Episode 394: Literary Agents and Authors' Success in American Literature

 Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Laura B. McGrath, author of MIDDLEMEN: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, a revealing study of how literary agents have shaped American fiction, publishing markets, and the literary canon from the 1950s to today. In the conversation, McGrath explains why agents are far more than behind-the-scenes dealmakers. Drawing on archival research, data analysis, and interviews with more than 75 agents and publishing professionals, she describes agents as advocates, matchmakers, negotiators, tastemakers, and career strategists who help determine which books reach readers—and how writers build sustainable literary lives.  McGrath is an assistant professor of English at Temple University. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Nation, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Before joining Temple, she was associate director of the Literary Lab at Stanford University. Follow Laura B. McGrath on Social Media:Instagram - @laurabmcgrathBluesky - @lbmcgrath