Ledger: A Writing Podcast

016: James Spooner - Cartoonist, The High Desert

James Spooner is the author of The High Desert out now from Harper Collins, available here - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-high-desert-james-spooner?variant=40828374777890Set in the late eighties and starring James as a teenager discovering punk rock and as the book's synopsis says, "Mixed race, acutely aware of his Blackness, James doesn't know where he fits until he meets Ty, a young Black punk who introduces him to the school outsiders—skaters, unhappy young rebels, caught up in the punk groundswell sweeping the country."It's a memorable coming-of-age tale with the rebellious nature of punk rock driving the pining teens seem to universally feel, that yearning to discover themselves and to go somewhere else.
James also made the documentary Afro-Punk, a look at the reality of being a black punk told through the lives of people who live it.We talk about how the tagline of his book came about - Black. Punk. Nowhere. - how he focused on writing characters with unique voices, the challenge of moving past pain when writing memoir, and even when exactly the narration boxes were added to his story.Also, we talk about two of the best punk shows he's ever been to and the magnificent joy of being at a punk show and experiencing it with a crowd.I loved The High Desert and talking to James was a blast. Go to spoonersnofun.com to check out all his work. Pre-order the anthology he co-edited with Chris L Terry called Black Punk Now. https://softskull.com/dd-product/black-punk-now/
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Check out my work on austinRwilson.com, at https://austinrwilson.medium.com/ and https://medium.com/shibboieth. Thank you for listening and sharing!

015: Matt Bors and Ben Clarkson - Writer/Cartoonist and Cartoonist, Justice Warriors

Justice Warriors Vol. 1 is out NOW from Ahoy Comics and available wherever books are sold. Buy it from your local bookstore or comic shop! It's a wild satire, disgusting but delightfully so – it’s one of the most unique comics on the shelves.
How did these two storytellers get together? How did Matt Bors decide to step away from political cartooning to cowrite this story about a cop made out of poop with Ben Clarkson, an experienced artist and storyteller in painting, illustration, and animation?
You WON'T BELIEVE IT! But seriously, it's a fun story.
How does a massive world filled with bonkers characters, driven by economic and political satire come together in a cohesive comic book? Take a listen!
Visit TheBenClarkson.com to see Ben's art, including some from Justice Warriors. Head to MattBors.Substack.com to subscribe to Matt’s newsletter and get some great insights into how he tells stories.
Tell anyone who likes to laugh and maybe feel bad about laughing to read Justice Warriors.
Check out my work at austinRwilson.com, including comics and short stories, and please share, rate, and subscribe to the show.
Thank you so much!

014: Daniel Joshua Rubin - Author and Screenwriter, 27 Essential Principles of Story

Author of 27 Essential Principles of Story Daniel Joshua Rubin joined me for Ledger to chat about his book, writing in general and so much more. He's written for the stage, for TV, screenplays and new media, and now this "here's why" book about writing.
We discuss why book blurbs work, how important knowing yourself is to writing, battling our inner critics, and even sort of dead low-level mobsters and how their existence can help you.
Visit Daniel online at www.danieljoshuarubin.com and www.storyprinciples.com. If you want to study the craft of writing and start thinking about your stories in purposeful and creative ways, read his book. It's one of the three books about writing I HIGHLY recommend.
Visit me online at austinrwilson.com or www.medium.com/Shibboieth, follow me on Twitter at austinRwilson or Ledger_Books. Share the show, rate and review it, and watch out for new episodes!

013: Bella Poynton - Playwright, director, actor

Bella Poynton is a playwright, director, actor, and theatre scholar. She's the director of the Playwrights’ Wing at First Look Buffalo Theatre Company in Buffalo, NY; literary manager for Post-Industrial Productions and is also the director of Queen City Playwrights, Buffalo’s new play development workshop for career playwrights in Western New York. Her plays have been featured in The Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2019, The Best American Short Plays 2018-2019, and The Weirdest Plays of 2020. 
We discuss conceptualizing speculative (but specifically sci-fi/fantasy) plays for the stage; impossible stage directions; Star Wars; and some straight up theatre theory. See more of her work at http://www.bellapoynton.com/.
Find my work at www.austinRwilson.com and also on Medium.com/shibboieth and https://austinrwilson.medium.com/. I have two stories in Love Me, Love Me Not a collection of dark love stories out from Black Hare Press, available here. You can also listen to this and recent Ledger episodes on YouTube here. Thank you for listening and thank you to Bella for coming on!
Please rate, review, and share the show!

012: Max Booth III - Author and Publisher

Max Booth III is the publisher of Ghoulish Books and the author of novels such as Maggots Screaming and Touch the Night, along with his forthcoming collection Abnormal Statistics. We discuss the importance of the word "punk" in the sub-genre splatterpunk, the personal nature of his story "Indiana Death Song," and why exactly we feel the need to not only write, but to release the stories out into the world, plus a whole lot more. You can find Ghoulish Books and Max at https://linktr.ee/ghoulishbooks, including the Ghoulish Discord, as well as links to everything we discuss.
Visit my site at austinRwilson.com and watch out for my stories in the Valentine's Day anthology coming from Black Hare Press in 2023. I have free stories you can read at my website, both comics and prose! Follow me on Twitter (or basically every social media platform) over @austinRwilson or @Ledger_Podcast. Rate and review the show when you get a chance and share it with friends!

011: Stephanie M. Wytovich - Author/Poet and Editor

Stephanie M. Wytovich is the editor of Writing Poetry In the Dark, a collection of essays about poetry, creativity, and writing in general. She is the poetry editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press, a college professor, and an author of poetry and prose fiction. You can find her work at StephanieMWytovich.com or stephaniewytovich.blogspot.com.
Is literally everything poetry? Why do we associate "bad poetry" with the entire artform of poetry? How does editing guide all she does and how did she arrive at editing a book of essays about one of her favorite art forms? All this and more on today's Ledger!
Visit austinRwilson.com where you can donate to the show and find links to all of my work. Follow me on Twitter @austinRwilson and @Ledger_Podcast, but look out for me on YouTube as well @austinRwilson. I'll be posting the episodes there as audio files but do have plans for video at some point.
Thank you for listening!

010: EV Knight - Author, The Fourth Whore

EV Knight is the author of The Fourth Whore, which won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, and Three Days In the Pink Tower out now from Creature Publishing.
Why do writers bury themselves under guilt? Are writers in fact the weirdest people currently living? How many drafts of a story does she normally create? What was it like to go from writing The Fourth Whore to accepting a Bram Stoker Award for it? We cover all this and more! Make sure you visit EVKnightAuthor.com to check out her work as well as all the ways you can follow her online. Thank you for listening and for sharing the episode and thank you to EV Knight for stopping by to chat!
Visit austinRwilson.com where you can donate to the show and find links to all of my work. I have a short story coming on October 1st in the NOM NOM anthology out from Black Hare Press. Pre-order it right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2M1VF6N?tag=gingercatpubl-20
I also currently have a Shibboleth story available through Mini Komix, check it out right here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/mini-komix/a-late-night-encounter/paperback/product-gmk76j.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Bookstores to Visit: Bucket O’ Blood

Bucket O' Blood is located in Chicago, IL at 3182 N Elston Ave and is filled with horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and welcoming vibes. They sell records, movies, and used/new books and are an essential destination for anyone wanting to buy a story or two that will take them on an adventure. You can find them online here: https://www.bucketoblood.com/
Please visit austinRwilson.com/Ledger to see photos of Bucket O' Blood as well as my recent bookhaul!
If you visit the shop let me know, and especially let me know what you buy! Reach out to me on Twitter through @austinRwilson or @Ledger_Podcast or send me an email at LedgerBooks@outlook.com. If you have a shop you'd like to tell me about please let me know! I can never visit too many bookstores and want to spread the word about as many as possible.
Bookstores are landmarks of hope and possibility!
 
 
This is NOT an ad or sponsored episode, the content is mine alone.

009: Brenda Tolian - Author, Blood Mountain

Blood Mountain, by this episode's guest Brenda Tolian is "A mosaic of mountain songs that penetrate all the way to the beating, blood heart." That's what Josh Malerman says.
Brenda Tolian talks about her relationship to Colorado, the importance of telling its stories from indigenous perspectives, why the Bible is actually like really scary, and so much more!Make sure you visit Raw Dog Screaming Press to pick up a copy of Blood Mountain, right here: https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/blood-mountain/
Also visit her website at https://brendatolian.com/.
You can find me at www.austinRwilson.com and on Twitter @austinRwilson and @Ledger_Podcast. Thank you for listening!

008: Jessica McHugh - Author/Poet, A Complex Accident of Life

"A cosmic horror exploration of sisterhood and feminine rage." That's how Jessica McHugh describes her next book of blackout poetry based on the classic Little Women. It will be published from Apokrupha, which is also the publisher of her book A Complex Accident of Life.
We discuss two novels she has coming out in 2022 from Ghoulish Books. The first book, Rabbits In the Garden is a reprint coming out in August 2022. Its sequel, Hares In the Hedgerow is a "crazy, cult horror [and] a big love letter to Joni Mitchell." It will be out in November 2022.
She also talks about writing two novels that tie-in to the WNUF Halloween Special sequel! Please check out her website www.mchughniverse.com.
 
My Twitters: @austinRwilson and @Ledger_Podcast
My website: www.austinRwilson.com