Author, journalist, host and executive producer of the "Writers at Work" podcast. www.jimfusilli.com www.writersatworkpodcast.com
452 followers 107 following 515 posts
view profile on Bluesky
Van Morrison turns 80 today. At his best, he was untouchable. We spoke a few times across the years. He was feisty, but fine. I once asked him who he thought would like a particular album he’d made. He said he thought it would appeal to the people it appealed to. tinyurl.com/2x9zzbdc
Tracks from my favorite albums of the Summer of 2025: tidal.com/playlist/a77...
Breaking News: The Trump administration moved to lay off about 500 employees at the news network Voice of America, two months after it retracted layoff notices. nyti.ms/3HT3cfV
I’m joined by Paul Muldoon, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry who's been described as "the most significant English-language poet born since the second world war." Paul and I discussed “Visible from Space,” the new album by Paul Muldoon & Rogue Oliphant. tinyurl.com/4j24jk2v
Neil Young skewers Trump in a new song, "Big Crime": tinyurl.com/4656re6m
Joining me on this episode of Writers at Work is Denise Mina, best known for her crime novels. But she's also a playwright, screenwriter, short-story writer and author of historical fiction who never shirks from a challenge. What a treat it was to speak with her. tinyurl.com/4u43855s
More than 1,100 of you wrote to tell us about the books that broadened your horizons, that you kept through every move, that inspired you to become English majors, librarians, writers and teachers. n.pr/4n46GLs
In my series of novels that began with "Closing Time," I named the grieving widowed turned PI Terry Orr's compassionate female friend after the Julie in this song - Terry and Julie. Ray Davies was referencing the late Terence Stamp and Julie Christie when he wrote it. youtu.be/im0ChYCqmbM?...
For decades the program has supported writers who would become big names – Alice Walker, Michael Cunningham, Louise Erdrich and more. Last week, applicants got an email saying the program would be no more.
youtube.com/watch?v=Wu4_...
Stunt. They’re milling where tourists visit. A waste of taxpayer dollars at a time when the economy is shaky and essential services go unfunded. #EpsteinFiles
Saturday evening music (I love this album.) youtube.com/playlist?lis...
The dumbing down of the Kennedy Center continues. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/a...
My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Denise Mina. She's best known for her crime novels but she's also a playwright, screenwriter, short-story writer and author of historical fiction who never shirks from a challenge. What a treat it was to speak with her. tinyurl.com/4u43855s
Because of what he said here? www.youtube.com/shorts/JDXQh...
Today is the first anniversary of Writers at Work, my podcast about the challenges and satisfaction of the creative writing process. Guests have included Emmy and Tony awards winners, Pulitzer Prize nominees, prominent journalists and many novelists. Visit www.writersatworkpodcast.com for more.
Included in the package, "Anthology 4" contains 13 previously unreleased demos and session recordings plus new mixes of “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.” youtu.be/lWIEFnbjuvE?...
pen.org/trump-and-th...
There has been a steady decline in reading for fun. From 2003 to 2023, the share of Americans who read for pleasure fell 40%, a sharp decline that is part of a continuing downward trend, according to a study published on Wednesday.
This is theft. Full stop. Stealing library books is an act of censorship that encourages and normalizes criminal activity targeting public property. By removing books to silence voices and viewpoints, these individuals seek to indoctrinate and harm young readers. https://bit.ly/3HHERcK
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
The final episode of Dennis Lehane's series "Smoke" premiered this past weekend on Apple TV+. Dennis and I discussed the series in detail during this edition of Writers at Work. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
A new wave of book bans has hit Florida school districts, with hundreds of titles being pulled from library and classroom shelves. “If censorship keeps spreading, silence won’t save us. Floridians must speak out now," says PEN America’s William Johnson. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Library book returned after 82 years. Note says, 'Grandma won't be able to pay for it anymore' apnews.com/article/libr...
In honor of Terence Stamp, who died today. youtube.com/watch?v=vfWP...
Aretha Frankiin died on this date in 2018. youtube.com/watch?v=MfEb...
Dreamed I was tasked with putting together a "Street Fighting Americans" concert at the L.A. Coliseum. Bruce Springsteen and Keith Richards agreed to help. youtu.be/_DVDnEdCmRw?...
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com “What Trump and his allies seem to want from our museums is self-glorifying kitsch, the aesthetic lingua franca of all authoritarians,” our columnist Michelle Goldberg writes.
Terrible news www.natchezdemocrat.com/2025/08/15/n...
Fifty-six years ago today, Bert Sommer played Woodstock and was almost immediately forgotten. His story: www.wsj.com/articles/SB1...
500 Years of Author Portraits www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/b...
Radiohead today released a "Hail to the Thief Live Recordings 2003-2009" album. Here's a live video performance of “There, There” taken from the album. (I think if I could choose any band to see live one more time it would be Radiohead.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMQ5...
Like a dog marking its spot, Trump is about to soil the Kennedy Center Honors: wapo.st/3JiZj49
The library is launching a project in collaboration with Harvard Law School and OpenAI this summer to digitize the materials and make them more fully searchable.
I always cite "In Cold Blood" on my lists of films that influenced my career as a novelist. I saw this video essay last night for the first time and it told me things about the film I never knew. youtu.be/9ystJag5m7Y?...
My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Adriana Trigiani, best-selling author, playwright, screenwriter, director and force of nature. Her current novel is “The View from Lake Como” and it landed dead-center on my Italian-American soul. tinyurl.com/4awtv4j3
The ruling deems the government's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities "unlawful" and allows a lawsuit brought by humanities groups to move forward.
My guest on this episode is Tom Mead, a new master of the locked-room mystery. In his latest, "The House at Devil's Neck," Tom taps into all the classic tropes, often with a wink, and produces a tale that drips with nostalgia, surprise and delight. tinyurl.com/4h46rvj6
New wave of hundreds of book bans hits Florida school districts as at least 8 counties pull titles from shelves "This censorship isn’t about protecting kids or giving parents more say. It’s about controlling narratives," says PEN America Florida Director William Johnson. pen.org/press-releas...
From the WSJ archives: The Year We Almost Lost Stevie Wonder tinyurl.com/5n6m2axz
A Rare Copy of ‘The Hobbit’ Is Found on an Unassuming Shelf www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/w...
Mob deal gone wrong. youtube.com/watch?v=c39V...
As book challenges and bans continue to mount in school districts & libraries across the country, @jodipicoult.bsky.social discusses being one of the most banned authors in America alongside Maia Kobabe & Sandra Cisneros for @wgbh.org ⤵️ www.wgbh.org/culture/book...
Celebrate Dennis Lehane's birthday by listening to his "Writers at Work" interview, one of my favorites, recorded earlier this year. tinyurl.com/6ekjmpb8
David Rendall, Tenor Who Suffered Operatic Mishaps, Dies at 76 www.nytimes.com/2025/08/02/o...
Genius idea.
An Ex-Stone Says the Met Has His Lost Guitar. The Museum Says No Way. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/a...
My guest on this episode is Tom Mead, a new master of the locked-room mystery. In his latest, "The House at Devil's Neck," Tom taps into all the classic tropes, often with a wink, and produces a tale that drips with nostalgia, surprise and delight. tinyurl.com/4h46rvj6
Smithsonian Removes Reference to Trump’s Impeachments. Trump is the only president in history to have been impeached twice thus far. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/u...
wapo.st/46vqYbL
Marie Rutkoski, whose latest novel is “Ordinary Love,” is my guest on this episode. Marie is a professor at Brooklyn College who holds a Ph.D. from Harvard. Our chat took an interesting turn as we discussed whether a novelist must meet a reader's desires or a reader's needs: tinyurl.com/3zw3esv8
Booker Prize Nominees Include Novels by Kiran Desai, Katie Kitamura and Susan Choi www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/a...
Enjoyed talking to Scott Montgomery and the Hard Word. tinyurl.com/yc2a7tdt
I endorse this photo! (Top row, table, lower right.) Actually, this wonderful bookshop is my home away from home. Best staff, best selection, best vibe.
‘1984’ Hasn’t Changed, but America Has www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/o...
This 19th-Century Novel Is a Playbook for Surviving Autocracy www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/b...
We are ashamed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/b...
Much as I appreciated modern TV political skewers like John Stewart, “South Park” and so on, no one exposed a Trump type as thoroughly as did Rod Serling in “The Twilight Zone.” Examples herein: tinyurl.com/mr352fnw
Today, President Trump signed a bill into law that will eliminate $1.1B of federal funding for public media. This devastating act tipped the threat against journalism in America into a crisis. Millions depend on the NPR Network. Now, we’re counting on you. Donate here: n.pr/458sOhq
My latest guest is Marie Rutkoski, best-selling author who successfully made the transition from YA to adult fiction. Her latest is “Ordinary Love.” Set in the tony world of New York’s Upper East Side, it's the story of love gone wrong and of love that may have gotten away. tinyurl.com/3zw3esv8
I can't begin to name all the great guitarists I've seen perform at Big Ears over the years... youtu.be/c_RIzm1lgqQ?...
It takes seconds to discover that MSM exposed the video as fake and gave voice to those who condemned it. Knee-jerk attacks on MSM help MAGA.
This Tulsi Gabbard? apnews.com/article/gabb...
Brad Mehldau’s "Ride into the Sun"—an album of music by, and inspired by, the late singer, songwriter and guitarist Elliott Smith—arrives August 29. Video gives a glimpse into how the project came to be and was recorded. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw4Y...
tinyurl.com/yc5u6w5b
tinyurl.com/4e9y689s
Paulette Jiles, 82, Dies; Novelist Evoked the West in ‘News of the World’ www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/b...
A 900-Year-Old Typo May Unravel a Chaucer Mystery www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/w...
“When people say things like, ‘It's not a book ban, we just removed it from the school library... In some cases, removing that book from that one place of access is effectively erasing the book altogether from that young person’s life.” @bklynlibrary.bsky.social @edsurge.com #UniteAgainstBookBans
On this episode of Writers at Work: C.M. Kushins, author of “Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard―A Biography of the Master of American Crime Writing.” His deep dive into Leonard’s formative stages, at least to my mind, cast Leonard in a new light. tinyurl.com/3hhz8anv
Diane adores it. Rightfully so. It’s a wonder.
youtube.com/watch?v=kcgj...
Pino Palladino and Blake Mills released new music today. I recalled how much I enjoyed them at Big Ears in 2023 and came across the set they did back then on Soundcloud. tinyurl.com/yz5ryers
Jason Moran leaves his Kennedy Center position www.npr.org/2025/07/09/n...
Review by the always diligent and astute Scott Montgomery. "I have always been a fan of Jim Fusilli, especially how he artfully places his heart on the page. Here it is at its fullest, filled with love for all he loves." Well said. tinyurl.com/utk4dvjk
On this episode of Writers at Work: C.M. Kushins, author of “Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard―A Biography of the Master of American Crime Writing.” His deep dive into Leonard’s formative stages, at least to my mind, cast Leonard in a new light. tinyurl.com/3hhz8anv
Happy birthday, Ringo. youtu.be/wJTjjAXDZSY
Spotted in the wild. (I’m usually side-by-side with Alan Furst.)
My guest on the latest Writers at Work is Dennis Lehane, the exceptional novelist and screenwriter. His body of work is now part of the American cultural and artistic landscape. "Smoke," Dennis's new series featuring serial arsonists, can be seen on Apple TV+. tinyurl.com/6ekjmpb8
tinyurl.com/2rps4rry
We have our five winners chosen at random. (Each has been notified by email.) Copies of my "Pet Sounds" book are in the mail. We had a lot of entries. Another contest soon...
Bernard Herrmann born on this date in 1911. tinyurl.com/49svefpr
Authors petition publishers to curtail their use of AI www.npr.org/2025/06/28/n...
tinyurl.com/rduj3n8m
To mark the passing of Brian Wilson, I'm giving away copies of my "Pet Sounds" book to five contestants chosen at random. The contest ends tomorrow night and winners will be announced on Monday. To enter, visit tinyurl.com/3ubfe8yk
My guest on the latest Writers at Work is Dennis Lehane, the exceptional novelist and screenwriter. His body of work is now part of the American cultural and artistic landscape. Dennis's new series, “Smoke,” premieres tonight on Apple TV+. tinyurl.com/6ekjmpb8
Extraordinary week-long feature by the @nytimes.com, beautifully packaged. My choices for Best Movies of the 21st Century:
Jeff Beck would've turned 81 today. youtu.be/VK14So3O5_k?...
Dennis Lehane's new TV series premieres on Friday (June 27) on Apple TV. Jim Fusilli had an excellent conversation with Mr. Lehane for the Writers at Work podcast (writersatworkpodcast.com) that will air on Thursday (6/27).
Sunday morning music... tinyurl.com/4y9pm4xm
Going on about my novel "A Song for Katy Shayne" at New York's @mysteriousbookshop.com, voted America's top independent bookstore in a @usatoday.com poll.
Today would have been Brian Wilson's 83rd birthday. In mark it, and to honor him following his death last week, I'm giving away copies of my "Pet Sounds" book to five contestants chosen at random. To enter, visit tinyurl.com/3ubfe8yk
My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Craig Thompson, author and graphic artist. His latest, the epic “Ginseng Roots: A Memoir," is an astonishing work of storytelling, monumental in scope yet never far from intimate. Every page is an visual delight. tinyurl.com/3dzpb6c9
We lost Brian Wilson a week ago today. In honor of his memory, I'm giving away copies of my "Pet Sounds" book to five contestants chosen at random. To enter, visit tinyurl.com/3ubfe8yk
On his 83rd birthday, a looooooong Paul McCartney mix ranging from his Beatles compositions and his early solo performances (in which he played most instruments) up to his most recent recordings. Many live versions, alternate takes and demos. tidal.com/playlist/c86...