Interviews • Cleaver Magazine

Fresh-Cut Lit & More

INTERVIEWS

Scroll down to browse excerpts from Cleaver’s latest interviews of authors and translators of books by small and indie presses.

Interested in interviewing authors or being interviewed? Contact our interviews editor: Autumn Konopka (she/her.)

Please note: Cleaver welcomes diverse human voices, but we do not consider AI-generated or AI-assisted work.

A CONVERSATION WITH CHLOE N. CLARK, AUTHOR OF EVERY GALAXY A CIRCLE by Joy Manning

March 17, 2026

A CONVERSATION WITH WARREN R. BASLA, Author of The Blade of Milan, by Julian Shendelman

November 18, 2025

INTERVIEW WITH LEONARD GONTAREK, AUTHOR OF AIN’T NO ANGEL GONNA GREET ME, by Autumn Konopka

November 11, 2025

INTERVIEW WITH NICOLE DUBOIS, AUTHOR OF UNPARALYZED by Autumn Konopka

October 28, 2025

AN INTERVIEW WITH LINDA NORTON, AUTHOR OF CLOUD OF WITNESSES, by Amy Beth Sisson

October 21, 2025

A CONVERSATION WITH JOCELYN JANE COX, AUTHOR OF MOTION DAZZLE by Abby Alten Schwartz

October 14, 2025

AN INTERVIEW WITH CORA LEWIS, AUTHOR OF INFORMATION AGE, by Jamie Li

October 7, 2025

A CONVERSATION WITH GREGORY DJANIKIAN AUTHOR OF NOSTALGIA FOR THE FUTURE

September 18, 2025

A CONVERSATION WITH KARLA CORDERO AND REBE HUNTMAN, AUTHOR OF MY MOTHER IN HAVANA : A MEMOIR OF MAGIC & MIRACLE

August 18, 2025

A CONVERSATION WITH CURTIS SMITH, AUTHOR OF DEAF HEAVEN AND JEN MICHALSKI

August 18, 2025

TIM WEED, AUTHOR OF THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT, interviewed by Andrea Caswell

July 22, 2025

TERRI LEWIS, AUTHOR OF BEHOLD THE BIRD IN FLIGHT: A NOVEL OF AN ABDUCTED QUEEN, Interviewed by Andrea Caswell

July 22, 2025

AMIE SOUZA REILLY, AUTHOR OF HUMAN/ANIMAL, Interviewed by Catherine Parnell

July 22, 2025

AN INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR/WRITER/DIRECTOR GREG SESTERO, STAR OF THE ROOM AND AUTHOR OF THE DISASTER ARTIST, by Brian Burmeister

June 22, 2025

THE FINDING OUT: Megan Marshall on her latest book, After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart, interviewed by Andrea Caswell

April 1, 2025

A CONVERSATION WITH CLEAVER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KAREN RILE, by Beth Kephart

December 20, 2024

AN INTERVIEW WITH JOEANN HART, AUTHOR OF ARROYO CIRCLE, by Catherine Parnell

December 19, 2024

A CONVERSATION WITH SVEN BIRKERTS, Author of The Miró Worm and the Mysteries of Writing by Andrea Caswell

October 2, 2024

A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH SHANNON ROBINSON AND DARRIN DOYLE by Autumn Konopka and Emma Parzybok

August 31, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH MAXIEJANE FRAZIER, By Andrea Caswell

August 29, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH T.S. BENDER, by Andrea Caswell

June 6, 2024

AN INTERVIEW WITH KRISTEN VAN NEST, AUTHOR OF WHERE TO NEST by Benjamin Woodard

June 5, 2024

A Conversation with Alina Pleskova and Kimberly Ann Southwick

April 17, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH HANNAH SMART by Andrea Caswell

January 28, 2024

A CONVERSATION WITH DANUTA HINC, Author of WHEN WE WERE TWINS by Andrea Caswell

January 22, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH MONIQUE D. CLARK by Andrea Caswell

January 19, 2024

A CONVERSATION WITH BETH KEPHART, AUTHOR OF MY LIFE IN PAPER: ADVENTURES IN EPHEMERA BY MICHELLE FOST

December 18, 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH JAMES SULLIVAN, AUTHOR OF HARBORING by Justin Eells

November 6, 2023

AN INTERVIEW WITH KATHRYN KULPA, AUTHOR OF COOKING TIPS FOR THE DEMON-HAUNTED by Jessica Klimesh

September 16, 2023

AN INTERVIEW WITH RUTH MADIEVSKY, AUTHOR OF ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY by Simona Zaretsky

August 23, 2023

AN INTERVIEW WITH TOM DALEY, AUTHOR OF FAR CRY by Michael McCarthy

May 31, 2023

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR PHOEBE REEVES ON TWO NEW PUBLICATIONS

April 9, 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH NANCY LUDMERER, AUTHOR OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE: 48 STORIES by Kathryn Kulpa

February 14, 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTOPHER M. HOOD, AUTHOR OF THE REVIVALISTS by Hannah Felt Garner

January 30, 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH ALISON LUBAR, AUTHOR OF PHILOSOPHERS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT LOVE by Michael McCarthy

January 11, 2023

I LIKE TO THINK THAT ALL OF MY CHARACTERS HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR: A Conversation with Chaitali Sen, author of A NEW RACE OF MEN FROM HEAVEN by Gemini Wahhaj

I LIKE TO THINK THAT ALL OF MY CHARACTERS HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR: A Conversation with Chaitali Sen, author of A NEW RACE OF MEN FROM HEAVEN by Gemini Wahhaj

December 16, 2022

LUCIAN MATTISON, AUTHOR OF THE POETRY COLLECTION CURARE, SPEAKS WITH WILL HUBERDEAU

November 4, 2022

EMET EZELL, AUTHOR OF BETWEEN EVERY BIRD, OUR BONES SPEAKS WITH CLEAVER POETRY EDITOR CLAIRE OLESON

October 6, 2022

IN WHICH LIFE?: A Conversation with Chauna Craig, author WINGS AND OTHER THINGS, speaking with Emily Huso

September 26, 2022

MAKING EACH STORY ITS OWN: A Craft Conversation with Tony Taddei, author of THE SONS OF THE SANTORELLI, speaking with fiction editor Andrea Caswell

May 16, 2022

A Conversation with Ann de Forest Editor of the Anthology WAYS OF WALKING by Amy Beth Sisson

A CONVERSATION WITH ANN DE FOREST EDITOR OF THE ANTHOLOGY WAYS OF WALKING by Amy Beth Sisson

April 22, 2022

A CONVERSATION WITH NAMRATA PODDAR, AUTHOR OF BORDER LESS

March 22, 2022

AN INTERVIEW WITH KATHLEEN COURTENAY STONE, AUTHOR OF THE COLLECTIVE BIOGRAPHY, THEY CALLED US GIRLS

March 1, 2022

FIVE AND A HALF QUESTIONS FOR MICHELLE ROSS ON HER NEW COLLECTION SHAPESHIFTING—Interview by Kathryn Kulpa

November 17, 2021

A CONVERSATION WITH AMY KOPPELMAN, AUTHOR OF A MOUTHFUL OF AIR by Michael McCarthy

September 14, 2021

MICHELLE ROSS INTERVIEWS DAN CRAWLEY, AUTHOR OF STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD, A NOVELLA IN FLASH

March 16, 2021

A MEMOIR CONVERSATION with David Marchino and Beth Kephart

A MEMOIR CONVERSATION with David Marchino and Beth Kephart

February 10, 2021

DUMP TRUMP, Illustrated T-Shirts by William Sulit

DUMP TRUMP, Illustrated T-Shirts by William Sulit

September 4, 2020

The Cooperating Witness book jacket

AN INTERVIEW WITH MIKE AVERY, AUTHOR OF THE COOPERATING WITNESS, by Andrea Caswell

July 2, 2020

Book Jacket Cover Art for HALF

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON HARRIGAN, AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL HALF, by Virginia Pye

June 15, 2020

Things From the Creek Bed jacket copy

AN INTERVIEW WITH CLAIRE OLESON, AUTHOR OF THINGS FROM THE CREEK BED WE COULD HAVE BEEN, by Andrea Caswell

April 28, 2020

CLAIRE RUDY FOSTER MADE YOU A MIX TAPE, an interview by KC Mead-Brewer

November 2, 2019

The Disaster Artist.jpg

A CONVERSATION WITH GREG SESTERO AUTHOR OF THE DISASTER ARTIST: MY LIFE INSIDE THE ROOM, THE GREATEST BAD MOVIE EVER MADE

October 29, 2019

A CONVERSATION WITH ELIZABETH MOSIER, AUTHOR OF EXCAVATING MEMORY: ARCHAEOLOGY AND HOME. Interview by Nathaniel Popkin

April 1, 2019

A CONVERSATION WITH STEPHAN SALISBURY, AUTHOR OF BRITT & JIMMY STRIKE OUT. Interview by Sue Laizik

March 24, 2019

A Conversation with Translator Marian Schwartz Interview by Ryan K. Strader

October 16, 2018

A CONVERSATION WITH ADA LIMÓN AUTHOR OF THE CARRYING, interview by Grant Clauser

September 28, 2018

A Conversation with Nathaniel Popkin author of EVERYTHING IS BORROWED and Grant Clauser

A CONVERSATION WITH NATHANIEL POPKIN AUTHOR OF EVERYTHING IS BORROWED AND GRANT CLAUSER

August 31, 2018

A CONVERSATION WITH MELISSA SARNO, AUTHOR OF JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS by Kathryn Kulpa

August 27, 2018

A CONVERSATION WITH JANET BENTON, AUTHOR OF LILLI DE JONG, interviewed by Colleen Davis

May 9, 2018

A CONVERSATION WITH AYELET WALDMAN, AUTHOR OF A REALLY GOOD DAY. Interview by Chaya Bhuvaneswar

April 26, 2018

A CONVERSATION WITH KIM MAGOWAN, AUTHOR OF UNDOING FROM MOON CITY PRESS. Interview by Yasmina Din Madden

March 30, 2018

A CONVERSATION WITH PETER FRANCE, TRANSLATOR OF GENNADY AYGI’S TIME OF GRATITUDE by Ryan K. Strader

March 15, 2018

BRIAN BURMEISTER INTERVIEWS DAVID J. PETERSON, AUTHOR OF THE ART OF LANGUAGE INVENTION

February 23, 2018

Rachel R. Taube interviews Ros Schwartz, translator of TRANSLATION AS TRANHUMANCE

RACHEL R. TAUBE INTERVIEWS ROS SCHWARTZ, TRANSLATOR OF TRANSLATION AS TRANSHUMANCE

February 6, 2018

MICHELLE FOST INTERVIEWS MARC LABRIOLA

December 20, 2017

BRIAN BURMEISTER INTERVIEWS HEATHER DERR-SMITH

November 16, 2017

GRANT CLAUSER INTERVIEWS POET JERICHO BROWN

October 16, 2017

BENJAMIN PERCY, AUTHOR OF THE DARK NET, interviewed by Brian Burmeister

October 13, 2017

A Conversation with Andrea Jarrell, author of I'M THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY, by Elizabeth Mosier

A CONVERSATION WITH ANDREA JARRELL, AUTHOR OF I’M THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY, by Elizabeth Mosier

September 6, 2017

A CONVERSATION WITH SONYA HUBER, AUTHOR OF PAIN WOMAN TAKES YOUR KEYS AND OTHER ESSAYS FROM A NERVOUS SYSTEM, by Lisa Romeo

June 6, 2017

BEAUTIFUL IN ITS SLOWNESS: An Interview with Rachel Slotnick by Millicent Borges Accardi

January 26, 2017

A CONVERSATION WITH CLAIRE RUDY FOSTER AUTHOR OF I’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE

October 5, 2016

A PILGRIM’S FUGUE: Fiber Works by Dennis Potter

September 21, 2016

A CONVERSATION WITH KATHRYN KULPA, author of Girls on Film

September 15, 2016

THE JUNCTURE INTERVIEW Beth Kephart and William Sulit Interview Each Other

THE JUNCTURE INTERVIEW Beth Kephart and William Sulit Interview Each Other

August 12, 2016

Nathaniel Popkin: in Conversation with Translator LEE KLEIN

July 27, 2016

HOW COME BOYS GET TO KEEP THEIR NOSES?: A Conversation with Tahneer Oksman

March 16, 2016