What Writers Read: Episode 2

Hello and welcome to Mourning Pages, a newsletter about writing, reading, and the creative life in the midst of grief. Check out my debut novel, Doll Parts, and Accidents Never Happen (1/12/27) from Sourcebooks Landmark. Thank you for being here. Here it is, the much-delayed second episode of What Writers Read (on Substack, Spotify, and Apple podcasts). I am so excited to share this chat with author and professor Holly M. Wendt. We discussed everything from tracking our reading to where Holly finds the next book to read. So many good books were mentioned in this episode! Calling this one “A Life in Many Enthusiasms.” IYKYK.Holly M. Wendt is Professor of English and Creative Writing at Lebanon Valley College and the author of Heading North (Braddock Avenue Books, 2023). Wendt is a recipient of the Robert and Charlotte Baron Fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society and fellowships from the Jentel Foundation and Hambidge Center. They have served as a Peter Taylor Fellow in fiction at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. Their fiction has appeared in Passages North, Shenandoah, Four Way Review, Barrelhouse, Memorious, and elsewhere. Their reviews and interviews have appeared in The Rumpus, Rain Taxi Review of Books, Ploughshares blog, and elsewhere.Where to find Holly online:nstagram: @hmwendtBluesky: @hmwendt.bsky.socialWebsite: https://www.hollymwendt.com/Newsletter: Loomings: Making, Doing, & Making DoAnd please read the amazing Heading North (links below):“A young, talented Viktor Myrnikov is on the brink of realizing his lifelong dream of playing for the National Hockey League when a catastrophic plane crash kills all of his former Russian teammates, including his secret boyfriend, Nikolai, shattering his plans―and his heart. In this skillfully plotted debut, readers follow Viktor as he navigates cultural and sexual divides, the gamesmanship of damaged relationships, and the dark corners of professional sports. In prose that is as tender as it is tough, we witness a young man discovering inner resources he didn’t know he possessed as he struggles to find solace and respect in a world that has denied him of these things. An important discussion of today’s most pressing issues, and a tremendous achievement, Heading North is a most certainly a book for our times.”Link for paperback of Heading North: https://www.braddockavenuebooks.com/pages/books/129/holly-m-wendt/heading-north-a-novelLink for ebook of Heading North: https://www.amazon.com/Heading-North-Holly-M-Wendt-ebook/dp/B0D4T23K6FThanks for listening! —Penny(And if you are a published author who is interesed in chatting about your reading life, let me know! Also: check your Spam folders. I have been emailing people but not getting a response…)Penny Zang is an English professor and holds an MFA in creative writing from West Virginia University. Her work has appeared in New Ohio Review, Louisville Review, Iron Horse Literary Review, and elsewhere. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with her husband and son. She is the author of Doll Parts and Accidents Never Happen (forthcoming, January 12 2027 from Sourcebooks Landmark).* Accidents Never Happen—out January 12, 2027!!!* Available for pre-order at Bookshop and all the other places* Add Accidents Never Happen on Goodreads* Doll Parts—out now!* On Bookshop and wherever books are sold Get full access to Mourning Pages at pennyzang.substack.com/subscribe