I have heard it said that all good things must come to an end. These words of wisdom came to mind when I heard the news that the six-year history of the Charlotte Readers Podcast will come to a close on July 16 with the airing of its 400thepisode.
Landis Wade launched the Charlotte Readers Podcast in 2018 after working for 35 years as a trial lawyer in Charlotte. He set out to create an interview-based podcast to help “authors give voice to their written words.” He initially envisioned podcast as a “great way to connect authors to listeners who enjoy good stories.” For the first four years, Landis served as the podcast’s primary host, but in 2022 he brought in Sarah Archer and Hannah Larrew as co-hosts.
During its six-year run, Charlotte Readers Podcast featured interviews with 450 authors, clocked in 160,000 downloads, published 50 community blog posts, and brought out nine books tied to the podcast. Although they do not plan to release any new episodes, they are committed to keeping the podcast website active as well as the podcast’s RSS feeds so that people can continue to listen to the authors who appeared on the show and access the community blog. Here is the link to their website: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com
I first heard about the end of the Charlotte Readers Podcast a few weeks ago when Landis sent me an email with the following re message: “Big Podcast News : Our 400th will be our last.” I responded by inviting Landis, Sarah, and Hannah to send me a few paragraphs with their parting words about the podcast as well as their plans for the future.
Here is what Landis sent to me:
Community may be at the heart of enjoying and surviving any creative endeavor, and if it’s not, it should be, because my Charlotte Readers Podcast experience was all about community. By taking on podcasting–something I knew nothing about–I met and became friends with hundreds of interesting and creative people, read engaging books, and got to spend time talking with talented authors from all over the country about two things I enjoy, reading and writing.
When I reflect on how we reached 400 episodes, three things come to mind. First, there was the creative spark–the idea that got me excited to try something out of my comfort zone. The second was the creative fuel–the in-the-trenches-perseverance that kept me going, driven by the enjoyment I received by hanging out with my new community. And the third was what I call creative evolution, my willingness to try new things to keep the energy alive, which led me to team up with Sarah and Hannah, whose talents, contributions, and good humor made the podcast experience even more fun.
My parting thought is gratitude to everyone who supported and joined us along the way. Next up is writing, travel, grandson time, and figuring out what creative idea to try next, and if I am lucky, Sarah and Hannah will be involved with that.
Here is what Sarah sent to me:
The best creative partners are the ones who inspire you to take risks. If Landis hadn’t called and asked me to come on as a co-host, I probably would never have tried podcasting. But I knew he already had a well-oiled machine running, and it seemed like a fun opportunity to meet other writers.
It turned out to be that, and so much more. Every layer of community I’ve built with Charlotte Readers Podcast has been meaningful and rewarding: Landis and Hannah, with whom I’ve loved talking shop and recording bloopers; our listeners, whose enthusiasm warms my heart, and who always impress and educate me when they share their own writing advice; and our guests, who have proven to be as brilliant, funny, and articulate in conversation as they are on the page, and who have also been lovely, friendly human beings (even those New York Times bestseller bigwigs).
One thing I prize about Charlotte Readers Podcast is the variety of authors we’ve featured, from every genre, walk of life, and career stage. If there’s one message I’ve heard echoed universally by this diverse and incredible group, it’s to write to your passions. I hope to heed that advice going forward with my own fiction and screenwriting projects in progress, and also to continue to share that message with other readers and writers as Landis and Hannah and I collaborate in the future.
Here is what Hannah sent to me:
Being a part of the Charlotte Readers Podcast team has been one of the most joyful experiences I’ve had in my professional life. The main reason for that is the collaboration with Sarah and Landis about one of the best topics ever: books. When book people connect with other book people, the conversation seems to flow so naturally, and creativity simply blossoms. I met Landis several years ago and began working with him on publicity for the podcast, which was a ton of fun because it was a world I wasn’t familiar with. I learned so much about both the back and front ends of running a podcast and really, how much work it takes to do something like this. Landis put his heart and soul into creating a platform for writers to share their stories – and by that I mean, both their books and their personal journeys. It’s something that not a whole lot of people have the drive or patience to do, but he did it and he did it well. I’m grateful to him for that.
Fast forward to when Landis asked me to join him on air as a co-host alongside Sarah Archer, who I’d admired for a long time as a witty, smart, and whimsical writer (both in her novel/short stories and on Twitter). It wasn’t even a question for me, it was just a YES. The most rewarding part of this entire experience has been getting to talk about meaningful stories with these two incredibly talented people. And as a result of these conversations with each other as well as writers we’ve had on the show, we got to connect books with readers.
I’m sad that Charlotte Readers Podcast is coming to an end, but the good news for me is that it’s not the end of my collaboration with Landis and Sarah. They’re my creative family and I don’t see a time in the future when we won’t be connected/pursuing new adventures together. So, I’m excited for that! In the meantime, my family and I recently relocated to Indianapolis, IN, so I’m officially a Midwesterner, and I think I like it! After taking much of the summer off to be with my family, I’m looking forward to diving headfirst back into the book world in mid-August. I’m in the middle of planning holiday campaigns, book launches, and drum roll… some of my own writing projects.
I thank Landis, Sarah, and Hannah for sharing their reflections on the history of the Charlotte Readers Podcast and for their many valuable contributions to Storied Charlotte.