Don’t Write Alone: Interviews

Publishing Is Finally Taking Romance Seriously—and Jasmine Guillory is Here For It

For our Romance Week series, Arriel Vinson interviews bestselling novelist Jasmine Guillory about the past, present, and future of the romance genre.

Feb 14, 2023
Jennifer Maritza McCauley Believes That Home Is a Feeling, Not a Place

In this interview, Jennifer Maritza McCauley discusses her debut story collection ‘When Trying to Return Home,’ the power of female kinship, and the allure of the short fiction format.

Feb 07, 2023
Matthew Salesses Believes Being Better People Makes Us Better Writers

Akanksha Singh interviews Matthew Salesses about his new novel “The Sense of Wonder,” decolonizing storytelling, and what K-dramas can teach us about plot.

Feb 02, 2023
Liz Harmer Is Working Out Thorny Moral Questions

Jean March Ah-Sen interviews Liz Harmer about her new novel ‘Strange Loops,’ crises of faith, and the mysteries of existence.

Jan 31, 2023
Kurt Baumeister On the Synergy of Being an Editor, Critic, and Novelist

Christine Sneed interviews Kurt Baumeister about his role as acquisitions editor for 7.13 Books and the history of his authorial, editorial, and critical work.

Jan 24, 2023
Josh Riedel Believes Tech and Writing Connects Us Together

In this conversation, Ploi Pirapokin talks with Josh Riedel about his new novel ‘Please Report Your Bug Here,’ his time working in the tech industry, and the joys of building a literary community.

Jan 17, 2023
For Editors Ana-Maurine Lara and drea brown, ‘Teaching Black’ Is a Love Letter

Ruth Joffre interviews Ana-Maurine Lara and drea brown about their anthology ‘Teaching Black,’ the process of putting the book together, and what it means to be in conversation with authors included in its pages.

Jan 10, 2023
Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts on the Day-to-Day Job of a Literary Agent

“One of the things I enjoy about my job is that my days can really vary.”

Jan 04, 2023
Felicia Rose Chavez Wants You to Commit to the Work

Ruth Joffre interviews Felicia Rose Chavez about ‘The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop,’ what led her to develop these principles, and why anti-racism is important—in the classroom and beyond.

Dec 13, 2022
Ruben Quesada Introduces Readers to the Expansive World of Latinx Poetics

Ruth Joffre interviews Ruben Quesada on his new book ‘Latinx Poetics: Essays on the Art of Poetry,’ the first anthology devoted to essays exploring the subject from a Latinx perspective.

Nov 29, 2022
The Risks, Realities, and Rewards of Writing About Social Issues

A roundtable with Kavita Das, the author of ‘Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues,’ and contributors Gaiutra Bahadur and Gabrielle Bellot.

Nov 28, 2022
Andrew Sean Greer Is Challenging the “Great American Novel”

Akanksha Singh interviews Andrew Sean Greer about his new novel “Less Is Lost,” finding humor in uncomfortable topics, and the pleasures of a fairytale ending.

Nov 15, 2022
Hilton Als Is Finding Language for the Inexpressible

In this conversation with Isabella Vega, Als discusses his new book ‘My Pinup,’ the nature of desire, and the vulnerability of writing.

Nov 08, 2022
Franny Choi Believes in a Future After the Apocalypse

Alyssa Lo talks with Franny Choi about their most recent poetry collection ‘The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On,’ poetic forms, and speculative possibilities.

Nov 01, 2022
Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward Believe Learning Often Involves Making Mistakes

Ruth Joffre talks with Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward about the craft book and class ‘Writing the Other,’ which offers a practical guide to writing about other cultures with care, attention, respect, and research.

Oct 18, 2022
Christine Sneed Is Permitting Herself to Have Fun

Melissa Fraterrigo interviews Christine Sneed about her novel ‘Please Be Advised,’ the nostalgia of the office job, and the publishing industry.

Elissa Bassist Gave Her Book Everything She Had

In this interview, Elissa Bassist discusses her memoir “Hysterical,” keeping her humor sharp, and the endurance test of writing a book.

Sep 13, 2022
Dur e Aziz Amna Is Adding Something Different to the Canon

Akanksha Singh interviews Dur e Aziz Amna about her novel ‘American Fever,’ the burdens of representation, and performing for the dominant culture.

Aug 25, 2022
Allegra Hyde Believes We Are a Product of the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Jean Marc Ah-Sen interviews Allegra Hyde about her novel ‘Eleutheria,’ the concept of climate fiction, and reckoning with the patterns of the past.

Aug 02, 2022