GrottoPod
Conversations with working writers on the craft of writing, the writer’s life, and the broader writing community, recorded at the Writers Grotto in San Francisco, California.
- Update frequency
- every 10 days
- Average duration
- 52 minutes
- Episodes
- 154
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Episode 94: Irving Ruan On Writing Funny
Irving Ruan Humor writer Irving Ruan joins us on the GrottoPod this week after Larry and BQ's holiday sabbatical. Ruan explains how Conan O’Brien inspired a piano-playing only child and “enthusias…
00:58:17 |
Tue 08 Jan 2019
Episode 93: Thaisa Frank On Writing, Zen and Therapy
Thaisa Frank, author of the novel Heidegger’s Glasses, four books of short stories and Finding Your Writer’s Voice, joins the GrottoPod this week for a delightful trip through the life of a “writer’s…
01:00:20 |
Tue 27 Nov 2018
Episode 92: Alejandro Gallegos On The Librarian’s Life
What's your dream library? San Francisco Public Library Community Engagement Manager Alejandro Gallegos joins us in the studio this week to regale BQ and Larry with tales of scolding signage, boffo l…
01:04:16 |
Tue 13 Nov 2018
Episode 91: Ethan Watters On Longform Journalism
Journalist Ethan Watters spent the past two years working on a single magazine article. This week, in what he calls “a high point for feeling completion,” he joins BQ and Larry in the GrottoPod to di…
01:00:17 |
Tue 06 Nov 2018
Episode 90: Jaya Padmanabhan On Writing Displacement
Jaya Padmanabhan entered boarding school when she was four, and has been a sales rep, a software engineer and now a fiction writer, journalist and editor. This week the Examiner columnist and author …
00:59:16 |
Tue 30 Oct 2018
Episode 89: Kevin Smokler On Innovative Book Tours
We celebrate John Hughes and others this week with author Kevin Smokler, who joins Larry to talk about his book Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to '80s Teen Movies. Join Larry and Kevin as they touc…
01:01:33 |
Tue 23 Oct 2018
Episode 88: BQ and Larry On Motivation’s Fickle Fortunes
Larry and BQ dig deep this week in an episode that checks in on both of their writing projects, probes the fickle fortunes of motivation, explores the ups and downs of networking with other writers a…
00:56:03 |
Tue 16 Oct 2018
Episode 87: Yang Huang On Writing On Your Own Terms
Yang Huang, author of the Juniper Prize-winning book of short stories, My Old Faithful, joins the GrottoPod this week to discuss a fascinating journey that includes her immigration to the United Stat…
00:56:03 |
Tue 09 Oct 2018
Episode 86: Kristin Kaye On Writing Mystical Experiences
Kristin Kaye didn’t set out to write a YA book, much less an award-winning YA book, but that’s exactly what happened. This week, the writer of Tree Dreams, one of Buzzfeed’s “5 Books to Read to Prep …
01:03:15 |
Tue 02 Oct 2018
Episode 85: Mary Jo McConahay On Writing War
The Tango War author Mary Jo McConahay joins us in the studio one day after the release of this new book, which explores Latin America’s “hidden” role in World War II. The journalist, war corresponde…
00:55:44 |
Tue 25 Sep 2018
Episode 84: Lillian Li On Finding Your Process
Number One Chinese Restaurant author Lillian Li joins Larry and Lee (subbing again for BQ) in the GrottoPod this week to discuss the many roads that led to her debut novel. She shares her brief-but-i…
00:56:27 |
Tue 18 Sep 2018
Episode 83: Crystal Hana Kim On Making Your First Novel Epic
For her first novel, author Crystal Hana Kim tackled an epic, multi-narrator love triangle set against the backdrop of the Korean War. She joins Larry and guest host Lee Kravetz in the GrottoPod this…
00:52:37 |
Tue 11 Sep 2018
Episode 82: “Writer’s Writer” Fenton Johnson
“Writer's writer” Fenton Johnson joins the GrottoPod this week for a far-ranging conversation that touches on some of the recurring themes in his work: place, solitude, faith and belonging. Johnson h…
01:04:57 |
Tue 04 Sep 2018
Episode 81: Dawn Raffel On Navigating And Writing Shadowy History
Dawn Raffel, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of American Babies, joins us in the GrottoPod this week to talk about the sometimes-painful pr…
00:57:31 |
Tue 28 Aug 2018
Episode 80: Lydia Kiesling On First Novels
The Millions editor Lydia Kiesling joins Larry and co-producer Laurie Ann Doyle in the studio this week to chat about Kiesling's new book, The Golden State -- a tale of motherhood, immigration and Ca…
01:01:41 |
Tue 21 Aug 2018
Episode 79: What’s New In Your Writing Life?
Beat the dog days of summer by stepping into the GrottoPod, where BQ and Larry await. This week, your hosts sit down for a wide-ranging discussion about the writing life that touches on everything fr…
01:01:54 |
Tue 14 Aug 2018
Episode 78: Matthew Zapruder’s Favorite Book (Might Surprise You)
What’s poet Matthew Zapruder’s favorite book? Find out this week, as the author of Why Poetry and former New York Times poetry editor joins BQ and Larry for a live podcast at the San Francisco Public…
01:16:07 |
Tue 07 Aug 2018
Episode 77: Victoria Piontek On Writing for Young Adults
Victoria Piontek’s literary journey has taken her all over the U.S., but when it came time for this author and literary associate to publish her first book, she chose to return to the verdant lushnes…
00:59:17 |
Tue 31 Jul 2018
Episode 76: Nick Mamatas On Writing A Book A Year
This week, BQ and Larry enter the extended Nick Mamatas universe to learn about horror novels, manga, writing term papers for profit and much more. Join them as the author of the upcoming short story…
01:01:49 |
Tue 24 Jul 2018
Episode 75: Virgie Tovar on Activist Writing
Don’t miss this one! For the first time, BQ goes solo as host -- and she’s talking with influential author and body-image activist Virgie Tovar, who is dropping the truth bombs. Tovar talks writing h…
00:59:34 |
Tue 17 Jul 2018
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