THIS IS HOW LITERATURE CAN SAVE THE WORLD
We've all read that book that changed the way we thought of ourselves, other people, our country, the environment, our families, and religion. This is where we not only share these stories, but where we learn how to use them to make our lives and our world better.
Guests include:
Ep1. Sarah Starr Murphy, the Managing Editor of The Forge Literary Magazine.
Ep2. Matthew Krajniak, the Executive Editor of Consequence Forum.
Ep3. Wynter K Miller, the Operating Director at Electric Literature.
Ep4. Brecht De Poortere, writing in the Hudson Review, the Missouri Review, and others.
Ep5. Adrian Bonenberger, author of The Afghan Post and The Road Home, New York Times and Foreign Policy contributor, founder of Wrath-Bearing Tree, and veteran.
Ep6. Elizabeth Lukács Chesla, author of You Cannot Forbid the Flower, fiction editor at Consequence Forum, and professor.
Ep7. Natalia Theodoridou, author of Sour Cherry.
Ep8. Joe Meno, author of Hairstyles of the Damned, Marval and a Wonder, The Boy Detective Fails, and Book of Extraordinary Tragedies; editor and professor.
Ep9. Hugh Martin, poet and author of In Country and The Stick Soldiers, editor of War, Literature, and the Arts, professor, and veteran.
Ep10.Randy Winston, writer, Director of Fiction at The Black List, host of the podcast, Read the Acknowledgments, and former Creative Director for the Center for Fiction
Ep11.Matt K. Parker, computer programmer and avid reader
Ep12. Mara Karlin, former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Brookings Institute Fellow and Director for Johns Hopkins University's SAIS.
Ep13.Ibrahim Fawzy, literary translator and podcaster
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SUPPORT US!
If you don't have a local bookstore you support on Bookshop.org, consider supporting us: The Brady Readery Bookshop or donate through our lit mag here: Support — House of Arcanum
Thank you!
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Upcoming Guests:
Daniel Seifert, writer, traveler, and avid reader: TBD
Stacey Levine, Pulitzer Prize finalist for Mice 1961: TBD
Matt K. Parker, encore: TBD
Pitch Me!
Are you a reader and want to be interviewed? Have a great idea? Send your pitch to Hello@MichelleReneeBrady.com.
Include your bio, books you'd like to discuss, why you'd like to be included or your ideas for a show, and your contact information, including socials/website. I am especially interested in anyone who is willing to discuss books that helped them weather a difficult time. Unfortunately, due to competing commitments, I will only be able to respond if I'm interested in discussing your idea. But, please know that I'm excited to hear from you!
*Cover photo by Mark Randall Photography
Episodes
Nov 20, 2025
Nov 20, 2025
48 min
Adrian Bonenberger is the author of The Afghan Post and The Road Home, a New York Times and Foreign Policy contributor, the founder of Wrath-Bearing Tree, and a combat veteran.
Nov 7, 2025
Nov 7, 2025
39 min
Brecht De Poortere was born in Belgium and grew up in Africa. He currently lives in Paris, France. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in the Hudson Review (3rd Prize Short Fiction Contest), the Missouri Review, the Baltimore Review, Grain, X-R-A-Y, The Forge Literary Magazine and Consequence, amongst others. Find him at www.brechtdepoortere.com
Oct 23, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
44 min
Wynter K Miller is the Managing Editor at Electric Literature, where she supports the publication of The Commuter and Recommended Reading. Previously, Wynter served as a contributing editor, Interim Books Editor, and Associate Editor at Electric Lit, and was the Managing Editor of Forum Literary Magazine. Find Wynter at Wynter K Miller | Editor | Writer.
Home - Electric Literature
Next episode will be live on November 7th!
Oct 23, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
41 min
Matthew Krajniak earned a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Houston as a C. Glenn Cambor fellow. He coedited Wendy Battin: On the Life & Work of an American Master (Unsung Master Series, 2020), and his writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, Poetry Foundation, Willows Wept Review, The Avalon Literary Review, The Wax Paper, and elsewhere. He is the Executive Editor of Consequence Forum, a nonprofit addressing the human consequences of war through literature, art, and community events. Follow Matthew @KrajniakMatthew on Insta.
Matthew would also like to extend the following invitation:
Please join us in the celebration of our most recent issue. This event is free and open to the public, and is available both in person and via livestream.
Honorary Chair:President Emerita Harvard UniversityDrew Gilpin Faust
Featured Reader:Poet Laureate of MassachusettsRegie Gibson
6-7p: City Hall Civic Pavilion, 5 Congress St.
Home - Consequence Forum
Oct 23, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
46 min
Sarah Starr Murphy is the Managing Editor of The Forge Literary Magazine, and her writing is in The Threepenny Review, Epiphany, Baltimore Review, and many more. She’s eternally writing a novel and never without a book to read. She’s a marathoner with epilepsy, often found wandering the forest in rural New England. Find her at Welcome! | Sarah Starr Murphy; follow her @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social and on Insta @sarahstarrmurphy.
Home Page - The Forge Literary Magazine
Oct 17, 2025
Oct 17, 2025
9 min
Welcome to How Literature Can Save the World! This is an introduction episode explaining the purpose, interview format, and frequency of the podcast, as well as sharing the books that have changed my life.