Notes from Erin Podcast

In the first episode of On the Record, I sit down with author Hailli Blassingame to talk about her debut novel They All Fall in Love in the End. We get into how the Challengers soundtrack shaped one of the most electric scenes in the book, why she named each part after a song, what revision actually taught her about being a writer, and what it means to write a character who wants everything and re...

Author Tiffany L. Warren joins Notes from Erin to talk about her historical fiction novel A Harlem Wedding, the true story of Yolande Du Bois, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Countee Cullen. Tiffany shares how a love of Octavia Butler shaped her as a storyteller, why sad love songs like "Heartbreaker" by Dionne Warwick contain the bones of a romance novel, and how "Congratulations" by Vesta Williams became th...

In this episode, I sit down with poet and memoirist Anne-Marie Wells to talk about her debut travel memoir Happy Iceland, out June 27th from Star Belt Press. In the conversation we cover what it took to write a book from scratch over ten years with no format training, what Icelandic strangers taught her about happiness, and the simple daily practice she now uses to stay connected to joy. If you've...

Carlie of She's Becoming Bookish joins Notes from Erin for a conversation about historical fiction, building a BookTube presence, and the music that mirrors her reading life. She breaks down three historical fiction picks for three different types of readers, makes a case for why audiobooks absolutely count, and names the one album she thinks deserves to be a novel. Come for the book recommend...

What happens when fairies decide to make TV? Author and entertainment journalist Randee Dawn joins Erin to talk about her Tuniverse series — contemporary fantasy that swaps swords and sorcery for soap operas, cozy mysteries, and mythical creatures navigating the modern world. Randee's latest book, We Interrupt This Program , drops readers into a magically constructed cozy mystery village — thi...

Leonor Mamanna has sent Leave It to Leonor every single Thursday for almost 10 years, 492 editions and counting. In this episode, we talk consistency, curation, and what it means to be the person people come to for recommendations. We also get into her three-book-at-a-time reading routine and the social campaign she built around A Little Life that took on a life of its own. Subscribe to Leave It t...

As a reader, cultivating a community of fellow readers is important both digitally, and in person and this is one thing that Jordan Hernandez of Completely Booked has thought about and equally perfected. In this interview, I spoke with Jordan about her community, the importance of reading diverse books, lessons she pull from both her reading and running life and so much more. Connect with Jordan:...

In this episode, I sit down with author ReShonda Tate to talk about her new novel With Love from Harlem , a sweeping historical fiction set in 1940s and 50s Harlem following jazz prodigy and civil rights advocate Hazel Scott and her complicated relationship with Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. We get into Hazel's erased legacy, the sisterhood between Hazel and Billie Holiday, what Black wo...

Interview with Bsrat Mezghebe, author of the debut novel I Hope You Find What You're Looking For, published by Liveright. We talk about Eritrean independence and the real women who inspired the book, her earliest reading memories, the role of music in her storytelling, being featured as a Well-Read Black Girl, and how she balanced personal and political narratives in her fiction. Chapters: (00:00)...

Random notes on book tracking, music memoirs and reading/listening goals for the new year. Get full access to Notes from Erin at notesfromerin.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Notes from Erin podcast, Erin speaks with Stephanie, the writer behind the Substack newsletter 'The Bookish Life.' They discuss Stephanie's journey as a reader, her transition from Instagram to Substack, the impact of audiobooks on her reading habits, and the importance of diverse reading. They also share their favorite reads, the role of music in literature, and the signifi...

What does home taste like? In this conversation, Erin sits down with artists Diana Albrecht and Ryan Stopera to discuss their collaborative photobook cookbook, 'Back of House'—a collection of twelve immigrant stories told through food. They explore how food serves as a universal language that connects culture, memory, and identity, the intentional curation of diverse voices, and why celebrating in...

Hi friends — I took an unplanned break last week, but I’m so happy to be back in your inbox the week of Thanksgiving. Thank you for being here and reading this newsletter. A few weeks ago, I was reading one of my favorite newsletters, SNOBHOP , and came across an edition about AI’s impact on the music industry. It got me thinking—while AI seems to be everywhere lately, I’d never really considered...

In this interview, I chat with Slanting Towards the Sea author Lidija Hilje, For the conversation we discuss: Her transition from law to writing, influenced by her early reading experiences. She kept a diary as a child, which helped her process emotions and develop her writing. Her background as a lawyer helped her understand storytelling and character development. The writing process involved bal...

Interview with Kate, aka BookWild, a bookstagrammer and podcast host who started her show by cold DMing authors and turning four yeses into a career. We talk about her reading journey from Christian bookstores to thrillers to historical horror, why she got deep into audiobooks this year and which narrators she can't stop following, her thoughts on banned books and reading as a tool against gas...

Interview with Alexis Relliford, writer and creator of the Substack newsletter Feeling My Shelf . We talk about her reading journey from YA to romance to horror, why messy characters in fiction make us look at ourselves differently, her summer reading list including Love You to Death and The Best Man , her fall TBR, her junk journaling practice, and why two Libras should never date each other. Cha...

Interview with Isaiah Diaz-Mays, writer and artist behind the Substack newsletter Echoes. We talk about building community on Substack, his love of R&B and neo soul, how streaming has changed the way we listen to and value music, the Ticketmaster/Live Nation monopoly, and his five favorite R&B albums of all time — plus his short story series The Emancipation of Catalina De Valle and his de...

Interview with debut author Christina Dotson about her novel Love You to Death — a thriller exploring friendship, paranoia, and the chaos of young adulthood. We discuss her creative process, the characters Kayla and Zory, the road trip at the heart of the story, and her love of Bravo reality TV. Purchase Love You to Death by Christina Dotson Chapters: (00:00) Meet Christina Dotson, Author of Love...