Show Notes and Links to Christian Kiefer's Work
On Episode 28, Part I, Pete is thrilled to speak with Christian Kiefer, master author of among other masterpieces, Phantoms, a 2019 tour de force novel. Pete and Christian discuss Christian's childhood in Auburn, CA, his writing background, great writers who were also jerks and sometimes horrible men, the bustling and exciting literary scene of 2020, Christian's research into the disgusting racism and xenophobia that frames Phantoms, and much more.
Dr. Christian Kiefer grew up in the foothills of California (Auburn).
Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Christian Kiefer's Author Page
Interview with Four Way Review
Dr. Christian Kiefer's Homepage for Ashland
Twitter and IG: @xiankiefer-Twitter and IG
Christian speaks about growing up in Auburn, CA, and how the area has influenced him as a person and as a writer-at about 3:00
Christian talks about small towns like Auburn and Newcastle and their transformation into “driveby towns”-at about 10:00
Christian talks about the formerly-thriving Chinatown/Japantown in Newcastle and about our society’s collective ineptitude at commemorating and learning from historical failures-at about 11:15
Christian talks about his origins as a reader and a writer, and those writers and familial figures who inspired him as a kid and adolescent-at about 14:00
The importance of William Faulkner’s writing in Christian’s life-at about 15:10
Christian shouts out two formative teachers of his, Michael Madden and Michael Duda-at about 15:50
Christian discusses his view of “Clarity of expression” and its lower end priority for him-at about 16:45
Christian discusses his friend Ben Percy, who writes Wolverine for Marvel Comics, and how he wants the reader to “lean forward” into the reading, while Christian wants the reader to “lean back”-at about 17:25
Christian discusses Thomas Wolfe and how “he brings the entire world” into the text-at about 18:25
Pete talks about Old Man and the Sea and its importance in his life as a “lean back book” that stimulates great memories, and how Christian’s Phantoms is a book that will now occupy that same space-at about 19:00
Christian and Pete discuss some strategies of Christian’s writing-the use of “and,” for example, and Christian’s desire to write compound sentences well, as Hemingway did-at about 20:20
Christian teaches a master class on the strategies of using coordinating and subordinating phrases in writing-at about 20:40
Pete cites an example of Christian’s above explanation on pg. 186 of Phantoms-at around 23:45
Christian discusses the reckoning with racism and misogyny in the “classic” and modern literary worlds-at around 24:45
Christian discusses the modern literary “renaissance,” with its incredible diversity and talent-at around 26:50
Christian discusses his admiration for C. Pam Zhang and her incredible 2020 novel, How Much of These Hills is Gold-at around 27:20
Pete and Christian talk about the great Tobias Wolff, a huge inspiration, the inspiration for the podcast, leading to a discussion of writers as “celebrities,” as seen in Wolff’s Old School-at about 28:50
Christian talks about the brilliant Rebecca Solnit-at around 31:55
Christian and Pete discuss some reprehensible characters, who happened to be great artists/innovators, like John Muir -how do we reckon with the art AND the artist?-at around 33:00
Christian summarizes Phantoms-at around 37:35
Christian discusses the impetus and inspiration for writing the book, including the research needed and the America and Placer County racist policies that led to a huge decrease in Japanese and Asian-Americans in the county-at around 40:00
Christian discusses his need to be precise on linguistic and cultural frameworks for novel and needing to have prospective blurb authors (Luis Alberto Urrea, Jesmyn Ward, Kirstin Chen, Claire Vaye Watkins) give him their green light-at around 43:00
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Episode 151 with Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, National Book Award Nominee for Poetry for Look at This Blue and Renaissance Woman
Episode 150 with Elizabeth Williamson, The Reflective, Dogged, Balanced, and Well-Researched Journalist for The New York Times and Author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth
Episode 149 with Erika T. Wurth: Author of White Horse and Expert Student of, Teacher of, and Practitioner of Horror, Suspense, Psychological Thrillers, and More
Episode 148 with Chen Chen, Writer of Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency and Brilliant Thinker, Craftsman, and Highly-Awarded and Esteemed Poet and Educator
Episode 147 with Jonathan Escoffery, Master Builder of Suspense, Empathy, Aversion, and Keen Chronicler of Survival, Identity, and More in The Masterful Collection, If I Survive You
Episode 146 with Sandy Ho, Discussing the Work and New Book (Year of the Tiger) of Alice Wong, Partner in Meaningful and Change-Inducing Work in Disability Circles and Beyond
Episode 145 with Vanessa A. Bee, Reflective, Creative, and Multitalented Writer of Home Bound: An Uprooted Daughter’s Reflections on Belonging
Episode 144 with Gustavo Barahona-López, Master Crafter and Chronicler of Grief, Masculinity, and Beauty in his Poetry Collection, Loss and Other Rivers that Devour
Episode 143 with Neema Avashia, Dedicated Educator, Mentor and Chronicler of Moving, Heartbreaking, and Reflective Stories in Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place
Episode 142 with Sadie Shorr-Parks, Lifelong Poet and Creator, Aesthete, and Educator, as Well as Author of the Wonderful Collection, Honey Month
Episode 141 with Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Brilliant Storyteller and Master of the Ethereal and the Concrete, and Author of the Stunning The Man Who Could Move Clouds
Episode 140 with Oscar Hokeah, Author of Calling for a Blanket Dance and Storyteller of the Old Made New, Subtle Master of Dialogue and Realism, and Builder of Unforgettable Characters
Episode 139 with Felicia Taylor E., Renaissance Woman, Creator, Storymaker, Raconteur, Poet, and Writer of Southern Spiced: A Brown Girl’s Tale
Episode 138 with Dr. Miguel Valerio, Brilliant Researcher and Student of Language, Philosophy, History, and author of Sovereign Joy: Afro-Mexican Kings and Queens, 1539-1640
Episode 137 with Vanessa Angélica Villarreal: Gifted Wordsmith, Crafter of Unique and Beautiful Language, and Creator of a Stunning and Memorable Visceral Experience through her Beast Meridian
Episode 136 with Rachel Yoder, Witty, Prescient, and Skillfully-Creative Author of Nightbitch
Episode 135 with Briana Muñoz, An Activist, Dancer, and Poet of Healing, Challenging, Beautiful Words and Author of Loose Lips and Todo Vuelve a la Tierra/Everything Returns to the Soil
Episode 134 with Kirstin Chen: New York Times Bestselling Author of Three Novels, Including the Topical, yet Timeless and Universal Counterfeit, a Reese’s Book Club June 2022 Pick
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