The Open Book Podcast
with David Steinberger

A behind-the-scenes look at books and publishing

Join us for wide-ranging discussions with publishers, editors, authors, journalists, thinkers, executives, and other makers of culture, hosted by David Steinberger, CEO of Open Road Media and Chairman of the National Book Foundation.

Love the podcast? Want to suggest a topic? Share your feedback with us at openbook@openroadmedia.com.

Listen Now:

And God Created the Literary Agent

Michael Carlisle

Co-Founder, Inkwell Management

Michael Carlisle is a co-founder of Inkwell Management, one of the most respected literary agencies in the business. Born of publishing parents, he became a human rights lawyer first, before he found his way to the William Morris Agency, then built his own agency before forming Inkwell Management. From William Styron to Elin Hilderbrand, Michael has been in at the beginning on an amazing set of authors and books. This episode gives you a look inside the life and career of a fascinating literary agent.

INTERVIEWED ON: April 9th, 2025

Books discussed:

Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger

Named Sports Illustrated's best football book of all time and a #1 NYT bestseller, this is the classic story of a high school football team whose win-loss record has a profound influence on the town around them.

Longitude by Dava Sobel

The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day--"the longitude problem."

Spartina by John D. Casey

Winner of the 1989 National Book Award

A classic tale of a man, a boat, and a storm, Spartina is the lyrical and compassionate story of Dick Pierce, a commercial fisherman along the shores of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay.

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

From #1 bestselling author of The Perfect Couple, Elin Hilderbrand, and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, deliver the irresistible, deliciously scandalous story of one drama-filled year at a New England boarding school.