Novelist and short story writer Alice Elliott Dark talks with Tess about long-term grief not as something to fix, but as an access point, a thin veil between us and the people we've lost. She shares her creative process, sunrise practice, the quiet art of becoming "receptive" rather than forceful, and why she believes it's okay to simply live inside grief rather than rush to move past it. A gentle, grounding conversation about loss, presence, and staying open to what — or who — is trying to reach us.

Dark's story "In the Gloaming"—which first appeared in The New Yorker thirty years ago—was recently published by Scribner as a standalone book. Her forthcoming novel, Wherever You Are, returns to the same characters in an exploration of long-term grief as a paradoxical connection to deeper aliveness. (Scribner, fall 2027).

Alice Elliott Dark is the author of the novels Fellowship Point and Think of England, and two collections of short stories, In The Gloaming and Naked to the Waist. Her story, "In the Gloaming," was chosen by John Updike for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories of The Century and adapted for film by HBO and Trinity Playhouse (starring Glenn Close, directed by Christopher Reeve). Dark is the recipient of a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a 2026 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She is a Professor of English and the Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program at Rutgers-Newark.

Find out more about her work here: https://www.aliceelliottdark.com/

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Host: Tess Callahan
Substack: Writers at the Well
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Tess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/
Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd Clark
Audio Editing: Eric Fischer

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DISCLAIMER: Meditation is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical healthcare or therapy. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to this recording. Use the material provided at your own risk. Do not drive or operate dangerous equipment while listening. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and novelist, author of American Dervish and Homeland Elegies, joins host Tess Callahan to talk about his new novel, The Radiance. The book follows a writer (also named Ayad) who wakes from a hit-and-run accident into an unbidden state of heightened perception that unfolds over eight months as he navigates an academic scandal in a politically divided town.

Ayad talks about writing as “melding” with a register of experience rather than executing a plan; the idea of autofiction as “doing the truth, but better”; the influence of Montaigne, Rousseau, and Plato’s cave; and what it means to come back down the mountain after a genuine experience of grace. He asks the political meaning of grace. We also get into Falstaff, Ayad’s father, and what constitutes greatness in a person.

The Radiance was published September 29, 2026. Ayad is touring 28 cities this fall, dates available here: https://ayadakhtar.com/

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Host: Tess Callahan
Substack: Writers at the Well
Interview Podcast: Writers at the Well
Meditations on Insight Timer
Meditations on YouTube
Tess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/
Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd Clark
Audio Editing: Eric Fischer

By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show.
Thank you for listening!

DISCLAIMER: Meditation is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical healthcare or therapy. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to this recording. Use the material provided at your own risk. Do not drive or operate dangerous equipment while listening. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

Wake up at night with your mind racing? Or have trouble getting to sleep to begin with? This guided meditation uses breathwork and a gentle river visualization to help you let go of the day and drift back to sleep. Picture yourself releasing worry, heartache, and tension into the softly flowing water, until there’s nothing left but stillness.

Audio editing and music by Eric Fischer.

Support the show

Host: Tess Callahan
Substack: Writers at the Well
Interview Podcast: Writers at the Well
Meditations on Insight Timer
Meditations on YouTube
Tess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/
Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd Clark
Audio Editing: Eric Fischer

By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show.
Thank you for listening!

DISCLAIMER: Meditation is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical healthcare or therapy. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to this recording. Use the material provided at your own risk. Do not drive or operate dangerous equipment while listening. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.