Los Angeles Times editor Steve Padilla returns with our most practical episode yet: A sentence-level writing seminar, covering topics from verbs and physical descriptions to leads and endings. This episode will be useful to anyone who puts pen

Typecast: Jeff Barker

Jul 27th, 2015 35m 53s

Jeff Barker began his career as a newspaper reporter in his hometown San Diego. In 2006, he left journalism to join the re-election campaign for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, eventually becoming his head speechwriter. Today, Barker lea

Typecast: Dan Wilson

Nov 26th, 2014 49m

In the late '90s, Dan Wilson found success with his alternative rock band Semisonic and their radio hit "Closing Time." He's since become one of music's most sought-after songwriters, composing for Adele, Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift. The Gram

Typecast: Ricky Gervais

Jul 2nd, 2014 37m 37s

Ricky Gervais is the writer, director and star of the seminal British comedy The Office. He also created Extras, Life's Too Short, and his latest television series is Derek, now streaming on Netflix. Ricky joins Kevin to talk about his comedy w

Typecast: Buzz Bissinger

Jun 12th, 2012 40m 5s

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger is the author of Friday Night Lights, named one of the best sports books ever written by Sports Illustrated. He's a contributor to Vanity Fair, The Daily Beast, and his new book is Father's Day.

Typecast: Steve Padilla

Apr 17th, 2012 1h 1m

In 2006, Los Angeles Times editor Steve Padilla gave a brownbag lunch writing workshop at the Chicago Tribune newsroom. That session, called "Writing Diagnostics," was so well-received that the recording continues to be requested by Tribune jou

Typecast: Sarah Vowell

Mar 23rd, 2012 31m 54s

Sarah Vowell is a humorist, historian and animated superhero. She's the author of "Assassination Vacation," "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" and a longtime contributor to public radio's "This American Life." You may recognize her voice as Violet Par

Typecast: Susan Orlean

Feb 28th, 2012 48m 33s

Susan Orlean writes about taxidermists, bullfighters, hairdressers, clowns, animals, famous people and suburban 10-year-old kids. A staff writer for The New Yorker, Orlean is the author of The Orchid Thief, Saturday Night, her latest book, Rin

Typecast: Ben Montgomery & Michael Kruse

Feb 22nd, 2012 31m 55s

Ben Montgomery and Michael Kruse are the one-two punch of narrative journalism at the Tampa Bay Times. Between the two, they've been honored as Pulitzer finalists and American Society of Newspaper Editors Awards winners. They are founding membe

Typecast: Joshua Jay

Jan 31st, 2012 31m 10s

Joshua Jay is one of magic's most-innovative thinkers and acclaimed performers. He's a columnist for MAGIC magazine and the author of "Magic: The Complete Course" and "Joshua Jay's Amazing Book of Cards." Joshua joins us in studio to talk about

Typecast: Shawn Ryan

Jan 2nd, 2012 45m 58s

Shawn Ryan is the man behind the TV series Terriers, The Chicago Code, but he's best known as the creator of the Golden Globe-winning FX show, The Shield. Shawn joins Kevin to share his process, and tells how an economics major who "hated writi

Typecast: Colin Quinn

Dec 17th, 2011 31m 39s

Colin Quinn recently finished a Broadway run of his critically-acclaimed one-man show "Long Story Short," but he's best known as an anchor on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. He joins us in studio to discuss the fine art of writing comedy.

Typecast: Chris Jones

Dec 17th, 2011 42m 57s

At Esquire, Chris Jones follows in the footsteps of Gay Talese and Richard Ben Cramer, and is regarded as one of our finest magazine writers today. He's a National Magazine Award winner and contributes to ESPN the Magazine. Listen to Chris and

Typecast: Anthony Bourdain

Dec 17th, 2011 35m 26s

Memoirist, globetrotter, television host and foodie demigod Anthony Bourdain joins us in our series premiere to talk about his writing process. He is the author of "Kitchen Confidential" and a staff writer on HBO's "Treme."

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