Writer Ross Barkan says young men's voices have vanished from literary fiction. Economist Joel Waldfogel offers a reality check from the world of publishing.

This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.

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A reader by the book wall at the 2025 Turin Book Fair. Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images.



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