If You're Just Joining Us with Jon Armstrong

ReaderCon Revisted: Rose Fox and Graham Sleight Talk The Year’s Best Books

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:36:08 +0000

I attended ReaderCon for the first time this year and (among many others) attended a panel titled: “The Year In Novels”. I was able to get two of the panelists, Rose Fox and Graham Sleight, to recreate some of what they said for this special edition of the podcast.

Rose Fox is a longtime book reviewer currently editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror book reviews for Publishers Weekly and maintains a blog named Genreville.

Graham Sleight is a British writer, editor and critic, whose work has appeared in Strange Horizons, The New York Review Of Science Fiction and Vector. He currently writes a column for Locus.

Rose and Graham mention the following authors and books (please note the books are all Amazon links): Peter Straub’s A Dark Matter and A Special Place: The Heart of a Dark Matter, Greer Gilman’s Cloud & Ashes: Three Winter’s Tales, Catherynne Valente’s Palimpsest, China Mieville’s The City & The City, Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl, Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House, William Gibson’s Zero History, and N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Book 1 (The Inheritance Trilogy).

Paul Di Filippo Talks Readercon, Fandom, Music, and Samuel R. Delany

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:46:21 +0000

I met Paul De Filippo at ReaderCon just a week ago and recorded this conversation. Paul talked about the rise of Fandom, ReaderCon, being on discussion panels, music, and about meeting one of his favorite authors, Samuel (Chip) Delany.

Paul has been working as a freelance writer since the early 80s. He is a novelist (including: Spondulix, Harp, Pipe, And Symphony, Creature from the Black Lagoon: Time’s Black Lagoon, and most recently, Cosmocopia), short story writer, reviewer, and has written for comics.

His website is: pauldifilippo.com

He is part of a group blog called The Inferior 4 + 1.

Elizabeth Hand Talks, Illyria, Theater, Terrible Auditions, Naming Chracters.

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:58:26 +0000

The award-winning Elizabeth Hand is that special kind of writer who can seemingly do anything. She’s written novels (including: Generation Loss, Mortal Love, and most recently, Illyria), short stories, comics (Anima), and movie and television spin-off novels (including: Boba Fett: Maze of Deception and12 Monkeys).

We talked about her wonderful new YA novel, Illyria, terrible auditions, and the importance of character’s names among other things. Elizabeth also gives me some writing advice–advice she admits she has and will continue to ignore!

Her website is ElizabethHand.com.

Photo Credit: Liza Croen Trombi

Amelia Beamer Talks Zombies, Trader Joes, Nightmares, Writing, and Her Novel The Loving Dead

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:06:43 +0000

Amelia Beamer works as an editor, reviewer, and photographer for Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Field. She has published fiction and poetry in Interfictions 2, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, Red Cedar Review, and other venues, but the big news is that her novel, The Loving Dead, (Night Shade Books, July 2010) is just days away.

Amelia and I talked about zombies, nightmares, Trader Joes, her writing process, and of course her new novel!

If you’re seeing this before July 1st, her novel is available on her website for FREE. Hurry! Or better yet, read the first couple of chapters and then order your very own copy of The Loving Dead (Amazon.)

Her website: http://www.ameliabeamer.com

Jeffrey Ford Talks Writing, Making Things Up, Book Covers, Teaching.

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:31:52 +0000

Technically, Jeffrey Ford has been on before, but that was a reading and QA. This is an interview.

Jeffrey Ford is the author of such novels as: The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, The Girl in the Glass, The Shadow Year, and the Well-Built City Trilogy. He has written numerous short stories, including the collections: The Empire of Ice-Cream, and The Drowned Life

Jeffrey and I talk about his writing, the power of making things up, book covers, teaching, trusting government, and many other things.

Jeffrey Ford’s official site

Another Jeffrey Ford site

A Preview of Jon Armstrong’s Upcoming Yarn from the NYRSF Reading Series

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:37:09 +0000

Paul Witcover graciously asked me to read for the May 5th New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series.I brought two short selections from my upcoming novel, Yarn.

