Best Austin R Wilson Podcasts (2025)

1
Lewis Millholland — Boise State University 50:48

11h ago50:48

50:48

Writers often share work in readings, but how often do we write stories that are designed to be read aloud? Louis Millholland tells Jared about preparing for a reading by creating a piece “that was short, had a lot of repetition, no dialogue, and noticeable voice changes.” Millholland also discusses drawing inspiration from Harvard Business Review …

1
James T. Morrison — Fresno State 50:04

14d ago50:04

50:04

In our Season 6 premiere, James T. Morrison talks about how creative nonfiction provides an opportunity to discuss challenging topics like drug dependency and justice system involvement that counter the stereotypical portrayal of the addiction redemption arc. He and Jared also explore revision as a process to find your voice, Morrison’s shift from …

1
039: Joshua Hull - Screenwriter and Novelist, "Mouth," "Glorious," and "8114" 1:00:31

18d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Joshua Hull is a screenwriter and author from Indiana, which means he and I have a lot in common. His novel "8114" is out from Clash Books on August 26, 2025 and is intended to unsettle you in many ways. Are there rules to writing screenplays and prose stories? What's it feel like to have a book so close to publication? Is the setting you grew up i…

1
Sam Herschel Wein — University of Tennessee, Knoxville Rerelease 58:59

28d ago58:59

58:59

On this episode, Sam Herschel Wein tells Jared about their path to finding poetry outside of academia, co-founding and editing Underblong, and their approach to collaboration and humor in their writing. Plus, they discuss the nuances of MFA program decisions (Two or three years? English or Art departments?) and whether creative writing should live …

1
Suli Holum — Goddard College Rerelease 39:17

1M ago39:17

39:17

What’s it like to pursue a low-residency MFA when you’re a collaborative playwright and performer? In this episode, Suli Holum describes devised work, partnerships between writers and actors, and how she created a piece based on her research in the oil fields of North Dakota. She and Jared also talk about the details of Goddard’s creative and craft…

1
Noah Evan Wilson — Rutgers University-Newark Rerelease 42:38

2M ago42:38

42:38

Noah Evan Wilson spent ten years finishing his undergraduate degree while developing as a musician and a photographer. In this episode, he talks with Jared about how that decade of experiences animates his current writing, how the craft of music and photography overlaps with and informs his fiction, and how the MFA has provided him the opportunity …

1
038: Andre Dubus III - Author, "House of Sand and Fog," "Townie," "Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin" 1:05:18

2M ago1:05:18

1:05:18

Andre Dubus III is the author of HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, TOWNIE, DIRTY LOVE, SUCH KINDNESS, and more, along with his newest, GHOST DOGS: ON KILLERS AND KIN, a collection of essays. A previous episode, "The Most Important Question a Writer Can Ask," covers an appearance of Andre's at Politics & Prose when he gave some advice on writing that deeply af…

1
Austin Tucker — Ohio University 53:03

2M ago53:03

53:03

How do voice-driven writers find their characters? Austin Tucker tells Jared how he uses collage and research into his characters’ life histories to craft voices that are often “on the edge of collapse.” Plus, Austin discusses the pros and cons of a small program with 6-8 students in each poetry workshop, healthcare access as a PhD student, and opp…

1
037: Jamarcus Turner - Writer/Story Editor, "Bob Hearts Abishola" 1:07:19

3M ago1:07:19

1:07:19

Jamarcus Turner is a TV writer who wrote and story edited for the Chuck Lorre-produced Bob Hearts Abishola, and he also just so happens to live in Indiana. This is the VERY FIRST in-person interview for Ledger! Jamarcus stopped by to talk about when he started writing for TV - it is unlike anyone else's story, no doubt about it - how he got his 10,…

1
Brandon Blue — Arizona State University Rerelease 47:55

3M ago47:55

47:55

Poetic forms are sometimes considered limiting, but can we find freedom within the constraints? On this episode, Brandon Blue tells Jared about how recontextualizing traditional forms through the lens of identity creates an additional, sometimes subversive, layer of meaning. Plus, he discusses writing about intimacy and eroticism within and outside…

1
Short Fiction - "Hate to Meet You" by Austin Wilson 13:25

3M ago13:25

13:25

SHORT FICTION! This is the official audio release of my story "Hate to Meet You," which was originally published in Edgar Allan Poe's Snifter of Death, issue #06, by Ahoy Comics. Two high school coaches meet each other for the first time and realize immediately that they hate each other. They also realize they'll not be able to escape one another..…

1
De’Andre S. Holmes — Columbia College Chicago Rerelease 47:06

3M ago47:06

47:06

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt writing imposter syndrome! We all have our hands up. On this episode, De’Andre S. Holmes of Columbia College Chicago shares his experience with self-doubt, exacerbated by pursuing an undergrad degree in business administration, not English. Plus, he talks about taking a fully-funded semester in Paris through his …

1
036: Brent Forrester -The Office, Writer/Exec. Producer; Writer, The Simpsons, Ben Stiller Show 1:03:25

4M ago1:03:25

1:03:25

Brent Forrester is an Emmy Award-winning writer who has worked on an incredible list of shows including The Office (where he also executive produced and ran the writer's room at one point), The Simpsons, The Ben Stiller Show, King of the Hill, The Larry Sanders Show, and more! He stopped by Ledger to chat about how to overcome writing pressure, man…

1
Jude MacAllen Tatman — University of Nebraska Omaha 43:08

4M ago43:08

43:08

After writing poetry for nearly 50 years, Jude MacAllen Tatman enrolled in an MFA program. In this episode, he sits down with Jared to discuss what it’s like to revisit poems he drafted in the 1980s along with crafting new work. Plus, he discusses writing about his life’s most consequential crossroads, treating writing like work, and finding facult…

1
035: Laura Kroeger - 2024 Final Draft Big Break grand prize winner, Screenwriter 58:32

4M ago58:32

58:32

Today’s guest is screenwriter Laura Kroeger, one of two winners of the 2024 Final Draft Big Break contest. Disclaimer: Final Draft is not sponsoring today’s episode. Laura Won the Big Break Contest with her script BIGGER IN TEXAS. She talks about the genesis of that script as well as how the Women In Film & Video (WIF) fellowship helped her writing…

1
Tyler R. Moore — University of Illinois 45:50

4M ago45:50

45:50

Poets are known for considering form in their writing, but form is also critical in prose. In fact, for Tyler R. Moore, form tells us the most about the story. “It’s the structure, scaffolding, bones, and architecture.” In this episode, Tyler tells Jared about approaching each story with a different structure, including his recent piece told exclus…

1
Siloh Radovsky — UC San Diego Rerelease 57:43

5M ago57:43

57:43

Siloh Radovsky sits down with Jared to talk about her path from anarchistic activism to experimental writing, the blurry line between fiction and nonfiction, and the joys and pains of teaching in an R1 institution. Siloh Radovsky is a prose writer invested in the overlap between narrative and criticism. A recent graduate of the cross-genre MFA prog…

1
034: Christine Wenc - Author, Writer for The Onion; "Funny Because It's True: How The Onion Created Modern American News Satire" 52:05

5M ago52:05

52:05

Christine Wenc is a former staff member for The Onion and the author of Funny Because It's True: How The Onion Created Modern American News Satire, out right now in hardcover! Christine stopped by to chat about how she started researching the book in 2018; searching for (and maybe never finding) objective truth; coming to terms with the ways in whi…

1
Ray Wise — Rutgers University–Camden 47:40

5M ago47:40

47:40

What happens when a tech startup employee starts taking online writing classes? They end up in an MFA program, of course. In this episode, Ray Wise sits down with Jared to talk about finding writing in their 20s and the lessons they bring from the tech world to their creative work. Plus, they discuss Rutgers-Camden’s multi-genre emphasis, weekend w…

1
033: Jessica Berg - Literary Agent, Rosecliff Literary 49:24

5M ago49:24

49:24

Jessica Berg is the founder and chief literary agent at Rosecliff Literary. Recently, they hired Tommy Dean, former guest of the show and the EIC of Fractured Lit and Uncharted Mag, two literary journals that publish a lot of great fiction. Jessica and I discuss whether a literary agent needs to be a lawyer, what a day of work looks like for her, h…

1
Oli Peters — University of Notre Dame 44:31

6M ago44:31

44:31

Integrating elegy, ekphrasis, and dance notation, Oli Peters’s thesis project is a multilingual, multi-genre exploration in translation and lyric poetry. In this episode, she shares how her program encourages creative experimentation, even when she submits work that feels “absolutely unpublishable, verging on unreadable.” Plus, she discusses her co…

1
The Most Important and Revealing Question a Writer Can Ask 9:31

6M ago9:31

9:31

"Am I a writer?" is NOT the question, but it's absolutely related to the most important and revealing question a writer can ask themselves. Today on Ledger I talk about how I've struggled with defining myself as a writer in the past and the way I get past that weird mental battle. This is the first of my non-interview episodes for the new phase of …

1
Emily St. Martin — UC Riverside, Palm Desert Low-Residency Rerelease 44:38

6M ago44:38

44:38

Can you find a close community in a low-res program? Emily St. Martin, having met her best friends in her MFA, says absolutely yes. She joins Jared to talk about how her program has helped her craft her memoir-in-progress, the fear and reward of vulnerability in creative nonfiction, and how writing lets us acknowledge and redefine our pasts. Emily …

1
Ledger's Fun Future with New Interviews and Audio Fiction 6:28

6M ago6:28

6:28

Ledger is changing! The craft of writing has so much that goes into it, so many people who help writers produce, finish, and publish their work, so instead of only interviewing writers, Ledger will also begin featuring chats with everyone from Beta readers to editors, to publicists and publishers! Along with those new interviews there will be short…

1
Derek Chan — Cornell University Rerelease 47:47

7M ago47:47

47:47

How does our excavation of ancestral history shape our understanding of ourselves and how can writing guide us through this process? On this episode, Derek Chan discusses the role of family stories in his poetry and life, the magic of bewilderment in art, and the dissonance between our external language and our internal being. Plus, as a first-gene…

1
Matt Homrich-Knieling — Western Connecticut State University 40:35

7M ago40:35

40:35

Speculative memoir allows Matt Homrich-Knieling to lean into the subjective nature of memory and explore his experience with separation anxiety. Plus, he and Jared discuss how Matt created a specific list of experiences he wanted from an MFA, which allowed him to narrow his MFA application list to just three programs. They also talk about how the W…

1
Meghan Perry — Debut Author Series — Water Finds a Way 45:01

7M ago45:01

45:01

15 years after her MFA, and 4 years after scrapping a book that just wasn’t working, Meghan Perry’s debut novel WATER FINDS A WAY is receiving strong positive reviews, including a coveted Kirkus star. She joins Jared to talk about the realities of post-grad writing, going “scorched earth” on revision, and the process of turning short stories into a…

1
032: Alex Wrekk - Writer, "Stolen Sharpie Revolution," "Brainscan," and more 51:30

8M ago51:30

51:30

Alex Wrekk is the writer and creator of Stolen Sharpie Revolution, a fantastic book now two decades into its print run and continuing to influence zinemaking and zinemakers the world over. Alex also creates the zine Brainscan, and, sometimes, a handful of years will go by before a new issue shows up - but! - it’s always being worked on. We chat abo…

1
Rerelease: Jamie Li — Vermont College of Fine Arts 42:46

8M ago42:46

42:46

The pod team is traveling this week, so we invite you to travel back to a great episode from our previous season. We’ll be back with new episodes in the New Year — how fitting! Wishing you all a beautiful close to 2024. Drawing from her decade-long career in Silicon Valley, Jamie Li tells Jared about writing tech satire that struck her MFA colleagu…

1
Rerelease: Krista Diamond — University of Nevada, Las Vegas 56:18

8M ago56:18

56:18

It’s winter break! Strap on your snowshoes, brew a hot chocolate, and escape to the heat of the Vegas desert with one of our favorite episodes from last season. Wishing you all rest, writing inspiration, and early-decision acceptances. This week, an MFA with an international focus! Krista Diamond sits down with Jared to talk about UNLV’s required (…

1
031: Carolyn J. Carpenter - Screenwriter, "You Can't Run Forever"; Script reader 1:03:55

8M ago1:03:55

1:03:55

Carolyn J Carpenter is a cofounder of Hollywood Gatekeepers and a story analyst, writer, producer, and script reader, which is how I met her! This is another entry in my “Austin went to a film festival” series (along with Drew Larimore and Jim Burnstein) because I met Carolyn at Austin Film Festival in October 2024. Carolyn has a ton of industry ex…

1
030: Jim Burnstein, Screenwriter, "Renaissance Man," "Mighty Ducks 3" 57:50

9M ago57:50

57:50

Jim Burnstein, the John H. Mitchell Professor of Entertainment and Director of Screenwriting Program at the University of Michigan stopped by Ledger to talk about his career as a screenwriter. He's written such films as Renaissance Man, starring Danny DeVito and directed by Penny Marhsall, Mighty Ducks 3, a particular childhood favorite of mine, an…

1
Wilson M. Sims — Florida Atlantic University 57:39

9M ago57:39

57:39

In this instant classic episode, Wilson M. Sims and Jared talk about the step-by-step process of getting an agent, what they do (or know they shouldn’t do) when a story isn’t working, how MFA programs are like basketball drills, and approaching craft discussions in ways that are more flexible and time-varying than declarative and concrete. Plus, Wi…

1
Mackenzie McGee — University of Kansas 45:44

9M ago45:44

45:44

In this episode, PhD Candidate Mackenzie McGee talks about her process when writing speculative fiction, including how she decides on topics and themes, how her process changes when writing flash versus her novel, and how writers are able to explore politically dangerous topics by leaning into speculative elements. She then tells Jared about her de…

1
029: Drew Larimore - Playwright, UPSTATE 54:58

10M ago54:58

54:58

Playwright Drew Larimore joins Ledger today for a special reason: I read his play UPSTATE in the very first round of submissions as a script reader for the Austin Film Festival, which is THE film festival/contest/conference for writers. I happily put Drew's play through to the next round and also wrote that it had a serious chance of winning the ca…

1
Rone Shavers — Application Series — MFA vs. PhD 47:10

10M ago47:10

47:10

Rone Shavers joins Jared for our annual application episode to discuss the differences between MFA and PhD applications and programs. Rone and Jared talk about how to choose the right program, put together the best application, and get the most out of your time in a program. Before that, they discuss Rone’s “funky” novel Silverfish and how getting …

1
Rerelease: Jess Silfa — Application Series — MFA Draft 1:19:44

10M ago1:19:44

1:19:44

The leaves are turning, the pumpkin spice lattes are brewing, and that means the MFA applicants are revising and re-revising their personal statements. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we’re bringing you last season’s (super informative) application episode. Stay tuned for a new episode in your feed soon. Happy MFA Application Season to all who ce…

1
028: Ryan Claytor - Cartoonist and Teacher; One Bite At a Time 1:13:15

11M ago1:13:15

1:13:15

Today’s guest is cartoonist, designer, teacher, and Pinball Wizard Ryan Claytor. I’m one of his stops on the digital (and AFK) book tour for his brand-new book, One Bite At a Time: The First 20 years of Elephant Eater Comics. You can purchase the book at OneBiteAtaTimeBook.com along with more of his work Ryan stopped by to talk about his path from …

1
Carlee Jensen — Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars 49:59

11M ago49:59

49:59

Carlee Jensen reflects on how the American West and constructions of personal mythology shaped her writing, and how coming out “late” taught her that life has no single narrative. She also tells Jared why she avoided MFA application resources before submitting her materials, how the MFA helped her refocus on writing as an art, not just a profession…

1
Jonny Teklit — University of Wisconsin–Madison 42:49

11M ago42:49

42:49

On this episode, Jonny Teklit sits down with Jared to talk about crafting odes to small, granular subjects, sharing his personal productivity tips and the common writing advice that doesn’t work for him. Plus, Jonny discusses the pros and cons of UW-Madison’s rotating genre admissions policy and reflects on how Lynda Barry’s comics class changed hi…

1
Emma Allmann — University of Alabama 56:56

12M ago56:56

56:56

It’s not quite Halloween, but on this episode, Emma Allman talks to Jared about the utility of defamiliarization, surrealism, uncanniness, and body horror in ecofiction (spooky!). Plus, she discusses how working in marketing pre-MFA helped her understand professionalism and realism in academia, life in Tuscaloosa as it aligns with and diverges from…

1
Rerelease: Simon Graham — University of Washington 45:38

12M ago45:38

45:38

As the pod team settles into the fall semester, we’re excited to celebrate the recent accomplishment of one of our past guests. Simon Graham was awarded an AWP Intro Journals Prize for their story “Blair,” forthcoming in Puerto del Sol. Enjoy our conversation with Simon from Season 3. How do you write about the climate crisis without becoming didac…

1
Alejandro Puyana — Debut Author Series — Freedom is a Feast 50:46

1y ago50:46

50:46

Following Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, debut author Alejandro Puyana returns to the show to discuss his novel, which explores the revolutionary lives of both ordinary and extraordinary Venezuelans over the span of fifty years. He also shares insights with Jared about the rewrites he made to his MFA thesis before publication, the expe…

1
Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li — University of British Columbia 41:47

1y ago41:47

41:47

Ever heard of an MFA program with 12 different genre concentrations? On this episode, Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li tells Jared about how UBC’s multi-genre emphasis allowed her to work across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, filmmaking, comics, and more. Plus, she discusses self-funding her degree, receiving a grant to do research in China for he…

1
027: Rana Tahir - Author, Heroes and Monsters: The Stranger Things Choose Your Own Adventure novel 58:15

1y ago58:15

58:15

Rana Tahir writes poetry, non-fiction, and fiction, and is the author of Heroes and Monsters, the Stranger Things Choose Your Own Adventure novel as well as SPIES: Noor Inayat Khan, a CYOA tale of the eponymous WWII spy. During the interview I reference a chat she had on the Books With a Past show, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/l…

1
026: Glenn Stout - Author, The Young Woman and the Sea; Editor, The Best American Sports Writing 59:51

1y ago59:51

59:51

Glenn Stout is a writer, editor, consultant, teacher, and more. Perhaps most best known as the series editor of The Best American Sports Writing series, which ran from 1991 to 2020, Glenn has been involved with narrative non-fiction in some form since the late '80s and early '90s. His book The Young Woman and the Sea was recently adapted for Disney…

1
Rerelease: Nikki Lyssy — University of South Florida 50:37

1y ago50:37

50:37

As the pod team wraps up our summer vacation, we’re highlighting one of the gems from a previous season. Watch out for the Season 5 premiere in two weeks.On this episode, Nikki Lyssy tells Jared about how, as a blind writer, she uses research to access the sighted world and fill her fiction with vivid imagery, while in her nonfiction, she explores …

1
Rerelease: Maurice Carlos Ruffin — Faculty Series — LSU and Randolph 41:37

1y ago41:37

41:37

The pod team is still on vacation! In the mountains! Without recording equipment! The Season 5 premiere will be in your feed soon. Until then, enjoy this conversation with Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of three books and faculty member twice over.Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author and faculty member at two MFA programs, joins Jared for this special epis…

1
Rerelease: Rachelle Toarmino — UMass Amherst 45:28

1y ago45:28

45:28

The podcast team is on vacation! In the meantime, we invite you to listen to one of our favorite episodes from Season 3. Wishing you all a great summer, friends. As the editor-in-chief of Peach Mag, Rachelle Toarmino is consistently focused on the work of others. She chats with Jared about her own writing career, including finding and using playful…

1
Eric Larsh — Portland State University 44:51

1+ y ago44:51

44:51

It’s the Season 4 finale! On this episode, Eric Larsh tells Jared about writing into obsessions, whether he’s focusing exclusively on sonnets or, for the last two years, diving into a long poem about the Mojave Desert. Eric also discusses how his music compositions and editorship at Portland Review inform his poetry, deciding between a graduate deg…

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Austin R Wilson Podcasts

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