The Downtown Writers Jam
by Solid Listen
The Downtown Writers Jam is a one-hour conversation between host Brad King and some of your favorite authors. We have the kind of discussions writers have when our readers aren't around. We're talking life, current events, what shaped who we are, and why we write what we write. So, pull up a chair and pour yourself a drink. The Downtown Writers Jam is a part of the Solid Listen Network. Visit at Patreon.com/SolidListen for more.
Episodes
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After Party: Wanda M. Morris
One of our favorite authors, Wanda M. Morris, stopped by the Bunker for an After Party storytelling Q&A with Brad. Her latest book, Any Where You Run, is out now. Wanda and Brad swapped stories about their parents, shared their best advice to writers, and talked about how writing helps them make...
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Jam Sessions: David Lee Csicsko
Designer David Lee Csicsko dropped by the Bunker for a Jam Session about his latest project, LGBTQ+ Icons: A Celebration of Historical LGBTQ+ Icons in the Arts. David and Brad discussed their strange overlapping experience in the Indianapolis theatre scene, his work as a graphic designer, and the...
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Felice Cohen
Author Felice Cohen dropped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love. Be warned, Felice came ready with some amazing stories. She and Brad went on a long, winding road through her life. They talked playing sports growing up, her fearless drive...
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After Party: Sergio Troncoso
One of Brad's favorite guests, author Sergio Troncoso, dropped by the bunker After Party to talk about his latest novel, Nobody's Pilgrims. The two talked about Sergio's evolution in thinking about "voiceless" characters, the "flow" in writing, and probably other topics we could put in quotes.…
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Natalia Molina
Author and professor Natalia Molina stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles Nourished its Community. Natalia and Brad has a long, wide-ranging discussion about comedians (Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler in…
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Keri Blakinger
Author and journalist Keri Blakinger stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, Corrections in Ink, a fascinating examination of the women's prison system told through the lens of somebody who made it to the other side of incarceration. It's a fantastic book, and one you want to read. Of...
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Katie Hafner
Journalist and author Katie Hafner stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, The Boys. She and Brad took a stroll through some of the difficult times she had growing up and as a professional, but swerved through the difficulties of switching from nonfiction to fiction. And the joy of...
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Emi Nietfeld
Author Emi Nietfeld stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, Acceptance, which is—in many ways—a story about the cost of surviving. For that, you can check out the book. She and Brad took a walk through her childhood in Minnesota, her almost modeling career, her search for her own…
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Angelique Pesce
Author Angelique Pesce stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her latest book, American Pastime, and the importance of family. She grew up working in her father's bakery. She went to law school because of her grandfather. She started a nonprofit because of her grandmother. And she watched...
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After Party: Elisabeth Sharp McKetta
Author Elisabeth Sharp McKetta came back to the Bunker After Party to talk about her latest book, Awake with Asashoryu and Other Essays. She joined Brad to tell some stories about why it's so hard to sit in the chair to write, why writers only really believe the bad reviews, what it means to be a...
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Jenny Colgan
Author Jenny Colgan stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, An Island Wedding, and the conversation was just delightful. She and Brad talked about the weirdness of their respective small towns (Elvis and castles, but not how you think), the circular nature of family dynamics, the...
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Jeevani Charika (aka Rhoda Baxter)
Author Jeevani Charika—who also writes under the pseudonym Rhoda Baxter that was inspired by the bacteria she studied while getting her Ph.D. in Microbiology—stopped by to talk with Brad about romcoms, Legos, science, travel, and basically all things nerdy! In other words, it's a great day in the...
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Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre
Author Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, The Displaced. He and Brad talked a lot about finding your home and finding your voice, and the long road it takes to do that. And Rodrigo's journey took him into some hard places. But when he realized he was at a...
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After Party: Bobi Conn
Author Bobi Conn (A Woman in Time) stopped by the After Party to share a little Appalachian storytelling with Brad. Bobi's own story has been filled with a lot of hard times (In The Shadow of the Valley), but that's only one part of her tale. She and Brad talked about the joy of writing, the...
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Kelly Sokol
Author Kelly Sokol (Breach) stopped by the Bunker this week to talk with Brad about her journey, which included a stop at the Capitol and a job on the railroad. She's had an interesting ride that has taken her from Nebraska to Virginia Beach, with lots of stops in between. Oh, and she's an...
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After Party: Catherine Drake
Vermont author Catherine Drake (The Treehouse on Dog River Road) stopped by the Bunker for a wild After Party with Brad to talk about how Christmas card writing led to her writing career, her brush with Bernie (it's Vermont, duh!), a hometown parade that featured a float of her book, and her...
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After Party: Rebecca van Laer
Author Rebecca van Laer (How to Adjust to the Dark) stopped by the Bunker After Party to talk a bit one of our favorite topics: the anxiety of writing and writers! She and Brad also shared stories about patience with your writing, most definitely avoiding people who believe they are gatekeepers,...
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Nicole Exposito
Writer Nicole Exposito stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her fiction podcast, The Burned Photo, which frankly scared the crap out of Brad. They talked about her awkward childhood, finding her community while working on student films, graduating in a recession, her work at an EMT...
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After Party: Louise Mumford
Author Louise Mumford (The Safe House) stopped the Bunker for the After Party! She and Brad discussed why it's important to be less polite (especially if you're a young woman), happiness as nothing, and road tripping across the United States in an RV without really understanding how big this...
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Sophie Flynn
Author Sophie Flynn stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her latest book, Keep Them Close. She and Brad explored her transformation from a "mean girl" (not our words, folks!) into the theater and music world where she began to find her own footing. It's a joyous, funny, and thoughtful...
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After Party: Colin Kersey
Colin Kersey (Swimming with the Angels) joined Brad in the Bunker for an After Party Q&A to discuss how he became a writer (it took some time), the importance of mentors, and the things that make him happiest. He also doled out a bit a wisdom to his younger self, which you might recognize from...
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Jam Sessions: Lisa Knopp
Author Lisa Knopp joined Brad in the Bunker this week for the first Jam Session, a deep dive conversation into her book From Your Friend, Carey Dean. The book is an examination of prison culture, religion, and friendship, and the conversation explores the complexity of writing about a confessed...
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Louise Mangos
Author Louise Mangos joins us in the Bunker this week from her writing retreat in the Swiss Alps (!!!) to talk about her latest book, The Beaten Track. She and Brad spent an hour talking about growing up in a small town in England, an aborted backpacking trip that ended with a 16-year stay in...
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After Party: Sam Holland
Author Sam Holland (The Echo Man) stopped by Bunker for an After Party Q&A. She talked about her greatest writing epiphany (Post-it Notes!), and she proceeded to tell the grossest story ever told on the program! It's delightfully hilarious, but we don't recommend eating while you listen to this...
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Mintie Das
Author Mintie Das stopped by the Bunker to talk about her YA novel, Brown Girl Ghosted. It's rare to meet somebody more extroverted than Brad, but we've found with Mintie, whose journey is amazing. She's truly a child of the world. She was born in India, raised in Illinois, and now lives in...
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After Party: Hannah Mary McKinnon
Author Hannah Mary McKinnon (Never Coming Home) stopped by the Bunker to be our first guest on a Q&A show. A master storyteller, Hannah is going to have you riveted as she talks about why she writes, what makes her happiest, and the insane way she met and married her husband, the history of her...
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Wanda M. Morris
Author Wanda M. Morris stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, All Her Little Secrets. She and Brad discussed their love of structure and rules (but not in writing), which led her to a career in law, advocating, storytelling, and writing. (They are connected: promise!) Plus, they...
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Gillian McAllister
Crime author Gillian McAllister dropped by the Bunker just a few weeks before we went on hiatus. We've been gone so long that her last book, That Night, is now out everywhere and her current book, Wrong Place, Wrong Time just dropped in the U.K. (and comes to the U.S. in August). She and Brad...
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Chris Jones
Two-time National Magazine Award winner and author Chris Jones stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, The Eye Test, a treatise on expertise and the art of making decisions. This isn't your typical Jam. Chris and Brad took a deep dive into the ideas in the book. But, they also go…
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Elisabeth Sharp McKetta
A little tired from the holiday season? We've got the cure here in the Ohio Bunker! The fantastic and lovely Elisabeth Sharp McKetta stopped by to talk about her first novel, She Never Told Me About the Ocean. She and Brad talked about life in Texas, fairy tales, Harvard and M.I.T., English…
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Mini Episode: Elizabeth B. Splaine
Author and friend of the program Elizabeth B. Splaine stopped by the Bunker to talk about her historical fiction novel, Swan Song. Buckle up for this conversation as Elizabeth and Brad take a deep dive into the events that led to her writing the book and the nuggets of information that she...
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Ari Honarvar
Author and activist Ari Honarvar stopped by the Bunker to talk about her novel, A Girl Called Rumi. She immigrated from Iran when she was young, and she's spent the better part of her adult life using music, dance, and poetry to connect with refugees and people in war-torn regions. She and Brad...
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Mini Episode: Rachel Krantz
Award-winning journalist and author Rachel Krantz stopped by the program to talk about her reporter memoir, Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy. She and Brad took a deep dive into the difficulty of mining your own life for a story, the stigma that women face when...
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Mini Episode: Jacqueline Friedland
Friend of the program and author Jacqueline Friedland stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest novel, He Gets That From Me, a story that mixes her romcom storytelling with her legal training. She and Brad talked about the idea that sparked this book, why she's returning to historical…
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Sophie Santos
Author, comedian, and TV writer Sophie Santos stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, The One You Want to Marry, and her live stage show, The Lesbian Agenda. Since she (mostly) grew up in Alabama so talk naturally turned to college football. (Don't worry, we cut a lot of that out.) But…
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Mini-Episode: Bruce Ledewitz
Professor, anti-death penalty legal advocate, and author Bruce Ledewitz stopped by the Jam Bunker for a very soberting conversation about his latest book, The Universe Is on Our Side: Restoring Faith in American Public Life. Bruce and Brad sit down to discuss whether the United States can build a...
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Mini-Episode: Sophie Cousens
Television producer turned author Sophie Cousens joined Brad in the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Just Haven't Met You Yet. Sophie made the career switch from producing comedy to writing where she eventually settled on romcoms, the genre that fit the voices in her head! She and Brad…
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Clifford Garstang
Author Clifford Garstang stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about his latest book, Oliver's Travels. Clifford is one of those fascinating people who may slip under the radar because of his understated style, but he and Brad took a trip through his unhappy at times childhood that catapulted…
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Mini Episode: Dan Sanders
Author and vending machine repair guide writer Dan Sanders stopped by the Bunker to talk about his novella, The Loop. But this turned out to be one of the GenX, West Coast, weird writer connection chats as Dan and Brad covered writing in the Bay Area, McSweeney's, Dave Eggers, and the end of the...
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Kia Abdullah
Travel writer and author Kia Abdullah stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest novel, Next of Kin, which was the Times Crime Book of the Month September 2021. She and Brad talked about growing up in a family with eight children, her decision to get a degree in computer science and work in…
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Mini Episode: Ann R. Williams
Author, archaeologist, and retired National Geographic writer Ann R. Williams stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her latest book, Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs, a beautiful book that explores one-hundred of the most important—and fascinating—archeological finds. In this episode, Brad just...
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Dr. Kara Cooney
Author, TV producer, and Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her latest book, The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. She and Brad had a fascinating, fun, and funny discussion about her current work researching more than 300...
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Mini Episode: Louise Fein
Author and friend of the program Louise Fein is back to talk about her sophomore book, The Hidden Child, which is climbing the best-seller charts! Like her debut, People Like Us (Daughter of the Reich in North America), Louise taps her family's history and weaves it through the late twenties and...
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Mini Episode: Yanis Varoufakis
Renowned economist, politician, and author Yanis Varoufakis stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, Another Now, which is an alternate history in which our world developed into a post-capitalist world after the economic crash in 2008. Yanis shared the story of how he was politicized...
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Laura Zlatos
Playwright Laura Zlatos stopped by the Bunker to talk about her writing journey and her latest play, The Empress of Jupiter, which debuts in December at the New Perspectives Theatre Group. A fascinating writer with a laser-sharp sense of voice, she and Brad talked about finding your way into an...
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Mini Episode: Robert McCaw
Author Robert McCaw stopped by the Bunker to talk about the latest in his Koa Kane mystery series, Treachery Times Two. But Robert has led a fascinating life, traveling all over the world first with his military family and later as a U.S. Army lieutenant. He eventually went to law school, became…
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Mini Episode: Teresa K. Miller
Author Teresa K. Miller stopped by the bunker to talk about her memoir reflection in poetry, Borderline Fortune. She and Brad talked about the impact of family trauma, healing and therapy, the power of storytelling, and how we think about interacting with the world around us. And, those...
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Nadine Matheson
Introverts: buckle up! Author Nadine Matheson stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, The Jigsaw Man. But she and Brad got right down to it, discussing the existential melancholy of getting older, pushing their way in to places where others didn't want them, and telling stories all…
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Mini Episode: Robbie Bach
Sometimes Brad has a guest on for personal reasons. Like this week. Author Robbie Bach stops by the Bunker to talk about his debut thriller, The Wilkes Insurrection. However, Brad knew Robbie when he was in charge of developing the Xbox and Brad was writing at Wired. So, they talked about how...
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Mini Episode: Samantha Specks
Author Samantha Specks has one of the most interesting origin stories: A clinical social worker, she hadn't planned on becoming a writer. But she had a story in her that she couldn't shake, and that became her debut novel, Dovetails in Tall Grass. She and Brad talked about the work it takes to...
About this show
The Downtown Writers Jam is a one-hour conversation between host Brad King and some of your favorite authors. We have the kind of discussions writers have when our readers aren't around. We're talking life, current events, what shaped who we are, and why we write what we write. So, pull up a chair and pour yourself a drink.
The Downtown Writers Jam is a part of the Solid Listen Network. Visit at Patreon.com/SolidListen for more.
Hosted by
Solid Listen