What is Yarn? you ask. The following is from my wonderful agent, Ginger Clark:

Set in the future, it’s a kind of SF that has been called “fashionpunk.” It’s the back story of a minor character in Grey (the main character’s tailor, named Tane Cedar). Tane is now a very successful, wealthy tailor who has never married and lives a somewhat solitary life. One day his lost love, Vada, shows up mysteriously at his office and asks him to make her a coat made of a drug similar to heroin. She’s dying, and she wants to pass away in peace. She then disappears, and Tane must journey around the world (which is over populated, polluted, and also abandoned—a little like the futuristic worlds of Stephenson and Philip K Dick) to find her this illegal, rare material. Along the way, we find how Tane went from growing up in the conforming, dictatorial suburbs (called “slubs”) of future Seattle and eventually escaping to the city, where he was involved with some fringe groups involved in taking down massive corporations. Along the way, he encounters three important women in his life—including Vada.

The program was recorded by the executive producer of the series, Jim Freund.

Author and Podcaster Douglas Lain Talks Activism, Home Schooling, Noam Chomsky, and the Time Box

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:54:12 +0000

Douglas Lain is the author of dozens of short stories and two novels. His work appeared in nationally distributed literary magazines and journals such as Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet and Amazing Stories since 1999. His first book Last Week’s Apocalypse was a collection of these stories published by Night Shade Books. His first novel, entitled Billy Moon: 1968, tells the story of Christopher Robin Milne’s fictional involvement with the French general strike in May of 1968, and is due out from Tor Books in 2011.

He has hosted the excellent weekly Diet Soap Podcast for more than a year, and is embarking on a new community and writing endeavor he’s calling the Pick Your Battle Project. If you’d like to help support the PYBP, please visit his page on Kickstarter. Find his homepage at: DouglasLain.com.

Douglas and I talked about podcasting, homeschooling, his Pick Your Battle Project, his new short story, Noam Chomsky and the Time Box, and more.

Editor Juliet Ulman Talks Editing, Writing, Red Ink, Her Moods, and Yarn

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:02:02 +0000

Juliet Ulman took her first job as an editorial assistant at Bantam Dell in 1998. She edited numerous books including: The Etched City by K.J. Bishop, Light by M. John Harrison, and City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer. In 2009, as a senior editor, she left to pursue other opportunities.

She is now a freelance editor and worked on my upcoming novel, Yarn. Just as I was working my way through her editorial notes, we spoke. Although I had met her before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but we ended up talking for two hours that afternoon. This podcast is part of that conversation.

Juliet’s company is Paper Tyger.

Her twitter is @papertyger. (Is that a sentence?)

The Burger Lab Podcast with Chef James Kenji Lopez-Alt

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:20:55 +0000

This week I took my microphone and headed to the Brooklyn apartment of chef and food-blogger James Kenji Lopez-Alt. He is a contributing editor to Cook’s Illustrated and on-screen test cook for America’s Test Kitchen. For SeriousEats.com he has produced a number of Food Lab and Burger Lab pieces that feature his scientific approach to cooking.

James decided to test the old adage: only flip a burger once. Is it true or a myth? Join us as good cooking meets the spread sheet!

We talked about his years cooking in Boston, his name, food and science, grilled pizza, and of course, burgers.

James has a catering and food consulting company, called KACuisine, he has a food blog GoodEater.org. His Food Lab and Burger Lab Posts can be found on SeriousEats.com and their sister site, A Hamburger Today. Read Kenji’s article:
How Often Should You Flip a Burger?

Author Trevor Corson Talks Lobster Sex, MSG, Japan, Sushi, and More

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:14:08 +0000

I met Trevor Corson’s Literary Agent a few years ago. She had the first iPhone I ever saw. And what did she have on it to listen to? The podcast of my novel! When I ran into her last last year, we talked and I asked if she had any clients who would be good for my podcast. She said: Trevor Corson would be great. She was right.

Trevor is the bestselling author of The Secret Life of Lobsters and The Story of Sushi.

Trevor and I talked about lobsters and their odd sex lives, wrong lobster wisdom from Phoebe of “Friends”, Mono Sodium Glutamate, Sushi, and stand-up comedy.

You can find Trevor’s website at trevorcorson.com and follow him on twitter at twitter.com/trevorcorson

Please note: I had a technical difficulty with the first upload of the show. Sorry. You can delete it in iTunes and then right click and select “Show All Available Shows” and try again. Did I mention I’m sorry?

Cities: Real and Unreal a discussion of Architecture and Fiction with Jeff Vandermeer, Jeffrey Ford, Geoff Manaugh

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:30:49 +0000

This is a special edition of If You’re Just Joining Us. I had the pleasure of attending a reading and discussion at a Borders in New York a few weeks ago and recorded the event. This is the discussion part of the program, which was hosted by Ron Hogan. The three members of the discussion panel were: Jeff Vandermeer, Jeffrey Ford, and Geoff Manaugh.

Jeff Vandermeer, who was recently on IFYJJU, had graciously invited me. His website is http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/.

Jeffrey Ford’s is http://users.rcn.com/delicate/ Geoff Manaugh’s is BLDG BLOG

The host was Ron Hogan and his site is Beatrice.

Richard Wax discusses the Mindy Blake Golf Swing, or what I like to call The Golf Swing of the Future

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:33 +0000

Richard Wax is a land surveyor who has been helping to design golf courses for decades. We talk about a relatively obscure, yet fascinating golf swing invented in the 70’s by a man named Mindy Blake. Richard met Mindy, became one of his protégés, learned the swing, and has been golfing to great success since.

A forum about Mindy’s Swing can be found at Network54.com. (Richard mention’s a website maintained by Jim in the podcast.) Follow this link to a page of golf videos, including Richard Wax swinging.

An Amazon link to Mindy Blake’s Golf Swing Book ( Golf:The Technique Barrier) where a used copy can be found.

Author Cherie Priest talks Steampunk, Seattle Underground, her new novel, Boneshaker, and the ritual of dressing up.

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:54:12 +0000

Cherie Priest is a novelist based in Seattle, Washington. Her novels include: Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Not Flesh Nor Feathers, Fathom, and her newest, Boneshaker. (All Amazon links.) Boneshaker is something of a departure from her Southern Gothic and horror roots. The setting is post Civil War Seattle and combines pulp and steampunk elements.
Cherie and I talked about that novel, the Seattle Underground, the ritual of dressing up, and her writing methods and schedule.

Visit Cherie’s site at CheriePriest.com and follow her on twitter at twitter.com/cmpriest.

Campbell Award Winning Author, David Anthony, Durham Talks Books and Writing

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:25:05 +0000

David Antony Durham is the author of Gabriel’s Story: A Novel, Walk Through Darkness, Pride of Carthage, Acacia: The War with the Mein (Acacia, Book 1), and his latest, The Other Lands (Acacia, Book 2). (All Amazon links.) David won the Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer in 2009. We talk about that experience, writing, telling anecdotes, and his new book, Acacia, The Other Lands. If You’re Just Joining Us fans will remember that David has been on before and is the first repeat guest on the podcast. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy! If you’d like to visit David’s website, it’s http://www.davidanthonydurham.com/

Fantasy and SciFi Literary Agent, Ginger Clark, Talks Agents, Publishing, and the Future

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:01:17 +0000

Ginger Clark has been in publishing for eleven years. She has been a literary agent with Curtis Brown since 2005, and has been my agent since 2004.

We talked about how to get an agent, how not to approach an agent, several agent myths, the future of publishing, and a little about how we met.

If you’re an aspiring writer, this podcast is for you. Follow Ginger Clark on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/Ginger_Clark