Podcast: The Writer’s Voice: The Mystery Excerpts Identified
Category: Podcast

With Writing Show host Paula B.

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THE WRITER'S VOICE EXCERPTS IDENTIFIED MP3 HERE

On our March 16th show, I explained the importance of the writer's voice and read 14 examples of distinctive voices from well-known authors.

Now I reveal the identities of the mystery authors and the names of their works.

Interviewee/host: Paula Berinstein
Date: June 29, 2008
Running time: 17:18
File size: 9 megabytes
Rating: Mentions of sex and drugs

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Podcast: Getting Published, with Jean Tennant: Episode 8
Category: Podcast

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With author Jean Tennant

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO GETTING PUBLISHED WITH JEAN TENNANT, EPISODE 8 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 1 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 2 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 3 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 4 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 5 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 6 HERE

LISTEN TO EPISODE 7 HERE

READ JEAN'S PROLOGUE HERE

READ CHAPTER 1 OF KARAOKE NIGHTS AT THE TWILIGHT LOUNGE HERE

READ CHAPTER 2 OF KARAOKE NIGHTS AT THE TWILIGHT LOUNGE HERE

READ JEAN'S AGENT QUERY LETTER HERE

READ JEAN'S REJECTION LETTER HERE

READ JEAN'S REWRITTEN CHAPTER 1 OF KARAOKE NIGHTS AT THE TWILIGHT LOUNGE HERE

Since September of 2006, we've been following Jean as she attempts to find an agent to represent her intergenerational novel Karaoke Nights at the Twilight Lounge. 

In episode 8, we hear what Jean is going to do about Karaoke Nights, which has not garnered interest from agents. We find out how her children's picture book turned out and learn that she's changed her mind about self-publishing--something she never thought she'd do.

We invite you to offer your feedback on Jean's work by writing to Paula B. at paula@writingshow.com. Or, stop by Jean's Web site and give her an atta girl.

Interviewee: Jean Tennant
Host: Paula B
Date: June 26, 2008
Running time: 52:13
File size:  25 megabytes
Rating: G
Jean Tennant's Web sites: JeanTennant.com; Midwest Writer

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Podcast: Popularizing Science
Category: Podcast

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With Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, author of The Physics of NASCAR

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO DIANDRA NASCAR MP3 HERE

Many people think science is irrelevant to their daily lives. This week's guest has a surprise for them.

A group of racecars piloted by the best drivers in NASCAR is turning a corner.  Without warning, one of the cars suddenly hits the outside wall.  None of the cars touched, there were no engine failures or flat tires. What happened? 

This is the question that sparked Diandra Leslie-Pelecky's interest in the science of NASCAR.  Finding the answers to this and other questions took the University of Nebraska, Lincoln professor from behind the scenes at top race shops to the asphalt at Texas Motor Speedway.  With exclusive access to the inner workings of NASCAR teams, she brings the science of NASCAR to fans using engaging, high-octane prose.

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky is Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Dallas and a nationally recognized researcher in magnetic nanomaterials.  Her work focuses on a fundamental understanding of magnetic materials and the application of those materials to medical diagnosis and treatment.

Professor Leslie-Pelecky is nationally recognized for her work in science education for K-12 schools, future science teachers, and the public.  She has directed educational projects funded in excess of $4 million and is developing materials on NASCAR science for middle and high schools.   

Professor Leslie-Pelecky is married to physicist and educator Robert Hilborn.  Although they remain officially neutral, their two cats, Chaos and Vector, cheer for the 22 car.  Their dog, Darwin (a hound dog mutt) is an Elliott Sadler fan.

Please join Diandra Leslie-Pelecky and Paula B. as they explore:

• Why anyone should care about the physics of auto racing
• What kinds of science she covers
• Why she inserted herself into the book
• How she keeps readers engaged
• How she documented everything she saw as she did her research
• How it felt to drive a race car
• Whether she financed her own travel
• How being on the front page of The New York Times has changed her life.

Interviewee: Diandra Leslie-Pelecky
Host: Paula B.
Date: June 22, 2008
Running time: 59:35
File size:  28 megabytes
Rating: G
Diandra Leslie-Pelecky's Web site: Stock Car Science

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Podcast: Writing the Professional Book
Category: Podcast

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With Michael Van Ornum, author of Electronic Prescribing: A Safety and Implementation Guide

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO MICHAEL VAN ORNUM MP3 HERE

This week's guest turned workplace issues into a how-to book for healthcare professionals. His proposition was so compelling that he found a publisher instantly, but he soon discovered that getting his foot in the door was the easy part of getting published.

Michael Van Ornum RPh, RN, BCPS is the author of Electronic Prescribing: A Safety and Implementation Guide. He is a consulting clinical pharmacist for the Greater Rochester Independent Practice Association where he spearheaded the implementation of electronic prescribing. He is the 2006 recipient of a Clinical Practitioner of the Year award from the New York Chapter of The American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Mr. Van Ornum lives in upstate New York with his wife and three children.

Please join Michael Van Ornum and host Paula B. as they explore:

• Why it takes so long to write a book proposal
  


• Why you should be very careful when listing potential reviewers of the book for your publisher
  


• Why you should research the company's catalogue
  


• How working without a contract can pay off (under certain circumstances)
  


• Why agents don't handle professional books
  


• How even when you know your business, you still have to prove yourself over and over.
  

After Michael's interview, Jeff DeRego explains why he's not thrilled with Amazon.com's latest move.

Interviewee: Michael Van Ornum

Host: Paula B.

Date: June 15, 2008

Running time: 1:11:19

File size:  34 megabytes

Rating: G

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Podcast: Writing to Inspire
Category: Podcast

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With Dr. Paul Bernstein, author of Courage to Heal: A Novel

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO PAUL BERNSTEIN MP3 HERE

This week's guest has been so inspired by the life and accomplishments of one man that he wrote a book about him. Courage to Heal is the fictionalized account of the life of Dr. Sidney Garfield, who changed medicine forever.

Dr. Paul Bernstein is chief of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego and the regional chief in Southern California. He is also assistant clinical professor at the University of California at San Diego Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. He started the Kaiser Permanente Historical Society to preserve the organization's history and culture.

Dr. Bernstein's novels have won numerous awards, including first place in the San Diego Book Awards and the Hannah Fiction Award at the Asilomar Writers' Conference.  He has appeared as a medical expert on "Good Morning America" and San Diego television and was featured on the cover of MD magazine.

With his wife Judith and son Clifford, Dr. Bernstein mentors and provides support for several young Sudanese refugees.

Please join Paul Bernstein and host Paula B. as they discuss:

• Why he wrote Sidney Garfield's true story as fiction
• Why he wrote it in the first person
• How he did his research
• Whether he stayed perfectly true to the facts
• Why most of the book is dialogue
• What U.S. medicine was like in the 1940s and why Dr. Garfield had to fight so hard to change it.

Interviewee: Paul Bernstein
Host: Paula B.
Date: June 8, 2008
Running time: 54:03
File size:  26 megabytes
Rating: G
Paul Bernstein's Web site: Courage to Heal

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Podcast: Writing Short
Category: Podcast

With journalist Michelle V. Rafter and colleagues from LinkedIn

Michelle Rafter

From left: Doreen Dvorin, Alan Eggleston, Bill Hinchberger (photo credit David Willard), David Howard, and Walter Glenn

Not shown: Joanne Mason and Kent Oswald

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO WRITING SHORT MP3 HERE

This show came about in an unconventional way. Journalist Michelle V. Rafter had posted an open question on business network LinkedIn: "For freelancers, reporters and other non-fiction types: how do you write short?"

The answers she got were so impressive that we thought, "This would make a great show!" And it does. Michelle's commentary and her responders' tips comprise this brief but pithy podcast full of great techniques for "writing short."

