Slow Stories

Ayşegül Savaş — "We're always in the midst of it."

What makes a day? Is it the routine of brewing morning coffee or walking through the neighborhood? Is it more meaningful if it's spent in the company of others? And if we do find ourselves alone, what are we able to see in our solitude?

Ayşegül Savaş's affinity for the details brings these questions to the forefront. She has a talent for transforming mundane moments into compelling prose that lingers long after a story ends. Her latest books—The Anthropologists, a slim novel following a young couple's search for an apartment, and The Wilderness, her debut work of nonfiction chronicling her first 40 days after giving birth—are no exception. They are elegant studies of time and place—of growing up and growing older, kinship and family, home and language, and life's small pains and pleasures. And while Ayşegül considers many of her books to be "quiet stories," it's in the silence that readers hear the heartbeat of her sentences—each a compelling reminder of what makes life worth living.

In this interview, Ayşegül shared more about the connection between mothering and writing, thoughts on creative lineage and family, and what it means to be in the present moment—in art and life. This episode also opens with a story by Cara Blue Adams.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/aysegul-savas 

Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/

Purchase The Anthropologists: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-anthropologists-aysegul-savas/20328495?ean=9781639733064 

Purchase The Wilderness: https://www.transitbooks.org/books/thewilderness 

Purchase You Never Get It Back: https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-never-get-it-back-cara-blue-adams/16910017?ean=9781609388133 

Purchase Slowing: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Follow Ayşegül: https://www.instagram.com/__aysegulsavas__/ 

Follow Cara: https://www.instagram.com/carablueadams/ 

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Lauren Elkin — "To me, it's all interesting."

What does it mean to be faithful?

This question is central to Lauren Elkin's debut novel, Scaffolding, which follows the trials and tribulations of two couples across time and space, occupying the same Paris apartment in 2019 and 1972. It is an incisive study of transformation—physical, emotional, geographical, familial. It is a question and questioning of desire: how we give it, show it, (try to) contain it, and ultimately let it shape us.

Lauren is known for nonfiction works like Flâneuse and Art Monsters, and the shape of this conversation moved in several directions, from reflecting on her previous books to global events. Lauren also shared more about her relationship with cities, her arrival at Scaffolding's central themes, and thoughts on the connection between grief, power, and time.

This episode also opens with a story from Hannah Bonner.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/lauren-elkin/ 

Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/

Purchase Scaffolding: https://bookshop.org/p/books/scaffolding-lauren-elkin/21068842?ean=9780374615291 

Purchase Another Woman: https://bookshop.org/p/books/another-woman-hannah-bonner/21488442?ean=9781958094549 

Follow Lauren: @lauren_elkin_

Follow Hannah: @hannah__bonner

Follow Rachel: @rachelschwartzmann

Order SLOWING: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Rachel Schwartzmann — "Was it a beginning, or had the story been writing itself all along?"

A note from Slow Stories' own Rachel Schwartzmann regarding her new book, SLOWING!
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Order SLOWING: https://lnk.to/Slowing/ 

Subscribe to Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/ 

Read Rachel's essay in Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/against-perfectionism-and-productivity-on-embracing-flaws-as-a-writer/ 
Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelschwartzmann/ 
RSVP to SLOWING's New York launch event at P&T Knitwear on 10/21: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rachel-schwartzmann-presents-slowing-feat-brandon-stosuy-tickets-962252993607 

Amy Lin — "Grief is a problem of narrative."

What does it mean to grieve? What does it look and feel like? Why is it still so hard for us to understand? These are just a few questions Amy Lin tackles in her astounding memoir Here After. In a series of crystalline vignettes, Amy recounts the unexpected death of her husband Kurtis, her subsequent medical crisis—and the winding journey to live after inconceivable loss.

In many ways, Here After is a story of falling—in love, apart, out of time. It's a story that alerts us to our hearts and heartbreaks. It's a story that asks the big, unanswerable questions, but perhaps most poignantly, it asks readers to be here—to bear witness. As Amy writes in the book: "I do not say: Everyone is so afraid of grief, and this fear is dangerous to the grieving. I do not tell him the painful lesson I am learning: Enduring the thing itself—he is not coming back—is unbearable but denying it is worse, is an even greater, even more insidious, threat to living, if that is what you want to do."

In this interview, Amy shared more about the value of seriousness in life, her thoughts on slow storytelling and creativity, and what time means to her now. This episode also opens with a story from Julie Chavez.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/amy-lin/ 

Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/

Purchase Here After: https://bookshop.org/p/books/here-after-a-memoir-amy-lin/20214421?ean=9781958506325/ 

Purchase Everyone But Myself: https://bookshop.org/p/books/everyone-but-myself-a-memoir-julie-chavez/19726158?ean=9781958506059/ 

Follow Amy: @literaryamy

Follow Julie: @juliewriteswords

Follow Rachel: @rachelschwartzmann

Pre-order SLOWING: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka — "We're very conscious of that aliveness in our relationship."

Shared vision is at the heart of every great partnership—but a good sense of humor helps, too. Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka understand this sentiment.

The two creatives met as undergrads at McGill University—and later at a bush camp, cooking for tree planters—and have lived multiple lives since then. In 2012, they co-founded the conscious fashion brand HORSES, which values beauty, utility, wildness, and endurance. They've also translated their artistic prowess into writing and have crafted incisive, spellbinding novels like (Heidi's) Utopia and (Claudia's) Daughter.

In this interview, the duo shared more about balancing their creative pursuits, living and working in Toronto, their relationship with time and pace—and their relationship with each other. This episode also opens with a story from Jacqueline Suskin.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/claudia-dey-and-heidi-sopinka/ 

Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/

Purchase Claudia's books: https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=claudia+dey/ 

Purchase Heidi's books: https://bookshop.org/contributors/heidi-sopinka/ 

Shop HORSES: https://www.horsesatelier.com/ 

Purchase Jacqueline's books: https://bookshop.org/contributors/jacqueline-suskin/ 

Follow Claudia: @claudiadeytona

Follow Heidi: @heidisopinka

Follow Jacqueline: @jsuskin

Follow Rachel: @rachelschwartzmann

Pre-order SLOWING: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Victoria Chang — "It takes a lot of energy to be slow."

"Point of view has a terrible memory. I've looked at photos scrolling up and over, zooming in and out, and realize it is not love I want, just the ability to zoom back out. A woman loses herself when she can no longer zoom out." This is one of the many resonant passages readers will encounter in Victoria Chang's latest poetry collection, With My Back to the World. Across three parts, Victoria engages with the work of renowned artist Agnes Martin, who ultimately provides a portal for the writer to consider identity, existence, death, grief, depression, and time.

While these themes may be universal, Victoria's voice is singular. Page after page, her passion for language becomes all the more apparent. As she writes in "Gratitude, 2001": "What am I outside of language? Is this the solitude Agnes spoke of—standing in an auditorium without a microphone or an audience, at a podium reading wind. And where the skin that has been wound tightly around me my whole life, is also the thing that I've been writing on. To think, everyone will write one final word."

In this interview, Victoria shared more about her relationship with process and pace, the nuances of writing and publishing in this day and age, and what she's learned as an artist, educator, and mother. This episode also opens with a story from Amy Lin.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/victoria-chang 

Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/ 

Purchase With My Back to the World: https://bookshop.org/p/books/with-my-back-to-the-world-poems-victoria-chang/19994823 

Learn more about Victoria's work: https://victoriachangpoet.com/ 

Follow Victoria: @fattery12

Follow Amy: @literaryamy

Follow Rachel: @rachelschwartzmann

Pre-order SLOWING: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar — "Crying is a cool thing."

When was the last time you cried? This question is at the heart of Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar's illustrated anthology, Sad Happens: A Celebration of Tears. With contributions from a wide range of voices, including Phoebe Bridgers, Zeba Blay, Sloane Crosley, and many more, Sad Happens is a gentle offering that reminds us to get to the heart of our own stories—and our own humanity. 

Off the page, Brandon and Rose have lent this thoughtful sensibility to various endeavors. Brandon is the co-founder of The Creative Independent, "a growing re­source of emo­tional and prac­ti­cal guid­ance for cre­ative peo­ple." Rose is a visual artist and the founder of Cosmic Peace Studio. Together, they are friends, collaborators, and creatives who genuinely understand what it means to tell slow stories. 

In this interview, Brandon and Rose shared more about Sad Happens, their collaboration and friendship, the places they've left behind, the processes they embrace in their respective work, and why slowness is a recurring thread in all they do. This episode also opens with a story from Lexi Kent-Monning.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/brandon-stosuy-and-rose-lazar 

Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/ 

Purchase Sad Happens: https://bookshop.org/p/books/sad-happens-brandon-stosuy/19726689?ean=9781668003459 

Learn more about The Creative Independent: https://thecreativeindependent.com/ 

Learn more about Cosmic Peace Studio: https://cosmicpeacestudio.com/ 

Follow The Creative Independent: @thecreativeindependent

Follow Brandon: @bstosuy

Follow Rose: @cosmicpeacestudio

Follow Lexi: @lexicola

Follow Rachel: @rachelschwartzmann

Pre-order SLOWING: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Mason Spector — "I find a lot of value in the sadness."

Authenticity has never been more critical in a world that celebrates fleeting trends. In an industry like fashion, and for entrepreneur Mason Spector, discerning design is just a small part of creating long-term impact and connection. As the co-founder of the Los Angeles-based clothing brand Madhappy, Spector and his team are committed to "using apparel, events, and experimental retail spaces to explore a personal expression as a means to an improved state of mind."

Words like "optimism" and "community" are often associated with the brand—and for Mason, in particular, that's no happy accident. His personal experiences have culminated in building an intentional business that confronts one of the most pressing issues of our time: mental health. 

In this interview, Mason shared more about his dynamic upbringing, his relationship with pace, and what he's learned about the mental health journey. This episode also opens with a story from writer and podcast host Sam Cohen.
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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/mason-spector 
Follow Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/ 
Learn more about Madhappy: https://madhappy.com/ 
Follow Madhappy: https://instagram.com/madhappy/   
Follow Mason: https://instagram.com/masonspec/
Follow Sam: https://instagram.com/samcohenwriting/
Follow Rachel: https://instagram.com/rachelschwartzmann/ 
Pre-order SLOWING: https://bookshop.org/p/books/slowing-discover-wonder-beauty-and-creativity-through-slow-living-rachel-schwartzmann/21201888?ean=9781797223759 

Chelsea Hodson — ”I’m genuinely excited about creating things.”

An essay, Chelsea Hodson tells us, should be an attempt at clarity. That may be true for a writer, but clarity is the last thing that comes to mind when reading Chelsea's words. Instead, we are swept away by her striking prose, repetition, digressions. Chelsea's words pulse with desire, fear, and hope. Readers walk away from the page, not always knowing what to think but feeling something primal just the same.

The words, in this case, are from Chelsea's debut essay collection, Tonight I'm Someone Else, which was published in 2018 and received widespread praise. Aside from gifting us her own prose, Chelsea has made it her business to help others write their truth. Through projects like her Morning Writing Club and private coaching and editing services, community has slowly become a part of Chelsea's world. Most recently, this culminated in the launch of her latest literary endeavor. Enter Rose Books, her new press.

In this interview, Chelsea shared more about the inception of Rose Books, her process as a writer and editor, and the questions on her mind. This episode also opens with a story from musician (and Rose Books author) Geoff Rickly.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/chelsea-hodson/ 

Learn more about Chelsea's work: https://chelseahodson.com/ 

Follow Chelsea: https://www.instagram.com/chelseahodson_ 

Purchase Chelsea's book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tonight-i-m-someone-else-essays-chelsea-hodson/9844494

Learn more about Rose Books: https://www.rosebooks.co/ 

Follow Rose Books: https://www.instagram.com/rosebooks.co 

Follow Geoff: https://instagram.com/geoffrickly 

Purchase Geoff's novel: https://www.rosebooks.co/store/p/someone-who-isnt-me-by-geoff-rickly-paperback-preorder 

Katherine May — ”It’s okay to get on with the business of living.”

How do we find and maintain a sense of wonder in a world that's become so unpredictable? Katherine May (author of Wintering and The Electricity of Every Living Thing) tackles this pressing question in her latest book, Enchantment, which is “an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.”

Calling upon the natural elements—earth, water, fire, and air—Katherine launches a personal and collective investigation into how we can restore ourselves and restoke imagination. Far from prescriptive, Katherine's work always invites readers to follow their curiosities. To slow down and open themselves up to a process of reflection. As she writes in Enchantment: “When we look for enchantment to give us direct, concrete revelations, we miss the point. It is too big for us to swallow all at once. It teaches us in constellations, and invites us to undertake the slow, lifelong work of assimilating a moment.”

In this interview, Katherine shared more about the process of finding Enchantment, musings on motherhood, and what she's learned about living, working, and creating—both online and off. This episode also opens with a story from Jess Dekker.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/katherine-may/ 

Learn more about Katherine's work: https://katherine-may.co.uk/

Follow Katherine: https://www.instagram.com/katherinemay_/ 

Purchase Katherine's books: https://bookshop.org/contributors/katherine-may 

Follow Jess: https://www.instagram.com/jessdekkerreads/