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 Exclusive Audio Interviews Get to know today's top writers with our exclusive audio interviews. Listen as they discuss their inspirations and influences, list their favorite books and authors, and reveal fascinating anecdotes about their lives. They're an engaging new way to Meet the Writers. And now, you can listen on the go! Click here to learn more about our free podcasts. Garrison Keillor
Through his performances on Minnesota Public Radio's Prairie Home Companion and his bestselling books like Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon, Garrison Keillor has become an iconic symbol of the small-town Midwest. His work evokes nostalgia and laughs from readers living all over the map. In our exclusive interview, listen as Keillor talks about his colorful career.
 Joyce Carol Oates
In her varied writing, which ranges from fiction to plays to nonfiction, acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates has a knack for exposing the darker side of America's brightest facades. Her latest work is The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mystery and Suspense. In our interview, Oates reveals that she still writes all of her work in longhand. "I just didn't want to spend the rest of my life looking at a screen with electronic symbols on it," she explains. "I didn't want to stare at the screen instead of looking out the window."
Terry Brooks
A phenomenally successful author thanks to his Shannara fantasy series -- the latest is The Elves of Cintra -- Terry Brooks is considered by some to be an heir to J.R.R. Tolkien. He creates characters and worlds that readers fall in love with, and can't wait to revisit. In our interview, Brooks explains how he keeps his work fresh for his fans. "I like starting new series," he reflects. "I like the challenge of writing; that's what keeps me going after all these years."
Henry Winkler
With his days as "The Fonz" a fond memory, actor-turned-writer Henry Winkler has created a fun and inspiring series of books for kids, inspired by his own experiences with undiagnosed dyslexia. Starring intrepid 4th-grader Hank Zipzer, the series includes such favorites as Barfing in the Backseat: How I Survived my Family Roadtrip. In our interview, Winkler talks about the long process of overcoming the stigma associated with dyslexia. "It took a long time to chisel through the mantel of being 'stupid,'" he explains.
Jacquelyn Mitchard
With her debut novel The Deep End of the Ocean selected as the first book ever to be featured in Oprah’s Book Club, Jacquelyn Mitchard began a career distinguished by novels that are intelligent and entertaining explorations of life’s darkest moments, like her latest, Still Summer. The proud mom of seven (!) kids, Mitchard reflects that "families are the harbors that launched us... and the havens we have to return to always -- whether we want to or not."
Stephen L. Carter
Before his novels like The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White propelled him to literary stardom, Stephen L. Carter's nonfiction books helped shape the national debate on issues ranging from the role of religion in America to our political culture. In our interview, Carter talks about how he approaches the different genres. "When I write nonfiction, I'm writing to make an argument," he explains. But if I write fiction, I'm writing mainly to entertain -- I want the readers to have fun."
Jackie Collins
Queen of the steamy page-turner, Jackie Collins is known for giving her readers an insider's knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich and infamous in novels like the summer sizzler, Drop Dead Beautiful. Collins reveals in our interview that she began raising eyebrows (and heart rates) with her writing at an early age. "When I was a little kid, I was always writing stories -- making up stories at school, selling them to my school friends -- you know, dirty limericks, stuff like that," she laughs.
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy is a former professional football player and head coach of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. When the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI, he became the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl. In his fascinating and inspirational book, Quiet Strength, Dungy reveals his secrets to leading a "winning life." In our interview, Dungy talks about how the process of writing his memoir helped him to appreciate his experiences. "I just feel like I've had a blessed life," he reflects.
Robert Kurson
In his critically applauded debut, Shadow Divers, Robert Kurson told the fascinating true tale of two formidable Americans who risked it all to solve one of the last mysteries of World War II. His latest, Crashing Through, is another stunning true story -- of one man’s heroic odyssey from blindness into sight. In our exlusive interview, Kurson explains that "sometimes the best stories are the ones that are three or four levels deep -- very often, what the story's really about is not what it seems."
James Frey
James Frey shook up Oprah's book club with his now-controversial bestseller, A Million Little Pieces. In our interview -- conducted before the controversy erupted -- Frey talks about some of his favorite reads, writing techniques, and future goals. "I've said this a lot, and I sometimes get bashed for it," he admits, "but the real goal is to be one of the most widely read, most influential, most important writers of my time."
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