George Saunders on Writing with Fierceness and Compassion

Andrew Holecek on the Power of Darkness to Unleash Creativity

Dr. Andrew Holecek [https://www.andrewholecek.com/] discusses Dark Retreat—a Buddhist practice of spending extended periods in complete darkness—and its transformative effects on creativity, healing, and spiritual insight. Dark Retreat is “big medicine” not to be undertaken lightly. Like any retreat, its power relies on its integration. His new book is:  Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation [https://a.co/d/0exk25cE] Dr. Holecek is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner in Tibetan Buddhism and other nondual wisdom traditions. He is the Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, and a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University. His work involves studies on dream yoga and the practice of dark retreat. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the author of nine books [https://www.andrewholecek.com/andrew-holecek-books/], and a concert pianist. He has completed the Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat and is a frequent subject in scientific studies on meditation and lucid dreaming. His work integrates ancient wisdom traditions with contemporary perspectives, aiming to help individuals navigate spiritual challenges and end-of-life experiences. He is currently writing a book on “gray” retreat—a more gradual approach to dark retreat. He holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery.  Retreat Centers: Sky Cave [ https://www.skycaveretreats.com/] Dark Havens [http://www.darkhavens.org/]  Chamma Ling [https://chammaling.com/]  Menla [https://menla.org/] Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER [https://a.co/d/0MHIVJw] and DAWNLAND [https://a.co/d/2rX0VqV]. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/], and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss], available on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ] and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] Substack: Writers at the Well [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/] Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss] Meditations on Insight Timer [https://insighttimer.com/tesscallahan] Meditations on ...

George Saunders on Writing with Fierceness and Compassion

Novelist Tess Callahan sits down with George Saunders [https://georgesaundersbooks.com/]to discuss his new novel Vigil. Saunders reflects on writing morally complex characters, the balance between empathy and fierceness, and the challenges of inhabiting the consciousness of a character who is in his words "a real stinker." He discusses how revision, attention, and trust in the reader shape his work.  George Saunders [https://georgesaundersbooks.com/] is the author of thirteen books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812985400?tag=randohouseinc47720-20], which won the Man Booker Prize, and five collections of stories, including Tenth of December [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tenth-of-december-george-saunders/1110195671?ean=9780812984255], which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the recent collection Liberation Day [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liberation-day-george-saunders/1141008366;jsessionid=F5BEDBBED49211589BEE0B5CB9A657F3.prodny_store02-atgap02?ean=9780525509592]. Saunders hosts the popular Story Club [https://substack.com/@georgesaunders1] on Substack, which grew out of his book on the Russian short story, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain [https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-swim-in-a-pond-in-the-rain-in-which-four-russians-give-a-master-class-on-writing-reading-and-life-george-saunders/0aabc8054e060d5c?ean=9781984856036&next=t&next=t&affiliate=2186&prhc=PRHE159AAB82E]. In 2013, he was named one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People by Time. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University. Author photo by Pat Martin. Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER [https://a.co/d/0MHIVJw] and DAWNLAND [https://a.co/d/2rX0VqV]. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/], and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss], available on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ] and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] Substack: Writers at the Well [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/] Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss] Meditations on Insight Timer [https://insighttimer.com/tesscallahan] Meditations on ...

Novelist Carrie Birde on Writing as an Act of Grace

Join debut novelist Carrie Birde [https://carriebirde.com/] author of A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace [https://www.amazon.com/Small-Tale-Uncommon-Grace/dp/B0F7C6VBKF]  (Blydyn Square Books [https://blydynsquarebooks.com/]) as she discusses her creative process, her road to publication, and the unique spiritual and artistic practices that help her transmute suffering—her own and the world’s—into daily acts of beauty. A literary fairy tale, her novel explores themes of community, connection, and communication. Carrie shares her personal rituals, including yoga, Qigong, and creating paper cranes, which help her manage anxiety and connect with her environment. She offers advice for aspiring writers to stay true to their heart and maintain a sense of aliveness in their creativity. Carrie is a poet, fiction writer, artist, and amateur photographer. Like many characters in those stories, she has personal friendships with wild animals, especially birds, who know her by face.  I also interviewed Carrie in written format on Substack [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/] where she further explored these topics. I hope you enjoy this heartfelt interview about things ordinary and extraordinary.  Attend Carrie’s virtual book launch Friday, September 19, 2025, 7:00pm via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84707033106 [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84707033106]. Attend her live event at the Boonton Coffee House [https://boontoncoffee.com/pages/events] Saturday, Octboer 11, 2025 at 7pm. Learn more about her work at CarrieBirde.com [https://carriebirde.com/]. Follow her on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/carriebirde/]. Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER [https://a.co/d/0MHIVJw] and DAWNLAND [https://a.co/d/2rX0VqV]. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/], and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss], available on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ] and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] Substack: Writers at the Well [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/] Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss] Meditations on Insight Timer [https://insighttimer.com/tesscallahan] Meditations on ...

Novelist Paula Saunders on Starting from Here, and Writing as an Act of Compassion

Join novelist Paula Saunders [https://paulasaundersbooks.com/] as she discusses her moving autobiographical novel Starting from Here [https://paulasaundersbooks.com/starting-from-here-book], just out from Penguin Random House [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2154651/paula-saunders/]. A stand-alone sequel to The Distance Home [https://paulasaundersbooks.com/the-distance-home], the novel follows 15-year old René through the challenges of adolescence within the pressure cooker of cultural and socioeconomic stressors. Saunders draws from her own experiences as a ballet dancer. She shares her spiritual journey, particularly her practice of Buddhism, and references beloved teachers teachers Toni Morrison [https://www.tonimorrisonsociety.org/], Doug Unger [http://www.douglasunger.com/], and Tobias Wolff [https://english.stanford.edu/people/tobias-wolff]. Paula describes how writing has helped her integrate the past, and instilled in her a more compassionate relationship to her younger self and her family of origin. Paula grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota. She is a graduate of the Syracuse University creative writing program and was awarded a postgraduate Albert Schweitzer Fellowship at SUNY Albany, under Schweitzer chair Toni Morrison. Her first book, The Distance Home [https://paulasaundersbooks.com/the-distance-home], was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named one of the best books of the year by Real Simple. She lives in California with her husband. They have two grown daughters. Learn more about her work at paulasaundersbooks.com [https://paulasaundersbooks.com/].  Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER [https://a.co/d/0MHIVJw] and DAWNLAND [https://a.co/d/2rX0VqV]. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/], and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss], available on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ] and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] Substack: Writers at the Well [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/] Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss] Meditations on Insight Timer [https://insighttimer.com/tesscallahan] Meditations on ...

Novelist Karen Dukess on Writing with a Spirit of Play

Novelist Karen Dukess [https://karendukess.com/] talks about daring to write with joy and the fun she had with her new book, Welcome to Murder Week [https://bookshop.org/p/books/welcome-to-murder-week-karen-dukess/21930330?ean=9781668079775&next=t&affiliate=1688].  Karen is the author of The Last Book Party [https://karendukess.com/books/] and Welcome to Murder Week [https://karendukess.com/welcome-to-murder-week/], (6/10/25). She contributed to the forthcoming anthology Ladies in Waiting [https://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Waiting-Austens-Unsung-Characters/dp/1668204177/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LJF351LF6BYX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.n1KQEMDkMgMMNVYOSGSKb8UN6ycijugx4tyrvlsjz8va4WZHpSf_DBH3oZA6MT5U.B3d6mNe1eG-8b3n16dQZi4PCcIQqgimHu5YZnCKuGHU&dib_tag=se&keywords=ladies+in+waiting+jane+austen%27s+unsung+characters&qid=1748972997&sprefix=ladies+in+w%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1]: Jane Austen's Unsung Characters. Karen lives outside of New York City and in Truro on Cape Cod, where she interviews some of today’s most acclaimed writers as host of the Castle Hill Author Talks [https://www.castlehill.org/special-events/dukess] for the Truro Center for the Arts [https://www.castlehill.org/].  Find Karen on Substack [https://karendukess.substack.com/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/karendukess/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/karen.dukess], and her website: https://karendukess.com/ [https://karendukess.com/]. Enjoy this inspiring conversation! Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] is the author of the novels APRIL & OLIVER [https://a.co/d/0MHIVJw] and DAWNLAND [https://a.co/d/2rX0VqV]. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and is a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She offers author interviews on her Substack: https://tesscallahan.substack.com [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/], and guided meditations on her sister podcast Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss], available on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-haven-meditations/id1628432192], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ https://open.spotify.com/show/6OeiWFUnP97ih3sIEoO4rB?si=UhOh5rG1RN2_5nsBvMMMWQ] and elsewhere. By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening! Host: Tess Callahan [https://tesscallahan.com/] Substack: Writers at the Well [https://tesscallahan.substack.com/] Guided Meditation Podcast: Heart Haven Meditations [https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1998903.rss] Meditations on Insight Timer [https://insighttimer.com/tesscallahan] Meditations on ...