A Completely Unpretentious Literary Podcast
What is AWA?
Important Stuff
Episode 17: Samuel Park, Plus Willy and Karen Whine About Writing
On episode 17, we welcome Samuel Park, the author of This Burns My Heart, which was chosen as a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews, Amazon, BookPage, and NPR.org. It was also one of ...
Episode 16: J.W. Basilo, Plus Your Brain On Paper Vs. Screen
Our guest, J.W. Basilo, is a guy who never learned how to shut up. He is also a writer, performer, playwright, comedian, musician, and educator from Chicago whose work is equal parts poignant and perverse, hilarious ...
Episode 15 – Amina Gautier, Plus The View From The Slush Pile
Today’s guest, Amina Gautier, is the winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction for her short story collection At-Risk. More than seventy-five of her stories have been published, appearing in Antioch Review, Best African American Fiction, ...
The Best Fundraiser To Ever Fundraise
Got any plans on Saturday, April 27? We do! 826CHI’s Promic-Con 2013: ONE PROM TO RULE THEM ALL! 826CHI is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository ...
Episode 14 – James Finn Garner, Plus James Finn Garner
On this episode, we’re skipping our typical banter (because who cares what Karen thinks?) and giving you an extended interview with satirist James Finn Garner. James had a lot of great insights to share about the ...
Episode 13 – Keith Ecker, Plus The Return of Short Story Collections
Today’s guest is Keith Ecker! Keith is a creator of Essay Fiesta and Guts & Glory, two of Chicago’s most well-known Live Lit events. He has performed his writing throughout Chicago at such shows as ...
Episode 12 – Patricia Ann McNair, Plus Your E-Reader Is Reading You
Today’s guest, Patricia Ann McNair, has lived 98 percent of her life in the Midwest. She’s managed a gas station, sold pots and pans door to door, tended bar and breaded mushrooms, worked on the ...
Episode 11 – Jen Bosworth, Plus Stephen King Un-Publishes His Novel
Jen Bosworth is a performer and writer from Evanston, Illinois. She is currently planning a tour for her one woman show Why Not Me, which had its first run in November-December 2012 at Stage 773 ...
Episode 10 – Randy Richardson, Plus the Return of the Indie Bookstore
Our guest today is attorney and award-winning journalist Randy Richardson. Randy serves as president of the 400-member Chicago Writers Association. His most recent novel, Cheeseland, was chosen as a 2011 Evie Fiction Finalist. His essays ...
Episode 9 – Christine Sneed, Plus Our Writing Resolutions
Our guest today is the very prolific Christine Sneed. Christine’s first book, Portraits of a Few of the People I’ve Made Cry, won AWP’s 2009 Grace Paley Prize, was nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book ...
Episode 8 – Completely Unpretentious Holiday Spectacular!
We’re ditching our usual format today to bring you holiday-themed stories from two of our favorite guests, Shannon Cason and Stephen Markley. Shannon Cason is the Moth Chicago Grandslam Champion. You can find him at ...
Episode 7 – Claire Zulkey, Plus The People Who Actually Read Your Query Letters
Our guest on today’s episode of All Write Already! is Claire Zulkey. Claire is the author of An Off Year, published by Dutton in 2009, selected by Indie Booksellers for the Autumn 2009 Kids’ Indie Next ...