The Loft Lit Podcast

In this episode, we discuss the grueling, beautiful, and ultimately rewarding journey of bringing a debut novel into the world. Jessica Clem is the debut author of the domestic thriller This Never Happened. She shares her multi-year journey through rejection and rewrites, how she uses her background in user experience (UX) design to approach editing, and the unique blend of smut, murder, and poetry that makes up her new novel. Plus, we discuss the power of community, writing unlikable and mor...

In this episode, we gather around the fire for a conversation with Naoko Fujimoto. Naoko joins us to dive deep into the beautiful intersection of poetry and visual art, exploring the traditional haiga form, why returning to ancient work inspires fresh writing, and how mixing imagery with verse inspires creativity. Plus, a look back at Valeria Luiselli's recent visit to The Loft and an encouragement to have your voice heard—vote! Show Notes & Links HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS Patricia S...

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Lorberer (Executive Director of Rain Taxi and Director of the Twin Cities Book Festival) and Kelly Everding (Art Director and Business Manager) to celebrate the upcoming 26th annual Twin Cities Book Festival. Tune in as we discuss what makes this event and this community so rich with literary activity. We discuss the rich history and evolution of the festival's venues, championing indie and esthetically adventurous literature, navigating the festiv...

In this episode, we step behind the scenes of the publishing industry with literary agent and Loft teaching artist Matthew Valdez. Highlighting the vital role of agent representation and the realities of the querying process, Matthew pulls back the curtain to share how authors and agents build successful long-term partnerships. We discuss the current state of Young Adult literature, the necessity of accessible writing, and why representation—particularly queer stories—is more crucial than eve...

In this episode, we are joined by the Loft's Executive and Artistic Director Arleta Little. Arleta is also an author and poet, and we celebrate Patricia Smith's upcoming Nov 7 visit to the Loft. Arleta reflects on her own creative practice and collaborative poetry collection, Black Swallowtail, tracing how early promises and personal evolution shape a poet's voice. The conversation turns to Patricia Smith's legendary career—from her origins in Chicago's slam poetry scene as a f...