This week, Angela welcomes back Lit Up’s first-ever (!) guest, author Catherine Lacey, and delve into the making and imagining of her brilliantly textured new book, Biography of X: a multilayered portrait of an inscrutable art and literary star as reported by her widow. Catherine shares the entry points into her chosen fictional biography form, reimagining American history through the writing process, centering queer people on the page without explanation, the mysterious forces that draw people into each other’s orbits, and the pleasure of reading in bed with coffee first thing in the morning.  Pick up your copy of Biography of X at Bookshop or your favorite local indie bookstore.  Plus, check out Catherine’s friend John Wray’s forthcoming book Gone to the Wolves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From La Rousse to Le Coucou, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina—Maitre d’ extraordinaire—has a birds eye view on some of New York City’s most historic, glamorous restaurants. After more than 35 years in the restaurant world, he’s sharing his behind the scenes tales in his delicious new memoir YOUR TABLE IS READY (Dec. 2022, pub: St. Martin's Press). This week, Michael tells Angie all about his early memories of the restaurant business, living through the AIDS epidemic, the singular magic of gathering around a dinner table, and his next exciting chapter: opening an NYC spot of his own. Plus, he shares his go-to comfort dish to cook at home. YOUR TABLE IS READY is available via Bookshop.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Lit Up, Angela chats with author Reid Mitenbuler, whose new book, Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age (Mariner at HarperCollins) charts the true story of adventurer Peter Freuchen and his larger-than-life escapades. They talk about the origins of Freuchen’s adventurous spirit, the unexpected quirks you uncover when delving into someone’s life story, the importance of historical context, and Mitenbuler’s go-to narrative nonfiction writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, we're re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from 2022, when we talked to Elizabeth Day about her book Magpie. Next month, Elizabeth is releasing a new book called Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, and seeing as she and Angie talked about friendship, we couldn't think of a better time to revisit this warm and fun conversation. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Angela chats with Kate Baer, the Pennsylvania-based poet and New York Times-bestselling author of the collections WHAT KIND OF WOMAN, I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL, & AND YET. They talk about Kate's path to sharing poems about motherhood, in all its complexity, with strangers on the internet; pushing back against misogynistic takes on her work; the poets whose words she keeps returning to; and the wisdom that accompanies getting older and embracing who you are. Plus, lucky us: Kate reads several of her poems throughout the episode. We recommend Jessica Bennett's profile on Kate. What Kind of Woman I Hope This Finds You Well And Yet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices