David’s careful, deeply curious attention to texts, and the smart and enthusiastic connections he makes among them, is an aural antidote for the speed and superficiality with which so much other discourse charges itself in the name of commercial optimization. These are beautifully rendered, important conversations. Thank you, David!

David Naimon interviewing a guest reminds me of Bruce Springsteen in concert, speaking between songs. We hit all the tangents, head forward, move back a little, make a circle, then another tangent and maybe another circle before we get to the end of his question. At the end, we’re not sure what the question is. Maybe we’re not even sure what happened or where we’ve been, but just like how, at a Springsteen concert, it makes the song sound sweeter, Naimon turns the interviewee’s words into pure gold.

Older episodes, see the China Miéville episode, get right to the point. We hear him come in before we’ve even spent two minutes listening. I tried to listen to the Mariana Enriquez episode but was dismayed when nearly twenty minutes had passed and the host was still talking to himself. I got to wondering if Mariana would ever arrive or if I’d been had. He seems to go on and on, in love the with the sound of his own voice, until any interest a listener might have has long since evaporated. Side note: he also used to talk faster. Now it seems he’s trying to set a personal record for speaking as slowly as he can, as if in a kind of reverse Speed scenario, where if he exceeds a certain number of words per minute, a bus will explode. An absolute slog in what should be a home run podcast.

I can say unequivocally this is truly the ideal podcast for literature. No other podcast reveals the spirit of a book quite like this one—the interviews with authors is rich in both content and language. I love listening to the words chosen to express thinking, in addition to the pleasure of listening to the content of those words. As soon as I listen I remember why I love reading and each episode brings new ways to appreciate literary conversation. Of the many hundreds of podcasts, this one is essential and a classic. Thank you for creating this!

Truly the best literary interview podcast out there. David reads and researches extensively, posing questions that make every interview deep and insightful. I’m so grateful for this podcast. ❤️

David Naimon’s series of 12 episodes in 2022 called “Crafting with Ursula” is such loving homage to one of my favorite writers. I looked forward to every conversation and I was never disappointed. The selection of writers to engage in these themed interviews is so well-conceived. Each had unique insights to offer, and Naimon engaged with them sincerely, and humbly, seeking to learn on our behalf, the podcast audience. Thank you for a profound listening experience.

David Naimon, the guests are pleasantly surprised by your depth of research and so am I. Every episode. If these podcast episodes were paintings, you’d be up there with the greats. I just finished listening to the Ngugi Wa Thiong’o interview. It felt like there was no bias — just two persons (among a small group) having the most wonderful conversation on a verandah somewhere in the tropics, drinks in hand, of course. It felt like you are very good friends and you started the conversation with “tell me again how you do it.” Masterful exquisite work. Thanks for all you do!

The long form allows for deeper conversations. The questions are well informed holding thoughtful twists going beyond the standard banter. I often listen and take notes or listen and do some handwork (stitching or knitting or laborious drawing). The poets are almost all new to me and I love learning about them through these interviews. They are each priceless.

First time listener here. But won’t be the last. The Gabrielle Bates interview was my gateway drug to this wonderful gem. What a thoughtful, brilliant conversation. The host does an amazing job of connecting with the guest writer. And clearly, he does his homework, so he can go deep beneath the superficial in the conversation. Thank you. Loved it. And I love, love, love the gut-wrenchingly gorgeous Judas Goat by Gabrielle Bates. . Thank you so much for helping me appreciate it even more.

So grateful I stumbled on this in a twitter post. It lights up my love for art and lengthens my to-read list with an urgency.

Between the Covers is to me what Car Talk was to my father: the radio show that has earned our quiet devotion through its deep craft knowledge, curiosity, and the fun it adds to our lives. In one episode, host David Naimon described his preparation work as an attempt to 'center someone in the universe of their interests,' and this captured in part the magic of the show for me as a listener. Each episode feels like a deep dive and a sort of real-time longform essay co-written by Naimon and many of my favorite contemporary authors--it's magic. Tin House and Between the Covers are absolute gifts.

Truly a gold standard in podcasting, David Naimon is a consummate host (does not! interrupt! guests!), and listening regularly to Between the Covers is an entire education in itself. Do listen and support this podcast’s Patreon!

This is the food I need as an interdisciplinary musician. Thank you!

David, host of the Between the Covers podcast, highlights all aspects of writing and more in this can’t miss podcast! The host and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!

You just can’t get better than this. Reliably excellent episodes to sink into...

Natalie Diaz!! Wow, parts I & II, fantastic!

Just listened to the episode with Jenny Offil about Weather... wow! Great job! Illuminating conversation, it was hard at times to connect with an unhinged narrator!

Insightful and eye opening, even if you haven’t read the work they are discussing. David thinks critically and is remarkably well-researched: carefully composing his questions and directing the conversation. Truly the best podcast to which I’ve had the pleasure of listening.

Really love the show and your preparation for your guests. The interviews are in-depth and provide really insightful tips for nonfiction writers.

No one reads as insightfully or prepares as well as David Naimon. His questions are doorways that lead us deeper into literary works and elucidate the creative process of writers. I don’t think there is a more valuable podcast for readers and writers anywhere. This is the cutting edge of understanding what literature can do for us now.

I wanted to like this but I can't get past the lip smacking and other mouth noises. The EQ or mic settings need to be adjusted for David to prevent these sounds from coming through.

Great chats with authors I’ve mostly never heard of. Still a worthy time passer.

Between the Covers might be my favorite podcast to fall asleep to. That sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I mean it as anything but. David Naimon has insightful, deeply felt questions and invites his guests to answer with equally rich, personal responses. There’s something so comforting about these interviews that makes them perfect bubbles to drift off towards

I am so glad I found Between The Covers. This is honestly the most intelligent conversations and interviews I have ever been privy to. Thank you so much.

I love this podcast

I absolutely love this podcast! Thanks to BTC I've learned about so many fantastic writers and books and especially love revisiting particular author episodes after reading the books that I learned about the first time through. David is easily the most reliably thoughtful and well-researched interviewer that I'm aware of; it's clear that a great deal of time goes into preparing for each interview and the results prove it!

Recent find for me. Immediately began pouring through the backlog. Has some of the most insightful interviews with a clearly engaged host in David.

People talk about books, people ask writers questions, and people do this stuff often but David Naimon is different. He actually reads each writer's work and actually thinks about it because the conversations he has with these writers and the questions he asks are insightful and hella thoughtful. Thank you David for creating this and continuing your work.

As a writer and a reader, I get so much out of David Naimon's interviews. I end up reading a lot of the authors I hadn't heard of and love them--and appreciate them.

The Catherine Lacey episode was phenomenal.

David Naimon’s thoughtful insights as a deep reader and masterful interviewer make Between the Covers my favorite podcast of any genre. Thank you, David, for the time, effort and soul you put into each and every episode. If I could, I’d add another star to your rating!

A deeply important and needed show

This is certainly the most erudite, intelligent, intellectual literary show I’ve heard. What I love about this show is that the conversations, led by host David Naimon, always have depth to them but I never get the feeling that I’m being left out. Quite the contrary, these conversations are inviting and generous, and I always look forward to a new episode.

I love David Naimon's "Between the Covers" podcast. David conducts in-depth interviews with all the best literary writers working today. Every episode gives me something to think about or makes me look at something in a different way. It's a pleasure to listen to this podcast, and I'm so grateful for it!

David Naimon delights and impresses me with every episode. He is able to meet wonderful authors in their own writing, bringing insight to texts and in depth focus on both story and technique. Not many readers are as insightful and thought-provoking in their connections to and considerations of modern literature. Thanks to David: a humble and a gracious host, who lets his guests and their writing take the spotlight in every episode. He takes listeners on adventures deep into the workings, characters, and landscapes of wonderful works of words with fantastic interviews.

David Naimon is an amazing reader. I've got to believe that every writer he interviews must go away afterward with a new understanding of their own writing. Cetainly the listener does. If you love to read -- and think about what you are reading -- you will enjoy this broadcast. If you read AND write, you make it a regular part of your life.

A wonderful way to learn more about the authors and books I love and explore those I don't yet know. The host is exquisitely well prepared and asks great questions while respectfully keeping the focus on the author and the work.Really well done!

If you're a writer, this podcast is the next best thing to reading. David Naimon's craft-focused interviews provide the context behind the writing as he teases the how's and why's out of the authorial decisions we find on the page. It's a remarkable resource, not just in terms of the the tactics and techniques writers employ to deliver powerful prose; but also in terms of inspiration and fresh perspectives on how we tell stories. Subscribe now!

The best books podcast.

David Naimon is a terrific interviewer and his guests are the best. Don't miss the Ursula Le Guin interview.

If you like books you must subscribe.

Great authors, insightful host, engaging conversations. An all-around fantastic podcast.

I absolutely love this show! David Naimon is such a good interviewer. He's thoughtful and does extensive research. He's clearly a good reader and he makes the guests comfortable and open about their work. So glad I stumbled upon this show!

David Naimon is a writer's reader whose insight into an author's oeuvre allows him to plumb from them deep inspection and knowledge. His interview style is reserved, yet firm--he comes to his conversations with a map, and I'm only too happy to take the journey along with him. A must-listen.

In water the term “soundings” is used to measure depth. David Naiman’s interviews are soundings that represent that plunge. In order to accomplish this, David shows up prepared, respecting the artist, and nudging them to plunge deeper. When David questions, I hear amazement and delight in the author's voice. It’s not the same old droll; in fact, David’s insights energize them. And they’re most surprised that he’s actually read their book from cover to cover. I think David’s podcast represents the best of American interviews with authors in media today.

Not just book reviews, but explorations into the craft of writing, the writing life, the meaning of literature and the role it plays in our lives. Incredibly well researched and thought out. These interviews make me a better writer and a better reader. Top notch.

This podcast is fantastic. Interview subjects have included award-winning authors such as George Saunders, Kelly Link, Junot Diaz, Claudia Rankine, Roxane Gay, William Gibson, Karen Russell, Anthony Doerr, and many more. The host, David Naimon, has a charming personality and asks thoughtful, probing questions. You can tell he thinks carefully about the material and about the author's place in the world of literature. Love it!

This is by far my favorite literary podcast. David Naimon offers the most in depth interviews with top literary writers and poets I've ever heard/read. David offers incredible insight into contemporary literature and issues facing readers/writers/artists today. He interviews my favorite writers and creates lively discussion and analysis of their most recent work. This podcast is especially of interest for aspiring writers and artists, because the discussions include a detailed analysis of the craft of writing as well as the content and far reaching importance of the literary work discussed. David is also so earnest and interesting that he puts his guests and listeners at ease. Unlike in some other interviews I've listened to, there's no snobbery or name dropping here, just an honest conversation with some of your favorite writers.

David Naimon's interviewing prowess makes Between the Covers the best podcast about books. His breadth of knowledge about the writing world is impressive, and his insightful questions are astute.

David Naimon is an intelligent and amiable host and you can't beat the all-star list of authors he interviews on Between the Covers. Portland is fortunate to be a literary mecca, thanks mostly to Powell's, our world-class independent book store that books for readings the most interesting American writers working today. I'm particulary fond of David's interviews with Karen Russell and George Saunders, and get the idea both authors had an equally good time doing the show.