The Lit Hub Podcast

There's an Amazon boycott on, from today until the 14th! But really, publishing should stop linking to Amazon now and forever. Drew explains why!Then, Brad Johnson from East Bay Booksellers drops by to talk about his essay "The Things We Learned in the Fire:On the Destruction (and Rebirth) of a Bookstore" and then Emily Temple and James Folta chat with Drew about kicking off the Best Villain in Literature bracket. Round One is open through Sunday!!The Lit Hub Podcast is a production of Lit Hub RadioHosted by Drew BroussardMusic by Dani LencioniSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

First up this week: Dan Sheehan recently had the chance to chat with Omar El Akkad about One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This and we're thrilled to bring you an audio excerpt from that conversation. Then, Calvin Kasulke drops in to grill Drew on his apparent disdain for the recent wave of Lady Macbeth novels. And finally, Olivia Rutigliano brings us more "Culture Schlock"—this time, looking Oscar-forward...The Lit Hub Podcast is a production of Lit Hub RadioHosted by Drew BroussardMusic by Dani LencioniSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew finished re-watching The Lord of the Rings over the weekend and it has probably influenced a bit of the episode. But he also chats with bookseller-libromancer Josh Cook about how the publishing world can respond to the second Trump presidency and why we could all do with a bit more doing what actually energizes us, and with Jordan Kisner about the return of Thresholds in collaboration with the Black Mountain Institute!The Lit Hub Podcast is a production of Lit Hub RadioHosted by Drew BroussardMusic by Dani LencioniSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Valentine's Day! So Drew chats with Chloé Caldwell about her recent piece "Yes, I've Been Selling My Book on Dating Apps" — and asks listeners to call in with their recent favorite reads! Plus, Calvin Kasulke chats with K. Kerimian about the Nonbinarian Book Bike's leap to brick and mortar.The Lit Hub Radio Hotline: 845-377-0903The Lit Hub Podcast is a production of Lit Hub RadioHosted by Drew BroussardMusic by Dani LencioniSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith tells Drew about reading the entirety of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series for her piece "Actually, Master and Commander is a Domestic Fantasy About a Codependent Life Partnership!" and Dan Sheehan stops by to explain why it matters that The Giller Prize (finally) dropped Scotiabank as a sponsor.The Lit Hub Podcast is a production of Lit Hub RadioHosted by Drew BroussardMusic by Dani LencioniSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, some suggestions for men and some suggestions for history! First up, it's James Folta chatting with Drew about his recent piece "Men Have Bigger Problems Than Not Reading Novels" and the crisis of cultural illiteracy. Then, Molly Odintz stops by to talk up some upcoming historical fiction—and why reading historical fiction can help positively impact the present.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On January 13, New York published a story by Lila Shapiro detailing allegations of sexual assault against fantasy author Neil Gaiman. (TW: the piece is at times graphic and should be approached with care.) Gaiman has denied the allegations and claimed that the encounters were consensual.It's an upsetting story for so many reasons, and an important one. So, in a special episode of the show, Drew sat down with Lila Shapiroto talk about writing these kinds of stories, what they mean to communities across the world, and how to address the power imbalance between fans and their idols."There is No Safe Word" by Lila Shapiro for New York MagazineNeil Gaiman's responseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first week of the Trump administration has felt somehow even more awful than we expected it to feel. Everybody's a little on edge. So, we kick things off with Jonny Diamond extolling the excellent pieces from Kim Kelly and Madeline ffitch that ran on the site on Tuesday, sharing excerpts and explaining how they encapsulate Lit Hub's approach to the Trump administration.Then, because our revolution must include the joyful things as well, we introduce a new recurring segment: "Culture Schlock" with Olivia Rutigliano. This installment, we're headed to Sherlock Holmes week!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The year has really gotten off on a rough foot. But what lessons can we take from deeply admired artists like Ursula K. Le Guin and David Lynch, for the tumult to come? And what might readers be able to expect from 2025, trend-wise? We might not have the answers, but we do have some answers.A note from Drew, about wildfire assistanceAnother note from Drew, about Neil GaimanJulie Phillips on "The Way of Water: On the Quiet Power of Ursula K. Le Guin's Activism"McKayla Coyle and Oliver Scialdone drop in to riff with Drew on some possible trends to watch out for in 2025 — or, really, what we all might like to see more of! Call it manifesting.A closing note from Drew, about David LynchThe Lit Hub Podcast is produced by Stardust HouseMusic by Dani Lencioni of EvelynA Lit Hub Radio PodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're back and raring to go—starting with a year's-resolutions intro from Drew and then diving into something a bit more celebratory: some audio 2025 Most Anticipated picks from Calvin Kasulke, McKayla Coyle, Olivia Rutigliano, Molly Odintz, Brittany K. Allen, Emily Temple, James Folta, Dwyer Murphy, Jonny Diamond, Dan Sheehan, and Drew Broussard!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.