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

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EPISODES

(2001 - present)

Marrie 10/2/12 Marrie 10/2/12

Amanda Coplin & Edie Meidav

Marrie Stone talks with Amanda Coplin, author of "The Orchardist," and Edie Meidav, author of "Lola, California".

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(Broadcast date: September 22, 2012)

Marrie 9/29/12 Marrie 9/29/12

Claire Vaye Watkins on Short Stories

Claire Vaye Watkins, author of the short story collection "Battleborn," talks with Marrie Stone about family history and how it shapes our stories, her father's time in the Manson family, the importance of physical and emotional distance from your work, how you know where a story should end, and other heavy topics.

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(Broadcast date: September 26, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 9/1/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 9/1/12

Chris Bohjalian & Randy Dotinga with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on Writers on Writing

Chris Bohjalian, author of The Sandcastle Girls, and journalist and Christian Science Monitor book reviewer Randy Dotinga talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM 88.9 in Orange Co, CA and online at www.kuci.org and iTunes college radio. More at penonfire.blogspot.com.

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(Broadcast date: July 29, 2012

Marrie 8/12/12 Marrie 8/12/12

Ken Ballen & Tim Harford

Ken Ballen, author of Terrorists in Love: The Real Lives of Islamic Radicals talks to Marrie Stone about why and how some of the world's most dangerous terrorists opened up and shared their stories, America's misconceptions about terrorism, and what we should really fear. Tim Harford, author of Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure, chats about how this book has helped with his own approach to writing and life.

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(Broadcast date: July 4, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 8/2/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 8/2/12

Steve Kemper & Bridget Hoida on Writers on Writing

Steve Kemper, author of A Labyrinth of Kingdoms and Bridget Hoida, author of So L.A. talk about their books and about writing.

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(Broadcast date: July 25, 2012)

Marrie 7/23/12 Marrie 7/23/12

Camille Noe Pagan and Janet Groth

Camille Noe Pagan talks to Marrie Stone about her novel, "The Art of Forgetting," how journalism feeds her fiction, the discipline of writing with children, and the mysteries of brain injuries. Janet Groth joins in the second half, talking about her years working at The New Yorker in her memoir, "The Receptionist: An Education at The New Yorker."

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(Broadcast date: July 11, 2012)

Marrie 7/16/12 Marrie 7/16/12

Eva Gabrielsson & Carin Gerhardsen

Stieg Larsson's partner of 31 years, Eva Gabrielsson, talks with Marrie Stone about her memoir, "There Are Things I Want You To Know (About Stieg Larsson and Me)." She shares her pain of his sudden loss, memories of their years together, and her intimate decision to share their story. Carin Gerhardsen, author of the Hammarby Series, talks about her writing process, carrying a storyline across several novels, and her methods of sustaining a mystery and characters. She is the author of "The Gingerbread House.

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(Broadcast date: June 27, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 7/14/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 7/14/12

Joan Schenkar talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on Writers on Writing

Joan Schenkar, biographer, playwright and author of The Talented Miss Highsmith, talks about writing biography and Patricia Highsmith, and more, on the show with Barbara.

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(Broadcast date: June 20, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 7/11/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 7/11/12

Jess Walter, "Beautiful Ruins," on Writers on Writing

Jess Walter, author of the new novel, Beautiful Ruins, discusses his book and work for the entire hour with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett. He will be a guest at the Pen on Fire Writers Salon on July 17, 2012. More info here.

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(Broadcast date: June 13, 2012)

Marrie 6/9/12 Marrie 6/9/12

Hannah Barnaby and Susan Davis

Marrie Stone interviews Hannah Barnaby, author of Wonder Show, and Susan Davis, author of I Was Building Up to Something.

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(Broadcast date: June 6, 2012)

Marrie 6/9/12 Marrie 6/9/12

Jesse Katz and Pamela Redmond

Marrie Stone interviews Jesse Katz, author of The Opposite Field: A Memoir, and Pamela Redmond, author of The Possibility of You.

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(Broadcast date: May 30, 2012)

Marrie 6/9/12 Marrie 6/9/12

Sonia Faleiro and David Bezmozgis

Marrie Stone interviews Sonia Faleiro, author of Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bars, and David Bezmozgis, author of The Free World.

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(Broadcast date: May 16, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/27/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/27/12

William Todd Schultz & Hope Edelman, on Writers on Writing

It's nonfiction day on "Writers on Writing" with a psychobiography author and a memoirist. William Todd Schultz, author of Tiny Terror: Why Truman Capote (Almost) Wrote Answered Prayers (Oxford) and Hope Edelman, co-author (along with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez) of Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son (Free Press) discuss their books and the art and craft of writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

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(Broadcast date: May 23, 2012)

Marrie 5/16/12 Marrie 5/16/12

Co-host Marrie Stone speaks with French novelist David Foenkinos, author of Delicacy (one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month, February 2012) and Clay Johnson, author of The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption. "Media personalities and high profile Google and Microsoft employees are extolling the virtues of Johnson's data plan" - Wired Magazine

Download audio. (Broadcast date: March 21, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/10/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/10/12

Biographers Steve Weinberg & Jack El-Hai and Memoirist Julie Metz on Writers on Writing

Biographers Steve Weinberg and Jack El-Hai, author of The Lobotomist in the first half, and memoirist Julie Metz, author of Perfection, talk with Barbara about the art, craft and business of their chosen genre..

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(Broadcast date: May 9, 2012

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/7/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/7/12

John Irving, author of Last Night at Twisted River and memoirist Novella Carpenter, talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about fiction and memoir, last lines, first lines, and more.

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(Broadcast date: 7/8/2010)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/4/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/4/12

Literary agent Linda Konner and author Roy Peter Clark

Linda Konner, a New York City literary agent, and friend, and Roy Peter Clark, author of Help! for Writers, in conversation with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

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(Broadcast date: Jan. 25, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/1/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/1/12

Dennis Palumbo discusses writers' challenges and Fever Dream with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Dennis Palumbo, author of Fever Dream and Writing from the Inside Out, talks with Barbara about his books and the challenges that writers encounter.

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(Broadcast date: April 4, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/21/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/21/12

Pie Evangelist Beth Howard talks about her memoir with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Beth Howard, author of Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Love and Pie (Harlequin) discusses how she came to write this memoir about becoming a widow at age 47, and how pie saved her.

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(Broadcast date: April 18, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/5/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/5/12

Memoirist James Brown talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on radio

Memoirist James Brown, author of The Los Angeles Diaries and This River talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett for the entire hour about his books, the art and craft of memoir, and the business of publishing. (He will appear on her panel at Literary Orange on April 14, 2012 at UC-Irvine. He will also be guest author at the Pen on Fire Writers Salon on May 15, 2012.

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(Broadcast date: March 28, 2012)