Elena Meets the Author – Details, episodes & analysis

In today’s episode, I sat down with Anastasia Rubis—who goes by Stacy—to dive into her debut novel, Oriana. In the book, Stacy chronicles the life of pioneering Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, whose fearless interviews with world leaders like Henry Kissinger, Gaddafi, and Golda Meir made her a trailblazer in journalism. I loved hearing Stacy read a compelling excerpt that perfectly captures Fallaci’s confrontational style with Kissinger.

We explored everything from Fallaci’s unique approach to journalism and the challenges of balancing love and a demanding career, to how her childhood during World War II shaped her bravery. Stacy also shared her own journey of writing and publishing Oriana, her passion for bringing unsung female heroes to the forefront, and even compared Fallaci’s challenges with those faced by contemporaries like Barbara Walters.

The episode wraps up with Stacy touching on her upcoming projects and the importance of persevering in the face of rejection. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about courage, creativity, and the power of storytelling.

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

01:56 Notable Interviews and Inauguration Day

02:48

08:08 Oriana's Fearless Interview Style

12:30 Challenges and Triumphs of Oriana's Career

19:29 Oriana's Revolutionary Reporting Style

23:46 Discovering Oriana Falaci

28:01 Writing and Publishing the Novel

29:33 The Struggles of Publishing

30:32 Advice for Aspiring Writers

33:06 Oriana's Love Story

37:41 Researching the Book

39:33 The Book's Structure

45:13 Future Projects and Historical Fiction

47:09 The Legacy of Female Pioneers

In this episode, Elena interviews Michael Cecchi Azzolina, a seasoned New York City restaurant veteran with a career spanning 40 years at top Manhattan establishments. Michael discusses his experiences from the book 'Your Table is Ready,' which offers a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant industry during the 1980s Wall Street era. From touching stories about surviving the AIDS crisis and 9/11 to insights on restaurant dynamics and the art of service, Michael shares his journey from a troubled childhood in Brooklyn to managing his own successful eatery. He also reveals the challenges and joys of working in restaurants, the significance of great service, and how he came to write his book.

In this episode of 'Elena Meets the Author,' host Elena Bowes interviews renowned food writer and author Ruth Reichl about her latest book, 'The Paris Novel.' Our discussion spans Ruth's deep connection with Paris, her storied career as a food critic, and her journey in writing both fiction and memoirs. Ruth shares anecdotes about her childhood experiences with food, the evolution of the American food revolution, and how her novel explores the theme of powerless women finding their strength. We also delve into Ruth's approach to food writing, her favorite home-cooked meals, and her future travel aspirations. The episode concludes with insights into Ruth's Substack column, 'La Briefe,' and her podcast, 'Three Ingredients.'

0:00 Elena Meets Ruth

00:44 Falling in Love with Paris

01:15 Early Career and Food Revolution

01:50 Impact of Restaurant Reviews

04:44 Gourmet Magazine and Writing Journey

06:26 Mother's Influence and Cooking Passion

09:44 The Paris Novel: Inspiration and Characters

14:36 Setting and Historical Context

22:14 Becoming a Restaurant Critic

26:57 Favourite Home-Cooked Meals

27:54 The Evolution of American Food

32:29 Writing and Substack

35:06 Facing Fears and Career Highlights

40:23 Advice for Aspiring Food Writers

In this episode, Elena Bowes talks to acclaimed author Beatriz Williams about her latest work of historical fiction, Husbands & Lovers. Two stories, post-war Cairo and modern-day New England are intertwined by two women and the choices they make.  Love, sacrifice, heartbreak and redemption all play a role in this poignant parallel story. In 1951 Hannah, a Hungarian refugee lives in Cairo in a joyless marriage with a British diplomat. She meets Lucien, a hotel manager, after she is bitten by a cobra, and the walls she has carefully built around herself start to crumble. He awakens a longing she had lost. Meanwhile Mallory is a single mother to 13-year-old Sam who desperately needs a kidney transplant. The only person who could be a match for Sam is his father Monk Adams, a now famous singer who Mallory hasn’t spoken to in 14 years since that fateful summer on Winthrop Island in 2008. Beatriz talks about why dual timeline stories appeal to her, how she likes to write about human drama against a historical backdrop and how wealthy New Englanders are like migratory birds when it comes to their summer rituals.

Beatriz Williams’s website.

Visit Elena’s website for written articles.

Contact Elena on Instagram.

In this episode I talk to the engaging London-based Clare Pooley about her latest novel, How to Age Disgracefully. This is Clare’s 4th book, her first was a brave and honest memoir called The Sober Diaries about the year Clare gave up drinking. It was an extension of her hugely successful blog, Mummy Was a Secret Drinker. Clare has given up that addiction for another much healthier one, writing. Her first novel, The Authenticity Project was an instant hit, as have been the two that followed. Clare is a terrific writer who can think up eccentric, believable, loveable characters who somehow come together in hilarious, healing ways.  In this Q&A we touch on what inspired Clare to write How to Age Disgracefully – she was tired of seeing old people being portrayed on TV as sad and lonely. We also discuss other life challenges that her novel touches on in a funny but poignant way… menopause, empty nest, and philandering husbands. 

In today’s episode I talk to Annabel Monaghan about her latest funny, romantic page-turner,Summer Romance, which came out in the US a few weeks ago and is available in the UK on July 4th. Summer Romance is already an instant USA Today and Washington Post bestseller. We discuss all sorts of topics from the profound - how people we loved and lost live inside us, or are ‘as close as your breath’ to why Monaghan hates dog parks so much. We touch on how much parenting is the right amount, what her ideal writing day looks like and how she promises she’ll only give us happy endings. It’s how she’s wired.

Summer Romance is about a woman named Ali Morris who lives in a suburb outside of Manhattan. She's a professional organizer, but her life is a mess. Her mother died two years ago. Her husband left her a year ago. Her pantry is a sight to behold. She hasn't worn hard pants, (i. e. pants with a zipper) in she can't remember how long. She has three kids who she's trying to hold it together for. She's stuck.

Then one day, Ali takes off her wedding ring. She puts on overalls, which kind of count as hard pants. And she goes to the dog park with her little dog. She meets a cute guy named Ethan. And as the title of Monaghan’s book suggests, things start looking up for Ali. I hope you enjoy the show.

In today's episode, I sit down with Aussie author and game designer Holly Gramazio to delve into the creative process and inspiration behind Holly's best-selling book, The Husbands. Imagine a world where you could swap husbands without any emotional or financial cost. Intriguing. On May 28th, I’ll have been married to a man I call Stretch for three years. And while I wouldn’t want to send Stretch up to the attic, I will confess that when he clips his toe nails into the toilet, I wish I could blink that habit away. But never blink Stretch away.

In Holly's novel, the protagonist has the ability to switch husbands as easily as rolling a die, never knowing who she will end up with next.

During the interview, Holly and I explore a variety of intriguing topics, including the impact of technology on dating, what makes a perfect match, the nuances of decision-making, and how Holly's background in game design shaped her writing process.

Tune in to this thought-provoking conversation to learn more about Holly's unique approach to storytelling and the compelling themes within The Husbands.

Synopsis:

One night Lauren finds a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband. All the evidence – from photos to electricity bills – suggests he’s right.

Lauren’s attic, she slowly realises, is creating an endless supply of husbands for her.

There’s the one who pretends to play music on her toes.

The one who’s too hot (there must be a catch).

The one who makes a great breakfast sandwich.

The one who turns everything into double entendres (‘I’ll weed your garden’).

And the one who can calm her unruly thoughts with a single touch

But when you can change husbands as easily as changing a lightbulb, how do you know whether the one you have now is the good-enough one, or the wrong one, or the best one? And how long should you keep trying to find out?

Visit Find out more about Elena and Holly here: 

https://elenabowes.com/

https://www.hollygramazio.net/

I caught up with British author Elizabeth Fremantle to learn more about her latest gripping novel Disobedient … the types of heroines Fremantle is attracted to why the talented Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi was a feminist before her time, and why the subject matter is so personal for Fremantle. Plus a whole lot more. I hope you enjoy the show.

Today I am speaking to Lyn Slater, author of How to Be Old, Lessons in Living Boldly from The Accidental Icon. During her 60’s Lyn was a social worker, a professor, a blogger, an accidental style icon with nearly a million followers, and a fashion model. Her face was splashed across billboards and buses around the world. It was the most exciting decade of her life. Then at 70 she decided she didn’t like the life of an influencer, it felt inauthentic to her, she wasn’t connected to the people she wanted to connect with so she gave it all up and wrote her first nonacademic book, a memoir about how she became an accidental icon. The book is fabulous, packed with pearls of wisdom and engaging anecdotes.

Lyn is so wise and accessible. I recommend her book to any women thinking about aging and how to approach it w a positive attitude. Lyn is unafraid of being old, considers herself a work in progress, always becoming, reinventing herself when she feels the urge. We talk about how she deals with fear, how she views mistakes as lucky accidents, starting over again, the importance of intergenerational everything and what three pieces of clothing she would grab in a fire. I hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, Elena interviews Stephen Bruno, the author of 'Building Material: The Memoir of a Park Avenue Doorman’. In this coming of age story, Stephen talks about how getting the doorman job helped break his downward spiral from gifted academic kid in the Bronx to selling chicken wings at a fast-food restaurant in the midwest. He also opens up about the upstairs downstairs shenanigans at an exclusive Park Avenue building in New York City.

Stephen talks about his unique perspective from twenty years spent serving residents. And while one of the rules of being a doorman is don’t get too close to the residents, they don’t want to be your friend, Stephen did just that and it saved him during a dark time. He talks about how watching a documentary on American black playwright August Wilson reminded him of a core rule or writing. He shares insights into his upbringing in the Bronx, the rules and subtleties of being a doorman, and the challenges he faced both professionally and personally. Stephen’s authentic account delves into themes of identity, class, and the transformative power of storytelling.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:28

07:21 Summer Guy: First Chapter Reading

17:21 Challenges and Turning Points

30:11 Struggles at Hunter College

30:59 Experiences with Fellow Students

32:37 Interactions with Residents

34:33 The Bloom Family's Impact

36:40 Overcoming Challenges in Writing

44:49 Publishing Success and Reactions

53:16 Future Plans and Aspirations

54:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts