The Downtown Writers Jam is the least literary literary podcast on the internet: long, freewheeling conversations with writers about their lives and why they write. The show is on hiatus, but all 176 episodes, the After Party series, and the video archive are here.
The show
What started as a streaming audio show at Wired in 2000 became The Downtown Writers Jam Podcast. From The Bunker in Pittsburgh, host Brad King sat down with authors for hour-long, one-on-one interviews that wandered through childhood, college, and adulthood, touching on contemporary issues, weird pop culture asides, and, more often than not, why each of us writes. In 2021, the show joined the Solid Listen Podcast Network.
The series
- The Downtown Writers Jam: the main interview show, 176 episodes.
- The Jam Sessions: short-form deep dives with nonfiction authors who tackled important or difficult subjects.
- The After Party: a short Q&A, one part storytelling and one part cocktail party.
- The Video Series: 44 conversations with writers and authors, now archived.
Listen
Spotify · Apple Podcasts · Amazon Music
If you enjoy an episode, a review or a share still helps.
Books from the show
Our guests’ books are on our Bookshop list, which supports independent bookstores.
About the host
Meet Brad on the Masthead, or visit thebradking.com.