Podcast #251 – “Four Paths, One Impossible Dream,” Part II: The Work

About this episode

The episode features updates from four authors on their biographical writing journeys.

In the second episode of our special six-part miniseries, the authors share updates on their research and writing. “Four Paths, One Impossible Dream” follows four authors navigating the challenges of writing biography. Over eight months in 2025, BIO Podcast producer Jenny Skoog spoke with comedian Sara Benincasa, tackling Abraham Lincoln; professor Kate Culkin, working on a book about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s daughters; historian Kevin McGruder, who has spent decades researching Harlem Renaissance writer Rudolph Fisher; and journalist Katie Rose Quandt, on the challenges of completing a book proposal while pregnant.

People in this episode

Host: Jenny Skoog

Guests: Sara Benincasa, Kate Culkin, Kevin McGruder, Katie Rose Quandt

Topics covered

• biography
• writing challenges
• author interviews
• research updates
• creative process

Keywords

• biography
• writing
• authors
• research
• challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Four Paths, One Impossible Dream, Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s daughters, Harlem Renaissance writer Rudolph Fisher

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