Another 6 Podcasts Aspiring Writers Should Subscribe To (Part 3)
With COVID-19 keeping everyone indoors, there’s no better time than now to dive into the robust (and overwhelming) world of literary podcasts. While we’ve shared two previous lists already — you can go here for the first list that includes the fantastic Otherppl With Brad Listi podcast, and here for the second — there are some noteworthy that might’ve missed the cut or were overlooked. Others are new, but have already made quite the impression. So, here are another 6 podcasts aspiring writers should subscribe to.
Thresholds
If you’re not familiar with Literary Hub, which would be a bit of a surprise, I highly suggest you check it out. Lit Hub is, well… a central hub for all things literature. They offer original essays and insights on books, interviews with a variety of authors, and they consistently support publishers both big and small. They also put out podcasts every now and again.
Their most recent venture is Thresholds, hosted by Jordan Kisner, author of the new essay collection, Thin Places. This podcast is a series of conversations with writers about experiences that disoriented their lives, changed them as individuals, and altered how and why they wanted to write. It’s one of the shorter ones on the list, with the longest episode being 44 minutes long, and there are only 6 episodes so far. That means you can catch up, then follow along as new ones are released. Kisner has hosted Mira Jacob, Alexander Chee, Suleika Jaouad, and Carmen Maria Machado.
Though this one if only in its first season, I suspect it will be one that continues on and grows for some time.
Between The Covers With David Naimon
Tin House has become a powerhouse over the years. What started as a modest literary magazine in 1999 has grown into one of the most successful and renowned independent presses around that offers workshops, seminars, and residencies.
With the addition to Between the Covers, Tin House moves into the realm of radio with a literary podcast hosted by David Naimon, who performs long-form in-depth interviews with a wide range of writers. Each one-on-one interview covers a lot — craft and form, the intention behind a novel or collection, how the writer got started, why they write, the list goes on. The interviews generally run about an hour and a half to two hours, so it’s certainly not a quick listen. But the interviews are packed with insight, and I often treat them as a seminar of sorts, taking notes as I listen.
There are also Tin House Live: Craft Talks, which are recorded during the workshops and events Tin House runs. These run anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, and are much more focused on the writer’s craft.
Both the in-depth interviews and the Craft Talks are highly informative. Aspiring writers should subscribe to this one, follow along, then comb through the archives to get the most out of what Tin House offers.
Longform
Most of the podcasts we’ve mentioned focus on fiction, with some nonfiction writers thrown into the mix here and there. For those aspiring writers who are looking for more focus on nonfiction writing, Longform might be for you.
This podcast, hosted by Aaron Lammer, Max Linsky, and Evan Ratliff, is a weekly conversation with nonfiction writers, journalists, filmmakers, and podcasters on how to tell stories, where they got started, and how they do what they do. They have a good mix of personalities with a wide variety of backgrounds. Some conversations offer more about crafting a story, while others are more of a discussion about how that individual came to be where they are today. Each interview ranges from 45 minutes to one hour, and some of the notable interviewees include: Leslie Jamison, David Remnick, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Susan Orlean, Michael Lewis, Jia Talentino, and Jenny Odell.
Longform has been around since 2012, so it has a pretty deep bench for you to comb through. And it is definitely worthwhile for aspiring writers to do so since they often have repeat interviewees and discuss the then and the now.
Bookable
Another newcomer to the literary podcast scene, Bookable only has six episodes available as of writing this. Hosted by Amanda Stern, best known for the Happy Ending Music & Reading Series in New York. Each is roughly 25 to 30 minutes long, but each acts as a crash course to what fuels the writer’s work, and what might’ve inspired them to write the work in question.
Amanda Stern is engaging, and the production is well done through and through. It’s certainly one worth checking out and following along with as new episodes are released. Some notable writers on the podcast so far are Alexander Chee, Susan Choi, and Oyinkan Braithwaite.
Bookworm
Now, this is one podcast that I feel is essential and all aspiring writers should subscribe to it.
Michael Silverblatt is the host of Bookworm, and has been the host since its inception back in 1989 for KCRW. This matters. Silverblatt is brilliant, and has been called the “reader writers dream about” by Joyce Carol Oates. He knows his stuff, and digs into the content and what makes the narrative or writer tick and move readers, all in a sharp and concise 28 minute episode.
This one has a deep bench, with notable writers such as Garth Greenwell, Rebecca Solnit, Jenny Offill, Tobias Wolff, Ben Lerner, Deborah Eisenberg, and many, many more.
While there are other podcasts that might be more exciting and more free in their format, Silverblatt’s Bookworm is an intellectual delight while remaining approachable. And it has a catchy jingle that will be stuck in your head for weeks.
Sydney Writers’ Festival
This is one that I stumbled across more recently, but I found to be incredibly information and insightful. It’s also a wonderful podcast in these times, when many of the festivals we’d like to attend are being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sydney Writers’ Festival podcast covers a variety of topics, and uses archived recordings from speakers at past festivals to build out its library. If you go through the website for the event, they’ve broken down the recordings into “Opening and Closing Addresses,” “Wellness, Health and Science,” “Writers Talking Writers,” and “Podcasts for the Bunker” to help you navigate and choose the perfect listening for your mood. Each covers a specific topic, put together by a writer or expert, and broken down to allow you to learn from the experience. It’s an excellent way to learn while being at home. And that’s what makes this a podcast that any aspiring writer should subscribe to.
Supplemental Listening
These five podcasts listed below either don’t directly relate to writing, but offer engaging and insightful stories about the human condition and family dynamics, offer philosophies and perspectives on life and living, or are noteworthy productions that allow and encourage the listener to become lost in the act of listening, be it to a short story, a poem, or, in some cases, a story of an experience. All of these components are important to aspiring writers since all of these components, in some way or form, are what make a good story, fiction or nonfiction.
About Coty Poynter
Coty Poynter is the author of two poetry books. His most recent, Delirium: Collected Poems, was published by Bowen Press. His work has appeared in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Equinox, Grub Street, and Underwood Press. He lives in Baltimore with his partner, their cat Pudge, and a hodgepodge of plants.
