Episode 69: Courtney Balestier of WMFA

Today, we're bringing you a special episode: a collaboration with Courtney Balestier of the WMFA podcast. If you don't already listen to WMFA, this episode is sure to make you a convert. WMFA features interviews with outstanding writers, from Emily St. John Mandel (one of my favorite episodes) to Susan Choi, as well as minisodes where Courtney puts into words the same anxieties and thoughts we have, in a way that makes us feel so seen.Courtney Balestier is a writer whose work focuses on the intersection of place and identity, particularly in her native Appalachia. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including The New Yorker online, Lucky Peach, the New York Times, and Oxford American, and has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award and a Pushcart Prize. Courtney holds a bachelor's degree in news journalism from West Virginia University and a master's degree in magazine journalism from New York University. A native West Virginian, she is at work on a novel about identity, progress, and class set in Appalachia and Detroit. She lives and works in Pittsburgh. You can find Courtney on her website, Twitter, and Instagram. Find WMFA online here, or listen in your favorite podcast app.As always, we'd love for you to take a minute to rate and review us in your podcast app, as this helps other listeners find the show.  Visit our website, marginallypodcast.com, for complete show notes and to get in touch. Find us on Instagram @marginallypodcast. Meghan's occasionally on Twitter @meghanembee, and Olivia’s @roamingoliviaTheme music is "It's Time" by Scaricá Ricascá