• 8. Mid-Season Finale
    Jul 6 2026

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    Before the podcast goes on summer hiatus, Corey turns in a book and Sara is overwhelmed and recording at the co-working space with a respectfully low voice. Also: a new secret question.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • Goodbye from Nowhere by Sara
    • Making Pretty by Corey
    • The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - book.
    • Disclosure Day! It's a movie.
    • The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman. Another book!
    • First America with Rebecca Nagle / American Hysteria with Chelseas Weber-Smith - podcasts.
    • Couples Therapy - TV show!
    • Stevie Wonder (Songs in the Key of Life on repeat)


    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 7. Making Meaning, Trusting Timing
    Jun 22 2026

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    In this episode, a sudden death reminds Sara of the idea of vocation, we discuss if there's a perfect time to send a project to your agent (or trusted reader), and Corey goes to the theater.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • Warren Farha and Eighth Day Books in the NYT
    • Indian Princesses by Eliana Theologides Rodriguez
    • The Librarians
    • Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul
    • Partially Devoured by Daniel D. Kraus
    • The Comeback Season 3 (HBO)

    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    58 mins
  • 6. False Dichotomies for Simple Minds
    May 25 2026

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    In this episode: The joys of multiple POVs, Sara asks a secret question, and a robust current events section in which we fail to solve a centuries-old problem in literary discourse.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • The Recovering & Splinters by Leslie Jamison
    • Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
    • Klara & the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
    • One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
    • Widow's Bay & DTF St. Louis
    • Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
    • The Most Important Book of Every Year (part I)


    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • 5. A Reader Walks Into a Hair Salon...
    May 4 2026

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    Discussed in this episode: How the answer is in the work, Colson Whitehead, Lena Dunham, and summer camp. Also, we think we've successfully enabled Buzzsprout "fan mail," so if you ever have a response to our questions to the universe and listeners, click that to send us a message!

    Errata:

    • Sara says Altan when she meant Alyan
    • Not really an error but we talked quiiiite a bit about Famesick and edited some out, but if it's still too long use the Chapters feature to escape! First time doing chapters and I hope it is showing on your podcast app! If not, the Famesick discussion runs from 47:46 - 1:08:34.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • Shout Her Lovely Name by Natalie Serber
    • Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
    • Pluribus on Apple TV
    • I'll Tell You When I'm Home by Hala Alyan
    • The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson on Netflix
    • Famesick by Lena Dunham

    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • 4. Does "Feels Bad" = "Is Bad"?
    Apr 20 2026

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    Don't let the low energy intro fool you--in this one, we have so much to say. Along with our regular writing updates, we have reports from the field: Corey is our Threads correspondent, and Sara brings us the AI discourse. This was recorded several weeks before publishing, when all this was fresh out of the oven! Also: Corey asks her first Secret Question.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • The Outrun (Netflix)
    • A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst
    • Man on the Run (McCartney/Prime)
    • Heart the Lover by Lily King



    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • 3. In Which Corey Sells a Book, or, Story of an Agent
    Apr 6 2026

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    We go on the journey of how Corey's newest novel, Mothers and Other Strangers, came to be. Also: how and if we share work in progress, and Sara's Song Sung Blue crisis.

    Approximate chapters:

    0:00 - 29:00: Intro and still writing check-in

    29:00 - 45:00: The tale of Corey selling her adult debut and why your agent matters so much. Plus bonus weird instrumental transition!

    45:00 - end: Margin Notes

    Some of those Margin Notes:

    Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (HBO)

    Forever, or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter

    Little One by Olivia Muenter

    Focus: Adults in the Room (Slate)

    Anastasia Krupnik series, Lois Lowry

    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 2. The First Secret Question
    Mar 23 2026

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    We talk about if, how, and what we're still writing, and the inaugural Secret Question is asked. Also, once again we don't stick the landing.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • Being Gordon Ramsay on Netflix
    • The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya
    • Linkater's Blue Moon
    • Welcome to the Moon and Other Plays by John Patrick Shanley
    • All the President's Men as read by Richard Poe
    • Hate Radio, Milo Lau

    Pre-order Corey's new book, Mothers and Other Strangers

    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 1. The Pilot
    Mar 9 2026

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    We record our very first full episode and are bad at ending it! Topics covered: What we've been doing the last 20 years, and what we'll be doing the next 2 weeks.

    Some Margin Notes:

    • Safekeeping: Some True Stories From a Life by Abigail Thomas
    • Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Netflix)
    • I Love L.A. (HBO)
    • Secret Mall Apartment (Netflix)

    Pre-order Corey's new book, Mothers and Other Strangers

    More about Sara Zarr

    More about Corey Ann Haydu

    Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!

    Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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    1 hr