Lee Cole, author of "Fulfillment"

To kick off the new season, I’m joined by the brilliant Lee Cole, whose writing captures the heart, complexity, and contradictions of contemporary America. Raised in rural western Kentucky, Lee’s fiction explores themes of identity, class, and belonging with a rare mix of tenderness and clarity. In this episode, we talk about the power of literature to reveal lives and landscapes we might never otherwise encounter, and why writing about home can be both fraught and freeing. If you love stories that dig deep into the cultural and emotional terrain of modern life, you won’t want to miss this conversation. As always, Lit with Charles loves reviews — if you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving one and help spread the word. You can also follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles for more literary takes and behind-the-scenes extras. Lee’s book picks from the episode: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love – Raymond Carver (1981) A Good Man is Hard to Find – Flannery O’Connor (1953) Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America – Barbara Ehrenreich (2001) The End of Vandalism – Tom Drury (1994)