Autofocus Books publisher Michael Wheaton presents brief readings and various interview clips with the authors of the three Autofocus spring 2025 new releases: Erin Dorney (Yes I Am Human I Know You Were Wondering), Shayne Terry (Leave: A Postpartum Account), and Teresa Carmody (A Healthy Interest in the Lives of Others).

Brief readings: "Day 27" by Erin Dorney, "Stitched Part II" by Shayne Terry, and "A New Writing Friend" (excerpt) by Teresa Carmody.

Interview clips include answers to questions about life before and after writing their books, insights gained about their subjects through the process of writing their books, and thoughts on the craft and forms of artful autobiographical writing.

Support Autofocus Books by purchasing The Spring 2025 Box and/or The Autofocus Digital Pass.

Podcast theme: "Low Life" (instrumental) by Yeah Yeah Cool Cool (the musical project of Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac, from Autofocus Books). Find Nagel's books at autofocusbooks.com.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Andrew Bertaina interviews Nick Rees Gardner.

Andrew Bertaina is the author of the essay collection The Body Is A Temporary Gathering Place, out now from Autofocus Books, and the short story collection One Person Away From You (2021), which won the Moon City Short Fiction Award.

Nick Rees Gardner is the author of the story collection Delinquents and Other Escape Attempts (Madrona Books, 2024). He's also the author of the novella Hurricane Trinity, a book of poetry, So Marvelously Far (2019), and a chapbook Decomposed (2017).

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Full conversation topics include:

-- buying a beer & wine store

-- morning vs evening writing

-- wanting to write

-- running

-- grandma as childhood poetry teacher

-- emo poetry in high school

-- drugs in college

--short stories

-- dropping out for rehab

-- the short story collection DELINQUENTS

-- from novel to story collection

-- time

-- knowing when a story is done

-- rewriting drafts

-- slowing down

-- process

-- reviewing books

-- influence

-- rhythm

-- subverting the narrative of rehab

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Podcast theme music also provided by Mike Nagel. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.

The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Jason McCall interviews Tasha Coryell.

Tasha Coryell is the author of the debut novel Love Letters to A Serial Killer. Her forthcoming novel, Matchmaking for Psychopaths, is now available for preorder.

Jason McCall is the author of the essay collection Razed by TV Sets (Autofocus, 2024) and the poetry collections What Shot Did You Ever Take (co-written with Brian Oliu); A Man Ain’t Nothin’; Two-Face God; Mother, Less Child ; Dear Hero; I Can Explain; and Silver. He and P.J. Williams are the editors of It Was Written: Poetry Inspired by Hip-Hop.

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Conversation topics include:

--seasons / the cold

-- ambience videos

-- wanting to be a writer at eight

-- re-shifting priorities

-- moving into the thriller genre

-- learning to write novels

-- relaxing about publishing

-- running

-- unpublished novels

-- writing while succeeding

-- the debut novel Love Letters to a Serial Killer

-- the journey of the manuscript to publication

-- a very millennial character

-- academia

-- reading about serial killers / true crime

-- enjoying writing the character

-- writing an entertaining book

-- the forthcoming Matchmaking for Psychopaths

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Podcast theme music by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.

The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.