Best Paul Zakrzewski Podcasts (2024)

1
Two reasons you're not landing a memoir book deal in 2024, with Courtney Maum 42:46

29d ago42:46

42:46

In today’s episode I talk with author and creativity coach Courtney Maum of Before and After the Book Deal about what it means to write and publish memoir in 2024. She describes her own unconventional route into publishing, highlighting the importance of hard work and persistence over connections. She also shares insights into the craft of memoir, …

1
From a rejected memoir to a 6-figure book deal with Melissa Petro 39:23

2M ago39:23

39:23

In today’s episode I talk with author and cultural journalist Melissa Petro about her new book, Shame On: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification. The book explores how, in a patriarchal society, shame is often weaponized against women, keeping them small and lessening their impact. Petro weaves in her own personal story, which included an ea…

1
Book coach Joelle Hann: There's a big gap between the dream and the published book (Re-release) 31:11

2M ago31:11

31:11

Book coach Joelle Hann—aka “The Brooklyn Book Doctor”—joins me to discuss the journey from book idea to finished product. Joelle delves into common obstacles for first-time authors, the transformative nature of writing, and the importance of mindset and resilience. She also shares insights from her Book Proposal Academy and highlights trends happen…

1
Joan Leegant:"I have no clue what I'm going to do when I sit down to write stories" 34:46

3M ago34:46

34:46

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Joan Leegant to discuss her new short story collection, Displaced Persons. Joan shares insights into her writing process, including how she often begins stories with no preset idea and allows stories to emerge from a first sentence. Many of Joan’s stories are set among immigrants and Americans living in Israel. And…

1
Matthew Specktor on hybrid memoir, Hollywood failure & that time Marlon Brando left a voicemail 38:28

3M ago38:28

38:28

In this episode, I talk with author and novelist about his recent hybrid memoir and cultural exploration, Always Crashing in the Same Car. We discuss his fascination with figures who faced creative crises in Hollywood, from F. Scott Fitzgerald, filmmaker Hal Ashby or musician Warren Zevon to more overlooked but similarly brilliant figures like Caro…

1
Evan Dalton Smith:"'You can make a career out of writing weird, little books'" 32:10

4M ago32:10

32:10

Today’s guest is the writer and poet Evan Dalton Smith. His first book, part personal story and part cultural study, is called Looking for Andy Griffith: A Father’s Journey. We talk about the power of nostalgia, finding personal resilience, and pursuing meaningful storytelling. We also discuss the nearly decade-long journey of taking an 8,200-word …

1
How Jennifer Lang turned a "boring" 90K-word book into a 14K-word gem...& got her groove back 30:24

4M ago30:24

30:24

Today’s episode features my interview with Jennifer Lang. Her memoir, Places We Left Behind, is a marvel of brevity and form. It’s the story of how one woman, a hybrid of American-French-Israeli identities, navigates cultural and religious differences with her husband over the course of three decades, as her family searches for what it means to fin…

1
What do you need to know about marketing your book in 2024? with Kathleen Schmidt 34:13

8M ago34:13

34:13

Last year, I came across an essay called “Book Publishing is Broken” by today’s podcast guest, Kathleen Schmidt . Using her decades of experience in book PR & strategy, Kathleen laid out several reasons why traditional publishing fails writers. (If you haven’t already read that post, you’ll get to hear Kathleen’s reasons in our interview). And the …

1
The past is every bit as unpredictable as the future, with Abigail Thomas 29:04

9M ago29:04

29:04

In this converation with memoirist Abigail Thomas, we discuss the backstory of writing Safekeeping, and that now-classic memoir was initially turned down by all the editors the book was sent, except for one. We talk about how crafting a memoir-in-fragments like Safekeeping allows a writer to depict memories in a way a more conventional structure do…

1
From Pet-Sitting to Publishing, with Chérie Newman 33:08

9M ago33:08

33:08

In this episode, I talk with author, musician and audio producer Chérie Newman about her humorous experiences pet-sitting unruly critters during the pandemic. The need to turn this one-time side hustle into a fulltime gig coincided with a more sobering reality: the way that wealthy out-of-state residents reshaped her hometown of Bozeman, Montana. N…

1
Mystic vs. Mainstream, with Jay Michaelson 35:34

9M ago35:34

35:34

In this episode, I talk with author, professor, journalist, and rabbi Jay Michaelson. After publishing nine other books of nonfiction and poetry, and hundreds of stories for publications like Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, and New York magazine, Michaelson has just come out with his first work of fiction, The Secret That's Not a Secret. We discuss…

1
What is the future of literary journals? with Travis Kurowski 23:29

9M ago23:29

23:29

Last fall, administrators at Gettysburg College announced the shuttering of the prestigious Gettysburg Review. This just seemed like the latest in a long string of magazines and journals that have closed the past few years. Curious about what’s going on, I called Travis Kurowski, a leading expert on literary magazines, to help me understand what wa…

1
How to Jumpstart Your Memoir the Low-Stakes Way, with Amity Reed & Paul Zakrzewski 22:40

10M ago22:40

22:40

Why would anyone want to jumpstart their memoir? For one thing, you’re tasked with plumbing your memory for sometimes difficult material. Added to that is the burden of turning out writing that often feels underwhelming—so much less than we know we can do. For recovering perfectionists, the combination can be daunting. In today’s episode of The Boo…

1
Brutalities: Crafting truth thru braided essays with Margo Steines 33:16

10M ago33:16

33:16

In this week’s episode of The Book I Had to Write, I talk with Margo Steines, the author of Brutalities: A Love Story. This memoir-in-essays documents her journey through a series of extreme experiences including her time as a pro dom, a welder on a high-rise crew, her addictions to exercise, her interest in MMA fighting, and more. We talk about he…

1
An urgent & possibly helpful conversation with Jeannine Ouellette 38:15

10M ago38:15

38:15

In the Season 3 launch, Jeannine Ouellette, author of the memoir The Part That Burns and creator of the Writing in the Dark newsletter, shares insights into her writing process, her extraordinary year on Substack, and the unique blend of craft, wisdom, and kindness that makes her a beloved teacher of creative writing. Key Takeaways * Writing around…

1
How do you write about yourself and others? with Sari Botton (From the Archives) 47:31

10M ago47:31

47:31

For this final post of 2023, here’s one from the archives — perhaps the most popular episode of The Book I Had to Write podcast. In this segment, I talk with Sari Botton, the author of the memoir/essay collection …And You May Find Yourself, and the founder of Oldster magazine. Back around 2010, Sari started an interview series at The Rumpus called …

1
S2 Bonus Episode: What's Your Biggest Challenge With Writing? 2:31

1+ y ago2:31

2:31

I’ve just wrapped up season 2 of The Book I Had to Write, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the show. I’ll be back in the fall with a new season that I hope you’ll love. But before I do that, I have a big favor to ask... I’ve created a short survey and would love for you to fill it out. In a world of many podcasts, including many books podcasts, I want to …

1
S2, Ep 6: How Do You Start Your (Holocaust) Memoir? with Leah Eichler 31:10

1+ y ago31:10

31:10

About this Episode Back in the 1990s, Leah Eichler, then a young reporter, interviewed her grandmother extensively about her experiences as an Auschwitz survivor. In this episode, Leah discusses her book-development journey working with coach & TBIHTW host Paul Zakrzewski. If you’ve been overwhelmed by a book you want to write – but aren’t sure whe…

1
S2, Ep 5: How Do First-Time Authors Get Over Resistance? with Joelle Hann 33:22

1+ y ago33:22

33:22

"There's a big gap between the dream and the published book--what's happening there?" asks book coach Joelle Hann (aka the Brooklyn Book Doctor). Joelle joins host Paul Zakrzewski to talk about why writers face resistance when they start their books, the sense of power that happens when you finish, & the big shifts happening in Big 5 publishing rig…

1
S2, Ep 4: How Do You Deal with a Shocking Discovery? with Julija Šukys 33:57

1+ y ago33:57

33:57

Paul interviews writer, scholar, and archival expert Julija Šukys, author of Siberian Exile: Blood, War, and a Granddaughter’s Reckoning. Part way through this project, Šukys received documents that pointed to her grandfather’s possible complicity in Holocaust-era war crimes. Their conversation traces this major discovery and how it changed her wor…

1
S2, Ep 3: Why Failing More Can Help Your Writing, with Stephen Marche 32:19

1+ y ago32:19

32:19

Paul interviews author and cultural critic Stephen Marche about his new book On Writing and Failure. We delve into the challenges faced by writers in the digital age, and the evolving landscape of publishing, and discuss the inherent failures that are part of writing process, and the struggle to bridge the gap between intention and reception. Discu…

1
S2, Ep 2: Why Essays Matter, with Susan Olding 25:34

1+ y ago25:34

25:34

About this Episode In Canada, essayist Susan Olding is well-known as the author of smart, beautifully crafted essays on topics like parenting, illness, our changing relationship to reading & more. In this episode, Susan discusses her journey as an essayist, and her newest essay collection Big Reader. She also discusses the power of writing essays, …

1
S2, Ep 1: A Jewish Literary Mafia? with Josh Lambert 42:37

1+ y ago42:37

42:37

Overview In this episode of "The Book I Had to Write" podcast, Paul interviews Josh Lambert, author of The Literary Mafia: Jews, Publishing, and Postwar American Literature. Josh shares the story of how the term 'Jewish literary mafia' came about in the 1950s and 1960s. They delve into the problems of gatekeeping and publishing's lack of diversity,…

1
Season 2 Trailer 1:45

1+ y ago1:45

1:45

Paul is back with a new season of The Book I Had to Write! This time around, the show explores nonfiction writers and stories from Canada. Upcoming interviews will be published every other Tuesday starting on May 9, 2023. Highlights include: Josh Lambert (The Literary Mafia: Jews, Publishing, and Postwar American Literature) on the story of Jewish …

1
How Do You Write About Yourself and Others? with Sari Botton (From the Archive) 48:29

2+ y ago48:29

48:29

In this episode, I talk with writer and editor Sari Botton. Back around 2010, Sari started an interview series at The Rumpus called “Conversations with Writers Braver Than Me.” At the time, as a writer of first-person nonfiction, she felt paralyzed by the fear of hurting those closest to her. By definition, memoir and essays inevitably include stor…

1
S1 Bonus: Chloe Caldwell Does It Her Way 59:59

2+ y ago59:59

59:59

This week, we’re featuring an episode from a great new show called The Bleeders. The Bleeders is a podcast (and support group) about book writing and publishing. The podcast emphasizes “transparent conversations with authors, agents, and people in the publishing industry about how to write and sell books.” The title is a wry nod to the famous Hemin…

1
The Memoir as Detective Story with Lilly Dancyger 36:10

2+ y ago36:10

36:10

About this episode It can be difficult for writers to learn to put our stories front and center. That was originally the case with today’s guest, Lilly Dancyger. She originally set out to memorialize her father, Joe Schactman, through a book that would feature artwork and stories she’d collected from friends. Schactman was a highly original artist …

1
Your Book is Ready When It's Ready, with Brad Listi 37:13

2+ y ago37:13

37:13

About the episode: Today’s guest on TBIHTW is Brad Listi, best known as the creator of the OTHERPPL with Brad Listi podcast. Hailed by everyone from The New Yorker to Electric Literature as a go-to literary podcast, OTHERPPL boasts over 770+ episodes, making it also one of the longest running literary podcasts as well. Brad Listi’s new book, Be Bri…

1
Rebirthing your book, with Allison K. Williams 39:24

2+ y ago39:24

39:24

About this episode If you’ve spent time in the world of creative nonfiction, chances are you’ve come across today’s guest Allison K. Williams As the “Unkind Editor,” she builds on a decade of experience with hundreds of clients to dole out straight talk on writing and publishing. And as Brevity.com’s social media editor and cofounder of “The Writer…

1
Ancestor Trouble, with Gayle Jessup White 36:04

2+ y ago36:04

36:04

About this episode Growing up, Gayle Jessup White had heard that her African American family was somehow related to Thomas Jefferson. But it wasn’t until advances in DNA technology, along with methods pioneered by historians exploring the African American experience in the U.S., helped her uncover her direct link to not only Thomas Jefferson, but a…

1
Getting Over the Fear of Success with Dr. Robert Glover 30:59

2+ y ago30:59

30:59

About this episode Paul talks with the best-selling author Dr. Robert Glover about how the publication of the book, No More Mr. Nice Guy, helped him to create a platform, and to launch himself as internationally-recognized men’s dating and self-improvement expert. To date, NMMNG has some 6000+ reviews on Amazon. In the interview, Dr. Glover discuss…

1
S1, Ep 2: A Masterclass in Writing and Living with Abigail Thomas 29:50

2+ y ago29:50

29:50

Paul talks with the NYT-bestselling memoirist and teacher, Abigail Thomas. Her memoir, Safekeeping (2000), is a marvel of technical innovation, enviable humor, and just plain old heart. She’s clear-sighted about her own failings, as well as other people’s, but she never seems to judge anyone. In this episode Abigail Thomas shares the backstory of h…

1
S1, Ep 1: From Journal to Book with Karen Propp 33:39

2+ y ago33:39

33:39

About the episode What do you do when you want to read a book that’s not already out there? nd what’s the difference between keeping a journal and writing for publication? In S1E1 of TBIHTW, writer and editor Karen Propp explores these and other questions. She tells the story of how she came to write her memoir,In Sickness & In Health: A Love Story…

1
Introducing The Book I Had to Write (S1 Trailer) 1:49

2+ y ago1:49

1:49

Welcome to the Book I Had to Write! This is the show where I feature critically-acclaimed writers, who tell me about the stories they just HAD to get out in the world. Episodes focus on places where that sense of urgency meets resistance. We talk about where authors get stuck—and how they succeed. Whether it’s about the stuff that gets in the way o…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Paul Zakrzewski Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
The Book I HAD to Write

Paul Zakrzewski

1
Two reasons you're not landing a memoir book deal in 2024, with Courtney Maum 42:46

1
From a rejected memoir to a 6-figure book deal with Melissa Petro 39:23

1
Book coach Joelle Hann: There's a big gap between the dream and the published book (Re-release) 31:11

1
Joan Leegant:"I have no clue what I'm going to do when I sit down to write stories" 34:46

1
Matthew Specktor on hybrid memoir, Hollywood failure & that time Marlon Brando left a voicemail 38:28

1
Evan Dalton Smith:"'You can make a career out of writing weird, little books'" 32:10

1
How Jennifer Lang turned a "boring" 90K-word book into a 14K-word gem...& got her groove back 30:24

1
What do you need to know about marketing your book in 2024? with Kathleen Schmidt 34:13

1
The past is every bit as unpredictable as the future, with Abigail Thomas 29:04

1
From Pet-Sitting to Publishing, with Chérie Newman 33:08

1
Mystic vs. Mainstream, with Jay Michaelson 35:34

1
What is the future of literary journals? with Travis Kurowski 23:29

1
How to Jumpstart Your Memoir the Low-Stakes Way, with Amity Reed & Paul Zakrzewski 22:40

1
Brutalities: Crafting truth thru braided essays with Margo Steines 33:16

1
An urgent & possibly helpful conversation with Jeannine Ouellette 38:15

1
How do you write about yourself and others? with Sari Botton (From the Archives) 47:31

1
S2 Bonus Episode: What's Your Biggest Challenge With Writing? 2:31

1
S2, Ep 6: How Do You Start Your (Holocaust) Memoir? with Leah Eichler 31:10

1
S2, Ep 5: How Do First-Time Authors Get Over Resistance? with Joelle Hann 33:22

1
S2, Ep 4: How Do You Deal with a Shocking Discovery? with Julija Šukys 33:57

1
S2, Ep 3: Why Failing More Can Help Your Writing, with Stephen Marche 32:19

1
S2, Ep 2: Why Essays Matter, with Susan Olding 25:34

1
S2, Ep 1: A Jewish Literary Mafia? with Josh Lambert 42:37

1
Season 2 Trailer 1:45

1
How Do You Write About Yourself and Others? with Sari Botton (From the Archive) 48:29

1
S1 Bonus: Chloe Caldwell Does It Her Way 59:59

1
The Memoir as Detective Story with Lilly Dancyger 36:10

1
Your Book is Ready When It's Ready, with Brad Listi 37:13

1
Rebirthing your book, with Allison K. Williams 39:24

1
Ancestor Trouble, with Gayle Jessup White 36:04

1
Getting Over the Fear of Success with Dr. Robert Glover 30:59

1
S1, Ep 2: A Masterclass in Writing and Living with Abigail Thomas 29:50

1
S1, Ep 1: From Journal to Book with Karen Propp 33:39

1
Introducing The Book I Had to Write (S1 Trailer) 1:49

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