How does the son of a Presbyterian minister wind up winning a Pulitzer Prize for writing a wildly inaccurate newspaper column read by millions of people? America's most beloved wiseass, Dave Barry , finally tells his life story with all the humor you'd expect from a man who made a career out of making fun of pretty much everything. This week, Barry discusses his memoir Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass with Mark Bazer of The Interview Show . This conversation originally took pla...
Jun 02, 2025•49 min
This week, we kick off our new exhibit and content initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture with four writers of speculative fiction: N. K. Jemisin , Matthew J. Kirby , Nnedi Okorafor , and Nghi Vo . Moderated by Michi Trota , the panel of authors discuss religion in their writing, the importance of considering socio-spiritual systems when world-building, and how these influence the ways their characters move through the worlds they create. This conversation originally took p...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 4 min
This week, we discuss McSweeney’s new quarterly issue: McSweeney’s 78: The Make Believers , featuring writers of the Vietnamese diaspora. We are joined by contributors and guest editors of the issue, Thi Bui and Vu Tran , as well as McSweeney’s Quarterly Editor Rita Bullwinkel . You can learn more about their work in the episode description below. During the episode, Thi, Vu, and Rita mention upcoming events in celebration of this issue. You can learn more about these special events at the links...
Apr 21, 2025•46 min
This week, author Sash Bischoff discusses her hit debut novel Sweet Fury , a twisty, thought-provoking novel in conversation with the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bischoff is interviewed by author Kathleen Rooney . This conversation originally took place February 12, 2025 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About Sweet Fury : When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic...
Mar 31, 2025•38 min
This week, poets CM Burroughs and Adrian Matejka discuss the groundbreaking legacy of poet Melvin Dixon , who "wrote extensively about the complexities of being a gay Black man" (Poetry Foundation). Presented by the Poetry Foundation. This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About the writers: CM BURROUGHS is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Col...
Mar 10, 2025•34 min
This week, writers from around the world discuss their journeys, finding community in creativity, and making a home in Chicago. Featuring multidisciplinary writers Nestor Gomez , Lani T. Montreal , and Ugochi Nwaogwugwu ; moderated by Jane Hseu . Presented by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About the writers: NE...
Mar 03, 2025•36 min
This week, two acclaimed children's book authors— Clothilde Ewing and Malcolm Newsome —discuss their visions and aspirations for children's literature. In particular, ways they have and will continue to both write and advocate for stories that feature BIPOC characters in settings and narratives that move beyond purely historical and overtly "cultural" experiences. This conversation originally took place May 19, 2025 and was recorded live at the 2024 American Writers Festival . We hope you enjoy ...
Feb 24, 2025•30 min
This week, award-winning writer and scholar Eve L. Ewing discusses her new book Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism . She is interviewed by AWM President Carey Cranston. This conversation originally took place February 10, 2025 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME More about Original Sins : If all children could just get an education, the l...
Feb 17, 2025•46 min
This week, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, three of America’s leading romance writers— Xio Axelrod , Swan Huntley , and Claire Legrand —talk about how they write love stories and the love stories that inspired them. Moderated by author Pamala Knight . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME Books by these authors: A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Le...
Feb 10, 2025•34 min
This week, authors Charisse Burden-Stelly and Andrew W. Kahrl discuss their recent work and writing Black history with journalist Arionne Nettles . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . Black Scare / Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States by Charisse Burden-Stelly is a radical explication of the ways anti-Black racial oppression has infused the US government’s anti-communist repression. And in The Black...
Feb 03, 2025•48 min
This week, writer and researcher Gail Crowther discusses her new book Dorothy Parker in Hollywood , an expansive and illuminating study of legendary writer Dorothy Parker's life and legacy in Hollywood. Crowther is interviewed by Allison Sansone, Program Director at the American Writers Museum. This conversation originally took place January 21, 2025 and was recorded live via Zoom. We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME More about Dorothy Parker in Hollywood : ...
Jan 27, 2025•47 min
This week, acclaimed authors Samira Ahmed and Jas Hammonds discuss their recent books, the state of young adult literature today, and the importance of young people seeing themselves in the stories they read. Ahmed's latest, This Book Won’t Burn , is a timely and gripping social-suspense novel about book banning, activism, and standing up for what you believe. From Hammonds comes Thirsty , an unflinching novel about addiction that bestselling author Courtney Summers called "sensitively wrought a...
Jan 20, 2025•35 min
This week, acclaimed poets Diana Khoi Nguyen and Cindy Juyoung Ok read selections of their work, followed by a discussion of their processes, themes, techniques, and more. Presented by the Poetry Foundation. This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About the writers: A poet and multimedia artist, DIANA KHOI NGUYEN is the author of Ghost Of (2018) which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and Roo...
Jan 13, 2025•41 min
This week, acclaimed book critic and editor Donna Seaman discusses her new book River of Books: A Life in Reading , a memoir of reading and working with books by the renowned Booklist editor. Seaman is interviewed by AWM President Carey Cranston. This conversation originally took place December 16, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About River of Books : With the infectious curiosity of an inveterate bibliophile and the prose of a fine stylist, D...
Jan 08, 2025•53 min
This week, we take a look back at some of our top episodes of 2024 from both of our podcast series: AWM Author Talks and Nation of Writers . This is our final episode of 2024. We’ll return next year with even more episodes featuring the writers you love and the stories they tell. Presented in order of release date, we hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong Book title: So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We're Still So Obsessed With It) W. S. Merwin Guest...
Dec 17, 2024•31 min
This week, journalist Larry Tye discusses his recent book The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America with reporter Gregory Royal Pratt , accompanied by live jazz from the Richard D. Johnson Trio . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME More about The Jazzmen : From the New York Times bestselling author of Satchel and Bobby Kennedy , a sweeping and spellbindin...
Dec 09, 2024•48 min
This week, Mike Thomas , co-author of the Johnny Carson biography Carson the Magnificent , sits down with Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune to discuss the highly anticipated biography—twenty years in the making—of the entertainer who redefined late-night television and reshaped American culture. Thomas—who finished the project Bill Zehme started after Bill's passing—shares insights into the reporting process, picking up where Zehme left off, and the influence of Carson on today's comedy. This co...
Dec 02, 2024•46 min
This is our 200th episode! To celebrate the occasion, we’ve gone back in the vault for highlights from the ten most listened-to episodes of the past one hundred. So, that is episodes 101 through 199. Enjoy these top ten clips, and listen to the full episodes wherever you get your podcasts. We have included the episode numbers so you can more easily find them. Listen to the full episodes below: David W. Blight — The Legacy of Frederick Douglass (Ep. 111) Elie Mystal — Allow Me to Retort: A Black ...
Nov 25, 2024•30 min
Two bestselling authors — Nicole Chung ( A Living Remedy ) and Lydia Millet ( We Loved It All ) — discuss the process and craft of writing a memoir with book critic Donna Seaman . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME A Living Remedy: A Memoir by Nicole Chung — A searing memoir of family, class and grief—a daughter’s search to understand the lives her adoptive parents led, the life she forged as an a...
Nov 18, 2024•37 min
This week, historian and biographer Paul Hendrickson discusses writing about his own family's history and his recent book Fighting the Night: Iwo Jima, World War II, and a Flyer’s Life , the profoundly moving story of his father's wartime service as a night fighter pilot, and the prices he and his fellow soldiers paid for their acts of selfless, patriotic sacrifice. Paul is joined by book critic Elizabeth Taylor . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the ...
Nov 11, 2024•37 min
This week, author Rebecca Siegel offers media literacy advice and discusses her book Loch Ness Uncovered: Media, Misinformation, and the Greatest Monster Hoax of All Time , an extensively researched, myth-busting account of the world's most famous monster hoax—the Loch Ness Monster—and a cautionary tale on the dangers of misinformation. This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME More about Loch Ness Uncov...
Nov 04, 2024•29 min
This week, acclaimed writers Renée Watson and Jabari Asim talk about Watson’s novel, skin & bones , as well as writing Black history and moving from writing for children to adults. This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About skin & bones : From the acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a soulful and lyrical novel exploring sisterhood, motherhood, faith, love, and ultimately wha...
Oct 28, 2024•51 min
This week, scholar Marilyn Sanders Mobley visits the AWM to discuss her book Toni Morrison and the Geopoetics of Place, Race, and Be/longing , which Henry Louis Gates, Jr. calls a "powerful and learned meditation, and one that deserves a prominent place in the field of Morrison studies." Mobley is joined in conversation by poet Parneshia Jones . This conversation originally took place October 15, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME More about Toni ...
Oct 21, 2024•45 min
This week, in honor of Indigenous People’s Day, scholars Rose Miron and Jean O'Brien discuss the power and importance of indigenous storytelling, activism, history, and memory; as well as Miron’s book Indigenous Archival Activism: Mohican Interventions in Public History and Memory . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About Indigenous Archival Activism : Who has the right to represent Native histor...
Oct 14, 2024•38 min
This week, investigative journalists Shawn Cohen and Philip Eil share insights into their reporting processes, interviewing techniques, and writing true crime with honesty and sensitivity. Moderated by journalist Evan F. Moore . They also discuss their latest books: College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight by Shawn Cohen. "She visited friends. She walked to a bar. She was right there…until she was gone. Investigative journalist Shawn Cohen breaks more...
Oct 07, 2024•38 min
This week, prominent writers and game designers discuss crafting game narrative and representation within gaming communities. Featured panelists are Keith Ammann , Derek Tyler Attico , Keisha Howard , and Samantha Ortiz . Moderated by Carly A. Kocurek . Learn more about them below. This episode is presented in conjunction with our special exhibit Level Up: Writers & Gamers , on display now through May 2025 at the American Writers Museum. Level Up explores the role of narrative and storytelli...
Sep 30, 2024•50 min
This week, we discuss the threat censorship poses to democracy as part of Banned Books Week , an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. Presented by the American Library Association, this panel includes Heather Booth , Anna Claussen , Sara Paretsky , and Donna Seaman . The following conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About the speakers: HEATHER BOOTH is the Audio...
Sep 23, 2024•43 min
This week, to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month , hear from Marie Arana , the Literary Director of the Library of Congress. Joined by author Juan Martinez , Arana discusses the importance of preserving and uplifting Latino history and her new book LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About LatinoLand : "A perfect re...
Sep 16, 2024•41 min
This week, we celebrate the legacy of Lorraine Hansberry with J. Nicole Brooks , Natalie Y. Moore , and Ericka Ratcliff . This conversation originally took place August 22, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. This program is presented in partnership with the Lorraine Hansberry Initiative , which was created by The Lillys (conceived by Lynn Nottage and Julia Jordan) to honor Lorraine Hansberry’s legacy through the tour and permanent placement of a figurative sculpture of th...
Sep 09, 2024•56 min
This Labor Day, we take a look at writing labor history with Steve Watkins , author of The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields , a riveting true story of the West Virginia coal miners who ignited the largest labor uprising in American history. Watkins is joined by labor historian Rosemary Feurer . This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival . AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About The Mine Wars : ...
Sep 02, 2024•35 min
