Love this podcast. It’s a daily source of inspiration for my next read and for my writing. Go on, give it a listen.

I appreciate the depth of these exchanges. Each guest seems grateful for how thoughtful the interview goes. Such a benefit for us writers in the trenches. Thank you.

I’ve tried many interview podcasts, but I keep coming back to this one. The interviewer really does her research, and strikes such a friendly tone with the authors, that I usually hear insights that you don’t get from other interviews. She also regularly interviews literary heavy hitters and prize winners, which I personally prefer to brand new authors.

This podcast is such a treat. The dialogue between Mitzi and the authors is so thoughtful and insightful. The process of writing has become so fascinating to me (a reader), and this podcast is a beautiful window into the craft of writing.

Mitzi has a pitch perfect interview presence and she asks the questions I wish I could ask in addition to clearly putting a lot of thought and effort into the interviews and honoring the authors’ work. I just became a supporter!

I’m a writer. When I get stuck, I fire up this podcast and go on a walk. It’s so helpful to hear how successful writers tackle their craft. I always end up with new ideas and energy.

So many rich inquiries and great conversations. This podcast has become an integral part of my everyday, and feel like it keeps me connected to questions I ask as a writer and artist. Mitzi’s such a terrific reader and her questions show her depth and the voluminous research time she spent on each author. Such a treat!

Sincere and smart conversation about books, the craft of writing and life.

Incredible … I cannot imagine a more thoughtful, thorough and graceful interviewer. Mitzi Rapkin adds layers to the literary experience I have with many of my favorite writers and those I have yet to discover. Thank you, Mitzi … for getting me into the secret lives and the “why” of our favorite scribes.

As a writer, this is the podcast to learn from. Mitzi is a generous interviewer and that is what it take to be a great teacher. I highly encourage this podcast if you are a writer.

As a writer and reader, I could not love First Draft any more! Mitzi, you are doing a fabulous job.

So well-done!

Saul Bellow said that the writer is merely “the reader moved to emulation,” and these conversations embody that energy and become works of art in themselves, as Mitzi Rapkin is an incisive, generous and unflinching reader. Do yourself a favor, and dive in!

Mitzi, host of the First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing podcast, highlights all aspects of writing, fiction 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!

I appreciate your format, the chance to hear details about the book and how & why the writer wrote it. It would be appreciated even more if you could interview more Black authors. Thanks for your podcast.

Mitzi does an incredible job getting to the heart of her interviewee’s craft, likely because she is a writer herself. This is an elucidating podcast that’s become my go to whenever I’m stumped in my own writing, looking for inspiration, or are simply curious about a book or author.

This is a wonderful podcast - great for aspiring writers and lovers of reading and writing and books

No other podcast cuts so deep when it comes to craft and the true struggles of writing work that is honest and true. Every single interview is a gem. Thanks!

Great host and some big names are interviewed. I’m more into CNF (interview more nonfiction folks, please!) but I like a lot of the fiction writer interviews just the same. The repeating questions at the end are fun! I like when they talk about a passage that change a lot or that they worked hard on.

I would reccommend this podcast to anyone, writers, readers and just plain thinkers. It's so fascinating to hear what today's best writers have to say about their work and the world we live in. Please invite your friends to listen.

Wonderful that this is now available on iTunes! Dive in and try it…you will be hooked.

I am so pleased that First Draft is on iTunes! It is an interview show of the highest order, both because of the guests that appear and because the host, Mitzi Rapkin, is able to delve deeply into the books being discussed through her questions. It's very clear that she is a careful, intelligent reader, and her guests open up because of that. And the guests she gets--Jim Shepard, Meg Wolitzer, George Saunders, Charles Baxter, Molly Antopol, etc.--are among the best American writers at work today. I would recommend it both to writers and to readers interested in current American literature. Super happy that this show exists, and that I can now download and listen to it anywhere. Looking forward to more.