LARB Radio Hour
Episodes
Suzy Hansen's "From Life Itself"
08 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks to the Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Suzy Hansen about her new book, From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in...
Lucrecia Martel "Nuestra Tierra"
01 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Acclaimed filmmaker Lucrecia Martel joins Kate Wolf to discuss her documentary Nuestra Tierra, which follows a 2018 trial in Argentina over a crime ...
Ann Scott's "Superstars" and Hugh Ryan's "My Bad"
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf are joined by French writer Ann Scott, whose cult novel, Superstars, was just translated into English. Superstars depict...
Patrick Radden Keefe's "London Falling"
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher are joined by investigative journalist and New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, to discuss his new book, Lond...
Karan Mahajan's "The Complex"
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with Karan Mahajan about his latest novel, The Complex. Taking its name from the collection of buildings that patri...
Reynaldo Rivera's "Propiedad Privada"
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman are joined by photographer Reynaldo Rivera, whose work is featured on the cover of the LARB Quarterly's spring issue, which...
Hyperpolitics
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman discuss the current political quagmire we find ourselves in through the frame of...
The War in Iran and the Limits of American Journalism
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf is joined by veteran journalist Jonathan Shainin, who has worked at The Guardian, The New Yorker, and The Caravan, among other publicati...
LARB Radio Hour x Film Comment 2026 Oscars Preview
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, host Eric Newman is joined by LARB Film Editors Annie Berke and Elizabeth Alsop and Film Comment co-editors Devika Girish and...
Vigdis Hjorth's "Repetition"
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks to Vigdis Hjorth about her latest novel, Repetition. In the book, the narrator, a novelist in her 60s, returns with an almost tranc...
Lauren Groff's "Brawler"
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Lauren Groff about her latest story collection, "Brawler," an intimate and tender exploration of the all-too-human struggle to...
Namwali Serpell's "On Morrison"
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman are joined by the novelist and critic Namwali Serpell to discuss her latest book, On Morrison. Through close readings of T...
Richard Hell's "Godlike"
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Hell joins Kate Wolf to speak about the reissue of his novel, Godlike. Originally published in 2005, Godlike transposes the relationship of t...
Kristin Ross's "The Politics and Poetics of Everyday Life"
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode from the archives, Eric Newman and Kate Wolf speak to the author Kristin Ross about her book, The Politics and Poetics of Every...
Hamza Walker's Monuments and Senga Nengudi's Populated Air
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A double header show on sculpture, public art, communal space, and gaps and omissions in American history. First, Kate Wolf speaks to Hamza Walker, co...
Lauren Rothery's "Television"
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher is joined by writer Lauren Rothery to discuss her novel Television, which follows an aging movie star named Verity, his on and off lover ...
Caroline Fraser's "Murderland"
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman speak with Caroline Fraser about her new book, Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers. Taking an eco...
Susan Orlean's "Joyride: A Memoir"
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher is joined by writer and author Susan Orlean, whose latest book is Joyride: A Memoir. In Joyride, Orlean recounts how she became a writer:...
Sally Mann's "Art Work: On the Creative Life"
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we are revisiting our episode with photographer and writer Sally Mann about her book, Art Work: On the Creative Life. Medaya Ocher and Kat...
Special Show: Jenny Slate and Sarah Manguso
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features a live recording from a LARB Luminary Dinner honoring writer, performer and actor Jenny Slate. Author Sarah Manguso sits down...
Tales from Two Critics: A.S. Hamrah and Melissa Anderson on the Year in Film
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf is joined by two of today's finest film critics to discuss the current state of Hollywood—including the sale of Warner Brothers Discovery—...
Best of 2025
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of the year again! Hosts Kate Wolf, Medaya Ocher, and Eric Newman look back on some of the bright lights from a pretty dark year with a...
Julia Loktev "My Undesirable Friends"
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with director Julia Loktev about her new documentary My Undesirable Friends. Filmed in 2021, just before Russia's ...
Robin Coste Lewis's "Archive of Desire"
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman speak with Robin Coste Lewis about her new poetry collection, Archive of Desire. The four part collection emerged out of a ...
Brandon Taylor's "Minor Black Figures"
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks to Brandon Taylor about his latest novel, Minor Black Figures. It centers on Wyeth, a Black artist in his thirties wrestling with c...
