Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.



Episode Summary



In this episode of Writer’s Voice, two authors offer vital insights—one about surviving a global pandemic, and the other about surviving the publishing process.



???? Ronald Gruner discusses Covid Wars, his in-depth exploration of how the pandemic reshaped politics, public health, and society. He reflects on the successes and failures of the U.S. response, the role of science and misinformation, and the lasting implications for democracy.




“Other countries did better because they trusted their governments and their governments trusted them.” — Ronald Gruner




???? Dennis Sweeney talks about How to Submit, a practical handbook for writers trying to get their work published in literary magazines and small presses. Drawing on his own experience as a poet and editor, Sweeney breaks down the submissions process, rejection, community-building, and sustaining motivation as a writer.




“Rejections are not failures. They’re steps in the process.” — Dennis Sweeney




Connect with WV:



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words:



Covid Wars Ronald Gruner, COVID-19 lessons, pandemic politics, misinformation and science, pandemic preparation, U.S. pandemic response, How to Submit Dennis Sweeney, getting published, literary magazine submissions, small press publishing,



You Might Also Like: Eric Klinenberg, 2020: The Year Everything Changed, CRISIS AVERTED: Caitlin Rivers on the Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks










???? Segment 1: Ronald Gruner on Covid Wars



Ronald Gruner explains why he wrote Covid Wars—to create a factual, accessible record of how COVID-19 unfolded and how institutions responded. He discusses the pandemic’s exposure of systemic weaknesses, the politicization of science, and the urgent need to prepare for the next crisis.



Key Topics




* Why Covid Wars is “not a political book, but a factual one”



* COVID-19’s impact on public trust in government and science



* How misinformation and partisan divides deepened the crisis



* Lessons from countries that managed the pandemic differently



* What the U.S. must do to prepare for the next pandemic







???? Segment 2: Dennis Sweeney on How to Submit



Dennis Sweeney demystifies the process of submitting to literary magazines and small presses...

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.



Episode Summary



Award-winning author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers joins Writer’s Voice to talk about her bold and beautiful nonfiction debut, Misbehaving at the Crossroads—a matrilineal memoir braided with African American history, intersectional feminism, and unflinching truth-telling.




“The crossroads represents… a place where trouble meets possibility or hope.” — Honorée Fanonne Jeffers




Plus, a sneak preview of our upcoming conversation with Catherine Coleman Flowers, environmental justice champion and author of Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice and Finding Hope.



Connect with WV:



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Misbehaving at the Crossroads book, intersectionality, Black women’s memoir, Writer’s Voice podcast, Francesca Rheannon author interview, Catherine Coleman Flowers Holy Ground, environmental justice activism



You Might Also Like: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DuBOIS, Corban Addison WASTELANDS










Segment One: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers



Honorée Fanonne Jeffers tells us about her new book, Misbehaving at the Crossroads: Essays & Writings. Known for her National Book Award–nominated novel The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, Jeffers turns to nonfiction to weave together memoir, African American history, political insight, and poetry.



She discusses intersectionality, Toni Morrison’s concept of “rememory,” confronting the truth about historical figures like Thomas Jefferson, and the complex legacies of family.



The conversation also dives into themes of survival, solidarity, and the necessity of grappling with hard truths to create a more just future.



Key Topics




* Matrilineal memoir & family history



* African American oral tradition & storytelling



* Intersectionality (Kimberlé Crenshaw)



* Toni Morrison’s “rememory”



* Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and historical truth



* Patriarchy in family and national history



* Purity politics vs. solidarity







Segment Two: Catherine Coleman Flowers



In a brief excerpt from our upcoming fall episode, Flowers talks about how her faith, connection to the land, and deep respect for Mother Earth inspire her activism against environmental injustice. Her book is Holy Ground.

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.



Episode Summary



This week on Writer’s Voice, we speak with David Bollier about the newly updated edition of his influential book Think Like a Commoner: A Short Introduction to the Life of the Commons. Bollier argues that commons are neither relics of the past nor utopian fantasies—they are living, adaptive systems that help people meet needs through cooperation rather than competition.




“A commons is a living collective social organism for getting stuff done.” — David Bollier




We discuss why the commons movement is growing worldwide, how it provides a survival strategy amid climate breakdown and political turmoil, and the practical ways communities are creating commons today—from urban housing and childcare networks to open-source software and local currencies. Bollier also shares how thinking like a commoner challenges deeply held assumptions about property, law, and power—and why storytelling and culture are key to this transformation.



Then we re-air a short clip from our March interview with Omar El Akkad, author of  One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. It’s an urgent and unflinching critique of the failures of mainstream liberalism — especially as seen from the genocide Israel is inflicting on Gaza.



Connect with WV:



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: David Bollier, Think Like a Commoner, commons movement, mutual aid networks, urban commons, degrowth, cooperative economies, Schumacher Center, cosmo-local production, community resilience, climate and commons, Gaza war and U.S. complicity, Gaza genocide, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This



You Might Also Like: Full Interview with Omar El Akkad, more WV interviews with David Bollier










David Bollier



David Bollier explains what it means to “think like a commoner”—to see the world not as a set of commodities but as a living system of relationships and shared stewardship. He explores the roots of commons thinking, from indigenous traditions to digital communities, and shows how commoning is emerging as a global response to neoliberal capitalism, ecological collapse, and authoritarian politics.



We talk about successful commons in cities like Barcelona, the rise of bioregional economies,

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.



Episode Summary



This week, Ross Benes joins us to talk about his book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. From Limp Bizkit and Jerry Springer to reality TV and pro wrestling, Benes reveals how the trashy entertainment of the late ’90s not only shaped pop culture but redefined politics, media, and technology.




“The trashy entertainment people scorn often ends up shaping our world in ways they don’t appreciate.” — Ross Benes




Then we re-air an excerpt from our April interview with Sophie Gilbert, author of Girl On Girl. She talks about how reality television, celebrity culture, and the rise of branding turned a generation of women against themselves—and what it means for gender and power today.




“Culture moves all the time. The pattern of progress and backlash is eternal, but that also means change is inevitable.” — Sophie Gilbert




Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Ross Benes, 1999, pop culture, low culture, reality TV, Sophie Gilbert, backlash to feminism, Girl On Girl,



You Might Also Like: Sophie Gilbert, GIRL ON GIRL










Segment 1: Ross Benes



We dive into the cultural revolution of the late ’90s with Ross Benes, author of 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times.



Benes explains how deregulation, technological disruption, and a youth-driven market elevated reality TV, pro wrestling, and pop ephemera from “trash” to dominant cultural forces—and why their influence still defines politics and media today.



Key Topics




* Why 1999 marked a tipping point for low culture becoming mainstream



* Media deregulation and the Telecommunications Act of 1996



* Limp Bizkit, Jerry Springer, and the rise of reality TV



* How pro wrestling’s “kayfabe” became a model for modern politics



* From Beanie Babies to NFTs: The roots of speculative mania



* Porn as a driver of internet innovation—and what that means for tech giants



* Lessons for understanding our chaotic media landscape today




Read an excerpt from 1999






Segment Two: Sophie Gilbert



Sophie Gilbert joins us to discuss how reality TV and tabloid culture branded femininity for the male gaze—and how those narratives set the stage for today’s backlash against women.



Key Topics




* Reality TV’s early promise and its transformation into spectacle

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform



Episode Summary



This week on Writer’s Voice, we explore New York from two perspectives: its dramatic colonial origins and its modern-day extremes.



First, historian Russell Shorto reveals the pivotal moment when Manhattan shifted from Dutch to English hands—and how that “merger” shaped the DNA of America—in his new book Taking Manhattan. He shares stories of the people who lived through this transition, including enslaved Africans, Native Lenape, and early advocates of religious toleration, showing how pluralism and capitalism were baked into New York from the start.




“The 1664 English takeover of Manhattan was an episode everybody knows about and nobody knows about.” — Russell Shorto




Then, novelist Chris Pavone takes us to a luxury building on the Upper West Side in The Doorman. It’s a propulsive tale of secrets, love, and survival, laced with biting social commentary on wealth inequality, performative progressivism, and the price of ambition.




“If you have a billion dollars and everyone you know has 50 billion, you’re unhappy.” — Chris Pavone




Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Russell Shorto, Taking Manhattan, New Amsterdam history, English takeover of Manhattan, Lenape history, slavery in New York, Chris Pavone, The Doorman,



You Might Also Like: Saving The New York Public Library, Looking at New York City, Before and After 9/11



[transcript will be available soon]










Segment 1: Russell Shorto



Russell Shorto brings to life the 1664 English takeover of Manhattan, a turning point that could have changed the course of history.