Michelle Vranizan Rafter is a Portland, Oregon, freelance writer covering technology, workplace issues, and business. Her current clients include Inc. magazine's tech Web site, IncTechnology.com; Workforce Management; and Oregon Business. She's written for The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Industry Standard, Internet World, and Reuters, and was previously a staff writer at The Orange County Register. Rafter started a blog called WordCount in September 2007 to dish about freelance writing in the 21st century.

The other participants are:

• Doreen Dvorin, a writer by trade and a problem solver by inclination. Her advertising career includes "...all the right agencies; all the right awards" and she's not stopping yet. Doreen established what was the most successful copywriting program in the country and believes her 15 years of teaching is merely an extension of her work.

   

• Alan Eggleston, a Web writer and editor from Michigan with a love of words and a passion for brevity. He learned his craft during more than 10 years writing for the Internet and more than 20 years writing for print.

   

• Walter Glenn, who has been working in the computer industry for 20 years and writing for 10. He has a degree in literature from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the city in which he works as a consultant, trainer, and award-winning writer.

   

• Bill Hinchberger, a native Californian who's been working as a journalist in Brazil since 1986. A former correspondent in Brazil for The Financial Times, Business Week, Advertising Age, and Variety, he now contributes to publications likeARTnews, Metropolis, National Wildlife, and Scienceas well as The Brazil Reader anthology (Duke University Press) and The Green Globe Yearbook 1993(Oxford University Press).

   

• David Howard, a technology marketing consultant and writer in the San Francisco Bay area, focused ..ing young technology companies grow.

   

• Freelance writer Joanne Mason, who lives in Massachusetts and has published essays in the Boston Sunday Globe, Field Notes, and Verbatim.

   

• Kent Oswald, a book and magazine editor currently freelancing as a writer (tennisweek.com; Draftmagazine; U.S. Airways Magazine, etc.), as well as producing Whinydad.com.

Interviewee: Michelle Rafter
Host: Paula B.
Date: June 1, 2008
Running time: 34:22
File size: 17 megabytes
Rating: G

Michelle Rafter's Web site: Word Count
Doreen Dvorin's Web site: CreativeHotlist.com/DDvorin
Alan Eggleston's Web site: E-Messenger-Consulting.com
Walter Glenn's Web site: WalterGlenn.com
Bill Hinchberger's Web site: BrazilMax.com
David Howard's Web site: Consultiq
Joanne Mason's Web site: JoanneMason.com
Kent Oswald's Web site: WhinyDad.com

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Podcast: Short Story Endings
Category: Podcast

With short story writers Randall Brown and Melissa Palladino

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO SHORT STORY ENDINGS MP3 HERE

If you've ever wondered how to end your short story, this show is for you! 

Randall Brown teaches at Saint Joseph's University. He holds an MFA from Vermont College. Recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in Cream City Review, Hunger Mountain, Connecticut Review, Saint Ann's Review, Evansville Review, Laurel Review, Dalhousie Review, upstreet, and others. He is the author of the award-winning collection Mad to Live (Flume Press, 2008).

Melissa Palladino lives in New England and has been writing fiction for seven years. She came to short stories only recently, and this is where she has picked up speed. Her story, "Spring Cleaning," which was a published finalist in Inkwell's annual short story competition, was nominated by them for the 2009 Pushcart Prize. She has also been published online at Vocabula.com and was recently longlisted for the Fish Prize.  She is an active workshop participant both in person and online at Zoetrope Virtual Studio and The Fiction Workhouse. In real life she's a private chef; and you can read about her adventures (and misadventures) in cooking at melissacooksgourmet.blogspot.com.

Please join Randall, Melissa, and Paula B. as they explore the possibilities, including:

• What sorts of short story endings there are
• What the pros and cons of each choice are
• Whether particular types of endings are best suited to certain genres or types of stories
• What sorts of endings don't work
• How short story endings differ from those of novels and films
• How short story endings have changed over time.

