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)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/10/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 5/10/13

Judith Schwartz talks about her new book, Cows Save the Planet

Judith Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Plant (Chelsea Green) came on the show to talk about how cows are not only cute--they are useful in countless ways. They've also been much maligned for their methane gassy ways. It's not so! Listen to find out why. Judy also talked about how her articles about soil and the environment segued to a book length manuscript.

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(Broadcast date: May 8, 2013)

Marrie 5/10/13 Marrie 5/10/13

Anna Quindlen & Meg Wolitzer

Guest host Marrie Stone chats with Anna Quindlen about her new memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake and Meg Wolitzer, author of The Interestings.

Please note that Anna's interview finishes abruptly and Meg's interview begins mid-stream due to studio recording issues. We apologize for the technical snafu, but the majority of both interviews were captured. Thanks for your patience.

Download audio of Anna Quindlen.

Download audio of Meg Wolitzer.

(Broadcast date: April 24, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/19/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/19/13

Hilary Davidson on Writers on Writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Hilary Davidson, author of Evil in All its Disguises (Forge), talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her latest mystery.

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(Broadcast date: April 9, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/18/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/18/13

Kevin Smokler, Peggy Payne, and Jillian Lauren on Writers on Writing

Kevin Smokler, author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School(Prometheus) during the first half, and during the second half, Peggy Payne, author of Cobalt Blue, and Jillian Lauren, author of Pretty: A Novel.

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(Broadcast date: April 10, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/17/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 4/17/13

Alison Singh Gee, author of Where the Peacocks Sing, on Writers on Writing

Alison Singh Gee, author of Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince, and the Search for Home (St. Martin's Press) talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her new memoir and the process of writing it.

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(Broadcast date: April 17, 2013)

Marrie 3/14/13 Marrie 3/14/13

George Saunders

My guest host Marrie Stone talks with New York Times bestselling author Tenth of December: Stories about his latest short story collection Tenth of December.

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(Broadcast date: March 13, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 3/10/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 3/10/13

Novelist Ann Hood on Writers on Writing

Novelist Ann Hood, author of The Obituary Writer: A Novel came on the show to talk about her new novel and the art and craft of novel writing.

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(Broadcast date: Jan. 25. 2013

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 3/6/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 3/6/13

Poet Stephen Dunn on Writers on Writing

Pulitzer prize winning poet Stephen Dunn, author of Here and Now: Poems, discusses poetry, writing, and reads from his newest book. He's been a favorite of mine since one fateful day around 1981 on a bus in San Francisco. Holding to the strap as the bus lumbered up a hill, I looked up and saw a placard with a Stephen Dunn poem. SF had some sort of transit poetry project going on, and I was forever hooked on Dunn's poems.

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(Broadcast date: Feb. 27, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 2/17/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 2/17/13

Jess Walter on Writers on Writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Jess Walter, author of We Live in Water, talks about this new collection of short stories and about other books--Beautiful Ruins, Citizen Vince--and writing, with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

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(Broadcast date: Feb. 13, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 2/16/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 2/16/13

John McNally on Writers on Writing

Author John McNally returns to Writers on Writing to talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about Vivid and Continuous: Essays and Exercises for Writing Fiction.

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(Broadcast date: Jan. 20, 2013)

Marrie 2/12/13 Marrie 2/12/13

Short Story Writers Sarah Hall & Jennifer Haigh

Marrie Stone talks with Sarah Hall, author of the short story collection The Beautiful Indifference, and Jennifer Haigh, author of the interlinked collection News From Heaven: The Bakerton Stories.

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(Broadcast date: February 6, 2013)

Marrie 1/26/13 Marrie 1/26/13

Geraldine Brooks and Laura Furman

Marrie Stone interviews Geraldine Brooks, author of Caleb's Crossing, and Laura Furman, author of The Mother Who Stayed.

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(Broadcast date: May 18, 2011)

Marrie 1/22/13 Marrie 1/22/13

Stephen Elliott

Marrie Stone interviews Stephen Elliott, author of The Adderall Diaries: A Memoir of Moods, Masochism, and Murder.

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(Broadcast Date: December 30, 2009)

Marrie 1/18/13 Marrie 1/18/13

John McNally and Ted Weinstein

Marrie Stone interviews John McNally, author of The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist and literary agent Ted Weinstein.

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(Broadcast date: September 1, 2010)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/11/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/11/13

Robert "Snorkel Bob" Wintner on Writers on Writing

Author and activist Robert "Snorkel Bob" Wintner, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about his books, and about endangered tropical fish in Hawaii.

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(Broadcast date: Dec. 5, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/9/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/9/13

Novelist Margaret Atwood

Novelist, short story writer, essayist, poet and environmental activist Margaret Atwood talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about an assortment of writing related things including her new Positron serial on Byliner.com.

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(Broadcast date: Jan. 9, 2013)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/8/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/8/13

Authors Sonia Marsh, Mary Castillo, Nancy Klann-Moren & Charles Leister talk about self-publishing on Writers on Writing

Authors Sonia Marsh, Mary Castillo, Nancy Klann-Moren, and Charles Leister talk about their books, and the process of self publishing. (Recording starts a few minutes into the broadcast.)

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(Broadcast date: Jan. 2, 2013

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/5/13 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 1/5/13

Novelist Hector Tobar on Writers on Writing

Hector Tobar, author of The Barbarian Nurseries, talks about novel writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on her weekly radio show, Writers on Writing.

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(Broadcast date: November 7, 2012)

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 12/28/12 Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 12/28/12

Novelist Diana Wagman on Writers on Writing

Novelist Diana Wagman, author of The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets, spent the entire hour with me talking about her new novel, publishing, writing, and more.

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(Broadcast date: December 12, 2012)

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

Dublin-based novelist (journalist, screenwriter, book reviewer) John Banville for an hour to about his latest novel, Ancient Light, his mystery series, writing, writers, and more, and as the show goes on, it gets downright jolly.

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(Broadcast date: 12.19.2012)