Ampersand: The Poets & Writers Podcast: Recent Episodes
Poets & Writers
Listen to authors reading from their new books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction featured in Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin.
Chloé Caldwell reads an excerpt from her memoir Trying, published by Graywolf Press in August 2025.
Isabella DeSendi reads “Poem for Anorexia in April” from her poetry collection Someone Else’s Hunger, published by Four Way Books in September 2025.
Souvankham Thammavongsa reads from the opening of her novel Pick a Color, published by Little, Brown in September 2025.
Natalie Bakopoulos reads an excerpt from her novel Archipelago, published by Tin House Books in September 2025.
Aracelis Girmay reads “after Sin título (Sikán con chivo), Belkis Ayón” from her poetry collection Green of All Heads, published by BOA Editions in September 2025.
Ayşegül Savaş reads an excerpt from “Twirl,” a story in her collection Long Distance, published by Bloomsbury in July 2025.
James Shea reads four poems from his collection Last Day of My Face, published by the University of Iowa Press in June 2025.
Melissa Febos reads an excerpt of The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex, published by Knopf in June 2025.
Marissa Davis reads “Ecclesiastes: New Madrid Fault” from her debut poetry collection, End of Empire, published by Penguin Books in July 2025.
Ed Park reads “A Note to My Translator” from his story collection An Oral History of Atlantis, published by Random House in July 2025.
Thomas Dai reads an excerpt of “The Figure a Trip Makes” from his essay collection Take My Name but Say It Slow, published by W. W. Norton in January 2025.
Zahid Rafiq reads from the opening of “The Man With the Suitcase,” a story in his collection The World With Its Mouth Open, published by Tin House in December 2024.
Sarah V. Schweig reads “Longest Night” from her poetry collection The Ocean in the Next Room, published by Milkweed Editions in January 2025.
Matthew Nienow reads “Every Gift Carries a Cost” from his poetry collection If Nothing, published by Alice James Books in January 2025.
Fabienne Josaphat reads from her novel Kingdom of No Tomorrow, published by Algonquin Books in December 2024.
Simon Critchley reads from the opening of Mysticism, published by New York Review Books in October 2024.
Patricia Coral reads from her memoir, Women Surrounded by Water, published by Mad Creek Books in November 2024.
Melanie Cheng reads from her novel The Burrow, published by Tin House in November 2024.
Jennifer Chang reads “The Poem of Force” from her poetry collection An Authentic Life, published by Copper Canyon Press in October 2024.
Albert Abonado reads “A Pile of Poems Is Called a Negation” from his poetry collection Field Guide for Accidents, published by Beacon Press in October 2024.
Come by Here: A Memoir in Essays From Georgia's Geechee Coast by Neesha Powell-Ingabire by Poets & Writers
Once Out of Nature: Selected Essays on the Transformation of Gender by Joy Ladin by Poets & Writers
Nina Lohman reads from the first section of her nonfiction book, The Body Alone: A Lyrical Articulation of Chronic Pain, published by the University of Iowa Press in July 2024.
Taiyon J. Coleman reads from “Tilted Uterus: When Jesus Is Your Baby Daddy” and “Mind the Gap” from her essay collection, Traveling Without Moving: Essays From a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America, published by the University of Minnesota Press in June 2024.
Dawn Lundy Martin reads “Winter” from her poetry collection Instructions for the Lovers, published by Nightboat in June 2024.
Tomas Moniz reads from “The Body Is a Wild, Wild Thing,” a chapter in Part One of his novel All Friends Are Necessary, published by Algonquin Books in June 2024.
Craig Santos Perez reads “Call This Mutiny” from his poetry collection Call This Mutiny: Uncollected Poems, published by Omnidawn in July 2024.
Wei Tchou reads “Spores,” the third chapter of her memoir, Little Seed, published by A Strange Object in May 2024.
Rachel Khong reads from the opening of her novel Real Americans, published by Knopf in April 2024.
Peter Mishler reads “A Message From Our Founder” and “Where Else but Target” from his poetry collection Children in Tactical Gear, published by the University of Iowa Press in May 2024.
