Red Hen Radio

About Red Hen Radio

Sharing to a community of readers and writers who are actively engaged in the essential human practice known as literature

Publisher

Red Hen Press

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Sept 2024

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   What Makes a Book Worth Reading in the Age of AI? | BARBARA JONES

   Kate Gale talks with literary agent and longtime editor Barbara Jones about what makes a human-written book worth reading in a world where AI can produce one in minutes. Barbara explains why the best books hold a "perfect equipoise of countervailing forces," why using AI for even grammar fixes marks your manuscript, and what she looks for in the first ten pages of a query. She also shares why memoirists must be a "just god of the page," why young writers shouldn't try to sound like the old masters, and why a book with only a few passionate readers can still be a great book. Learn more about Barbara Jones - https://www.defliterary.com/agents/barbara-jones (https://www.defliterary.com/agents/barbara-jones) Learn more about Red Hen Press Join our substack - https://bit.ly/4AKIhCv (https://bit.ly/4AKIhCv) Find a Red Hen book you'll love! - https://bit.ly/4hvZJD3 (https://bit.ly/4hvZJD3) CHAPTERS 00:00 Why read a book written by a human? 02:08 What makes a book worth rereading 06:20 AI editing vs. AI writing 09:16 What AI misses that an editor catches 11:13 Can agents spot AI in a query? 15:38 Can a bestseller be literary? 18:10 Why beautiful books fail to connect 22:10 Memoir: about the reader or the writer? 26:47 Do writers need to practice every day? 29:42 Coming back to writing after a long break 33:29 How to reach Barbara KEYWORDS Barbara Jones, literary agent, DeFiore and Company, Kate Gale, Red Hen Press, Red Hen Radio, AI and writing, AI in publishing, AI generated books, AI editing, querying agents, query letter, first ten pages, how to get a literary agent, book editor, Henry Holt, Hyperion, E.B. White, The Elements of Style, dramatic tension, rereading books, Chekhov, literary fiction, bestseller, Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven, Paul Auster, 4 3 2 1, Jane Eyre, memoir writing, Mary Karr, The Liars' Club, Jeannette Walls, Toni Morrison, Cynthia Ozick, The Lesson of the Master, Henry James, writing practice, writer's block, young writers, writing advice, craft of writing, literary podcast

2. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Writing History Books People Want to Read | ELISE CAPRON

   Elise Capron, Agency Director of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, has spent more than 20 years helping historians, scholars and nonfiction writers reach readers far beyond the classroom. In this conversation with Kate Gale, Elise breaks down what readers want from books right now, how to describe who will actually buy your book, how to pick comp titles that make sense, what sets Pulitzer-level history apart, and why some writers are better served by a small press than a big New York house. Learn more about Red Hen Press Join our substack - https://bit.ly/4AKIhCv (https://bit.ly/4AKIhCv) Find a Red Hen book you'll love! - https://bit.ly/4hvZJD3 (https://bit.ly/4hvZJD3) Learn more about Elise Capron and the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency - https://www.dijkstraagency.com (https://www.dijkstraagency.com/) CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 00:46 Welcome, Elise Capron 01:38 Getting serious books into the hands of everyday readers 03:27 The gap between what writers write and what readers want 06:16 How to describe who will buy your book 09:03 What prize-winning books have in common 12:15 How scholars and historians can reach general readers 13:28 Small presses vs. big New York publishers 16:28 Know your readers, and keep going after publication 19:43 When your idea of your market is wrong 22:03 Choosing the right comp titles 27:24 Can thinking about the market hurt your writing? 28:31 West Coast agent vs. New York agent 31:58 Where to find Elise KEYWORDS Elise Capron, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, Dijkstra Agency, Sandy Dijkstra, literary agent, Red Hen Radio, Red Hen Press, Kate Gale, how to get a literary agent, querying agents, book proposal, nonfiction book proposal, comp titles

3. 

   14 Oct 2026

   The Filipino Tony Manero: Rewriting History’s Forgotten Bachelors | MARIVI SOLIVEN

   Monica Fernandez talks with Marivi Soliven about bringing Filipino culture to life in her new novel, Taxi Dancer. Marivi looks past the usual stereotypes of Filipino Americans to show what the early Filipino immigrants to America were really like. She also explains how she wove Tagalog into the book’s dialogue without translating it, and how she did it in a way that still welcomes readers who aren’t Filipino. Marivi is an author and teacher who loves sharing her culture through her writing. Taxi Dancer is out now and available to order. - https://bit.ly/46NCvlI Learn more about Red Hen Press Join our substack - https://bit.ly/4AKIhCv Find a Red Hen book you'll love! - https://bit.ly/4hvZJD3 CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 02:24 – The True Story Behind Taxi Dancer 05:08 – Shaping the Novel 12:40 – Research and Historical Accuracy 16:35 – Filipino History and Identity 19:38 – Culture, Language, and Code-Switching 25:07 – Advice for Writers 26:29 – Where to Find Marivi KEYWORDS Marivi Soliven, Taxi Dancer, Red Hen Radio, Red Hen Press, Monica Fernandez, historical fiction, Filipino American history, Filipino literature, taxi dance halls, manongs, 1930s California, Depression era, anti-miscegenation laws, interracial marriage, San Diego history, Stingaree District, murder mystery, courtroom drama, historical romance, Tagalog, code-switching, immigrant stories, Filipino heritage, writing about your culture, writing advice, author interview

Who has been a guest on Red Hen Radio

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

• Madeleine Nakamura
• Molly Olguín
• Pete Hsu
• Andrew Lam
• Monica Fernandez

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100

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

Quality

25

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Red Hen Radio

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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