Writers Who Read

Gary, Whitney, and Mira analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.Pulitzer Prize finalist author and noted Nashville independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett uses Thornton Wilder's 1938 play, Our Town, to frame her meta exploration of its themes. Multiple Our Town productions ripple through Lara Kenison's past as she relates her life's journey to her three daughters. And what did Lara's dalliance with a movie star really mean? Quite a lot, actually.

Chelsea Pennington, Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, which is Writers Who Read book number 62. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.

Chelsea Pennington joins Gary, Whitney, and Mira to analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.Colorado Springs author Rebecca Yarros hit best-seller pay dirt with this, the first book in her Empyrean fantasy book trilogy, which is also being turned into an Amazon series. Yarros uses an ingenious method to simultaneously world-build and to pace her action scenes: as the tension mounts for our heroine, Violet conquers her fears by reciting rote passages from her cherished history books.

Gary, Mira, and Whitney introduce all 10 novels coming up in Season 2 of Writers Who Read:62: Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros (USA, 2023)63: Tom Lake - Ann Patchett (USA, 2023)64: Holly - Stephen King (USA, 2023)65: Let Us Descend - Jesmyn Ward (USA, 2023) 66: Martyr! - Kaveh Akbar (USA, 2024)67: Good Material - Dolly Alderton (UK, 2024)68: James - Percival Everett (USA, 2024)69: Burma Sahib - Paul Theroux (USA, 2024)70: Butcher - Joyce Carol Oates (USA, 2024)71: Margo's Got Money Troubles - Rufi Thorpe (USA, 2024)For a complete list of all novels discussed, registration information for our live meetings, and our newsletter, please visit https://WritersWhoRead.com

Here’s a brief update on another 2024 writer’s conference: the Jackson Hole Writers Conference in Jackson Hole, WY, this November 1-3. Mira Landry and Gary McBride recently spoke with Jackson Hole Executive Director Matt Daly and faculty member author Dan Sheehan.More info at: https://JHwriters.org

An interview of the three of us, Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride, conducted by Mark Stevens, host of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers podcast, back in March of 2024. Thanks to Mark Stevens and the RMFW for allowing us to rebroadcast that interview, which first aired on March 14 of this year. Enjoy.

Here’s a brief update on another 2024 writer’s conference: the Maryland Writers Association's 2024 Conference, in Baltimore, MA, this October 19 & 20. Mira Landry and Gary McBride recently spoke with MWA Conference Chair Flo McCahonMore info at: https://MarylandWriters.org

Chelsea Pennington, Whitney Pinion, Mira Landry, and Gary McBride talk about Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright, which is Writers Who Read book number 61. Discussion slides for this novel and all novels discussed are available at WritersWhoRead.com. More information about Literary Forensics is available here and here.In every episode we analyze and discuss one novel that has been published within the past 18-24 months. We do this because we are writers who read with intent–we read to study content and form and to uncover techniques that we can apply to our own writing.We read like writers, turning our favorite authors into our writing teachers.We do this through Literary Forensics, a set of tools that allow us to look beyond the surface of plot points, down into the tapestry of themes, contexts, and symbols that hold the very intentions of the author.We uncover why they wrote this novel and how they did it.If you'd like to join our LIVE! meetings in person, find upcoming novel titles and event registration information here and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter.Writers Who Read has been meeting in Boulder, Colorado, since 2018, and we are affiliated with the Boulder Writers Alliance.

Chelsea Pennington joins Gary, Whitney, and Mira to analyze another recently-published novel on the next episode of Writers Who Read. Next up: Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright.What could be a juicier target to lampoon than the Texas statehouse? Power hungry pols, feasting on their Good Old Boy network, lick their chops when an actual working rancher, Sonny Lamb, joins their ranks. Blessed with equal parts idealism and naivete, Sonny is the creation of reporter cum author Lawrence Wright, who certainly knows his way around Texas politics. Come for the yuks, but leave with Wright's astute insights into the reasons why things are the way they are.