Catapult | Don't Write Alone

A Conversation about ‘Murder at Teal’s Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks’

Co-authors David Bushman and Mark Givens talk about their book and how to use research as a tool.

David Bushman and Mark Givens

May 19, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: On the left is the cover of Elamin Abdelmahmoud's book, Son of Elsewhere, which depicts an illustration of a road snaking into the distance. On the right is a portrait of Abdelmahmoud, who is sitting at a table with his head propped against his fist and is smiling at the camera.

“I’m not very good at hating things”: A Conversation with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

The writer and podcaster discusses his new book ‘Son of Elsewhere,’ taking pop culture seriously, and not inviting his Twitter self to the writing party.

Tajja Isen

May 17, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: On the left is the cover of Ada Limón's book. The cover is a light grey abstract painting. The book cover is set against a bright background of yellow flowers. On the right is a photograph of Limón at a wood table wearing a black shirt with yellow flowers.

For Ada Limón, We’re All the Hurting Kind

In this interview, Eliza Harris speaks with Ada Limón about her new poetry collection, the failure of language, and finding the will to begin again.

Eliza Harris

May 16, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Matt Bell Is a Student (and Teacher) of Writing

In this interview, Ruth Joffre talks with Matt Bell about his new craft book ‘Refuse to Be Done,’ interactive storytelling, building a craft library, and more.

Ruth Joffre

May 10, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Pyae Moe Thet War Knows What Makes a Good Essay

In this interview, Tajja Isen talks to Pyae Moe Thet War about her new collection ‘You’ve Changed,’ finding her voice as a writer, and publishing a book on her own terms.

Tajja Isen

May 03, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Little by Little, Toni Mirosevich Returns to a Place Where People Are People

In this conversation, Ploi Pirapokin talks with Toni Mirosevich about her new short story collection ‘Spell Heaven,’ the art of bullshitting, and the fluidity of genre.

Ploi Pirapokin

May 02, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: In this header, we see representations of the logos for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are all simplified and look very modern.

“You don’t have to do social media if you hate it”: A Q&A with Marketing Director Rachel Fershleiser

As part of our Social Media Week series, Rachel Fershleiser debunks the myths of marketing and social media and shares tips for how to build an authentic online presence.

Tajja Isen

Apr 28, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: This header image has a picture of Lauren Oyler next to the cover of her book, FAKE ACCOUNTS.

Lauren Oyler Is Interested in the “Patheticness” of Our Online Lives

As part of our Social Media Week series, editor Kendall Storey chats with ‘Fake Accounts’ author Lauren Oyler.

The Editors

Apr 26, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Vanessa Hua on Imaginative Inquiry and Historical Fiction

In this interview, Aditi Malhotra talks with Vanessa Hua about the fourteen-year process of writing and research that went into her new book, ‘Forbidden City.’

Aditi Malhotra

Apr 19, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: A photograph of Natalie Eve Garrett, a dark-haired woman in a white blouse, against a dark background on the right side. On the left is the bright green cover of the anthology THE LONELY STORIES against a pink background.

Natalie Eve Garrett Wants Us to Feel Loneliness Without Shame

In this interview, Tajja Isen talks with Natalie Eve Garrett about her new anthology ‘The Lonely Stories,’ the longing for solitude, and how books can build community.

Tajja Isen

Apr 12, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: Photographs courtesy of Kelly Link and Richard Butner

Richard Butner Wants to Never Write the Same Story Twice

In this interview, Kelly Link interviews the author Richard Butner about the short story form, running the Sycamore Hill Writer’s Workshop, and the value of writing with other people.

Kelly Link

Apr 04, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Kate Folk Believes the Weird and Eerie Transcends Genre

In this interview, Ploi Pirapokin talks with Kate Folk about her new book, ‘Out There,’ the importance of humor, and the experience of publishing a short story collection.

Ploi Pirapokin

Mar 22, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Melissa Febos on Rejecting the Patriarchy’s Bad Ideas

In this interview, Ruth Joffre talks with Melissa Febos about her new craft book, ‘Body Work,’ the therapeutic effects of writing and reading, the ethics of writing about other people, and more.

Ruth Joffre

Mar 15, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

What is Genre, Anyway?

In this conversation, author Isaac Fellman and literary agent Kate McKean discuss how writers and the publishing industry define genre . . . and realize the more you talk about it, the less clear the concept becomes.

Kate McKean

Mar 08, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Chelsea T. Hicks Wants More Indigenous Poets to Write from Their Own Languages

In this interview, Catapult’s Head Instructor, Gabrielle Bellot, talks with instructor Chelsea T. Hicks about Indigenous poetry, colonialism, languages, the process of “rematriation,” and more.

Gabrielle Bellot

Mar 07, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: Photo asset by Eliza Harris places, at left, an image of the cover of Namrata Poddar's new novel, Border Less, which depicts a woman who appears to be dancing, arms raised, under a swirling sky. At right, a photo portrait of Namrata depicts her smiling in front of a hazy ocean background.

“Race is a construct, yet the impact of it on human beings is very real”: A Conversation with Namrata Poddar

“Instead of engaging with the white gaze, my fiction is interested in exploring the various ways in which our brown communities have endured marginalization . . . ”

Nikhita Obeegadoo

Mar 01, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Interviews

Cover Photo: This header forefronts a black and white picture of author Sanaë Lemoine. She is gazing off into the distance with a slight smile. To the right of her author photo we see the cover of her novel, THE MARGOT AFFAIR. The background of the header image reflects the cover of the cook, which is banded with yellow, pink, and red stripes.

Every Coming-of-Age Story Is a Story About Hunger

Hannah Kingsley-Ma interviews Sanaë Lemoine, author of ‘The Margot Affair,’ on cooking, recipe development, and using food to build plot and character.