INTERVIEW WITH ELECTRIC LITERATURE

I’ve been interviewed by Electric Literature, which has some really nice things to say about the podcast. Many thanks to Julia Jackson, editor of the Electric Dish.

Here’s the intro to the interview:

A few weeks ago, I first listened to a new literary podcast: Other People with Brad Listi, which I found through Melissa Febos‘ Facebook profile. She was interviewed on it, as well as other people that I admire and am interested in: Victoria Patterson, Megan Boyle, Steve Almond, Emma Straub, and more. While I expected the podcast to be interesting I was blown away, finding it downright enjoyable — and now I’m hooked. In a world full of distractions — where almost everything I encounter is practically begging me not to write — Brad Listi’s podcast has made me hit the pause button on my iTunes, blow off social obligations, and sit my ass down in a chair and write. The show is funny, insightful, entertaining, affirming, and, more than anything — inspiring. It easily one of the best podcasts on the web. Because I am now such a fan I wanted to ask Brad a few questions, and he kindly obliged.

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EPISODE 8 — VICTORIA PATTERSON

Victoria Patterson is the guest.  She’s the author of two books, both set in the moneyed coastal regions of Orange County, California.

The first is the story collection Drift, which was a finalist for both the California Book Award and the Story Prize.  And the second his her acclaimed debut novel, This Vacant Paradise, which was hailed far and wide by a variety of publications, including the New York Times. 

And just yesterday, the OC Weekly named her Best Author in its annual ‘Best of’ edition.  (Congrats to Tory!)

Listen to the show:

-At iTunes

-At Stitcher

-At the official website of Other People

It’s all free.  All the time.

Go get it.

-BL

THE VIEW FROM THE WEST - VOL. 2

A few words about readings.

Authors and poets standing up in front of people and reading from their work.

I have it in my head that a good reading should take on the character of its town.  Meaning:  a New York reading should be different than a New Orleans reading.  A Seattle reading should be different than a Portland reading.  A Chicago reading should be different than an Austin reading.

And so on.

Here in LA, it seems like a reading has to be entertaining.  Meaning:  It can’t just be a reading; it also must be a show.  I don’t mean this in a bad way, either.  It’s a natural extension of LA culture.  The Entertainment Capital of the World.  “A reading with jazz hands,” I like to say.   People in Hollywood seem to expect jazz hands.  They want some pyrotechnics, some musical theater, some weirdness, some special effects.

Maybe even some fake blood.

Or, on a lucky night, some nudity.

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