Dear Literature

In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss All the Rage by Rosamond S. King (Nightboat Books). V-book: https://rosamondsking.black/V-Book CN: Violence against Black people; police violence; gun violence; rape/sexual assault Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: Portrait of an Unknown Lady by María Gainza, translated by Thomas Bunstead (Catapult) Some of My Best Friends by Tajja Isen (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster) - 029: First-Half 2022 Releases 018: Buddy Reads: Yolk 013: Buddy Reads: Wound from the Mouth of a Wound "Going It Alone" by Rahawa Haile (Outside) “My Disability Forced Me to Become More Visible in my Work as a Translator” by Amanda Sarasien (Electric Literature) The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Phillyaw, performed by Janina Edwards (Tantor Media / West Virginia University Press) Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, trans. Anton Hur (Honford Star) Violets by Kyung-sook Shin, trans. Anton Hur (Feminist Press) I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee, trans. Anton Hur (Bloomsbury)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa chat about post-grad life, including current/recent reads, planned writing projects, employment, hobbies, and more! Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod  Media Mentioned: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard (HarperTeen) CN: War (colonialism), violence, police violence, death, alcohol use Incendiary + Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova (Disney-Hyperion) Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) CN: war, violence, death, alcohol use, sexual content The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake (Tor Books) Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Gallery/Saga Press) CN: violence A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor) CN: Death, racism/colorism, violence, police violence Nuclear Family by Joseph Han (Counterpoint Press) CN: Drug use (weed) A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (Tor Books) CN: Violence, war Linguistic Revival: How Japan Restored the Native Ainu Language with “AI Pirika” by Keona Blanks (Rewired)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From The Twenty-First Century, edited by Alice Wong (Vintage). Essays Discussed: “The Erasure of Indigenous People in Chronic Illness” by Jen Deerinwater CN: Settler colonialism, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, erasure, sexual assault, violence, suicide, suicidal ideation “While You Are Waiting to Be Healed” by June Eric-Udorie  “The Isolation of Being Deaf in Prison” by Jeremy Woody  CN: Sexual assault, language deprivation, isolation, incarceration, trauma, audism “Common Cyborg” by Jillian Weise  CN: Hate, misogyny, harassment, rape threats, death threats, racis, suicide, sterilization, ableism, eugenics “How to Make a Paper Crane from Rage” by Elsa Sjunneson “Why My Novel Is Dedicated to My Disabled Friend Maddy” by A. H. Reaume “So. Not. Broken.” by Alice Sheppard "The Beauty of Spaces Created for and by Disabled People" by s.e. smith Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology, edited by Alex Hernandez, Matthew David Goodwin, and Sarah Rafael García (Mad Creek Books) She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (Tor) “I Needed to Know if My Favorite Books Were Products of Cultural Appropriation” by Cindy Fazzi (Electric Literature) A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (Tor)

Vanessa and Alyssa discuss their more anticipated releases for the first half of 2022 "Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2022" & "61 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2022" by R.O. Kwon  I. The Octopus Museum by Brenda Shaughnessy | Odes to Lithium by Shira Erlichman | Deadline City | Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - II. Constellation Route by Matthew Olzmann | Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez | Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi | Violeta by Isabel Allende | The Employees: A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century by Olga Ravn, trans. by Martin Aitken | Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu | Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda, trans. Sarah Booker | Reclaim the Stars: Seven Tales Across Time and Space, ed. Zoraida Córdova | Gallant by V.E. Schwab | The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories edited and collected by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang | Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver | "Library as Infrastructure" by Shannon Mattern | The Promise of Access by Daniel Greene | Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong | Night Sky with Exit Wound | True Biz by Sara Nović | Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li  | Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service by Tajja Isen | The Trees Witness Everything by Victoria Chang | Siren Queen by Nghi Vo | Empress of Salt and Fortune | Swallowed Light by Michael Wasson | Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera | Woman of Light: A Novel by Kali Fajardo-Anstine | Sabrina & Corina | III. "Why PhDs Need to Study Creative Writing" by Anthony Ocampo | Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa review their 2021 in books and writing. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (McElderry Books) “Twitter vs. MFA” by Denne Michele Norris (Electric Literature) Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse (Milkweed Editions) World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatatil (Milkweed Editions) Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (One World) These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (McElderry Books) When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Díaz (Copper Canyon Press) A House Made of Water by Michelle Lin (Sibling Rivalry Press) Multiply/Divide: On the American Real and Surreal by Wendy S. Walters (Sarabande Books) Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books) Spinning by Tillie Walden (First Second) Kingdom Animalia by Aracelis Girmay (BOA Editions) Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World) Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Usborne) Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong (Copper Canyon Press) Having a Coke With Godzilla by Kazumi Chin (Sibling Rivalry Press) “Lydia Davis on How Translation Opens a Writer’s Mind” by Lydia Davis (Literary Hub) “Baba Yaga Is a Lesbian” by Mallory Pearson (Electric Literature)

Vanessa and Alyssa discuss Multiply/Divide: On the American Real and Surreal by Wendy S. Walters (Sarabande Books). CN: Racism (anti-Black), enslavement, classicism, gentrification, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, violence (gang, gun, police), death Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Simon & Schuster) CN (so far): Racism (anti-Black, including use of slurs), enslavement, Jim Crow, murder, violence, spousal abuse, drug use (mostly meth and prescription drugs), child neglect, abandonment, incarceration, terminal illness (cancer), animal death Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions) CN: Anti-Asian racism The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (Erewhon Books) CN: Death, suicide, violence (including gun violence), gore, medical trauma, manipulation and gaslighting, graphic language We Won't Move: A Living Archive "A Cyborg Manifesto" by Donna Haraway  “Why Don’t American Schools Value Creativity?” by Erin Crosby-Eckstine (Catapult) CN: Mention of emotional abuse in an intimate partner relationship, anti-Black racism, institutional oppression  Imani Barbarin (Crutches&Spice) “Starting Testosterone During Ramadan Led Me to the Sacred in My Trans Self” by Zeyn Joukhadar (Catapult)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss the global supply chain issues and how they're affecting the book publishing industry.  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media: Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin (Feminist Press) CN: Sexism, slavery, forced institutionalization, murder, child death, emotional abuse, illness (cancer), sexual content “Forget Billionaires! The Future Of Literary Magazines Depends On Us” by Denne Michele Norris (Electric Literature) @firstdraftpod, “Books and the Great Supply Chain Disruption” “The Book Biz Tries to Avoid Supply Chain Disruptions” by Jim Milliot (Publishers Weekly) “‘The Beginning of the Snowball’: Supply-Chain Snarls Delay Books” by Elizabeth A. Harris (The New York Times) ”Supply Chain Issues Are Slowing Down the Production of Books Ahead of the Holidays” by Petra Mayer (NPR) ”Two Acclaimed Writers on the Art of Revising Your Life” on The Ezra Klein Show (The New York Times) Transcript for this podcast episode "Why I Paid Tenfold to Buy Back the Rights to Two of My Books" by Kiese Laymon (Literary Hub) CN for both the podcast and the essay: Death (specifically COVID-death), health anxiety; Podcast: racism (specifically anti-Black), fatphobia, sexual assault of minors “My Mom, Princess Diana, and Me” by Matt Ortile (Catapult) CN: Death & grief

For this week's Buddy Reads, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss recent science fiction release The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (they/them) from Erewhon Books. CN: Death, suicide, violence (including gun violence), gore, medical trauma, manipulation and gaslighting, graphic language Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod "Forty-One False Starts" by Janet Malcom (The New Yorker) “The Next Word” by John Seabrook (The New Yorker) “Imitation Games” by Franny Choi (Gulf Coast)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa talk about their experiences in writing workshops. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media: Sonnets by Bernadette Mayer (Tender Buttons) “The Endless Life Cycle of Book Cover Trends” by Alana Pockros (AIGA Eye on Design) “A New Take on Publishing: Giving More Writers Transparency and Power” by Carolyn Kellog (Shondaland)

Vanessa and Alyssa discuss YA thriller Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé in this week's Buddy Reads. CN: Racism and white supremacy (anti-Black), homophobia, violence, bullying, stalking, gaslighting, attempted suicide, mention of rape, drugging of a minor, incarceration, capital punishment, police brutality, racial slurs, alcohol use (Note: All of these involve minors) Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media: How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao (Bloomsbury YA) "Faster Than We Thought: What Stories Will Survive Climate Change?” by Omar El Akkad (Literary Hub)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa celebrate one year of hosting Dear Literature by answering listener questions about the podcast. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod

Vanessa and Alyssa discuss what it's like writing across multiple genres including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and journalism. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers) The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Z Brewer (Penguin Random House) Project VOICE (Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay) "The Man in the Mirror? by Alison Kinney (Longreads) - CN: Rape, gaslighting "Paul Tran vs. The Past" "Shira Erlichman vs. The Unknown" Coding Literacy: How Computer Programming is Changing Writing by Annette Vee (MIT Press)  “Too Close To Home: Writing a Book That Your Parents Won’t Read” by Michelle Jana Chan (Literary Hub)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (One World / Random House Books). CN by story:  1.) "Sugar Babies": Abandonment, human remains 2.) "Sabrina & Corina": Death by strangulation, violence against women, graphic descriptions of a dead body, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes) 3.) "Sisters": Xenophobia and hispanophobia, sexual assault, violence against women, homophobia, alcohol use 4.) "Remedies": Abandonment, child neglect, xenophobia 5.) "Julian Plaza": Terminal illness (cancer), death 6.) "Galapago": Murder, death, gun violence 7.) "Cheesman Park": Partner abuse, death, violence, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes) 8.) "Tomi": Abandonment, violence, suicide, death, alcohol/drug use (prescription pills) 9.) "Any Further West": Abandonment, suicide, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes, marijuana) 10.) "All Her Names": Abortion, alcohol use, sexual content 11.) "Ghost Sickness": Abandonment, sexual content Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: Kingdom Animalia by Aracelis Girmay (BOA) These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong (McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster) CN: Murder, mass death, self-mutilation/suicide, gore, gun violence, imperialism, racism (anti-Chinese), transphobia, parental abuse, medical trauma/unethical experimentation, disease/infection, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes, opium)  “Why Linguistically Diverse Audiobook Casting Matters” by Julia Shiota (Electric Literature) "Ghosts" by Vauhini Vara (Believer Magazine) CN: Cancer, death

This week Vanessa and Alyssa reimagine some of their favorite books into other mediums. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Moral Panic II EP The Octopus Museum by Brenda Shaughnessy (Knopf) Tillie Walden Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins) CN: Murder, death, drug & alcohol use by minors, kidnapping, violence against a child  002: Buddy Reads: Truly Devious The Haunting of Bly Manor La Casa de la Flores Little Women The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) CN: Murder, violence, xenophobia, racism (anti-Asian, anti-Black, anti-semitism), sexism, police violence Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World / Penguin Random House) CN: Child abuse, miscarriage, vivid descriptions of bodily functions, anti-Asian racism Sea Wall / A Life 008: Buddy Reads: Bestiary Soft Science by Franny Choi (Alice James Books) Cryo Chamber  Soft Science playlist Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press)  CN: Body horror, eating disorder, body shaming, fatphobia, sexual assault, sexual content The Magnus Archives Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books) CN: Violence, murder, rape of a minor, drug & alcohol use “Finding a Face for My Invisible Illness” by Lorraine Boissoneault (Catapult) Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes Spinning by Tillie Walden (First Second Books) CN: Sexual assault, homophobia Good Talk by Mira Jacob

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi (Simon & Schuster). CN: Disordered eating, body dysmorphia/fatphobia, terminal illness (cancer), child death, racism (anti-Asian), drug & alcohol use (including cigarettes, marijuana, and other hard drugs), vomit, sexual content. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer: Everything You Need to Know About Craft, Inspiration, Agents, Editors, Publishing and the Business of Building a Sustainable Writing Career by Kevin Larimer and Mary Gannon (Simon & Schuster) “Asexual Romance Readers Are Finally Getting Their Happily Ever Afters” by Lily Herman (Bustle) Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo “Did Twitter break YA?” by Nicole Brinkley (Misshelved Newsletter #6)

“Twitter Doesn’t Want to Let the Poets...” Exhalation: Japanese, Polish, Russian, Slovak; Stories of Your Life and Others: Chinese & Slovak Six Crimson Cranes; What We Devour A Psalm for the Wild-Built; The Taking of Jake Livingston She Who Became The Sun; The River Has Teeth Pilgrim Bell; Afterparties; How We Fall Apart; Shallow Waters: A Novel A City Is Not a Computer: Other Urban Intelligences Velvet was the Night In the Watchful City The Past The Book of Form and Emptiness Light from Uncommon Stars Dear Memory Dreaming of You How to Not Be Afraid of Everything Our Violent Ends “Burnout...” “How Writing My Young Adult Novel...” “Literary Agent Marie Brown...”

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom). CN: Xenophobia / racism (anti-Asian), sexual content, abortion, spousal abuse, murder, alcohol / drug use (cigarettes). Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: Ed Yong's Pulitzer Prize Award The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Diviners by Libba Bray Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo “Yahoo! Answers Was My First and Best Writing Coach” by Alexandria Juarez (Electric Literature)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Justin Marks's poetry collection, The Comedown. 

After a brief hiatus, Vanessa and Alyssa are back to discuss what they've been up to, where they are, and some plans for the future. About us: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Notes: The Magnus Archives Paperbackdreams (Kat) The Diviners (audiobook) The Umbrella Academy car meme “Roxane Gay Starts Publishing Imprint with Grove Atlantic” by Elizabeth A. Harris (The New York Times) Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (William Morrow / HarperCollins) CN: Medical trauma, body horror, fantasy violence Dexter The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (Penguin Press) CN: Drug & alcohol use (Cigarettes) , child abuse (brief), infidelity, death  Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books / ABRAMS) CN: Violence, sexual situation (brief) A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Neon Yang Kazumi Chin Captain America "I can do this all day" scene "What is the Path to Equity in Publishing?" by Vanessa Genao “The Obsession with ‘Getting Ahead’ in Your Twenties Is Failing Young People” Rainesford Stauffer (Catapult) “Mourning the Loss of Indigenous Queer Identities” by Astrud Bowman (Autostraddle)

Hello, bookwyrms! We at Dear Literature will be going on a short hiatus. We will return with new episodes in mid to late June. Until next time, happy reading!

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa geek out about works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Note: There are some minor audio issues in this episode. Thank you for listening, and May the Fourth be with you.  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: “For Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, The Story of the Universe is Also the Story of Blackness” by Aricka Foreman (Electric Literature) “Finding from Particle Research Could Rewrite Known Laws of Physics” by Dennis Overbye (The New York Times) “Is It Worth Reading If I Forget Everything I Read?” by Danika Ellis (Book Riot) The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, trans. Ken Liu (Tor) CN: Murder, suicide, violence, state-sanctioned violence, torture Exhalation by Ted Chiang (Knopf) The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab (Titan) CN: Kidnapping and violence (involving children), attempted murder, imprisonment Heaven’s Vault (Inkle) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey) CN: Murder, death, suicide, violence (including gun and domestic), rape, sexual assault, incest, infanticide, cannibalism, body horror, racism (anti-Latine/Indigenous, generally white supremacist), colorism, kidnapping/confinement, alcohol use, drug use (mushrooms, cigarettes), miscarriage, abuse, sexual content The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) CN: Murder, violence, body horror/gore, racism (anti-Black, anti-semitic, as well as general white supremacy), domestic abuse, rape, alcohol use, drug use (cigarettes), abortion The End of the World with Josh Clark (iHeartRadio) “On the Behavioral Economy of the Book World” by Robert Frank (Literary Hub)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse (Milkweed Editions). CN: Rape, child abuse, ableism, transphobia, addiction (alcoholism), homophobic slurs, restricted eating (brief), violence Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: “The Prairie Wife” by Curtis Sittenfield (The New Yorker) “A For Alone” by Curtis Sittenfield (The New Yorker) “How a Pandemic Puppy Save My Grieving Family” by Nicole Chung (Time) CN: Death Light in August by William Faulkner Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Diaz "torrin a. greathouse vs. The Truth" The VS Podcast Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong Sonnets by Bernadette Mayer Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia (Knopf) CN: State-sanctioned violence, (attempted) suicide/homicide, (child) abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual content, drug/alcohol use (might be missing some) “How Science Journalist Ed Yong Helps Readers Make Sense of the World” by Nicole Chung (Catapult)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss some of their favorite poetry collections. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: “Teen Writers Deserve Better Than the Teen Writing Scene” by Amanda Silberling (Electric Literature) “Why Do I Write in My Colonizers’ Language?” by Anandi Mishra (Electric Literature) The Burning God by R.F. Kuang, performed by Emily Woo Zeller (HarperCollins Audio) CN: Violence (wartime & against women), rape, drug & alcohol use, drug addiction (opium), & cannibalism “Visible Invisibility: The Ghostly Nature of Queer-Reading” by Miachel Elias (Catapult Magazine) A Cruelty Special to Our Species: Poems by Emily Jungmin Yoon (HarperCollins) CN: Violence (wartime & against women), state-sanctioned violence, & rape A House Made of Water by Michelle Lin (Sibling Rivalry Press) American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes (Penguin Poets) CN: Racism (anti-Black), slavery, police brutality, sexual content Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson (Vintage) CN: Sexual abuse, drug/alcohol use, violence, sexual content Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar (Alice James Books) CN: Alcohol addiction Homie by Danez Smith (Graywolf Press) i shimmer sometimes, too by Porsha Olayiwola (Button Poetry) Soft Science by Franny Choi (Alice James Books) Trickster Feminism by Anne Waldman (Penguin Poets) CN: Colonialism, racism, state-sanctioned violence, violence against women When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Díaz (Copper Canyon Press) CN: State-sanctioned violence, racism (anti-Indigenous), addiction, terrorism, sexual content “How the Pandemic Changed the Way We Read” by Joumana Khatib (The New York Times) “Your Book Might Not Sell, and You Have to Live with That” by Abigail Rasminsky (Electric Literature)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss... well, you'll have to listen to find out. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod

Vanessa and Alyssa deep dive into some old favorites from the past decade to discuss publishing tropes & trends. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod “Alycia Pascual-Peña on How She Was a Natural Fit for ‘Radical Revolutionary’ Character in ‘Moxie’” by Kiko Martinez “Angie Thomas Drops Agent Amid Controversy” by Amy Reiter “Lit Agent Brooks Sherman Leaves Agency, Dropped by Authors” By Claire Kirch Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarer #3) by Becky Chambers, performed by Rachel Dulude 39 Clues series Pendragon by D.J. MacHale Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer Nicholas Flamel and the Secrets of Immortal, Michael Scott The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Divergent by Veronica Roth The Immortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare Grishaverse, Leigh Bardugo Simonverse, Becky Albertalli Cinder by Marissa Meyer These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Ace of Spades by Àbíké-Íyímídé The Brown Sisters trilogy, Talia Hibbert World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil “What Nourishes Your Writing Ecosystem?” by Jamie Figueroa “When It Comes to Inclusivity in Publishing, Editors Also Play a Role” by Jennifer Baker

Vanessa and Alyssa get excited about the natural world with Aimee Nezhukumatathil's World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions) Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster) CN: Disaster, terrorism, violence, discussions of death and illness  A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarer #2) by Becky Chambers, performed by Rachel Dulude (HarperCollins / Tantor Media) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Henry Holt & Company) CN: War, death, violence Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Henry Holt & Company) CN: Murder, sex trafficking, rape/sexual assault, violence, drug / alcohol use, graphic depictions of dead bodies The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2) by R.F. Kuang, performed by Emily Woo Zeller (HarperCollins) CN: Drug & alcohol use, drug addiction, violence (wartime & state-sanctioned), rape/sexual assault, execution, graphic depictions of dead bodies The VS podcast "Penguin, Depressed" CN: Discussion of depression And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Tomás Rivera (Arte Publico Press) CN: Racism (anti-Mexican), murder, death, war, exploitation, violence against women, sexual content “The Secret Society About Pug Dogs That Was Brought Down by a Book” by Julia Métraux (Electric Literature)

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa recommend books to one another based on what genres they want to read more of. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Media Mentioned: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh CN: Violence, state-sanctioned violence, sex trafficking, drug & alcohol use Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo CN: Graphic rape/sexual assault of a minor, murder, violence, drug & alcohol use by minors “Six Authors Demystify Publishing with a Small Indie Press” edited by Nina Boutsikaris and Jessica Gross Hysteria by Jessica Gross Nimona by Noelle Stevenson CN: Fantasy violence Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu CN: Alcohol use, sexual situations, state-sanctioned violence & torture Invisible Planets & Broken Stars translated by Ken Liu Collected Novellas by Gabriel García Márquez The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers CN: Alcohol use & sexual situations Persephone Station by Stina Leicht The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw We Are Okay by Nina LaCour Hood by Alison Kinney CN: Extensive descriptions of state-sanctioned violence & torture, military violence & torture, police violence, anti-Black racism, Islamophobia Sadie by Courtney Summers CN: Child abuse, sexual assault of minors, drug & alcohol use Obit by Victoria Chang CN: Death “Humans Are Not the Virus—Don’t Be An Eco-Fascist” by Sherronda J. Brown “Saving the Songs of South Korea’s Female Divers” by Hahna Yoon "Emily Jungmin Yoon vs. Femininity" VS

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss K-Ming Chang's debut novel, Bestiary. Music by Ben Sulzinsky Media Mentioned: Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World) CN: Child abuse, miscarriage Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt and Company) CN: Genocide, death, violence, colorism Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers) CN: Discussion of rape, drug / alcohol use “Allegations of Wage Theft, Discrimination at Small Press Distribution” by Alex Green (Publishers Weekly) The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace (Katherine Tegen Books) CN: Death, child homicide, violence, drug / alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts and actions We Were All Someone Else Yesterday by Omar Holmon (Button Poetry) Other References: Asian American Writers' Workshop Kundiman Franny Choi

In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa get hyped for books releasing in the first half of the year. Music by Ben Sulzinsky Instagram: @dearlitpod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong Almost Home by Madisen Kuhn Bestiary by K-Ming Chang CN: Child abuse “2020 In the Book Biz Was a Year Unlike Any Other” by Jim Milliot & Ed Nawotka Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Persephone Station by Stina Leicht White Feminism by Koa Beck Lore by Alexandra Bracken Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap If This Is the Age We End Discovery by Rosebud Ben-Oni Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo Subdivision by J. Robert Lennon Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi Our Work is Everywhere: An Illustrated Oral History of Queer and Trans Resistance by Syan Rose Last Days by Tamiko Beyer Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner White Magic by Elissa Washuta CN: Abuse, addiction, trauma A Complex Sentence by Marjorie Welish The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw Welcome to Nightvale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung CN: Child abuse

In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa review their 2020 in books and writing. Music by Ben Sulzinsky Instagram: @dearlitpod | @sea_of_sirens (Vanessa) Vanessa's Shop: https://seaofsirens.bigcartel.com/ Books Mentioned: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Penguin Classics) The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach (Wednesday Books) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Griffin) Lais of Marie de France by Marie de France The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World) The Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewis (Knopf) We Slept Here by Sierra Demulder (Button Poetry) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins) Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press) Three Dark Crowns by Kendara Blake (Quill Tree Books) Exhalation by Ted Chiang (Knopf) Lovely War by Julie Berry (Viking Books for Young Readers) Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, read by January LaVoy (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Kona Winds by Scott Kikkawa (Bamboo Ridge Press) Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen (Beacon Press) The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (W. W. Norton Company) Vicious & Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (Flatiron Books) In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) The Diviners series by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (Beacon Press) An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (Akashic Books) Other Notes: BookCon + Book Expo closing Cons: YALL FEST, YALL WEST, NTTBF, Miami

In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss books that have been collecting dust on their shelves. Music by Ben Sulzinsky Instagram: @dearlitpod | @sea_of_sirens (Vanessa) Vanessa's Shop: https://seaofsirens.bigcartel.com/ Books Mentioned: The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach Again, But Better by Christine Riccio Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse They Went Left by Monica Hesse The Diviners by Libba Bray The Force of Destiny: The Life and Times of Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao An Unrestored Woman by Shobha Rao Ready Player One by Ernest Cline The Stranger by Albert Camus Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez The Scandal of the Century: And Other Writings by Gabriel García Márquez The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli, trans. Erica Segre & Simon Carnell Reality is Not What It Seems by Carlo Rovelli, trans. Erica Segre & Simon Carnell The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob Other Notes: First Draft Podcast Sarah Enni Victoria Schwab (V. E. Schwab) Nicola Yoon Melissa Meyer Renee Ahdieh Adam Silvera Hailey in Bookland (Hailey Leblanc) The End of the World with Josh Clark Stuff You Should Know

During this episode of Buddy Reads, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Ecco Press).  Music by Ben Sulzinsky Books Mentioned: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Ecco Press) CN: Violence (wartime & against women), rape Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) Sand Opera by Philip Metres (Alice James Books) CN: State-sanctioned violence & torture Pictures at an Exhibition by Philip Metres (University of Akron Press) Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press) Whereas by Layli Soldier Long (Graywolf Press) CN: State-sanctioned violence The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (Katherine Tegen Books) Circe by Madeline Miller (Little, Brown and Company) The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (Riverhead Books) CN: Murder, state-sanctioned violence Drown by Junot Díaz (Riverhead Books) This is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz (Riverhead Books)  My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki (Penguin Books) CN: Disordered eating A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Viking)

In this week's episode, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss what their typical university lives are like and what it's like to balance reading and writing in that mix. Music by Ben Sulzinsky. Next Buddy Reads: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (episode out [edited] December 1) Books Mentioned: The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (Katherine Tegen Books) The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (Katherine Tegen Books) Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers) Don't Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press) Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray (Little Brown Books for Young Readers) The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Picador USA) Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen (Beacon's Press) Death of the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka (W. W. Norton & Company) Kona Winds by Scott Kikkawa (Bamboo Ridge Press) All the Love in the World by Cathy Song (Bamboo Ridge Press) Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang (Alfred A. Knopf) The Scandal of the Century: And Other Writings by Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Anne McLean (Knopf Publishing Group) The Descent of Alette by Alice Notley (Penguin Books) Other Notes: Bamboo Ridge Press Forest App Among Us Vanessa's Shop (seaofsirens.bigcartel.com) Carmen Maria Machado Ted Chiang Jorge Luis Borges

In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Maureen Johnson's Young Adult mystery novel Truly Devious.  Music by Ben Sulzinsky Media Mentioned: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins) The Complete Aeschylus, Volume I: The Oresteia by Aeschylus, multiple translators (Oxford University Press) Witches Sluts Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen Sollée (ThreeL Media) Trickster Feminism by Anne Waldman (Penguin Books) R E D by Chase Berggrun (Birds, LLC) The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (HarperCollins) Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen (Beacon Press) The Glass Tree by Laura Davies Foley (Harbor Mountain Press) Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (Everyman’s Library) The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (Vintage International) The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins) The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo (Imprint) Indigo by Ellen Bass (Copper Canyon Press)

For this spooky season, Vanessa and Alyssa suggest some haunting books and podcasts. Music by Ben Sulzinsky Media Mentioned: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books) House of Furies by Madeleine Roux (HarperTeen) Lore Cabinet of Curiosities Unobscured The Archived by Victoria Schwab (Hyperion) This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Greenwillow Books) Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Alice Isn’t Dead (podcast) by Nightvale Presents Grimm Reading, hosted by Matthew Hughes and Adam Field

In this week's episode, Vanessa and Alyssa introduce who they are as humans, readers, and writers. Music by Ben Sulzinsky. Books Mentioned: Circe by Madeline Miller (Little, Brown and Company) Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by David Ferry (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) Contemporary Life and Witchcraft: Magic, Divination, and Religious Ritual in Europe by Alexandra Tartan (Ibidem Press) Get in Trouble by Kelly Link (Random House Trade Paperbacks) Bluets by Maggie Nelson (Wave Books) The Tempest by William Shakespeare, edited by A.R. Braunmuller (Penguin Books) Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (Hogarth Press) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Random House Audio) Sin Eater by Megan Campisi (Simon Schuster Audio) The Iliad by Homer The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (W. W. Norton) The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Mexican Gothic by Silva Moreno-Garcia (Penguin Random House) Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang (Alfred A. Knopf) When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen (Boa Editions Ltd) Space Struck by Paige Lewis (Sarabande Books) If They Come for Us by Fatimah Asghar (Penguin Random House) How to Train Your Cactus: A Guide to Raising Well-Behaved Succulents by Tonwen Jones (Andrews McMeel Publishing) On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden Other Notes: DNF: Did not finish Lore  January LaVoy Libba Bray Agatha Christie Dan Brown Sarah Kay Phil Kaye paperbackdreams Ellias VS Kaveh Akbar Franny Choi Danez Smith

In this pilot episode of Dear Literature, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss the books releasing in the second half of 2020 that they're excited for. Music by Ben Sulzinsky Books Mentioned: Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Our Edible World by Julia Rothman with help from Rachel Wharton (Storey Publishing) Urban Temple by David McCann (Bo-Leaf Books) The King of Crows by Libba Bray (Little, Brown and Company) Or What You Will by Jo Walton (Tor Books) Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis (St. Martin’s Press) I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van de Berg (FSG) Must I Go by Yiyun Li (Random House) Finna: Poems by Nate Marshall (One World) The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays by Elisa Gabbert (FSG Originals) World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions) Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen (Beacon Press) The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (Katherine Tegen Books) Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie (Dutton) Skyhunter by Marie Lu (Roaring Book Press) Stuff You Should Know: An Incomplete Compendium of Mostly Interesting Things by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant (Flatiron Books) Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books) Eartheater: A Novel by Dolores Reyes, trans. Julia Sanches (HarperVia) Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse (Milkweed Editions) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books) Lovely War by Julie Berry (Penguin Young Readers Group)  Other notes: Kaveh Akbar Danez Smith Clint Smith Franny Choi Kundiman

Welcome to Dear Literature, a new podcast where two friends, Alyssa and Vanessa, discuss books, writing, and publishing. Instagram: @dearlitpod