​Why listen to Richard Katrovas? He founded one of the world's leading creative writing programs, in Prague, and has led it for more than two decades, plus he knows karate. He's passionate and knowledgeable about both. We talk about listening and critiquing artfully, not fucking with style, the formalization of a sense of literary community, counter-culture, the literary conversation, literary communities in different epochs, communal writing, work-shopping, the genius of the English language incorporating other languages, publishing first books, validation, the importance of self-esteem and personal prestige, the desire for social relevance, Ernest Becker, 'who touches a book touches a man,' book fetishes, the weirdness of poetry and Prague, ripping off books, living in the Projects, and much more.