Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing! Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even. For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there. .

Episodes

[Debbie Urbanski: What’s coming up]: Finding the courage to ‘write something really weird’ Ep 1241

November 28, 2025 • 15 mins

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with Debbie Urbanski, author of the novel “Afterworld,” in which an AI witnesses the last days of the last person on earth, and the story collection “Portalmania,” which combines sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and realism to explore a long list of juicy topics, including betrayal, revenge, parenthood, open marriages, asexuality, neurodiversity, and second chances.We covered:- Why she’...

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[Debbie Urbanski, inner stuff]: Embracing wrong turns as a key part of the creative process Ep 1240

November 26, 2025 • 20 mins

My guest this week is Debbie Urbanski, whose writing focuses on the intersections of horror, fantasy, science fiction, memoir, and often the planet. Her debut novel, “Afterworld,” narrates the last days of the last human on Earth's life, as told by an AI. It was named a best book of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. Her newest book is “Portal Mania”, a collection of short stories that use a combinat...

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[Debbie Urbanski, practical matters]: The slow, important, sometimes painful work of weaning yourself off of external validation Ep 1239

November 24, 2025 • 21 mins

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[Beth Macy: What’s coming up]: Her advice for folks who are worried about talking to their family at the Thanksgiving table Ep 1238

November 14, 2025 • 13 mins

Welcome to the final installment of my interview with Beth Macy, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of “Factory Man,” “Dopesick,” and her newest book, “Paper Girl,” which uses a blend of memoir and reporting to examine the rural-urban divide through the lens of her hometown of Urbana, Ohio.Beth was the first in her family to go to college, an event that drastically changed and maybe even saved her life. She's gone ...

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[Beth Macy, inner stuff]: Inserting humor, asking for help, and the interview question she stole from Denzel Washington Ep 1237

November 12, 2025 • 16 mins

Welcome to the second part of my interview with award-winning journalist Beth Macy, author of the brand new book “Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America” about how politics has divided her hometown of Urbana, Ohio and even her own family. It’s a hard, heart-stirring read for anyone who wonders, “How did we get here? And how can we come back together.”Beth is also the author of “Dopesick” about the about the ...

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[Beth Macy, practical matters]: How to figure out the kind of storyteller you are Ep 1236

November 10, 2025 • 23 mins

My guest this week is Beth Macy, the award-winning author of three New York Times bestselling books that examine rural communities left behind by corporate greed and political indifference.Beth's first book, “Factory Man”, explored the aftermath of globalization on rural communities and won a J. Anthony Lucas Prize. “Dopesick,” her investigation of the opioid crisis, won an LA Times Book Prize and was described as “a masterwork of ...

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[Eric Jay Dolin, part 3: what's next]: Why his kids hate going to museums with him Ep 1235

October 31, 2025 • 18 mins

In the final part of my interview with maritime history author Eric Jay Dolin, we get a tantalizing look at his next book, which he's working on now, about a shipwreck in the Pacific that involves a clash of East and West.We also covered:- Why his kids hate going to museums with him- Using a desire to travel as motivation for selling more books- The PBS show Eric considers comfort viewing- Why Friday is the perfect day- The bachelo...

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[Eric Jay Dolin, part 2: inner stuff]: Taking aim at the belief that if you work hard, everything will work out Ep 1234

October 29, 2025 • 21 mins

In the second part of my conversation with Eric Jay Dolin, (author of "Left for Dead," a true story about a captain of a sealing ship who was marooned on the Falkland Islands for 18 months in the early 1800s), we talk about the squishier side of writing, including dealing with your inner critic, getting through the parts of sharing your work that you'd really rather avoid, and managing your own expectations for how many copies your...

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[Eric Jay Dolin, part 1: practical matters]: Making the leap from marine biologist to author Ep 1233

October 27, 2025 • 27 mins

Calling all lovers of true tales about the sea! This week I'm talking with Eric J. Dolin, bestselling author of numerous books that explore some aspect of American history, generally as it relates to the sea. His latest book is "Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World." Eric has a really interesting through line that started with him studying to be a marine biologist, then morphed into studying en...

