Page by Page was conceived of in 2008 by Jonathan Bastian as a show that would connect with authors on a local and national level. Unlike other stiffly-intellectual literary programs, Bastian was interested in fostering unintimidating, substantive and introspective dialogues with some our greatest living writers.

“More than anything, I wanted to find new ways to talk about writing and books,” he said. “The idea was to make the subject direct, relevant and personal, maybe even uncomfortably so at times. Just not aloof and academic.”

With this mission, Bastian formed a solid partnership with the NPR-affiliated Aspen Public Radio, who welcomed and fostered the project.

Since premiering in the summer of 2010, Page by Page has included interviews with modern masters such the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Richard Russo, up-and-coming authors like Brady Udall, and non-fiction legends such a Sebastian Junger and Bill McKibben.

Aside from interviews, Page by Page features original essays and reviews by host Jonathan Bastian and as well as selected readings of prose and poetry. On any given show, you might hear an interview with a Pulitzer-winning author, followed by an essay on Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and ending with a reading of Allen Ginsberg’s poetry.

Page by Page airs every Wednesday at 6pm (MST) on Aspen Public Radio. If you are unable to hear the program from a direct radio broadcast, you can stream the program live on aspenpublicradio.org or listen to podcasts here at pagebypage.org or on iTunes.