Page Count

Michelle Houts, the author of the picture book When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike, and Erica Magnus, the book’s illustrator, discuss the life and adventures of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Houts and Magnus share Gatewood’s incredible story while discussing the power of perseverance, the art of picture books, tips for aspiring authors, finding inspirat...

It’s launch day for Cleveland Noir , an anthology offering a twisty, duplicitous, and sometimes murderous view of Cleveland. Anthology editors Michael Ruhlman and Miesha Wilson Headen discuss the noir genre, why Cleveland is an apt city for this work, the process of curating and editing the anthology, the diverse range of voices and geographic locations represented, tips for new writers, and more....

Journey into the sewer with Jay B. Kalagayan, the creator, writer, and publisher of MeSseD, a comic series inspired by the nickname for the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) that follows the adventures of sewer worker Lilliput. Kalagayan discusses the art of comic creation and collaboration, his influences, the value of diverse stories and representation, pursuing creativity...

Jennifer Fisher, a Nancy Drew expert, author, collector, and historian, sheds light on the life and work of Mildred Wirt Benson, the original ghostwriter of the Nancy Drew series. Fisher reveals how and why the original 34 Nancy Drew books, which were published beginning in the 1930s, were revised decades later—sometimes significantly. She compares the original and revised versions of THE HIDDEN S...

As past panelists for the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards, Traci Brimhall, Melissa Faliveno, and Tanya Rey share what it was like to read and judge applications. They discuss what made an application stand out, how writers can craft the narrative and philosophy statements to good effect, the importance of submitting polished work, the inherent subjectivity of the process, persistenc...

Chaz O’Neil, the Individual Artist Programs & Percent for Art Coordinator for the Ohio Arts Council, offers behind-the-scenes tips for Ohio writers applying for the $5,000 OAC Individual Excellent Awards . He discusses eligibility, types of writing accepted, submission guidelines, narrative and philosophy statements, the judging process, and how writers can prepare the strongest application possib...

This episode was recorded before a live audience at the 2023 Ohioana Book Festival at the Columbus Metropolitan Library on April 22, 2023. A panel of five authors discuss turning points in their writing careers—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the existentially fraught. This conversation covers everything from rejection to reader reactions, imposter syndrome, awards, inspiration, validation, and m...

Kristen Elias Rowley, the editor in chief of The Ohio State University Press and its literary imprint, Mad Creek Books, sheds light on the nonfiction publishing landscape. She discusses university and small press publishing, the types of books Mad Creek publishes, the importance of discovering new voices, diversity in publishing, how she works with authors, and trends she sees in memoir submission...

To celebrate the publication of Grounded, a new middle-grade novel surrounding four kids searching for a lost cat in an airport, Huda Al-Marashi discusses the art of writing and publishing collaboratively. She sheds light on the technicalities of the collaboration process, the value of writing friendships, the commitment required to finish a book, writing for adults vs. kids, her advice for writer...

Page Count’s second season kicks off on May 9! Listen to snippets from just a few of our upcoming episodes featuring the following authors and experts:   Huda Al-Marashi , co-author of the new middle-grade novel Grounded, discusses the art of writing collaboratively. Kristen Elias Rowley , editor-in-chief of the Ohio State University Press , critiques nonfiction pages from Ohio writers. Jennifer F...

You know what they say: an April hiatus brings May . . . episodes? In any case, Page Count is taking a break from full-length episodes in April. But don’t worry—we’ll be back for a second season, which features an exciting lineup of guests, beginning May 9, 2023. A trailer for this second season will drop April 25.   Finally, our host, Laura Maylene Walter, will moderate a panel at the Ohioana Boo...

This bonus episode celebrates the return of an in-person Ohioana Book Festival on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library. The day will include panel discussions, readings, activities, an on-site book fair, and a live Page Count podcast recording, among other offerings.   Festival authors featured in this episode who are scheduled to participate in the live Pa...

To celebrate the publication of her new story collection, The Last Catastrophe, Allegra Hyde discusses climate fiction, the concept of “global weirding,” the inspiration behind her speculative premises, the value of literary magazine publication, her revision process, what it was like to appear on a late-night show to discuss her debut novel, literary agents for short fiction writers, her writing...

