Important, My Conversation with Pamela McCorduck
In 2019, the ETC Press published Pamela McCorduck's book, THIS COULD BE IMPORTANT. Here, I'm releasing clips of our conversation about her life as one of the early science + technology writers.
Read More ›Episode 57: Dr. Hilary Green
Brad and author Dr. Hilary Green talk the importance of oral culture and the difficulty of tracking down those shared stories. The driving force of that discussion, Hilary's book, Educational Reconstruction, which grew out of her research into the stories and data that history texts have forgotten.
Read More ›Episode 56: Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky
This is one of those podcasts where you're going to learn a thing or two! Historian Lindsay Chervinsky stopped by the Jam to discuss her book, THE CABINET. More than once, Brad found himself saying "I had no idea that's how this whole thing worked." You will, too. But, it wasn't all work.
Read More ›Episode 55: Michael Seese
Author Michael Seese wrote The Extraordinary eTab Of Julian Newcombe tapping the story on his phone while his young son was at football practice. The only unexpected consequence: now he has two more books to write because the other children are waiting for their stories!
Read More ›Episode 54: Louise Fein
Novelist Louise Fine stopped by to talk about her book, Daughter of the Reich in the U.S, her family's escape from Germany in the thirties, her rediscovering a history she didn’t know, and staking claim to a voice about a place—and a culture—to which she is forever connected.
Read More ›Episode 53: Trevor Wood
Trevor Wood takes us on a journey that weaved through his time in the Royal Navy, then to becoming a playwright, and on to writing his first novel, The Man on the Street. So, buckle up and pour a strong drink for this one.
Read More ›Episode 52: Tommy Jenkins
Author Tommy Jenkins stopped by the Jam to talk about his new graphic novel, Drawing the Vote, living in Appalachia, and the learning curve both he and I went through in terms of understanding race and class in America. Oh, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Read More ›Episode 51: Samantha M. Bailey
uthor Samantha M. Bailey stopped by the show to talk about her debut thriller, Woman on the Edge. But her road to publication was neither smooth nor fast. But the journey proved worthwhile. As did the unexpected turns she took along her way.
Read More ›Episode 50: Sara Sligar
Happy to celebrate Episode 50 with author Sara Sligar, who stopped by to talk about her debate novel, Take Me Apart. Plus, writer angst and wandering.
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Book Club & Happy Hour with Janelle Brown
New York Times best selling author Janelle Brown’s fourth book, Pretty Things, is out April 21. That’s all well and good, […]
Read More ›Episode 49: Janelle Brown
I've been wanting Janelle on the program for some time, but the release of her fourth book, Pretty Things, felt like the right time. But before she was a best selling novelist, she was one of the most important voices in technology journalism.
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The Downtown Writers Jam Podcast: Author Update
From deep within The Downtown Writers Jam podcast bunker, we've been pressing forward with Season 4: The Pandemic Edition. But, I've also reached out to guests who've appeared on the program in the past to find out what they've been up to in the last few years.
Read More ›Episode 48: Katie Orphan
Author and book consultant Katie Orphan stopped by the Jam to talk about her book Read Me, Los Angeles: Exploring L.A.'s Book Culture. We took a deep into how Katie’s life lad her to curating books for a living and writing about experiencing the world through the eyes of literary figures and their haunts.
Read More ›Episode 47: Sarah Frier
Bloomberg reporter Sarah Frier stopped by the Jam to discuss her book, No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. But, we also got into her illustrious college journalism career, and the work it takes to cover technology these days.
Read More ›Episode 46: Mindy Mejia
Crime novelist Mindy Mejia stopped by the Jam to talk about her fourth novel, Strike Me Down. Along the way we talked about growing up around science and engineers, life in Minnesota, her two bachelor's degrees (including her C.P.A. certification!), and how she's built her own cottage industry and fan base.
Read More ›Episode 45: Hayley Doyle
Hayley Doyle is an actress, singer, teacher, and writer with a fully-developed sense of adventure. She stopped by the Jam to talk about her debut novel Never Saw You Coming and the long, creative journey that took her from Liverpool to Dubai and then to London.
Read More ›Episode 44: Elisa Batista
My old Wired.com colleague stopped by the Jam to talk about her mom blog, her life as a political activist with MomsRising, and her new book, ¡Presente! Latinx Power Remaking U.S. Democracy. Oh, and we spent a good deal of time talking about hillbillies and neighborhoods, both Appalachian and Cuban!
Read More ›Episode 43: Jen Sullivan Brych
Jen Sullivan Brych visited the Jam to talk about the dotcom era, her winding road to a writing career, and her first novel, which she's currently shopping. Definitely the best, nerdiest deep dive into the world of writing yet!
Read More ›Episode 42: Kristen Philipkoski
My old Wired.com colleague Kristen "KP" Philipkoski dropped by The Downtown Writers Jam to talk about her new venture, Mean Magazine, a feminist magazine for GenX women.
Read More ›Episode 41: Erik Deckers
Writer and author Erik Deckers stops by the Jam to talk about humor writing, his first novel, the grind, and his writer-in-residence at the Jack Kerouac House.
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Review: Elizabeth Wurtzel, Our #GenX Writer
Elizabeth Wurtzel's books helped explain and then define—as much as anyone could—who GenX was in the nineties.
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