Want to feel mildly productive when you can’t write — because you’re spending your minutes and hours stuck in Los Angeles traffic? Listen to a literary podcast while you wait on the 405. Here are five entertaining podcasts with an L.A. connection for your listening pleasure:
Otherppl with Brad Listi. Hosted by The Nervous Breakdown founder Brad Listi, each weekly Otherppl episode features an intimate interview with a writer, recorded in Brad’s garage in Los Angeles. Interviewees range from well-known authors who are in town on book tour to local, indie press writers — like me.
A unique feature of this podcasts is that the interviews tend to focus on the authors’ personal histories and their thoughts about the writing process. The result is usually an interesting look at the trajectory of a writer’s life.
KCRW’s Bookworm. One of local NPR station KCRW’s programs, Bookworm’s hosted by Michael Silverblatt, who talks with an author at length about his or her new big book, usually asking deep questions that delve into the books’ concerns as related to contemporary society.
I’d describe Bookworm as quiet and thoughtful — which is another way of saying that I love the podcast’s moments of wonderful insight, but sometimes find Michael’s slow, measured (halting?) way of speaking lulls me to sleep.
LARB Radio Hour. This podcast from the Los Angeles Review of Books (more about LARB here) is described as “a weekly variety show” — and really seems to offer something new and different every week.
Tune in to hear anything ranging from a conversation with Future Sex author Emily Witt about sex in the digital age, to a socio-cultural lesson on celebrating the holidays Soviet-style, to readings of poems. Even the hosts change around for each show, though LARB fiction editor Laurie Winer is one of the regulars.
Literary Disco. This lively podcast features three hosts, writer-actor Julia Pistell, Tod Goldberg, and Rider Strong (of Boy Meets World fame) — the latter two of whom are in the Los Angeles area — who have energetic, friendly discussions about books they’re reading.
The conversation can get a bit frenetic, with the hosts interrupting and talking over each other. Recent episodes covered Nick Drnaso’s graphic novel Sabrina, Tara Westover’s Educated, and Vulture’s list of 100 books of the 21st century.
Skylight Books Author Reading Series. Missed a reading at Skylight Books? (more about the bookstore here) You can catch it on the podcast — maybe. The bookstore turns select readings into episodes.
You’ll hear some big name authors who came through town, as well as many well-known local ones like Dana Johnson and Margaret Wappler. Plus, the podcast sometimes includes the more community-based readings — like those featuring WriteGirl mentees or UC Irvine MFA students (more about local MFA programs here).
Drinks with Tony. Local writer Tony Dushane hosts this weekly podcast, which ran from 2002 to 2015, took a hiatus, then returned in 2018.
Each episode features two authors, who are often local. Recent guests include Shawna Kenney, David Ulin, Ben Loory, and Liska Jacobs.
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Are there great L.A.-related literary podcasts I missed? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll start listening. And if you’d like to broaden your listening horizons beyond SoCal, check out The Millions‘s list of literary podcasts from around the world.
Originally posted 1/17/17; last updated 1/4/19