Episode 89: The One where Morgan Read a Dude

Kids learn social media fails by watching their parents. Forget readers — how do you raise writers? The agony and the ecstasy of summer reading. Is sex the secret to getting boys to read? What you need to read in order to be a better writer. Plus: the collector mentality.

Links:

• Parents’ social media habits are teaching children the wrong lessons - The Washington Post
• Dad recreates daughter's selfies | Daily Mail Online
• What Parents Can Do to Nurture Good Writers - The New York Times
• Want Teenage Boys to Read? Easy. Give Them Books About Sex. - The New York Times
• The Perils of Comic Book Collecting
• ‘Summer of Hell’ at Penn Station kicks off this week | New York Post
• Barry is Reading: Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
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Episode 88: The One where It’s All about One Thing, Really

Yes, we discuss YA Twitter “callout culture” with regard to The Black Witch and that Vulture article. And then a brief parenting moment and some fun books to read as the world burns.

Links:

• The Black Witch: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Black Witch Chronicles)
• gone: Review: The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
• The Toxic Drama on YA Twitter
• Google manifesto spotlights hot-button issue of gender diversity
• Amazon.com: The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles) (9780373212316): Laurie Forest: Books
• The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1) by Laurie Forest — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists
• How hyped new author Scott Bergstrom infuriated the YA literature community | The Daily Dot
• Roxane Gay’s Tweet
• ‘I Didn’t Love My Daughter For the First Year Of Her Life’​ | Men’s Health
• Morgan Recommends: The Regulars by Georgia Clark | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Barry Recommends: Legendtopia: The Battle for Urth by Lee Bacon | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
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Episode 87: The One with Poopy in the Potty

We swear this isn’t turning into a TV review podcast, but…we just have to spend some time on Younger and Friends from College. Is it OK for men to use female pseudonyms? What do you say to someone who is afraid to have kids? The economics of cookbooks. Plus: You knew it was coming: Potty training.

Links:

• Younger | TVLAND.com
• Friends from College - Wikipedia
• Episode 3 · Friends From College · TV Review Friends From College takes on YA for some reason · TV Club · The A.V. Club
• Men Are Apparently Adopting Ambiguous Pen Names to Sell Psychological Thrillers to Women 
• The History of Nancy Drew
• White Writer Makes "Best Poetry" — With An Asian Pen Name
• The Hidden Risks of Writing a Cookbook
• Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Clowacki | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks
• Ask Polly: I’m Terrified of Having Kids! 
• Barry Recommends: Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr. | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• We discuss The Seduction of Water: Writing in Real Life — Episode 24: The One with Spoilers for The Princess Bride
• Morgan Recommends: The Trespasser by Tana French | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
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Episode 86: The One with Two Rants

Barry is annoyed by Instagram without even being on it. And Barry is ready to lose it over Netflix…again. Morgan remains calm. Does financial success kill artistic risk? The new/old phenomenon of writers seeking patronage. Plus: Email from a new listener!

Links:

• Barry's July ACLU fundraiser
• The squatter on Instagram
• Barry is the only Barry Lyga in the country
• Netflix to trial technology that hands control to viewers | Daily Mail Online
• Writing in Real Life — Episode 15: The One where Leia Flirts
• Longform Podcast #249: John Grisham
• Inside the Actors Studio | Bravo TV Official Site
• Pivot Questionnaire -aka Inside the Actor's Studio (wowzone.com)
• Terry Trueman
• The Bachman Books by Stephen King
• Tobias Buckell on Patreon
• Curtis Sittenfeld asks for title help on Facebook
• Neil Gaiman on George R.R. Martin
• It’s Amazing That The Old Record Industry Existed In The First Place
• Litsy (app)
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Episode 85: The One where Barry is Aware that It’s the Wrong Flash

Barry is writing The Flash. ‘Nuff said! BookExpo and how it feels to be among the Book People. Barry and Morgan have a secret. The return of the million bad words and the madness of colored index cards. How do you raise a feminist son? (Spoiler alert: Books are involved.)

Links:

• The Flash, Supergirl to get middle grade novels
• The Flash: Hocus Pocus preorder | Amazon
• Flashpoint (event) | Arrowverse Wiki
• LB School: Barry Lyga | Little Brown Library | Resources for Teachers & Librarians
• The #1 book and author event - BookExpo 2017
• SEPH LAWLESS  | OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
• Marieke Nijkamp, YA author
• Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip
• Where Storytelling and Pop Culture Collide - BookCon 2017
• Alan Alda - Wikipedia
• The New York Times: John Grisham’s Do’s and Don’ts for Writing Popular Fiction
• 'Feminism is the Radical Notion That Women Are People' Shirt
• The New York Times: How to Raise a Feminist Son
• The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts | Amazon | BN.com | Indiebound
• Danny Dunn series by Jay Williams
• Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine - Wikipedia
• Gramophone record - Wikipedia
• Morgan Recommends: Leave Me by Gayle Forman | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 84: The One where It Is Happening Again

Barry and Morgan talk about Twin Peaks. A lot. Especially since it just might explain EVERYTHING about Barry’s writing. Do readers today demand more closure in books, and if so, why? Plus: How cool superheroes are and why geekdom should be for everyone, regardless of race, sex, or planet of origin.

Links:

• Why Is ‘Twin Peaks’ So Influential? - The Atlantic
• Twin Peaks - Official Series Site | SHOWTIME
• The West Wing Episode Guide
• "Endings to be useful must be inconclusive." - Samuel R. Delaney
• The Leftovers | The Official Website for the HBO Series
• Mad Men - Wikipedia
• MARK FROST - novelist, television/film writer, director, Producer
• The Millions : Dragons Are for White Kids with Money: On the Friction of Geekdom and Race - The Millions
• Durlans | DC Database
• Pre-Crisis | DC Database
• Adventures of Superman Vol 1 507: The comic where Superman doesn’t drop the n-bomb
• Superman decries racism
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 83: The One with a Time-Out

Celebrating Mothers Day — good idea or selling out? Has the time come for time-outs? How parenting is like being Batman. (Guess which one of us came up with that.) The scourge of “idea debt” for writers, and how to break out of it. Plus: Barry has a book on the list of the 50 Best YA Novels of all time!

Links:

• The Inventor of Mother's Day Disowned the Holiday, and So Should We All - The Atlantic
• "You know, like Caine in Kung Fu"
• Janet Lansbury
• Time's Up for 'Timeout' - The Atlantic
• Americans’ Opinions On Spanking Vary By Party, Race, Region And Religion | FiveThirtyEight
• Imagining your future projects is holding you back.
• Scriptnotes, 296: Television with Damon Lindelof
• Amulet (comics) - Wikipedia
• The Leftovers (TV Series 2014– ) - IMDb
• Boy Toy on Booklist's 50 Best YA Books of All Time
• BooklistYA on Twitter
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 82: The One where Morgan Isn’t Pregnant Anymore

We’re back! The tale of the birth of their superhuman son. The mantras that got them through the early months of Luke’s life. Morgan starts a new project that isn’t a baby. Barry’s tour for BANG and its aftermath.

Links:

• The Good Sleeper by Janet Krone Kennedy | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks
• The New Science of Siblings - TIME
• New Y.A. Novels Tackle Crime and Its Consequences (The New York Times reviews Bang)
• 'Bang' by Barry Lyga: EW Review
• Barry’s favorite movie: White Hunter, Black Heart
• Barry’s Facebook page with videos from tour
• Clips app
• "The Book That Will Kill Me"
• Morgan is Reading: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Morgan Recommends: The X-Files Origins: Devil's Advocate by Jonathan Maberry | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Morgan Recommends: The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos by Kami Garcia | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Barry Has Read: Slider by Pete Hautman | Amazon preorder
• Barry Has Also Read: Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart | Amazon preorder | BN.com preorder | iBooks preorder
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 81: The One where Morgan’s Still Pregnant

A shout-out for Barry??? Moms being attached to newborns and the dads who have nothing to do. The meaning of #FUSS! Barry fundraises for the ACLU. Keeping a diary…or not. Does losing hurt more than winning feels good?

Links:

• How publishing houses weigh a decision like giving Milo Yiannopoulos a book deal.
• The whole Leslie Jones Twitter feud, explained | Lifestyle News for College Students | USA TODAY College
• Turns out Milo plagiarized a lot of his "poetry" from Tori Amos. Defends himself by comparing it to T.S. Eliot using literary references. : GamerGhazi
• Reps say phone calls prompted ethics reversal.
• Barry’s fundraiser for the ACLU
• Morgan Has Read: Superficial by Andy Cohen | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Barry Has Read: Skin Deep by Timothy Hallinan | Amazon | BN.com
• Mitt Romney's Top Aide On The White House Run by Candidate Confessional
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 80: The One Right Before the Holidays

First toddler holiday season. What do you get for the kid who has everything? #firstworldproblems Morgan still hasn’t given birth. What exactly do babies remember and for how long? Morgan can’t distinguish between herself and her twin. A discussion of YA’s obsession with teen romance.

Links:

• Girls Write Now
• Traces of Time Lost - The Atlantic
• On Normalizing Teen Singlehood in YA
• Song without Words by Ann Packer | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• 36 Reasons How I Met Your Mother's Marshall and Lily Have the Greatest Relationship Ever | Glamour
• We discuss young debut authors vs. older debut authors in Episode 74: The One Not Sponsored by Sesame Street
• 35over35.com
• Barry's Opus: The Book That Will Kill Me
• Barry is Reading: Crashed by Timothy Hallinan | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 79: The One in the Deeply Uncomfortable Phase of Pregnancy

Follow-up on ebooks: Are sales REALLY down? Errors in published books. Also, follow-up on writers taking breaks. Morgan discovers that she likes writing. Did the election kill reading? Morgan’s theory of needing other parents. Plus: Isn’t there a better term for graphic novels?

Links:

• ISBN
• Joanna Penn on drop in ebook sales:
  • http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/07/25/author-voice/ (Specifically 19:00 to 21:35)
  • http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/06/06/facebook-advertising-mark-dawson/ (3:45 to 6:20)
  • http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/06/03/breakdown-book-sales/
• Taking a Break — Barry Lyga Dot Com
• Barnes & Noble Says People Stopped Reading Books Because Of The Election - BuzzFeed News
• Weekend Box Office: Trump Bump? 'Arrival,' Others Get Post-Election Boost | Hollywood Reporter
• Barry Recommends: Seekers into the Mystery Vol. 1 by J. M. DeMatteis et al | Amazon
• Barry Also Recommends: Seekers into the Mystery omnibus (preorder links) | Amazon | BN.com
• A Contract with God by Will Eisner | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• New comics laureate Charlie Adlard declares war on 'the graphic novel' | Books | The Guardian
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 78: The One where Morgan Struggles

Books can keep you sane. What does the election mean for fiction, particularly YA? Maybe ebooks aren’t the big deal everyone thought they were. When is it permissible to slack off on your writing? Thanksgiving advice for non-Americans. Splitting focus between your kids. Clingy post-nap toddlers.

Links:

• Adult Books Sales Fell in First Half of 2016
• Amazon vs. Hachette
• Luke Cage
• Sweet Christmas!
• Lath and plaster
• Magda Gerber and the Creative Child | Janet Lansbury
• Barry is Reading: The Indestructibles by Matthew Phillion | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks
• Another Anime Con
• Morgan Recommends: Commonwealth by Anne Patchett | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Morgan Also Recommends: Today Will be Different by Maria Semple | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 77: The One after Trump Wins

A necessary discussion of the distinction between a political podcast and an apolitical podcast. Parenting in the age of Trump. The web reveals which writers Barry writes like. Why is platform-shaming a thing?

Links:

• A kid asks for Jazz to save us on Twitter
• Barry’s blog about the election
• After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga with Peter Facinelli & Robert DeFranco | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks
• Facebook, in Cross Hairs After Election, Is Said to Question Its Influence - The New York Times
• Bitch Sesh: A Real Housewives Breakdown podcast on Earwolf
• Who Do You Write Like?
• Is Social Media Toxic to Writing?
• The teenage brain on social media | UCLA
• Morgan Recommends: American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Barry Recommends: 1984 by George Orwell | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 76: The One with Veggie Burgers

Morgan is, like, the next Arthur Conan Doyle. What do authors wish they’d known when they first started their careers? The difference between institutional and commercial sales…and success. Letting your kids get bored can be good for them. The AAP revises its screen recommendations. (Whew!)

Links:

• The Beast Burger | Beast Burgers | Beyond Meat - The Future of Protein™
• Who Do You Write Like?
• Christa Desir's tweets
• Gordon Korman
• Resources for Infant Educarers
• Magda Gerber and the Creative Child | Janet Lansbury
• American Academy Of Pediatrics Lifts 'No Screens Under 2' Rule : NPR Ed : NPR
• Issaquah High School comes under fire for library book - Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 75: The One where Barry Talks A Lot

Barry has a book challenged; guess which one! After reading Bruce Springsteen’s memoir, Barry has an epiphany. Leia requests her favorite musician. Morgan plans and executes a toddler’s birthday party without any help.

Links:

• Washington Parent Objects to Pixelated Genitals in Mangaman | Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
• Office for Intellectual Freedom | Offices of the American Library Association
• Banned Books Week | Celebrating the Freedom to Read: September 25- October 1, 2016
• Book banned in Carroll gets partial reprieve - tribunedigital-baltimoresun
• Teacher tweets that Mangaman is safe
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Bruce Springsteen: On Jersey, Masculinity And Wishing To Be His Stage Persona : NPR
• You're a whole different person when you're scared (Warren Zevon & Hunter S. Thompson) - YouTube
• Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 74: The One not Sponsored by Sesame Place

A brief clarification from last week. Sesame Street vs. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse…to the death! Is a young writer more impressive than an old one? Who do you try to make happy when you write, and should it always be yourself? Practice vs. raw talent. Barry rants briefly about VOYA.

Links:

• Sesame Place | Sesame Street Theme Park in Pennsylvania
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | Disney Junior
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - 'Hot Dog Dance' - Disney Official - YouTube
• Lora Kolodny's tweet about 30 under 30 lists
• Frank McCourt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Paul Levitz
• Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler | Amazon | BN.com | Indiebound
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Robin Brande
• John Milton invokes the Muse
• Is Bisexuality Too Mature for Young Readers?
• Run by Kody Keplinger | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• VOYA’s review of Boy Toy
• Bang on Entertainment Weekly
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 73: The One where They Saw Hamilton

Is it all doom and gloom for publishing? Is there a secret room somewhere with the salvation of books? Should authors wish for salaries instead of royalties? What is the secret of Barry’s unpublished novel and its connection to Lin-Manuel Miranda? Plus: Morgan is writing again!

Links:

• A Rough Six Months for Big Book Publishers
• Daniel Nayeri on Publishing
• Workman Publishing
• The origin of Knopf/Publishing as a gentleman’s industry
• Merritt Tierce on Publishing 'Love Me Back' - How Much Money Authors Make
• Love Me Back by Merritt Tierce | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Hamilton
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Alexander Hamilton: A Biography by Forrest McDonald | Amazon | BN.com | Indiebound
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• State of Wonder by Ann Patchett | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 72: The One with Cloudy Day Hermine

Morgan abandons Barry. Leia’s vocabulary explodes…along with her temper. The mystery of children’s YouTube. Puppies vs. children. Is there such a thing as vacation with a kid? And is there really even such a thing as a YA novel?

Links:

• Hurricane Hermine peters out
• An example of a YouTube video with 29 million views that Leia likes
• Scrubs on what it's like to have a baby
• Slice Literary Conference Panel: The Sex Talk
• Barry's quote on Twitter
• The Millions : There Is No Such Thing as the Young Adult Novel - The Millions
• Review Guidelines | VOYA
• Real Time With Bill Maher: I Don’t Know It For a Fact..I Just Know It’s True - September,1st - YouTube
• Barry is Reading: Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Morgan Recommends: Tumbling by Caela Carter | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 71: The One that’s Short

Everyone is sick and Morgan doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s willing to talk about a new sale, though! Plus: New writing plans!

Links:

• Motherwell – Telling all sides of the parenting story
• Morgan is Reading: You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Barry is Reading: Uprooted by Naomi Novik | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Rate us on iTunes

Episode 70: The One in which Morgan Bites the Bullet

Morgan finally goes too far and insults The Princess Bride. What writers shouldn’t worry about (but do anyway). Do starred reviews matter? On-site daycare can be good for business. Bullet journaling: chicken soup for the soul?

Links:

• The Princess Bride
• The Never-ending Story
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Barry's new book: The Secret Sea | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
• Dahlia Adler's Twitter thread on what writers shouldn’t worry about
• Barry talks about his Goodreads rank: Writing in Real Life — Episode 65: The One with Melissa
• Why Yelp Restaurant Reviews Aren’t Trustworthy
• Is It Possible to Make a Living as a Mommy Blogger? - The Atlantic
• 50Quote Details: John Wanamaker: Half the money I... - The Quotations Page
• Patagonia's CEO Explains How To Make On-Site Child Care Pay For Itself | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
• Why the Bullet Journal Works: It Soothes Your Panicky Mind -- Science of Us
• Use Reminders on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
• Rate us on iTunes