Interviewees: Randall Brown and Melissa Palladino
Host: Paula B.
Date: May 25, 2008
Running time: 58:27
File size: 28 megabytes
Rating: G
Randall Brown's Web site: RandallDouglasBrown.blogspot.com
Melissa Palladino's Web site: MelissaCooksGourmet.blogspot.com

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Podcast: A Spiritual Approach to Writing
Category: Podcast

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With Catherine Ann Jones, author of The Way of Story: The Craft and Soul of Writing

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO CATHERINE ANN JONES MP3 HERE

"Stories have a sacred dimension, not because of gods but because a man or woman's sense of self and her world is created through them."

--From The Way of Story, by Catherine Ann Jones

This week's guest believes there's a vital connection between the self and the story one tells. In this inspiring interview, she explains why each writer must make a personal journey.

Catherine Ann Jones is an award-winning writer whose films include "The Christmas Wife" (Jason Robards), "Unlikely Angel" (Dolly Parton), "Angel Passing" (Hume Cronyn, Calista Flockhart) which screened at Sundance and went on to win fifteen awards, and the TV series, "Touched by an Angel." Ten of her plays, including Calamity Jane and On the Edge, have been produced both in and outside of New York City. Winner of the National Endowment for the Arts Award among others, Ms. Jones, a Fulbright Scholar to India, has served on the writing faculties of The New School University (NYC), University of Southern California (L.A.), Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the Esalen Institute.

Ms. Jones lives in Ojai, lectures internationally, and recently published a book on narrative writing and professional memoir, The Way of Story.

Please join Catherine Ann Jones and Paula B. as they explore:

• How stories and the self are connected
• How writers can journey into the self
• How story is important to people who don't write
• What determines the success of a story
• How memory helps writers
• What the role of the writer in society is.

Interviewee: Catherine Ann Jones
Host: Paula B.
Date: May 18, 2008
Running time: 46:20
File size: 22 megabytes
Rating: G
Catherine Ann Jones' Web site: WayofStory.com

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Podcast: Plagiarism and Idea Theft
Category: Podcast

With Staci Robinson, author of Interceptions, and attorney David Korzenik

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO IDEA THEFT MP3 HERE

Writers in Hollywood are known to be paranoid about intellectual property theft. Egged on by high profile lawsuits like those against heavyweights Steven Spielberg ("Amistad" and "Twister"), Ridley Scott ("Kingdom of Heaven"), and George Clooney ("Syriana"), hundreds of screenwriters and novelists file claims of their own, hoping to prove that producers and studios stole their work.

This week, we hear from a writer who found herself in the thick of just such a suit, and an intellectual property attorney who helps us understand the issues involved.

Staci Robinson, who wrote the autobiographical novel Interceptions, sued The CW (formerly UPN), Paramount Pictures, Kelsey Grammer's Gramnet Productions, and other defendants for copyright infringement after allegedly giving a copy of her manuscript to a producer during a job interview in 2001.  Robinson claimed that the theme of the TV series "The Game" matched that of her book, both centering on a woman torn between her academic pursuit and a relationship with an athlete. She also sought a temporary restraining order to stop The CW from airing the series until the legal issues surrounding the show's ownership were resolved. Robinson's suit for forty-million dollars was settled for an undisclosed amount.

Once director of client services for a sports law firm in Los Angeles, Robinson is now a wife, mother, and author. She is at work on the official biography of Tupac Shakur and is co-author of the just released book, Tupac Remembered: Bearing Witness to a Life and Legacy. She has completed her second novel, the still untitled sequel to Interceptions, and is at work on a third, Beneath the Redwoods. Robinson also writes screenplays and has optioned one, "Intern," to a Hollywood production company.

She resides in northern California with her husband and two children.

David S. Korzenik, Esq., a partner at Miller Korzenik Sommers LLP, specializes in media and First Amendment law as well as intellectual property. He is an active member of the Media Law Resource Center, The Copyright Society, and the Legal Affairs Committee of the Magazine Publishers of America and adjunct professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where he has taught for the past 18 years. He has written and lectured on the subjects of defamation law, international media liability, copyright law, and confidential sources, and he has been a commentator for Court TV on a variety of cases involving copyright, defamation, and publishing.

Please join Staci, David, and host Paula B. for a fascinating look at intellectual property issues, including:

• Why so many suits are brought against Hollywood production companies, and why it's so hard for writers to win them
• Whether the settlement of a case implies guilt
• How idea theft, plagiarism, and breach of contract differ.

Interviewees: Staci Robinson, David Korzenik
Host: Paula B.
Date: May 11, 2008
Running time: 1:00:46
File size: 29 megabytes
Rating: G
Staci Robinson's Web site: StaciRobinson.com

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Podcast: Writing to Heal
Category: Podcast

With Judy A. Bernstein, co-author of They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan

Clockwise, from top left: Benjamin Ajak and Judy A. Bernstein; Benjamin Ajak; Alephonsion Deng; Benson Deng

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO WRITING TO HEAL MP3 HERE

Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, and Alephonsion Deng were all under the age of seven when they were driven from a war-ravaged country. In this deceptively understated memoir, the three boys recall in their own words their harrowing journey to safety.

Benjamin, Alepho, and Benson were raised among the Dinka tribe of Sudan. Their world was an insulated, close-knit community of grass-roofed cottages, cattle herders, and tribal councils. The lions and pythons that prowled beyond the village fences were the greatest threat they knew.

All that changed the night the government-armed Murahiliin began attacking their villages. Amid the chaos, screams, conflagration, and gunfire, five-year-old Benson and seven-year-old Benjamin fled into the dark night. Two years later, Alepho, age seven, was forced to do the same. Across the Southern Sudan, over the next five years, thousands of other boys did likewise, joining this stream of child refugees that became known as the Lost Boys. Their journey would take them over one thousand miles across a war-ravaged country, through landmine-sown paths, crocodile-infested waters, and grotesque extremes of hunger, thirst, and disease. The refugee camps they eventually filtered through offered little respite from the brutality they were fleeing.

In They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, Alepho, Benson, and Benjamin, by turn, recount their experiences along this unthinkable journey. They vividly recall the family, friends, and tribal world they left far behind them and their desperate efforts to keep track of one another. This is a captivating memoir of Sudan and a powerful portrait of war as seen through the eyes of children. And it is, in the end, an inspiring and unforgettable tribute to the tenacity of even the youngest human spirits.

The three boys were relocated from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya to the United States in 2001 as part of an international refugee relief program. Now all in their mid-twenties, Benjamin, Benson, and Alephonsion live in San Diego, California.

Judy A. Bernstein is Student Advisor for the Community Economic Development Department at San Diego State University, Chair of the Advisory Committee of the San Diego International Rescue Committee, and co-founder of the IRC Lost Boys Education Fund.

In her capacity as an IRC mentor in 2001, she met Alephonsion, Benson, and Benjamin. Awed and deeply touched by their tragic childhoods, epic journey, and heroic survival, she encouraged them to write about their lives. As their stories unfolded, she began to see that their writing might help them get an education and a foothold in their newly adopted country. That dream began to come true when Joni Evans, Vice President of the William Morris Agency, agreed to represent them. Soon Clive Priddle at Public Affairs recognized the possibility for a book and took it to fruition.

Judy now spends her time speaking to community groups and schools with her co-authors. She also writes articles and books, continues her volunteer activities, and enjoys time with her husband, Paul, and son, Cliff.

Please join Judy and host Paula B. as they ponder:

• How the three learned to write so well
• How much editing was involved
• How Judy integrated their disparate stories
• How writing the book affected all of them
• What's next for Benjamin, Alepho, Benson, and Judy.

Interviewee: Judy A. Bernstein
Host: Paula Berinstein
Date: May 4, 2008
Running time: 58:12
File size: 28 megabytes
Rating: Violence
The They Poured Fire Web site: TheyPouredFire.com

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