The Downtown Writers Jam

One of our favorite authors, Wanda M. Morris, stopped by the Bunker for an After Party storytelling Q&A with Brad. Her latest book, Any Where You Run, is out now. Wanda and Brad swapped stories about their parents, shared their best advice to writers, and talked about how writing helps them make sense of the world. Plus, they had a callback to Brad's favorite Wanda story: how she wrote her first book without anybody knowing until it was done! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Designer David Lee Csicsko dropped by the Bunker for a Jam Session about his latest project, LGBTQ+ Icons: A Celebration of Historical LGBTQ+ Icons in the Arts. David and Brad discussed their strange overlapping experience in the Indianapolis theatre scene, his work as a graphic designer, and the process he and his writing partner went through in narrowing down the 50 stories they wanted to tell in this book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Felice Cohen dropped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love. Be warned, Felice came ready with some amazing stories. She and Brad went on a long, winding road through her life. They talked playing sports growing up, her fearless drive to explore, family, and even a little bit about living in that very tiny New York apartment. (But not too much. Just, um, a little.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of Brad's favorite guests, author Sergio Troncoso, dropped by the bunker After Party to talk about his latest novel, Nobody's Pilgrims. The two talked about Sergio's evolution in thinking about "voiceless" characters, the "flow" in writing, and probably other topics we could put in quotes. Oh, and the time Sergio met George W. Bush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and professor Natalia Molina stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles Nourished its Community. Natalia and Brad has a long, wide-ranging discussion about comedians (Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler in particular), audio books, meeting famous people, and the trauma of academia. Plus, how place intersects with race, class, and gender in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and journalist Keri Blakinger stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, Corrections in Ink, a fascinating examination of the women's prison system told through the lens of somebody who made it to the other side of incarceration. It's a fantastic book, and one you want to read. Of course, Keri and Brad talked about the rest of her life: growing up as a competitive skater, trying to fit in, and navigating her career as a journalist after. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and author Katie Hafner stopped by the Bunker to talk about her debut novel, The Boys. She and Brad took a stroll through some of the difficult times she had growing up and as a professional, but swerved through the difficulties of switching from nonfiction to fiction. And the joy of writing about goodness. Oh, and we forgot to mention that Katie not only influenced Brad's early career, she also taught a class he took at Berkeley. (There's only a few fanboy moments.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Emi Nietfeld stopped by the Bunker to talk about her memoir, Acceptance, which is—in many ways—a story about the cost of surviving. For that, you can check out the book. She and Brad took a walk through her childhood in Minnesota, her almost modeling career, her search for her own identity, and ultimately the road where she found her own path through...everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Angelique Pesce stopped by the Bunker to talk with Brad about her latest book, American Pastime, and the importance of family. She grew up working in her father's bakery. She went to law school because of her grandfather. She started a nonprofit because of her grandmother. And she watched her mother blazer her own career. All of those forces shaped her journey as a writer, a producer, and filmmaker. It is—in the mythological way that we tell ourselves these stories—the American Dream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Elisabeth Sharp McKetta came back to the Bunker After Party to talk about her latest book, Awake with Asashoryu and Other Essays. She joined Brad to tell some stories about why it's so hard to sit in the chair to write, why writers only really believe the bad reviews, what it means to be a writer, and the joy of making things (and being in a family that makes things)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Jenny Colgan stopped by the Bunker to talk about her latest book, An Island Wedding, and the conversation was just delightful. She and Brad talked about the weirdness of their respective small towns (Elvis and castles, but not how you think), the circular nature of family dynamics, the impact of class, and the importance of finding your art community! But what they didn't discuss: all of her work with Doctor Who. At least not as much as Brad wanted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Jeevani Charika—who also writes under the pseudonym Rhoda Baxter that was inspired by the bacteria she studied while getting her Ph.D. in Microbiology—stopped by to talk with Brad about romcoms, Legos, science, travel, and basically all things nerdy! In other words, it's a great day in the Bunker. She has a book out now, Playing for Love, and another coming out in September—because she somehow manages to write two books a year! You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, The Displaced. He and Brad talked a lot about finding your home and finding your voice, and the long road it takes to do that. And Rodrigo's journey took him into some hard places. But when he realized he was at a fork in the road, he decided to find his way back to writing, filmmaking, and storytelling (including writing his first book while he was in college!) He's a fantastic storyteller. And if you stick around long enough, you'll get a little Wu-Tang. You can—and should—find him on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Bobi Conn (A Woman in Time) stopped by the After Party to share a little Appalachian storytelling with Brad. Bobi's own story has been filled with a lot of hard times (In The Shadow of the Valley), but that's only one part of her tale. She and Brad talked about the joy of writing, the happiness her children bring her, and importance of finding peace with yourself. Oh, and a bit about the humor that comes out in places we don't expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Kelly Sokol (Breach) stopped by the Bunker this week to talk with Brad about her journey, which included a stop at the Capitol and a job on the railroad. She's had an interesting ride that has taken her from Nebraska to Virginia Beach, with lots of stops in between. Oh, and she's an ultramarathoner as well. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vermont author Catherine Drake (The Treehouse on Dog River Road) stopped by the Bunker for a wild After Party with Brad to talk about how Christmas card writing led to her writing career, her brush with Bernie (it's Vermont, duh!), a hometown parade that featured a float of her book, and her fiftieth birthday party at Burning Man. And trust me, you don't want to miss her grand-daughter's idea for a BookTok channel because it's brilliant! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Rebecca van Laer (How to Adjust to the Dark) stopped by the Bunker After Party to talk a bit one of our favorite topics: the anxiety of writing and writers! She and Brad also shared stories about patience with your writing, most definitely avoiding people who believe they are gatekeepers, and ghosts in New Orleans. Should have led with the ghosts! You can find her on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Nicole Exposito stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her fiction podcast, The Burned Photo, which frankly scared the crap out of Brad. They talked about her awkward childhood, finding her community while working on student films, graduating in a recession, her work at an EMT (yikes!), and how that all led her back to writing. Plus, they took a long digression about the work of Tom Robbins and the writer brain! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Louise Mumford (The Safe House) stopped the Bunker for the After Party! She and Brad discussed why it's important to be less polite (especially if you're a young woman), happiness as nothing, and road tripping across the United States in an RV without really understanding how big this country is. (Louise is from Wales!) Plus, the state of watching movies when you're a writer. Find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Sophie Flynn stopped by the Bunker this week to talk about her latest book, Keep Them Close. She and Brad explored her transformation from a "mean girl" (not our words, folks!) into the theater and music world where she began to find her own footing. It's a joyous, funny, and thoughtful conversation about how life—and expectations—crash together! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices