Elinor Lipman and Marcia Clark talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett on KUCI-FM

Novelists Elinor Lipman, author of On Turpentine Lane, and Marcia Clark, author of her new series, Blood Defense and Moral Defense, talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about their novels.

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(Broadcast date: March 29, 2017)

Novelists Jami Attenberg and Jean Hanff Korelitz with Nicole Nelson

Jami Attenberg, author of All Grown Up, talks to guest host Nicole Nelson about writing dialogue that she knows won't be used in the novel just so that "the characters get to know each other," the importance of figuring out what you do well as a writer and doing it a lot, so that you start to do it automatically, and her message to aspiring writers: there are no shortcuts.

In the second half of the show, Jean Hanff Korelitz, author of The Devil and Webster, talks about
how this book came to her fully formed,writing about the theme of women wearing their power with great discomfort, and at great personal cost, and how, in her experience, if you are brave enough to go forward without knowing everything that is going to happen in your book, eventually you will be rewarded with the answer.

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(Broadcast date: March 22, 2017)

Melissa Febos and Caite Dolan Leach on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM

Memoirist Melissa Febos, author of Abandon Me, joins co host Marrie Stone to talk about how this new book is both braver and more personal than her former memoir, Whip Smart.  She discusses how to go deep, protecting the ones you love in writing, how to structure a memoir as a book of essays, and much more.

In the second half, Caite Dolan Leach joins Marrie to talk about her novel, Dead Letters.  She talks about writing unlikable characters, creating suspense, and more.

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(Broadcast date: March 1, 2017)

Novelist Kevin Canty and literary agent Noah Lukeman on Writers on Writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Kevin Canty, author of The Underworld, and literary agent Noah Lukeman, author of The First Five Pages, talk with host Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about their work and the business of publishing.

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 (Broadcast date: March 8, 2017)

George Saunders on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM

George Saunders joins co-host Marrie Stone for the entire hour to talk about his novel, Lincoln in the Bardo.  He shares his perspectives on empathy, compassion, the role of the artist in the current political climate, his views on death and dying, and much more.

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(Broadcast date: February 15, 2017)

Poet Stephen Dunn & memoirist/novelist Judith Freeman

Stephen Dunn, author of Whereas, and Judith Freeman, author of the memoir, The Latter Days, talk with host Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about their work.

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(Broadcast date: Feb. 22, 2017)

Roxane Gay & Kayla Rae Whitaker

Novelist, essayist and short story writer Roxane Gay joins Marrie Stone to talk about her latest collection of stories, Difficult Women.  In the second half, debut novelist Kayla Rae Whitaker joins to share her novel, The Animators.  Both women talk about writing in the Trump era, the role of class, feminism, misogyny, and more.

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(Broadcast date: February 8, 2017)

Sarah Manguso and Elan Mastai

Poet and essayist Sarah Manguso joins Marrie Stone to talk about her latest, 300 Arguments.  She discusses the importance of writing and journaling through dangerous political times, the role of mothering in her writing life, how the state of the world impacts her work, and more.

In the second half, Elan Mastai joins to share his debut novel, All Our Wrong Todays.  He talks about creating a science fiction world, the role of identity in his own life and how it's mirrored in the novel, and more.

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(Broadcast date: January 25, 2017)

Chris Bohjalian & Manjula Martin with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Chris Bohjalian, author of The Sleepwalker, and Manjula Martin, author of Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living, spend the hour talking with Barbara about the art and business of writing.

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 (Broadcast date: Feb. 1, 2017)

Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer, is Barbara's guest for the entire hour. He talks about his new book of short stories, The Refugees, and his nonfiction book--the bookend to The Sympathizer--Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War.

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(Broadcast date: January 18, 2017)

Reed Karaim & Luis Alberto Urrea

Novelist Reed Karaim joins Marrie Stone to talk about his novel, The Winter in Anna.  Reed discusses the unknowable nature of characters and human beings, and the unconventional yet effective approach he chose to reveal character.  He talks about writing his hometown landscape, his elegy to the newspaper industry, and bringing minor characters to life.

In the second half, Luis Alberto Urrea joins to talk about his latest story collection, The Water Museum.  Luis shares his funny, poignant, very personal, and always heartfelt perspectives on the world and where it's headed.  And listening to his infectious love of music, lyrics, and language is always inspiring.

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 (Broadcast date: January 4, 2017)

Joshua Mohr and David Francis

Joshua Mohr, author of the new memoir, Sirens (Two Dollar Radio), and David Francis, author of the new novel, Wedding Bush Road (Counterpoint), join Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to discuss their books and their writing process.

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(Broadcast date: Jan. 11, 2017)

Lisa Cron and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Lisa Cron, author of Story Genius, published by 10 Speed Press, with Barbara. They talk about how starting with character (for fiction or memoir) is the key to unfolding the story. If you don't know your protagonist, who does? And how are you going to write a great story if you don't know whose story it is?

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(Broadcast date: Dec. 26, 2016)

Fannie Flagg & Odie Lindsey

Bestselling novelist Fannie Flagg joins Marrie Stone to chat about her latest, The Whole Town's Talking.  Lovers of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe will fall in love all over again with Fannie's characters, her world, and her ability to render southern charm onto the page and infuse her characters with life. She talks about writing with dyslexia, how acting helps writing, and what she's learned about writing and life over the years.

In the second half, short story writer Odie Lindsey discusses his debut collection, We Come to Our Senses. He talks about his experiences in Iraq, the need to include women in the narrative of war, and the importance of the advice "revise, revise, revise."  Plus, lots of other wonderful wisdom.

 
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(Broadcast date: December 21, 2016)

Wally Lamb & Mary Troy

New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb joins Marrie Stone to talk about his latest novel, I'll Take You There.  He discusses feminism, recurring characters, magical realism, how his interests have shifted over time, and his nostalgic love affair with an age now past.

In the second half, Mary Troy shares her novel Swimming on Hwy N.  Mary discusses her love for Missouri and bringing that place to life on the page, quirky characters, and how she approached the novel after her work in short fiction.

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(Broadcast date: December 14, 2016)

Norman Ollestad with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Norman Ollestad, author of French Girl with Mother, is Barbara's featured guest for the entire hour. Norman talks about writing fiction from life, the best training for a writer, writing tight, and more.

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(Broadcast date: Dec. 7, 2016)

Authors Teddy Wayne and Shawn Wong with Nicole Nelson

In the first half hour, novelist Teddy Wayne, author of Loner, talks with Nicole Nelson about leveraging spare use of the second person to add menace, building dread gradually through multiple drafts, and managing his writing time to balance work on fiction as well as being a regular contributions to The New Yorker and The New York Times.

In the second half, novelist Shawn Wong, author of American Knees, talks about his pioneering work in the field of Asian American Studies, how watching and listening closely to women helps him write rounded female characters, and how working with returning soldiers through the Red Badge Project taught him to think on his feet.

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(Broadcast date: November 30, 2016)

Novelist Caroline Leavitt and memoirist Molly Brodak talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Caroline Leavitt, author of Cruel Beautiful World, and Molly Brodak, author of Bandit talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about their books, and the art and business of writing.

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(Broadcast date: 11/23/2016)

Shawn Shiflett and Jim Fusilli

In the first half, Shawn Shiflett, author of Hey, Liberal! talks to co-host Nicole Nelson about the challenges of humanizing evil characters, writing realistic dialogue, and how being a natural mimic helps him create authentic-sounding voices.

In the second half, Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talks to Jim Fusilli, editor of, and contributor to Crime Plus Music about how being a music critic influenced him as a fiction writer, how he finds short stories more challenging to craft than novels, and why noir seems to work better in short fiction and movies as opposed to longer formats.

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(Broadcast date: November 9, 2016)

Clarence Major and Kelly Luce on Writers on Writing

In this post-election show, Clarence Major (novelist, poet, painter, short story writer and essayist) joins Marrie Stone to talk about his latest story collection, Chicago Heat and Other Stories.   What's been on his mind?  How do we love?  How do we connect?  Where do we find hope?  He shares this and more.

In the second half, Kelly Luce talks about her debut novel, Pull Me Under.  She discusses her time in Japan, and how a phenomena unique to Japanese youth influenced her novel.  Kelly also discusses working with psychologically difficult characters, what a move to present tense did for the book, and how she became a serious writer after leaving her MFA program.

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(Broadcast date: November 16, 2016)