All the sad young literary men

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.

Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast.

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

Help us plan for the future of Today, Explained by filling out a brief survey: ⁠voxmedia.com/survey⁠. Thank you!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices