Bookworm

Follow Bookworm
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Intellectual, accessible, and provocative literary conversations.

KCRW


    • Sep 20, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 29m AVG DURATION
    • 1,623 EPISODES

    4.4 from 559 ratings Listeners of Bookworm that love the show mention: bookworm, reader, authors, literary, literature, writers, fiction, whose, books, interviewer, alive, simply the best, terrific, reading, writing, human, leave, quite, interviews, insightful.


    Ivy Insights

    The Bookworm podcast is an absolute gem for avid readers and literature enthusiasts. Hosted by the brilliant Michael Silverblatt, this show offers insightful interviews with renowned authors and provides a platform for in-depth discussions about their work. Silverblatt's deep understanding of literature and writing is unparalleled, making him one of the most perceptive readers and interviewers in the podcasting world.

    One of the best aspects of The Bookworm podcast is Silverblatt's interviewing style. He approaches each conversation with genuine curiosity, allowing the guests to speak their minds and delve into the intricacies of their work. His questions are not mere inquiries but rolling invitations for rich conversation, drawing out thoughtful insights from the authors. The show also focuses on serious fiction, going beyond popular choices to introduce listeners to quirky and lesser-known works that are worth exploring.

    Silverblatt's love for books shines through in every episode, creating an infectious enthusiasm that draws listeners in. His unabashed passion for reading, feeling, and thinking about books is evident in his discussions with guests. Moreover, his sensitivity as an interviewer adds depth to these conversations, making them engaging and thought-provoking.

    However, one downside of The Bookworm podcast is that it sometimes assumes a certain level of literary knowledge from its audience. The discussions can become quite cerebral at times, diving into nuanced analyses of sentences or examining intricate details that may be lost on those who do not have a strong background in literature. While this intellectual depth is part of what makes the podcast stand out, it might alienate some listeners who prefer more accessible content.

    In conclusion, The Bookworm podcast hosted by Michael Silverblatt is a treasure trove for book lovers. It offers insightful interviews with authors that go beyond surface-level discussions and dives deep into the inner workings of their creativity. Despite occasionally assuming a high level of literary knowledge from its audience, the show remains a must-listen for anyone who wants to expand their perspective on favorite authors or discover new books worth exploring. Silverblatt's expertise and empathetic interviewing style make this podcast a true gift for literature enthusiasts.



    More podcasts from KCRW

    Search for episodes from Bookworm with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Bookworm

    Friends of Michael

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 54:57


    Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm's 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael's accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer's work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they've been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the writers on today's show have become friends of Michael's and of Bookworm. We'll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

    Chapter 9: Grief and Loss

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023 40:06


    Close friend of Michael Silverblatt's and Bookworm editor for 30 years, Alan Howard guest hosts this episode on grief and loss. When the two met more than 33 years ago, Michael's first words were, “What are you reading?” It was a question that brought Howard back to literature. Over the years, Michael did the same for thousands of listeners. With Bookworm, he was determined to return literary fiction and poetry to the center of the zeitgeist. In the process, he faced the realities of loss and grief. In conversation after conversation with writers he was forging collegial friendships with, loss itself was a frequent topic of those friendships and conversations. We'll hear from Marilynne Robinson, Joan Didion, Jim Krusoe, Steve Erickson, Dave Eggers, and Mary Ruefle.

    The Story of America, Pt. 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2023 33:53


    Prolific author Dave Eggers, founder of McSweeney's, co-founder of 826 National, and other significant projects, first met Micheal Silverblatt in 2000, upon the publication of his first book –– a critically acclaimed memoir whose title he calls, "obnoxious." They formed a friendship over 22 years of conversation. This episode, the third in a series to examine what novelist Russell Banks called the Story of America, is guest-hosted by Eggers. We'll hear excerpts of Bookworm shows that discuss this story from E.L. Doctorow, Valeria Luiselli, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Gore Vidal.

    The Story of America, Pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2023 31:56


    Prolific author Dave Eggers, founder of McSweeney's, co-founder of 826 National, and other significant projects, first met Micheal Silverblatt in 2000, upon the publication of his first book –– a critically acclaimed memoir whose title he calls, "obnoxious." They formed a friendship over 22 years of conversation. In this episode, Eggers picks up the thread through what novelist Russell Banks called the Story of America. We'll hear from Edward P. Jones, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, and Marilynne Robinson as they speak about slavery, race, and history.

    The Story of America, Pt. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 37:18


    Claudia Rankine, award-winning poet and author of Citizen: An American Lyric, a book-length poem about the pernicious racism of American daily life, hosts the first of a three-part episode on the story of America, as told through literary fiction. Over the decades Michael Silverblatt spoke with hundreds of writers about America — its foundation, its history, its challenges, and its culture. This episode reveals the story of America as the story of race. We'll hear from David Foster Wallace, Russell Banks, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, William H. Gass, Joan Didion, and Claudia Rankine herself.

    The Confederacy of Bookworms

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2023 28:32


    Guest host Mary Corey, teacher of American history at UCLA and author of "The World Through a Monocle" about The New Yorker Magazine, teaches a course on American popular culture that explores the blurry lines between perceived high culture and what we think of as popular culture. In this episode, Corey takes us through excerpts of Bookworm conversations with lauded boho rocker Patti Smith, writer and brilliant wit Fran Lebowitz, and outré filmmaker John Waters. Each of these rebel artists has left a mark on our national culture and all of them are serious readers, making up a confederacy of Bookworms.

    Poetry

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2023 34:36


    Poet, author, and co-founder of The Song Cave, Alan Felsenthal guest hosts this episode's focus on poetry. As a close friend and mentee of Michael Silverblatt's, Felsenthal recalls Michael's revelation that he had trouble finding his way into poetry until he had several formative experiences, including one he described in 2019 during a Walt Whitman tribute. We'll hear from that tribute with poet Pattiann Rogers reading Whitman. We'll also hear from poets John Ashbery, Coral Bracho, Forrest Gander, and Lucille Clifton.

    poetry poet whitman walt whitman lucille clifton john ashbery forrest gander michael silverblatt coral bracho
    The Nobel Laureates, Pt.2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 28:31


    The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, “In the field of literature produced the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction.” Michael Silverblatt spoke with eight Nobel Prize laureates. In part 1 of the Laureates show, we heard from four of them. In this second part, we'll be hearing excerpts from: Kazuo Ishiguro, Mario Vargas Llosa, Doris Lessing, Czesław Miłosz, and Robert Hass speaking about Milosz.

    The Nobel Laureates, Pt.1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 28:32


    The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, “In the field of literature produced the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction.” Michael Silverblatt spoke with eight Nobel Prize laureates. In part 1 of The Nobel Laureates, we'll be hearing from four of them: Toni Morrison, Wole Soyinka, Orhan Pamuk, and Seamus Heaney.

    The Arc of Bookworm

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 29:00


    This episode takes us through the arc of Bookworm's existence: Michael started the program with worries about the future of literature, found hope in the up-and-coming new writers, and proceeded to highlight authors of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and geographies.

    Michelle Huneven: ‘Search'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 28:31


    Los Angeles-based author Michelle Huneven joins Evan Kleiman to discuss her latest book, “Search.” In this engaging and funny literary fiction novel, main character Dana Potowski writes a memoir that describes the steps of her Unitarian Universalist Church congregation's year-long search for its new minister and the challenges they encounter.

    Natalia Molina: ‘A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2022 28:32


    Natalia Molina tells the story of Nayarit, her grandmother's Mexican restaurant, a space that became a cherished hub for immigrants and the LGBTQ community in Echo Park. 

    Emily Skillings and John Yau: John Ashbery's “Parallel Movement of the Hands: Five Unfinished Longer Works” (Re-air)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2022 28:32


    Editor/poet Emily Skillings and poet/critic John Yau speak about an iconic poet of the 21st century, John Ashbery, and his posthumous book, “Parallel Movement of the Hands: Five Unfinished Longer Works.”

    Rita Dove: “Playlist for the Apocalypse” (Re-air)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 28:32


    Rita Dove's new book of poetry, “Playlist for the Apocalypse,” goes in many different historical and personal directions.

    Robert Jones, Jr.: “The Prophets” (Re-air)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2022 28:32


    The debut novel of Robert Jones, Jr., “The Prophets,” is lyrical prose about the dimensionality and interiority of people.

    Paul Tran's wildly impressive debut poetry book, ‘All the Flowers Kneeling'

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 28:32


    Paul Tran says that poetry can live on a page. This show discusses the abundant life in their debut poetry book, “All the Flowers Kneeling.” Tran joins guest host Shawn Sullivan to explore the book's four sections as well as its notes.

    Tobias Wolff on Harry Crews' ‘A Childhood: The Biography of a Place'

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2022 28:32


    Writer Tobias Wolff speaks about a dark book that remains loving, Harry Crews 1978 classic “A Childhood: The Biography of a Place.” Wolff wrote the foreword to its Penguin Classics re-release, which joins a number of Crews' works in the series. 

    Tao Lin's ‘Leave Society' shifts the author's perspective to love and kindness

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2022 28:32


    Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist Tao Lin (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “Leave Society,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction. 

    Zac Smith's ‘Everything is Totally Fine,' the book that reopened Tao Lin's Muumuu House

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2022 28:32


    Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don't get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his Muumuu House imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

    Sarah Manguso's ‘Very Cold People' and life's overwhelming small moments

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2022 28:32


    A distinguished writer of books in various forms — poetry, essay, memoir — Sarah Manguso embarks on her first novel with “Very Cold People,” a striking work about what it means to be human. She discusses how she came to be the person and writer she seems to be now, and why it was necessary to write fiction to make the kind of book about Massachusetts she wanted to make. This deeply moving novel portrays being overwhelmed by the small moments of life, and documents the experience of being a criticized child.

    Sheila Heti: “Pure Colour”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2022 28:32


    At the beginning of Sheila Heti's new book, “Pure Colour,” God looks at a first-draft world he should get around to changing. The reader meets protagonist Mira, who bonds with a woman named Annie. Then Mira's father dies, and his soul enters her; astonishingly, their combined selves become a leaf on a tree. Annie longs to bring Mira out of leaf form. Annie is what Mira calls a fixer. “Pure Colour” is a singular book that needs to be accepted rather than interpreted. Sheila Heti speaks about how she couldn't think or write in the same way she did before the death of her own father.  

    Tom Bissell: ‘Creative Types: and Other Stories'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2022 28:32


    Journalist and author Tom Bissell's new short fiction collection, “Creative Types: and Other Stories,” is about people trying to solve the problem of being themselves. Seven short stories describe the kinds of lives lived in Los Angeles with thoroughness, audacity, and complexity. 

    Tessa Hadley: “Free Love”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2022 28:32


    Tessa Hadley's new book, “Free Love” (Harper), is set in 1967 London at the beginning of the counterculture movement that swept the world. The protagonist, Phyllis, steps out of one sense of herself into another. She is a conservative mother of two until she crosses paths with the younger Nicky. 

    Antoine Wilson: “Mouth to Mouth”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 28:32


    Canadian-American author Antoine Wilson discusses the work he put into writing entertaining pages for his new short book, “Mouth to Mouth” (Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster), and the propulsive story is not finished until the very last sentence. 

    John Keene: “Punks: New & Selected Poems” (The Song Cave)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2022 28:32


    “Punks: New & Selected Poems” is expansive poetry from John Keene, one of our time's most notable writers. Seven sections offer different perspectives on what poetry can be: queer and Black, and much more than that. He joins Bookworm to discuss the difference between his prose and poetry.

    In Memory of Joan Didion: 'Blue Nights'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2022 28:32


    After the deaths of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and her daughter, Quintana, Joan Didion wrote "Blue Nights," the most personal and poetic book of her career. From 2011, she talks about aging, death, and the act of complete surrender that this devastating book required.

    Stephen Sondheim: Finishing the Hat

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 29:00


    Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes (Knopf)A collection of lyrics from the first half of Stephen Sondheim's career, along with insights into the art of songwriting for the theater. In this 2010 conversation, he explains why a song that may be "perfect" can be wrong for its dramatic moment in a show. This famous perfectionist reveals how much can go wrong.

    Dave Eggers: “The Every” (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2021 28:32


    Dave Eggers further discusses his new book, “The Every.”

    Dave Eggers: “The Every” (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 28:32


    “The Every” is the new book by Dave Eggers, a follow-up to his book “The Circle.”

    Louise Erdrich: “The Sentence”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2021 28:32


    Every bookstore is haunted, and Louise Erdrich's new book, “The Sentence,” is about one.

    Sandra Cisneros: “Martita, I Remember You/Martita, te recuerdo”

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2021 28:32


    “Martita, I Remember You/Martita, te recuerdo” is a bilingual new book by Sandra Cisneros.

    Diane Williams: “How High? – That High”

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2021 28:32


    Idiosyncratic short story writer Diane Williams discusses her new book, “How High? – That High.”

    Mary Gaitskill: “The Devil's Treasure”

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2021 28:32


    Mary Gaitskill's "The Devil's Treasure” features sections from her previous novels and an unfinished novel, commentary, illustrations, and a story inspired by a dream her younger self had.

    Teresa K. Miller with Carol Muske-Dukes “Borderline Fortune”

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2021 28:32


    Teresa K. Miller discusses “Borderline Fortune,” which won her the National Poetry Series, when she was about ready to give up on herself.

    fortune borderline national poetry series carol muske dukes teresa k miller
    Atsuro Riley “Heard-Hoard”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2021 28:32


    Atsuro Riley says he wrote “Heard-Hoard” with a kind of pacing he could feel in his body.

    Jackie Kay: “Bessie Smith: A Poet's Biography of a Blues Legend”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2021 28:32


    Jackie Kay's “Bessie Smith: A Poet's Biography of a Blues Legend” is a terrific mixture of memoir and biography.

    Rita Dove: “Playlist for the Apocalypse”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2021 28:32


    Rita Dove's new book of poetry, “Playlist for the Apocalypse,” goes in many different historical and personal directions.

    Rabih Alameddine: “The Wrong End of the Telescope”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 28:32


    Rabih Alameddine speaks about being in love with the characters in his new novel, “The Wrong End of the Telescope."

    telescope wrong end rabih alameddine
    Sandra Cisneros: “Martita, I Remember You/Martita, te recuerdo”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2021 28:32


    “Martita, I Remember You/Martita, te recuerdo” is a bilingual new book by Sandra Cisneros.

    Richard Powers: “Bewilderment”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2021 28:32


    Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Richard Powers discusses his new novel, “Bewilderment,” which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize and National Book Award.

    Dennis Cooper: “I Wished”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2021 28:32


    Santa Claus, James Turrell, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” John Wayne Gacy, and, most of all, George Miles: these are parts of Dennis Cooper‘s discussion of his new book, “I Wished.”

    Honoree Fanonne Jeffers: “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois” (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2021 28:32


    Honoree Fanonne Jeffers discusses writing about the full range of a community, its sexuality and gender, in her first fiction novel, “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois.”

    Claim Bookworm

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel