Episodios

  • #138 Making Memoir Peculiar—and Propulsive Featuring Dinty W. Moore

    #138 Making Memoir Peculiar—and Propulsive Featuring Dinty W. Moore
    May 8 2025

    What gives memoir its momentum—and its magic and what if the structure you’re resisting is exactly what your writing needs? In this episode, Estelle Erasmus talks with celebrated writer, author, and teacher Dinty W. Moore about why the peculiar often makes the most powerful material. They explore how to shape scenes that move, lean into voice and vulnerability, and write with the kind of tension that keeps readers turning pages. Plus, Dinty shares craft insights, revision tips, and the surprising ingredient every great memoir needs.

    As the founding editor of Brevity, the journal that helped define flash nonfiction, Dinty shares his honest take on voice, structure, and how to write toward truth—even when memory is imperfect.

    Dinty W. Moore is author of the memoirs Between Panic & Desire and To Hell With It, and the writing guides Crafting the Personal Essay and The Mindful Writer, among other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, Georgia Review, Kenyon Review, Short Reads, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity, the journal of flash nonfiction.

    In this episode:

    • How Brevity began and why it still matters [2:37]

    • Dinty’s philosophy on truth, memory, and writing nonfiction [7:53]

    • The mistake many memoirists make with voice—and how to fix it [10:56]

    • Why structure often emerges after the writing [12:31]

    • How to excavate childhood memories with sensory detail [18:30]

    • The connection between humor and grief in storytelling [24:50]

    • What he’s learned from years of revising, publishing, and teaching[26:31]

    Connect with Dinty

    Website: https://dintywmoore.com

    Facebook: https://facebook.com/dintymoore

    BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/dintywmoore.bsky.social

    Connect with Brevity

    X: https://twitter.com/brevitymag

    Mentioned in This Episode

    Cheryl Strayed’s episode #38

    https://estelleserasmus.com/38-cheryl-strayed-on-writing-and-tiny-beautiful-things

    Maggie Smith’s episode #81

    https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/

    Watch Estelle’s TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond

    In her widely shared TEDx Talk, Estelle Erasmus reveals how to command attention in a noisy world—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine. It’s bold, funny, and packed with real-world strategies for writers who want to be seen and heard.
    🎥 Watch, comment, and share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ

    About Estelle:
    Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards.
    A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct instructor at NYU, she’s written for over 150 outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine, and has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.

    ✨ Explore More:
    📚 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the Book | Listen to the Audiobook
    📬 Subscribe on Substack – Craft tips, pitch advice & exclusive podcast extras
    🎓 Sign Up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
    🎧 Freelance Writing Direct – Interviews, insights & behind-the-scenes publishing tips

    Follow Estelle:
    📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 🐦 Twitter | 🌐 BlueSky
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    36 m
  • #137 Writing Through Rupture: Finding Belonging After Loss Featuring Casey Mulligan Walsh

    #137 Writing Through Rupture: Finding Belonging After Loss Featuring Casey Mulligan Walsh
    May 1 2025
    What does it mean to truly belong — and how do we find our way back to ourselves after unimaginable loss? In this episode,I talk with memoirist Casey Mulligan Walsh about grief, belonging, resilience, and the journey behind her powerful book The Full Catastrophe. In this episode: Casey’s path to writing The Full Catastrophe and how the theme of belonging revealed itself [1:57] How early losses shaped her search for identity and home [4:42] Why grief looks different for everyone — and why there’s no "right" way to heal [6:22] The moment Casey realized her memoir wasn’t just about resilience, but belonging [9:32] How a writing book helped her plug in the structure the story of her life [18:29] The creative structure behind her memoir and how she used scene to deepen emotional resonance [20:11] The role of spirituality, dreams, and unexpected moments of peace in her healing journey [20:58] Casey’s advice for memoirists about theme, structure, and trusting your story’s evolution [33:17] Casey Mulligan Walsh writes about life at the intersection of grief and joy, embracing uncertainty, and the nature of true belonging. Her memoir, The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared, was released from Motina Books on February 18, 2025. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Next Avenue, Modern Loss, Hippocampus, Barren Magazine, and numerous other literary magazines, and her essay, “Still,” published in Split Lip, was nominated for Best of the Net. She is a founding editor of In a Flash literary magazine. She also serves as an ambassador for and on the Board of the Family Heart Foundation, which raises awareness of the genetic lipid disorders that have affected her family across generations. Casey lives in upstate New York with her husband Kevin and too many books to count. When not traveling, they enjoy visits from their four children and ten grandchildren—the very definition of “the full catastrophe.” Connect with Casey Website: https://caseymulliganwalsh.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.m.walsh.1 Facebook author: https://www.facebook.com/caseymulliganwalshwriter Instagram: https://instagram.com/CaseyMulliganWalsh Threads: https://www.threads.net/@caseymulliganwalsh BlueSky: @caseymulliganwalsh.bsky.social Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-mulligan-walsh-522ba231/ Casey’s Piece Still (originally from Split Lip Magazine): https://www.short-reads.org/still/ In A Flash Substack: https://inaflashlitmag.substack.com/ Submission Info for In A Flash: https://inaflashlitmag.substack.com/p/submission-guidelines?r=3uom7p&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true Find The Full Catastrophe on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-full-catastrophe-all-i-ever-wanted-everything-i-feared-casey-mulligan-walsh/21932235?aid=98827&ean=9798887840413&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an offer for paid subscribers): How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/how-to-get-published-in-cosmopolitan Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    39 m
  • #136 Writing Towards Recovery: Jackie Goldschneider on The Weight of Beautiful

    #136 Writing Towards Recovery: Jackie Goldschneider on The Weight of Beautiful
    Apr 24 2025
    Jackie Goldschneider gets real about writing her powerful memoir The Weight of Beautiful, opening up about her lifelong battle with an eating disorder, her journey to recovery, and what it was really like turning her story into a book—on her own terms. In this episode: Why Jackie chose not to use a ghostwriter for her memoir [5:25] How her eating disorder shaped her life and why recovery was non-negotiable [6:17] The writing process behind The Weight of Beautiful [7:00] What helped Jackie write a book while filming, parenting, and working [7:48] Tips for structuring memoir scenes that connect with readers [8:39] How she decided what to include (and leave out) about family and TV life [10:56] The importance of voice and honesty in memoir writing [15:17] Jackie's next project—and how a screenplay idea turned into a novel [34:34] Jackie Goldschneider is an author, activist, speaker and a longtime cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Before joining the show, Jackie was an attorney and freelance journalist, and has contributed extensively to publications including Good Housekeeping, HuffPost and Scary Mommy, and wrote a weekly parenting column for New Jersey's The Record newspaper for several years. Her debut memoir, The Weight of Beautiful, was published by ‎Simon and Schuster in September 2023. Since then, Jackie has been a nationally recognized advocate for eating disorder recovery. Jackie graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston University and received her Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. Jackie lives in Tenafly, NJ with her husband, Evan, and their two sets of twins, ages 17 and 14. Connect with Jackie Website: https://Jackiegoldschneider.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiegoldschneider Twitter: https://x.com/jgschneid Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackiegoldschneider/ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@jackiegold100 Get The Weight of Beautiful on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-weight-of-beautiful-jackie-goldschneider/19748044?aid=98827&ean=9781668023808&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    41 m
  • #135 Query Letters, Persuasive Proposals, and Publishing Secrets Featuring Literary Agent Joëlle Delbourgo

    #135 Query Letters, Persuasive Proposals, and Publishing Secrets Featuring Literary Agent Joëlle Delbourgo
    Apr 17 2025
    Joëlle Delbourgo is President of Joëlle Delbourgo Associates, a boutique literary agency founded in 1999. She represents a broad range of adult nonfiction and fiction. Her authors include NYT bestselling and award-winning novelist Ben H. Winters; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Debbie Cenziper and Dale Russakoff; award-winning educator Michele Borba, the late Dr. Susan Forward, memoirists Ariel Burger, Rachel Stolzman, Grace Jung and Sara Sherbill; historians Philip Freeman, Joanna Sliwa and Elizabeth White; true crime writer James Renner; and novelists Marilyn Simon Rothstein, Lindsey J. Palmer, Roy Hoffman and Rosa Kwon Easton, and Tommy Hays. A former senior executive at HarperCollins and Ballantine Books, she has a Masters in Literature from Columbia University and graduated from Williams College. Joëlle shares what she looks for in nonfiction and fiction submissions [6:50] Her background in both sides of the publishing wall [6:50] Why she considers herself a “Renaissance Agent” [7:10] The excellence advantage that writers need to get on her radar [14:24] How to craft a compelling proposal that gets attention from agents and publishers [14:49] Joëlle’s tips for memoirists [18:05] Why your query letter matters and what red flags agents look for [19:59] Why obsession can help get a writer a book deal [26:54] Can a writer jump genres? [27:26] Some of her authors success stories [31:16] Connect with Joëlle Website: https://www.delbourgo.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joelledelbourgoassoc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelledelbourgo/ Episodes Mentioned Georgia Hughes formerly Editorial Director of New World Library https://estelleserasmus.com/69-a-chat-with-the-editorial-director-of-new-world-library/ Michele Borba Writing a Bestselling Book and Making Mistakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0JTzbnFrY Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    38 m
  • #134 Writing a Memoir That’s Also an Industry Exposé Featuring Hannah Selinger

    #134 Writing a Memoir That’s Also an Industry Exposé Featuring Hannah Selinger
    Apr 10 2025

    How do you turn personal experience into a powerful memoir that names names?
    Estelle Erasmus talks with Hannah Selinger, author of Cellar Rat, about transitioning from essayist to memoirist while tackling the dark side of the restaurant industry.

    In this episode:

    • How Hannah’s viral essay led to a book deal

    • What it means to write a memoir that’s also investigative

    • Naming names and dealing with backlash

    • The role of narrative in exposing abuse and toxic culture

    About Hannah:

    Hannah Selinger, author of Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly, is a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle writer and mother of two based in Boxford, MA. Her print and digital work has appeared in the New YorkTimes Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and elsewhere. Her 2021 Bon Appétit essay, "In My Childhood Kitchen, I Learned Both Fear and Love," is anthologized in the 2022 Best American Food Writing collection, published by HarperCollins and edited by Sohla El-Waylly.

    Connect with Hannah

    Website: www.hannahselinger.net

    Instagram: https://instagram.com/druishamericanprincess

    🎙️ Hosted by Estelle Erasmus
    Award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, NYU professor, and 2025 Podcast of the Year (Education) winner.

    📚 Learn more: estelleserasmus.com
    📘 Buy the book: Writing That Gets Noticed
    📰 Subscribe: estelleserasmus.substack.com

    Get Cellar Rat on Estelle’s bookshop

    https://bookshop.org/p/books/cellar-rat-my-life-in-the-restaurant-underbelly-hannah-selinger/21633914?aid=98827&ean=9780316570770&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct

    Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines

    https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me

    Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing

    https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing

    Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.

    Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes

    https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
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    29 m
  • #133 Writing the Book You Need to Read When You’re Always Happy to Help Featuring Amy Wilson

    #133 Writing the Book You Need to Read When You’re Always Happy to Help Featuring Amy Wilson
    Apr 3 2025
    AMY WILSON is a writer, podcaster, and performer. She is the author of the memoir When Did I Get Like This? and her latest book Happy to Help. Amy is also the co-host of the Webby-honored parenting podcast What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. She and co-host Margaret Ables have racked up over 11 million lifetime downloads and 800 episodes since the podcast's launch in 2016, and regularly perform live shows for audiences around the country. As an actor, Amy appeared on Broadway as "Sunny Freitag" in the Tony Award-winning play The Last Night of Ballyhoo. She was a series regular on the sitcoms Norm (ABC) and Daddio (NBC). Other TV guest appearances include Veep, Felicity, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, Ed, Law and Order: CI, and Deadline. She wrote and performed sketch comedy for NBC's Live on Tape, which filed in Saturday Night Live's famed Studio 8H. Amy is also the creator of Mother Load, a one-woman show which she toured to 16 cities after its hit off-Broadway run. Amy's writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Redbook, CNN.com, NPR Books, Parenting, Parents, Baby Talk and Big Apple Parent. Amy graduated from Yale University with a dual degree in English and Theater Studies. She lives with her family in New York City. In this episode: The way Estelle and Amy first connected through Listen to Your Mother [1:32] How Amy’s book Happy to Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser manifested [6:43] The formative experience in Catholic school that shaped Amy’s overachiever mindset [9:19] The way Amy used adage to structure her book, and how that happened [10:57] Why Amy included research in her essays and how she seamlessly weaved it into narrative [13:33] The real reason many women take on too much, and why that’s not a personal flaw [17:03] How perfectionism and people-pleasing show up differently at home vs. in the workplace [24:46] Her creative process, perfectionism, and letting go of “doing it all” [31:55] The early impact of magazines on Amy — and women [33:10] Advice for women feeling overwhelmed: It’s not you—it’s the system. [38:07] Sitting in the silence of not knowing [39:54] Connect with Amy Wilson: Website: https://amywilson.com Podcast https://whatfreshhellpodcast.com TikTok https://tiktok.com/@amywilsonauthor Buy Happy to Help on Estelle’s Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/happy-to-help-adventures-of-a-people-pleaser-amy-wilson/cd2aa83f8af88dfc?ean=9781958506783&next=t&aid=98827&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Estelle’s Listen to Your Mother episode (Amy Wilson as director) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmV4abTKy8Q&list=PL1159293EC380EFD1&index=5 Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    42 m
  • #132 The Blurry Boundary Between Truth and Fiction in Women’s Lives Featuring Nicole Graev Lipson

    #132 The Blurry Boundary Between Truth and Fiction in Women’s Lives Featuring Nicole Graev Lipson
    Mar 27 2025
    Nicole Graev Lipson is the author of the memoir in essays Mothers and Other Fictional Characters. Her writing has appeared in The Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review, LA Review of Books, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Marie Claire, among other venues. Her work has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, shortlisted for a National Magazine Award, and selected for The Best American Essays anthology. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and children. In this episode: The organizing principle of Mothers and Other Fictional Characters and how personal essays that started with confusion or a question became a cohesive book [3:00] How Nicole layered literary themes and archetypes into her book along with real life situations [7:56] The complexity of intergenerational relationships, particularly with mothers and fathers [11:48] The duality of embracing and resisting traditional gender roles [16:34] How to write emotional scenes from everyday moments [22:21] Advice for writers on structuring essays, capturing sensory details, and writing an accumulation of small moments [41:03] Connect with Nicole Website https://nicolegraevlipson.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nglipson/ Subscribe to Nicole’s newsletter https://nicolegraevlipson.com/contact Buy her book on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/mothers-and-other-fictional-characters-a-memoir-in-essays-nicole-graev-lipson/21565078?aid=98827&ean=9781797228563&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Other Episodes Mentioned Maggie Smith Episode #81 The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/ Joanna Rakoff: Episode #87 Writing Memoir that Reads Like a Novel and Captivates on Every Page https://estelleserasmus.com/87-writing-memoir-that-reads-like-a-novel-and-captivates-on-every-page-featuring-joanna-rakoff/ Kelly McMasters: Episode #39 The Literary Gifts of The Leaving Season https://estelleserasmus.com/39-the-literary-gifts-of-the-leaving-season/ Christie Tate: Episode #123 Writing About Trauma Using Timelines, Throughlines, and Imagery https://estelleserasmus.com/123-writing-about-trauma-using-timelines-throughlines-and-imagery-with-christie-tate/ Nicole’s Pushcart- Prize winning essay “Tikkun Olam Ted” that was in River Teeth Journal https://zibbymag.com/blog/pushcart-prize-essay-tikkun-olam Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    46 m
  • #131 The Flavor of Trauma: A Food Memoir Wrapped Around a Family Story Featuring Bonny Reichert

    #131 The Flavor of Trauma: A Food Memoir Wrapped Around a Family Story Featuring Bonny Reichert
    Mar 20 2025
    Bonny Reichert is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist. She has been an editor at Today’s Parent and Chatelaine magazines, and a columnist and regular contributor to The Globe and Mail newspaper. When she turned forty, a now-or-never feeling made her quit her job to enroll in culinary school, and she’s been exploring her relationship with food on the page ever since. Bonny was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and lives in Toronto with her husband and little dog, Bruno. HOW TO SHARE AN EGG won the 2022 Dave Greber Book Award for social justice writing. Bonny’s journey from journalism to food writing and memoir [2:23] The inspiration behind How to Share an Egg and how Bonny blended personal and historical narratives for a universal message [3:17] How Bonny’s Holocaust-surviving father shaped her understanding of food, resilience, and storytelling [3:45] The power of a declarative sentence, key incident, conversation or experience [7:22] How Bonny restructured her book chapter by chapter for a stronger narrative arc [8:30] The meaning of the phrase coping was containment [18:11] The role of metaphors in good writing [20:01] Why Bonny believes writing for the reader [27:58] Advice for writers tackling their own personal and family histories [36:06] Connect with Bonny Reichert http://www.bonnyreichert.com Subscribe to my newsletter: bonnyreichert.substack.com Find How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love and Plenty on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-share-an-egg-a-true-story-of-hunger-love-and-plenty-bonny-reichert/21415607?aid=98827&ean=9780593599167&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Bonny and her Father on NPR with Scott Simon https://www.npr.org/2025/01/25/nx-s1-5185933/bonny-reicherts-how-to-share-an-egg-is-a-memoir-about-food-and-family Bonny’s article on Jane Friedman’s Site How to Find Your Memoir’s Narrative Arc (There May Be More Than One) https://janefriedman.com/finding-your-narrative-arc/ Episode Mentioned in This Episode Episode #87 Writing Memoir that Reads Like a Novel and Captivates on Every Page Featuring Joanna Rakoff https://estelleserasmus.com/87-writing-memoir-that-reads-like-a-novel-and-captivates-on-every-page-featuring-joanna-rakoff/ Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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