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Leaf by Leaf

Leaf by Leaf is a craft-focused podcast for writers of fiction and nonfiction. Each episode, digs into a celebrated book to uncover the techniques behind great storytelling , character development, voice, structure, dialogue, and more. No jargon. No gatekeeping. Just an honest, accessible conversation about what it takes to write well.

Episode 05 – We Need to Talk About Kevin

byRobert Benson

In this episode of Leaf by Leaf, Sophie takes us inside one of the most unsettling narrators in contemporary fiction — Eva Khatchadourian, the mother at the center of Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin. Writing letters to her estranged husband in the aftermath of her son's school shooting, Eva controls everything we know — and that control is exactly the problem. Sophie explores four craft techniques Shriver uses to make Eva's unreliability so devastating: the strategic gaps in her account, the rationalizations that confess more than they conceal, the way the novel positions the reader as juror, and how the letter form itself gives Eva cover to withhold the truth she can't face. For any writer working in first person, this is essential listening.

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Episode 05 – We Need to Talk About Kevin

4 May, 2026

Robert Benson

Episode 04 – First lines and Opening Chapters

17 April, 2026

Robert Benson

Episode 03 – Non-Linear Storytelling

3 April, 2026

Robert Benson

Episode 02 – Voice and First-person Intimacy

29 March, 2026

Robert Benson

Episode 01 – Character Development

27 March, 2026

Robert Benson

Episode 14-2025 Fresh Cultivars to Brighten Your Garden

23 March, 2025

Robert Benson

Episode 13-2025 The Woolly Devil

16 March, 2025

Robert Benson

Episode 12 -2025 Xeriscaping Your Suburban Lawn

8 March, 2025

Robert Benson

Episode 11-2025 The Fragrant Legacy of Lavender

27 February, 2025

Robert Benson

Episode 10-2025 Brush Holly: A Stunning Shrub for Stylish Landscaping

19 February, 2025

Robert Benson

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Legacy Information About Leaf by Leaf

When this podcast turned from plants toward writing, I discovered that the earlier episodes couldn’t be tucked away without beginning again under a different name. Since Leaf by Leaf belongs naturally to both subjects, I decided to let those earlier conversations remain. If plants aren’t your path, you can simply begin with the more recent, writing-centered episodes.

The Scarlet Kingfisher

A suspense novel about the discovery of a new species.