Long enough and in-depth enough for genuine insight but not so long as to bore. Quirky and idiosyncratic, both the host and his regular and single visit guests, it provides a product that is far more engaging than the dry academic or critical takes. An impressive breadth of authors, ranging from the contemporary to the centuries-old and from the short story to Proust. Jacke Wilson’s short story episodes are a treat, as they typically pair a reading with a discussion. Some episodes are more interesting to me than others, as is to be expected, but the podcast as a whole is the best literature program I’ve found and my favorite podcast overall.