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A weekly podcast hosted by Jon DiSavino. It celebrates the enduring and compact literary form known as - you guessed it - the short story. But more importantly, it gives listeners an opportunity to hear the work of some of the best emerging writers of today. Each episode begins with an interview with the week's guest author, and ends with a professional audiobook production of a story by that author.Jon DiSavino is an actor and stage director. In the last few years he has begun producing and ...
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Kia ora and nau mai haere mai to Grey Areas with me, Petra Bagust. This is about growing up and going grey, in Aotearoa New Zealand because I’m getting older. And so are you. So how do we do it well? I reckon we can do it with a bit of gorgeousness and gusto and break that ‘getting old’ mould just a little. Or maybe more than a little. So join me as we climb into some of those topics that just aren't so clear-cut, maybe are a little chewy, a little crunchy… and let’s journey our way through ...
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The flash stories in Canadian author Hollay Ghadery's debut collection Widow Fantasies are like portrait miniatures, capturing essential moments in the lives of each character with laser-like focus and clarity. We read three stories from the book: "Tarot of St. Petersburg," Audience as Patio Furniture," and "Tennis Whites." https://www.hollayghader…
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There's a lot on Canadian author Kathryn Mockler's mind when it comes to what sorts of things the future might hold. In her hybrid collection Anecdotes (Book*hug Press), she channels her anxiety about the planet into bold, original, and surprisingly humorous works that take aim at the indifference surrounding us in these perilous times. We read fou…
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UK author Claire Carroll is the daughter of a zoologist, which is no surprise given the ways in which her reverence for the natural world figures largely in her fiction. She brings a daring imagination and a dark humor to the stories in her debut collection The Unreliable Nature Writer (Scratch Books), which examine the fragile relationship between…
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In his linked story collection Delinquents and Other Escape Attempts, Washington DC author Nick Rees Gardner has created a fictional landscape inspired by his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio - which he has affectionately dubbed "Westinghouse." But it's not a rose-tinted homage. Nick's personal experience of the opioid crisis that grew out of the econom…
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In his collection Stumbling Through Adulthood, Massachusetts author John Sheirer pays homage to folks like the ones he got to know while growing up in rural Pennsylvania. He creates indelible portraits of the unsung heroes of small town America - simple folk who time and again prove that "simple" is simply a matter of opinion. We read "Security," w…
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Kolby Granville, Founder and Editor of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy and Ethics Short Story Magazine shares his thoughts and ideas about publishing a periodical, using fiction to explore ethical principals and philosophical concepts, and elevating popular culture. We read a story from the magazine: "Father Dale's Drive-thru Exorcisms" by Vi…
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Author Timothy Laurence Marsh's coastal Southern California home town set the stage for his entering college on a tennis scholarship, where he began pursuing a career in law enforcement. But an elective course in creative writing put him on a very different path. We discuss his forthcoming story collection My Mother Fires Guns, and read "The Perfec…
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Toronto author Eufemia Fantetti is the child of Italian immigrants who emigrated to Canada in the sixties. In her story collection A Recipe for Disaster & Other Unlikely Tales of Love (Mother Tongue), she responds to the ways in which cultural beliefs and traditions effect the lives of generations struggling to adapt in their new and strikingly dif…
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In Toronto author Aaron Kreuter's linked story collection Rubble Children, he's provided a stirring and provocative portrait of a Jewish community in Toronto struggling with the difficult choices they must face as their core beliefs are called into question. Palestinian-Canadian author Saeed Teebi, author of Her First Palestinian, is the guest inte…
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Award-winning Ontario children's book author Nicola Winstanley has recently published a collection of fiction - this time for grownups. Smoke (Buckrider Books) is a linked story collection. It follows the path of a resilient woman from her rocky New Zealand childhood to her life as a professional living in Ontario, Canada. Nathan Whitlock, author o…
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Getting up at stupid-o’clock every weekday morning to perform in front of the nation requires a certain type of strength and stamina. Add perimenopause to the pressure cooker of live television and you’ve got yourself a potent cocktail of challenges. Part of Jenny-May Clarkson’s secret is the dynamic partnership she’s forged with her husband Dean. …
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Having children and becoming a mother is a huge part of our collective cultural script. When you’re single, the question is ‘when are you going to find someone?’ When you find someone, the question becomes ‘when are you having children?’ So what about the many women who don’t have children, either by choice, circumstance or because they’re unable t…
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In a culture of unhealthy comparison and burdensome perfectionism, how do we cultivate an openness to getting it wrong? … Like, really get down and dirty with failure and understand how necessary it is for growth and basically learning anything at all. Dr Jin Russell’s intimidating bio reads like the ultimate perfectionist’s achievement list. She’s…
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The world of investing has long been dominated by men, but did you know that the women who do invest typically do better than their male counterparts? Honestly, it’s never been easier with the technology now available to us, so let’s figure out what positive action we can take because the good news is it’s never too late to get amongst it. Victoria…
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There are moments in time where issues that have lurked in the shadows reach a tipping point and break into the public consciousness. Now is such a time for neurodiversity and ADHD. We are ready for healthier, more embracing conversations about how different brains work. TV presenter and actor Sonia Gray is on a quest to make life better for neurod…
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While we prepare for Season 3, we thought it might be fun to bring you some first-rate stories that probably haven’t seen the light of day in ages. We’re going to refer to these episodes as our "Found Fiction" episodes. These gems have been unearthed from the electronic vaults of Project Gutenberg - one of our favorite literary resources. They're s…
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Open a refreshing window to the world of creativity with Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh as we riff on creativity and poetry. Turns out you don’t have to give it up after high school. Selina, an accomplished poet, academic, and illustrator, shares profound insights and captivating tales from her journey, which includes becoming NZ’s official poet (aka Po…
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Hot on the heels of launching her new book Evolving, Judy Bailey sat down with Petra to talk all things ageing. At 72 years old, Judy has a sparkle that's infectious. Her credentialed career as a journalist, along with her natural curiosity and sense of fun make her an ideal guide to navigate the landscape of ageing, and explore the latest research…
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Nigerian author Wole Talabi excels at math (he's an engineer), so he creates what he calls a "fiction-equation" when beginning a story. But don't be misled by the technical sound of it. There's a deep reverence for humanity in his stories, which expertly capture the beauty and wonder of science and technology. His new collection is Convergence Prob…
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We're kicking off Season 5 with our LIVE recording of a fun and fascinating panel discussion tackling pleasure, intimacy, and love in midlife and menopause with writer Niki Bezzant and relationship coach Meg Cowan. Niki Bezzant is a trained journalist whose book This Changes Everything: the honest guide to menopause and perimenopause has, for thous…
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New York author Nicole Haroutunian knows how to keep an audience engaged - whether, as a museum educator, it's the groups she helps find a deeper connection with art - or readers of her fiction. Her newly-released novel-in-stories Choose This Now has been hailed by Lydia Kiesling, author of Mobility and The Golden State as " a sparkling, intimate l…
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Kia ora! Petra here and we’re getting ready for Season 5! 5 feels like a milestone… off to school and all that, growing up literally - thanks for coming on this journey with me - hasn’t it been fun and also fascinating!?! We have built up quite the collection of stories and questions to travel with us into our next season - hopefully with more comp…
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Chicago author Ananda Lima was born in Brasilia, Brazil, and made her way to Illinois via Australia and New York while working in the field of linguistics. She is a translator, a fiction writer, and an award-winning poet. Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, called her debut collection Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil "a terrific fiction deb…
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Missouri author Jess Bowers began her lifelong love affair with horses while still a child in her hometown of York, Pennsylvania - but she wasn't born to ranchers or farmers. Her dad was a sports journalist and a poet who fostered the love of literature in their home, which became the foundation on which she would build her writing career. We read …
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This emerging Canadian author writes under the pseudonym of Trent Lewin. "It was specifically picked so that I could elude the reality in which I’d lived for so many years, the reality that always had boundaries on it, and limits as to what I could do. I didn’t want my writing in a box." He has a PhD. But it's not in Creative Writing. It's in Envir…
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Vancouver, Canada author Andrea Bishop has been awarded a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to complete her first collection of short stories. The work-in-progress features stories of fearless women - hikers, hockey-players, moms, and mom-athletes - all striving to create harmony in an often brutal world. We read her story "Ice Created Lay…
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Canadian author Dave Gregory writes fiction on a wide variety of topics. But with his stories based on experiences shared in the oral tradition by his father, he creates a palpable connection to a world gone by. His Port Colborne stories depict his dad's rough-and-tumble post-war childhood, preserving a precious part of his family's past, and honor…
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No stranger to hard work, Indiana author Tommy Dean toiled in the corn fields of his youth, dreaming of basketball or baseball stardom. He's drawn to the ways that writing fiction allows him to become a kind of shapeshifter, creating worlds in which he gets to live multiple lives. The characters who populate his stories may live hard lives, but the…
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Tennessee author Amy Cipolla Barnes grew up in Great Plains territory, where her grandparents owned and operated a farm. In her fiction and other writing, one feels a powerful and ever-present connection to the earth and the natural world. Sierra Lidén reads "Docked," "St. Lucy of El Paso," "Drowning on Main Street," and "The Art of Brutalism." Sup…
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Film reviewer extraordinaire Kate Rodger joins Grey Areas for another laugh-filled chat about stepping outside of her ‘lane’, dealing with feelings of overwhelm, and the progress she's making on her personal goals. Kate brings her trademark humour and wildly generous way with words to a conversation about new challenges, making time for what’s impo…
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Michigan author Keith Hood can remember with clarity the day the riots of 1967 came right up to the front door of his childhood Detroit home. In his fiction and essays, he writes with a reverent yet unalloyed veracity about his hometown, where he witnessed dramatic changes taking place. We read his story "Utility," which was first published in Blue…
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Iconic broadcaster Robert Rakete returns to Grey Areas, joining Petra for a candid and uplifting kōrero. Robert has been discovering more of his whakapapa as he continues to learn Te Reo Māori, and shares his love of embracing the beginner's mind, facing fears and embracing failure. Plus Robert catches Petra up on his recent prostate check-up! 👀 If…
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Massachusetts author Chaya Bhuvaneswar is a practicing psychiatrist in the Boston area who joins a long tradition of doctors who have written poetry and fiction while pursuing a life in medicine. Her debut story collection White Dancing Elephants was the winner of the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize in 2017, and was selected for the list o…
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Two years on from her first Grey Areas appearance, Petra catches up with journalist and TVNZ's Sunday host Miriama Kamo as she's rounded out her fifth decade. Turning 50 can invite introspection and casting new vision for your life. Miriama grabs this opportunity with both hands sharing the raft of intentions she has for this season from getting br…
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Pennsylvania author Doug Brown's debut story collection My Bohemian Baptism and Then Some (Serif Press) is a testament to his determination to never give up on the dream of being a writer. Following a thirty-plus year hiatus where life had other plans for him, he's returned to the pursuit he's always loved. In this episode we read the title story f…
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Annie Crummer and Betty-Anne Monga along with Julia Deans and Boh Runga will be forming a powerhouse ensemble at this year's Auckland Arts Festival performance, Hear Me Roar! on March 8. Annie and Betty-Anne joined me for a korero all about creativity, collaboration and purpose. We riff on the power of music to accompany us through every season - t…
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COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES is the brainchild of authors Mark Wish and Elizabeth Coffey, whose combined years working in the publishing industry has given them a unique advantage. Now in its third year, the award-winning annual anthology has quickly risen to a position to rival the old guard. In this episode, we learn about their entrepreneurial journ…
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New Jersey author Alyson Mosquera Dutemple began her professional career working in film production. The pressures of working on-set soon had her turning her attention to writing screenplays - some of which she succeeded in having optioned. But it was her love of writing fiction - stories in particular - that eventually won out. We read four of her…
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South Carolina author Dustin M. Hoffman spent ten years as a house painter - which might have something to do with his fondness for characters from the working class. We discuss stories from his forthcoming collection Such a Good Man (University of Wisconsin Press), in which the plight of day laborers during the Great Recession is given center stag…
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New Jersey author Bill Merklee was playing in rock bands when he began working for a newspaper that had a tuition-reimbursement program. It was his rediscovery of Kurt Vonnegut in his first years of college that motivated him to become a writer. His flash fiction explores the challenges posed by faith and the sometimes difficult legacies that are p…
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Philadelphia author Matthew Goldberg's fiction, as described on his website, "reimagines the mundane through the lens of the absurd." His speculative works ask deep questions about the ills of society and the ways in which we choose to confront or ignore them. We read his Uncharted's SciFi/Fantasy Award winner "Bees Wings." https://www.mmgoldberg.c…
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Award-winning UK author Alice Jolly had 5 novels to her credit prior to publishing her first story collection - but she'd been writing stories the whole time. From Far Around They Saw Us Burn brings together an astonishing array of characters: eccentrics and outcasts, young mothers and orphans - the vulnerable and the misunderstood struggling to be…
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Nishanth Injam was raised in Telangana, India, and now makes his home in the US, in the Chicago area. His debut story collection, The Best Possible Experience, is a NY Times Editor's Choice pick. Nishanth is interviewed by his friend and colleague Stanley Stocker (Ep. 42), who met Nishanth when they both received the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story P…
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As an adolescent, Los Angeles author Mathieu Cailler accompanied his grandfather to LA comedy clubs - an experience that gave him the idea that writing jokes might be a worthy pursuit. Over time, those early efforts at comedy would lead him to write fiction and poetry. He now has seven books to his credit. We read his story "A Little off the Top," …
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UK author Emma Brankin's debut story collection Attention Seekers features stories inspired by her former career as an entertainment columnist, where she got to rub elbows with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. That's not to say, however, that her fiction is superficial. She writes stories of a depth and complexity that belies her a…
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California authors and fellow Stanford grads Leslie Kirk Campbell and Daniel A. Olivas reverse roles in this episode as interviewer and interviewee. They each get a chance to discuss their latest story collection: The Man With Eight Pairs of Legs (Sarabande Books) by Leslie Kirk Campbell and How to Date a Flying Mexican (University of Nevada Press)…
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Hawai'i author Jessie Ren Marshall's confidence as a writer was evident even as a child, as an early self-published book entitled How to Write a Book made clear. Her debut story collection Women! In! Peril! (Bloomsbury) is proof that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Her story "After I Become a Ghost" is read by Sarah High, and Jessie re…
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Massachusetts author John Fulton's fiction has the power to cast an unusual kind of spell upon the reader. You may find him deftly weaving elements of magical realism into the narrative - but there's always a deeply realized truth to be discovered each time. We read "Stitches," a story from his most recent collection The Flounder, which first appea…
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Add to your kete of understanding our bone health with this kōrero with Christine Gill, Executive Director of Osteoporosis New Zealand. The life cycle of these living tissues from birth to menopause and beyond is fascinating. Christine talks us through the process of bone turnover, the often misunderstood osteoporosis, the importance of achieving m…
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Before Western New York author Melissa Ostrom fell in love with reading and long before she began writing stories, all she wanted to do was play. And she's never let go of that joyful impulse to explore, which is the secret behind her highly original fiction. We read her stories "Super-Absorbent Stella" (read by Clara Francesca), "The Postscript" (…
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