Why Authors Write features conversations with best-selling authors to discover what propelled them from inspiration to publication. Weekly episodes explore the powerful, emotional moments that shape the books we want to read.
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Our Hosts
Mary J. Cronin, Creator and Host
Brought to you by Mary J. Cronin, entrepreneur, author, creator, researcher, and podcast host. I have always been curious about what compels my favorite authors to dedicate years to writing exactly that book that I can’t stop reading. Now I get to ask them directly on Why Authors Write.
Kristie Dickinson, Co-Host
Kristie is an author, speaker, and musician / songwriter. She worked at Apple advising on product strategy and interface design, and now writes a Substack newsletter teaching creatives how to surprise and delight the world. Besides talking with authors on Why Authors Write, Kristie is hard at work on her debut book — a hybrid memoir / novel with lyrics.
Sara Stanton, Co-Host
Sara is a writer, literary agency assistant, Boston Authors Club Board Member, and, above all, a reader. She delights in the power of a good book and embraces how writing can be used to spark change. She’s especially interested in author voice and unique settings. On Why Authors Write, Sara is excited to learn what drives each author to create and to also help each listener find their new favorite read.
Recent Episodes
Looking Forward to…
Virginia Pye
Marriage and Other Monuments
In this episode of Why Authors Write, Mary Cronin talks with historical novelist Virginia Pye about why she likes to write about private lives and intimate relationships pressured by public upheaval and change. Virginia shares her secrets for completing complex storylines, and talks about how she transformed decades of publisher rejection into a series of bestselling books.
Ben Shattuck
The History of Sound
Author and screenwriter Ben Shattuck unpacks the intricate paired-story structure of The History of Sound, the surreal thrill of seeing his work on screen, and why “letting time pass is the greatest shortcut” for writers. How does it feel when the story you wrote a decade ago anchors your award-winning book and becomes an acclaimed feature film? In this episode of Why Authors Write, host Mary Cronin talks with author and now screenwriter Ben Shattuck about living that dream with The History of Sound.
Chloe Michelle Howarth
Heap Earth Upon It
Lori Gold
Kiss Marry Kill
Julie Dobrow
Love and Loss After Wounded Knee
Why did Julie Dobrow spend decades researching the tragic love story at the center of her dual biography, Love and Loss After Wounded Knee? In this episode of Why Authors Write, Julie reveals her obsession with the forgotten life of New England writer Elaine Goodale, who turned her back on fame as a teen poet, moved west, and married Lakota-born Charles Eastman right after the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. Dobrow acknowledges the challenge of understanding the dynamics of a failed interracial marriage that endured relentless public scrutiny, and what it cost Elaine to pour her talent into her husband’s literary legacy instead of her own.