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)
Mary-Beth Hughes and Lauren Acampora
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(Broadcast date: June 10, 2015)
Vendela Vida and Samantha Harvey on Writers on Writing
Mystery Author Noreen Ayres and Hummingbird Rescuer Terry Masear
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(Broadcast date: May 27, 2015)
Michael Paterniti and Marian Palaia on Writers on Writing
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(Broadcast date: April 29, 2015)
Nayomi Munaweera and Aline Ohanesian on Writers on Writing
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(Broadcast date: April 22, 2015)
Seth Greenland on Writers on Writing
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(Broadcast date: May 13, 2015)
Peter Heller and Rebecca Scherm on Writers on Writing
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(Broadcast date: March 18, 2015)
Mary Norris and Christie Watson
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(Broadcast date: May 6, 2015)
Beth Kephart talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about memoir
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(Broadcast date: Oct. 16, 2013)
Jacob Rubin and Angela Flournoy
Jacob Rubin , author of the novel The Poser, talks to Nicole Nelson about the value of re-reading, how his protagonist Giovanni emerged from his work on a short story, and the comfort of rituals when writing (and in life). Then Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House, discusses finding the right first chapter, how studying The Brothers Karamazov helped her map the story of her novel, and the importance of submitting to--and not resisting--the revision process.
Angela and Barbara DeMarci-Barrett will be at the LA Times Festival of Books.
Angela's panel is Sunday, April 19 at 3:30 (Fiction: The Past in Our Present Hoffman Hall )
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett will moderate Fiction: Perfectly Flawed Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Annenberg Auditorium.
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(Broadcast date: April 15, 2015)
Pulitzer prize winning poet Stephen Dunn
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(Broadcast date: April 8, 2014)
John Burley and Kelly Link talk with Marrie Stone
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(Broadcast date: March 4, 2015)
Jill Alexander Essbaum and Michele Young-Stone on Writers on Writing
Poet and debut novelist Jill Alexander Essbaum, author of Hausfrau, joins co-host Nicole Nelson to talk about the importance of the small Swiss town setting for her story and her protagonist Anna, how the worst times in our lives are probably the most important, and how a love of words unites her work in poetry and fiction. Then author Michele Young-Stone talks about her latest novel, Above Us Only Sky, balancing research when writing a novel, exploring the concept of "home" in her work, and approaching the page with confidence.
Jill will be at the LA Times Festival of Books; her panel is Sunday, April 19 at 12:30 (Conversation 2042).
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(Broadcast date: April 1, 2015)
Jincy Willett on Writers on Writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
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(Broadcast date: March 25, 2015)
Matt Sumell and Elisa Albert on Writers on Writing
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(Broadcast date: March 11, 2015)
Christopher Noxon and Tara Ison
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(Broadcast date: January 28, 2015)
Maureen Corrigan and Stewart O'Nan on Writers on Writing
Maureen Corrigan, author and NPR book critic, talks to co-host Nicole Nelson about her latest book, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came To Be And Why It Endures, as well as what some of Fitzgerald's revisions left behind in earlier drafts of the novel, the importance of water imagery in the book, and her experience retracing some of the author's steps. In the second half, Stewart O'Nan discusses his latest novel West of Sunset, which fictionalizes the last chapter of Fitzgerald's life, the Hollywood years. He talks about coming late to appreciate Fitzgerald himself, what kind of research was required to immerse himself in the world of Hollywood in the late 1930s, and how his experience writing narrative nonfiction helped create a world that served both history and his character.
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(Broadcast date: February 25, 2015)
Maggie Shipstead & Lily King
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(Broadcast date: January 14, 2015)
Tatjana Soli and Erin Harris on Writers on Writing
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[Note: In the Harris interview, there are a couple of very brief phone line blips that resolve quickly.]
(Broadcast date: February 11, 2015)
Miranda July and Adam Langer on Writers on Writing
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(Broadcast date: Feb. 4, 2015)