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 71 with Music and Book Reviewer Extraordinaire and Author of the Dynamic, Educational, and Deeply-Researched Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded
Episode 70 with The "Master Craftsman with Astonishing Depth," and "Writer of the World," John Domini, the Author of 2021's The Archeology of a Good Ragù
Episode 69 with Observant Veteran Sportswriter Based in Tokyo and Author of the Well-Researched and Engrossing Going 15 Rounds with Jerry Izenberg, Ed Odeven
Episode 68 with The Hilarious, Profound, and Talented Writer of the Standout Debut Short Story Collection, Give My Love to the Savages, Chris Stuck
Episode 67 with Keen Observer, Fearless Fighter for Justice, and Food and Culture Writer, Esther Tseng
Episode 66 with Deep-Thinker, Aesthete, and Passionate Poet and Podcaster, Gabrielle Bates
Episode 65, with Natalie Lima, Master Essayist and Chronicler of the Universal and the Personal
Episode 64 with Director, Producer, Writer and Passionate, Award-Winning Storyteller for ESPN's 30 for 30 and E60, Martin Khodabakhshian
Episode 63 with Detail-Oriented, Master Storyteller about Sports and Beyond, and Author of Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, Eric Nusbaum
Episode 62 with Poet, Activist, Actor and Powerful Performer, Donté Clark, Inspiration for Romeo is Bleeding
Episode 61 with Humor Writer for The Onion, Mad Magazine, and More: Funnyman, Dave Croatto
Episode 60 with the Immensely Cerebral and Passionate Poet Andrew Liu, Creator of California Metaphysics
Episode 59 with The Standout Crime Fiction Writer and Creator of Countless Compelling Characters, Tod Goldberg
Episode 58 with The Talented Writer and Comic Genius (and also WWE's Dr. Shelby!) Mike Aspinwall
Episode 57, with the Brilliant, Reflective, and Thoughtful Writer and Craftswoman of White Dancing Elephants: Chaya Bhuvaneswar
Episode 56 with Tireless Journalist, Raconteur, Voracious Reader, and Man of California and Orange County, Gustavo Arellano
Episode 55 with Scott Ellsworth, Writer of Moving, Impeccably-Researched Historical Novels like The Secret Game, Death in a Promised Land, and May 18th's The Ground Breaking
Episode 54 with the Thorough, Reflective, Intrepid, Wellspring of Knowledge, Journalist and Author Ioan Grillo
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