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.

 

 Cities Real and Unreal a discussion of Architecture and Fiction with Jeff Vandermeer, Jeffrey Ford, Geoff Manaugh [37:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

 

 Richard Wax discusses Mindy Blake's Golf Swing of the Future [22:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

 

 Author Cherie Priest talks Steampunk, Seattle Underground, her new novel, Boneshaker, and the ritual of dressing up. [20:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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/

 

 Campbell Award Winning Author, David Anthony Durham Talks Books and Writing [33:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

 

 Fantasy and SciFi Literary Agent, Ginger Clark, Talks Agents, Publishing, and the Future [30:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jeff VanderMeer is an award-winning writer, editor, and publisher. His books include: City of Saints and Madmen, Veniss Underground, and Shriek: An Afterword. In this podcast, we talk about his upcoming novel, the fantasy noir, Finch. (All links to Amazon)

Jeff reviews and essays have appeared in The Washington Post Book World, Publishers Weekly, and many others. He is also a regular columnist for the Amazon book-culture blog and has a great blog under his own name: jeffvandermeer.com.

Jeff and I talked about his childhood in Fiji, hiking and animals in Florida, writing, book covers, his new novel Finch, and so much more!

The show’s intro was recorded by blogger and fan, Charles Tan.

Lastly, a word of warning: I believe there is one swear word that may not be appropriate for all listeners.

 

 Author Jeff VanderMeer talks fantasy, noir, writing, book covers, and a wild boar charge. [32:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When I first I saw Thomas’s project on-line, it seemed funny maybe even frivolous — and there are humorous moments in his telling, like when he calls British Petroleum and tries to get a barrel of oil from them to try and make plastic — but below his near-futile exercise, is a thought provoking experiment about design, sustainability, consumerism, technology, and the environment.

Thomas Thwaites is a design student from The Royal College of Art in London. There is more information about this project at his site: The Toaster Project.

He and I talk about smelting iron in a microwave oven, trying to make plastic, and rubber, and the moment when he presented his toaster and first plugged the thing in …

A few more photos:
The toaster in the foreground and the equipment that Thomas used to build it. Photo by Nick Ballon.

I think this is a later version of the toaster. Photo by Daniel Alexander.

The toaster and the equipment used to make it with Thomas in the background. Photo by Nick Ballon

 

 Building a Toaster From Scratch Might Sound Fairly Easy. It wasn't. Just ask Thomas Thwaites. [19:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Rob Long is a TV writer and producer who wore and produced the hit show Cheers among others. He hosts a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood life radio commentary: Martini Shot. (It’s also a podcast. - iTunes link). He is also a contributing editor for the National Review and Newsweek International and others.

Rob and I talked about writing, how to book yourself onto a container ship to get some actual work done in this modern world, the TV show Cheers, humor, drinking, and how he got his start in Hollywood.

Amazon links to Rob’s books: Conversations with My Agent and Set up, Joke, Set Up, Joke. And a link to his Twitter feed.

 

 TV Writer and Producer Rob Long Talks about Hollywood, Cheers, and Writing on a Container Ship [30:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Richard Kadrey is a novelist, freelance writer, and photographer based in San Francisco. Starting over 20 years ago as one of the first major writers of cyberpunk, with the classic Metrophage, his other novels include Kamikaze L’Amour, Butcher Bird and his latest, Sandman Slim.

Richard and I talk about his transition from cyberpunk to fantasy, George Bush, heavy drinking, and writing.

Sandman Slim: A Novel (Amazon)

The Youtube video that is quoted in the piece.

Download Richard’s Butcher Bird for free (scroll down just above the download for my novel!) at Nigh Shade Books.

Download Metrophage, Richard’s first novel.

 

 Author Richard Kadrey Talks about Fantasy, George Bush, and Heavy Drinking [21:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My guest this show is Jacob Fenston. He’s a freelance journalist in Oakland, California, whose work has appeared on NPR, KQED, and Public Radio Stations across America.

I heard Jacob’s excellent (and often hilarious) piece “My T-Shirt Says It All” and wanted to talk to him about it. This show features many cuts from that work, but if you’d like to hear the whole piece, please do so at Jacob Fenston’s website. This links to Jacob’s homepage.

 

 "My T-Shirt Says It All" An Interview with Producter Jacob Fenston [20:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download