Why Is This Good?

Mar 01 2025 149 ep. 25 mins 13
Why Is This Good? Podcast artwork

Fiction writers from the Naples Writers' Workshop read successful stories and ask "Why Is This Good?" We discuss how fiction works, the craft of writing, literary art, and what we can learn from examples of excellent writing. Join us twice each month for our workshop podcast.

  Arts
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


147: “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick

Mar 01 2025 29 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. What can we learn from this classic work of science fiction? How can a story keep redefining […]

146: “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” by J. D. Salinger

Feb 15 2025 24 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” by J. D. Salinger. What can we learn from this classic Salinger story? Can a third person point of view be purely external? How […]

145: “Unaccompanied Sonata” by Orson Scott Card

Feb 01 2025 22 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Unaccompanied Sonata” by Orson Scott Card. What can we learn from this borderline science fiction story? What can happen when a story establishes a system in which the […]

144: “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter

Jan 15 2025 20 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter. What can we learn from this quick, little take on a folktale? How can setting help characterize a story? How can the prose […]

143: “Zombie” by Joyce Carol Oates

Jan 01 2025 26 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Zombie” by Joyce Carol Oates. What can we learn from this portrait of a real-life serial killer? How do we feel about a portrait of a monster? Why […]

142: “The Wind” by Lauren Groff

Dec 15 2024 25 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Wind” by Lauren Groff. What can we learn from this tense, action-packed story? How can we make a story so gripping? How can a removed point of […]

141: “These Golden Cities” by K. David Wade

Dec 01 2024 29 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “These Golden Cities” by K. David Wade. What can we learn from this story about taking an acid trip? How does the story guide us through the character’s […]

140: “Non-Zero Probabilities” by N. K. Jemisin

Nov 15 2024 22 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “Non-Zero Probabilities” by N. K. Jemisin. What can we learn from this bit of speculative fiction? How can world-building be personal to a character? Can we set up […]

139: “A Telephone Call” by Dorothy Parker

Nov 01 2024 27 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “A Telephone Call” by Dorothy Parker. What can we learn from this intense interior monologue story? How does this nearly 100-year-old story still reflect modern reality? How does […]

138: Curtis Sittenfeld vs ChatGPT

Oct 15 2024 30 mins  
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss Curtis Sittenfeld vs ChatGPT. What can we learn from this experiment in comparing a literary author with an AI-generated story? How would we critique the ChatGPT story? What […]