Once upon a time, there were radio programs. Many of them specialized in specific topics like sports, news, arts and, of course, music. The shows had personal identities. The topics were discussed, music was played, and everyone who listened felt enlightened and fuzzy.

These days, listening-based programs still exist on stations such as NPR, The Spy, WFMU and KEXP, but for the most part the radio waves are filled with syndicated content pumped in from a satellite that auto-plays the same Top 40 pop hits at predetermined intervals on a continuous loop. Sad, really.

Fortunately, there are these newfangled things called “podcasts.” They’re like radio shows, except they aren’t cast out broadly into the world (broadcast, if you will), but rather appear magically via a free subscription on your computer or smart device. I did mention these things are free, yeah?

Not only that, but there are plenty of podcasts dealing with all things bookish, be it celebrities reading short stories, authors reading their own short stories, authors reading other author’s short stories, or people talking about the world of literature.

Won’t you join me in exploring five really good lit-based podcasts? Perhaps you’ll subscribe to one yourself...

These five lit-based podcasts are only the tip of the tip of the iceberg. There are far more out there, awaiting your eager ears. If you have any good ones you’d like to share, shout out in the comments section. Until next time...