Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

Francesca Rheannon talks to writers of all genres about matters that move us and make us think.

Episodes

Laura Lippman on MURDER TAKES A VACATION: Art, Age, and a Woman’s Right to Reinvent Herself

June 19, 2025 • 57 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary This week: Grandmaster of crime fiction Laura Lippman joins us to talk about her delightful new mystery, Murder Takes a Vacation. The novel brings back Muriel “Mrs.” Blossom—now a wealthy, single woman in her sixties—on a river cruise where art theft, murder, … Continue reading

Mark as Played

AI, Autocracy, and Afterlife: Sci Fi Novelists Ray Nayler & Tim Weed

June 13, 2025 • 59 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary This week on Writer’s Voice, two authors of speculative fiction explore what it means to be human in a world shaped by crisis, autocracy, and extinction. First, Ray Nayler discusses Where the Axe is Buried, a gripping novel that imagines a future … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Laura Spinney & Tonya Todd on Language, Myth & Resistance

June 5, 2025 • 65 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we explore how language shapes history—and how stories shape culture. We first speak with Laura Spinney, author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. She takes us into the world of Proto-Indo-European, a language spoken … Continue reading

Mark as Played

The New Face of Homelessness: Brian Goldstone on THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US

May 31, 2025 • 57 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary This week: journalist Brian Goldstone joins us to talk about his powerful new book, There Is No Place For Us: Working and Homeless in America. It’s an eye-opening, deeply reported portrait of families who work full-time yet are unhoused, navigating a system … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Jennifer Haigh on RABBIT MOON and L. Annette Binder on CHILD OF EARTH AND STARRY HEAVEN

May 22, 2025 • 59 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary Novelist Jennifer Haigh joins us to talk about Rabbit Moon, her atmospheric and emotionally complex novel set in Shanghai. It follows an estranged American family reuniting after a tragedy—and a daughter living a secret life abroad. “Writing is having a conversation with … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Kingdoms Lost & Myths Undone: Dolen Perkins-Valdez on HAPPY LAND and Nancy Reddy on THE GOOD MOTHER MYTH

May 17, 2025 • 58 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we speak with two authors who excavate buried truths and challenge dominant cultural narratives. Dolen Perkins-Valdez discusses her historical novel Happy Land, inspired by a real African American community founded after the Civil War in North … Continue reading Read more

Mark as Played

Muse, Myth & Murder: Michèle Gerber Klein on Gala Dalí and Anthony Horowitz on THE MARBLE HALL MURDERS

May 10, 2025 • 57 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary Michèle Gerber Klein discusses Surreal, her revelatory biography of Gala Dalí, the forceful and fascinating woman behind surrealist master Salvador Dalí. Gala emerges not just as a muse, but as a powerful shaper of modern art and identity. “She wasn’t just a … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Borders and Backlashes: Boris Fishman, THE UNWANTED & Sophie Gilbert, GIRL ON GIRL

May 2, 2025 • 56 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary Novelist Boris Fishman talks about The Unwanted, a novel of migration, betrayal, and survival set in an unnamed, war-torn country. Fishman explores how lies—meant to protect—can fracture a family even in the face of collective trauma. It’s a moving portrait of a … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Stories for Survival: Eiren Caffall, ALL THE WATER IN THE WORD and Ishion Hutchinson, FUGITIVE TILTS

April 27, 2025 • 59 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary Today’s episode brings together two extraordinary voices in literature—each grappling with the legacies of crisis, survival, and identity. First, we speak with Eiren Caffall about her novel, All the Water in the World, a haunting, hope-filled work of climate fiction set in … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Seeds, Symphonies, and Survival: Leningrad’s Resistance in Science and Music

April 20, 2025 • 58 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary Two riveting accounts from the Siege of Leningrad during WWII: In the first half, Simon Parkin discusses The Forbidden Garden, the incredible true story of Soviet botanists who protected the world’s first seed bank during the Nazi blockade—sacrificing their own lives to … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Sanjana Sekhar, METAMORPHOSIS & Sy Montgomery, WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS

April 13, 2025 • 56 mins

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary Earth Day is coming up this month, so we get a jump on environmental awareness. From visionary climate futures to the minds of our feathered friends, this episode reminds us that joy, attention, and imagination may be our greatest tools for survival. … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Poetry of Place and Freedom with Forrest Gander and DaMaris Hill

April 4, 2025 • 68 mins

Episode Summary This is the first week of April and April is Poetry Month. So we are so pleased to feature two conversations with poets who use their genre as a vehicle for historical witness and spiritual transformation. First, we talk with poet, geologist and translator Forrest Gander about his novel in poetry Mojave Ghost. … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Speculative Futures: Cary Groner & Silvia Park on Survival, AI, and the Meaning of Being Human

March 28, 2025 • 56 mins

Episode Summary We explore two speculative fiction novels that challenge our understanding of consciousness, communication and the human condition. First, we speak with Cary Groner about The Way, a post-pandemic road novel that blends adventure, Buddhist philosophy, and a hopeful vision of the future after our current civilization has been largely swept away. “It’s not … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Breaking Barriers on Denali: Cassidy Randall on THIRTY BELOW & Omar El Akkad on Empire, Liberalism & Bearing Witness

