Working: Writing Bestsellers With Anderson Cooper

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4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2023

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, host June Thomas talks to Katherine Howe, a writer of both historical fiction and nonfiction books. In the interview, Katherine starts by discussing her upcoming novel A True Account, which tells a fictional story about the very real Golden Age of Piracy. Then she talks about her work collaborating with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on historical nonfiction books. Their latest is called Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune. After the interview, June and co-host Kristen Meinzer discuss the challenges of juggling multiple projects and the use of “storytelling habits.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Katherine shares some of her favorite works of historical fiction. She also explains her fascination with witches. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's interesting because he is a journalist and I'm a historian. For a historian, the truth
0:16.6	is what we can plausibly argue from what the archive tells us. In journalism, it has
0:22.7	to be much more narrow. Is it true or is it not? I discovered that we had a different
0:26.5	definition of true. Welcome back to working. I'm your host, Kristen Meinser. And I am your
0:34.1	other host, June Thomas. June, it is always a joy to be back on Mike with you. And I am especially
0:41.6	excited this week because you are sharing a conversation with us that is, frankly,
0:46.6	right up my alley. Tell us whose voice we heard at the top of the show. Well, that was Catherine
0:52.4	Howe. She's a novelist, a historian, and an incredibly productive writer.
0:58.0	Yes. And full disclosure, I just read Vanderbilt. That's Catherine Howe's book with Anderson
1:04.4	Cooper a few months ago. And I loved it. I am on the waiting list for their next book,
1:08.3	Aster, at the library now. Only four more months until that book comes in for me.
1:13.7	And I am just a huge fan of historical fiction in general. But June, why did you want to talk
1:21.1	with Catherine Howe? So there were a number of reasons. In a funny way, I associate this time of
1:26.6	year, which is a Sarah and Halloween, when the veil between the worlds is very thin with Catherine.
1:31.9	She's written a bunch of books about witches, including putting together the penguin book of
1:36.3	witches. So she's often in the media in late October. She also has a really big book right now,
1:43.5	which you mentioned, which she co-wrote with Anderson Cooper, Aster, which we talked about. And I'm
1:49.1	just fascinated by people who are incredibly productive. And she definitely fits that description.
1:55.5	Yeah. I am also blown away by all of that. I'm like, how does she have enough hours in the day?
2:00.8	Exactly. And June, I imagine you saved some questions for our sleep plus members. What can they
2:06.8	expect to hear? How well you know me, Kristen? Our sleep plus members will hear Catherine talk
2:12.2	about her favorite historical novelist. And also why she is so interested in witches and pirates,
	...

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