The Book Review The New York Times

Inspiring for everyone who finds his/her intellectual refuge in literature.

I first have to admit that I fell in love with Pamela Paul‘s voice when I first heard her on the podcast – personal and warm and full of humor, without ever seeming condescending to anyone.

I have been an enthusiastic regular listener for a long time.

Pamela and her colleagues and guests never fail to enlighten me, and anyone who thinks that literary criticism has to be dry and pedantic should listen to these animated discussions with the writers themselves.

I have heard and read the term “a writer’s writer“ again several times recently — and critics like A. O. Scott may have their own particular take on what that exactly means.

But I told my older brother — like me no spring chicken — that the podcast is helping me become what I will call a “writer’s ideal reader.” By that I mean someone who is very, very alive and alert while reading, constantly having a creative inner dialogue with the author.

“Why did you use this word? Why did you give the character this particular trait? Are you trying to help me see the world in a new and different way?”

Etc., etc.

The podcast helps me become ever more aware of all the choices that writers are making — and the high art that lets the author hide all of these choices so that the reader is left in awe and wonder at this “thing“ that the author has created completely out of her imagination!

Thank you, Pamela and colleagues !!!

PS I could have said something equally complimentary about the way you treat nonfiction books and your discussions with their authors.

My first podcast and love it!