Paraphrase Podcast

A podcast all about literary beginnings - from the first words in a novel, to the first steps in a career.

[Stephen Fishbach @stephenfishbach]

My latest episode of @paraphrasepod is about one of my favorite new books: Lin-Manuel Miranda-The Education of an Artist by @pollackpelzner.

The book is both a fascinating exploration of @Lin_Manuel's life and work, and a deep dive into the very process of creativity.

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

I spoke novelist Lincoln Michel about his new book, Metallic Realms, which I absolutely LOVED.

It's half lit drama, half sci-fi space opera. It's funny and fast-moving, yet filled with profound questions about art and creativity.
https://t.co/KKUFMMOPkx

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

I spoke to @Johaaaaaannes about his new novel Calling Ukraine, mingling comedy and tragedy, ways to evoke a culture you're not a member of, and what it's like when the National Book Foundation demands you turn in your "5 Under 35" title for aging out.

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

I spoke to @OliverBooks about what makes a great first line, the challenges of adapting her novel into a TV series, and the different thematic terrain for middle grade, YA, and adult fiction.

https://t.co/V1IwydSdyd

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

Paraphrase is back!

I spoke to @TheLincoln about world building, ways to represent new technologies in fiction, Oulipian constraints, and how to mash up multiple genres.

https://t.co/V1IwydACGF

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@welivinasociety @CRITWorks Wow - 10 months later, thanks so much for this shoutout!

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

Our first ever two-time guest @TeddyWayne1999 returns to Paraphrase to talk about his new book Apartment.

We discussed loneliness, the 90s, capitalism, and how to write from the POV of a bad writer.

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

Paraphrase returns to talk to @carmenmmachado about her breathtaking new memoir In the Dream House. We discuss her structural choices, her use of the maligned second-person POV, and telling a story of a queer abusive relationship that's largely absent from our cultural narratives

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@podglomerate just followed! slide into my DMs!

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@podcastbrunch @stephenfishbach @johnmitchinson @i_am_mill_i_am @DavidNaimon @johnaugust oh I'm so thrilled this is posted! (Sorry I'm just responding!). Thank you for this generous interview.

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@ESS726 @KevinTPorter @stephenfishbach ❤️❤️❤️

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

. @chapmanchapman discusses his debut novel Riots I Have Known. We discuss finding a subject that’s exclusively yours, how most writing is failure, and the best time of day to write humor.

https://t.co/V1IwydACGF

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

For the latest episode of @paraphrasepod, I spoke to @namwalien about her debut novel The Old Drift. We talk about keeping perspective when writing a book for 20 years, subverting literary expectations, and how to write a thank you note to Salman Rushdie.

https://t.co/V1IwydACGF

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@CabbageZombie Oh how cool! Thank you for sharing that with me - and thank you for listening!

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

.@NathanEnglander talks about his new novel https://t.co/lRnK6LNY6u. We talk about authorial intention, how to follow the story, and how his new book combines his longstanding concerns, "religious, and secular, and these anxieties, and guilts, and perversions" with a fast pacing.

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@sdebrow17 Wow, this sounds incredible. I'm so thrilled the podcast was a useful tool, and grateful to you for sharing the story.

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@sdebrow17 Wow, I'm honored you listened. Thank you so much! I'm curious which episode?

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

Sam Lipsyte discusses his latest novel HARK, which follows an unwitting guru whose Mental Archery technique sparks a national trend.

We discuss staying attuned to the poetry in prose, what fiction does that no other medium can, and how to invent a cult.

https://t.co/V1IwydACGF

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

@spywrite Thank you so much for listening! Both authors were incredibly thoughtful and generous)

[Paraphrase Podcast @paraphrasepod]

In the latest episode, I talked to @thrillkinson about her debut novel American Spy, which follows a black female FBI agent in the 1980s. We talked about how restructuring her novel helped her connect with her main character, and finally get her narrator spy to spill her secrets.