Sarah Schulman's "The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity"
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are listening back to an episode from earlier this year. Eric Newman and Kate Wolf speak with Sarah Schulman about her latest book, The ...
Angela Flournoy's "The Wilderness"
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman speak with Angela Flournoy about her novel, The Wilderness. Moving back and forth from the early 2000s to the present, the ...
The Shit Show
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, hosts Kate Wolf, Medaya Ocher, and Eric Newman discuss how Big Tech dreams – from iPhones to social media to AI – have be...
Kelly Reichardt's "The Mastermind"
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher speak with the filmmaker Kelly Reichardt about her new movie, The Mastermind, out in theaters now. Josh O'Connor stars as...
Grace Byron's "Herculine"
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with writer Grace Byron about her debut novel, Herculine. Set between the freelance rat race of New York and ...
Chris Kraus's "The Four Spent the Day Together"
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Kraus joins Kate Wolf to talk about her new novel, The Four Spent the Day Together. Organized into three linked sections, the book begins wi...
J. Hoberman's "Everything is Now: Primal Happenings, Radical Music, Underground Movies, and the 1960s New York Avant-Garde"
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks to J. Hoberman about his latest book, Everything is Now: Primal Happenings, Radical Music, Underground Movies, and the 1960s New Yor...
Alejandro Varela's "Middle Spoon"
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks to Alejandro Varela about his latest novel, Middle Spoon. Told in epistolary form through the narrator's unsent emails, the novel ...
Sally Mann's "Art Work: On the Creative Life"
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf speak to the photographer and writer Sally Mann about her new book, Art Work: On the Creative Life. In describing her p...
Where Have All the Cowboys Gone: Are Literary Men in Crisis?
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, hosts Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman discuss the "crisis" du jour in American publishing: the erosion of male liter...
Where Have All the Cowboys Gone: Are Literary Men in Crisis?
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, hosts Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman discuss the "crisis" du jour in American publishing: the erosion of male liter...
Fara Dabhoiwala's "What is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea"
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks with historian Fara Dabhoiwala about his new book, What is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea. A foundational aspect of t...
Mosab Abu Toha's "Forest of Noise"
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're listening back to Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher's interview with the Palestinian poet, short-story writer, and essayist Mosab Abu Toha....
Nicholas Boggs's "James Baldwin: A Love Story"
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Nicholas Boggs about his monumental new biography, James Baldwin: A Love Story. Drawing on fresh archival research and interv...
Nathan Kernan's "Day Like Any Other: The Life of James Schuyler"
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks with Nathan Kernan about his new biography, A Day Like Any Other: The Life of James Schuyler. It's an intimate look at the great po...
Talking 'Heightened Scrutiny' with Sam Feder and Amy Scholder
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with director Sam Feder and producer Amy Scholder about their new documentary Heightened Scrutiny. The film follows ACLU attorne...
Michael Clune's "Pan"
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and scholar Michael Clune joins Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher to discuss his debut novel, Pan. It captures the frenetic mind of a 15-year old ...
LARB Book Club: Sebastian Castillo
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher are joined by writer and professor Sebastian Castillo whose new novel Fresh, Green Life is the LARB Book Club pick for ...
Catherine Lacey's "The Möbius Book"
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf speak with writer Catherine Lacey, author of the novels Biography of X, Pew, The Answers, and a short story collection, ...
LARB x The Stacks Podcast: Books on the Internet
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with Traci Thomas, host of the "The Stacks" podcast. They discuss the impact of social media on publishing, the con...
Ruth Wilson Gilmore's "Abolition Geography: Essays Toward Liberation"
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For Independence Day, we dive into the archives to bring you an episode that still feels timely. Ruth Wilson Gilmore joins Kate Wolf and Eric Newman ...
Susan Choi's "Flashlight"
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Choi joins Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher to speak about her new novel, Flashlight. An epic story that spans multiple generations of a single fami...
PRIDE SHOW: Featuring Milo Todd and Vince Aletti
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this double episode celebrating pride month, Kate Wolf speaks with the critic Vince Aletti about his new book, Physique, an assortment of hundreds...
Alison Bechdel's "Spent"
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher speak with Alison Bechdel about her new graphic novel, Spent. Bechdel is the author of "Essential Dykes to Watch Out For,...
What To Do About Shame?
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, hosts Kate Wolf, Medaya Ocher, and Eric Newman wrestle with the question: What are we to do about shame? Using Frédéric ...
Dan Nadel's "Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life"
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Nadel joins Kate Wolf and Eric Newman to speak about his new biography, Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life. The book traces the life and art of Robert...
Vauhini Vara's "Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age"
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with journalist and author Vauhini Vara about her new book Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age. The book hybrid blend of memoir a...
Jon Hickey's "Big Chief"
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Jon Hickey about his debut novel Big Chief. The book is a gripping political thriller about the struggle for power, belongi...
Sarah LaBrie's "No One Gets to Fall Apart"
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher is joined by TV writer, memoirist and librettist Sarah Labrie, author of the book No One Gets to Fall Apart. The book is a memoir of LaBr...
Sarah Schulman's "The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity"
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Kate Wolf speak with Sarah Schulman about her latest book, The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity. With a focus on practical politi...
Maggie Nelson's "Pathemata, Or, The Story of My Mouth"
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maggie Nelson joins Kate Wolf to discuss her new book Pathemata, Or, The Story of My Mouth. It is at once a compressed record of her long struggle wi...
Katie Kitamura's "Audition"
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher speak with writer Katie Kitamura about her recent novel, "Audition," which explores a tense, complex relationship between...
Andrea Long Chu's "Authority"
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher speak with Andrea Long Chu about Authority a collection of previously published and new essays and criticism. Authorit...
Lynne Tillman's "Thrilled to Death"
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher speak to Lynne Tillman about her latest book, Thrilled to Death, a collection of short stories selected from over four d...
Pankaj Mishra's "The World After Gaza: A History"
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The writer Pankaj Mishra joins Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher to discuss his new book, The World After Gaza: A History. It probes how the legacy of th...
Bruce Robbins's "Atrocity: A Literary History"
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Bruce Robbins about his latest book, Atrocity: A Literary History, which explores how literary accounts of mass killing came ...
Torrey Peters' "Stag Dance"
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Torrey Peters about her new story collection, Stag Dance, which spans genre, time, and place to explore the shifting sands of ...
Haley Mlotek's "No Fault: A Memoir of Divorce and Romance"
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher speak to writer Haley Mlotek about No Fault: A Memoir of Divorce and Romance. The book blends the history of divorce law ...
LARB Radio Hour x Film Comment 2025 Oscars Preview
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, host Eric Newman joins LARB senior editor Paul Thompson and Film Comment co-editors Devika Girish and Clinton Krute for a loo...
Hal Foster's "Fail Better: Reckonings with Artists and Critics"
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher are joined by the art critic and historian Hal Foster to speak about his latest book, Fail Better: Reckonings with Artist...
Deborah Treisman's "A Century of Fiction in The New Yorker"
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher are joined by Deborah Treisman, the fiction editor at The New Yorker and host of The New Yorker's Fiction podcast. Debo...
Colette Shade's "Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything"
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Colette Shade about her book "Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything." Revisiting the strange hallmarks of that era–remember i...
Aria Aber's "Good Girl"
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher are joined by writer and poet Aria Aber to discuss her first novel, Good Girl. Aber is the author of the poetry collectio...
Trump L'Oeil: Spectacle in the Age of Trump
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman are joined by LARB contributor Gideon Jacobs for a discussion about the power of imag...
The L.A. Fires
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, we are talking about the wildfires that have ravaged L.A. Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf speak to author David L. Ulin about Los A...
Writing Climate Futures: David Wallace-Wells, Jenny Offill, Bharat Venkat, and Jonathan Blake
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In light of the recent fires in Los Angeles, we're re-airing an episode featuring a panel discussion titled "Writing Climate Futures" with David Walla...
On Giving Up
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this encore special episode, hosts Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman discuss the case for and against giving up—on life, vices, dreams, cr...
Ariana Reines' ''Wave of Blood''
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our last episode of the year, Kate Wolf speaks with the poet, playwright, and performance artist Ariana Reines about her latest book, Wave of Blood...
BEST OF 2024 EPISODE
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for our favorite episode of the year. Hosts Kate Wolf, Medaya Ocher, and Eric Newman discuss their favorite books, movies, TV shows, music, ...
Kathryn Davis' "Versailles"
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf are joined by writer Kathryn Davis, the acclaimed author of many novels, including Labrador, The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf, H...
Raoul Peck's "Ernest Cole: Lost and Found"
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks to filmmaker Raoul Peck about his latest documentary, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, out in theaters now. The film excavates the life a...
