Pen On Fire / Writers on Writing

Keija Parsinnen and Eric Weiner, on Writers on Writing: Podcast is up!

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:50:00 +0000

Keija Parsinnen, author of the novel,The Ruins of Us, and Eric Weiner, author of the narrative nonfiction book, Man Seeks God, talk about their books, read from their books, and discuss the art and craft--and business--of writing with me. I loved talking with both of them. It's a week later and I'm still thinking about Keija's novel. Such a different culture and place. The closest I may ever get to the Middle East is via novels and The Ruins of Us took me there.

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(Broadcast date: February 8, 2012)

Thrity Umrigar & Vicki Goldberg

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Marrie Stone talks with Thrity Umrigar, author of The World We Found, and photojournalist Vicki Goldberg, author of The White House: The President's Home in Photographs and History.

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(Broadcast date: January 4, 2012)

The Weekend Writer

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Little Corona beach, early.

It's Saturday morning, and what are most normal people doing? They're sleeping in, or going for a walk or a run, or to the Farmer's Market, drinking coffee, reading the paper, taking it easy. I love doing all this too, and I do, too. But writers aren't normal people. Writers are a strange, wonderful breed, amongst my favorite people.

So live up to your vocation or avocation. Don't act normal. As literary agent Betsy Lerner (author of Forest for the Trees) said when she came on my show, nurture your quirks, exaggerate how you're different from others--in looks, in behavior, in your writing. And write on the weekend. While everyone else is relaxing, drinking beer and watching the game, and just generally taking it easy, use a bit of your weekend days to write. Even if you only visit with your writing, even if you've only spent 15 minutes writing, you will have written and you'll feel better about yourself for it.

Don't know what to write? Here's a prompt: Wherever you are, at this minute, write from where you sit. What's going on around you? What do you see? Smell? Hear? Is there a window nearby? Or maybe you're outside, at a cafe. What's going on? What do you hear?

Write 250 words and post it here. I'd love to read it.

No disclaimers, no doubts: writers, listen up....

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:32:00 +0000

All of us are plagued with doubts at one time or another--or all the time. Writers suffer from this as much as anyone else--maybe more--because most of us are too sensitive, neurotic, obsessive, reactionary, on and on.

But when you're sitting down to write, or even contemplating writing or planning to write, this is the worst time to let doubts creep in: I'm no good, Why me? What's new about what I have to say? I'm horrible at plotting! My dialogue sucks! My vocabulary is teensy weensy....The list goes on!

In my Literary Posse workshop, I have an aqua Bell jar that my students have to stuff with money when they let a disclaimer drip from their mouths. Disclaimers and keeping that negative self-talk does nothing--nothing at all!--for you as a writer, or you as most things. All doubts and disclaimers do is keep you from writing and send you hightailing it to clean the grout or feed your face or whatever it is that you do as a lovely distraction.

So when you hear that negative self-talk or think about how bad (not good) a writer (or singer or photographer or artist or musician... you are, here's what I want you to do. I want you to get out your notebook (or camera or easel....) and start creating. Writers write. Writers progress by writing. Ideas are great, but ideas aren't writing.

Get out a timer, set it for 15 minutes, and start writing. Freewrite about a character in a story, write a scene in a story, a scene in your memoir, or whatever interests you. Don't stop writing.

I promise you that the more you do this, the more the doubts and disclaimers will stop and the more you will progress in your writing.

What's your negative self-talk and how do you get past it--or do you?

President Obama is in our hamlet of Corona del Mar this morning

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:29:00 +0000

All right, this isn't about writing, but it's something to write about. President Obama is in an adjacent neighborhood at a fundraising breakfast. My friend Deb and I walked down at 6:15 and joined the gathering crowd. Overheard: "Anyone who likes Obama is on welfare." O-kay!

Here's what it looked like on Pacific Coast Highway, in Corona del Mar, this morning prior to 8 a.m.

Dani Shapiro talks about her memoir "Devotion"

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion, in conversation with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

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(Broadcast date: 2/10/11)

Luis Alberto Urrea and Peter Orner

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:56:00 +0000

Marrie Stone interviews Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Queen of America, and Peter Orner, author of Love and Shame and Love.

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(Broadcast date: December 14, 2012)

Carolyn See

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:52:00 +0000

Carolyn See, author of There Will Never Be Another You.

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(Broadcast date: Aug 10, 2006)

Memoirist Glen Retief

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:12:00 +0000

As we reconstruct our podcasts that disappeared due to who knows what, here's an interview I very much enjoyed with memoirist Glen Retief, author of The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.

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(Broadcast date: July 20, 2011)

Chris Van Allsburg and Erin Morgenstern

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Marrie Stone interviews Chris Van Allsburg, author of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, and Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus.

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(Broadcast date: Oct 5, 2011)

Lyanda Lynn Haupt and lit agent Kelly Sonnack

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:36:00 +0000

Here's my interview with Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Crow Nation and literary agent Kelly Sonnack with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

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Enjoy!

(Broadcast date: 1/11/12)

Podcast Problems

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:17:00 +0000

As many of you have discovered, we've been having problems with our Writers on Writing podcasts. Unfortunately, our server lost hundreds of our shows. On the plus side, we have copies of everything and we're in the process of restoring them, one by one, back to the server.

If there's an episode you particularly miss or one that you're looking for, write to us. We can move it to the head of our restoration process. In the meantime, please bear with us as we keep working. It's a long process!

Thanks so much for your loyalty and listenership, and for bearing with us while we fix the problems.

A reading at Laguna Beach Books

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Join my students and me for a reading this afternoon (Sunday, Jan. 22) at Laguna Beach Books. Free food, drink, great company. 4 p.m. More here.

R.I.P ETTA JAMES

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:59:00 +0000

Etta James, whose song, "I'd Rather Go Blind," we close with at the end of each radio show, died yesterday at the age of 73. Brian's band the Three Blind Mice opened for her at the Coach House, in San Juan Capistrano, ten years ago. It was her birthday and he ate birthday cake with her, in her dressing room. RIP, Etta.....Love your music, always.

Pen on Fire Writers Salon with T. Jefferson Parker

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:38:00 +0000

On January 17, 2012, the Pen on Fire Writers Salon hosted T. Jefferson Parker at Scape Gallery in Corona del Mar. Jeff talked about his new novel, The Jaguar. We had a full house and sold out/waiting list event with one of the most magnanimous writers ever. Visit his webpage to learn of his events and attend one. You'll be one happy writer for having done so.

Debbie Mitsch's bookstore, Mystery Ink, in Huntington Beach, supplied the books.

Barb, Deb & C.J.

All photos by C.J. Bahnsen, except for the last, taken by Travis Barrett

David Vann, Ellen Bell, Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Marrie Stone interviews David Vann, author of Last Day on Earth: A Portrait of the NIU School Shooter; Ellen Bell, author of Irvine (Images of America); and Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, co-authors of The Future of Us.

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(Broadcast date: November 19, 2011)

Lyanda Lynn Haupt and lit agent Kelly Sonnack

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:29:00 +0000

On this morning's show, my guests will be Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness (Little Brown) and Kelly Sonnack, a literary agent with the Andrea Brown Agency. Tune in at 9 am PT at KUCI-FM 88.9. If you can't pick up the signal, listen at kuci.org or at iTunes college radio.

Also, if you've been trying to listen to the podcasts and can't, we're working on it!

The most touching Christmas gift ever

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Here's one Christmas gift I found under the tree on Christmas morning. I cried. Brian created a tile that looks like my book cover. So very touching. Homemade gifts are the best, aren't they?

Heather King and Nell Casey

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Heather King, author of Shirt of Flame: A Year With St. Therese of Lisieux, and Nell Casey, author of The Journals of Spalding Gray.

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(Broadcast date: November 23, 2011)

Library-scented perfume

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:36:00 +0000

It's true. Does this mean libraries are on the verge of extinction? Read more here.

Amy Ephron & Karen Karbo, a podcast of the show

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:08:00 +0000

Yesterday I was on the show with two writers who are so entertaining and, well, cool. Amy Ephron is author of the memoir, Loose Diamonds, and Karen Karbo is author of How Georgia Became O'Keeffe. (Karen will be a featured author at the Pen on Fire Writers Salon this coming Tuesday, Nov. 15.)

Here you go....enjoy!

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(Broadcast date: November 9, 2011)

Carole Moore and Stephen Wetta

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:03:00 +0000

Marrie Stone interviews Carole Moore, author of The Last Place You'd Look: True Stories of Missing Persons and the People Who Search for Them and Stephen Wetta, author of If Jack's In Love.

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(Broadcast date: October 19, 2011)

Thank you to fund drive donors

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:58:00 +0000

KUCI-FM, where Marrie and I host Writers on Writing, is in the midst of a fund drive. The university continues to cut dollars from our budget, which is laughably minimal as it is. So I especially want to thank the following people for donating yesterday during the show:
Ron Alvarez
Allison Johnson
Bruce Miller
Jennifer Cimaglia
Charles Leister
Sonia Marsh
And a mysterious donor ... for the grand offering of $100.....

Another just came in from one of my favorite suspense writers who's been on the show a number of times: T. Jefferson Parker.

And Sujatha Samy, who listens from the UK.

It's your support that helps keep the lights on. Thanks you guys and goils!

Heidi Durrow and William Todd Schultz

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Here is the podcast of my show with Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky and William Todd Schultz, author of An Emergency in Slow Motion: The Inner Life of Diane Arbus.

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(Broadcast date: Oct. 26, 2011)

"Despair" by Glen David Gold in The Santa Monica Review

penonfire@earthlink.net (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:11:00 +0000

The Santa Monica Review has been arriving in the mail for years since, or just before, its editor Andrew Tonkovich came on the show. In it I've read stories and essays by colleagues, friends, and at least one student. I've always liked the journal. It's literary without being pretentious.

But today, just now, in fact, I was knocked over by a piece in the Fall 2011 issue by Glen David Gold called "Despair." It was originally a talk he gave at Squaw Valley Writers Conference. I've liked Gold's writing since I read another essay by him in an anthology edited by Kevin Smokler that I wish I could remember the name of now. Bookends, maybe?

I want to tell all of the writers I know to read this essay. It's the last piece in the book. Gold talks about how the writing is the thing. The process is the most sacred part of anything we do. You've heard this before, but the sum of all parts of Gold's piece is nepenthean.

I'll back up. I've been writing a chapter on forgiveness for my memoir, Blue Corvair. The forgiveness chapters are short and are sprinkled throughout the memoir. For the current chapter, I started with a quote from a Melissa Bank story. One character tells another that to forgive, all you have to do is decide that's what you're going to do. No reason. You just forgive because you want to move on. I Googled forgiveness with the idea that the first entry that appeared would be the one I'd follow.

It was Wikipedia. Great. What's true, what's made up... I started reading. Forgiveness is good for the health and it's the most elevated was to be, from all religions' point of view. I felt dizzy, and lay down with the journal to finish reading "Despair."

Thank you, Andrew Tonkovich, for publishing Gold's talk, and thank you, Glen David Gold, for your defiantly great prose.