Lilly Dancyger reads from “First Love,” the opening essay of her collection, First Love: Essays on Friendship, published by the Dial Press in May 2024.
Diannely Antigua reads “Diary Entry #28: Ars Poetica” and “We Never Stop Talking About Our Mothers” from her poetry collection Good Monster, published by Copper Canyon Press in May 2024.
Tommy Orange reads from “How to Fly,” the thirteenth chapter of his novel Wandering Stars, published by Knopf in February 2024.
Sarah Levine reads “Brave,” “Bang-Bang,” and “A Horse is a Toy for Crazy People” from her poetry collection, Each Knuckle With Sugar, published by Driftwood Press in February 2024.
Jennifer Croft reads from the first chapter of her novel, The Extinction of Irena Rey, published by Bloomsbury in March 2024.
Hala Alyan reads “Tonight I’ll Dream of Nadia” from her poetry collection The Moon That Turns You Back, published by Ecco in March 2024.
Morgan Parker reads from the opening of her essay collection, You Get What You Pay For, published by One World in March 2024.
Diana Khoi Nguyen reads “Đổi Mới” from her poetry collection Root Fractures, published by Scribner in January 2024.
Manjula Martin reads from the opening of her memoir, The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History, published by Pantheon Books in January 2024.
Elizabeth Gonzalez James reads from the prologue of her novel The Bullet Swallower, published by Simon & Schuster in January 2024.
Zenia Tompkins reads from “The Two Antons” from her English translation of Artem Chapeye’s story collection, The Ukraine, published by Seven Stories Press in January 2024. Chapeye follows with a reading of the same selection in Ukrainian.
Kaveh Akbar reads from the opening of his novel, Martyr!, published by Knopf in January 2024.
Elle Nash reads from the opening of her novel Deliver Me, published by Unnamed Press in October 2023.
Dorothea Lasky reads “A Lion” and “Self-Portrait in the Hotel” from her poetry collection The Shining, published by Wave Books in October 2023.
Susan Kiyo Ito reads from the opening of her memoir, I Would Meet You Anywhere, published by Mad Creek Books in November 2023.
Gabriel Bump reads from the opening of Part Three of his novel The New Naturals, published by Algonquin Books, November 2023.
Jaswinder Bolina reads “English as a Second Language” from his poetry collection English as a Second Language and Other Poems, published by Copper Canyon Press in October 2023.
Leslie Sainz reads “Nature and Nurture, Miami, FL” from Have You Been Long Enough at Table, published in September 2023 by Tin House.
Mary Ruefle reads “The Effusive” from her prose collection The Book, published in September 2023 by Wave Books.
Shane McCrae reads from the opening of his memoir, Pulling the Chariot of the Sun: A Memoir of a Kidnapping published in August 2023 by Scribner.
Daniel Mason reads “The CATAMOUNT, or a True Relation of a Bloody Encounter that Lately Happen’d; a song for VOICE and FIFE, to the tune of CHEERILY and MERRILY,” a poem within the narrative of his novel North Woods, published in September 2023 by Random House.
Sally Wen Mao reads “Chimera” and “a dream or a fox” from her poetry collection The Kingdom of Surfaces, published in August 2023 by Graywolf Press.
Jamel Brinkley reads from “Blessed Deliverance” from his story collection Witness, published in August 2023 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler by Poets & Writers
Chinelo Okparanta reads from the third chapter of her novel Harry Sylvester Bird, published in July 2022 by Mariner Books.
Mahogany L. Browne reads from her introduction to Wanda Coleman’s poetry collection Heart First Into This Ruin: The Complete American Sonnets—published in June 2022 by Black Sparrow Press—and Coleman’s “American Sonnet 4” and “American Sonnet 3.”
Joseph Han reads from the first chapter of his novel, Nuclear Family, published in June 2022 by Counterpoint.
K-Ming Chang reads from the short story “Mariela” from her collection, Gods of Want, published in July 2022 by One World.
Katie Marya reads the poem “Exaltation” from her collection, Sugar Work, published in June 2022 by Alice James Books.
Isaac Fitzgerald reads from the second chapter of his memoir, Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional, published in July 2022 by Bloomsbury.
Lars Horn reads from “What Manner of Land” from their nonfiction book, Voice of the Fish: A Lyric Essay, published in June 2022 by Graywolf Press.
Translator Priscilla Layne reads from the first section of Olivia Wenzel’s novel, 1,000 Coils of Fear, published in July 2022 by Catapult. Wenzel follows with a reading of the same selection in German.
Ryann Stevenson reads the poems “Interior Life” and “Beauty Mask” from her collection, Human Resources, published in June 2022 by Milkweed Editions.
Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the Science of Time by Natalie Hodges by Poets & Writers
How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories by Daniel A. Olivas by Poets & Writers
Indigo: Arm Wrestling, Snake Saving, and Some Things in Between by Padgett Powell by Poets & Writers
Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit, read by Rebecca Solnit.
Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Audio from Concepcion, written and read by Albert Samaha.
An Indian Among Los Indígenas: A Native Travel Memoir by Ursula Pike by Poets & Writers
Blow Your House Down: A Story of Family, Feminism and Treason by Gina Frangello by Poets & Writers
Grieving: Dispatches From a Wounded Country by Cristina Rivera Garza by Poets & Writers
Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from A Burning by Megha Majumdar, narrated by Vikas Adam, Priya Ayyar, Deepti Gupta, Ulka Mohanty, Soneela Nankani and Neil Shah.
Mercy: A Memoir of Medical Trauma and True Crime Obsessions by Marcia Trahan by Poets & Writers
Chad Bennett reads from his poetry collection Your New Feeling Is the Artifact of a Bygone Era.
Sara Borjas reads from her debut poetry collection, Heart Like a Window, Mouth Like a Cliff.
Heidi Andrea Restrepo Rhodes reads from her debut poetry collection, The Inheritance of Haunting.
Jake Skeets reads from his debut poetry collection, Eyes Bottle Dark With a Mouthful of Flowers.
Kevin Coval reads “Rudy” and “Everything Must Go” from his poetry collection Everything Must Go, published in October by Haymarket Books. Illustrated by Langston Allston.
Sharon Olds reads “Meeting a Stranger” from her poetry collection Arias, published by Alfred A. Knopf in October.
Su Hwang reads “Show Me Where It Hurts” from her debut poetry collection, Bodega, published in October by Milkweed Editions.
Benjamin Percy reads an excerpt from “The Cold Boy” from his short story collection Suicide Woods, published in October by Graywolf Press.
Tiffany Midge reads “An Open Letter to White Girls Regarding Pumpkin Spice and Cultural Appropriation,” from her memoir Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s, published in October by Bison Books.
Mira Ptacin reads from her memoir The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna, published in October by Liveright.
Matthew Zapruder reads from his new poetry collection, Father’s Day, published in September by Copper Canyon Press.
Leslie Jamison reads from her new essay collection, Make It Scream, Make It Burn, published in September by Little, Brown.
Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from A Prayer for Travelers by Ruchika Tomar, narrated by Sophie Amoss.
t’ai freedom ford reads from her new poetry collection, & more black, published in July by Augury Books.
Helen Oyeyemi reads from her new novel, Gingerbread, published in March by Riverhead Books. Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio.
Ed Bok Lee reads a poem from his new collection, Mitochondrial Night, published in March by Coffee House Press.
Jimmy Santiago Baca reads an excerpt of a story from his new collection, When I Walk Through That Door, I Am: An Immigrant Mother’s Quest for Freedom, published in February by Beacon Press.
Debra Gwartney reads an excerpt from her memoir I Am a Stranger Here Myself, published in March by University of New Mexico Press.
Marlon James reads from Black Leopard, Red Wolf; Ilya Kaminsky reads from Deaf Republic; Valeria Luiselli reads from Lost Children Archive; and more.
Ross Gay reads from The Book of Delights; debut poets Justin Phillip Reed, Fatimah Asghar, José Olivarez, and Analicia Sotelo read from their collections; Cowboy Poetry; and more.
Susan Orlean reads from her new book, The Library Book; Barbara Kingsolver in conversation with Richard Powers; Natasha Trethewey reads from her new poetry collection, Monument.
Ada Limón reads from her new poetry collection, The Carrying; Rebecca Solnit reads from her new essay collection, Call Them by Their True Names.
Lauren Groff reads from her new book, Florida; Terrance Hayes reads from American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin; plus readings by Hanif Abdurraqib and A. M. Homes.
Leslie Jamison reads from her new book, The Recovering; Leesa Cross-Smith on writing quiet books; new poetry by Carmen Giménez Smith and Jenny Xie.
Two archival poems by Langston Hughes; a craft essay on fiction and technology by Tayari Jones; and poetry readings by Tarfia Faizullah, David Tomas Martinez, and 2017 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud champion Amos Koffa.
Poets Kaveh Akbar, Eve Ewing, and Layli Long Soldier read from their debut books; Jane Hirshfield on reconnecting to your writing; Steve Almond on unlikable characters; Jay Baron Nicorvo on writing and post-traumatic stress disorder; and more.
David Sedaris reads from Theft by Finding; Clint Smith reads from his profile of Kevin Young; Kiki Petrosino reads from her poetry collection Witch Wife; Victoria Chang reads from her poetry collection Barbie Chang; and more.
Salman Rushdie in conversation with Porochista Khakpour; readings by poets Dawn Lundy Martin and Nicole Sealey and essayist Lina Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas; and more.
Whitman, Alabama; debut fiction writers Jess Arndt and Zinzi Clemmons read from their new books; Sherman Alexie reads from his new memoir; Erika L. Sanchez reads from her debut poetry collection.
Lidia Yuknavitch on her new novel, The Book of Joan; Gwendolyn Brooks reads "We Real Cool" in 1983; writers, editors, and teachers resist.
George Saunders on his novel, Lincoln in the Bardo; U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera on the importance of poetry in the current political climate; Patricia Smith and Elena Passarello read from their new books.
Colson Whitehead on his National Book Award–winning novel, The Underground Railroad, and writing after the election. Plus readings by Roxane Gay, Ocean Vuong, Safiya Sinclair, and Tommy Pico.
Michael Chabon on his new novel, Moonglow; readings by Brit Bennett and devorah major; Shakespearean Sonnets in the streets of NYC; and more.
Dear President: A Message for the Next Commander in Chief From Fifty American Poets and Writers, including Junot Diaz, Tina Chang, Anthony Doerr, Evie Shockley, and others. Plus advice from MFA students at AWP, Amistad Press editorial director Tracy Sherrod, a report from the softball field, and more.
Advice from literary agents, readings from debut novelists Yaa Gyasi, Imbolo Mbue, Rumaan Alam, and more.
Adam Haslett on his new novel, Imagine Me Gone; Leigh Stein on BinderCon; readings by poets Tyehimba Jess and Brenda Shaughnessy.
Jhumpa Lahiri in conversation with translator Ann Goldstein; John Freeman on Annie Dillard; a poem by the late C.D. Wright; a reading by Melissa Broder from So Sad Today; and a performance by slam champion Ebony Stewart.
Ampersand: The Poets & Writers Podcast is a production of Poets & Writers, Inc., and is edited by Melissa Faliveno with assistance from Jonathan Walsh.
BuzzFeed's Saeed Jones on diversity in publishing; a reading by poet Morgan Parker; Barry Lopez on the origins of storytelling; Call Me Ishmael; and more.
Poems by Liu Xia, as read by translator Ming Di in Chinese and English; poetry from Camille Rankine, Donald Hall, and Li-Young Lee; an interview with Copper Canyon Press editor in chief Michael Wiegers.
An interview with Ann Beattie; Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet; a performance by Parneshia Jones; and more.
Interview with author Jesse Browner; Kay Ryan at Poets & Writers Live in San Francisco; a reading by poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips.
An interview with Mark Doty, Elizabeth McCracken at the Story Prize; Benjamin Percy sings a song; and more.