
Maria Popova: How to Write Something Truly Wise | How I Write
From How I Write by David Perell
May 13, 2026 · 58 min
About this episode
Maria Popova discusses the art of writing and how to find wisdom through reading.
Maria Popova writes one of the internet's best personal blogs. Originally called "Brain Pickings", it is now known as "The Marginalian". She has published more than 6 million pages of writing there, and it has become such a treasure that the Library of Congress recognized its value and made it part of their permanent archive. This conversation, however, explores much more. It delves into how to live and how to see, and how to turn to books for wisdom when confused and comfort when suffering. How can we read and learn to improve our lives? That is the driving question behind our discussion. About the host Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
People in this episode
Host: David Perell
Guest: Maria Popova
Topics covered
- writing
- wisdom
- reading
- personal blogs
- self-improvement
Keywords
- writing
- wisdom
- reading
- personal blogs
- self-improvement
- Maria Popova
- David Perell
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Marginalian, Library of Congress
Books & works: Brain Pickings
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