The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

Kevin Guilfoile is the author of the memoir A Drive into the Gap. It is published by Field Notes. This podcast is sponsored by my writing coaching services as well as Casualty of Words, a writing podcast for people in a hurry.

"Great, so you're at the point in the writing process where you hate all your work. We all do that," says Rose Andersen, @roseandersen. This episode is sponsored by Scrivener, by writers for writers and Casualty of Words, a writing podcast for people in a hurry. Keep the conversation going on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, @CNFPod. See you there for office hours!

Stephanie Gorton, author of Citizen Reporters: S.S. McClure, Ida Tarbell, and the Magazine that Rewrote America, talks about the sacrifice of writing a book, reading fiction and nonfiction, and what it was like midwifing other people's books into the world before writing her own. This episode is sponsored by Scrivener, made by writers for writers, and Casualty of Words, a near-daily writing podcast for people in a hurry.  Be sure to follow the show on social media @CNFPod. 

Beth Roars is a vocal coach, performer, podcaster, and YouTube superstar and it's her take on creativity and evolution that inspired this conversation.Keep the conversation going on social media @CNFPod across them all.

"That was always my understanding that if you want to be a freelance journalist, you're probably going to have to do a lot of things that you don't want to do. So it creates time space, resources for you to dig into the things that you want to do," says Wudan Yan, @wudanyan on Twitter. This episode is sponsored by Scrivener, created by writers, for writers. Be sure you're subscribed wherever you get your podcasts and keep the conversation going on social media @CNFPod. 

"I wrote a column on my 30th birthday saying things I'd like ,by the time I was 40, was write one good book," says Roy Peter Clark.  I'd say he did. Try about a dozen with Writing Tools and Murder Your Darlings being two that you know and love. He's @roypeterclark on Twitter.  Follow the show @CNFPod. Let's give a big CNFin' welcome to Scrivener for sponsoring this episode of the podcast. Be sure to check them out to level up your writing game.

Neal Bascomb, the best-selling author, joins us to talk about Faster: How a Jewish Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler's Best (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020), joins us to talk about the book, the essay he wrote as a kid that sent him on this path, and the myriad failed novels that put him on the nonfiction track. Keep the conversation going on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, @CNPod. I'd love to hear from you.

Larry Tye is here to talk about his new book Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Keep the conversation going on social media @CNFPod. And if you dig the show, consider sharing it and posting an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Peter Brown Hoffmeister makes his return to the podcast.  He talks about role models, internal drive, self-control, regret in memoir, and he even reads a poem at the end. Keep the conversation going on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, all @CNFPod.

"I tried to write fiction and other things and it just kept being there and wanting to be written about," says Emma Copley Eisenberg about her nonfiction book, The Third Rainbow Girl. In this show we talk about her soiree into journalism world, the many false starts her book took, and pushing the boundaries in creative nonfiction. Follow her on Twitter @frumpenberg. Follow the show @CNFPod on IG, Twitter, and FB. Keep the conversation going, man.

Ruby McConnell (@rubygonewild) is the author of Ground Truth: A Geological Survey of a Life (Overcup Press). We talk about the rigor and discipline of dance and how that prepared her for writing, why geology is a great "writer's science," and so much more. Follow the show @CNFPod across all the socials and head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to subscribe to the monthly newsletter. 

"I think I can do both: I'm a participant and an observer," says Walter Thompson-Hernandez. Follow him @mychivas on Instagram.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @CNFPod.

Nick Flynn is the author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, The Ticking is the Bomb, The Reenactments, and, most recently, Stay: Threads, Conversations, and Collaborations (Ze Books, 2020). Follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @CNFPod. 

Keith Law (@keithlaw) is a writer for The Athletic and the author of Inside Game (William Morrow). Be sure to follow the show @CNFPod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to sign up for the monthly newsletter. Once a month. No spam. Can't beat it.  

Rani Shah is the author of Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish: And Other Self-Care Rituals from Nature (Dey St.) In this episode we dig into the sacrifices you need to create, balancing day jobs and art, imposter syndrome, growth mindsets, blue high heels, and dude hats. Be sure you're subscribed wherever you get your podcast. Get show notes and the monthly newsletter at brendanomeara.com. Follow the show on social media @CNFPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

"I knew right away I would be writing about my mom's death. I knew that immediately," says Eva Holland, author of Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear (The Experiment, 2020). Eva Holland is a freelancer features writer whose work has appeared Outside, Wired and Best American Science and Nature Writing, to name a few. You can follow her @evaholland on Twitter. In this episode we talk about: Next-level freelance advice Dealing with imposter syndrome Blending memoir and reportage And much more Follow the show @CNFPod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Email the show [email protected] with questions. And, if you're feeling kind, consider leaving a kind review on Apple Podcasts. 

Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer are the people behind the By the Book podcast and the authors of How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living By the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books (Willam Morrow).

Ben Cohen, the NBA writer for The Wall Street Journal, stopped by the show to talk about The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks (Custom House, 2020).

"Selection is as creative as generation," says Michael Schulman, a staff writer for The New Yorker. CNF Pod is brought to you by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing and my monthly newsletter!  

Allison Fallon (@missallyfallon) is the author of twelve books. Her most recent is Indestructible. Support for this show comes from Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing, HippoCamp 2020, and my monthly newsletter.

Paul Lisicky, author of Later: My Life at the Edge of the World (Graywolf Press, 2020), talks about his latest book. Big thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing and to HippoCamp 2020 for the support.  Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to sign up for the monthly newsletter.

Alexander Norman, author of The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020), joins me to talk about his new book and how he has struggled to find his voice as a writer. Thanks to Bay Path University, HippoCamp2020, and my monthly newsletter for the support.

The author Adrienne Brodeur is here to talk about her memoir Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me (HMH, 2019) Thanks to our sponsors in Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing. Thanks also to HippoCamp 2020. Use the promo code CNFPOD2020 to receive $40 off your registration! And, of course, my monthly newsletter.

Damon Brown is the author of Bring Your Worth and he joins me to talk about that, creativity, and a whole lot more.  Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing for the support. Be sure to sign up for the my monthly newsletter. 

Katherine Keith, author of Epic Solitude, talks about resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing made this show possible. As did my monthly newsletter.

The writer Ander Monson, whose True Story essay "My Monument" came out in December, is here to talk about the essay and his approach to writing essays. Podcast made possible by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing.

Brin-Jonathan Butler has a new podcast called Tourist Information. Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing for the support.

Tim O'Brien, author of Dad's Maybe Book, talks all things writing, reading and turning a maybe something into an actual something. Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing made this show possible. As did my monthly newsletter. Go get it.

Hey, CNFers! It's Kristina Gaddy, author of Flowers in the Gutter. This episode is sponsored by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing. It's also sponsored by my monthly newsletters. Reading recommendations, riffs, and what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. First of the month. No spam. Can't beat it.

Um, what? No interview this week?

Sonia Hamer talks about her story Pig: An Essay. This show is sponsored by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction. It's also sponsored by my monthly newsletter. Once a month. No spam. Can't beat it. 

Jake Gronsky, author of A Short Season and a Best American Sports Writing 2019 Notable Selection joins me to talk about writing and always having that apprentice mindset. This episode is sponsored by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing.  It's also sponsored by my monthly newsletter. Sign up at brendanomeara.com.

Amy Fish, author of I Wanted Fries With That, joins me to talk about her writing and coming to the genre later in life. Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing for the support.  This podcast is also brought to you by my monthly newsletter. Head to brendanomeara.com to sign up. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, man.

Lindsay McCrae jumps on the podcast to talk about his book My Penguin Year: Life Among the Emperors. Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing helped make this show possible.

John O'Connor talks about his "True Story" piece "Everything Gets Worse" and how every story needs a donkey. Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing for the support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter and Instagram @CNFPod and find show notes at brendanomeara.com

"Time is doing so much work," says Elisa Gabbert, the essayist and poet. This episode's patron is Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction writing.  Follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @CNFPod.

Steven Moore is here to talk about his memoir The Longer We Were There: A Memoir of a Part-Time Soldier (University of George Press, 2019). Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. Link up to the show on Twitter and Instagram @cnfpod.

"I'm still trying to figure out why the greats are great," says Kevin Robbins, @kdrobbins on Twitter. Kevin Robbins returns to the show to talk about The Last Stand of Payne Stewart.  Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support.

Thanks to Austin Kleon sharing a Stephen Harrigan quote to inspire this pod.

"Writing is not a competitive sport," says Cassandra King Conroy, author of Tell Me a Story, her memoir of her time with Pat Conroy. This show is made possible by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing. Follow the show on Twitter @CNFPod.  I hope you dig it.  Party on, CNFers!

My favorite book on writing might be a bit unexpected and certainly not 100% in the genre of nonfiction.

"I worked to write this as the longest screenplay possible," says Bob Batchelor, author of The Bourbon King. Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and to Riverteeth for the support. Follow the show at @CNFPod.

A riff on success with the freelance writing AC Shilton.

Sonja Livingston returns to talk about The Virgin of Prince Street: Expeditions into Devotion (University of Nebraska Press, 2019). Thanks to Bay Path's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support and to Riverteeth for the promotional support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter and Instagram @cnfpod. 

A CNF Snack (tapas?) on the nature of fun featuring Christopher McDougall.

"All writing is re-writing, all reporting is re-reporting," says Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run, Natural Born Heroes, and Running with Sherman. Thanks to Bay Path University and Riverteeth for the support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod!

Some wisdom from Henry Rollins.

"Somebody else's success doesn't limit your own," says AC Shilton, a freelance journalist and farmer. Thanks to Bay Path University for the support and Riverteeth for the promotional support.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod. 

A CNFin' snack. Creating without Judgement with Chase Jarvis, author of Creative Calling.

"Essays took on this energy for me in part because they're unofficial and in part because they brought me in contact with the world that felt really generative," says Leslie Jamison. Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison is the occasion. It is published by Little, Brown. Leslie is the bestselling author of The Empathy Exams and The Recovering. We dig into a lot of great stuff about her process and how she came to nonfiction from a background in fiction. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod and Facebook @cnfpodcast.  Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and River Teeth for the support. I hope you enjoy what we made for you.