Best Nicola Moras Podcasts (2024)

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S7 Ep. 44: Ellie Palmer and Elle Everhart on the Rise of Romance 47:24

1h ago47:24

47:24

Romance novelists Elle Everhart and Ellie Palmer join co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to talk about the genre’s increasing popularity. Everhart, the London-based author of the new book Hot Summer, featuring a protagonist who joins the cast of a reality show only to realize she’s interested in a fellow contestant, discusses coming t…

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S7 Ep. 43: Harry Siegel on the Supreme Court, Bribery, and Scofflaws 55:33

14d ago55:33

55:33

New York Daily News columnist Harry Siegel joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan and guest co-host Matt Gallagher to talk about his recent piece about the Supreme Court’s decision to permit what he has dubbed “after-the-fact bribery.” Siegel, who has covered corruption for years, explains how the legality of accepting gratuities, tips, and gifts has be…

1
S7 Ep. 42: Sally Franson and Emily Nussbaum on Reality TV 1:02:31

15m ago1:02:31

1:02:31

Novelist Sally Franson and critic Emily Nussbaum join host V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about reality television. Franson, a recent reality TV show winner whose new novel, Big in Sweden, is from the point of view of a woman who joins the cast of a program in that country, reflects on transforming her real-life experience into fiction. Nussbaum, a st…

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S7 Ep. 41: Phil Elwood on Doing PR for All the Worst Humans 55:08

2d ago55:08

55:08

In the wake of the recent Trump-Biden debate, public relations operative Phil Elwood joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan and guest co-host Matt Gallagher to talk about his career spinning stories in favor of infamous international leaders. Elwood, whose clients previously included figures like Libya’s Gaddafi family and Syria’s al-Assads, recalls his…

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From the Archives: S1 Ep. 6: Kiki Petrosino and Jess Walter on All the President's Shakespeare 1:14:36

9d ago1:14:36

1:14:36

As Literary Hub observes July 4, we return to our archives for a 2017 episode that remains relevant today. We will return with a new episode July 11. In episode 6, V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell talk political betrayal past and present with novelist Jess Walter and poet Kiki Petrosino. Jess Walter once interviewed an ailing Mark Felt, aka …

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S7 Ep. 39: Maxim Loskutoff on the Unabomber and the Myth of the American West 53:50

1M ago53:50

53:50

Novelist Maxim Loskutoff joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan and guest co-host Matt Gallagher to talk about his new novel, Old King, which is about Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, who moved to Montana to withdraw from society. Loskutoff, who grew up in Missoula, Montana, discusses the mythology that draws men like Kaczynski—who sought to be in nature, and t…

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S7 Ep. 38: Nicolás Medina Mora on Mexico’s First Woman President and the Country’s Political Future 54:50

1M ago54:50

54:50

Journalist and novelist Nicolás Medina Mora joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan and guest co-host Matt Gallagher to talk about Mexico’s president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who will be the first woman and first Jewish person to lead the country. Medina Mora explains current president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s history, his hold on Mexico’s political…

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S7 Ep. 37: Karen Solt on Being Gay in the Navy, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and Hiding for Her Life 47:31

2M ago47:31

47:31

In this Pride Month episode, Navy veteran and author Karen Solt joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan and guest co-host Matt Gallagher to talk about her experience of being gay while serving in the military. Solt, who retired as a senior chief petty officer in 2006 and served both before and during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” talks about the Clinton-era p…

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S7 Ep. 36: Akuna Robinson on Going the Distance With Through Hiking 46:06

2M ago46:06

46:06

With summer approaching, Army veteran and long-distance hiker Akuna Robinson joins host V.V. Ganeshananthan and guest co-host Matt Gallagher to talk about the experience of through hiking, or long-distance hiking a trail from end to end. Robinson, the first Black man to complete the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Di…

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S7 Ep. 35: Remembering Alice Munro: Jonny Diamond on His Mother and the Great Canadian Writer 54:45

2M ago54:45

54:45

Editor and writer Jonny Diamond joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about Nobel Prize-winning short story writer Alice Munro, who passed away May 13 in the same Canadian town where Diamond’s mother died 12 years earlier. He outlines what made the lives of the two women similar—namely, marrying young and starting families …

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S7 Ep. 34: Prizes and Protests: Monica Youn on PEN, Activism at Literary Awards, and Gaza 49:44

2M ago49:44

49:44

Following the cancellation of PEN America’s annual literary awards ceremony as well as its World Voices Festival, acclaimed poet Monica Youn joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about political protests and literary prizes. Youn recounts the sequence of events that led her and eight other finalists for PEN’s $75,000 Jean S…

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S7 Ep. 33: Polycules and Cuddle Piles: Brandy Jensen on the Mainstreaming of Polyamory 40:48

3M ago40:48

40:48

Writer Brandy Jensen joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about polyamory’s place in the contemporary imagination. Jensen discusses the connections between polyamory and politics, noting its links to queer community and its defiance of normative gender roles. She analyzes protections for the rights of multiple-partner rela…

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S7 Ep. 32: This Strange Eventful History: Claire Messud on Blurring Family History and Fiction 44:24

3M ago44:24

44:24

Author Claire Messud joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about how the lines between autobiography and fiction blur, and the ways that families—real and imagined—hide their true histories. Messud’s new novel, This Strange Eventful History, out Tuesday, draws on her own family’s complex past, including their connections to…

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S7 Ep. 31: Come Together: Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor on Solidarity, Change, and Our Interconnected World 51:10

3M ago51:10

51:10

Authors and organizers Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the concept of solidarity, its reliance on relationship-building, and how it has been expressed in political movements, from recent pro-Palestine activism in the U.S. to the Polish organization Solidarność, a trade union fou…

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S7 Ep. 30: Cashing in on the White Bonus: Tracie McMillan on Privilege, Generational Wealth, and the Myth of Colorblindness 47:43

3M ago47:43

47:43

Author and journalist Tracie McMillan joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the concept of the “white bonus” and how systemic bias generates white wealth not only in daily life but across generations. She references racial covenants, incarceration rates, and housing codes that continue to impact families, Black and wh…

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S7 Ep. 29: There’s Going to Be Trouble: Jen Silverman on Generational Divides in American Politics 57:58

4M ago57:58

57:58

As the presidential election heats up and President Joe Biden struggles to keep young voters’ support, novelist Jen Silverman joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss generational divides in U.S. politics. Silverman, whose new book, There’s Going to Be Trouble, follows the political and sexual awakenings of a father and daughter in different er…

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S7 Ep. 28: How We Talk About Cancer: S.L. Wisenberg on Kate Middleton and the Language of the Big C 59:01

4M ago59:01

59:01

In the wake of the news that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has cancer, author S.L. (Sandi) Wisenberg joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the control that public—and private—figures should have over the disclosure of their diagnoses. Wisenberg, who survived breast cancer, and Terrell, who was recently diagno…

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REDUX: S7 Ep. 27: David Baron on What Literature Tells Us About the 2024 Eclipse 53:28

4M ago53:28

53:28

In anticipation of the total solar eclipse forecast for April 8, author and journalist David Baron joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss his award-winning book, American Eclipse, which chronicles the remarkable solar eclipse of 1878. Baron, a self-proclaimed umbraphile, or eclipse chaser, explains why he chose to write a…

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S7 Ep. 27: David Baron on What Literature Tells Us About the 2024 Eclipse 52:57

4M ago52:57

52:57

In anticipation of the total solar eclipse forecast for April 8, author and journalist David Baron joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss his award-winning book, American Eclipse, which chronicles the remarkable solar eclipse of 1878. Baron, a self-proclaimed umbraphile, or eclipse chaser, explains why he chose to write a…

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S7 Ep. 26: En Vogue: Sally Franson on Fashion and Literature 50:44

4M ago50:44

50:44

Novelist Sally Franson joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about Fashion Week 2024, the role fashion plays in characterization, and how stylish authors and characters have modeled and influenced tastes and trends. Franson reflects on her time working in the industry and discusses insiders’ perceptions of various Fashion W…

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S7 Ep. 25: Ivy Pochoda on Iowa Basketball Star Caitlin Clark and Women Athletes in Popular Culture 52:05

5M ago52:05

52:05

Following a record-smashing performance by University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, now the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, novelist and former professional squash player Ivy Pochoda joins host V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about portrayals of women athletes in media, literature, and film. Pochoda considers the gender …

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S7 Ep. 24: Lessons for Survival: Emily Raboteau on Mothering and Climate Change 49:00

5M ago49:00

49:00

Writer Emily Raboteau joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about mothering in the face of climate change and systemic inequality. Raboteau discusses the difference between “resilience” and “trauma-informed growth,” and considers which one more realistically describes how people react to devastation. She also reflects on wr…

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S7 Ep. 23: Alabama’s Embryos: Briallen Hopper on the Personal and Political Consequences of the New IVF Court Decision 44:13

5M ago44:13

44:13

Writer Briallen Hopper joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about in vitro fertilization and the recent Alabama State Supreme Court ruling declaring that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. Hopper speaks about the science and thought behind freezing embryos versus eggs, as well as the religious language embedd…

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S7 Ep. 22: Hit ’Em Where It Hurts: Rachel Bitecofer on Democratic Strategies to Counter Republicans in the 2024 Election 49:05

5M ago49:05

49:05

Rachel Bitecofer, author of the new book Hit ’Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game, joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk shop about the election strategies Democrats should implement to combat Republicans and prevent fascism. Bitecofer discusses how Republicans use “negative par…

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S7 Ep. 21: The Road From Belhaven: Margot Livesey and What Literature Can Tell Us About The Future 36:56

6M ago36:56

36:56

As the 2024 Presidential race heats up, award-winning fiction writer Margot Livesey joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the value of seeing the future in politics and in family life. Are the polls right? Will Donald Trump beat President Joe Biden in the November election? Livesey talks about the role predictions play i…

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S7 Ep. 20: ‘They Want What We Have’: Matt Gallagher on Supporting Ukrainians' Struggle for Liberation 53:25

6M ago53:25

53:25

Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, novelist, journalist, and veteran Matt Gallagher joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the current state of the Russo-Ukrainian war and why the country desperately needs the emergency aid in a bill currently under consideration in Congress. Gallagher, whose new novel Daybreak…

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S7 Ep. 19: American Fiction: Jacinda Townsend and James Bernard Short on the Joy, Pathos, and Complexity of Black Experience in the Oscar-Nominated Film 49:06

6M ago49:06

49:06

Novelist Jacinda Townsend and writer James Bernard Short join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the movie American Fiction, which is based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Townsend and Short discuss how the film addresses race in the publishing industry via its central character, Black author Thelonious “Monk” …

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S7 Ep. 18: AWP 2024 Preview: Glenn North on Kansas City’s Jazz, Poetry, and Barbeque 49:03

6M ago49:03

49:03

With AWP’s annual conference headed to Kansas City next week, poet and activist Glenn North joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to tell incoming writers where to find the best food and coolest hangouts in the city. North discusses Kansas City’s diversity, its history of racial covenants, and its newly rejuvenated Crossroads Arts …

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S7 Ep. 17: ‘What is History?’: Ed Park on Korea’s Past, Real and Imagined 45:56

6M ago45:56

45:56

Novelist Ed Park joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the role of alternate histories and counternarratives in popular culture, public record, and the general consciousness, via his new novel, Same Bed Different Dreams. Park talks about depicting and reimagining well known events and eras, including the Japanese occupat…

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S7 Ep. 16: Former Biden Speechwriter Nate Rawlings on Claudine Gay, Neil Gorsuch, and the Politics of Plagiarism 50:10

7M ago50:10

50:10

Journalist Nate Rawlings, who spent a stint as a speechwriter for then-Vice President Joe Biden, joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the politics (and nuances) of plagiarism. Rawlings discusses how plagiarism accusations derailed Joe Biden’s presidential run in 1987. He examines how the right-wing activist-led plagi…

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S7 Ep. 15: Bookstores Against Bans: Lauren Groff on Opening The Lynx in Florida 42:13

7M ago42:13

42:13

Novelist Lauren Groff joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the new independent bookstore she and her husband are planning in Gainesville, Florida. The Lynx, which Groff aims to open this spring, will feature banned books, an act of resistance in a state where more than half of school districts have seen book banning act…

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S7 Ep. 14: Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and the Model Minority Myth: Prachi Gupta on the Rise of Indian American Presidential Candidates 48:05

7M ago48:05

48:05

As Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy vie for the Republican presidential nomination, Indian American reporter and memoirist Prachi Gupta joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan put these politicians into historical perspective. She discusses how the myth of Indian American exceptionalism has been used to further white supremacy and sup…

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S7 Ep. 13: Holiday Archives: Danez Smith on Poetry, Blackness, and Friendship 48:16

7M ago48:16

48:16

In this holiday re-broadcast of an episode from April 23, 2020, acclaimed poet Danez Smith discusses the role friendship plays in their most recent collection of poetry, Homie. Smith talks to Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell about the isolating effect COVID-19 has had on black communities, using space on …

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S7 Ep. 12: The Best Books Machine: Lydia Kiesling on Making the Lists—or Not 49:17

8M ago49:17

49:17

Novelist and critic Lydia Kiesling joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the creation and the spirit of year-end book lists. She talks about list culture getting its start at the small, online literary magazine, The Millions, and its eventual spread to seemingly every media outlet. The three grapple with the significance…

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S7 Ep. 11: The Free and the Freed: Tracy K. Smith on Liberty 49:25

8M ago49:25

49:25

Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Tracy K. Smith joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the difference between being “free” and being “freed.” She suggests that citizens of the United States fall into one category or the other. The first appear to have descended from those who were always free. The second descend from those w…

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S7 Ep. 10: Chicago in Verse: Taylor Byas on Writing About Her Hometown 47:08

8M ago47:08

47:08

Poet Taylor Byas joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss writing about Chicago, which she does in her Maya Angelou Book Award-winning collection of poetry, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times. She talks about growing up in the country’s most segregated city, and considers its long traditions of Black, working-class, and et…

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S7 Ep. 9: American Farce: Timothy Schaffert on the Literary Parallels for the House GOP Clusterf**k 47:23

8M ago47:23

47:23

Novelist Timothy Schaffert joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss how the concept of farce relates to today’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives. Schaffert describes the lack of self-awareness in both fictional and real-life characters, including politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, and analyzes ho…

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S7 Ep. 8 Indigenous Imaginations: Native American Writers on Their Communities 1:17:06

9M ago1:17:06

1:17:06

On Thanksgiving, the show returns to an episode with playwright Rhiana Yazzie and novelist Brandon Hobson, who joined hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell in February 2019 to discuss Native literature. These interviews were recorded in the wake of viral images showing Covington Catholic students disrespecting Native activist Nathan Phillip…

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S7 Ep. 7: American Precariat: Zeke Caligiuri on the Incarcerated Writers Who Edited An Anthology on Class 46:29

9M ago46:29

46:29

Writer and editor Zeke Caligiuri joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss American Precariat: Parables of Exclusion, a new collection of essays on class he co-edited along with eleven other incarcerated writers. The volume’s contributors include Eula Biss, Kao Kalia Yang, Lacy M. Johnson, Valeria Luisielli, Kiese Laymon, an…

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S7 Ep. 6: Jordan Peele’s Out There Screaming: Lesley Nneka Arimah on Why Black Horror Speaks to Us Now 43:45

9M ago43:45

43:45

Fiction writer Lesley Nneka Arimah joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss how Black horror writing speaks to our current cultural moment. She talks about editor/director Jordan Peele’s new anthology, Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, in which her work is included, and how she went from avoiding horror…

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S7 Ep. 5: Shir Alon and Joseph Farag On How Palestinian and Israeli Literature Has Handled the Ongoing Conflict 1:15:03

9M ago1:15:03

1:15:03

In the wake of the recent violence in Palestine and Israel, the show returns to an interview taped in June 2021 with scholars Shir Alon and Joseph Farag, who join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss how Palestinian and Israeli writers have written about the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Farag talks about the evolutio…

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S7 Ep. 4: Writing Gentrification: Jonathan Lethem on Brooklyn Now and Then 44:42

9M ago44:42

44:42

Novelist Jonathan Lethem joins host Whitney Terrell live at the Cider Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas. Lethem discusses his new book, Brooklyn Crime Novel, which is set in the neighborhood where he grew up—and where he also set his 2003 novel Fortress of Solitude. They discuss terms like blockbusting and redlining, and the ways that Lethem’s writing ex…

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S7 Ep. 3: Freeman’s: Conclusions: John Freeman and Omar El Akkad on a Literary Magazine’s Final Issue 55:29

10M ago55:29

55:29

Poet, editor, and writer John Freeman and novelist Omar El Akkad join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the final issue of Freeman’s, a literary magazine founded in 2015. El Akkad, a contributor to the volume, describes founding editor Freeman’s intense and uniquely broad interest in literature, as well as his unusual a…

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S7 Ep. 2: The Return of #MeToo: Rebecca Makkai on New Allegations and the Progress of the Past Five Years 50:14

10M ago50:14

50:14

Novelist Rebecca Makkai joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about new accusations of sex crimes or sexual misconduct, this time leveled against comedian Russell Brand, actor Danny Masterson, and Spanish Soccer Federation president Luis Rubiales. Makkai observes that since the start of the #MeToo movement, more people are …

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S7 Ep. 1: The AI Pirates: The Atlantic’s Alex Reisner on Books3, Copyright, and How Big Tech is Stealing Our Books 48:27

10M ago48:27

48:27

Writer, programmer, and tech consultant Alex Reisner joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about his recent Atlantic articles on Books3, a massive data set that includes hundreds of thousands of pirated e-books, and that Meta and other companies have used to train generative AI. Reisner explains how he extracted book names …

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S6 Ep. 52: Librarians Against Book Bans: Brooklyn Public Library’s Leigh Hurwitz on Helping Young People Resist Censorship 41:08

10M ago41:08

41:08

In anticipation of Banned Books Week, Brooklyn Public Library’s collections manager Leigh Hurwitz joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss how the recent, dramatic rise in book bans disproportionately affects young people, and why BPL has chosen to offer access to its half a million eBooks and audiobooks to every person in …

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S6 Ep. 51: Art Under Fire in Ukraine: Tetyana Ogarkova and Volodymyr Yermolenko on How Artists Are Responding as the Fighting Drags on 48:17

11M ago48:17

48:17

Eighteen months into the invasion of Ukraine, Tetyana Ogarkova and Volodymyr Yermolenko, hosts of the podcast Explaining Ukraine, return to talk to co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan about how the war has affected Ukrainian artists and how they’re responding. They talk about the actions of deeply engaged writers and intellectuals they…

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S6 Ep. 50: The African Coups: Leila Aboulela on Why They Happen, and the Violence in Sudan 40:21

11M ago40:21

40:21

Novelist Leila Aboulela joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan on their 200th episode to talk about the fighting between rival military factions in her native Sudan, which has displaced millions of civilians. She compares the situation of Sudan, which underwent a coup in 2019, with the six other African countries that have experienc…

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S6 Ep. 49: Georgia’s Fani Willis Takes on Trump: Maurice Carlos Ruffin on the History of Powerful Black Women Challenging the Establishment 44:05

11M ago44:05

44:05

Fiction writer Maurice Carlos Ruffin joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the literary and historical antecedents to Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who has filed a RICO case against Trump and 18 co-defendants for their illegal attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He discusses the long history of…

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S6 Ep. 48: Is Kansas the Future of Press Censorship?: Sherman Smith on the Police Raid at a Small-Town Newspaper 46:20

11M ago46:20

46:20

Kansas Reflector editor-in-chief Sherman Smith joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the police raid on the tiny Marion County Record. He explains the newspaper’s investigation of the DUI history of a local restaurant owner who’d applied for a liquor license, which led to an August 11 raid of both the newspaper’s offi…

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