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[Alma Katsu: what’s coming up]: Drawing creative inspiration from the news cycle Ep 1232

October 17, 2025 • 17 mins

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with Alma Katsu, award winning author of nine novels, including the historical horror novels,"The Hunger," "The Deep," and "The Fervor," and two spy novels that draw on her long career in intelligence, "Red Widow" and "Red London." Alma's newest book is the contemporary horror novel "Fiend," which tells the story of an ultra rich family who summoned dark forces to protect and gr...

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[Alma Katsu, inner stuff]: Navigating the crosshairs of ageism and sexism Ep 1231

October 15, 2025 • 32 mins

Welcome to part two of my interview with Alma Katsu, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including the historical horror novels, "The Hunger," "The Deep," and "The Fervor," and the spy novels, "Red Widow" and "Red London." Alma's newest book is "Fiend," which examines our fascination with the ultra rich in a setting that mixes dark fantasy with horror.In this episode, we get into the nitty gritty of ...

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[Alma Katsu, practical matters]: Using fiction to change minds Ep 1230

October 13, 2025 • 22 mins

My guest this week is Alma Katsu, the award-winning, critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of nine novels. Alma has written two spy novels, "Red Widow" and "Red London," inspired by her 35-year career working in intelligence. She also writes novels that combine historical fiction with supernatural and horror elements."The Hunger" was a re-imagining of the story of the Donner Party and named one of NPR's 100 favori...

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[Dolen Perkins-Valdez: What’s coming up]: Thinking carefully about how to use time more wisely Ep 1229

October 3, 2025 • 15 mins

In this final installment of my interview with Dolan Perkins Valdez, the New York Times bestselling author of “Wench,” “Bomb,” “Take My Hand,” and most recently, Happyland, we get a peek at where her personal throughline is leading her next and hear her answers to my fast final five questions about what she’s currently reading, listening to, and dreaming of eating.We covered:The visual artists who are currently inspiring her, some ...

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[Dolen Perkins-Valdez, inner stuff]: Writing what’s in your heart, not what you think will sell Ep 1228

October 1, 2025 • 22 mins

Dolan Perkins Valdez, multiple award-winning author of “Wench,” “Bomb,” and “Take My Hand.” Her newest book, “Happyland,” is inspired by the true story of a secret community of formerly enslaved people in Appalachia.In this episode, we get into the nitty gritty of the ideas, thought processes, and beliefs that fuel her work, including:The part of writing a novel that can make her feel like “the book is taking years off my life”The ...

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[Dolen Perkins-Valdez, practical matters]: Teasing out–and trusting–your process Ep 1227

September 29, 2025 • 20 mins

My guest this week is Dolan Perkins-Valdez, the New York Times bestselling author of the novels “Wench,” “Balm,” “Take My Hand,” and most recently, “Happy Land.” Her books are all inspired by fascinating facets of American history that are in danger of being forgotten. They have earned awards from the NAACP, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the American Bar Association. And they've been named best books of t...

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[Ann Tashi Slater, what’s coming up]: How looking at the sky can help us be more creative Ep 1226

September 19, 2025 • 19 mins

Welcome to the final installment of my interview with Ann Tashi Slater, author of the new book, “Traveling in Bardo, the Art of Living in an Impermanent World.”- How staying attuned to the seasons inspires her (and the Japanese word for an aspect of summer I had never heard before but reminds me of my favorite place to spend a summer morning, AKA my porch)- The two books (and their authors) that have shaped her writing aspirations-...

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[Ann Tashi Slater, inner stuff]: How acknowledging the pain of NOT writing can help you commit to your creative work Ep 1225

September 17, 2025 • 24 mins

Welcome to part two of my interview with Ann Tashi Slater, author of the new book, “Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World.” Bardo is a Buddhist concept that describes a transitional state, such as between death and rebirth, but also about being alive and in between being born and dying. In Traveling in Bardo, Anne shares how we can apply Buddhist teachings on acceptance, interdependence, and impermanence to ...

