Introducing Writing Forward

I chose Wisconsin over New York. This podcast grew out of that choice.

A few years ago, I chose Wisconsin over New York for good.

I had moved back in 2020 after years away, and despite the near-constant pull of the city — where I worked as an editor at The New York Times from 2011 to 2016 — I finally let that version of the future go. Life in Wisconsin felt steady, grounded. Even better, I found a community of writers here — serious, ambitious, deeply committed to the work — who reminded me that a writing life doesn’t have to orbit the coasts to matter. That realization stuck with me. Eventually, it turned into an idea.

Today, I’m excited to introduce Writing Forward, a literary podcast featuring voices shaped by the Badger State.

Each week, I sit down with a different writer based in — or connected to — Wisconsin. Some are emerging, some more established. All of them are building writing lives in ways that don’t always fit the industry’s usual narrative. We talk about craft, identity, ambition, and what it actually looks like to keep going as a writer, especially from the middle of the country.

If you’re a writer yourself — or just someone who cares about books and the people who make them—I think you’ll find something here. The first episode drops next Wednesday, May 6. I hope you’ll tune in.

More soon. Thanks for being here.