Through newly translated Dutch records, he reconstructs the tense standoff between Peter Stuyvesant and Richard Nichols—and the “merger” that created New York.



We discuss the Dutch influence on pluralism, early capitalism, slavery, and the role of the Lenape Nation in this history.



Key Topics:




* Why the English-Dutch handover was “an episode everybody knows about and nobody knows about”



* Native Lenape perspectives and the $24 “purchase” myth



* How Dutch policies of toleration and trade seeded America’s diversity and capitalism



* The role of the Dutch West India Company and the global slave trade

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform



Episode Summary



Today, a double episode on press freedom under siege.



Investigative journalist and author Will Potter joins us to talk about Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth, from Farm to Fable. It’s a powerful exposé of how the agriculture industry attacks journalism to hide the brutal reality of factory farming—and how far it goes to silence those who speak out.




“Environmental and animal rights movements are threatening not just because of what they do—but what they represent: empathy, solidarity, and a challenge to human exceptionalism.” — Will Potter




Then, we speak with Andy Lee Roth and Shaleigh Voitl of Project Censored about the group’s annual yearbook State of the Free Press 2025. We dive into the stories the corporate media ignored—from suppressing reporting on the climate catastrophe and on Gaza to nonprofit journalism in the crosshairs.




“In 2024, the U.S. ranked 55th in global press freedom. That’s a five-point drop.” — Shaleigh Voitl




Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Will Potter, Little Red Barns, ag-gag laws, factory farming, press freedom, Project Censored, State of the Free Press 2025, Andy Lee Roth, Shaleigh Voitl, Gaza protests, nonprofit journalism, white nationalism, animal rights, environmental activism, censorship laws,



You Might Also Like: Andy Lee Roth, STATE OF THE FREE PRESS 2024, Sy Montgomery, WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS














Segment 1: Will Potter on Little Red Barns



Will Potter explores the mythology of the “Little Red Barn” and how it shapes Americans’ understanding of food, farming, and identity. He reveals how this image is weaponized by agribusiness to reinforce consumer complacency while hiding systemic cruelty.



Potter outlines how “ag-gag” laws—designed to criminalize undercover footage and whistleblowing—have spread globally and set a dangerous precedent for corporate censorship. He also unpacks the disturbing links between factory farming, white nationalist rhetoric, and authoritarian crackdowns on protest.



Through firsthand experience and personal reflection, Potter makes the case that food justice and press freedom are fundamentally intertwined.



Key Topics:




* The myth of the family farm and cultural indoctrination

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform



Episode Summary



In this episode of Writer’s Voice, former FBI agent, scholar, and author Michael German discusses his explosive book Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within. German, who infiltrated white supremacist and right-wing militia groups during his FBI tenure, offers a chilling insider perspective on how racist ideology persists and thrives inside U.S. law enforcement.




“What January 6 revealed is how deeply embedded far-right sympathies are in federal policing institutions.” — Mike German




He explains how decades of systemic bias, failed policy, and outright sympathies with white nationalist agendas have shaped the institutions meant to protect democracy. From January 6 to Charlottesville, from FBI surveillance priorities to underreported hate crimes, German shows how government agencies have enabled far-right violence—and what must happen at the state and local levels to fight back.



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack.



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Michael German, Policing White Supremacy, FBI white supremacist infiltration, domestic terrorism, Charlottesville riot, Proud Boys, January 6, right-wing extremism, Brennan Center, far-right violence in America



You Might Also Like: Talking the Trumpocene with Jeff Sharlet, Our Eroding Democracy: Steven Levitsky, Ted Rall, Harmon Leon










Mike German



In Policing White Supremacy, Michael German shares insights from his undercover work in white supremacist and militia groups in the 1990s—and explains how little has changed. He details how federal agencies, especially the FBI, have long deprioritized white supremacist violence in favor of targeting environmentalists, anti-racist activists, and Black-led protests.



He also unpacks the structural failures that allow violent extremism to persist within police departments, including ineffective hate crime data collection, weak accountability mechanisms, and institutional resistance to reform. German argues that combating white supremacy inside law enforcement means more than increasing police budgets or surveillance powers—it requires bold structural overhaul, community accountability, and a commitment to the rule of law.



Key Topics




* Infiltration of white supremacists into U.S. law enforcement



* January 6 and the federal government’s failure to act



* Charlottesville as a model of law enforcement complicity



* FBI informant priorities and surveillance failures



* Hate crime underreporting and federal deference to local police

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform



Episode Summary



On this episode of Writer’s Voice, we speak with science journalist Lizzie Wade about her groundbreaking book Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures. Through stories of ancient climate collapse, pandemic upheavals, colonial conquests, and societal reorganization, Wade shows that the end of a world is often the beginning of something new.




“Bringing to an end a type of society that isn’t working for the new world that’s emerging is not necessarily a bad thing. That’s called adaptation.” — Lizzie Wade




From the Neanderthal “extinction” to the fall of ancient Egypt, from the Great Drowning of Indigenous Australian coastlines to the climate-driven rise of El Niño societies in Peru, Wade explores how disasters reshaped political systems and economies. Crucially, she argues that today’s climate, social, and technological apocalypses offer not just threats, but transformative possibilities.



Then we re-connect with former Writer’s Voice guest Betsy McCulley who I interviewed recently on the new podcast I host, Changehampton Presents. That episode is about native grasslands and why we should protect and restore them and we air a short excerpt on WV.



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Lizzie Wade, Apocalypse book, ancient disasters, rethinking apocalypse, end of the world, post-apocalyptic optimism, Changehampton, native grasslands



You Might Also Like: Betsy McCully, AT THE GLACIER’S EDGE










Segment 1: Lizzie Wade



Human societies have experienced numerous apocalypses. And each time, the survivors have emerged to build new societies, ones that work better for them.



We talk with science journalist Lizzie Wade about her groundbreaking book Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures. Through stories of ancient climate collapse, pandemic upheavals, colonial conquests, and societal reorganization, Wade shows that the end of a world is often the beginning of something new.Wade redefines the word “apocalypse”—not as doom, but as rapid, collective loss that sparks social transformation.



Drawing on archaeological case studies, she explains how past societies adapted to major upheavals, from sea level rise and plagues to the collapse of empires. Some became more equitable and resilient—others failed to recover.

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform



Episode Summary



On this episode of Writer’s Voice, two authors share stories of retreat and re-engagement in a world unraveling.



First, novelist Jess Walter talks about So Far Gone, a gripping, darkly funny, and deeply moving novel about Rhys Kinnick—a retired journalist who escapes to a cabin in the woods, only to find himself drawn back into the chaos of American life when his estranged daughter disappears and his grandkids show up at his doorstep.




“The first thought you have is: can I turn away? And I call this a thought experiment… what draws us back into the world?” — Jess Walter




Then, science journalist and memoirist Marguerite Holloway shares her journey in Take to the Trees, a personal exploration of forest ecology, climate grief, and finding courage through tree climbing. Her story blends memoir, science, and deep-rooted hope in the face of environmental loss.




“There was something about shifting my focus to the skills… and the community of women watching out for me—that overcame the fear.” — Marguerite Holloway




Together, these interviews ask: What do we do when the world feels too far gone? And what brings us back?Connect with WV:



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: Jess Walter, So Far Gone, Christian nationalism, literary thriller, retreat from society, conspiracy culture, Marguerite Holloway, Take to the Trees, forest ecology, tree climbing, women arborists, climate anxiety, dendrochronology, forest health, climate change and trees, Bear and Melissa Lavangie,



You Might Also Like: Jess Walter, THE COLD MILLIONS, Manjula Martin, THE LAST FIRE SEASON



And check out Francesca’s new podcast about creating a new land ethic, Changehampton Presents: Changing the World One Yard At A Time










Segment 1: Jess Walter



Jess Walter discusses his novel So Far Gone, which blends suspense, family drama, and social commentary. The book follows Rhys Kinnick, a man who checks out of society—only to be pulled back in by a family crisis and rising Christian nationalism. Walter reflects on fatherhood, political polarization, toxic masculinity, and the enduring power of love in dark times.



Key Topics




* Christian nationalism and militia movements



* Political polarization and conspiracy culture



* Fatherhood, estrangement, and family reconciliation