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[Ann Tashi Slater practical matters]: On listening, following your obsessions, and knowing when to set the pen down Ep 1224

September 15, 2025 • 21 mins

My guest this week is Ann Tashi Slater, who for decades has written about her Tibetan American heritage and about Buddhism in Western society for the New Yorker, the Paris Review, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other outlets. Her brand new book, “Traveling in Bardo:The Art of Living in an Impermanent World,” helps us find meaning, happiness, and hope in an impermanent world. Ann is also a contributing editor at ...

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[Nancy Johnson: what’s coming up]: An inside peek at Nancy’s vision board Ep 1223

September 5, 2025 • 16 mins

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with Nancy Johnson, author of “People of Means,” which was one of People magazine's most anticipated books of 2025, and “The Kindest Lie”, which was a book of the month club and Target book club selection.In today’s episode, I felt like we were getting a tour through Nancy’s vision board–as well as the things she’s doing to help make those visions a reality.- Why she’s started p...

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[Nancy Johnson, inner stuff]: Developing the faith that you are on the right path at the right time Ep 1222

September 3, 2025 • 25 mins

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Nancy Johnson, author of “People of Means,” a story of class, culture, mothers and daughters, and the fight for racial equality in the not so distant American past. Nancy's first book, The Kindest Lie, was a Book of the Month Club selection and a Target book club pick.This episode gets into some real emotional terrain, including:- Her love-hate relationship with the actual writing proce...

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Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}[Debbie Urbanski: What’s coming up]: Finding the courage to ‘write something really weird’ Ep 1241

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}[Debbie Urbanski, inner stuff]: Embracing wrong turns as a key part of the creative process Ep 1240

[Debbie Urbanski, practical matters]: The slow, important, sometimes painful work of weaning yourself off of external validation Ep 1239

[Beth Macy: What’s coming up]: Her advice for folks who are worried about talking to their family at the Thanksgiving table Ep 1238

[Beth Macy, inner stuff]: Inserting humor, asking for help, and the interview question she stole from Denzel Washington Ep 1237

[Beth Macy, practical matters]: How to figure out the kind of storyteller you are Ep 1236

[Eric Jay Dolin, part 3: what's next]: Why his kids hate going to museums with him Ep 1235

[Eric Jay Dolin, part 2: inner stuff]: Taking aim at the belief that if you work hard, everything will work out Ep 1234

[Eric Jay Dolin, part 1: practical matters]: Making the leap from marine biologist to author Ep 1233

[Alma Katsu: what’s coming up]: Drawing creative inspiration from the news cycle Ep 1232

[Alma Katsu, inner stuff]: Navigating the crosshairs of ageism and sexism Ep 1231

[Alma Katsu, practical matters]: Using fiction to change minds Ep 1230

[Dolen Perkins-Valdez: What’s coming up]: Thinking carefully about how to use time more wisely Ep 1229

[Dolen Perkins-Valdez, inner stuff]: Writing what’s in your heart, not what you think will sell Ep 1228

[Dolen Perkins-Valdez, practical matters]: Teasing out–and trusting–your process Ep 1227

[Ann Tashi Slater, what’s coming up]: How looking at the sky can help us be more creative Ep 1226

[Ann Tashi Slater, inner stuff]: How acknowledging the pain of NOT writing can help you commit to your creative work Ep 1225

[Ann Tashi Slater practical matters]: On listening, following your obsessions, and knowing when to set the pen down Ep 1224

[Nancy Johnson: what’s coming up]: An inside peek at Nancy’s vision board Ep 1223

[Nancy Johnson, inner stuff]: Developing the faith that you are on the right path at the right time Ep 1222

Popular Podcasts

[Debbie Urbanski: What’s coming up]: Finding the courage to ‘write something really weird’ Ep 1241

[Debbie Urbanski, inner stuff]: Embracing wrong turns as a key part of the creative process Ep 1240