Susan Gregg Gilmore on the 10-Year Road to The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush

Host Jane Khodos Beyer welcomes novelist and former journalist Susan Gregg Gilmore to The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria Podcast to discuss Gilmore’s career pivot from freelance journalism (including the LA Times and Christian Science Monitor) to fiction writing at 40 with no prior fiction experience. Gilmore describes her messy, scene-based drafting process, finding inspiration in everyday life, and the publishing path of writing a book, securing an agent, and submitting to publishers. She recounts the 10-year journey to write The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush, inspired by a tombstone reading “Leonard Bush’s leg, 1923,” including balancing a full-time real estate career, receiving painful feedback from her agent, and reshaping the novel through a Novel Writing 101 workshop. Gilmore shares advice for writers (time in the chair, thick skin), explains the book’s hopeful premise, and celebrates winning the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction, then ends with Old Town favorites and where to buy the book. 00:00 Meet Susan Gilmore 01:48 Pivot to Fiction at 40 03:10 Journalism Roots 04:41 Writer Joys and Struggles 06:02 Messy Novel Process 07:58 Finding Inspiration 10:00 Leonard Bush Spark 12:07 Ten Year Rewrite 16:12 Revision and Writing Space 17:30 Praise and Harsh Reviews 19:29 Publishing Journey Next 19:46 Publishing Pathway 21:20 Advice For Writers 22:18 Building Thick Skin 24:05 Holding The Book 25:06 Winning Willie Morris 26:30 Hopeful Message 27:58 What She Reads 28:45 Micro Memoir Substack 30:13 Old Town Lightning Round 32:52 Where To Buy Around Old Town and beyond: Josephine: 400 King St | josephineoldtown.com | IG: @josephineoldtown Tatte Bakery & Cafe: 115 King St | tattebakery.com | IG: @tattebakery Comfort One Shoes: 201 King St | comfortone.com | IG: @comfortone Old Town Books: 106 N St Asaph St | oldtownbooks.com | IG: @oldtownbooks Let’s Stay in Touch Email us at [email protected]. To stay up to date with The People You Meet In Old Town, and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify or YouTube. The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria is a podcast that explores the people, places, and ideas that shape the historic district. Hosted by Jane Khodos Beyer, the show features wide-ranging discussions with local leaders and experts who bring practical ideas on how to preserve our heritage and build a vibrant community. © 2026 The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria. All rights reserved.