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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, it’s the conclusion of Joyce Carol Oates’s stunner of a short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. Arnold Friend has shown up at fifteen-year-old Connie’s screen door, behind which she’s home alone. Suddenly what seemed like a chance encounter at a popular summer hang-out turns into something sinister, something infinitely darker. Arnold just wants Connie to go with him. That's all. But is it? Connie's consciousness shifts, and she is suddenly no longer in the safe mundane familiarity of her own kitchen, but poised on the brink of alien, possibly terrifying world that an increasingly impatient shortArnold Friend cannot wait to show her. Tune in! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I read the first half of Joyce Carol Oates's brilliant, twisted short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” Connie is a fifteen-year-old girl from a small town, newly aware of her beauty, newly boy-crazy, awakening to life and the pleasures it offers the young and, even more abundantly, the beautiful. It’s summer, and Connie is a regular at all the local hangouts...along with the mysterious Arnold Friend. Her parents and sister leave one Sunday afternoon for a family barbecue and Connie decides she will skip it. A familiar car rolls up the driveway. It would seem that Arnold Friend has had his eye on Connie. This week’s sponsor: Ritual, the obsessively-researched vitamin for women. There are key nutrients that even the healthiest eaters don’t get enough of. Enter Ritual! I am a HUGE Ritual fan, and take my two capsules every day without fail. Start your ritual today by heading on over to www.ritual.com/easychair for 10% off during your first three months. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I read two funny and fabulous essays by author Anne Lamott from her seminal book on writing and life in general, Bird By Bird. Lamott is smart, self-deprecating, witty, and wise, and what she has to say about the process of writing, about life as a writer, and about just being human is not only enlightening, but genuinely useful. These two essays, “Short Assignments” and “Shitty First Drafts”, will inspire anyone who is even just thinking about writing to get started… and will definitely entertain everyone else. I had so much fun reading her work aloud. Tune in! This week’s sponsor is Rothys, makers of the best flats ever for women and girls. Take it from Buzzfeed, Rothys will be your forever shoe. They go with everything, from formal wear to yoga pants, and are made from recycled plastic water bottles. Style, comfort, and sustainability, all in one shoe. Head over to www.Rothys.com/chair for your pair of gotta-have-ém flats today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair: “Mary”, second of a two-part series by master storyteller Saul Fussiner. Like last week’s “Shane”, “Mary” is set largely in Ireland. A decade has passed, and Saul and his new wife have stopped in Fahan while on their honeymoon. (The Irish owner of the Connecticut estate /wedding venue was so moved by their ceremony that he invites the couple to visit his ancestral home and meet his family). Saul’s story lands at the four-way intersection of sacred, tribal, spiritual and the everyday sweetness of ordinary life. At this intersection, the line between friend and family softens and falls away. Saul and I also talk about roadside shrines, the sport of hurling, and what it really means to be a storyteller. It’s a great ride, from the passenger seat of a rental car to an afternoon of backyard football, through the cliffs and valleys of Fahan to the intimacy of shared history and heartbreak around the kitchen table, and stuff like that. Trust me. You will not want to miss a single word. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, I’m joined by writer/storyteller Saul Fussiner. It’s been a minute since Saul has been on the podcast, and the story “Shane” is from Saul’s series of stories connected by times spent in Ireland, “I’ve Heard Those Drums All My Life.” "Shane" is set in the Ireland of the '80s, when Saul and his girlfriend accidentally visit the wrong town in the bittersweet last days of their relationship. Saul’s stories, traced by memory and anchored in precise cultural, musical, and just plain existentially human references, capture this time and place, foreign yet familiar. Sit back with a cup of strong tea (or Irish whiskey, perhaps?) and take a listen. This week’s sponsor is Brooklinen. Brooklinen is committed to bringing you luxury sheets, comforters, and robes, without the luxury mark-up. For 10% off and free shipping on your best bedding ever, head to www.brooklinen.com and use promo code chair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s a breezy tribute to the joys of summer reading on Mightier Than the Sword! Co-host and fellow educator (yes, that’s right … I’m headed back to the classroom in September, and you’ll hear about that on the podcast) Steph Spaulding and I weigh in on a few of the books we read over the summer. We offer some critical analysis, what worked and what didn’t, in terms of plot, pacing, and character development. We also pay tribute to the sweet end of summer, and the fresh start of a new school year. It’s what I like to call a free-wheelin’ episode—steph spaulless editing, more off the cuff, lots of banter and laughter that will, I hope, be infectious. Tune in! This week’s sponsor is Ritual, the obsessively researched vitamin for and by women. I start every day with two ritual capsules, which gives me all the nutrients women need and might not be getting enough of, even, with a healthy diet. Start your ritual today! Head on over to www.ritual.com/easychair today, for 10% off your first three months! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I read to you the short story “The Knowers” by Helen Phillips. Imagine a world in which every person can decide to find out the date of their death- but they can’t know the circumstance surrounding it. Would you even want this knowledge? What if you were lovingly, decades-long married to someone who emphatically didn’t want to know to date of your demise? How would you live your life…and face the date of your death when it rolled around? This is a fascinating, beautifully told story about the nature of mortality and marital love. It really got me thinking, and I know it’ll get you thinking, too. This week’s podcast is brought to you by Rothy’s shoes. Rothy’s makes flats for women and girls that are comfortable, stylish, and sustainable- made for life on the go. I just ordered my third pair (indigo gingham- so cool!) Go to www.Rothys.com/chair and order your new favorite flats today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s another Mightier Than the Sword, with co-host Steph Spaulding. In this episode, we discuss perfectionism, procrastination, and how both behaviors are the downfall of many a good writing practice. Steph describes herself as a recovering perfectionist, while I was once an aspiring perfectionist. Procrastination is something we both still wrestle with, or have learned to accept, when it comes to writing and life, but perfectionism must be abandoned in the interest of getting work done. When is enough editing enough? Is it really okay to be minimally, rather than maximally, satisfied? This is an uber-enlightening podcast, helpful not only to the writers out there, but also for anyone who has ever struggled with the fear of not being good enough. Tune in! And any questions, comments, or suggestions, just shoot us an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I read a devastating short story by Stephen King: “The Last Rung on the Ladder.” This is absolutely not your typical Stephen King horror story, and it's a tale that you should definitely listen to along with a tall glass of iced tea on one of these hazy summer afternoons. Narrator Larry recounts the story of the long-ago day from his childhood on his family's farm, when he was playing with his kid sister Kitty, taking turns jumping from the top of their three-story barn rafters into the hayloft. The ladder is flimsy, and he knows it, but they jump one last time. As Kitty climbs to the top the last rung of the ladder gives way... This is a sweeping, complex tale of love, guilt, and innocence lost from Stephen King at the top of his storytelling game. Tune in! Our sponsor this week is Brooklinen. Now that the warmer weather is here,it’s time to switch up your sheets, duvets, and comforters to something a little breezier and blissfully lightweight. Check out Brooklinen’s newest Linen Collection. Get 10% off and free shipping by going to Brooklinen.com and using promo code CHAIR. I love my Brooklinen sheets and you will, too! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I read a classic short story, which is a tribute to storytelling. “The Open Window” (by Saki, c. 1914) is about Framton Nuttel, a gentleman seeking a place to stay so he can regain his health, which has been compromised by a number of things, including frayed and fragile nerves. Enter Vera, the very creative niece of Mrs. Sappleton, whose home Mr. Nuttel might like to take a room in. Apparently a terrible tragedy has taken place. Apparently there’s something not quite right about the open window. It’s a small gem of a tale that I’d never read before, but come to find out it is a short story favorite of many. Many people argue the moral of this parable, but I’m not sure there is one. No matter. It’s simply delightful. Tune in! This week’s episode is brought to you by Ritual, the obsessively researched vitamin for women, by women. It’s got nine of the essential nutrients you might not be getting enough of, even with a balanced diet. I start every day off with two Ritual vitamins, and it’s made a discernible difference in the way I feel. For my listeners: you get 10% off your first three months by going to ritual.com/EASYCHAIR. Start your Ritual today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week’s episode: “New Beginnings” with returning guest writer Michele Tenney. In addition to being a fine writer, Michele is a personal trainer, nutritionist, and wellness coach (you can find her at https://elevateptw.com/) and she’s on the podcast with me this week to talk about new beginnings. Michele reads two pieces she wrote for the beginning of the year, but new beginnings can (and should) happen any time, and summer is a great time to shed old habits. Advice on how to set and attain fitness goals, to make a healthy lifestyle a thing of joy, and not self-abnegation, to fully accept that we are not what we feel, but what we believe- Michele makes aspiration the key to success, when it comes to transforming ourselves. I definitely learned more than a thing or two from this podcast. Twenty push-ups this morning, up from fifteen yesterday. I'm feeling it, and believing it! This week’s sponsor- Rothy’s, the shoes everyone’s talking about. They are made from recycled plastic water bottles, and they come in four fabulous, stylish silhouettes (I’m crazy about my sneakers, folks). They go with everything, from fancy dresses to yoga pants, and as for comfort…don’t get me started! Like butter! Go to rothys.com/chair to buy your new favorite flats! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s back to Mightier Than the Sword, with my wonderful co-host Steph Spaulding. We’re talking about work/life balance, or work/life integration, as we see it. All work and no play makes anyone a dull person, but does all play and no work have a similar effect? I am staring down a big project and I am stressing out over whether I’ll have any time to enjoy my favorite season (summer, if you’re guessing). Steph is looking at her own summer vacation after putting in a full school year. Both of our positions are challenging in their own ways, and Steph and I share some ideas about how to navigate work, play, and life. If you have any questions, observations, or insights for me and Steph, please email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week’s episode: "When Creative Calling Meets Everyday Life" (with Rachael Hurwitz). I’m thrilled and honored to have my talented singer/songwriter daughter Rachael of the indie-folk band Honey Magpie on the podcast for an interview! Rachael answers my questions about keeping the creative fire burning bright, despite the tug of daily life faced by all aspiring artists who can’t quit their day jobs. We talk about inspiration from the first flash to fleshing it out. Rachael describes the serendipity and step-by-step of the songwriting process. It’s a fun podcast, and for those of you who refuse to let your dreams die- you’ll get some useful insights. Promise! Our sponsor this week is Brooklinen, maker of five-star look and feel sheets, duvets, comforters, towels, and more. My bed and bath are completely outfitted in Brooklinen’s summer colors and I could not be happier! Get 10% off and free shipping when you use promo code CHAIR at www.Brooklinen.com. You’ll agree- these really are the best sheets ever! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, it’s Ursula Le Guin’s startling short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. Le Guin was a brilliant storyteller of mostly science fiction with a cautionary twist- not unlike Margaret Atwood. In this tale, the nation of Omelas sounds like a utopia, populated by compassionate, earnest citizens who spawn golden, happy children…but at its very root lies a hideous truth upon which the ongoing existence of Omelas rests. Many have seen this dark reality with their own eyes, and the more sensitive others know of it but refuse to look for themselves. Then, there are the ones who walk away from Omelas. This is a powerful, thought-provoking tale about free society and the imperfection of human nature, with abundant parallels to the state of our nation and our world. This week’s podcast is brought to you by Quip, the portable, can’t live without electric toothbrush that makes best brushing practices a snap for adults and now, for kids! Go to www.getquip.com/easychair and get your first refill pack free. Join over 1million happy, healthy mouths! Also, Ritual, the multivitamin for women and girls that fills in the gaps in your diet with two glowingly transparent, minty capsules a day. You’ll get 10% off your first three months by going to www.ritual.com/easychair . Start your Ritual today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on the podcast: "Awe, Joy, and Peace" with guest author Michele Tenney. Michele is an inspiration by virtue of the way she lives as well as in the way she writes, and I’m beyond thrilled to welcome her back to the podcast. She reads two wonderful original essays that highlight the ways that our attitudes and perspectives impact our overall health. Michele is not only an expert in the fitness and nutrition field (see her website, https://elevateptw.com ), she pays close and loving attention to the lessons her own life offers up, and shares her knowledge and insights with humor, grace, and clarity. This is an episode you will benefit from, promise. Tune in! The sponsor of this week’s podcast is Rothys. Are you ready for your new favorite flat? Rothys are made from recycled plastic bottles- and their comfort, style, and sustainability will blow your mind! Go to www.Rothys.com/chair to order the shoes that you can wear anytime, anywhere, in four fabulous silhouettes. I love my Rothys, and you’ll love yours, too. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
