Writers Talk on Michigan Avenue Media · Marsha Casper Cook

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April 8, 2026·1 hr 5 min·6 clips

She spontaneously linked her Star Series and Cecily Taylor books into one world after a title idea struck.

Marcia starts the conversation in an easy, familiar mood. She brings Kristen Lindsay Hager on after a bit of catching up, noting that they have not done a show together for a couple weeks and that it feels longer. Kristen begins with how she came up as a writer. She talks about journalism, writing for the University of Michigan-Flint paper, the Michigan Times, and other newspapers, even while books stayed in the back of her mind as the real dream. From there, the talk moves into character damage. Kristen describes Alfred as someone whose life has been reshaped by injury, reputation, and a label he cannot just shake off. Benson is part of that story too. The conversation circles a brotherly wound, a marathon Alfred can no longer run, and the way people keep remembering one underhanded act long after the moment has passed. Then the advice gets simple in the best way. A relative tells Alfred that he never even liked running that much. He liked collecting stamps and watching movies, and those small pleasures still matter. Marcia hears the weight of that. The point is not that disappointment goes away. It is that the life left behind can still have texture, comfort, and room to breathe. Kristen ties that thought to Nikki Schmidt, saying it came from advice Nikki gave her years ago, and she treats it like something someone listening may need. The reputation thread keeps coming back. Alfred has been branded by a magazine cover as the most ruthless man in business, and Kristen uses that to show how one choice can stick to a person. Marcia connects it to the internet, where people write things and later wish they could take them back, but the record does not always disappear. The ending stays loose and friendly. Kristen jokes that she will take over next time and interview Marcia about Hanna-Brook, and Marcia thanks her before signing off with the same warmth that opened the call.

As heard by us

A warm discussion of writing, reputation, and resilience, carried by an easy writer-to-writer tone.

The episode follows a loose, neighborly exchange about writing, with Kristen Lindsay Hager talking about coming up through journalism, loving books from an early age, and always wanting to write for young adults.

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Why you'd press play

For a calm writer-to-writer chat about journalism, book dreams, reputation, and a life that changes shape without losing value.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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