Author T.M. (Mike) McNally might be a transcendent literary voice, but that doesn’t mean he charges for autographs. After closing out Spillers No. 5 with his must-hear short story, Mike talks about wanting to be Cat Stevens, the terrifying prospect of interviewing John Updike when you’re 18 and wearing brown, soft shoes, and what’s behind his well-earned distrust of electricity.

Author Kathryn Hill is just about the nicest person in the world, but that doesn’t mean her characters can’t twist the proverbial knife. After wowing the crowd with her Spillers No. 5 reading, Kathryn tells us why she’s a huge Flannery O’Connor fan, how reading prose for Hayden’s Ferry Review helps her know what not to write, and why floral-themed footwear doesn’t prohibit her from treading on not-so-rosy territory. (Note: this episode is for mature audiences, only.)

Award-winning author and creative writing professor Aurelie Sheehan may be secretive by nature, but ply her with cake and she’ll dish with the best of ’em. After making the long haul from Tucson, Arizona to read her Spillers No. 5 short story, Aurelie tells us why the writing process is more about questions than answers, how she’s motivated by the intersection of imagination and memory, and why sometimes the truth simply isn’t good enough.