Comments from guests

“Thanks for having me on your show. An hour seemed like a long time to talk about myself, but you made it fun, especially after I got warmed up.”

— Billy Collins, former poet laureate of the United States

“Barbara DeMarco-Barrett is one of the best literary journalists in the US and an absolute marvel in the broadcast world. She reads with care and sensitivity and her interviews reflect her passion for literature and go to a depth that’s largely unique. She always gets stuff from writers that other interviewers never even approach.”

— Scott Turow, novelist

“Another shout of thanks for the terrific interview. Your smart, sensitive, nuanced questions and comments made it possible to go way, way beyond the standard nonsense. My wife agrees with me that your podcast was far and away the best of all the interviews I've done over the past two months. Thank you.”

— Tim O’Brien, novelist

“Writers on Writing is a terrific show, inspiring and helpful for readers and authors alike. Barbara and Marrie are smart, gracious hosts who strike the perfect balance between honoring what writers do and deconstructing it for those who want to learn or improve, or those who just want to explore the mysteries that live beneath the page.”

— Jess Walter, novelist

“No one gets to the heart of the writing life more swiftly and concisely than Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone. These interviews are both brisk and illuminating, and invariably unearth a surprise or two.”

— T. Jefferson Parker, novelist

“I really enjoyed talking to you. Thanks for making it such a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. I had fun, and appreciate all your support and good questions — a lot!”

— Aimee Bender, novelist

"I woke at the end of the hour hoping I'd said anything, a single thing that was interesting, but please know I spoke frankly and if I was advisory (lesson-ary) I hope it was useful to your listeners. I understood immediately that you knew what writers were up to. It was a privilege to be included in your list of writers."

— Ron Carlson, short story writer & novelist

“It was a treat to talk with you last night. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and the hour just flew by! You’re such a terrific interviewer — in that I never felt I was being interviewed, but rather, that I was having a deep and interesting conversation with someone I really liked.”

— Dani Shapiro, novelist & memoirist

“When it comes to the perils and promise of the writing life, these candid, informative interviews are a revelation. Special kudos to Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone for their entertaining, incisive questions.”

— Dennis Palumbo, author & psychotherapist

“Writers on Writing has been a reliable sanctuary to learn from and be inspired by other writers walking the same difficult road. Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone know how to plumb our minds for stories, advice, and secrets that many of us didn’t know we held. Our conversations are always startling, but in the best possible way.”

— Martin J. Smith, journalist, novelist & non-fiction author

“For twenty-five years, Writers on Writing has given us authors a beautiful opportunity to talk about our books, our process and our craft. Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone are creative professionals and generous interviewers, and they seem to be able to bring out our insights, even aspects of our writing we didn’t realize ourselves. New writers considering an MFA program would be wise to first listen to the twenty years of Writers on Writing — they will learn plenty, and what a bargain!”

— Bonnie Jo Campbell, novelist & short-story author

“Writers on Writing has been a great resource for me. Early in my writing career, Writers on Writing provided me with much-needed guidance from smart, experienced people who knew every angle of the business of writing. The inspiration and advice I received from the guests and hosts of Writers on Writing continue to serve me well.”

— Edward Kelsey Moore, novelist

“I just want to thank you for the most relaxed, pleasurable interview I can ever remember. You are such a wonderful host, and your questions come from the soul of a writer. So few interviewers understand how writing works. You clearly do.”

— Jennie Fields, novelist

“I really had fun last night. You asked smart, interesting questions which should have given any listener a true overview of this very looney business. It truly was my pleasure to join you and I do hope I helped shed a little light.”

— Alice Martell, literary agent

“By the way, you’re very good.”

— Stephen Dunn, winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for poetry

Comments from listeners

“I just listened to your interview with Mark Tavani, and I have to say that it was a marvelous hour and seven minutes of information entering my ears. Often, the only words that I hear coming out of an agent’s mouth are reasons why they reject a writer’s work but rarely about the positive aspects of connecting with a writer and that author’s work. The subject of Book Club commercially accessible fiction was especially interesting along with his philosophy of constructive but supportive criticism. That was a great interview. Thanks!”

— Jim Warren

“I just wanted to say I love Writers on Writing. I dearly love that gentle and wise podcast. You are an oft companion on my morning runs. One of the best podcasts out there. Thank you for keeping it going strong.”

— Amy Muia

“I have a wide circle of imaginary friends that follow me into my kitchen, sit with me at meals, relieve the drudgery of chores and who accompany me on walks. They’re not quite imaginary, of course. You may know their names: Glennon, Abby and Amanda; Martha and Rowan; Maya; Barbara and Marrie, Erin and Elise, among so many others. But as their voices fill my head and often my imagination, they might as well have drawn up a chair and sat across from me at the kitchen table as I poured them a cup of tea for a cozy chat. They don’t feel disembodied. They feel like wise and comforting friends who always have something interesting to say, often make me laugh and leaven the solitude with a special kind of kinship. You should get to know them, too.”

— Amy Brown