Author. Journalist. Poet.
I had a great time catching up with Ellie Black, whose debut collection REVELATOR is easily one of my favorite reads this year.
REVELATOR was selected by Dorothea Lasky as the winner of the 2026 APR/Honickman First Book Prize and will be published by the American Poetry Review through Copper Canyon Press in September 2026. Preorder from Bookshop here.
Catch our full conversation here:
Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!
I had such a great time catching up with the brilliant Autumn Allen ahead of the release of her second YA novel YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE!
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE will be released from Kokila next Tuesday, July 28, and is available for preorder here.
Catch our full conversation here:
Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!
I had a great time catching up with former Kansas Poet Laureate Huascar Medina, whose searing third collection, PROTEST AS LOVE POEM, was released last month from Meadowlark Press— and makes the perfect Fourth of July read!
PROTEST AS LOVE POEM can be purchased here.
Catch our full conversation here:
Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!
I had a great time talking to poet & educator Mckendy Fils-Aimé about his forthcoming debut collection SIPÉSTISYON!
SIPÉSTISYON will be released next Tuesday, June 16, and is available for preorder here: https://www.yesyesbooks.com/product-page/sipèstisyon-by-mckendy-fils-aimé
Catch our full conversation here:
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I had such a great time catching up with my dear old friend, Alaa Al-Barkawi, ahead of the release of her debut YA novel IN THE COUNTRY I LOVE!
IN THE COUNTRY I LOVE will be released Tuesday, May 26, and is available for preorder here.
View our full conversation here:
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I had so much fun catching up with Hannah Whitten, a New York Times, Indie, and USAToday bestselling author (and Season 6 Tightwires guest!) ahead of the release of her horror debut RELIQUARY!
Topics of discussion included: Biology class, Hannah’s favorite horror films, ocean research, a creepy cake recipe, & themes of grief, hollowness, anger, and “missing yourself.”
**All spoilers in the final scene!**
RELIQUARY will be released August 11, 2026, and is available for preorder here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hannah-f-whitten/reliquary/9781668655740/
View our full conversation here:
Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!
This week on Tightwires, Kate and I are speaking to Nicolle Lioncourt, another one of our fiction finalists.
We can’t wait for you to read Nicolle’s story in the anthology, which is now available for purchase here: https://hibatahir.com/purchase-the-tightwires-anthology-here/
Check out our conversation with Nicolle here:
Interested in being a future featured guest? Let me know!