The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF Garrard

Bruce Madole, an award-winning songwriter and short fiction writer, speaks about the reality of publishing, advice he learned from writing mentors and the importance of humour in crime writing. Bruce Madole is an award-winning songwriter and was the 2017 winner of the John Kenneth Galbraith Literary Award, for a short story titled How To Make A BLT. Working professionally as a technical writer and journalist since 1980, Bruce began his literary career as a poet, including a year-long poetry workshop at Trent University, in 1978, under the mentorship of Dennis Lee. After spending the best part of two decades focused on the craft of lyric and song writing – both as a writer and a workshop leader -- Bruce began to focus more on advancing his fiction writing projects. A devotee of crime and mystery genres, he has since completed six novel-length manuscripts (all in the humorous crime genre) and is currently working on a seventh. He is also the author of an unpublished workbook, Finding Your Inner Songwriter. A believer in developing his craft, Bruce has attended Brian Henry’s writing workshops since 2015, as well as ‘Write On The French’, where he has been mentored by writers including Oakland Ross, Alison Pick and Helen Humphreys. At time 19:25 he reads from first chapter of his sixth novel, Joe Doe and Company. Bruce’s website - https://brucemadole.com/home Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Christopher Canniff shares his journey through Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, and how he began work on two novels, one of which became Poor Man's Galapagos. He also talks about how he ended up interviewing a WW2 British Commando for his book, Intervals of Hope. Christopher Canniff is the author of Intervals of Hope (Blue Denim Press, October 2021), Poor Man's Galapagos (Blue Denim Press, 2015) and Abundance of the Infinite (Quattro Books, 2012). He mentored with MG Vassanji and David Adams Richards at the Humber School for Writers. He published in Descant Magazine and with Tightrope Books, and shortlisted in Matrix Litpop Awards for fiction and the Ken Klonsky Novella Contest (Quattro Books). He was President of the CAA Toronto Branch. At time 21:00 he reads from Intervals of Hope. Website & Socials Please visit: christophercanniff.com and intervalsofhope.com. Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Fellow Canadian Suzanne Craig-Whytock shares how she transitioned from being a writer to publisher, the goals for her publishing house DarkWinter Press and what writers can expect after their manuscript is submitted for publication. Suzanne Craig-Whytock is the author of four novels: Smile, The Dome (English version, 2019; international Arabic translation, 2022), The Seventh Devil, and The Devil You Know, all published by Bookland Press, two short story collections: Feasting Upon The Bones and At The End Of It All, both published by Potter’s Grove Press, and the humorous non-fiction publication What Any Normal Person Would Do. Her new novel Charybdis is due to be released this April by JC Studio Press in the United Kingdom. Suzanne is also the editor-in-chief of DarkWinter Literary Magazine, an Ontario, Canada-based online publication featuring short fiction and poetry, as well as the founder of DarkWinter Press, which publishes short story and poetry collections as well as novels and novellas from authors in Canada and around the world. DarkWinter Press’s most recent publication, In the Lair of the Kraken, by Canadian Author’s Association member Christopher Butt, debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Canadian Short Stories! At time 16:30 she reads from latest novel, Charybdis Website & Socials Website: https://www.darkwinterlit.com/ Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Sarah Haasz shares her career journey, how she ended up creating "Gangnam Project" and what inspires her work. After 20 years as a Broadcast Executive for various children's programming networks in Canada, Sarah Haasz has taken her robust industry experience directly to kids television production, creating original series and assisting producers in bringing their shows to fruition. Sarah recently wrapped “Gangnam Project”, the live action K-pop drama/comedy series she created and which she'll be talking about today. She also produced the Emmy-nominated “Circuit Breakers”, a live action anthology series for Apple TV, and “Step By Step Let’s Dance," a live action docu dance series for TVO Kids. Sarah is currently working with Cottonwood Media as a Creative Producer on their live action slate and sits on the board of the Youth Media Alliance. CBC Gem Gangnam Project page and videos: https://gem.cbc.ca/gangnam-project Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Writer Jesse Zimmerman discusses what inspired him to write, the difficulties of publishing and how he created his main character, "the Challenger" in his first book, Our Adventures with the Challenger. At time 22:00 he reads from Our Adventures with the Challenger. Jesse has always lived, worked, and studied in Toronto. Growing up, Jesse enjoyed fiction, particularly speculative fiction and fantasy, anything imaginative. He began writing at a very young age on a DOS computer, creating short stories and little novellas. In his teens he was particularly interested in fantasy, having fond memories of playing Dungeons and Dragons in the late 90s at Jane and Finch, the area he grew up in which led to the creation of the character, "the Challenger." Years later, as an adult, Jesse reimagined the Challenger and began writing stories about him, among other things, having been inspired by the mainstreaming of fantasy fiction in pop culture. The Challenger is a semi-comedic character, though prone to brooding like many famous heroes. Jesse put together numerous Challenger stories into one self-published book, Our Adventures With The Challenger, which he promotes in many ways, including placing copies in Little Free Libraries on lawns and porches throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Author website: https://junctionlandlord.blogspot.com/2021/12/our-adventures-with-challenger.html Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Author Kit Daven unveils why AI serves as her creative ally, how to utilize AI as a valuable tool to seek feedback on her writing, and why the notion that writers should harbor any fear of AI should be dismissed. Kit Daven’s heart beats for the eerie and the extraordinary in her tales. Even her sci fantasy series, which begins with The Forgotten Gemstone, unfolds in The Other Castle, and culminates in The Starry Rise, possesses demonly threads running through the trans-dimensional landscape. Her most recent work, The Arrest in Mannequin Row, steps out of the fantasy realm into an urban one, where the living and dead collide in a town beneath the lake waters. Kit enjoys spending her time with her husband and her feline familiars amidst the quiet hills of Hespeler, Ontario. At time 19:00 she reads from Everyday is Halloween, a short fiction story about the dead coming back and deciding to stay in the world of the living. Website & Socials Website: https://www.kitdaven.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitdaven2 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitd.eagereye/ Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Writer and editor Matthew Gordon shares how he juggles editing eight books at once while writing, researching and working; advice for surviving writing as a marathon and how he manages his time. Matthew Gordon's short fiction has appeared in Amazing Stories, in High Shelf Press, in The Quilliad, and in The Exhibitionist. His non-fiction has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Sporting News, The Billfold and on RealGM.com. He has lived in Ontario, New York, Texas and Alberta. He now lives in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario. At time 21:00 he reads Wound Salter, a short story. Author website: https://matthewgordonbooks.blogspot.com/ Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

On the Artsy Raven M.A.C. Farrant describes her journey of becoming a prize-winning writer, the Zenlike process of discovery when she writes and how cows inspired her latest Jigsaw Puzzle book. M.A.C. Farrant - Marion Farrant has been writing and publishing since the 1980s: 18 works of fiction, non-fiction and memoir; two produced plays, countless book reviews for the Vancouver Sun and Toronto Globe & Mail; and over a dozen chapbooks. Along with Pauline Holdstock she ran the Sidney Reading Series from 1994 – 2009. Her books have been a finalist for many awards, among them the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, the Ethel Wilson fiction prize, two Jessie Richardson theatre awards, The Van City Book Prize, the National Magazine Awards, the ReLit Award, the Gemini Awards for the Bravo short film adaptation of her story, Rob’s Guns & Ammo, and the Victoria Book Prize (three times), the last of which she won in 2014 for her collection of miniature fiction, The World Afloat. Her 2021 non-fiction book, One Good Thing, was a BC Bestseller. In 2024, Talon Books will issue the 20th Anniversary Edition of her memoir, My Turquoise Years. Farrant is well-known for her acerbic wit and laugh-out-loud humour. Sheila Munro, has called her “Canada’s most ascerbic and intelligent humourist”. Bill Richardson has called her “a master of the Zen-like art of delivering weight in a way that is featherlight”, further noting that she’s “the most accomplished and unapologetic miniaturist in Canadian letters.” At time 15:00 she reads from Jigsaw. Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._A._C._Farrant Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Writer Cormack Baldwin describes what it was like growing up in a family of writers, why he started an online zine featuring unusual formats for telling stories, and how he juggles multiple jobs while pursuing a literary career. Cormack Baldwin is a speculative fiction writer, editor, and disaster human. When frightened, he frequently recounts long tales about his hometown's disappearing and reappearing graveyards or his most recent brush with fate before fleeing into the night. At time 21:00 he reads his short story Exaltation in Truptych published in the Loves Bites Anthology by Mischief Press. Links: Archive of the Odd Zine - archiveoftheodd.wordpress.com Twitter - @cormackbaldwin Link to End All Links - cmbaldwin.carrd.co Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

ANALOG editor Trevor discusses the impact of AI on writers, the effect AI has on the editing process and how AI can be used as a tool for writers and editors. Before taking the reigns of ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION & FACT as editor in 2012, Trevor started off as an editorial assistant in 1999 and worked his way up the ladder at ANALOG and ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION, under Stanley Schmidt, Sheila Williams, and Gardner Dozois, respectively. On top of that, he’s also been a Broadway stagehand, collected data for museums, and executive produced a science fiction pilot for a basic cable channel. He lives in New Jersey with his fiancée, daughter, and way, way too many comic books. ANALOG link: https://www.analogsf.com/ Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Rivkah Reyes is a Chicago-bred, LA-buttered actor, writer, producer, and musician. They rose to fame in the 2003 film School of Rock and have been slaying the theatre, film, and comedy world ever since. She starred in the Chicago and Los Angeles productions of Spamilton, the Off-Broadway parody of Hamilton. They hosted a podcast called Where Are We Now?, in which she interviewed fellow former child stars. Rivkah's screenwriting debut, Gianna, also stars Rivkah as both leads and is co-produced by Jack Black. Most recently, they starred in Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, which premiered at Sundance in 2023. In their free time, Rivkah can be found line dancing, powerlifting, and hosting “HOWL: A Full Moon Party” in Los Angeles. Recently Riv along with Lindsay Hicks, Marsha Warfield and Jill Larson all star in A Holiday I Do. A Holiday I Do was made to change the lack of LGBTQ+ representation and is an inclusive Christmas movie. This film was made for everyone. This is not a “coming out” story, but a story showing that “love is love.” The primary themes of A Holiday I Do are being true to who you are and family. Ten percent of the producer’s proceeds supports The Trevor Project to help save young LGBTQ+ lives. The film is streaming on Tello Films. On The Artsy Raven we discuss what happened on their journey to becoming an actor, why an inclusive Christmas movie is important and what projects they are working on next. Rivkah Reyes links: A Holiday I Do movie page and trailer Rivkah Reyes official website Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Quentin Lee is the Winner of the 2020 Roddenberry Foundation Impact Awards for TV creators, a member of the Producers Guild of America, Canadian Media Producers Association and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Directors and Producers Peer Group), Quentin Lee is a multimedia creator and has directed and produced over ten feature films and three TV series. His first feature Shopping For Fangs premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and became a cult classic as part of the Asian American New Wave Class of 1997. As a creator, he is currently developing Rez Comedy, the first Canadian Indigenous stand-up comedy TV series for APTN (Aboriginal Peoples TV Network) and Canada Media Fund with a principal photography date of January 2024. His latest feature THE LAST SUMMER OF NATHAN LEE, explores the story of a Chinese American teenager who upon receiving a devastating diagnosis, chooses to embrace life with an unbridled passion. On The Artsy Raven we discuss what happened on his journey on finding his way to UCLA to study film, how he made his first film and the inspiration behind The Last Summer of Nathan Lee. Quentin Lee links: THE LAST SUMMER OF NATHAN LEE movie page You can watch the trailer here and find the press release here for more info. The film will be released on Amazon Prime in November 2023. Mystery Brothers | Book by Quentin Lee | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com) Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Abigail Hing Wen is the New York Times bestselling author of Loveboat, Taipei, which is being adapted for film. She holds a BA from Harvard, a JD from Columbia Law School, and an MFA from the Vermont School of Fine Arts, and, like some of her characters, is obsessed with musicals and dancing. When she’s not writing stories or listening to her favorite scores, she is busy working in artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley, where she lives with her family. You can learn more about her at www.abigailhingwen.com. On The Artsy Raven she shares her writing journey, what inspired the Loveboat series and how AI will change the creative process. At time 12:32 she reads from her latest work, Loveboat Forever. Love in Taipei, a Paramount+ motion picture released in August 2023 was based on Loveboat, Taipei, the first book in the Loveboat series. Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Jass Aujila is the Canadian South-Asian author of debut suspense-thriller, Next of Twin. Jass studied creative writing as an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, and later earned a Certificate in Creative Writing from the School of Continuing Studies@ UofT. She's passionate about creativity, personal growth, and is an active member of the Canadian Authors Association and a Professional Author Member of the Crime Writers of Canada. When Jass isn't working on one of her twisty novels, she can be found writing poetry and prose on social media. Her microfiction and poetry have appeared in several bestselling anthology publications worldwide, including Hidden In Childhood (by Literary Revelations Publishing House), From One Line (by Kobayaashi Studios), and 50 Give or Take (by Vine Leaves Press)." On The Artsy Raven she shares why she writes, how conferences have helped her writing and what it’s like to attend a writing retreat. At time 26:00 she reads from her latest work, Next of Twin. Jass’ website: https://jassaujla.com/ Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Thomas Dodson grew up in a small town in northeast Missouri, here he spent most of his time reading comic books, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and learning martial arts from a badass farmer. He holds graduate degrees from the Ohio State University, Kent State University, and the University of Iowa, where he was an Iowa Arts Fellow at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in fiction. Founding editor of the journal Printer’s Devil Review, Thomas served as its editor and designer for five years. He was also the executive editor of the Best Indie Lit New England series. No Use Pretending is an astounding debut collection that expertly blends diverse genres to capture the nature of circumstance. The characters in these stories have been forced into conditions of life that they find unbearable, and the stories chart their often tragically misguided attempts to relieve their suffering via connections with other people or through the pursuit of addictive attachments. This Iowa Short Fiction Award winning piece is perfect for readers interested in the absurd, messy complexity that is being a human in the 21st century. On The Artsy Raven, we discuss the short story format, what inspires him to write short stories and the difference between short fiction and novels. At time 18:21, Thomas reads from his debut collection, No Use Pretending. For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ Artsy Raven merch available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com To send us a digital tip, please visit https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard/posts Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Jeff Cottrill is a novelist, performance poet and journalist based in Toronto. He has headlined in countless literary series throughout Canada, the U.K., the U.S., France and Ireland for more than twenty years, and he has been published in several international anthologies from New York to Australia. In 2021, his poem “This Is Not Real Poetry” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and last year, he launched Hate Story, his seventh or eighth attempt at a first novel. His short story "The Madness East of St. George" was a finalist in the Writers' Union of Canada's 2023 Short Prose Contest for Emerging Writers. On The Artsy Raven he shares on how to deal with trolls on social media, the difficulties of dealing with publishers and how he sells his writing internationally. At time 13:27 he reads from his latest work, Hate Story. Website: www.JeffCottrill.com Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Dr. Marleen S. Barr is known for her pioneering work in feminist science fiction criticism. She has won the Science Fiction Research Association Award for Lifetime Contributions to Science Fiction Scholarship. Barr is the author of Alien to Femininity: Speculative Fiction and Feminist Theory, Lost in Space: Probing Feminist Science Fiction and Beyond, Feminist Fabulation: Space/Postmodern Fiction, and Genre Fission: A New Discourse Practice for Cultural Studies. Barr has edited many critical anthologies and co-edited the science fiction issue of PMLA. She is the author of the novels Oy Pioneer! and Oy Feminist Planets: A Fake Memoir. Her When Trump Changed: The Feminist Science Fiction Justice League Quashes the Orange Outrage Pussy Grabber is the first single authored Trump short story collection. On The Artsy Raven she shares why she writes about Trump so much, how she became a feminist science fiction scholar and why Barbie is so important! At time 19:00 she reads from her latest work, This Former President: Science Fiction as Retrospective Retrorocket Jettisons Trumpism. Webpage for her latest book: https://darkhelixpress.com/fiction-and-non-fiction/this-former-president-science-fiction-as-retrospective-retrorocket-jettisons-trumpism/ Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Catherine Graham is an award-winning poet, novelist and creative writing instructor based in Toronto. Her eighth book, Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric, was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, Toronto Book Award, and won the Fred Kerner Book Award. The Celery Forest was named a CBC Best Book of the Year and was a finalist for the Fred Cogswell Award for Poetry. Her debut novel Quarry won The Miramichi Reader Award for Best Fiction, an IPPY Gold Medal for Fiction and was a finalist for the Sarton Women’s Book Award and Fred Kerner Book Award. The Most Cunning Heart is included in The Miramichi Reader’s Best Fiction Book of the Year list. She teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto where she won an Excellence in Teaching Award, leads the Toronto International Festival of Authors’ Book Club, co-hosts The Hummingbird Podcast—part of the WNED PBS Amplify app, and is a judge for the CBC Poetry Prize. Put Flowers Around Us and Pretend We’re Dead: New and Selected Poems is her latest book. On the Artsy Raven she discusses why she started writing, the beauty of language and how poetry has helped her on her journey through life. At time 18:00 she reads from her latest work, Put Flowers Around Us and Pretend We’re Dead: New and Selected Poems. Visit her online at www.catherinegraham.com and @catgrahampoet Artsy Raven merch and other nerdy things available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Idris Grey (they/them) is a writer, an experienced authenticity/sensitivity reader, and a book reviewer for Publisher Weekly. They’ve been posting stories on Wattpad since 2013 and have accumulated over 200,000 reads on the platform. They won the LGBT+ Watty Award in 2015 for their F/F romance Girls Chase Girls, and were longlisted for their F/M romance The Fashion of Love in 2018. They’ve been an authenticity/sensitivity reader since 2017, a professional book reviewer since 2018, and a Wattpad Star since 2019. They were a finalist in “Harlequin’s Romance Includes You” Mentorship Contest in 2019 before they signed with literary agent Claire Friedman from Inkwell Management in 2020. They’ve written for the Lure, Radish, and Stori fiction apps, among others. They’re currently pursuing traditional and non-traditional publication. On the Artsy Raven she discusses why she started writing, what a Wattpad star entails, her experience as a book reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly and how to look for an agent. At time 23:40 she reads a preview of a queer mystery work-in-progress they are working on for an agent! https://idrisgrey.carrd.co/https://darkhelix.threadless.comhttps://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Growing up in the Bay Area, Akemi C. Brodsky always loved unassigned reading and making creative and unnecessarily complicated school projects. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University with a Bachelor of Science, then moved to the UK to do a master’s in engineering at Imperial College London. She currently lives in the Bay Area and spends most of her spare time traveling, cooking, seeing family and friends, and watching TV. On The Artsy Raven Akemi discusses the sudden shift from a STEM career to becoming a writer, how she published with a hybrid publisher and her future projects. At time 15:00 they read from their novel, The Brill Pill Website: https://www.akemicbrodsky.com/ Artsy Raven merch available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/ Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard