In episode two, Nicole chops it up with the award-winning author of speculative and literary fiction, Rivers Solomon. Rivers writes about life in the margins, where they're much at home. Their work has appeared in The Paris Review, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere. They are the author of An Unkindness of Ghosts, The Deep, Sorrowland, and Model Home. A refugee of the transatlantic slave trade, Solomon was born on Turtle Island. They currently live in the UK.

Rivers & Nicole explore hauntings, identity, and the impact of music and literature on personal growth. They discuss the importance of community and connection, as well as how their spiritual practices influence their art. The conversation covers enormous ground, while exploring the creative process, the influence of parenting on writing, and the significance of collaboration in literary projects. Rivers emphasizes the role of state violence in their work and the necessity of finding joy amidst adversity.

In their latest novel, Model Home, Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life. Purchase Model Home at all major booksellers, including Bookshop.org.

Rivers' novella, The Deep, was inspired by The Deep (song) and in collaboration with Clipping.

Oracle Card: "Book" from the Classic Horror Oracle Deck.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Power of Books

03:21 Navigating Personal Narratives

07:35 Connecting with Ancestors

12:50 Creative Flow and Spiritual Guidance

22:16 Embodiment of Purpose and Love

26:16 The Challenge of Deadlines

31:50 The Journey of Model Home

36:35 Intergenerational Connections in Writing

39:38 The Influence of Place on Writing

50:40 Crafting Rich Worlds and Characters

55:05 Rivers Answers the OM Closing Five

Of Monsters: A podcast with Nicole Shawan Junior features intimate chats with speculative fiction masterminds and the characters they create.

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Written and performed by Nicole Shawan Junior, the Of Monsters intro music was created by Ben Ford, produced by Caits Meissner, and engineered by Tatenda Dizha.