Ledger: A Writing Podcast

About Ledger: A Writing Podcast

Ledger is a podcast about the craft of writing, from novels to non-fiction to computer code! Stories are an essential part of life. We need them so we seek them out in every way possible. Ledger features interviews with writers across formats and genres to focus on the craft itself, the thoughts and actions that led to stories being written. How do writers deliver the words from their heads and out into the world for others to find? Give the show a listen!

Publisher

Austin R Wilson

Category

arts · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Oct 2021

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   051: James Elkins - Novelist, "Stories, Like Illnesses"; "Weak in Comparison to Dreams"

   James Elkins is the author of ”Stories, Like Illnesses,” the third volume published in his five-volume novel, which is known as ”Five Strange Languages.” It is set chronologically before (and after) the previous volumes, ”Weak in Comparison to Dreams” and ”A Short Introduction to Anneliese”, but is also the perfect place to jump into the series because you can read books one through four in any order. We talk about why he chose to write the book(s) this way, spreadsheets he created to keep track of timelines and marine worms, whether he’ll feel (or actually be) done when he finishes writing these books, his plan from the very beginning to write a sixth book that is non-fiction about these books, and what program he wrote ”Stories, Like Illnesses” in which I promise you won’t guess, so listen all the way through for that. Also, Jacob Elordi. Yep. Excellent actor, handsome Modern Day Prometheus himself, one Jacob Elordi has a connection to these novels. The books are published by Unnamed Press and are absolutely worth owning physical copies of. Go to https://www.unnamedpress.com/all-books/p/stories to grab your copies! Thank you to Jim for stopping by and thank you to you for listening. --- Follow my Substack, where I publish short fiction and more at https://substack.com/@austinrwilson Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they’d like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson including my Patreon where you can get Shibboleth: Some Call It Fiction, a fictional underground newspaper of UFO sightings, the strange and unknown, and some stories sprinkled in from reality, but tweaked by fiction. All written by me, NO LLM/AI SLOP, and that includes the art. Original art by Luca Vassallo, Seth Hahne, Andrea Atwood, and more. The October 2026 edition of Shibboleth: SCIF is FREE. Go to patreon.shibboleth.me to find it! Follow the show through our Instagram account @MossHeartBooks. Thank you so much for listening!

2. 

   4 Sept 2026

   050: Emil Wilson - Cartoonist, "The Nightingales"

   Emil Wilson is a graduate of The Center for Cartoon Studies and the author of ”The Nightingales,” a graphic novel based on a true story. In it, Emil’s father invites a sick man into their home, after which the man and Lue, Emil’s sister, develop a close friendship. It’s an emotional tale of kindness and its impact (both expected and unexpected) told through beautiful illustrations and creative layouts. We discuss: What it’s like to attend the Center for Cartoon Studies The pathway from working in marketing to...not (although occasionally still) The impact kindness may have on other people, outside of just making someone’s life better/easier Sometimes the truth inspires you more than any fiction ever could Funny but emotional stories that are funny because they’re true Scandinavian yogurt makers Go to EmilWilsonArt.com to see more of Emil’s work, order your copy of The Nightingales wherever you can, though if you want to support this show here is an affiliate link to purchase the book: https://bookshop.org/a/107245/9781668217771 --- Follow my Substack, where I publish short fiction and more at https://substack.com/@austinrwilson Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they’d like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson including my Patreon where you can get Shibboleth: Some Call It Fiction, a fictional underground newspaper of UFO sightings, the strange and unknown, and some stories sprinkled in from reality, but tweaked by fiction. All written by me, NO LLM/AI SLOP, and that includes the art. Original art by Luca Vassallo, Seth Hahne, Andrea Atwood, and more. Follow the show through our Instagram account @MossHeartBooks. Thank you so much for listening!

3. 

   20 Aug 2026

   049: Caroline Bicks - Stephen E. King Chair In Literature, "Monsters In the Archives" author

   Caroline Bicks is a Shakespeare scholar and the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine, a position which led her to being the first scholar granted extended access to King’s private archives. The process of her close reading and study of early manuscripts led to her writing MONSTERS IN THE ARCHIVES, out now from Hogarth. We chat about her family’s supporting her intellectual pursuits, even as a child, and her experiences with anxiety as a young person anti-intellectualism based in classist narratives the language of Stephen King’s fiction and why it works Shakespeare and King as messengers of humanity, rather than horror why Harold Bluhm was a turd and King. A lot about King, because we both love his writing. Go to https://carolinebicks.com/ to check out more of Caroline’s work, grab a copy of MONSTERS IN THE ARCHIVES if you want to dive into King’s writing and learn more about his early drafts of some great novels and short stories, as well as read about Caroline’s journey into those stories and her own life. You can pick the book up at the Bookshop.org affiliate link in the show notes if you want to support the show. Thank you so much to Caroline for stopping by! - - - Follow my Substack, where I publish short fiction and more at https://substack.com/@austinrwilson Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they’d like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson including my Patreon where you can get Shibboleth: Some Call It Fiction, a fictional underground newspaper of UFO sightings, the strange and unknown, and some stories sprinkled in from reality, but tweaked by fiction. All written by me, NO LLM/AI SLOP, and that includes the art. Original art by Luca Vassallo, Seth Hahne, Andrea Atwood, and more. Follow the show through our Instagram account @MossHeartBooks and order books through our website or our Affiliate link on Bookshop.org. MONSTERS IN THE ARCHIVES is available through an affiliate link here: https://bookshop.org/a/107245/9780593736722 Thank you so much!

Who has been a guest on Ledger: A Writing Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Andre Dubus III
• Jamarcus Turner
• Austin Wilson

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

973

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

4.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

41

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

68

Contact Ledger: A Writing Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.