Writer's Bone

Author Sebastian Barry (Days Without End, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty) returns to the show to discuss his latest novel The Newer World, which is out today from Viking. To learn more about Sebastian Barry, revisit his first appearance on our show.  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

This episode originally aired on the As Told To podcast on Sept. 8, 2026. John Feal is a native New Yorker and Army veteran who worked as a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero until an 8,000-pound beam crushed his left foot during the clean-up. As he struggled with his own post-9/11 trauma, and scrambled to get out from under his also-disabling medical bills, he watched his fellow responders suffer and die from cancer and other ailments caused by the dust in the air they were told was safe to breathe. Forgotten by a broken healthcare system and lawmakers who had promised to #NeverForget, and inspired by the men and women who continued to suffer in the fallout from that fateful day, he resolved to fight. In I Will Follow You Anywhere: The True Story of the 9/11 Responders Who Took on Congress, he shares his remarkable story of grit and resolve, alongside the accounts of his fellow responders, presenting their shared "recipe" for getting things done—including the passage of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Working with ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book coach Charles Daly, himself a maritime first responder on the Atlantic coast of Ireland, John offers a rogue approach to the ground game of representative government, empowering readers in all walks of life to take on the system and win. Join us as John and Charlie commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and discuss how they worked together on their compelling new book—"A graphic but powerful reminder of the horrors of that day," according to Booklist, "and the horrors that first responders have faced ever since." Learn more about our guests: John Feal Instagram John Feal Threads John Feal Facebook Charles Daly website Charles Daly LinkedIn Charles Daly Instagram Please support the sponsors who support our show: Ritani Jewelers Daniel Paisner's Balloon Dog Daniel Paisner's SHOW: The Making and Unmaking of a Network Television Pilot Heaven Help Us by John Kasich Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall by Lindsey Jacobellis Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Libro.fm (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membership The Darling Killers Podcast Film Freaks Forever! podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef Sutton Everyday Shakespeare podcast A Mighty Blaze podcast The Writer's Bone Podcast Network Misfits Market (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order  Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Wizard Pins (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount

Author Courtney Maum (The Year of the Horses, Before and After the Book Deal) joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about her most recent novel Alan Opts Out. To learn more about Courtney Maum, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by The Darling Killers Podcast and  Libro.fm. 

Nick Harmer, founding member and bassist for Death Cab for Cutie, joins Daniel Ford to discuss the indie rock band's latest album "I Built You a Tower." To learn more about Death Cab for Cutie, visit their official website and check out their "Tiny Desk Concert" on NPR. Photo credit: Shervin Lainez This episode is sponsored by The Darling Killers Podcast and  Libro.fm. 

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses a joint United Nations – Red Cross call for rules on lethal autonomous weapons, President Barack Obama's "lethal presidency," and ICE spending major dollars on Boston Dynamics robot dogs. Then, former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall chats with Daniel Ford about his book Lethal Autonomy.  This episode is sponsored by The Darling Killers Podcast and  Libro.fm. 

*in our best Batman voice* Author Daniel Dockery answers our signal and chats with Daniel Ford about I Am the Night: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series. *lightning strikes* To learn more about Daniel Dockery, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by The Darling Killers Podcast and  Libro.fm. 

Author Jamie Fisher joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her debut book Nobody Broke Your Heart: An Intimate Biography of Elliott Smith. To learn more about Jamie Fisher, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office, a book by Sara Causey and  Libro.fm. 

Host Caitlin Malcuit laments heavy metal in our toothpaste, a cottage cheese shortage, and whatever the fuck is going on with our blueberries. (The reason for all of this might be that private equity funds are evil.) Then, writer and activist Ann Larson chats with Daniel Ford about her book Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register. To learn more about Ann Larson, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office, a book by Sara Causey and  Libro.fm. 

Author Joan F. Smith joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about her novel Your Soulmail Is Attached. To learn more about Joan F. Smith, visit her official website. Also subscribe to The Darling Killers Podcast. This episode is sponsored by Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office, a book by Sara Causey and  Libro.fm. 