Mid-American Review (MAR) Editor-in-Chief Abigail Cloud and Poetry Editor Megan Borocki shed light on the literary magazine landscape, especially for poets. Cloud and Borocki discuss what kind of work MAR publishes, their editorial approach and process, trends they see in the submission queue, submission tips, preferred fonts (spoiler: poets love Garamond), their perspective on cover letters, the...

Prince Shakur discusses his debut memoir, When They Tell You to Be Good, a political and personal exploration of his coming of age as a writer and activist. Shakur shares how race and identity shaped his formative years, how journaling providing him with a creative outlet, his experience with activism and protest, his approach to writing about family, how he incorporated research into the memoir,...

In honor of Valentine’s Day, poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis discusses the challenges and joys of writing love poems while sharing the creative process behind “The Goddess of Interracial Dating,” which appears in her collection A MORE PERFECT UNION. She also discusses the value of writing groups and residencies, literary magazine submission strategies, the art of persona poems, making her own superher...

To celebrate the 150th birthday of Ohio author Zane Grey, Laura is joined by Lucas Fralick from the Wyoming Center for the Book and Don Boozer from Cleveland Public Library to discuss Grey’s novel Wyoming, which was originally published in serial form in 1932. Wyoming surrounds plucky, independent Martha Ann Dixon and abrasive Andrew Bonning, whose paths cross as Martha Ann hitchhikes her way to W...

Don Boozer, the Literature Department Manager and Ohio Center for the Book Coordinator at Cleveland Public Library, steps in as Page Count’s guest host to interview author and historian Douglas Brinkley. During a discussion that covers the burning Cuyahoga River, the conservation policies of past American presidents, environmental activism, and his latest book, Silent Spring Revolution : John F. K...

In this bonus episode, join us behind the scenes at the kickoff event for Cleveland Reads , the citywide reading challenge that tasks Clevelanders with reading a million books and/or minutes in 2023!   Featured in this episode: Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland John Marshall High School Marching Band Jen Jumba, Cleveland Public Library Felton Thomas, Jr., Cleveland Public Library Executive Director...

Literary agent, author, and podcaster Erin Hosier discusses the current publishing landscape, challenges and opportunities in the industry, the author-agent relationship, and what aspiring writers can do to develop their writing. Finally, she and Laura critique three query letters submitted by Ohio writers.   Erin Hosier is a  literary agent  with Dunow Carlson & Lerner in NYC, specializing in nar...

We’re wrapping up 2022 with a compilation of writing advice from some of the authors who appeared on the pod this year. From writing routines to persistence, motivation, research, rejection, and more, these authors have you covered. Be sure to listen to their full Page Count interviews for more in-depth discussion of these topics and others.   In this episode: Negesti Kaudo on why writers shouldn’...

We’re taking a meta dive into the world of podcasting with Jill Grunenwald, an author, librarian, and the cohost of OverDrive’s Professional Book Nerds podcast. Grunenwald shares how Professional Book Nerds got its start, how she and her cohosts produce the show, the challenges and benefits of hosting a podcast, tips for authors making their first podcast appearance, and why podcasting is such a p...

This mini episode offers 10 tips for writers working on their first novels. Host Laura Maylene Walter draws on her experience as a novelist to discuss idea generation, outlines, structure, word-count goals, persistence, the constant battle against self-doubt, and more.   The advice Walter shares in this episode was originally recorded during a workshop she led at the Ohio Center for the Book at Cl...

Kirsten Reach, founder of Jonquil Editorial and former Kenyon Review fiction editor and Melville House book editor, critiques opening pages from Ohio prose writers. Her feedback surrounds the importance of starting in the right place, writing dialogue that moves the story forward, and creating a clear and immediate sense of the world from the very first page. This episode also covers literary maga...

In this special live episode, Laura Maylene Walter interviews Liz Breazeale, an award-winning author and NEA Fellow, to offer listeners practical advice surrounding the writing process, revision, rejection, literary agents, publication, MFA programs, and more. During their conversation, Liz equates revision with disaster; Laura reveals why she can’t be Liz’s literary executor; Liz describes how sh...