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The Los Angeles Review of Books Radio Hour is a weekly show featuring interviews, readings and discussions about all things literary. Hosted by LARB Editors-at-Large Kate Wolf, Medaya Ocher, and Eric Newman.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes500Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsSociety & CultureBooks

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Artwork for LARB Radio Hour

Latest Episodes

Medaya Ocher, Kate Wolf, and Eric Newman come together for a special episode about aging. In the past decade, medical miracles and technological innovations have given us the chance to cheat or at least elude death longer. But what social and cultura... more

Harriet Clark joins Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher to speak about her debut novel, The Hill, which mirrors Clark's own life story. It follows a young girl named Suzanna whose mother is a political radical and was incarcerated for a bank robbery gone wron... more

Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher are joined by journalist Carlos Barragán, whose new book is called The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers. After his own mother is targeted by a scammer pretending to be an Ameri... more

Eric Newman and Kate Wolf speak to journalist and music critic Barry Walters about Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000. Spanning three decades of pop, disco, rock, funk, folk, and much more, Mighty Real looks at the power of popular music... more

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Recent Guests

Harriet Clark
Writer and author of The Hill
Author
Episode: Harriet Clark's "The Hill"
Carlos Barragán
Author of The Yahoo Boys, Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers
The New York Times (reporter/researcher)
Episode: Carlos Barragán's "The Yahoo Boys"
Barry Walters
Journalist and music critic; author of Mighty Real
Freelance; longtime writer for Village Voice, The Advocate, Spin, Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork
Episode: Barry Walters' "Mighty Real"
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Legal scholar and author of Backtalker, An American Memoir
Harvard Law School; UCLA
Episode: Kimberlé Crenshaw's "Backtalker: an American Memoir"
Andrew Durbin
Writer and editor, editor-in-chief of Freeze, author of The Wonderful World That Almost Was
Freeze; Los Angeles Review of Books (interview subject)
Episode: Andrew Durbin's "The Wonderful World that Almost Was"
Sarah Wang
Debut novelist of New Skin, a mother-daughter story rooted in LA and immigrant contexts
Author, New Skin
Episode: Nose Jobs and Reality TV
MJ Corey
Psychodynamic therapist and author of Deconstructing the Kardashians, A New Media Manifesto
Author, Deconstructing the Kardashians
Episode: Nose Jobs and Reality TV
Suzy Hansen
Journalist and author of From Life Itself
Author, From Life Itself; former New York Times Magazine contributor
Episode: Suzy Hansen's "From Life Itself"
Lucrecia Martel
Filmmaker
Independent filmmaker, Nuestra Tierra
Episode: Lucrecia Martel "Nuestra Tierra"

Hosts

Kate Wolf
Host of the show
Medaya Ocher
Editor-in-chief and host
Eric Newman
Host and producer

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 222 ratings
  • Found You

    Guys, what is happening! You’re over here now? I was getting worried. Also, pls bring back the mid-show book recommendation.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    kthy13
    Canadaa month ago
  • Los Angeles

    As filmmaker Thom Anderson says in his film, Los Angeles Plays Itself, it's not "LA" (cringe) it's Los Angeles.

    Audible
    3
    Anonymous
    United States5 months ago
  • As filmmaker Thom Anderson says in his film, Los Angeles Plays Itself, it's not "LA" (cringe) it's Los Angeles.

    Audible
    3
    Anonymous
    United States5 months ago
  • Happy Pride

    I really enjoyed the recent Pride episode. The interviews with Milo Todd and Vince Aletti were great.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    chabad fan
    United Statesa year ago
  • huge fan!

    I love the variety and consistency of the LARB podcast — the hosts are well-informed and articulate and likeable, and I really enjoy listening to them. They are also very grounded somehow, which is nice for a podcast about books and the zeitgeist and so on. That balance seems difficult to strike and I’m glad this podcast exists!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sachita Nishal
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is valued for thoughtful questions, breadth of topics, and high-quality book recommendations.
Listeners praise the show for its intelligent, engaging conversations and strong host-pod relationships.
Guests are consistently described as insightful and well-chosen, with deep expertise across literature, film, and culture.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#208
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#41
Italy/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#66
Italy/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#77
United Arab Emirates/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#81
Ireland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#95
Netherlands/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Kimberlé Crenshaw's "Backtalker: an American Memoir"
Q: What was the impact of Anita Hill and the Clarence Thomas hearings on your view of race, gender, and justice?
Crenshaw describes the tension between anti-racist and feminist frames during Hill's testimony, the public misreadings, and how this conflict highlighted the ways Black women have been framed and the need for an intersectional approach to address violence and discrimination.
Kimberlé Crenshaw's "Backtalker: an American Memoir"
Q: How did Derek Bell influence your thinking about race and law?
She discusses discovering Bell's disruptive approach to law through a lithograph in his book, which showed her that law could narrate and illuminate the needs of the African American community rather than merely function as a neutral referee; this catalyzed her move toward critical race theory.
Kimberlé Crenshaw's "Backtalker: an American Memoir"
Q: But what made you want to write a memoir?
Crenshaw explains that a former agent encouraged her to translate personal experiences and contemporary issues into a form accessible to a general audience, turning academic essays into a memoir that foregrounds real-life stories as the source of her thinking.
Barry Walters' "Mighty Real"
Q: How has streaming affected queer artists' visibility and success?
The discussion notes a shift from radio-centric exposure to streaming metrics, with concerns that numbers drive market value and limit art, but also acknowledges new opportunities for niche and diverse artists.
Barry Walters' "Mighty Real"
Q: What inspired you to write Mighty Real now?
Walters explains nine years of work, drawing on a film book by Vito Russo and aiming to tell a narrative, not just compile encyclopedic entries, starting with Stonewall and moving forward.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About LARB Radio Hour

What is LARB Radio Hour about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners tend to be literary-minded, culture-curious, and intellectually engaged, often drawn to deep-dive conversations with writers, filmmakers, journalists, and critics. The show regularly features authors, translators, historians, and filmmakers who discuss books, cinema, and broader cultural trends, with an emphasis on memory, identity, politics, and global perspectives. Noteworthy is the blend of intimate interviews, critical analysis, and end-of-episode book recommendations, which makes it a strong fit for audiences who want thoughtful, provocative conversations and cross-disciplinary ideas.

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for LARB Radio Hour. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to LARB Radio Hour and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

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To see how many followers or subscribers LARB Radio Hour has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of LARB Radio Hour are there?

LARB Radio Hour launched 11 years ago and published 500 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact LARB Radio Hour?

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What guests have appeared on LARB Radio Hour?

Recent guests on LARB Radio Hour include:

1. Harriet Clark
2. Carlos Barragán
3. Barry Walters
4. Kimberlé Crenshaw
5. Andrew Durbin
6. Sarah Wang
7. MJ Corey
8. Suzy Hansen

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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