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, Google, or your favorite podcast app.

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EPISODES

(2001 - present)

Marrie Marrie

Caroline Leavitt & Howard Norman

Marrie Stone chats with Caroline Leavitt, author of Is This Tomorrow, about being an outsider, how writing can't escape personal experience, and what perseverance really looks like.  In the second half hour, Howard Norman discusses his memoir, I Hate To Leave This Beautiful Place, his love of ornithology, and the power of place.

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(Broadcast date: July 10, 2013)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Literary agent Ted Weinstein talks about the state of publishing on Writers on Writing

San Francisco-based agent Ted Weinstein talks about the current state of publishing, and offers advice to writers: Let agents find you (he talks about how), become a multimedia empire (he talks about how), new publishing models (he talks about these), and more.

(Note: There's a bit of technical trouble toward the beginning of the interview and at the end, about 50 minutes in.  It's not you, it's me.)

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Broadcast date: June 26, 2013)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

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)
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Marrie Marrie

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)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

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)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

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)
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