Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

In part three of my interview with Deesha Philyaw–author of the brand-new novel “Confessions of First Lady Freeman,” and the National Book Award-finally story collection “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies”--we talk about what’s getting her creative juices flowing, the shifts she’s making as she starts writing her most ambitious work yet, and the shows, writers, and songs that are keeping her inspi...

In the second part of our conversation, Deesha Philyaw, whose hot off-the-presses novel “The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman” is a funny, juicy, sexy, and delicious peak behind the pulpit of a black megachurch, shares her insights on the beliefs, fears, and concerns she’s had to re-write, including:- Why she stopped focusing on getting published- The editing trick she swears by–although she...

This week my guest is Deesha Philyaw, who has been called “a bonafide literary treasure” by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Deesha's short story collection, “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” was a 2020 National Book Award finalist, a Penn Faulkner Award for Fiction winner, and an LA Times Book Prize winner. Now, her highly anticipated novel, “The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman,” has just...

Welcome to our third and final compilation episode where I share answers from six different writers to just one of my questions from the Finding the Throughline questionnaire. This week that question is: How do you get your writing done? Let's find out how the sausage gets made! Allegra Goodman, Octavia Randolph, Eric J. Dolan, Sheree L. Greer, Susan Scarf Merrell, and Daisy Florin give us a peel...

This week I've got another compilation episode for you to enjoy while I take the rest of the summer off from producing new episodes. In today’s episode, I’m sharing answers from six different writers to the question: What is your favorite part of the writing process? What really lights you up and keeps you going? The writers you’ll hear from today are a mix of journalists, novelists, essayists, me...

I’m taking a little hiatus during the month of August, but I didn’t want to leave you with nothing new to listen to. So my editor and I have pulled some highlights from some our most-loved conversations that we know you'll enjoy. Something I ask everyone is: How do you make money??Not because I'm a tacky person (although maybe I am, a little) but because one of the biggest things that stops people...

In this final installment of my talk with Allegra Goodman, author of "This Is Not About Us," "Isola," and "Katterskill Falls", among many other books, she shares how she's aiming to use her work to get people to engage their brains a little more--in a most delightful way. And she also dishes on the books she's been loving and the food that's been fueling her. We talked about:- The nonfiction book...

Welcome to part two of my interview with Allegra Goodman, author of the brand new "This Is Not About Us" (which the NY Times called "deliciously readable"), “Isola” (a Reese's Book Club pick), and “Katterskill Falls” (nominated for the National Book Award).We covered:- Why starting a new project is the hardest part–and how she gets herself through it- How she trusts her inner critic to offer const...

This week I’m replaying my interview with Allegra Goodman in honor of the release of her newest book, "This Is Not About Us," which the New York Times called "deliciously readable." She's also the author of "Isola,” which was a Reese's book club selection, and her first, “Katterskill Falls,” which was a National Book Award finalist, as well as multiple other books. We covered:- Getting "discovered...

Welcome to the final installment of my interview with Steve Ahlquist, an independent journalist who covers social justice, economic justice, and environmental justice in the state of Rhode Island. Steve is the founder of the independent news site Uprise RI, and currently is sharing his reporting at his Substack, Steve Ahlquist News. In today’s episode we’re talking about where Steve’s throughline...

In part two of my interview with Steve Ahlquist, an advocacy journalist in Rhode Island and publisher of Steve Ahlquist News, we get into the ideas and thought processes that inform his reporting, including:- An honest look at the physical risks of covering politics (including, but not limited to death threats)- How he deals with the pressure he feels to get his stories right- Narrowing the gap be...

My guest this week is Steve Ahlquist, an independent reporter who practices what’s known as advocacy journalism. Steve has been covering politics and protest in the state of Rhode Island for well over a decade, first at the now-defunct blog RI Future, then at the news website he founded, UpriseRI, and now on his own Substack, Steve Ahlquist News. I first crossed paths with Steve at the RI State Ho...

In this final installment of my interview with Elisa Faison, author of “Skin Contact,” a novel about the thrills and the unintended consequences of opening up your marriage, we’re getting a peek at where Elisa’s throughline is leading her next, plus hearing about what she’s currently reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating. We covered:- A sneak peek at the novel she just fini...

This is part two of my interview with Elisa Faison, debut author of the brand new novel “Skin Contact,” a razor-sharp exploration of intimacy, non-monogamous desire, motherhood, and grief. We covered:- Honoring your own neurodiversity in your writing process- The plight of being an author who hates self-promotion on social media- How she lets those doubts out so she can keep going- Transitioning f...

My guest this week is Elisa Faison, debut author of Skin Contact, a bingeable, sexy, and poignant novel about a young couple who decide to open up their marriage. Elisa also won the 2024 Peden Prize for her story “Motherlove.”We covered:- Her storied past as an “OC” and Harry Potter fanfic writer- Touring through various writing adjacent jobs- The book she wrote that may never see the light of day...

Welcome back to the Finding the Throughline interview with Vanessa Lillie, whose bestselling books include "The Bone Thief," "Blood Sisters," "Little Voices”, and “For the Best.” Vanessa is also the co-author of the Young Rich Widows series and an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. This episode is a replay. We covered:- Why she’s so excited about Indigenous storytelling right now- Many recom...

In part two of my conversation with bestselling crime fiction author Vanessa Lillie, whose books include "The Bone Thief," "Blood Sisters," "Little Voices”, and “For the Best,” we're breaking down all the mental hurdles that can get in the way of your writing, and how to overcome them, including:- Fighting erasure by weaving her family’s story into her books- The thrill of writing about your cultu...

This week I’m talking with Vanessa Lillie, the bestselling author of numerous thrillers, including "The Bone Thief" (her most recent) and its prequel, "Blood Sisters," as well as “Little Voices,” and “For the Best." Vanessa is also the co-author of the Young Rich Widows series of fun 80s mystery romps. Vanessa is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in...

Welcome back to the final part of my interview with Philip Eil, an award-winning freelance journalist based in his hometown, Providence, Rhode Island and the author of “Prescription for Pain” and a work in progress about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility, a maximum-security prison in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Today we’re going to get a glimpse at where Phil’s throughline is leading hi...

Welcome to part two of my interview with Philip Eil, freelance investigative journalist and author of the book “Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’” and a work in progress about the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, RI, otherwise known as the hometown of Viola Davis. Today we’re talking about the inner stuff involved in writing—the doubts, the...

This week my guest is Phil Eil, an author and freelance journalist based in his hometown–and mind–Providence, RI.Phil’s first book, “Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’”, came out in 2024 and was hailed a riveting true-crime page-turner by the Columbus Dispatch. He’s currently working on a new book about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility in Ce...

Welcome back to part three of my interview with Lori Gold, author of the brand new novel “Kiss, Marry, Kill,” about three women who play a spin on the classic sleepover game and wake up the next day in an alternate universe, and “Romantic Friction,” an NPR Book of the Day that satirizes publishing and AI and explores female ambition and friendship. Lori is also the author of Love, Theodosia, Sourc...

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Lori Gold, whose brand new novel is “Kiss, Marry, Kill,” a book about three friends who are sent into alternate universes after playing the classic sleepover game during a company trip. Today, we’re getting into the psychology and mindset side of writing–the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs that play such a big part of this very interior profession. We cov...

This week my guest is Lori Gold, author of the just-released “Kiss, Marry, Kill” about three women who play a spin on the classic sleepover game and wake up the next day in an alternate universe, and last year’s winning breakthrough, “Romantic Friction” – a comedic look at a rivalry between two writers seasoned with a dash of AI that was an NPR Book of the Day. Her other books, published under the...

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with John Glynn, author of the brand new novel “The Lost Book of Lancelot,” a queer retelling of the legend of Camelot–think Heated Rivalry set in King Arthur’s court. John is also the author of “Out East: Memoir of a Montauk Summer” that oprah.com called "A moving account of the particular sort of loneliness that descends when you know you're...