Welcome to Don't F*ck This Up, the podcast answering the ultimate question: ‘how the fuck did you land that cool job?’. Two decades of executive coaching and team building at the world's coolest brands have paved the way for Lauren Alvarez to host weekly conversations with creators, leaders and entrepreneurs and dig into what it takes to champion the road less traveled. New episodes every Wednesday. Click subscribe on whatever platform you listen to podcasts, and share your favorite episodes ...
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Lauren Alvarez Podcasts
An award-winning podcast about invisible conditions and chronic invisible illness, featuring interviews with survivors, their loved ones, advocates, and experts in varied healing modalities, from medical to holistic. Hosted by Lauren Freedman, a health coach and patient advocate, who lives with Hashimoto’s disease and sleep disorders, Uninvisible uncovers real stories of survival and humanity – complete with laughter. In truth and with candor, we offer solutions – and challenge the world to ...
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A biweekly 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. Episodes contain an author interview followed by a reading of a story by that author. Jon DiSavino is an actor and stage director. He's been producing and narrating audiobooks since 2019. His most recent is Abduction: Another Max Dent ...
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Episode 140 - Anna Monardo: AFTER ITALY: A FAMILY MEMOIR OF ARRANGED MARRIAGE
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55:12Nebraska author Anna Monardo joins me to talk about her books After Italy: A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage and The Courtyard of Dreams (both from Bordighera Press). She reveals the unique connection shared by these books - one CNF and the other fiction - and the writer's journey that made them both possible. https://annamonardo.com/ Support th…
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Episode 139 - Vishwas R. Gaitonde: "The Wrath of Allah"
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46:27Author Vishwas R. Gaitonde started life in India, and then made his way to England and finally the US, having lived in many states before settling in North Carolina. His short story collection On Earth As It Is In Heaven won the 2023 Orison Prize for fiction, and was published by Orison Books in 2025. We read "The Wrath of Allah," a story from On E…
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Episode 138 - Ian Forth: "Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright"
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52:12Author Ian Forth divides his time between Bordeaux, France and Wales. His debut story collection Hazlitt and the Mobility Scooter (Hard Travelling Books) was released this year. He's also a memoirist, with two published titles: Water Under the Bridge: Recollections from an Only Life, and Canal Conversations: Cycling on the Canal des Deux Mers. We r…
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Episode 137 - Michael Hopkins: "Foreclosure"
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59:41Wisconsin author Michael Hopkins is an award-winning writer whose debut collection Never Stop Exiting (Cornerstone Press) was released this year. It has been called "stealthily complex and persistently compassionate" by Phong Nguyen, author of Bronze Drum. We read "Foreclosure," a story from the collection. https://www.michaelhopkinswriter.com/ Sup…
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Episode 136 - Lauren D. Woods: "Clementine"
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1:05:48Washington DC author Lauren D. Woods discusses her debut collection The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe, winner of the 2024 Autumn House Fiction Prize, with her husband and SST alum Andrew Bertaina (Ep. 10). We read her story "Clementine," which was first published in The Antioch Review. Support the show…
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Episode 135 - David Haynes: "That's Right, You're Not From Texas"
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1:06:25Missouri author David Haynes's long-awaited debut story collection Martha's Daughter has finally arrived after seven novels and five books for young readers. It is the sixth volume in McSweeney's OF THE DIASPORA series. SST alum Stanley Stocker (Ep. 42) interviews David about his life and work, and we read "That's Right, You're Not From Texas," whi…
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Episode 134 - Lisa Alvarez: "Manuel"
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1:09:31In her debut collection Some Final Beauty and Other Stories (University of Nevada Press), California author Lisa Alvarez writes about her home town of Los Angeles with deep affection. These compelling stories chronicle lives that are indelibly affected by pivotal moments in the history of the city and of the world beyond, honoring the courageous pe…
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Episode 133 - Olajide Omojarabi: "Messenger Meg"
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1:02:12Nigerian author Olajide Omojarabi discusses his story "Messenger Meg," which was published in the Ploughshares Summer 2025 issue. The interview is conducted by fellow writer Daniel Dykiel. Olajide reads "Messenger Meg" in the episode. Support the showBy Jon DiSavino
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Episode 132 - Veena Gokhale: Annapurna's Bounty
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44:54Montreal author Veena Gokhale's new collection, Annapurna's Bounty: Indian Food Legends Retold (Dundurn Press), is a literary smorgasbord. It's a potent brew of folk tales, myths and legends taken from India's rich tapestry of oral and written history, re-imagined for modern readers. But the best surprise is the inclusion of recipes for the individ…
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As a child, NY Times bestselling author J.D. Barker would never set foot in the basement. He'd read the stories about what happens to little boys who wander off into places like that. Now he's writing those stories - and they're doing the same thing to a whole new generation of readers. SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS is his latest. It's from Simon & Sch…
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Toronto author Catherine Bush writes about intimacy and connection - but ventures far beyond the human-to-human. She explores the indefinable realm where it may be possible for the natural world to reveal to us the sublime nature of all things - if we have the courage to see. Her new collection is Skin (Goose Lane Editions). For this episode, the t…
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SoCal author William R. Hincy discusses his collection WITHOUT EXPIRATION, winner of the 2021 American Book Fest American Fiction Prize. He's the host of the long-running literary interview series on YouTube known as WRITERS DRINKING WHISKEY. We read "Flying," which was first published in Ancient Paths Literary Magazine. https://williamrhincy.com/ …
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Episode 128 - Laury A. Egan: "The Impaired Pair"
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40:55Award-winning NJ author Laury A. Egan's new collection is Contrary - an eclectic mix of twenty-one stories which also includes a two-act play. She's the author of seventeen books of fiction and four poetry volumes. We read her story "The Impaired Pair," which appears in Contrary. https://www.lauryaegan.com/ Support the show…
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Episode 127 - SAW PALM: Florida Literature and Art - Issue 19: Florida Strange
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1:04:18The literary journal Saw Palm was created in 2006 by John Henry Fleming, Phd and the MFA students of the Creative Writing Program at the University of South Florida. Saw Palm's mission is to go beyond the tourist brochures and capture the unique experience of Florida lives, landscapes, and tropes. The episode features a discussion about the making …
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Episode 126 - Caitlin Galway: A Song for Wildcats
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50:05Award-winning Toronto author Caitlin Galway speaks with us about her "mad scientist" approach to writing, which has produced some of the most startling and original fiction being written today. Her new collection is A Song for Wildcats, published by Dundurn Press. https://caitlingalway.wixsite.com/caitlin-l-galway Support the show…
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Episode 125 - Pratap Reddy: "Storm in a Teacup"
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59:47Canadian author Pratap Reddy was born in India, but has lived in Mississauga, Ontario since 2002. In his fiction, he pays homage to the courageous men and women who have braved hardships of every kind while seeking a new future in the West. His new collection is Remaindered People & Other Stories (Guernica Editions). From the collection, we read "S…
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Episode 124 - Sarah Freligh: "All That Water"
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1:02:01Award-winning NY author Sarah Freligh joins us to discuss her new collection OTHER EMERGENCIES (Univ of Arkansas Press), which is the 2025 Moon City Press Editors Choice Selection. Her oeuvre includes several poetry collections and a novella. We read "All That Water," which was first published in Stone Canoe. https://sarahfreligh.com/ Support the s…
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Episode 123 - Fija Callaghan: "Life, Death, and Other Complications"
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45:29With her debut collection Frail Little Embers, UK author Fija Callaghan has created a literary offering that will enchant and delight readers. In this beguiling work, she's re-imagined myths and folk and fairy tales, offering inspiring examples of the resilience of the human spirit. We read, from the collection: "Life, Death, and Other Complication…
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Episode 122 - T.D. Johnston: "The First Key"
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1:04:23Indiana author T.D. Johnston is the founder and editor of Short Story America, a small press that publishes the Short Story America anthology series in addition to author story collections and novels. Friday Afternoon and Other Stories, his first collection, won the 2017 International Book Award Prize for Short Fiction. We read "The First Key" from…
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Episode 121 - Holiday Episode Redux
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1:51:48We've brought back a newly-packaged edition of our 2022 Holiday episode, featuring stories selected from our contest submissions that year, as well as a few by authors who were guests on the podcast. We've added a story from 1917 that was discovered in the archives of Project Gutenberg, and was featured in Episode 4 of the first edition of Short St…
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This week we've created an audiobook anthology of short stories about thanksgiving - not the holiday, per se, but the things that Thanksgiving represents: family bonds, gratitude, and benevolence. There are nine stories by five authors: Mathieu Cailler, Melissa Ostrom, Andrea Rinard, John Sheirer, and Hart Vetter. Featuring the voices of Daniel Dyk…
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Episode 119 - Danila Botha: "Don't Look Back"
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57:00Toronto author Danila Botha's third story collection, Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness (Guernica Editions), moves uniquely through time. She combines multigenerational stories that eloquently reflect on history with contemporary stories of the lives and loves of urban youth. Sierra Lidén reads "Don't Look Back," which was first published i…
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Episode 118 - Eliot Parker: "Giving"
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1:16:17Mississippi author Eliot Parker's second collection of stories is something of a love letter to the hard-working people of Appalachia that he's come to appreciate in the many years he's lived in the territory. Table For Two (Colorful Crow Publishing) is a multi-genre collection of tales that focus on one-on-one conversations with heart and humor. W…
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Episode 117 - Jeffrey M. Feingold: "My Left Foot"
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55:43Award-winning Massachusetts author Jeffrey Feingold will see his third short story collection published this fall. A FINE MADNESS - AND OTHER MAD STORIES (MFT Press) is a combination of literary realism and magical realism that crosses over, at times, into the surreal. What binds it all together, though, is the humor. We read "My Left Foot" from hi…
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Episode 116 - Marguerite Sheffer: "The Observer's Cage"
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1:15:25New Orleans author Marguerite Sheffer is a Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where she teaches courses in design thinking and speculative fiction as tools for social change. Read her collection The Man in the Banana Trees (Univ of Iowa Press) to see how it's done. We read "The Observer's Cage," which was first published in The Offing. htt…
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Episode 115 - Nina Schuyler: "Brethren and Sistren"
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1:13:47Bay Area author Nina Schuler doesn't subscribe to the "write what you know" school of thought. For her, that would just be boring. In her fiction, she writes fearlessly about complex subjects like AI and the science of climate change, and makes us think about what roles we might take in an effort to make the world a better place. Karen Joy Fowler, …
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My Favorite Breathing Technique for Stress Relief: 4-7-8 Breath
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0:59Hi everyone, If you follow me on social media, you might have seen my recent post where I shared one of my absolute favorite stress relief techniques: the 4-7-8 breathing technique. This simple yet powerful practice, developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, has been a lifesaver for me in moments of stress. While I’m not usually one to advocate for over-regula…
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Episode 114 - Janis Hubschman: "Please See Me"
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1:11:09New Jersey author Janis Hubschman was a marathon runner, so she understands the true meaning of endurance. The women in her debut story collection Take Me With You Next Time (Betty Books) are athletes and outdoorswomen who find themselves on terrain that challenges not only their bodies, but their hearts and minds, too. We read "Please See Me," whi…
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Episode 113 - Tara Isabel Zambrano: Ruined a Little When We Are Born
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49:53Author Tara Isabel Zambrano is an electrical engineer by day, where she relies on her left brain in designing semiconductors. She balances that by ensuring that her right brain gets time to do some playing - particularly in the form of writing fiction. Of her new collection Ruined a Little When We Are Born (Dzanc Books), Laura Picklesimer, author o…
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Episode 112 - Viggy Parr Hampton: "The Waiting Mortuary"
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55:21Georgia author Viggy Parr Hampton discovered that the best way to find the satisfyingly scary horror stories she craved was to write them herself. She's just published her second novel, Much Too Vulgar, which has been described by Ronald Malfi, bestselling author of Small Town Horror as “A brash, unapologetic, and often funny novel with a delightfu…
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Episode 111 - Amy Stuber: "Dick Cheney Was Not My Father"
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56:20Don't be misled by the title of Amy Stuber's debut collection SAD GROWNUPS (Stillhouse Press). It's full of humor. "The stories in SAD GROWNUPS are masterful. At turns funny, insightful, and wise. I couldn't stop reading." - Cara Blue Adams, author of YOU NEVER GET IT BACK. We read a story that was first published in The Common: "Dick Cheney Was No…
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You CAN be Pretty, Stylish, Smart, Own a Business, and Be Disabled w/ Dr. Akilah Cadet
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1:22:59In this conversation, Lauren hosts Dr. Akilah Cadet for a heartwarming chat about the importance of embracing one's intersectionality and finding confidence in yourself. They go all in on talking through topics such as codeswitching, imposter syndrome, and the challenges faced by marginalized individuals in corporate environments. Dr. Cadet pulls f…
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Episode 110 - Kirti Bhadresa: "In a Name"
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1:03:01Canadian author Kirti Bhadresa was born in Red Deer, Alberta to Indian parents who had travelled far and wide before settling there. In her debut collection An Astonishment of Stars, she honors the lives of women - sisters, wives and mothers - who are caught between two worlds. ECW Press has graciously permitted us to share an excerpt from "In a Na…
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Episode 109 - Meg Pokrass: Six Stories From FIRST LAW OF HOLES
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1:06:37In the fourteen years author Meg Pokrass has been writing flash, she has established herself as a key figure in the world of flash fiction. First Law of Holes, her newly-released volume of new and collected stories, represents the astonishing wealth of creativity generated during those years. Meg reads six of the stories from her collection. https:…
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Your Network is Your Net Worth w/ Chris Grdovic
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1:07:28In this conversation, Lauren Alvarez interviews Chris Grdovic, Chief Partnerships Officer at Goldbelly. They discuss Chris's career journey, including her time at Food and Wine and her experience on the very first season of reality TV show, Top Chef. They also talk about the importance of collaboration, trust, and caring in building successful team…
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Episode 108 - Hollay Ghadery: Three Stories from WIDOW FANTASIES
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55:13The 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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Episode 107 - Kathryn Mockler: Four Stories from ANECDOTES
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54:30There'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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You’re Special, But You’re Not Special w/ Susanna Merrick
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1:03:12In this episode, Lauren hosts fashion’s favorite spiritual stylist and the founder of AuraWear, Susanna Merrick. Susanna discusses her work as an aura reader and stylist, and how color can influence our energy and style choices. She shares her personal journey of discovering her gift of seeing auras and explains their connection to our energy and e…
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Episode 106 - Claire Carroll: "My Two Sons"
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1:01:19UK 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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Episode 105 - Nick Rees Gardner: "Psychedelicious"
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1:03:50In 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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The Feminist Case for Remote Work w/ Lisa Conn
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1:06:45It's time for season 2, and on this all-new episode of DFTU, Lauren welcomes Lisa Conn, CEO and Co-Founder of Gatheround, to share her insights on leadership, virtual spaces, and work-life balance. Lisa discusses the natural roles people play in challenging situations, the impact of virtual environments on behavior, and the importance of maintainin…
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Episode 104 - John Sheirer: "Security"
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1:06:26In 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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Episode 103 - Kolby Granville and After Dinner Conversation: "Father Dale's Drive-thru Exorcisms"
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1:16:37Kolby 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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Episode 102 - Timothy Laurence Marsh: "The Perfect Paris Day"
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1:09:42Author 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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Episode 101 - Eufemia Fantetti: "A Recipe For Disaster"
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1:09:16Toronto 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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Episode 100 - Aaron Kreuter: "The Krasners"
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1:07:32In 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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Episode 99 - Nicola Winstanley: "Feeling in the Flesh"
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1:04:13Award-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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Episode #95 - Charles Hanson Towne: "Shelby" (A "Found Fiction" Episode)
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34:07While 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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From Purse Wine to Table Wine w/ Tamara Shevon
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56:49On today’s episode of Don’t F*ck This Up, Lauren welcomes stand-up comic and writer, Tamara Shevon. Tamara opens up about her spontaneous post-graduation move to Beijing - and how living in China led to her trying her hand at stand up comedy. We talk about the importance of putting in the work, having respect for the craft, and why you can’t cut co…
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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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