In Episode 31, we interview critically acclaimed journalist Lisa M. Hamilton on her latest book The Hungry Season, a deeply reported story on resilience, war, and love which follows the remarkable journey of a Hmong girl who escapes her own country and a marriage to a man three times her age. Determined to find her freedom, she embarks on a harrowing journey that brings her to the central valley of California where she becomes a successful rice farmer. Critics and acclaimed authors have praised The Hungry Season for its hypnotic storytelling and lyrical narrative voice. In this episode, you'll get a taste of Lisa Hamilton’s superpower: earning the trust of her subject and how she carefully preserves the complexity of who she is, capturing the light and the darkness of one woman and her unwavering desire for sovereignty over her body, her soul and the soil she tends. Join us as we delve deeper into the journey of creating this remarkable work, the challenges of reporting across languages and cultures, the nuances of capturing the essence of a person's story, and the artistic process of crafting a narrative that resonates with readers on multiple levels. The book is not just a celebration of one woman's incredible journey for survival, it’s a potent reminder of her capacity to thrive. Lisa talks openly about the inevitable boundaries that get blurry and often disappear when you spend seven years bearing witness to and writing about the transformation in another. I hope you enjoy hearing Lisa M. Hamilton as much as I loved interviewing her on Ep. 31.
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:
Writer and photographer Lisa M. Hamilton has documented agriculture and rural communities around the world. She was a National Fellow with New America, and has received additional fellowships, grants and awards from the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, California Historical Society, Creative Work Fund, James Beard Foundation and others. She is the author of Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness, and her feature articles have appeared in Harper's, McSweeney's, Virginia Quarterly Review, and California Sunday. She lives in Northern California.
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. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished 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 books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
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.
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Until then, be well and keep reading!