From debut authors to Pulitzer Prize winners, Writers on Writing tackles a little of everything — novels, short stories, memoir, poetry, and more, as well as interviews with agents and publishers.
Unlike other shows dedicated to discussing books, we focus on the art, craft, and business of writing. Writers appreciate the opportunity to talk about the artistic elements of their job — the thousands of decisions that must be made to produce a manuscript. There’s no aspect of craft, creativity, and publishing we don’t explore.
We’ve hosted well over 1,500 authors on the show including Elizabeth Strout, S.A. Cosby, Ann Patchett, Amor Towles, and George Saunders. Expert advice from some of the industry’s top writers allows us to offer a show that’s been called “your own personal MFA program” (with no financial strain).
Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Host: Marrie Stone
Music and sound editing by Travis Barrett
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
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EPISODES
(2001 - present)
Dani Shapiro at the Pen on Fire Writers Salon
Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion, was a guest at the Pen on Fire Writers Salon in February of 2010. Here is that live event.
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(Broadcast date: XXX XX, 20XX)
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(Broadcast date: XXX XX, 20XX)
Kim Wyatt & Danzy Senna
Kim Wyatt, editor of Permanent Vacation and Danzy Senna, author of You Are Free, a collection of short stories, in conversation with Barbara.
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(Broadcast date: 9/14/2011)
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(Broadcast date: 9/14/2011)
Justin Torres and Helen Schulman
Marrie Stone interviews Justin Torres, author of We the Animals, and Helen Schulman, author of This Beautiful Life.
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(Broadcast date: Aug 31, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: Aug 31, 2011)
Traci Foust and Christina Shea
Marrie Stone interviews Traci Foust, author of Nowhere Near Normal: A Memoir of OCD, and Christina Shea, author of Smuggled.
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(Broadcast date: Aug 24, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: Aug 24, 2011)
Robert Olen Butler and Anita Shreve
Robert Olen Butler, author of A Small Hotel (Grove) and Anita Shreve, author of Rescue (Back Bay Books) talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.
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(The interview with Butler is Part I. Part II will be broadcast and taped on August 10, 2011.
(Broadcast date: August 3, 2011)
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(The interview with Butler is Part I. Part II will be broadcast and taped on August 10, 2011.
(Broadcast date: August 3, 2011)
Memoirist Glen Retief
Glen Retief, author of the memoir, The Jack Bank, in conversation for the entire hour with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.
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(Broadcast date: July 20, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: July 20, 2011)
Literary attorney Mark Fowler & Pageant of the Masters writer Dan Duling
Mark Fowler, New York City-based literary attorney, and Dan Duling, playwright and writer for Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about writers' legal issues and writing plays and narration for Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters.
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Broadcast date: July 13, 2011.
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Broadcast date: July 13, 2011.
Tamar Cohen and Jane Smiley
Marrie Stone interviews Tamar Cohen, author of The Mistress's Revenge, and Jane Smiley, author of Private Life.
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(Broadcast date: Jun 29, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: Jun 29, 2011)
Susie Bright and Melissa Schroeder
Marrie Stone interviews Susie Bright, author of Big Sex Little Death: A Memoir, and Melissa Schroeder, author of A Little Harmless Obsession.
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(Broadcast date: Jun 22, 2011)
Our first donation!
A shout out to Ron Alvarez (former NYC cop) who clicked the donation button over on the right side of the screen and sent $$ our way, which I will, in turn, send to our podcast guru Rob Roy. It's because of Rob that the Writers on Writing podcast started up, and it's largely because of him that it functions. When it recently fell off the iTunes radar, Rob put in time to get it going again. So thanks Ron, and thanks again to Rob for all that he does.
Arielle Eckstut, David Henry Sterry and Arthur Plotnik
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, and Arthur Plotnik, author of Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives.
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(Broadcast date: Jun 12, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: Jun 12, 2011)
Podcast is back up
Here you go...if you lost the podcast, it's back. Click here and resubscribe.
Pen on Fire Salon with Aimee Bender and Michael Jaime-Becerra
The Pen on Fire Writers Salon. Barbara DeMarco-Barrett in conversation with Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and Michael Jaime-Becerra, author of This Time Tomorrow.
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(Event date: June 2010)
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(Event date: June 2010)
Robert Sabbag and Ander Monson
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Robert Sabbag, author of Down Around Midnight: A Memoir of Crash and Survival and Ander Monson, author of Vanishing Point: Not a Memoir.
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(Broadcast Date: May 19, 2010)
An earlier, incomplete version of this show was posted in 2010.
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(Broadcast Date: May 19, 2010)
An earlier, incomplete version of this show was posted in 2010.
Mira Bartok and Maira Kalman on Writers on Writing
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Mira Bartok, author of The Memory Palace and Maira Kalman, author/illustrator of In Pursuit of Happiness.
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(Broadcast date: March 16, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: March 16, 2011)
Catherine Friend and Caitlin Kelly on Writers on Writing
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Catherine Friend, author of Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet, and Caitlin Kelly, author of Malled: My Untentional Career in Retail.
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(Broadcast date: May 11, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: May 11, 2011)
Sarah Porter and Gayle Forman
Marrie Stone interviews Sarah Porter, author of Lost Voices, and Gayle Forman, author of Where She Went.
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(Broadcast date: May 4, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: May 4, 2011)
Joshua Kendall and Darin Strauss
Marrie Stone interviews Joshua Kendall, author of The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture, and Darin Strauss, author of Half a Life.
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(Broadcast date: Apr 27, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: Apr 27, 2011)
Olga Grushin and Stewart O'Nan
Marrie Stone interviews Olga Grushin, author of The Line, and Stewart O'Nan, author of Emily, Alone.
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(Broadcast date: Apr 13, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: Apr 13, 2011)
Victor Infante and Kim Dower: Poetry Month
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Victor Infante, author of City of Insomnia, and Kim Dower, author of Air Kissing on Mars.
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(Broadcast date: April 20, 2011)
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(Broadcast date: April 20, 2011)