Sacramento Noir with Maureen O’Leary and Naomi Williams

Maureen O’Leary and Naomi J. Williams are California authors who join us to discuss their inclusion in Sacramento Noir, an anthology showcasing the gilded splendor and, as editor John Freeman puts it, the “not-at-all-buried contradictions” of that historic state capital. In today’s episode, Naomi, Maureen, and Annmarie talk about the erasure of a Japanese-American neighborhood, the powerful sway of mean girls, and what we can learn from the dark stories our cities hide in plain sight.  Episode Sponsors: Pegasus Books – With shops in Berkeley and Oakland, Pegasus bookstores are welcoming and inclusive neighborhood spaces, where we believe in the printed word and in the alchemy of sharing books with one another. Find a huge selection of new, used and sale titles in our stores or shop online at PegasusBookstore.com. Green Apple Books– We’ve been connecting curious San Francisco readers to great books since 1967. Browsing at Green Apple is a unique experience. From our handmade signs and book recommendations to the many nooks and crannies, you can both get lost in here and find serendipity. Our friendly, well-read employees also stand ready to help you in any way. For your next great read, stop by or go to greenapplebooks.com Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Sacramento Noir, edited by John Freeman Landfalls, by Naomi J. Williams Physics of Weight: Collected Poems, by Maureen O’Leary Time’s Mouth, by Edan Lepucki Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters The Heart of It All, by Christian Kiefer (You can listen to our WPL conversation with Christian here.) Here’s the opening for The Brady Bunch. What do you think – terrifying or not? Here’s the trailer for the noir film Notorious with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Follow Maureen O'Leary: Instagram: @maureenow Twitter/X: @maureenow Bluesky: @maureenow.bsky.social‬ maureen-oleary.com Follow Naomi J. Williams: Instagram: @naomijwilliams Twitter/X: @NaomiWilliams Bluesky: @naomijwilliams.bsky.social‬ naomijwilliams.com **Writing Workshops:  If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below.  Or if you’re looking for an online class to jumpstart your memoir, you can find that here.  Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here or message Annmarie to learn more.  Photo Credits: Jesse Egner for Naomi Williams Aaron Cameron for Maureen O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices