Carla Malden
Special guest
Carla Malden is an acclaimed novelist and memoirist whose work explores love, loss, memory, and the ways stories shape our lives. She is the author of several books, including her newest novel, Playback, a haunting exploration of grief and reinvention. Carla began her career in the film industry before turning to writing, and her storytelling often reflects a deep cinematic sensibility. She has also written movingly about personal loss and resilience, including her memoir AfterImage: A Brokenhearted Memoir of a Charmed Life. With Playback, she continues her exploration of how the past reverberates through the present and the enduring power of narrative to help us make meaning of our lives.
Carla Malden has been a guest on 1 episode.
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Episode 304: Playback, with Carla Malden
September 16th, 2025 | 45 mins 9 secs
In this episode of Give and Take, Scott Jones talks with novelist Carla Malden about her new book, Playback. The novel is a haunting and beautifully layered exploration of memory, loss, and reinvention—blurring the lines between past and present to show how grief reshapes identity and how the stories we tell ourselves can both hold us back and set us free. Together, Scott and Carla dive into the inspirations behind Playback, and the ways fiction can illuminate the most intimate corners of human experience.