SSBC Podcast: Dima Alzayat

SSBC Podcast: Dima Alzayat

[https://i0.wp.com/shortstorybookclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/dima-alzayat-website-image.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1] [https://shortstorybookclub.com/ssbc-podcast-dima-alzayat/]Dima Alzayat was born in Damascus, Syria, grew up in San Jose, California, and now lives in Manchester. She talks with us in this episode about the title story of her debut collection of short stories called Alligator and Other Stories. In “Alligator,” Alzayat tackles race and the police through an intricate collection of media. Put together, they tell the story of an immigrant family in Florida whose lives are changed forever when the mother is murdered by a police officer and the father swept out of jail by a mob on the hunt for blood. Alzayat’s retelling of this series of events–part true and part fiction–gives commentary to race relations in America from times past and today. Her timely narrative gives the world pause. How far has America come with its race relations? How far has our faith in the police been shaken? Without judgement, Alzayat makes space to consider these and other questions. Alzayat is a notable writer of the twenty-first century. She was the winner of the 2019 Society of Authors’ ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, a 2018 Northern Writers’ Award, the 2017 Bristol Short Story Prize, and the 2015 Bernice Slote Award, runner-up in the 2018 Deborah Rogers Award and the 2018 Zoetrope: All-Story Competition, and was Highly Commended in the 2013 Bridport Prize. Her stories have appeared in Esquire, the Bristol Short Story Award Anthology, Prairie Schooner, Enizagam, and the Bridport Prize Anthology. Her story “In the Land of Kan’an” was included in artist Jenny Holzer’s projection For Aarhus and was part of Holzer’s 2017 exhibition For North Adams at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Her articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Flaunt, The Skinny, and Variety Arabia. Alligator and Other Stories was published by Picador and Two Dollar Radio. BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR E-MAIL LIST TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST REVIEWS!

SSBC Podcast: Lynn Thorne

lynne thorne who am i if you're not you [https://i0.wp.com/shortstorybookclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/lynn-thorne-ssbc-website-post-image.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1] [https://shortstorybookclub.com/ssbc-podcast-lynn-thorne/]On today’s episode, we chat with Lynn Thorne, author of Who Am I If You’re Not You? The book chronicles the all-true story of unconditional love between Jennifer and Marc, a couple whose marriage would seem certain to fail because of its unusual nature. But as Thorne shows in this powerful book, true love can survive almost any tide. In this interview, Lynn reveals how she learned about the couple and why she became so passionate about their story that she had to put it on paper. And she answers readers’ burning questions about the book, including the backstory behind Marc’s dramatic gender transformation, Jennifer’s triumph over anorexia, and the sacrifices the couple made to keep their marriage together. Thorne is an award-winning writer, LGBT ally, and an active blogger on thatswhatlynnsaid.com [http://thatswhatlynnsaid.com]. Learn more about these and other writings at lynnthorne.com [https://lynnthorne.com/]. BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR E-MAIL LIST TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST REVIEWS!

SSBC Podcast: The Golden Age of Writing with Andy Plattner

[https://i0.wp.com/shortstorybookclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Andy-Plattner-Banner.jpg?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1] [https://shortstorybookclub.com/ssbc-podcast-the-golden-age-of-writing-with-andy-plattner/]On this week’s Podcast with Short Story Book Club, we speak with author Andy Plattner. He specializes in fictional stories that capture detail and showcase older characters in a way most writers are not capable of. Andy tells us how he came to be a writer and honed his skills throughout his career. He gives advice on how to become a great writer and offers encouragement in that today is “the golden age” for writers. The podcast talks about how there are so many mediums for writers to get their work out into the world today that it’s impossible not to get noticed if you’re a good writer. Plattner discusses how when he is working on a book, he becomes truly encompassed in the work, and his entire life is engulfed by it. Lastly, we talk about Plattner’s manuscript, “Terminal” from Dixie Luck [https://amzn.to/346nJ6I], and how it really delves into the older generation while depicting a very vivid story. Plattner’s number one piece of advice to writers is that writing is all about details; there is no story without details. See for yourself how Plattner captures even the slightest details in his novels, as well as listen to his advice on this week’s podcast with Short Story Book Club. BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR E-MAIL LIST TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST REVIEWS!

SSBC Podcast: Award-Winning Book Critic Ruth Franklin on her Biography Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life

Ruth Franklin [https://i0.wp.com/shortstorybookclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Ruth-Franklin-Banner.jpg?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1] [https://shortstorybookclub.com/ssbc-podcast-award-winning-book-critic-ruth-franklin-on-her-biography-shirley-jackson-a-rather-haunted-life/]On this week’s podcast of Short Story Book Club, we speak with Author Ruth Franklin. Ruth talks about everything from her award-winning biography Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, her career as a book critic, as well as everything that goes into writing a biography. Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life [https://amzn.to/2Pzqb0b] is a biography you won’t want to miss out on. Having won numerous awards including the New York Times Notable Book of 2016, Time Magazine’s top nonfiction book of 2016, and “best book of 2016” by The Boston Globe, it will not disappoint. This sympathetic biography uncovers Jackson’s secret haunting life and the challenges that women faced in the 1950s. It took Ruth six full years to write this biography, and it deeply encompasses Jackson’s life and career as a writer. In the biography, Franklin keeps readers engaged by painting a picture of Shirley Jackson’s life. Many of us have read The Lottery, written by Jackson, and Franklin’s biography dives into how she wrote the novel in just one morning with little to no mistakes, which is unheard of for most authors. Listen for yourself on the Short Story Book Club Podcast to hear more about Ruth Franklin and her other works. You can also find Ruth Franklin online at http://ruthfranklin.net/author/bio/ [http://ruthfranklin.net/author/bio/] on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ruthfranklin/ [https://www.instagram.com/ruthfranklin/] or Twitter:: https://twitter.com/ruth_franklin?lang=en [https://twitter.com/ruth_franklin?lang=en] BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR E-MAIL LIST TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST REVIEWS!

SSBC Podcast: Sherrie Flick

Sherrie Flick [https://i0.wp.com/shortstorybookclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Untitled-design-2.jpg?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1] [https://shortstorybookclub.com/ssbc-podcast-sherrie-flick/]Thank Your Lucky Stars [https://amzn.to/2LHrrxq] is the latest collection of short stories by author Sherrie Flick. It’s a beautiful collection featuring the stories of women and men who are exquisite perhaps because of their imperfection. You can’t help but feel judgmental one minute and sorry the next for some of these characters. I recall one story: “Sweetie Pie.” It’s a short story about infidelity written with less than 100 words, but it got my husband and I talking for hours. That story is just one small example of how engaging all of Flick’s stories are. Her collection is a treasure trove of experiences and emotion, and it was a pleasure to discuss it with her on the podcast. On the show, we talk with Flick about her short story writing, food writing, and some of the projects she has lined up for the months ahead. You can also learn more about Flick on her website at http://sherrieflick.com/ [http://sherrieflick.com/]. Enjoy the show! BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR E-MAIL LIST TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST REVIEWS!