Welcome back to Talk Fiction, the podcast dedicated to entertainment media’s most overlooked underdogs: Fiction writers.
Today, I’m hosting a bevy of badass Empress authors who, in addition to building independent careers around their writing in literary spaces, film, television, journalism, podcasting, and publishing, have each penned a memoir which illuminates the rocky roads taken on their respective journeys through “the thick of it.”
My fabulous guests— Eleanor Anstruther, Kimberly Warner, and Alisa Kennedy Jones, each offer a unique perspective on the process of discovering (or being handed) their mystery puzzle box, dumping out the pieces, and slowly buy surely nudging them back together to reveal the full-color portrait of their lived experience.
This episode is a must listen for anyone considering writing a memoir, anyone looking for a highly-recommended memoir(s) to read, or anyone keen on sneaking a peek into how the real storytelling sausage gets made.
As promised in the show’s intro, here are all the ways you can connect with my guests, buy their books, and support their ongoing projects.
Eleanor Anstruther’s Website⬅️
Read her memoir, 65 Postcards & The Recovery Diaries, on Substack!
Preorder her new novel, Fallout, a dazzling, defiant coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the Greenham Women’s Peace Camp—where punk, protest, and unexpected love collide. Coming April 21, 2026.
Kimberly Warner’s Website⬅️
Buy Kim’s bestselling memoir, Unfixed.
Catch up on the Unfixed Podcast.
Alisa Kennedy Jones’ Website⬅️
Buy her memoir, Gotham Girl Interrupted.
Join The Empress revolution and support mid-life women’s stories, including Alisa’s, Eleanor’s, Kimberly’s, and yours truly’s!
Stick around and Talk Fiction with us!
My guests and I will be standing by to field any questions or comments that came up for you while listening. If you’d rather ask a question off the air, feel free to hit reply to this email or DM us!
As your esteemed host, I know that podcasts are a big ask of your time and bandwidth. If you don’t have the space to listen to today’s installment but would still like to support my podcasting endeavors, kindly smush the “like” button and/or share this post with your people. 💜🙏🏼
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Thank you for your support!!!
-Meg O.
Music: Sub Arbore, written by C Torrey | A Torrey, performed by Two Days From Monday.
