Listen:
I lost my beloved dad in March. He was kind, generous, and always protective of me…and I’ve been missing him deeply. That’s why the topic of fathers and what goes unsaid between parents and children in this episode really hit home. In the advanced stage of his Alzheimer’s, all the ways we used to talk disappeared—and I wasn’t prepared for that silence.
On the pod, editor and author Michele Filgate is back with a powerful follow-up to her bestselling anthology What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About—this time turning the lens on fatherhood.
We talk about the emotional and creative process behind What My Father and I Don’t Talk About, how TikTok gave her earlier book a surprising second life, and what she’s learned about building a lasting literary career.
In This Episode
- What changed between publishing her first and second anthology
- The unexpected TikTok virality that reignited interest in her debut
- How grief, marriage, and motherhood shaped her latest work
- What it takes to edit a balanced, emotionally resonant collection
- Advice for writers looking to create and publish anthologies
- Why literary citizenship is crucial to a sustainable writing career
- Michelle’s next chapter: turning inward to publish her own book
Watch on YouTube
About Michele
Michele Filgate is the editor of What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About and What My Father and I Don’t Talk About. Her writing has appeared in Longreads, Poets & Writers, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Paris Review Daily, Tin House, Gulf Coast, Oprah Daily, and many other publications. She received her MFA in Fiction from NYU, where she was the recipient of the Stein Fellowship. She teaches creative writing at The New School.
Connect with Michele
Episodes Mentioned In This One
Kelly McMasters Episode #41
Joanna Rakoff: Episode #87
And if you haven’t yet—watch my TEDx Talk:
How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
In this bold, funny, and widely shared talk, I blend personal storytelling with the real-world writing strategies I’ve developed as a longtime magazine editor, NYU professor, and writing coach. It all starts with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine—and builds into a powerful message about how to stand out in a crowded, noisy world, no matter the medium.
📺 Watch, comment, and share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ
About Estelle
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct instructor at NYU, she’s written for over 150 outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine, and has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.
✨ Explore More:
📚 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the Book | Listen to the Audiobook
📬 Subscribe on Substack – Craft tips, pitch advice & exclusive podcast extras. Latest post Stop Counting Words. Start Shaping Your Story (plus a bonus for paid subscribers) and How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen
🎧 Freelance Writing Direct – Interviews, insights & behind-the-scenes publishing tips
Follow Estelle:
📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 🐦 Twitter | 🌐 BlueSky
Class Alert
If you’re ready to write and get your work out into the world, I have one spot left in my September/October 6-week fiction Zoom class and one spot left in my October/November 6-week small group Zoom personal essay class. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for more information. This will sell out soon.
