Emerging Form

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Episode 168: Eric Zimmer on Trust, Motivation and Asking for Help

July 02, 2026

“One of my superpowers is I see the nuance in everything,” says podcast host and author Eric Zimmer. “That is also sometimes my greatest weakness because I want to caveat the living heck out of everything that I say.” In this episode of Emerging Form, we talk with Eric about the process of writing his book How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. We cover· how the stages of change relate to creative process,· why dedicating time is an essential part of ...

Episode 167: Roxanne Khamsi on the Joy of Thinking

June 18, 2026

“I didn’t know I enjoyed thinking so much,” says science writer Roxanne Khamsi when asked what surprised her most about writing her first book Beyond Inheritance. “I thought I enjoyed interviewing people and reading research papers and the process of finding the right verb in a sentence. What’s hard for me is once I get into that thinking space, I can’t let go of it.” In this episode we talk about how she made the leap from writing articles to writing a book—and why they are so different. We ...

Episode 166: Kelli Russell Agodon on Play in Poetry

June 04, 2026

“I use play as kind of a backdoor to talk about tougher subjects,” says poet Kelli Russell Agodon, “but also as a front door for the reader to be able to listen.” Her most recent book, Accidental Devotions, blends humor, vulnerability, aging, the chaos of relationships, and the art of humaning. In this episode, of Emerging form we talk with Kelli about* Writing in service to “The Quiet Rebels”* Finding the form for a poem or book at the end of the project* Where to put the most vulnerable con...