In Episode 13, we interview Lee Kravetz about his debut novel and foray into historical fiction, The Last Confession of Sylvia P published by Harper in March 2022. In 2013, Kravetz stumbled across a worn copy of Sylvia Plath’s only published novel, The Bell Jar, during a visit to the psychiatric ward at the Menlo Park Veteran Affairs Hospital where he was doing post graduate work in psychology. That fateful moment planted the seed for a dramatic career switch years later when he would leave writing non-fiction forever—to become a novelist. It is no wonder that Kravetz, a former psychiatrist turned writer, dove into the world and mind of Slyvia Plath—whose life and work provide a map to mental illness and the confessional power of poetry. Kravetz is a soulful yet relatable writer, the kind of guy you can share a beer with and talk craft and perseverance. Kravetz reveals his grit, grace and gratitude for the art of fiction he had the courage to embrace. This episode is a celebration of National Poetry Month.
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Lee Kravetz is a science journalist and the author of two acclaimed works of non-fiction: Strange Contagion and SuperSurvivors, both published by HarperWave—which dovetail perfectly with The Last Confession of Slyvia P, his first work of fiction that explores manic depression in the lives of some of the greatest writers of the early 20th century. Kravetz has worked in publicity for some of the biggest publishers in the world and has written for print and television, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Daily Beast, The San Francisco Chronicle, and PBS. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his family and is a member of the Writers Grotto and serves on the panel faculty for LitCamp. You can visit him at www.leekravetz.com and follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/leekravetz and Instagram @leekravetz
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. Her debut novel, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. Her books have been published in eleven countries and translated into nine languages. Her most recent novel, Damascena:The Tale of Roses and Rumi, has been optioned for a film series. She's currently at work on her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Shoutouts: This episode supports National Poetry Month, where you can sign up to receive a poem-a-day curated in April by Naomi Shihab Nye and the 22in'22 a Zibby Books Initiative which encourages all of us to visit 22 bookstores in 2022. How awesome is that? Great idea Zibby Books! As an author, I love independent bookstores and believe they play a huge role in our communities, nurturing our love of literature and enriching our lives with programming and other events that promote literacy, bringing readers and writers together. Living here in the San Francisco Bay Area with more independent bookstores per capita than anywhere else in the country, I will be visiting many of my favorite bookstores in the coming months with my daughter in tow. Wherever this finds you, I hope you do the same. And while you get a great new book or two, please tell them about the Page One Podcast. Thank you for supporting your nearest bookstore and the authors whose work they carry. Happy browsing to all!