The American Writers Museum Podcasts

This week, writers and free speech advocates Jacob Mchangama and Sara Paretsky discuss the importance of free speech today. Jacob Mchangama is the author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media, which traces the riveting legal, political, and cultural history of this idea. He is also the co-author, along with Jeff Kosseff, [...]

This week, Reyna Grande and Erika L. Sánchez discuss Grande’s new book Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget, an ambitious memoir in essays that illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival. This conversation originally took place September 23, 2026 and was recorded live [...]

This week, two of Chicago’s leading poets—Mayda del Valle and Eve L. Ewing—discuss how to use poetic forms to tell stories, reveal characters, and express memory. Mayda del Valle is the Poet Laureate of the City of Chicago, and Eve L. Ewing is an award-winning poet and scholar. This program was part of the 2026 [...]

This week, two scholars discuss “Social Change, Faith, and the Making of Latino Chicago.” Felipe Hinojosa, author of Apostles of Change: Latino Radical Politics, Church Occupations, and the Fight to Save the Barrio and Lilia Fernández, author of Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago, explore the intertwined histories of [...]

This week, cartographers Stentor Danielson and Andy Woodruff discuss mapmaking and telling stories with maps, moderated by David Weimer, the Robert A. Holland Curator of Maps at the Newberry Library. Explore cartographic writing through Belt Publishing’s “Cities in 50 Maps” series. Danielson is the author of Pittsburgh in 50 Maps, while Woodruff is the author [...]

This week, comedian and author Jenny Gorelick discusses her recent dating guide, The Book of Red Flags: Dating Signs They Aren’t It, with fellow comedian Ton Johnson. For singles striving to mingle, The Book of Red Flags is a beacon on the modern dating darkness, detailing all the hilarious signs they aren’t it. Content warning: [...]

This week, author Lauren Groff and editor John Stauffer discuss the craft and history of short stories, as well as their latest work. Moderated by author and professor Peter Coviello. Groff, a three-time National Book Award finalist, recently released Brawler: Stories, an “audacious collection [that] surprises readers with the vivid lives few of us notice [...]

This week, hear from three accomplished writers who blend suspense with humor to tell compelling stories. How do humor and suspense intersect to create compelling novels? These three funny masters of mystery discuss their latest works: Escape! by Stephen Fishbach, A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio, and My Name Was Gerry Sass by Tiffany [...]

Three finalists for the 2026 Nebula Awards—Amy Chu, Somto Ihezue, and Annalee Newitz—discuss their craft, why they write, and the state of speculative fiction today. Moderated by Tananarive Due, Toastmaster of the 2026 Nebula Awards, which are given annually by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. Featured writers and their 2026 Nebula Award nominations [...]

This week, actress and humorist Annabelle Gurwitch discusses her new book The End of My Life Is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker. In this deftly comedic and deeply contemplative memoir, the New York Times bestselling author faces life’s biggest curveball only to find resilience in the most unlikely places. Gurwitch discusses [...]