Writing It!
Episodes
Episode 78: Getting It Done with Ayelet Fishbach
15 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with University of Chicago Behavioral Science Professor Ayelet Fishbach about lessons from her book, Get It Done: Surprising Lessons ...
Episode 77: Who Cares and Why Now? And More Editor Straight Talk with Cate Hodorowicz
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with UNC press editor, Cate Hodorowicz about what she’s looking for; how she knows if a book will work as trade; how to set yoursel...
Episode 76: Negotiating Book Length with the Press with Jenna Weissman Joselit
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Speaking with Jenna Weissman Joselit, the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of History at George Washington University, and t...
Episode 75: Special Episode of Writing It!/Peer Review: Creativity and Fulfillment in Academia
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Writing It! host Rachel Gordan is in conversation with Sarah Bunin Benor, one of the co-hosts of the podcast, Peer Review: Creativity...
Episode 74: It Actually Is About Love with Laura McGrath
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Temple University assistant professor of English, Laura McGrath about literary agents and academics. McGrath’s extensive knowl...
Episode 73: Luck & a Lot of Preparation: What It Takes to Move to Trade Press for Book Two with Prof. Max Mueller
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Max Perry Mueller, associate professor of religious studies in the Department of Classics & Religious Studies at the University of Ne...
Episode 72: Making the Familiar Strange, and the Strange Familiar with essayist (and author of When the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down), Anne Fadiman
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Yale Professor in the Practice in the department of English and Francis Writer in Residence, Anne Fadiman about essay writing, being a mo...
Episode 71: When the Biography Writing Road is Long with Megan Marshall
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize-winner and Professor Emerita at Emerson College, she is the author of biographies of Margaret Ful...
Episode 70: "Yes, your editor googles you..." and other things your editor thinks and does with Adina Popescu
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk with Yale University Press Executive Editor Adina Popescu about what makes her interested in a book manuscript and in an acad...
Episode 69: ENCORE EPISODE 69: Figuring out the Post-Tenure Book with Elli Stern
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Yale professor Elli Stern talks with us about figuring out what kind of writing we want to do after tenure—and the importance of building a team of ...
Episode 68: The Agent’s Perspective with literary agent Alia Hanna Habib
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Alia Hanna Habib of the Gernert literary agency about how academics can successfully find agents; what’s the best way to write...
Episode 67: When Your Academic Study Becomes a Surprise Bestseller with Richard Breitman
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Richard Breitman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of history at American University about his 45+ year career, and his 12 books...
Episode 66: Rediscovering the Pleasures of Academic Writing with Helen Sword
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Helen Sword, emeritus professor at the University of Auckland, and founder of the writing community, the WriteSPACE. She is also ...
Episode 65: On Being an Academic Who Writes Popular Books w/ Noah Isenberg
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with film historian Noah Isenberg, the Charles Sapp Centennial Professor and former Chair of the Department of Radio-Television-Film a...
Episode 64: Reinventing the Traditional Academic Journal
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with founding and current editors of In Geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies, about what it means to establish a new journal. Founded ...
Episode 63: How to Get Grant Money with Raphael Folsom
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the support of the University of Florida Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, we’re talking with history professor, we’re talking...
Episode 62: Writing Family History with Elizabeth Graver
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with novelist and academic Elizabeth Graver about writing about her Sephardic family’s history as fiction, even as she incorporated...
Episode 61: Writing The Book about Katrina with Andy Horowitz
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with UConn Associate Professor of History Andy Horowitz, who also serves as the Connecticut State Historian. We talk about Andy’s f...
Episode 60: Why Our Public Persona Matters to the Stories We Write with Jim Loeffler
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Jim Loeffler, Felix Posen Professorship in Modern Jewish History at Johns Hopkins University about how our public persona affect...
Episode 59: When dissertations do not become tenure books & research becomes NYT Op-eds with Miriam Udel
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Emory Professor Miriam Udel about lessons from a career full of writing highs and challenges, beginning with the realization that...
Episode 58: Finding Joy in Writing After Burn-Out with Samantha Baskind
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Distinguished Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University about building a scholarly foundation for future historians ...
Episode 57: Deciding When (and When Not) to Write the Hard Stuff with Claire Sufrin
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Dr. Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Senior Editor at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North Americ...
Episode 56: From Academic Writing to Self-Help with Liz Arleo, MD
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Dr. Elizabeth Arleo, Professor of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC), an Attending Radiologist at the New York-Pr...
Episode 55: Choosing the Next Project with Mark Oppenheimer
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Mark Oppenheimer, author, professor, podcaster, and editor of the online journal Arc: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera, about a vari...
Episode 54: What to do when the book editor says, ‘This won’t sell’ with J.E. Smyth
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with historian and film critic J.E. Smyth about her most recent book, Mary C. McCall Jr.: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Most Powerful Scree...
Episode 53: You Don’t Have to Feel Creative to Create Good Writing with Tim Shenk
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with historian and journalist Tim Shenk about creating a professional relationship with our writing. In addition to being an assistant...
Episode 52: Letting the primary sources tell the story with Rachel Cockerell
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re talking with writer and historian Rachel Cockerell, author of Melting Point: Family, Memory and the Search for a Promised Lan...
Episode 51: Heather Clark Part II: Maybe you don’t have to “stay in your lane”
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with literary scholar Heather Clark about moving from biography to novel-writing, why it can be helpful to move back and forth between non-fi...
Episode 50: Heather Clark Part I: When the editor says, “We want a doorstopper!
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with literary scholar and biographer, Heather Clark, author of Red Comet, which was selected for the New York Times Book Review's "10 Best Bo...
Episode 49: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with Professor Blaufarb about writing graphic history. His Inhuman Traffick: The International Struggle against the Transatlantic Slav...
Episode 48: Four Decades of Writing Biography
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Mary Dearborn finished her doctorate at Columbia University she knew she wanted to write biography. She went on to a forty-plus year career in wr...
Episode 47: Historian-turned-Playwright (With a little help from real estate good luck!)
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking with historian-turned-playwright Andy Heinze about leaving academia to begin a different kind of writing career. We talk about how he ...
Episode 46: Cold-calling works!
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re talking with Amy Reading, author of The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at The New Yorker, about why a PhD is helpful ba...
Episode 45: “Before there was therapy, there was religion”
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Professor Michael Alexander, professor of religious Studies and Jewish Studies at U.C. Riverside, about writing about the histor...
Episode 44: What AI can do for us academics (and what it can’t do for us without sucking the joy from life)
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with writing teacher, John Warner, author most recently of More Than Words: How to Think about Writing in the Age of AI, about where ...
Episode 43: “Filling the gaps of history… with fiction!” with Lauren Willig
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NYT bestselling author of historical fiction, Lauren Willig, talks about shifting from a history dissertation to writing historical novels. Willig tal...
Episode 42: “Two Years Ago I Quit My Life” with scholar and writer, Anne Boyd
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Less than a decade ago, Anne Boyd was a tenured literature professor and her book, Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matt...
Episode 41: Finding your form… and voice
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Distinguished Professor James Goodman, of Rutgers University, Newark, where he teaches history and creative writing. Our convers...
Episode 40: Finding courage to write the broader story
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk with history professor Robin Judd of the Ohio State University about writing her most recent book, Between Two Worlds: Jewish ...
Episode 39: How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with University of North Carolina-Greensboro psychology professor and author of How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive W...
Episode 38: Relationships and Writing
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is with Samira Mehta, associate professor of women and gender studies and of Jewish studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. W...
Episode 37: How a great elevator pitch can make a difference
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Professor Lori Harrison-Kahan (Boston College) about edited volumes and writing while in a non-tenure track position. Harrison-Kah...
Episode 36: What do book publicists do for academic authors?
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Leah Paulos, founder and director of the Brooklyn-based book publicity firm, Press Shop PR about what publicists do for academic...
Episode 35: GETTING THE READER FROM BEGINNING TO END, WITH MERVE EMRE
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing and Criticism at Wesleyan University and contributing writer to The New Yorker ma...
Episode 34: When Writing Becomes Like Painting
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Harvard Divinity School Professor Shaul Magid began his undergraduate education as a painter. Over time, as he became an academic and a professor, Mag...
Episode 33: Psychedelics & Writing
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with historian Ben Breen (UC Santa Cruz) about the writing of his recent book, Tripping on Utopia: Margaret Mead, the Cold War, and the Troub...
Episode 32: 5,000-10.000 Downloads of a Conversation about Your Book
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Caleb Zakarin, the Editor of the New Books Network, about what NBN is and what it does for academics. You’ve probably heard ab...
Episode 31: Being Open to Collaboration
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with Professor Anna Peterson (Religion, University of Florida). She received her PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School a...
Episode 30: What is the magic that happens when you work with a Developmental Editor?
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Megan Pugh about her work as a developmental editor: how she helps academics improve their books and find their voice. Making writing le...
Episode 29: Are “writing spurts” a thing?
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Princeton Professor Laura Arnold Leibman about how a scholar’s approach to writing might change over time, with different stages of an...
Episode 28: An Editor's Perspective: Sandra Korn
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our conversation with Wayne State University Press editor Sandra Korn we address a number of interesting questions on the minds of our listeners: 1...
Episode 27: Turning points in our academic writing
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Elesha Coffman, Associate Professor of History at Baylor University about writing a book that takes its shape from turning points in his...
Episode 26: “Modern Love” in the Academic Life
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Associate Professor of English Jennifer Glaser (University of Cincinnati) about her writing life. When she was in graduate school, Glase...
Episode 25: The Book Seminar with Sam Freedman
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re speaking with the award-winning author, columnist, and professor Sam Freedman, of Columbia Journalism School, and the author, most rece...
Episode 24: The Joy of Editing
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Andrea Jain, who is professor of religious studies at Indiana Uni...
Episode 23: From writing about a Chicago heat wave to writing about 2020: A conversation with NYU Sociologist and New Yorker writer Eric Klinenberg
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk to NYU Professor Eric Klinenberg about how his academic career led to other kinds of writing—and what he's learned from writing a book...
Episode 22: Maurice Samuels on the Challenges of writing Biography
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Yale Professor Maurice Samuels about writing biography, and the importance of finding stories we feel compelled to tell. Samuels talks a...
Episode 21: What’s the deal with academics writing for "The Conversation"?
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re like us, you’ve probably noticed that many academics write for The Conversation media outlet. The site does not pay writers, so why is i...
Episode 20: Would Nahmanides have had a beard? Creating a graphic history with historian Nina Caputo and illustrator Liz Clarke
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we speak with historian Nina Caputo and illustrator Liz Clarke about their book, Debating Truth: The Barcelona Disputation of 1263, A ...
Episode 19: The pitch is the start of a relationship
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're talking with LIz Bucar, professor of religion at Northeastern University, and a prizewinning author about the program she directs Sacred Writes:...
Episode 18: “Why is this a must-read book?” How to show a literary agent/editor that your book is important: a conversation with literary agent and former editor, Susan Rabiner
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we speak with Thinking Like Your Editor author and agent, Susan Rabiner about how academics can best present their book project to an ...
Episode 17: Writing while Parenting
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t have to be a parent to get something out of our conversation with Professor Laura Yares about “Writing While Parenting.” In this conve...
Episode 16: When you need lots of images in your book
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re speaking with UF English Professor Margaret Galvan about writing a book with lots of images; how to find a press that can accommodate image-ri...
Episode 15: The Path to a Pulitzer
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re speaking with Pulitzer Prize winning scholar, Jack E. Davis, who is a UF professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humani...
Episode 14: What’s so important about your book’s meta-data? Understanding publishing from the perspective of a university press
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re speaking with UF Press Editor in chief, Stephanye Hunter and UF Press Marketing Manager, Rachel Doll. Among our many topics, we discuss ...
Episode 13: Why publish with a ‘trade division’ of an academic press?
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we speak with Martin Siegel, author of the recently published, Judgement and Mercy: The Turbulent Life and Times of the Judge Who Condemned the...
Episode 12: The Truth About Book Promotion with Sandra Fox
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Sandra Fox about what a first-time author can do to promote her book; what to expect from the publisher; and how best to use the affiliat...
Episode 11: Figuring out how to write the post-tenure book
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yale professor Elli Stern talks with us about figuring out what kind of writing we want to do after tenure—and the importance of building a team of ...
Episode 10: Getting Unstuck in our Academic Writing with Gillian Steinberg
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with developmental editor/writing coach, Gillian Steinberg about replacing negative voices about writing with positive ones and strateg...
Episode 09: How to tell your academic story in applications: Special issue for job market/fellowship/graduate school application season
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Kelsky, of “The Professor Is In” speaks with us about academic job applications and academics applying for non-academic jobs. WE also talk a...
Episode 08: Writing as a practice for self-understanding
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Yale University Lex Hixon Professor of Religious Studies and American Studies and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean of Humanities,...
Episode 07: Finally! Insightful, concrete advice for your job market writing materials
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Kopstein, Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine, talks with us about putting together a compelling application f...
Episode 06: Behind-the-Scenes of a First Book & a New Journal
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Professor Jenny Caplan talks with us about her process of turning dissertation into book, and what she learned about writing along the way. Als...
Episode 05: An Editor's Perspective - Elaine Maisner, UNC Press
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having worked in academic publishing for almost 40 years, Elaine Maisner shares wisdom from the field about finding the right press and how authors ca...
Episode 04: "What is it all for?" The challenge of finding a writing motivation after the first book with Professor Martin Kavka
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Kavka, a professor at FSU, talks with us about finding the motivation to write; the role of friendships in academic writing; and revising the r...
Episode 03: An Editor’s Perspective - Jennifer Banks
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yale University Press Senior Editor Jennifer Banks talks with us about how editing helped her understand what kind of book she wanted to write. Banks ...
Episode 02: Unlearning Academic Writing Tics and Reaching a Broader Audience
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re speaking with Professor Brett Krutzsch and Professor Pamela Nadell about writing for a "beyond the academy" audience. Dr. Brett Krutzsc...
Episode 01: Choosing Literary Non-Fiction... And All That Comes With It
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest this week is Maggie Doherty, English Ph.D., teacher, New Yorker writer, and author of The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, an...