Author Eric Scot Tryon joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about his debut novel I'm the Undertow. To learn more about Eric Scot Tryon, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Host Caitlin Malcuit talks about Harry Belafonte's activism and how it differs from the MO of today's pop stars and celebrities. She also highly recommends checking out Harry Belafonte's appearance on "The Muppet Show." Geographer and writer Joshua Jelly-Schapiro then joins Daniel Ford to chat his book Daylight Come: Harry Belafonte and the World He Made.  To learn more about Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author and sportswriter Dave Zirin sits down with Daniel Ford to discuss his book The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn.  To learn more about Dave Zirin, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author Lori Gold returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about her latest novel Kiss, Marry, Kill.  To learn more about Lori Gold, visit her official website. Also listen to the author's first appearance on the show (as Lori Goldstein) in Episode 375. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses the fires still burning in northern Ontario; sewage main breaks in Haverhill, Mass., dumping "8 million gallons of wastewater per day" into Merrimack River; and data centers being...the literal worst. Then, author and journalist Matthew Wolfe joins Daniel Ford to chat about his book Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the FBI, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage. To learn more about Matthew Wolfe, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Winter Counts) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about his latest novel Wisdom Corner. To learn more about David Heska Wanbli Weiden, visit his official website and listen to our Friday Morning Coffee conversation with the author. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author Julie Buntin (Marlena) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about her latest novel Famous Men. To learn more about Julie Buntin, visit her official website and listen to our Friday Morning Coffee interview with the author. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses a UN Women's report about how war impacts women and girls. "Bombs do not discriminate between men and women, but the consequences of war do," the report reads. Then, author, journalist, and professor Helen Benedict chats with Daniel Ford about her book The Soldier's House. To learn more about Helen Benedict, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author and journalist Tim Brown joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss his book Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original.  To learn more about Tim Brown, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author Jenny Jackson returns and chats with Daniel Ford about her latest novel The Shampoo Effect.  To learn more about Jenny Jackson, visit her official website. Also listen to our first interview with the author in Episode 572.  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Welcome to Author-poolza 2026! We're joined by a trio of authors who felt like a complete set, so we decided to include them all in one episode.  Best-selling author Louise Fein chats about her novel Book of Forbidden Words (2:44). We're then joined by Kara McDowell, author of her adult fiction debut The Write Off (25:24). Our third and final guest is Edith Forbes, author of The Lawnmower Lady (46:44). This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses Roberta Smith and Jerry Saltz's "House of Criticism" documentary and the current, troubled state of criticism and journalism. Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Sarah L. Kaufman joins Daniel Ford to chat about her book Verb Your Enthusiasm. To learn more about Sarah L. Kaufman, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author Ben Fountain (Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Devil Makes Three) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about his latest novel Rasputin Sails the Potomac. To learn more about Ben Fountain, visit his official website. Also listen to our first conversation with the author in Episode 623.  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author Caroline Kepnes returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about You First, the latest installment in the Joe Goldberg series. To learn more about Caroline Kepnes, visit her official website. Also listen to our past interviews with the author in Episode 583 and Episode 297. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Friday Morning Coffee host Caitlin Malcuit discusses how Swords into Plowshares is reclaiming bronze melted down from Confederate monuments and the three finalists to replace the Robert E. Lee statue in Virginia.  Author and architect Michael P. Murphy then joins Daniel Ford to chat about his book Our World in Ten Buildings: How Architecture Defines Who We Are and How We Live. To learn more about Michael P. Murphy, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast.

Author Nicole Blades (Have You Met Nora?, The Thunder Beneath Us) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about her latest novel Would I Lie to You? To learn more about Nicole Blades, visit her official website and listen to our past interviews with the author in Episode 377 and Episode 234. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author and journalist Kate Crane joins Daniel Ford for a powerful conversation about her book What Ever Happened to Eddy Crane? To learn more about Kate Crane, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Dimitry Elias Léger (God Loves Haiti) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about his latest novel Death of the Soccer God.  To learn more about Dimitry Elias Léger, listen to our past interview with the author in Episode 67 and read our first print interview with him!  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author, screenwriter, director, and "Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost joins Caitlin Malcuit on Friday Morning Coffee to discuss his new book The Yankee Sphinx. We also give hearty congratulations to Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown for her 2026 Pulitzer Prize special citation for her reporting on Jeffrey Epstein in her Perversion of Justice series. The Pulitzer Prize board writes that Brown "went on to document and give voice to the scores of victims who had been groomed and abused by him and others in his circle. Her work, and the release of the government's Epstein files, continue to reverberate around the world." Read our interview with her way back in 2014.  To learn more about Mark Frost, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Rachel Khong joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her short story collection My Dear You. To learn more about Rachel Khong, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author and journalist Jeffrey Kluger returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about his book Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story. To learn more about Jeffrey Kluger, read his work with Time magazine. Also listen to our first interview with the author in Episode 193. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Allison LaMothe joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her debut mystery Dirty Metal. To learn more about Allison LaMothe, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses Reed Peggram's Boston connections and his niece Debra Farrar-Parkman's docudrama "The Final Letter: Reed Peggram's Harrowing Quest to Belong." Author Ethelene Whitmire then talks with Daniel Ford about her book The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram. To learn more about Ethelene Whitmire, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Tolani Akinola joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her debut novel Leave Your Mess at Home.  To learn more about Tolani Akinola, visit her official website.  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.  

Author and journalist Molly Knight joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about the start of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, her Substack The Long Game, and building a non-toxic community for baseball fans. To learn more about Molly Knight, visit her official website, subscribe to The Long Game, and pick up her book The Best Team Money Can Buy: The Los Angeles Dodgers' Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Best-selling author and good friend of the pod Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (Seinfeldia, Sex and the City and Us, When Women Invented Television) returns to the show to discuss her book Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America. To learn more about Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, visit her official website. Also listen to our interviews with the author in Episode 632, Episode 293, and our first chat with her during a Friday Morning Coffee episode from 2016!  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author and podcaster A.M. Gittlitz joins Daniel Ford and As Told To host Daniel Paisner on the show to discuss his book Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team. To learn more about A.M. Gittlitz, subscribe to his podcast The Wreckage.  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses a New York Focus investigation into the state's theater tax credit that appears to provide monetary help to short-run flops and established hits that would likely succeed without assistance. She also highlights how Florida Repertory Theatre in Fort Meyers, Fla., and the Columbia Theater Arts Foundation in Washington State are finding innovative ways to stay solvent int he face of state budget cuts and fighting for audiences. Theater director, educator, and author Seth Gordon then joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about his book Crossroads in the American Theatre: New Leaders in a New Age and the issues facing the nonprofit theater world and what the future might hold.  To learn more about Seth Gordon, follow him on LinkedIn. Also listen to our first mention of his book in the intro to our Friday Morning Coffee conversation with author Robert M. Dowling. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author and journalist Keith O'Brien (Charlie Hustle, Fly Girls) returns to the show to discuss his latest book Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird.  To learn more about Keith O'Brien, visit his official website. Also listen to our first interview with the author in Episode 645. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Amy Jo Burns (Mercury) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about her latest book Wait for Me.  To learn more about Amy Jo Burns, visit her official website. Also listen to our first interview with the author in Episode 635. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Christopher Castellani joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss his latest novel Last Seen. To learn more about Christopher Castellani, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Host Caitlin Malcuit discusses a Buffalo, N.Y., effort to reform student discipline practices and Virginia's debate about implementing restorative justice in their public schools. Then author and journalist Anthony DePalma chats with Daniel Ford about his book On This Ground: Hardship and Hope at the Toughest Prep School in America. To learn more about Anthony DePalma, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Grant Ginder (Let's Not Do That Again, The People We Hate at the Wedding) joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss his latest novel So Old, So Young. To learn more about Grant Ginder, visit his official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Journalist Jazmine Ulloa joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her book El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory. To learn more about Jazmine Ulloa, visit her official website. Also read her work for The New York Times. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Host Caitlin Malcuit chats with David Glasgow, co-author of How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America. Resources:  Meltzer Center Litigation Tracker ACLU's Congressional Scorecards "Why Donald Trump Can't Kill DEI" To learn more about David Glasgow, visit his official website and the website for the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.  This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Catherine Newman (Sandwich) joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her latest novel Wreck.  To learn more about Catherine Newman, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Debut author Yosha Gunasekera joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about her book The Midnight Taxi. To learn more about Yosha Gunasekera, visit her official website. Also read her feature "I Help People Imprisoned for Crimes They Didn't Commit. My New Novel Is for Them." in People magazine and learn more about her work at Innocence Project. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Jenna Blum (The Lost Family, Woodrow on the Bench) returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about her thriller debut Murder Your Darlings. To learn more about Jenna Blum, visit her official website, check out A Mighty Blaze, and listen to our previous interview with the author. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Eleanor Shearer (River Sing Me Home) joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her book Fireflies in Winter. To learn more about Eleanor Shearer, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Host Caitlin Malcuit and Daniel Ford discuss the recent layoffs at The Washington Post.  Suggested reading and resources: "You Can't Kill Swagger" by Sally Jenkins "He Was Laid Off at The Washington Post After Working There 60 Years" by Erik Wemple X thread from Barry Svrluga "The Washington Post Is No Longer Useful to Jeff Bezos" by Jason Koebler Job Sheet from Washington Association of Black Journalists Then literary agent and now author Alia Hanna Habib joins Daniel to chat about her book Take It from Me: An Agent's Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career from Scratch. To learn more about Alia Hanna Habib, visit her website and subscribe to her substack Delivery & Acceptance. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.

Author Kathleen Boland joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her debut novel Scavengers.  To learn more about Kathleen Boland, visit her official website. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm and the Is It Streaming podcast, the newest addition to the Writer's Bone Podcast Network.