Episode 112 Notes and Links to James Tate Hill’s Work
On Episode 112 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes James Tate Hill, and the two discuss much of his childhood, formative years, and postgraduate years as dealt with in his memoir, as well as literary and pop culture icons and tropes around blindness. The two also discuss the advent of his vision loss, ideas of the meaning of nomenclature around vision loss, James’ journey as a writer, and James’ eventual embrace of himself and his vision loss.
James Tate Hill is the author of a memoir, Blind Man’s Bluff, released August 3, 2021 from W. W. Norton. His fiction debut, Academy Gothic, won the Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel. His essays were Notable in the 2019 and 2020 editions of Best American Essays. He serves as fiction editor for Monkeybicycle and contributing editor for Literary Hub, where he writes a monthly audiobooks column. Born in Charleston, WV, he lives in North Carolina with his wife.
James Tate Hill's Website
Buy James’ Books
"Pseudonym: On vision loss and hiding in plain sight from my high school classmates": From Salon Magazine, 2021
Tommy Tomlinson’s Review of Blind Man’s Bluff in The New York Times
At about 2:00, James talks about his childhood in Charlestown, WV, and surrounding areas
At about 3:30, James talks about his pop culture interests in his childhood
At about 4:40, Pete wonders about James’ early reading and
At about 7:30, James describes the process of losing his vision during his year of high school
At about 9:20, James responds to Pete’s question about the before and after memories of his lessened vision
At about 11:05, Pete compliments James for his writing ability that brings sympathy (empathy?); James references a few books, like Planet of the Blind by Stephen Kuusisto; There Plant Eyes by Leona Godin, that have dealt with issues of blindness in standout ways
At about 14:45, James points to Leona Godin’s analysis of “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver and how he views the story in more recent times; James also points out a poem from Godin’s work that twists the simplistic narrative of Carver’s story
At about 17:10, Pete quotes a turning point in James’ admissions that was featured in the book, and James underlines its importance
At about 18:20-20:45, James responds to Pete’s question about nomenclature with regards to James’ vision
At about 20:55, Pete references Dwight Garner’s complimentary review of Blind Man’s Bluff in The New York Times, especially with regard to James’ likeability
At about 21:20, Pete and James and talk about the book as a “coming-of-age tale,” including with regard to developing technologies
At about 28:25, Pete and James talk about the book’s epigraph, using a quote from Michael Chabon’s Wonder Boys, and James shouts out Curtis Armstrong’s stellar audiobook narrating
At about 32:50, Pete asks James about the process of writing a memoir and being so open and writing about real people
At about 35:45, Pete cites the Prologue and its echoing last line, and James talks about meanings associated with the line
At about 37:25, Pete highlights the book’s narrative structure and asks James about a few chapters written in second person; House of Prayer No. 2 by Mark Richard is cited by James as inspiration
At about 43:25, Pete and James talk about Ben Affleck comparisons
At about 46:05, the two home in on Chapter 10’s uniqueness and Chapter Three, which was featured in a slightly different form in LitHub as a discussion starter regarding audiobooks
At about 49:25, the two discuss the power of writing being read aloud
At about 52:30, Pete references the book’s stellar writing about common and everyday occurrences from the book, and James talks about “possibility of choices” and internal and external forces affecting James asking for help
At about 57:10, James talks about the importance when his work was praised and read aloud by Irene McKinney
At about 59:35, Pete highlights the anecdote from the book where James missed his first class meeting, and James details the experience
At about 1:03:00, James responds to Pete’s questions about James asking for help, and James expounds on ideas of independence
At about 1:07:00, James reflects on a telling scene from the book involving his mother
At about 1:09:30, the last chapters with some triumphs are discussed, as plot spoilers are (mostly!) avoided as James talks about deciding to write the book
At about 1:13:00, James describes some parallel stories that are featured at the end of the book, particularly a Dustin Hoffman/Tom Cruise scene from Rainman
At about 1:17:50, Pete highlights the ease of the ending, and the two talk about their shared love of hoops
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The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
Please tune in for Episode 113 with Nicole Santa Cruz, a former Los Angeles Times staff writer and lead reporter for the Homicide Report. She now works as a @ProPublica reporter, writing about underserved communities and inequality in the Southwest. The episode will air March 18.
This episode is the fourth of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:
Episode 234 with Sasha Vasilyuk, Author of Your Presence is Mandatory, and Master Chronicler of Fiction that Parallels and Expands Upon Real-Life Secrecy, Grief, Trauma, and Shared Humanity
Episode 233 with Jazmina Barrera Velázquez, Author of Cross-Stitch/Punto de Cruz, and Wise Chronicler of the Vagaries of Friendship and History and their Effects on the World
Episode 232 with Kate Brody, Author of Rabbit Hole and Master of Writing Intriguing and Flawed Characters and Crackling Plotlines
Episode 231-April 13, 2024 Live Event to Launch Jose Vadi's Chipped, a reflective, creative, subtly brilliant essay collection
Episode 230 with Chelsea T. Hicks, Author of the Story Collection, A Calm & Normal Heart, Revitalizer and Student of the Osage Language, and Crafter of Poetic, Timely, and Timeless Stories
Episode 229 with Will Sommer, Author of Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Reshaped America, and Keen and Thorough Chronicler of the QAnon Movement Through The Washington Post
Episode 228 with Jennifer Croft, Author of The Extinction of Irena Rey and Award-Winning Translator, and Master of Worldbuilding, Highly-Allegorical Yet Masterfully-Plotted Fiction, and Nuance
Episode 227 with Gina Chung, Author of Green Frog, a Dazzling Collection of Poignant, Offbeat, Chillingly-Realistic and Fantastical Stories
Episode 226 with Priscilla Gilman, Author of The Critic's Daughter and Skilled and Thoughtful Chronicler of the Universal and the Intimately Personal
Episode 225 with Andrés N Ordorica, Author of How We Named the Stars and Generous Creator of Poignant, Resonant "Love and Loss" Scenes and Utterly Memorable Characters
Episode 224 with Peter Coviello, Enthusiastic and Deeply Knowledgeable Critic and Celebrator of Moving Art, and Author of the Essay Collection, Is There God After Prince
Episode 223 with Sarah Rose Etter, Master Balancer of Surrealism, Realism, Dark Humor, and Themes of Grief and Anxiety that are Timely and Timeless
Episode 222 with Andrew Leland, Author of The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, and Masterful Chronicler of His and Other Journeys with Blindness and its Intersections with our World
Episode 221 with Martha Anne Toll, Renaissance Woman, Book Reviewer, Creative, and Award-Winning Writer of the Moving, Contemplative Three Muses
Episode 220 with Aniefiok Epoudom: Keen Chronicler of Hip-Hop, Football Culture and Pop Culture in the UK, and Savvy and Nuanced Master of Telling Personal Stories; Author of
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