March 20, 2025 • 58 mins

Episode Summary For Women’s History Month, we speak with Cassidy Randall about her book Thirty Below, which tells the gripping true story of the first all-women’s ascent of Denali in 1970. Facing extreme sexism, brutal conditions, and life-threatening storms, this pioneering team of climbers defied expectations and set a precedent for future generations of women … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Women’s History Month: The Fight for Abortion Rights After Dobbs

March 15, 2025

In this episode, we talk with journalist Amanda Becker about the impact of the Dobbs decision, the legal chaos that followed, and how the fight for abortion rights continues. Becker shares insights from her book You Must Stand Up, detailing the rollback of reproductive rights, the history of anti-abortion legislation, and the movement’s ongoing efforts to restore access … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Alice Rothchild & Grace Tiffany on Women’s History, Power, and Resistance

March 8, 2025 • 58 mins

Episode Summary We speak with two remarkable writers about two fascinating stories—one rooted in personal history, the other in literary imagination—both shedding light on the fight for justice and self-determination. First, Alice Rothchild tells us about Inspired and Outraged: The Making of a Feminist Physician. It’s a powerful memoir in free verse exploring her journey … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Bernadette Atuahene: Fighting Predatory Governance & Andrew Boyd: Overcoming Political Overwhelm

March 1, 2025 • 57 mins

Episode Summary This episode of Writer’s Voice features two urgent and thought-provoking conversations. First, we speak with Professor Bernadette Atuahene, author of Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America, about how predatory governance has systematically stripped Black homeowners of generational wealth—particularly in Detroit, where one in three homes has gone through property tax foreclosure since...

Mark as Played

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Aran Shetterly on The Greensboro Massacre, MORNINGSIDE & Jonathan Eig, KING, A LIFE

February 20, 2025 • 57 mins

In this episode, we welcome Aran Shetterly to discuss his powerful new book, Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul. Shetterly unearths the long-overlooked history of the Greensboro Massacre, a brutal attack in which members of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis murdered five labor and civil rights activists … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Black History Month: Victoria Christopher Murray on HARLEM RHAPSODY & Reviving Forgotten Women Writers

February 14, 2025 • 59 mins

We sit down with award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray to talk about Harlem Rhapsody, her novel about the Harlem Renaissance and the woman who made it possible. This gripping novel brings to life Jessie Redmon Fauset, a pioneering literary editor, mentor, and novelist who played a pivotal role in shaping the Harlem Renaissance—yet remains largely … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Black History Month: Aaron Robertson, THE BLACK UTOPIANS. Also, Cory Doctorow, PICKS AND SHOVELS

February 7, 2025 • 76 mins

In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we talk with Aaron Robertson about his fascinating book, The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America. It’s about the hidden legacies of Black utopian experiments and what they teach us about the power of community today. Then, we talk with best-selling novelist, journalist and … Continue reading

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Cold Case Files: Miami

Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides.  Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer  Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.

The Breakfast Club

The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us

Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Laura Lippman on MURDER TAKES A VACATION: Art, Age, and a Woman’s Right to Reinvent Herself

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}AI, Autocracy, and Afterlife: Sci Fi Novelists Ray Nayler & Tim Weed

Laura Spinney & Tonya Todd on Language, Myth & Resistance

The New Face of Homelessness: Brian Goldstone on THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US

Jennifer Haigh on RABBIT MOON and L. Annette Binder on CHILD OF EARTH AND STARRY HEAVEN

Kingdoms Lost & Myths Undone: Dolen Perkins-Valdez on HAPPY LAND and Nancy Reddy on THE GOOD MOTHER MYTH

Muse, Myth & Murder: Mich​èle Gerber Klein on Gala Dalí and Anthony Horowitz on THE MARBLE HALL MURDERS

Borders and Backlashes: Boris Fishman, THE UNWANTED & Sophie Gilbert, GIRL ON GIRL

Stories for Survival: Eiren Caffall, ALL THE WATER IN THE WORD and Ishion Hutchinson, FUGITIVE TILTS

Seeds, Symphonies, and Survival: Leningrad’s Resistance in Science and Music

Sanjana Sekhar, METAMORPHOSIS & Sy Montgomery, WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS

Poetry of Place and Freedom with Forrest Gander and DaMaris Hill

Speculative Futures: Cary Groner & Silvia Park on Survival, AI, and the Meaning of Being Human

Breaking Barriers on Denali: Cassidy Randall on THIRTY BELOW & Omar El Akkad on Empire, Liberalism & Bearing Witness

Women’s History Month: The Fight for Abortion Rights After Dobbs

Alice Rothchild & Grace Tiffany on Women’s History, Power, and Resistance

Bernadette Atuahene: Fighting Predatory Governance & Andrew Boyd: Overcoming Political Overwhelm

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Aran Shetterly on The Greensboro Massacre, MORNINGSIDE & Jonathan Eig, KING, A LIFE

Black History Month: Victoria Christopher Murray on HARLEM RHAPSODY & Reviving Forgotten Women Writers

Black History Month: Aaron Robertson, THE BLACK UTOPIANS. Also, Cory Doctorow, PICKS AND SHOVELS

Popular Podcasts

Laura Lippman on MURDER TAKES A VACATION: Art, Age, and a Woman’s Right to Reinvent Herself

AI, Autocracy, and Afterlife: Sci Fi Novelists Ray Nayler & Tim Weed

Muse, Myth & Murder: Michèle Gerber Klein on Gala Dalí and Anthony Horowitz on THE MARBLE HALL MURDERS