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Upstart Crow

Upstart Crow

By: Upstart Crow Podcast
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Dedicated to promoting books and culture through engaging and informative podcasts. Our mission is to inspire our listeners to explore the literary arts and appreciate the diversity of ideas within our amazing world. We invite a diverse range of writers, historians, and cultural influences to share their expertise. From established artists to up-and-coming creatives, our guests provide unique perspectives on writing, the literary arts, and culture. Hosted by Ken Budd, Jennifer Disano, and William Miller.Upstart Crow Podcast Art Literary History & Criticism Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Kathryn DeZur - Objects of Affection

    Kathryn DeZur - Objects of Affection
    Aug 11 2026
    Kathryn DeZur – Objects of AffectionThe things Kathryn DeZur focuses on—a doll, a quilt, bookshelves, a gun, an ashtray, a table, a finial—in this book of 15 essays are things that connect her to and shape her memories, which is to say that inform her sense of self, her history, her culture, the people around her. Hence, objects of affection.She is a daughter whose father was asked by her mother to leave the home before Kathryn was 1 and who did, leaving Kathryn to live in poverty with her alcoholic mother; and so, when Kathryn was 10, she had to pick out her mother’s burial clothes after the alcoholism took her mother’s life. She moved to live with her father, to a better life in some ways but he had two preoccupations, neither of which was Kathryn. Even in this carefully constructed sense of self, Kathryn shows, things and people can knock everything askew. Though even now she regards her father as that because he fulfilled the role, he wasn’t, it turns out, her biological dad.Before this book of personal essays, Kathryn published a poetry chapbook, Blue Ghosts, and she maintains samples of her photography at KDZ Photography on her website at kathryndezur.com.Individual essays by her have appeared in HerStry, Dorthy Parker’s Ashes, and The Nassau Review among other places. She lives and writes in the northern Catskill Mountains and she is a professor emerita in English at SUNY Delhi.Topics DiscussedThe relationship between objects, memory, and personal meaningHow memory shapes and reinforces our sense of identityThe ways memory can be reconstructed, incomplete, or unreliableGrowing up with an alcoholic parentKathryn's childhood in Oakland and her move to suburban San JoseChildhood experiences of loneliness, belonging, and people-pleasingHow art can provide distance and structure for processing difficult memoriesKathryn's mother's artistic life and influenceThe story behind the Easy-Bake OvenDiscovering that the man who raised Kathryn was not her biological fatherUsing DNA testing to uncover family historyDiscovering six half-siblings later in lifeThe ways genetics can manifest through mannerisms, speech, and behaviorThe significance of the essay "Nothing"The emotional meaning of home, safety, and permanenceBeing forced to leave a beloved home because of a threatening neighborKathryn's attempt to use minimalism and decluttering to regain a sense of controlWhy sentimental objects can carry profound emotional meaningThe story of Tammy, Kathryn's childhood dollThe connection between objects and feelings of belongingLetting go of possessions versus letting go of the pastFinding a second "Tammy" later in lifeSelf-forgiveness and the idea of self-abandonmentHow writing Objects of Affection became a form of reckoning with the pastKey TakeawaysMemory is creative. We don't simply retrieve memories; we reconstruct them, fill in gaps, and sometimes reshape them over time.Objects can become repositories of memory. A seemingly ordinary possession can carry layers of personal history, emotion, and meaning.Art can help us approach difficult experiences. The structure and distance created through writing and photography can make painful memories easier to examine.Belonging matters. Homes, objects, and relationships can become tangible representations of safety and permanence.Decluttering doesn't necessarily erase emotional history. Getting rid of objects doesn't mean getting rid of the memories attached to them.Identity isn't determined solely by biology. Kathryn's discovery about her biological father did not fundamentally change her understanding of who she was.Loss and replacement aren't the same thing. The second Tammy couldn't replace the childhood doll, but it could take on a new meaning.Self-forgiveness can be part of healing. Sometimes an object or experience can help us recognize where we've abandoned our own needs and begin to forgive ourselves.“Objects can serve as places of meaning and of memory and of experience and history.” - Kathryn DeZurFind out more about Kathryn and purchase Objects of Affection on her website.Follow Kathryn on Instagram. This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel.---Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodComBe sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.orgFollow us on Facebook here.Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio.© 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved---#UpstartCrow #KathrynDeZur #ObjectsOfAffection #Memoir #PersonalEssays #Memory #Identity #MemoirWriting #CreativeWriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #DNA #Minimalism #LiteraryArts #WatershedLitRadio
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    43 mins
  • Emil Wilson - The Nightingales

    Emil Wilson - The Nightingales
    Jul 28 2026

    Emil Wilson – The Nightingales.

    Based in San Francisco, Emil Wilson is an advertising art director and illustrator as well as a comic artist. His work has appeared in magazines and newspapers, on websites, the Oscars, even the Super Bowl. You’ve probably seen his work and not known it. The Nightingales is his first book, a graphic novel. He sets it in Oregon and the story he tells is semi-autobiographical. It’s the story of a family, a sick man, a charitable act by one family member and the repercussions that act has for the other members of the family.

    Set in 1985, the novel has strong relevance to today—the social phenomenon called othering, how people deal with issues, or don’t, the meaning of an offer of sanctuary.

    Emil talks with host William Miller about the themes of the novel, the seeds of the story, how he shaped it and the why’s behind his choices, and his work to illustrate it—spreads rather than panels, for example—that together resulted in the created artifice this novel is.

    Topics Discussed
    • The true family story that inspired The Nightingales
    • Why the novel is set during the AIDS epidemic of 1985
    • Compassion versus fear during times of crisis
    • Growing up in small-town Oregon
    • Family dynamics under extraordinary circumstances
    • The challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities during the early AIDS crisis
    • How volunteering with AIDS patients shaped Wilson's life
    • Creating a graphic novel that feels like memory instead of a comic book
    • Using sketchbooks and visual language to tell emotional stories
    • The lasting impact of kindness and empathy

    Key Takeaways
    • Small acts of compassion can have life-changing consequences.
    • Fear often grows from misunderstanding and lack of information.
    • Kindness sometimes comes with personal sacrifice but can transform everyone involved.
    • Graphic novels can tell emotionally rich literary stories equal to traditional novels.
    • Memory is imperfect, and visual storytelling can capture its emotional truth.
    • Understanding people unlike ourselves begins with empathy rather than judgment.
    • Family relationships are rarely simple, but compassion can bridge difficult divides.

    "Kindness is transformational. Whether you're the one receiving it or the one giving it, it can drastically change a life." — Emil Wilson

    This episode is perfect for:

    • Readers of literary fiction
    • Graphic novel enthusiasts
    • Fans of memoir and family stories
    • Writers and illustrators
    • History enthusiasts interested in the AIDS epidemic
    • LGBTQ+ history readers
    • Anyone interested in stories about compassion, resilience, and humanity

    Find out more about Emil through his website.

    Follow Emil on Instagram.

    Purchase your own copy of The Nightingales here.

    #TheNightingales #MLWilson #GraphicNovel #BookTube #AuthorInterview #LiteraryPodcast #UpstartCrow #WilliamMiller #BookDiscussion #HistoricalFiction #Memoir #VisualStorytelling #LGBTQHistory #AIDSCrisis #BookLovers

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    This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

    ---

    Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom

    Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org

    Follow us on Facebook here.

    Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio.

    © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved
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    55 mins
  • Lina Patton - The Lake Club

    Lina Patton - The Lake Club
    Jun 16 2026

    Lina Patton – The Lake Club

    A spirited read about the sort of people who spend summer days sitting poolside and playing golf, versus ambitious young adults starting their lives and wanting to right all the wrongs they know of even as they make their own mistakes. Competing goals among a troika of main characters, mysteries, wrongs to be set right—all within a tight-knit community in the land of 10,000 lakes.

    Lina Patton is a writer, illustrator, and teacher. She is a native of Maine who spent her teen years in Minnesota. She earned her BA from Elon University and her MFA from George Mason University. Her writing has appeared in Elle, The Cut, Narrative, and Driftwood Press, among other publications. She and her husband lived abroad for seven years and currently live in Washington, DC. The Lake Club is her first novel.

    Hosted by William Miller

    Key Takeaways and Highlights
    • Lina Patton discusses how her debut novel The Lake Club evolved from a single character's perspective into a layered story about class, power, ambition, and belonging.
    • The conversation explores the realities behind wealth and privilege in exclusive communities and how fiction can reveal hidden social dynamics.
    • Patton explains how mystery, romance, and character-driven storytelling work together to create narrative tension.
    • A fascinating discussion on writing craft, including lessons learned from acclaimed author and teacher Alan Cheuse at George Mason University.
    • The episode examines how character motivation drives plot and why understanding what characters truly want is essential to compelling fiction.
    • Patton shares how real-life experiences in Minnesota country clubs, advertising, and international living informed the novel's setting and characters.
    • Insights into the difference between literary and commercial fiction—and why great storytelling can successfully blend both.

    "Writing is an act of empathy. Reading is an act of empathy."

    "When you're young, you think if you just put the puzzle pieces into place, you'll become the version of yourself you want to be." - Lina Patton

    Find out more about Lina and purchase your own copy of The Lake Club on her website.

    #LinaPatton

    #TheLakeClub

    #AuthorInterview

    #BookPodcast

    #LiteraryFiction

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    This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

    ---

    Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom

    Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org

    Follow us on Facebook here.

    Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio.

    © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
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