On today's episode ofThe Lives of Writers, Jeff Alessandrelli interviews Mallory Smart.

Mallory Smart is the author of the books I Keep My Visions to Myself, The Only Living Girl in Chicago, I Want to Feel Happy But I Only Feel _____, and The Writer. She's the editor-in-chief of Maudlin House and host of the podcast Textual Healing, where you can find a recent episode with the roles of this conversation reversed and hear Mallory interview Jeff.

Jeff Alessandrelli is the author of several books, including the poetry collection Fur Not Light. His novel And Yet was reissued this year by Future Tense Books. He is also the director and co-editor of the small presses Fonograf Editions and Bunny Presse.

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Full conversation topics include:

-- Chicagoland

-- growing up in Chicago

-- writing in high school

-- four siblings

-- history and philosophy

-- logic and therapy

-- writing a poetry collection

-- the preference for narrative

-- the story of Maudlin House

-- relationships with authority

-- writing a first novel

-- maladaptive daydreaming

-- an app that forces you to write

-- a novel in two weeks

-- fear of saying the wrong thing

-- pressure and nostalgia

-- editorial and publicity

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Podcast theme music by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.

The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.