What writing advice can one mine from a two-hour interview with prolific essayist, author, and professor Philip Lopate?If you read the July 2018 issue of The Writer, you learned about Lopate's overall approach and philosophy in "Playing on al

Episode 49: Playing on all 88 keys with Phillip Lopate

Aug 20th, 2018 44m

You might recognize the title of this podcast if you picked up the July 2018 issue of The Writer. In it, you'll find my article on my former grad school writing teacher Phillip Lopate. I interviewed Lopate last December about his career and

Episode 48: Engineering the short story with author (and engineer) Nick Arvin

Jan 5th, 2018 1h 14m

In April 2017, I invited author and engineer Nick Arvin to the school where I work. Over two days, he gave several talks on writing, and I recorded one of them: “Nick Arvin and The Short Story.”In this episode, I'm giving you that recording!

Episode 47: The Novel, the Novella, and Scott Alexander Hess

Nov 27th, 2017 54m

Welcome to this special episode of Behind the Prose. Special, because I bet you didn't think it was coming! More special, because it features former guest, literary historical fiction writer and fellow New School Creative Writing MFA Grad Scott

Episode 46: Memoirists Mandy Len Catron and Bob Brody

Jun 27th, 2017 1h 26m

Today's episode is brought to you by: coincidence.It's how I met both of these great writers. Last year, I covered Bob Brody's essay panel at the American Society of Journalists and Authors for The Writer Magazine. His book Playing Catch with

Episode 45: A discussion with humor writer Adam Rotstein

May 15th, 2017 30m

Hey Prosers,I know. I know. Let's not talk about that lil' missing in action thing. The important thing is that I'm here now and so are you!This episode features a humor writer that I discovered earlier this year on McSweeney's. Adam Rotst

Episode 44: Geeta Kothari, author of "I Brake For Moose"

Mar 13th, 2017 54m

In this episode, I talk to Geeta Kothari, an English professor and author of the new short story collection I Brake For Moose, out now on Braddock Avenue Books.

Episode 43: Gilli Messer shares how she landed her first clip on McSweeney's

Mar 1st, 2017 36m

In this episode, we’re venturing into the land of humor. I discovered actress, singer, and writer Gilli Messer during my daily reading.I loved her piece on McSweeney’s: "Young Couple Shares Vows Amidst State Sponsored Chaos."Listen to learn

Episode 42: From the page to the stage with writer Alyssa Sorresso

Feb 19th, 2017 52m

I met Alyssa Sorresso at the Creative Nonfiction Writer’s Conference in 2015 (not 2014 as I think I said in the podcast). Alyssa’s essay had just been published in Creative Nonfiction, and she approached me after the magazine’s founder and the

Episode 41: How to be an editor with Plume's Kate Napolitano

Feb 8th, 2017 21m

Plume Senior Editor Kate Napolitano recorded this in October 2016, right before my schedule went to hell in a Coach bag, but I'm happy to finally share it with you. A graduate of The College of New Jersey, Kate's got a girl-next-door vibe and s

Get your book life right w/Liz Pryor: Writing advice from the life advice guru

Sep 3rd, 2016 1h 17m

Liz Pryor, author of the new memoir Look At You Now, kicks off season two of Behind the Prose. In this episode, I interview Liz with one of my new interns, associate producer and co-host Sarah Lorish. If you don't feel like you can write a book

Write This Way: Find and Develop a Niche in Your Writing - LIVE from CNFWC 2016

May 29th, 2016 27m

Write This Way: How to Find and Develop a Niche in Your Writing, A Roundtable DiscussionWriters are an eclectic group of people and often have a range of interests. This roundtable discussion, moderated by Keysha Whitaker, explores whether wr

Ask an Editor Panel moderated by Ellen Ayoob live from CNFWC 2016

May 28th, 2016 28m

Ask an Editor Panel moderated by In Fact Books Associate Publisher, Ellen Ayoob. The panel features Hattie Fletcher, Creative Nonfiction’s own managing editor, and editors Jessica Bylander and Geeta Kothari.Get an insider’s view—our panel of

Structure for Longform Nonfiction presented by Lee Gutkind - LIVE from CNFWC '16

May 27th, 2016 1h 26m

Last year Creative Nonfiction Magazine and Behind the Prose teamed up to bring you special excerpts from the amazing 2016 Creative Nonfiction Writers’ Conference (CNFWC). (Remember Lee Gutkind’s feature panel on how Law and Order teaches story

Episode 36: Erik Deckers and The House That Jack Built (Kerouac, that is)

May 18th, 2016 32m

Interviews withErik Deckers, humor writer, author, and resident #60 of The Kerouac ProjectGeoff Binge of The Kerouac Project

Episode 35: Salon editor Kim Brooks discusses her debut novel The Houseguest

Apr 12th, 2016 47m

If you’ve ever wondered how to write an alternating point-of-view historical novel with prose that wields similes like samurai swords, then Kim Brooks’ second appearance on Behind the Prose is for you.Brooks graces the virtual studio a second

Episode 34: Elana Rabinowitz talks bylines in The New York Times and more

Apr 1st, 2016 55m

For full show details, visit www.behindtheprose.com

Episode 33: Jacki Skole merges memoir and investigative journalism in new book

Feb 29th, 2016 54m

For full show page, visit www.behindtheprose.comJacki Skole is an award-winning journalist and adjunct professor of communication. Shelaunched her journalism career at CNN, first as a news writer, then as a producer in the network’s documen

Episode 32: Salon editor Kim Brooks goes behind the prose of “Life” essays

Jan 30th, 2016 57m

Kim Brooks is the new personal essays editor at Salon, a baton passed on to her from Sarah Hepola. I met Kim (virtually) after I interviewed Sharisse Tracey who had an essay published in Salon. Oh, and by the way, Sharisse Tracey just had anoth

Episode 31: Washington Post reporter Jessica Contrera schools future journalists

Jan 12th, 2016 59m

Happy 2016 Prosers!We've been rocking for almost a year now! Check out the very first Behind the Prose with essayist Tavonne Carson.I'm kicking off 2016 with two great episodes. Today's show features reporter Jessica Contrera who works at T

Episode 30: Author Dinty W. Moore talks process, persistence, and prose

Nov 20th, 2015 1h 7m

I recorded this episode in September when Dinty W. Moore’s latest book, Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals hit the stands. We talk about that book and his classic memoir Between Panic and Desire

Ep#29 Sharisse Tracey reveals how she got bylines on The New York Times and more

Nov 4th, 2015 1h 27m

This week’s episode goes behind the prose of Sharisse Tracey, a fellow New School Creative Writing Program alum. Sharisse recorded this show in the middle of one of her best writing weeks ever! If you’re not on the email newsletter - why not? -

Humor and the House of Kerouac with author and columnist Erik Deckers

Oct 27th, 2015 57m

What do you get if you cross a syndicated newspaper columnist with a business book author on a Pearson imprint with an entrepreneur who owns Pro Blog Service and novelist who's the Spring 2016 writer-in-residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Or

Episode 27: Chasing down the narrative with short story writer Sean Ennis

Oct 12th, 2015 1h 23m

Let me just start off by saying that after transcribing writer Sean Ennis' interview (Yeah, I'm back on that again!), I've decided that he's the most conscious self-editor I've interviewed this year.As soon as the words leave his mouth, he’s

Episode 26: How to write literary fiction with author Scott Alexander Hess

Sep 27th, 2015 1h 3m

In this meta-writing hour, author and fellow New School alum Scott Alexander Hess, dissects his use and balance of language to create scene and character in his latest book, a historical novel, The Butcher’s Son (a literary fiction hell-of-a-w