Best Jordan Kisner Podcasts (2024)

1
Remix! Aimee Nezhukumatathil 38:17

3h ago38:17

38:17

This is a re-airing of our 2021 episode with the poet and bestselling essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil. We're celebrating the release of her new collection, BITE BY BITE: NOURISHMENTS AND JAMBOREES. Come for the new intro about pizza on the beach, stay for Aimee's reflections on everything from champion trees to 80s-era Madonna to what society tells …

1
Dorothea Lasky 42:10

2M ago42:10

42:10

Jordan chats with Dorothea Lasky (The Shining) about interpreting a horror classic in her latest poetry collection, her love for horror, and why playfulness and horror aren't incompatible—and might in fact be inextricably connected. MENTIONED: The Shining by Stephen King The Shining (1980) Bernadette Mayer's "Memory" project Dorothea Lasky is the a…

1
Vinson Cunningham 44:48

2M ago44:48

44:48

Jordan talks with Vinson Cunningham (Great Expectations) about finding himself in the midst of history, discovering ways to hang onto moments, and why he turned to his real life for his debut novel. MENTIONED: The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown Answered Prayers by Truman Capote "How Auto is Auto-fiction" by Christian Lorentzen "American Boy" by …

1
Meghan O'Rourke 48:55

3M ago48:55

48:55

Jordan chats with Meghan O'Rourke (The Invisible Kingdom) about hiding from herself, the death of her father, and the challenges of writing a book without knowing where it will go. MENTIONED: The Riddles of the Sphinx by Anna Shechtman Walking and Talking (1996, written & directed by Nicole Holofcener) "The Teens Have Made Nirvana Preppy" by Sarah …

1
Rumaan Alam 44:43

3M ago44:43

44:43

Jordan talks with Rumaan Alam (Leave the World Behind) about money, freedom, his recent period of creative fecundity, and the enduring power of art. MENTIONED: The Golden Bowl by Henry James Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Family Meal by Bryan Washington Zero K by Don DeLillo Agnes Martin Rumaan Alam is the author of three novels: Rich and Pr…

1
Maira Kalman 39:29

4M ago39:29

39:29

Jordan talks with artist and writer Maira Kalman about the death of her husband Tibor Kalman, the process of grief, and her irrepressible creative spirit. MENTIONED: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Sarah Berman's Closet The Diaries of Franz Kakfa by Franz Kafka, tr. by Ross Benjamin "Cheek to Cheek" by Irving Berlin, sung by Fred Astaire Mair…

1
McKenzie Wark 41:45

4M ago41:45

41:45

Thresholds is back! To open a new season, Jordan sits down with McKenzie Wark live at PioneerWorks in Red Hook, Brooklyn, for a conversation about raving, gender transition, and the radical work of "playing" with form. MENTIONED: Leonora Carrington Kenneth Goldsmith Audre Lorde’s Zami Zoo, Or Letters Not About Love McKenzie Wark is the author of Lo…

1
Gina Chung 41:07

1y ago41:07

41:07

For her last guest as guest-host, Mira chats with former mentee Gina Chung about her debut novel Sea Change, writing about the honest messy stuff, and about learning to take better care of yourself (mind, body, and spirit) for the long-haul creative practice. MENTIONED: The bats under Congress Bridge in Austin, TX “The Love Song of the Mexican Free…

1
J Wortham 40:25

1y ago40:25

40:25

J Wortham joins Mira to talk about the power of changes -- changing location, changing names, changing pronouns -- and the space that can open up as a result of them. Plus, some love for benevolent conspiracies! MENTIONED: Alejandro's Run in LA Still Processing Kristy from The Babysitter's Club J Wortham (they/them) is a sound healer,, reiki practi…

1
Barbara Brandon-Croft 49:16

1y ago49:16

49:16

Legendary cartoonist Barbara Brandon-Croft (Where I’m Coming From) joins Mira to talk about building a life out of odd jobs, the double-edged sword of being ‘the first,’ and how being a cartoonist was never on her mind until it happened. MENTIONED: Brumsic Brandon, Jr. (Barbara’s father, creator of the comic Luther) Marie Brown Jules Feiffer’s Vill…

1
Sarah Thankam Mathews 47:43

1y ago47:43

47:43

Writer and organizer Sarah Thankam Mathews (All This Could Be Different) joins Mira to discuss a brush with mortality in a rip-tide off the California coast, discovering “the sourdough starter of ego death,” and the problems of being an artist under capitalism. MENTIONED: Big Sur, California "How to Escape a Rip Current" What It Is by Lynda Barry I…

1
Layli Long Soldier 47:37

1y ago47:37

47:37

Poet Layli Long Soldier joins Mira to talk about her transformation during pregnancy, learning to open up to the possibilities of the world, and how she makes a space for ease in order to make a space for creativity. MENTIONED: The Indigenous Language Institute The Real Housewives S.J. Res 14 (111th Congress) Layli Long Soldier earned a BFA from th…

1
Hari Kondabolu 1:00:21

1+ y ago1:00:21

1:00:21

Comedian Hari Kondabolu joins Mira to talk about seeing space for himself on the screen, discovering an answer to the question of how to be in the world, the first joke he was really proud of, and the power that comes from alienating an audience on purpose. There's a lot of laughter in this one, y'all -- as you might expect. MENTIONED: People Magaz…

1
Angie Cruz 44:10

1+ y ago44:10

44:10

Mira chats with novelist Angie Cruz (How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water) about figuring out who you want to be, Angie's semi-secret history in fashion design and painting, the arrival of her character Cara Romero in her life, and questioning the truths of America in these most trying of times. MENTIONED: FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) Go T…

1
Chani Nicholas 47:06

1+ y ago47:06

47:06

Guest-host Mira Jacob talks with astrologer and author Chani Nicholas about being the child at the party, how Chani found her voice, and the question of who heals the healers? MENTIONED: Morning Pages (from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way) FreeFrom therapy CHANI NICHOLAS is a Los Angeles–based New York Times bestselling author of You Were Born For…

1
Introducing Guest Host Mira Jacob 25:24

1+ y ago25:24

25:24

Big News: novelist/memoirist/wonderful human Mira Jacob will be stepping into the host chair this spring! This week, she and Jordan sit down for a pass-the-baton chat -- kicking off with a flashback to the very first Thresholds episode (and interview) from February 2020. MENTIONED: Mira's Thresholds interview "What You Might Not Know About 'Getting…

1
Hafizah Geter 41:14

1+ y ago41:14

41:14

Hafizah Geter (The Black Period) joins Jordan to discuss her family's influence on her work, the power of memory, being in conversation with the writers you love, and how all of us live in a mix of genres. MENTIONED: Goya's Black Paintings "Fighting Erasure" by Parul Sehgal Toni Morrison's concept of rememory Fela Kuti, Yussef Lateef, Otis Redding …

1
Sam Lipsyte 39:41

1+ y ago39:41

39:41

Sam Lipsyte (No One Left to Come Looking For You) joins Jordan to talk about giving up on punk rock, rediscovering a passion for writing, and the revelation that if you realize nobody cares, then you can do the thing that makes you happy. MENTIONED: Dungbeetle Riverbank State Park John Cheever Galaxie 500 Sam Lipsyte's latest novel is No One Left t…

1
Heather Radke 49:08

1+ y ago49:08

49:08

Heather Radke joins Jordan to talk about Butts: A Backstory, the playful invitation of the book's title, the general unruliness of bodies, and the joys of a JSTOR deep-dive. MENTIONED: Jodie Foster's Coppertone ad "Baby Got Back," Sir Mix-a-lot Elizabeth Alexander's "The Venus Hottentot" The Normman & Norma Statues Heather Radke is an essayist, jou…

1
A 100th Episode Celebration 23:11

1+ y ago23:11

23:11

Thresholds reaches its centenary episode with equal parts celebration and consideration. We reached out to old friends to leave us some voicemails, Jordan wrote a musing on this particular milestone, and we're doing a little giveaway to celebrate all of you who've helped bring us this far along the path. Mentioned: "Notebook, 1981," by Eileen Myles…

1
Endnotes: Saeed Jones, Chloé Cooper Jones, and pre-orders 11:18

1+ y ago11:18

11:18

It's the end of our last full capsule for 2022 -- and what a joyful, life-affirming batch of conversations it was! First up, we've got Saeed Jones offering some writing advice (and an exercise, of sorts) -- then some alumni news and a call to pre-order several 2023 releases -- and finally, Chloé Cooper Jones and Jordan get into talking about revisi…

1
Alyssa Songsiridej 35:58

1+ y ago35:58

35:58

Alyssa Songsiridej (Little Rabbit) chats with Jordan about moving to a new city, the scary-freeing experience of being away from one's community, and how letting a book out into the world is a process of letting go. MENTIONED: Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel how cold …

1
Asali Solomon 36:59

1+ y ago36:59

36:59

Jordan talks with Asali Solomon about The Days of Afrekete, the unexpected discovery that she’s a funny writer, and trying to impart wisdom to students while she’s still learning too. MENTIONED: Get a Life (1990-1992) The Simple Stories by Langston Hughes The Book of Night Women by Marlon James An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Eli…

1
Saeed Jones 45:47

1+ y ago45:47

45:47

Poet Saeed Jones joins Jordan to talk about the long-term experience of grief, the intensity of writing from the point of view of another person, and the unexpected trilogy of his first three books. MENTIONED: Paul Mooney Diahann Carroll Whitney Houston Toni Morrison Saeed Jones is the author of the memoir HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES, winner of the …

1
Alex Marzano-Lesnevich 45:51

1+ y ago45:51

45:51

Alex Marzano-Lesnevich (The Fact of a Body) joins Jordan to talk about a particularly life-altering haircut, the power of a sequined tuxedo, and what it means for a culture to put a narrative onto a person. MENTIONED: South Pacific Ghostly Matters by Avery Gordon My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland Joseph Lobdell Alex Marzano-Lesn…

1
Chloé Cooper Jones 49:09

1+ y ago49:09

49:09

Chloé Cooper Jones (Easy Beauty) joins Jordan to talk about avoiding mandates, about writing through pain and trauma, and about finding the neutral room in one's own mind. MENTIONED: "Everything is copy" -- Nora Ephron sacral agenesis Richard Serra Chloé Cooper Jones is a writer based in New York City. In 2020, Chloé was a Pulitzer Prize finalist i…

1
Kay Ulanday Barrett 42:03

1+ y ago42:03

42:03

Jordan talks with poet/performer/advocate Kay Ulanday Barrett about their decision to get top surgery, the intersection of family and food, and writing through health crises. MENTIONED: Grey’s Anatomy Swype The Asian American Writers Workshop Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Kay Ulanday Barrett aka @Brownroundboi is a poet, performer, and cultural stra…

1
Endnotes: Patrick Cottrell, Lynn Steger Strong, and some scary reading 26:12

1+ y ago26:12

26:12

It's the end of our 'ghosts' capsule and not a moment too soon! Those days sure are getting shorter... FEATURED: Patrick Cottrell on his change-of-seasons vibe this year A thematically-appropriate clip from our long-ago episode with Lynn Steger Strong (whose new book Flight is out soon! pre-order it!) Threshold alum highlights!! Scary-season book r…

1
Samantha Hunt 42:36

1+ y ago42:36

42:36

Samantha Hunt joins Jordan to talk about The Unwritten Book, what it means to believe in ghosts, grieving the death of her father, and confronting the darkness out there in the woods. MENTIONED: geodesic domes slasher movies Flash Count Diary by Darcy Steinke If Not, Winter by Sappho, translated by Anne Carson One Direction Samantha Hunt is the aut…

1
Ingrid Rojas Contreras 49:03

1+ y ago49:03

49:03

Jordan talks with Ingrid Rojas Contreras (The Man Who Could Move Clouds) about the accident that left her with amnesia, grappling with the decision to write about her family, and the importance of offering healing. MENTIONED: A black Vera Wang gown Curanderos Topographical disorientation INGRID ROJAS CONTRERAS was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombi…

1
Amy Fusselman 36:18

1+ y ago36:18

36:18

Jordan talks to Amy Fusselman about writers who perform, getting out of your own head, and the agonies and ecstasies of comedy. It's a laugh-out-loud kind of episode. MENTIONED: McSweeney's Internet Concern "Hawk" by Joy Williams Second Position Amy Fusselman is the author of five books. Her latest, The Mean$, is her first novel. Fusselman’s previo…

1
Celeste Ng 50:19

1+ y ago50:19

50:19

Celeste Ng joins Jordan to talk about her new book Our Missing Hearts, motherhood and parenting while writing, and the big questions of what kind of place art can have in the fight against fascism. MENTIONED: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan #DontLookAway / #NoKidsInCages Hamlet by William Shakespeare Celeste Ng is the number one New Y…

1
Endnotes: Crystal Hana Kim, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, and summer reading 27:13

2y ago27:13

27:13

It's the end of a 'Family' capsule of episodes and the last before our summer break, so we really pulled out all the stops this time. FEATURED: an outtake of Crystal Hana Kim talking about her next novel a voicemail from Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore about how she does August Threshold alum highlights (like a bunch of them) summer reading recommendat…

1
Michelle Tea 45:46

2y ago45:46

45:46

Jordan talks with Michelle Tea about her new memoir (Knocking Myself Up), making the decision to get pregnant, her tarot practice, and creating a queer family. MENTIONED: The Rider-Waite Tarot Valencia by Michelle Tea XOJane.com Buddhism Michelle Tea is the author of over a dozen books, including the cult-classic Valencia, the essay collection Agai…

1
Keith Gessen 47:44

2y ago47:44

47:44

Jordan talks with Keith Gessen about his new memoir of fatherhood, Raising Raffi: The First Five Years, and the challenges -- and wonders -- of being a parent and a writer, and what he thinks Raffi will think of the book when he's older. MENTIONED: Raising America by Ann Hulbert "Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City" by Nikole Han…

1
Crystal Hana Kim 39:04

2y ago39:04

39:04

Jordan talks with Crystal Hana Kim (If You Leave Me) about the ultimate unknowability of another person's story, about motherhood as a writer, and about how a friend's validation and encouragement helped her get serious about her craft. MENTIONED: The Korean War Post-partum depression Reproductive justice Ceramics class Crystal Hana Kim is the auth…

1
Lydia Conklin 39:59

2y ago39:59

39:59

Jordan talks with Lydia Conklin about bucking the conventions of queer storytelling, how a childhood Oregon Trail reenactment led to one of the most memorable stories in Rainbow Rainbow, and the excitement of making big moves in life and art. MENTIONED: * The Oregon Trail (play here) * Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates * Intimacies by Katie Kitam…

1
Ashley C. Ford 50:18

2y ago50:18

50:18

Jordan talks with Ashley C. Ford (author of the memoir Somebody's Daughter) about how writing made her into more of herself, about the systems that we live under, and about finding joy in new community. MENTIONED: Dr. Jill Christman, professor at Ball State paying off lunch debts (check out All for Lunch!) Onsite Workshops in Tennessee Ashley C. Fo…

1
Endnotes: Marie-Helene Bertino, Ocean Vuong, and listening to your own voice 15:30

2y ago15:30

15:30

It’s the end of our ‘Inheritance' capsule of episodes! MENTIONED: Marie-Helene Bertino shares her summer reading plans (hint: they involve Ursula K. Le Guin) Jordan and Drew answer some more listener questions, and Jordan describes the horror of hearing her own voice over and over again updates about cool Thresholds alums like Ryka Aoki, Ed Yong, F…

1
Jhumpa Lahiri 47:13

2y ago47:13

47:13

Jordan talks with Jhumpa Lahiri about her new collection of essays (Translating Myself and Others), how Ovid helped her navigate her mother’s death, and how translating her own new story collection is an exciting way to edit. MENTIONED: the Roman god Janus the novels of Domenico Starnone (translated by Jhumpa Lahiri) Ovid's Metamorphoses "je est un…

1
Elissa Washuta 47:33

2y ago47:33

47:33

Jordan talks with Elissa Washuta (White Magic) about the transformative nature of narrative, avoiding vs. thinking about painful things, why she takes more notes, and the power of a good video game. MENTIONED: Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: The Return Dorrie the Little Witch by Patricia Coombs The Craft Red Dead Redemption 2 Elissa Washuta is a member …

1
Jessamine Chan 41:49

2y ago41:49

41:49

Jordan talks with Jessamine Chan about the ways having a kid changed her writing, about the difficulties mothers face in America, and about the one very good day of writing that led to The School for Good Mothers. MENTIONED: "Where is Your Mother?" by Rachel Aviv (The New Yorker) Cost of Living by Emily Maloney SCOTUS draft decision in Dobbs v. Jac…

1
Morgan Talty 46:07

2y ago46:07

46:07

Jordan talks with Morgan Talty in advance of his debut story collection about moms, storytelling, writing from a teen point of view, and the villain of colonialism. MENTIONED: The Lowering Days by Gregory Brown "The Blessing Tobacco" The Penobscot Indian Nation Superstore Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation where he grew up. He…

1
Stephanie Foo 44:23

2y ago44:23

44:23

Jordan talks to Stephanie Foo about Complex PTSD, what it takes to accept and understand a diagnosis, and the transformative power of Google Doc Therapy. MENTIONED: * Brooklyn Botanic Garden * Dr. Jacob Ham * Hershey's Cookies'n'Cream * Google Docs Stephanie Foo is a writer and radio producer, most recently for This American Life. Her debut memoir …

1
Endnotes: Ross Gay, adrienne maree brown, and a special song 22:50

2y ago22:50

22:50

It’s the end of our ‘The World Around Us' capsule of episodes! MENTIONED: Jordan calls up Ross Gay to talk about his garden and something called a goumi an outtake from our convo with adrienne maree brown, on the power of expressing the thing that needed to be expressed updates about cool Thresholds alums like Alex Kleeman, Melissa Febos, Margo Jef…

1
Jeff VanderMeer 42:30

2y ago42:30

42:30

Jordan talks with Jeff VanderMeer about the process of re-wilding his backyard, his initial obsession with uprooting air potatoes, learning to see more of the natural world, and where his fiction is headed next. MENTIONED: Air potatoes The Atlanta Botanical Garden Florida House Representative Anna Eskamani "How to Rewild Your Balcony" from Esquire …

1
Introducing Storybound 32:11

2y ago32:11

32:11

Now celebrating its fifth season, Storybound is a radio theater program designed for the podcast age. Hosted by 2021 KCRW Radio Race winner Jude Brewer, Storybound presents the voices of today’s best writers, like Mitchell S. Jackson, Tamara Winfrey-Harris, and Clint Smith, reading accomplished works of fiction and non-fiction. You’ll also hear ori…

1
N. Scott Momaday 23:57

2y ago23:57

23:57

Jordan talks with N. Scott Momaday about the Stanford fellowship that changed his life, the importance of taking the natural world into your heart, and the genius of Emily Dickinson. MENTIONED: The Stanford Creative Writing Fellowship (now the Stegner Fellowship) "My Cricket" by Emily Dickinson The Pueblo of Jemez N. Scott Momaday is an internation…

1
Lulu Miller 47:59

2y ago47:59

47:59

Lulu Miller joins Jordan to talk about heartbreak and building back from it, about making writing the healthy choice, about relating to David Starr Jordan -- and a little bit about fish. MENTIONED: Radiolab The 1906 San Francisco earthquake Lisa Frank Lulu Miller is the cohost of Radiolab, cofounder of NPR’s Invisibilia, and a Peabody Award–winning…

1
adrienne maree brown 49:24

2y ago49:24

49:24

adrienne maree brown joins Jordan to talk about the moment she learned what her style of leadership looked like, about the power of saying things aloud, and about her love of Octavia Butler and finding her way to writing fiction. MENTIONED: The League of Young Voters (or The League of Pissed-Off Voters) AK Press Left Turn Magazine's 2010 issue "Oth…

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Jordan Kisner Podcasts

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