There are many podcasts out there about writers and the writing life. But there’s likely only one where the host asks the writer who their favorite Green Bay Packer is.
That podcast is “Writing Forward,” hosted by Madison writer Jeff Oloizia, which launched the first episode of its 10-episode debut season last week. Each week, Oloizia, a former New York Times editor, talks to a Wisconsin author about their work, the act of writing, and the ups and downs of making it as a writer in the Midwest, far from the publishing hubs of New York and Los Angeles.
The debut episode, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast players, features Madison essayist Barrett Swanson. The second episode, dropping Wednesday, features “Still True” author Maggie Ginsberg, whose next novel “Daisy Chain” will be released in 2027.
Oloizia talked to City Cast Madison recently about “Writing Forward.”
Why did you decide to start a podcast?
When I decided once for all that I wanted to stay put here and I wasn’t going back to New York, I thought “What can I make that will challenge me and add something to the literary community here?” I thought about starting a magazine, which in 2026 is a pretty tall order. But things have gotten to a point with podcasting that it’s pretty practical to start it up yourself.
Why a podcast about Wisconsin writers?
As someone who aspires to publish books himself, I like to listen to people who are in the place that I want to be, talking about it. And I think it’s all the more powerful if they’re from the same place as I am.
Listening to the first episode, it really sounds like a conversation between two writers as opposed to an interview.
My hope is that it’s like overhearing two of your favorite writers in a bar. Which is not to say that I don’t want it to have structure and real purpose. Each of my guests I choose with some themes in mind. Sure, we’ll talk about somebody’s new book, but I really want to have a more holistic conversation about the writing life and their career.
How do you think the show reflects a Wisconsin vibe?
There are certain podcasts that I won’t name that I can’t get through because they’re too pretentious. I’m aware that there’s always that risk, but the kind of writing that I like, not to mention podcasts, definitely have some high and some low. I think that’s a very Wisconsin thing, too. Don’t take yourself too seriously. We’re all just here to have a good time. I want to get into it, but I also want my guests to have a good time.
What do writers like to be asked about?
I think everybody is always happy to talk about craft. You spend four or five years working on a book, and if somebody’s going to ask you how you did it, that’s a dream. But certainly aspects of the writing life, ambition, imposter syndrome.
Ambition?
I feel like it’s the thing that people don’t often get to talk about, especially in Wisconsin, where you aren’t supposed to say the quiet part out loud. But I think there needs to be a place to talk about ambition. I don’t think that’s a dirty word. In some ways we sort of hold ourselves back when we ignore that.
What do you hope listeners take away from “Writing Forward”?
My hope for the podcast is that if people can listen and take away one thing, one little nugget or quote or craft idea that they can apply to their own creative life, I’ll be happy with that. I’m sort of doing the same thing. If I go to a book event or reading, that’s what I’m looking for. I just want to hear people who I admire and whose writing I admire think out loud. I get to have a front row seat to that.
