Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Latest Episodes:

[Elizabeth Gonzalez James, what’s coming up]: Tending to your mental health during a stressful timeline (and NOT talking about aliens) Ep 1250 Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

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[Elizabeth Gonzalez James, inner stuff]: When you would rather do absolutely anything other than actually write Ep 1249 Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Elizabeth Gonzalez-James, screenwriter and bestselling author of the novels, “The Bullet Swallower” and “Mona at Sea,” as well as the chapbook, “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.” Elizabeth was featured on the MSNBC documentary, “My Generation,” representing the millennials. And she has taught fiction writing at Grub Street, Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, Story Studio and elsewhere.
In today's interview, we're diving into the mindset side of writing, dealing with resistance and doubts, the passage of time–all things that might make this episode sound like a bummer, but things we all face. So let's talk about how to work with them so that we can feel better about them.
We talked about:
- The many ways she avoids doing the actual writing
- The type of feedback that motivates her to get writing (sneak preview: it’s not the positive kind of feedback)
- Making the transition from debut author to “established writer”
- Acknowledging and working through her resistance to the act of writing
- Being a geriatric millennial
- How giving fewer Fs has eased her judgement of other people
- Unlearning the things she was taught as a kid from her immigrant dad about how you can never trust other people or ask for help
Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram @unefemmejames.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Crystal King: what’s next]: The Italian novel everyone should read + the power of weird mash-ups Ep 1247 Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with Crystal King, bestselling author of In the Garden of Monsters, Feast of Sorrow, The Chef's Secret, and the brand new The Happiness Collector. Crystal's writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language, and culture of Italy. So if you're ever looking to take a mental escape to another culture, a delicious one and a fascinating one at that, definitely check out her books.
Today we get a peek at what's currently inspiring Crystal and I'll ask her my fast final five questions about what she's been reading, watching, listening to, drinking and eating lately.
We cover:
- Her new novel, which combines Nathaniel Hawthorne and the punk scene in Rome in the early 80s
- The book by an Italian author she wants everyone to read
- The authors who inspire her
- Why her husband doesn’t read her books until they’re published
- Why she’s applying for Italian citizenship
- Her very specific vision of where she’s headed that involves being in a room with 5,000 copies of her book
- Two novels by other authors coming out this spring we should all be on the lookout for
- The Italian singer-songwriter and rapper whose social media posts make her happy
Visit Crystal at crystalking.com or on Substack @crystalking.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Elizabeth Gonzalez James, practical matters]: On getting encouragement to give writing a try from a random stranger Ep 1248 Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

This week's guest is Elizabeth Gonzales James, screenwriter and bestselling author of the novels, “The Bullet Swallower” and “Mona at Sea,” as well as the chapbook, “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.”
“The Bullet Swallower” is based on mostly true events from her own family lore, a magical realism Western that was named a best book of 2024 by NPR and Esquire.
“Mona at Sea,” is a darkly funny coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Great Recession that was inspired by her own experience of long-term unemployment.
And “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers” is the result of Elizabeth attempting to sit down and write a reported piece on how the actor Peter Sellers derailed the production of a 1960s movie, “Casino Royale.” That’s when the book spins into its own chaos as five different narrators share their point of view about what the original essay is really about.
We covered:
- How she went from MBA graduate prepping for a career in finance to an unemployed stay at home mom living in her in-law’s basement
- The one, unfleshed-out idea for a short story that set her on the writing path (with a nudge from the creator of The Perfect Push-up, a made for TV fitness product)
- How writing books is like dating
- A detailed accounting of the financials for each of her book–and how she knew “The Bullet Swallower” would be her “put-my-kids-through-college” book
- Making the jump from writing books to writing screenplays
- Why, sometimes, all the tips in the world can’t help you write more–and how to give yourself grace during those times
- Knowing when to push and be disciplined, and when to back off
- Her current productivity hack that involves handicrafts
Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram @unefemmejames.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Crystal King, inner stuff]: Falling in love with your story cures a lot of writing ills Ep 1246 Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Crystal King, author of the bestselling food-laden novels, “In the Garden of Monsters,” “The Chef’s Secret,” and “Feast of Sorrow.” Her newest novel, “The Happiness Collector,” is a contemporary fantasy novel about an American historian who lands a dream job in Rome--and may or may not be an unwitting pawn in battle of the gods.
In today’s interview we cover:
- How she comforts herself when impostor syndrome kicks in
- The inner critic narrative that’s unique to mystery writers (I hadn’t considered this one before)
- The uncanny experience of listening to the audiobook version of your book
- How a brush with breast cancer has changed her writing–and life–goals
- The gender norms she’s done with
- The tools she’s learned from reading the Stoics
Visit Crystal at crystalking.com or on Substack @crystalking.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Crystal King, practical matters]: The two ways to make it in publishing Ep 1245 Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

My guest this week is Crystal King, author of the novels “In the Garden of Monsters”--a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth–“Feast of Sorrow”--about an ancient Roman gourmand–”The Chef’s Secret”--about the pope’s private chef during the Renaissance--and the brand new “The Happiness Collector,” about a modern-day history professor who lands her dream job in Rome where it slowly becomes apparent that ancient forces are still very much in play.
Crystal is a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and former co-editor of the (now defunct) online literary arts journal Plum Ruby Review. She has taught writing, creativity and social media at UMass Boston, Boston University, Mass College of Art, Harvard Extension School, and Grub Street.
In today’s episode, we cover:
- Why she’s obsessed with Italy
- Her master’s degree in the coolest subject I never realized was an area of study: critical and creative thinking
- The master’s thesis she was sure could be a book (until agents told her, no actually, it can’t)
- How teaching writing led to her writing her first novel
- The two ways to make it in publishing (and the path she’s chosen)
- Her one regret in life
- How her day job in marketing, social media, and AI helps her as a writer
- A frank talk about the financial side of being an author
- The cool ways she comes up with ideas
- How she writes a book in six months, with a full-time day job
- Her plug for writing every day
Visit Crystal at crystalking.com or on Substack @crystalking.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Lucas Mann, inner stuff]: Getting around an inner critic devoted to making sure you sound smart + releasing the desire to blow people away with your genius Ep 1117 Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

In this second part of my conversation with Lucas Mann, author of Attachments, Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances and co-owner (with his wife, Ottavia) of the fabulous Riff Raff Bookstore and Bar in Providence, Rhode Island, we really got into the evolution of his thinking about what it means–and what it takes–to be a ‘successful’ writer, and what the even means.

Specifically, we talked about:

The hardest part of writing for Lucas–namely, discipline–and why writing an article feels so much harder than writing a book

How his inner critic is obsessed with making sure he sounds smart, and not like he’s just writing about feelings–and how it’s always wrong

How getting older has helped him be less precious about his writing

How being a competitive, jock-y kid fed into his writing path

How teaching creative writing (which he does at U. Mass Dartmouth) has changed since he was an MFA student at the University of Iowa

Releasing the idea that the only way to be good at something is to be maniacally devoted to it

Why he loves the Enneagram

Visit Lucas at www.lucasmann.com.

For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.

Thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).

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[Susannah Cahalan: What’s coming up]: Navigating the transitions–from project to project, and between research and writing Ep 1244 Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with Welcome back to part two of my interview with Susannah Cahalan, author of the books “Brain on Fire,” “The Great Pretender,” and most recently “The Acid Queen.” Susannah is also a mental health advocate, speaker, and founder of the Sob Sisters, a networking group for women who write nonfiction.
We covered:
- A peek at her next book, which is about belief, and how and why we come to believe what we do
- Shifting out of research mode and into writing mode–and when it makes the most sense to do so
- The ritual she used to help her leave her last project behind and embark on something new
- Her very groovy vision of the future that involves gardening, herbalism, and possibly becoming a different person altogether as she has a black thumb
- The 1970s horror movie she recently re-watched that stands the test of time
- The beauty of warm, frothy milk
- The Radiohead album she listens to while writing
- The time of day when she feels most excited
- A love letter to pasta that has been prepared by men
Visit Susannah on Instagram @susannahcahalan or at susannhacahalan.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Susannah Cahalan, inner stuff]: Dealing with “publication psychosis” and finding a topic you can fall in love with Ep 1243 Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Susannah Cahalan, bestselling author of the #1 New York Times-bestselling memoir “Brain on Fire,” and the books the “The Great Pretender,” and her most recent “The Acid Queen,” about the life and influence of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, a psychedelic pioneer who has best known in her lifetime as Timothy Leary’s wife but who has a story and legacy all her own.
In addition to her award-winning work as a journalist and author, Susannah’s advocacy work in brain disorders and mental health awareness has taken her around the world, speaking to universities and medical schools. It also earned the American Brain Foundation’s Ambassador Award in 2022.
This is a super juicy episode about managing your own expectations, focusing on the good, and putting your inner critic to good use.
We covered:
- How each of her books have been a wildly different experience in terms of reach and “success”--and how she’s processed how little of a book’s impact is under an author’s control
- Balancing your dreams for your book’s impact with the knowledge that most books don’t get the readership they deserve
- Trying to figure out what the heck to do about using social media to promote your work–on the one hand, it’s vital, on the other, it can suck your time and sap your sanity
- The tarot card reading that helped her get out of a “publication psychosis” spiral over her most recent book (link to him in the show notes on Substack)
- Working with those “who do you think you are?” thoughts–especially as a writer who tackles topics you’re not an expert in
- Using the inner critic as fuel to be really really careful (and hire your own fact checkers)
- Learning how to use ignorance as a strength
- How her process of deciding what to write about has changed now that she’s a couple decades in
- The value of figuring out what you *don’t* want to write about, even if you’re not sure what you do want to cover
- What it feels like to fall in love with your topic
Visit Susannah on Instagram @susannahcahalan or at susannhacahalan.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Susannah Cahalan, practical matters]: Inviting a little magic into your writing process Ep 1242 Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

My guest this week is journalist and author Susannah Cahalan. Susannah’s first book, "Brain on Fire," about her experiences with a very rare autoimmune disease that was misdiagnosed as mental illness, was a #1 NY Times bestseller, sold over a million copies, and was made into a Netflix original movie. Her second book, "The Great Pretender," was named a best book of 2020 by Time, The Guardian and The Sunday Times. And her newest book is "The Acid Queen," which tells the fascinating story of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, who is best known as the wife of LSD pioneer Timothy Leary, but who played a major role in bringing psychedelics into the mainstream.
NPR called Susannah "one of America's most courageous young journalists." She’s been profiled in the New York Times, featured as an answer on Jeopardy!, and appeared as a guest on The Today Show and Fresh Air, among many others.
What I loved most in this episode was hearing about how Susannah’s process has evolved from something that was very structured, even rigid, into something that’s way on the other end of the spectrum, that involves candles made by witches and doing what it takes to open up a “magical circle” where you can engage with the work on a deeper level.
We covered:
- The side effects of growing up in a house where the grown-ups read newspapers
- The gossip column she started for her high school paper
- Interning at The New York Post as a 17-year-old
- The rare autoimmune disease she experienced in her 20s that was initially misdiagnosed as mental illness, and the fascination with consciousness it fostered
- Adapting to the large amounts of time you spend alone as a writer
- Resisting the lure of spending too much time alone and in your head
- The mix of speaking, ghostwriting, and side projects that supplement the income she makes writing books
- Her biggest speaking fail
- Her transition from structured–even rigid–writing routines to something way more woo woo
- The steps she takes to open up a “magical circle” when it’s time to write
- The shop in New York City that she gets to create special candles for each project (I’m so in–check the show notes on Substack for a link)
- Why writing in the mornings and interviewing and editing in the afternoons works for her
Visit Susannah on Instagram @susannahcahalan or at susannhacahalan.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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