In which Erin McGraw, a former teacher at the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State as well as a prolific author with three novels and four collections of short stories, entreats aspiring writers: “Forgive yourself.”

In which Pulitzer prizewinning poet Paul Muldoon confronts himself. “Ok Paul get a grip. Face reality this is what you do, and it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do,” says he. “It is as reasonable a thing to do as to be a philosopher or a psychiatrist or a pulmonary specialist. Just get over yourself. It’s not about you. You are a poet.”

In which poets Edgar Kunz, the author of Tap Out, and Anders Carlson-Wee, the author of The Low Passions, consider influence and camaraderie—the ways in which their friendship has shaped their writing practices and their first books.

In which Anna Lena Phillips Bell—author of the poetry collection Ornament and editor of Ecotone—considers the ways poetry helps us map the natural world and how “art is not a frivolous pursuit.”

In which Margaret Renkl—the author of Late Migrations and a contributing writer for the New York Times—wonders if the arc of the universe still bends towards justice.

In which editor Adam Ross interviews bestselling author Stephanie Danler about her upcoming memoir Stray. In this episode, Danler discusses the differences between writing fiction and memoir and gives the listener a behind-the-scenes look into how a book gets refined in its final stages of editing

In which Melissa Febos, author of Whip Smart and Abandon Me, dubs writing "psychological alchemy" and recites a poem by Mary Oliver.

In which editor Adam Ross interviews Garth Greenwell, the author of Cleanness and What Belongs to You. In this episode, Greenwell is crowned King of MFA Programs and decrees mandatory reading in a second language and deeply in translated works.

In which Adam Ross, editor of the Sewanee Review, introduces the Sewanee Review Podcast for readers and storytellers.