Renee Gladman's Experiments in Form
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman are joined by writer and artist Renee Gladman to discuss the re-release of "To After That (TOAF)" and her latest book, "M...
Edwin Frank's "Stranger than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth Century Novel"
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher are joined by the editorial director of the New York Review of Books and the founder of the NYRB classic series, Edwin Fran...
Politics on the Couch: Psychoanalysis and the Presidency
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Kate Wolf, Medaya Ocher, and Eric Newman are joined by writer and psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster to talk about the role of ps...
Mosab Abu Toha's "Forest of Noise"
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher are joined by the Palestinian poet, short-story writer, and essayist Mosab Abu Toha. He is the author of the award-winnin...
Forrest Gander's "Mojave Ghost"
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman are joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, novelist, and translator Forrest Gander to discuss his new book, Mojave Ghost. A ...
The Fight to Unionize Amazon
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks with filmmakers Brett Story and Stephen Maing about their new documentary Union, which is out in theaters now. It follows, in real ti...
Simon Critchley's "Mysticism"
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher speak with writer and scholar Simon Critchley about his new book, Mysticism. Defining mysticism not as a religion but as a ...
Alexis Pauline Gumbs' "Survival Is A Promise: the Eternal Life of Audre Lorde"
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Eric Newman speak with Alexis Pauline Gumbs about Survival Is A Promise: the Eternal Life of Audre Lorde. A deeply researched and impres...
Deborah Levy's "The Position of Spoons: And Other Intimacies"
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks to the author Deborah Levy about her new book, a collection of essays called The Position of Spoons: And Other Intimacies. The piece ...
Rumaan Alam's "Entitlement"
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of the LARB Radio Hour and LARB Book Club, Medaya Ocher talks with Rumaan Alam about his new novel, Entitlement. We begin ...
Emily Witt's "Health and Safety: A Breakdown"
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher talk to Emily Witt about her latest book, Health and Safety: A Breakdown. A personal history that reflects on this past tur...
Garth Greenwell's "Small Rain"
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Garth Greenwell about his latest novel, Small Rain. The novel picks up the story of the same unnamed narrator from Greenwell's...
Katherine Bucknell's "Christopher Isherwood Inside Out"
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Kate Wolf speak with Katherine Bucknell about her new biography of Christpoher Isherwood, Christopher Isherwood Inside Out. The book m...
Danzy Senna's ''Colored Television"
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf talks to Danzy Senna about her latest novel, Colored Television. It follows a writer named Jane Gibson who's finally making headway on her s...
Sofia Samatar's "Opacities: On Writing and the Writing Life"
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sofia Samatar speaks with Kate Wolf about her new book Opacities: On Writing and the Writing Life. Opacities is addressed to a fellow writer, Samatar'...
Charlotte Shane's "An Honest Woman: A Memoir of Love and Sex Work"
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlotte Shane joins Kate Wolf to speak about her latest book, An Honest Woman: A Memoir of Love and Sex Work. Detailing Shane's many years as a sex ...
Eugene Lim's "Fog & Car"
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman speaks with Eugene Lim about his novel Fog & Car. First published in 2008 and freshly brought back into print this year, the novel dilates...
Writing Climate Futures
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On July 18th, Los Angeles Review of Books and The Berggruen Institute hosted a panel discussion titled "Writing Climate Futures," featuring David Wall...
Pessimism and Politics
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could feeling bad actually be good? In this special episode, hosts Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman consider the uses of pessimism in our appr...
Sarah Manguso's "Liars"
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher speak to Sarah Manguso about her new novel, Liars, which focuses on a marriage and its disintegration. Jane is a writer, an...
Two Decades of N+1
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Editors Dayna Tortorici and Mark Krotov join Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher to speak about 20 years of the magazine n+1, as well as their new anthology Th...
Yasmin Zaher's "The Coin"
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Wolf speaks with writer and journalist Yasmin Zaher about her debut novel, The Coin. An allegorical tale of alienation, loneliness, and repulsion...
Nell Irvin Painter at the Crossroads of Art, Politics, and Race in America
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman is joined by historian Nell Irvin Painter to discuss I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays, a compendium of Painter's writing about art, p...
Emily Nussbaum's "Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV"
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher are joined by New Yorker staff writer and former television critic Emily Nussbaum to discuss her book Cue the Sun! The In...