Writers on Writing

Marrie Stone interviews Colum McCann, author of TransAtlantic, who chats about why the Irish are literary geniuses, how structuring a novel is like conducting an orchestra, and his disregard of the terms "fiction" versus "non-fiction" in favor of story.  In the second half hour, Joan Silber talks about her collection of interlinked short stories, Fools.   Download audio.  (Broadcast date: June 12, 2013)

Erica Bauermeister, author of The Lost Art of Mixing, talks with Barbara about her work, interconnected short stories,  mind-mapping, and more on this June 2013 episode of Writers on Writing. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: June 5, 2013)

Judith Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Plant (Chelsea Green) came on the show to talk about how cows are not only cute--they are useful in countless ways.  They've also been much maligned for their methane gassy ways. It's not so! Listen to find out why.  Judy also talked about how her articles about soil and the environment segued to a book length manuscript. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: May 8, 2013)

Guest host Marrie Stone chats with Anna Quindlen about her new memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake and Meg Wolitzer, author of The Interestings.  Please note that Anna's interview finishes abruptly and Meg's interview begins mid-stream due to studio recording issues.  We apologize for the technical snafu, but the majority of both interviews were captured.  Thanks for your patience.  Download audio of Anna Quindlen. Download audio of Meg Wolitzer. (Broadcast date: April 24, 2013)

Hilary Davidson, author of Evil in All its Disguises (Forge), talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her latest mystery. Download audio. (Broadcast date: April 9, 2013)

Kevin Smokler, author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School(Prometheus) during the first half, and during the second half, Peggy Payne, author of Cobalt Blue, and Jillian Lauren, author of Pretty: A Novel.  Download audio.  (Broadcast date: April 10, 2013)

Alison Singh Gee, author of Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince, and the Search for Home (St. Martin's Press) talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her new memoir and the process of writing it. Download audio. (Broadcast date: April 17, 2013)

My guest host Marrie Stone talks with New York Times bestselling author Tenth of December: Stories about his latest short story collection Tenth of December. Download audio. (Broadcast date: March 13, 2013)

Novelist Ann Hood, author of The Obituary Writer: A Novel came on the show to talk about her new novel and the art and craft of novel writing. Download audio. (Broadcast date: Jan. 25. 2013

Pulitzer prize winning poet Stephen Dunn, author of Here and Now: Poems, discusses poetry, writing, and reads from his newest book.  He's been a favorite of mine since one fateful day around 1981 on a bus in San Francisco. Holding to the strap as the bus lumbered up a hill, I looked up and saw a placard with a Stephen Dunn poem. SF had some sort of transit poetry project going on, and I was forever hooked on Dunn's poems. Download audio. (Broadcast date: Feb. 27, 2013)

Jess Walter, author of We Live in Water, talks about this new collection of short stories and about other books--Beautiful Ruins, Citizen Vince--and writing, with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.  Download audio. (Broadcast date: Feb. 13, 2013)

Author John McNally returns to Writers on Writing to talk with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about Vivid and Continuous: Essays and Exercises for Writing Fiction. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: Jan. 20, 2013)

Marrie Stone talks with Sarah Hall, author of the short story collection The Beautiful Indifference, and Jennifer Haigh, author of the interlinked collection News From Heaven: The Bakerton Stories.  Download audio.  (Broadcast date: February 6, 2013)

Marrie Stone interviews Geraldine Brooks, author of Caleb's Crossing, and Laura Furman, author of The Mother Who Stayed. Download audio. (Broadcast date: May 18, 2011)

Marrie Stone interviews Stephen Elliott, author of The Adderall Diaries: A Memoir of Moods, Masochism, and Murder. Download Audio. (Broadcast Date: December 30, 2009)