Reading Joan Didion’s Holy Water – Stillness, Beauty, and the Art of Noticing

Ernest Hemingway: The Art of the Short Story

In this episode of Backspace: Essays on Everything, host Michelle Kennedy dives into Ernest Hemingway’s timeless essay The Art of the Short Story—a behind-the-scenes look at how Papa approached storytelling, discipline, and emotional restraint on the page. What can modern writers learn from his brutal clarity and iceberg theory?  Why does so much of what he doesn’t say still cut to the bone? Tune in as Michelle unpacks Hemingway’s six rules for writing, reflects on their relevance today, and explores how the short story remains a radical form of art in an attention-deficit world. Whether you're a writer, a lit nerd, or just Hemingway-curious, this episode is a love letter to craft, clarity, and the quiet revolution of the short form.  📚 Mentioned in the episode: * The Art of the Short Story by Ernest Hemingway * The iceberg theory * Hemingway’s writing habits and discipline * Michelle’s favorite short stories (and why they still work) 🔗 Subscribe for more literary deep dives, personal essays, and reflections on writing and life.  #Hemingway #ShortStories #WritingTips #Podcast #Literature #BackspacePodcast #MichelleKennedy Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Reading Joan Didion’s Holy Water – Stillness, Beauty, and the Art of Noticing

In this episode of Backspace: Essays on Everything, writer and narrator Michelle Kennedy reads Joan Didion’s luminous essay Holy Water, a meditation on infrastructure, awe, and the strange poetry of control. Michelle also shares her personal reflections on Didion’s work, the beauty of paying attention, and what it means to slow down in a world that rarely allows it. If you love literary essays, quiet revelations, or simply the power of a well-read voice, this episode is for you. 🔸 Holy Water originally appeared in Didion’s 1992 essay collection, After Henry 🔸 Narrated and discussed by Michelle Kennedy, author of Without a Net 🔸 Subscribe for more literary readings, personal essays, and conversations about writing, voice, and meaning 💻 Learn more at https://mishkennedy.com [https://mishkennedy.com] 🎧 Subscribe & share wherever you listen to podcasts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Slow. The. Fuck. Down.

Slow the fuck down. This is my movement. Slow the fuck down. I have to tell myself this now. Mostly because I just don’t have the physical energy to keep up with my brain now, in my 50’s. But I used to. And I exhausted myself more than once doing it. Slow the fuck down. The only thing I can still do as fast as my brain wants it to is type. I can get frantic. I have been frantic. Many times. Or I’ve felt it but you didn’t see it because I am so good at hiding my freneticism. Sometimes I feel it. Like my body wants to be frantic - and I have no reason to be. For many years, my life was frantic whether I wanted it to be that way or not. With eight kids total and usually 4 or 5 or 6 underfoot at any given time, I am used to being busy. Read the rest here! [https://michellelouisekennedy.medium.com/slow-the-fuck-down-01e54df4b2e5] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Against Nature by Joyce Carol Oates

This is a delightful essay in that the author is not at all delighted by nature - at least not here. This essay wholly embraces not nature writing. And it is a study of nature and how we think of it. Humanly. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Mark Twain: Taming the Bicycle

In this conversation, Michelle Kennedy explores Mark Twain's essay 'Taming the Bicycle,' reflecting on the humorous yet profound journey of learning to ride a bicycle. She discusses the anxieties and challenges faced during the learning process, the importance of guidance, and the broader implications of learning and personal growth. The conversation intertwines themes of writing, authenticity, and the evolution of machines in our lives, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of mastery and experience. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/backspace-essays-on-everything-with-michelle-kennedy--6186916/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].