All Episodes

Episode 341 with Kerri Schlottman, Author of Daytime Moon, and Master of Wonderful, Flowing Sentences, Real Pathos, and Unforgettable Characters and Storylines

Episode 340 with Donna Minkowitz, Author of Growing Up Golem, and Master Craftswoman of the Conceit, The Juxtaposition, The Universal, and The Ultraspecific

Episode 339 with Sarah Aziza, Author of The Hollow Half, and Writer of Loving and Challenging Prose and Probing and Deeply-Researched Nonfiction

Episode 338 with Adam H. Johnson, Author of How to Sell a Genocide: The Media's Complicity in the Destruction of Gaza & Dogged Researcher & Accountant of the Unconscionable Gaza Genocide Whitewashing

Episode 337 with Daniel Tam-Claiborne, Author of Transplants, and Skilled Craftsman of Subtlety, Nuance, and Probing Questions for the Reader to Investigate

Episode 336 with Rachel Khong, Author of My Dear You, and Brilliant Purveyor of Precise Diction, Profound Absurdity, and Meaningful Fodder for Discussion

Episode 335 with Toni Ann Johnson, Author of But Where's Home? and Wonderful Builder of Intriguing Family Trees, Memorable Characters, and Subtlety

Episode 334 with Lisa Lee, Author of American Han and Creator of Wonderful Dialogue and Darkly Humorous, Memorable Characters and Scenes

Episode 333 with Keith O'Brien, Author of Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird, and Dogged Researcher and Journalist Whose Alchemy Leads to Wondrous Stories

Episode 332 with Jordy Rosenberg, Author of Night Night Fawn and Master of the Poetic, the Profound, the Hilarious, and the Satirical

Episode 331 with Davina Agudelo, Founder of Alegria Publishing, and Bright Light Bringing Underrepresented Voices, Stories, and Talent to the Reading and Creative World

Episode 330 with Gaspare Randazzo, Wry and Hilarious Observer of The Teaching Life, the Student Life, and Life, and Alumnus of Netflix's "The Trust"

Episode 329 with Grant Ginder, Author of So Old, So Young, and Master Craftsman of Memorable and Funny Scenes, and Profound and Reflection-Inducing Truths

Episode 328 with Tom Junod, Author of In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What it Means to be a Man, and Masterful Researcher and Writer of Iconic Character and Cultural Studies

Episode 327 with Adolfo-Guzman Lopez, Author of California Southern: writing from the road, 1992-2025, and Reflective and Intrepid Reporter, Activist, and Chronicler of the Mundane and Marvelous

Episode 326 with Yiming Ma, Author of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us, and Reflective, Skilled Worldbuilder and Craftsman of "Constellation Writing"

Episode 325 with Oliver James, Author of Unread, and Dogged Proponent of Literacy, Vulnerability, and Self-Improvement

Episode 324 with Lillian Li, Author of Bad Asians, and Nuanced Chronicler of the Young and Restless

Episode 323 with Luke Epplin, Author of Moses and the Doctor, and "Sportswriter" Who Writes so Adroitly about Race and Racism, Culture, and Intersections with Sport

Episode 322 with Peter Orner, Author of The Gossip Columnist's Daughter and Maestro of the Offbeat, the Original, the Creative, and the Resonant

Episode 321 with Carolina Ixta, Author of Few Blue Skies and Master of Nuance and the Balance Between Nonfiction Concepts and Real-Life Ossues and Fiction in Her Fictional Work

Episode 320 with Larry Strauss, Author of A Lasting Impact in the Classroom and Beyond Knowledge and Insight for Brave Teachers, and Sage Writer of a Diverse Listing of Opinion Pieces, & (Non)Fiction

Episode 319 with Farah Ali, Author of Telegraphy, and Master Finesser of Understated Characters, the Macro Informing the Micro, and Connector of the Past and the Present

Episode 318 with Timothy Welbeck, Esq., Professor for and Creator of "Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D. City" Class at Temple University, and Devoted and Thoughtful Civil Right Advocate

Episode 317 with Kasim Ali, Author of Who Will Remain and Master of Snappy Dialogue, Dynamic Characters, and Resonant and Creative Plot

Episode 316 with Kiese Laymon, Author of the Award-Winning Heavy: An American Memoir and Inimitable Writer of Culture, History, and the Personal, and Standout Literary Citizen and Teacher

Episode 315 with Cole Cuchna, Creator and Host of Dissect Podcast and an Intellectually Curious, Master Analyst and Researcher of Sound and Lyrics and the Alchemy of the Great Artists

Episode 314 with Joe McGinniss Jr., Author of Damaged People: A Memoir of Fathers and Sons and Master of Nuance, Resonant Scenes, and Reflection Created by Juxtaposition

Episode 313 with Jackie Domenus, Author of No Offense: A Memoir in Essays, and Standout Builder of Subtlety and The Macro and Micro, The Societal and the Personal

Episode 312 with Amber Sparks, Author of Happy People Don't Live Here, and Creator of Wonderfully Weird Characters, Resonant Settings, and Clever Page-Turners

Episode 311 with Kurt Baumeister, Author of Twilight of the Gods, and Skilled Worldbuilder, Craftsman of the Subtle and Resonant, and Curious Student of History

Episode 310 with Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Author of Art Above Everything: One Woman’s Global Exploration...of a Creative Life, and Empathetic Listener, Dogged Researcher, and Curious Learner

Episode 309: Kaila Yu, Author of Fetishized: A Reckoning With Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty, and Nuanced Writer of Historical and Contemporary Pop Culture, Misogyny, & Anti-Asian Racist Othering

Episode 308 with Jeff Pearlman, Author of Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur and Dogged Researcher, Master of Story "Layering" and of Both Concepts in "Work of Art"

Episode 307 with Nicole Cuffy, Author of O Sinners! and Master of Subtlety, Dynamic Characters, and Historical Fiction that Shines a Light on Today

Episode 306 with Shea Serrano, Author of Expensive Basketball, Master of Earnest Storytelling and Pop Culture Hilarity, and Transmitter of a Love of the Game

Episode 305 with Myriam Gurba, Author of Poppy State: A Labyrinth of Plants and a Story of Beginnings, and Brilliant Thinker, reflection-Inducer, and Master Connector of the Allegorical and Immediate

Episode 304 with Erin Somers, Author of The Ten Year Affair, and Crafter of Hilarious, Incisive, and Clever Characters and Scenes

Episode 303 with Anthony Gedell, Author of Love Lies in the Throes of Rhetoric, and Brilliant Creator of Worlds Internal and External, and Dystopia in its Macro and Micro

Episode 302 with Ellen Birkett Morris, Author of Beware the Tall Grass, and Talented Worldbuilder and Skilled Writer of the Past-Tinged Present, the Human and the Humane

Episode 301 with Nishant Batsha, Author of A Bomb Placed Close to the Heart, and Master of Subtlety, the Singular and the Universal, and the Historical and Personal

Episode 300 with Nathan Thrall, Author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy and Deep Researcher and Brilliantly-Objective Chronicler of Life under Israeli Occupation

Episode 299 with Dr. Matthew Boedy, Author of The Seven Mountains Mandate: Exposing the Dangerous Plan to Christianize America and Destroy Democracy, and Thoughtful Chronicler of Christian Nationalism

Episode 298 with Robert Paylor, Author of Paralyzed to Powerful: Lessons from a Quadriplegic's Journey, and Writer of the Profound, the Uplifting, and the Heartening

Episode 297-Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Author of Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism, and Skilled Chronicler of Misogyny and Hate, and Crafter of Reasonable, Data-Driven Remedies

Episode 296 with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, Author of Like Happiness and Master of the Subtle Shifts in Relationships and through Phases of Life

Episode 295 with Wright Thompson, Author of The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi and One of America's Foremost Storytellers of the Shocking, The Banal, The Instructive, The Profound

Episode 294 with Andrew Porter, Author of the Imagined Life and Creator of Beautiful Images, Unforgettable Settings, and Layered, Resonant Characters

Episode 293 with Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Author of Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, JESUS IS ALIVE!: Stories, and Creator of the Ludicrous and Resonant, the Hilarious and the Profoundly Sad

Episode 292 with Joan Silber, Author of Mercy and Award-Winning and Consistent Creator of Dynamic Characters, Realistic Dialogue, and Memorable Settings

Episode 291 with Ruben Reyes, Jr., Author of Archive of Unknown Universes, and Master Craftsman of the Sad and Ecstatic, the Historical and the Immediate

Episode 290 with Adnan Virk, Author of Cinephile, Emmy-Award Winning Broadcaster for MLB Network and More, and Host of 336 Episodes of the Passionate, Fun, and Information-Packed Cinephile Podcast

Episode 289 with Jahmal Mayfield, Author of Smoke Kings, and Master of the Heart-Racing and Nuanced and Profound

Episode 288 with Camille U. Adams, Author of How to Be Unmothered, and Master Wordsmith of the Precise and the Flowery, the Banal and the Extraordinary

Episode 287 with Jordan Harper, Author of She Rides Shotgun, and Master of "Lies that Tell the Truth," Wonderfully Contradictory Characters, and The Visceral, the Gutting, and the Memorable

Episode 286 with Hannah Pittard, Author of If You Love It, Let It Kill You, and Master Craftswoman of Memorable, Witty, Zany, Profound Dialogue, Characters, and Storylines

Episode 285 with The Philharmonik, Winner of 2024's NPR Tiny Desk Contest for "What's It All Mean?" and Master Arranger, Producer, and Reflective Lyricist

Episode 284 with Vanessa Saunders, Author of the Flat Woman, and Creator of Fantastical and Believable Worlds Built Upon Creative and Timely Storylines

Episode 283 with Jason Bailey, Author of Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, and a Reflective, Sympathetic Film Historian and Vault of TV and Film Knowledge

Episode 282 with Emely Rumble, LCSW, Author of Bibliotherapy in the Bronx, and Thoughtful, Reflective, and Artistic/Scientific Reader, Writer, and Bibliotherapist

Episode 281 with Alexander Chee, Author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel, Wonderful Literary Citizen and Activist, and Reflective, Brilliant Thinker and Craftsman of the Nuanced and Poignant

Episode 280 with Désirée Zamorano, Author of Dispossessed, and Crafter of Poignancy, a Thorough Chronicler of and Student of Los Angeles History and Moral Voice for Progress and Learning from History

Episode 279 with Jon Hickey, Author of Big Chief, and Thoughtful Creator of Profound Scenes, Memorable Characters, and Resonant Connections to Yesterday and Today

Episode 278 with Kevin Nguyen, Author of My Documents and Keen Observer and Chronicler of the Old and the New, and Connections Between Historical Tragedies and Today's World

Episode 277 with Douglas J. Weatherford, Translator of Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo and The Burning Plain, and Precise Wordsmith, Thorough Researcher, and Passionate Scholar of Film, Language, and Symbol

Episode 276 with Donna Minkowitz, Author of Donnaville and Master Worldbuilder and Detail-Oriented Painter of Vivid Scenes and Characters

Episode 275 with Deborah Jackson-Taffa, Author of National Book Award Finalist Whiskey Tender, and Chronicler and Reflective Craftswoman of Endearing and Enduring and Resonant Stories

Episode 274 with Annell López, Author of the Short Story Collection, I'll Give You a Reason, and Skilled Craftswoman of Resonant, Layered Characters, Subtle Twists, and the Universal and Hyperspecific

Episode 273 with Raúl Pérez, Author of The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy, and Master Connector of Racist Humor and Systems of White Supremacy in the United States

Episode 272 with Lamya H., Author of Hijab Butch Blues and Reflective, Thoughtful, and Masterful Crafter of the Universal and Ultra-Specific

Episode 271 with Alejandro Heredia, Author of Loca, Crafter of Beautiful, Indelible Images, and Resonant Characters and Scenes

Episode 270 with Jason De León, Author of Soldiers and Kings: 2024's National Book Award for Nonfiction, and Relentless Researcher, Attuned Listener, and Master Storyteller

Episode 269 with David Ebenbach: Author of Possible Happiness, Multitalented with Genre, and Thoughtful, Generative Writer of Relatable, Flawed, and Sympathetic Characters

Episode 268 with Dan Gutman: Writer of Fun, Funny, Challenging, Educational, Enriching, Page-turners in Multiple Genres and for Motivating Reluctant and Voracious Readers

Episode 267 with Keith O'Brien, Author of Charlie Hustle and Award-Winning Journalist Who Skillfully and Faithfully Shows and Tells Well-Rounded Stories

Episode 266 with Lydia Kiesling, Author of Mobility and Keen Observer and Reflection-Inducing Craftswoman of Psychological and Geopolitical Storylines with Unforgettable Characters

Episode 265 with Carvell Wallace, Author of Another Word for Love, a Modern Classic, and Upturner of Tropes in Beautifully and Honestly Portraying Darkness and Beauty and Love's Vagaries

Episode 264 with Maggie Sheffer, Author of the Award-Winning Collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, and Master of the Weird, The Offbeat, The Clever, The Poignant, and The Resonant

Episode 263 with Fernanda Trias, Author of Mugre Rosa/Pink Slime, and Acute and Detail-Oriented World Builder and Creator of Thought-Provoking Fiction

Episode 262 with Rus Bradburd, Author of Big Time, His First Novel that Connects to Four Nonfiction Works Passionately and Thoroughly Exploring Intersections Between Sport, Race, and Larger Culture

Episode 261 with Greg Mania, Author of Born to Be Public, and Hilarious Chronicler of the Absurd, Eccentric, and Profound

Episode 260 with Lauren Markham, Author of A Map of Future Ruins, and Sympathetic and Empathetic Chronicler of The Forgotten, The Neglected, and Those With Complex Stories Often Reduced to Tropes

Episode 259 with Jessica Whipple, Author of Enough Is... and I Think I Think a Lot, and Skilled Craftswoman of Nuanced, Sympathetic Works that Bring Security and Inspiration for Kids and Adults Alike

Episode 258 with Porochista Khakpour, Author of Tehrangeles, Savvy and Skilled Chronicler of the Essence of Modern Life, and Writer of Varied, Hilarious, and Incisive Works

Episode 257 with Mirin Fader, Author of Dream, and Keen and Empathetic Observer and Chronicler of Stories within Stories and Stellar Portraits of Athletes that Show Their Completeness

Episode 256 with Andrew Maraniss, Author of Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke, Strong Inside, Beyond the Game Series, and Other Empathetic, Inspiring, and Enlightening Works

Episode 255 with Chris Knapp, Author of States of Emergency and Keen and Darkly Humorous Chronicler of Contemporary Chaos

Episode 254 with Jami Attenberg, Author of A Reason to See You Again, and Skilled Craftswoman of Eccentric and Sympathetic Characters and Unique Family Bonds

Episode 253 with Akshaj Mehta, Author of Five Books, Including The Butterfly Effect, Intrepid and Curious Journalist, and Advocate for Reading and Writing Diverse Stories

Episode 252 with Byron Graves: Author of Rez Ball and Master of the Hyperspecific and Universal Through Synpathetic and Dynamic Characters

Episode 251 with Alexandra Alessandri, Author of Grow Up, Luchy Zapata; Lupita's Hurricane Palomitas, and Other Beautiful, Affirming Books for Children and All Readers

Episode 250 with Ben Tanzer, Author of The Missing, a Fresh Take on Old Tropes, and Podcaster, Coach, Strategist, and More-All Creative Pursuits for The Renaissance Man

Episode 249 with Jesse Katz, Author of The Rent Collectors, Ardent Researcher and Thorough and Thoughtful Researcher

Episode 248 with Katya Apekina, Author of the Hilarious, Offbeat, Tragic, Cathartic Mother Doll, and Multiskilled and Multidimensional Writer

Episode 247 with Christina Cooke, Author of Broughtupsy and Creator of Compelling Characters, Relatable Diasporic Plots, and Singular Yet Universal Characters

Episode 245 with Shannon Sanders, Author of Company, the Winner of the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and a Master Class in Creating Empathy, Sympathy, and Awe for Their Smoothness

Episode 246 with Ruben Reyes, Author of There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, and Brilliant Tactician of the Weird, the Quirky, the Joyful, the Sad, and the Resonant

Episode 244 with Annie Liontas, Dedicated Educator and Master Chronicler of the Micro, Macro, and Personal in Their Varied and Resonant Memoir, Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery

Episode 243 with Kathleen Rooney, Author of From Dust to Stardust, Keen Chronicler of Early Hollywood, Versatile Wordsmith, and Lover of Poetry and Whimsy

Episode 242 with Santiago Jose Sanchez, Author of Hombrecito, and Standout Writer of Multiple Points of View, Beautiful Sentences, and Resonant Visuals and Scenes

Episode 241 with Antonio Lopez, Passionate Poetician, Author of the Award-Winning Gentefication, and Transmitter of Beauty and Pain Through His Creative, Heartfelt, and Wordsmithy Words

Episode 240 with Marcela Fuentes, Author of Malas, and Master of Epic Family Sagas and Resonant Profundity