The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

Chase Jarvis is here to talk about his incredible book Creative Calling.  Chase is a world-class photographer, CEO and founder of Creative Live, and a riser of tides.  I hope you enjoy this conversation. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod. If you dig the show, share it with a friend. Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Also a shoutout to River Teeth.

"My writing life is being surrounded by 15 half-empty coffee cups which I keep dipping my paint brush into accidentally," says Rachel Dougherty. Rachel Dougherty is a Philadelphia-based illustrator, children's author, and lifelong knowledge-hunter.  She works in acrylic paint, ink, and pencil smudges, using humor and color to inspire curious young minds. Rachel is passionate about US history, scruffy little dogs, and board games. This episode is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction, River Teeth and my kick-ass editing services.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod. Also Facebook.

"You tend to agree more with the people who don't like what you do more than the people who do like what you do," says Steven Hyden, rock critic for Uproxx and the host and producer of Break Stuff. We talk about him always wanting to be a rock critic, how he still has passion for music, and his incredible podcast on Woodstock '99 titled Break Stuff. Support for this podcast comes from Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and River Teeth, a journal of nonfiction.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod, Instagram @cnfpod, and Facebook @CNFPodcast. There's a sandbox for everybody!

Kate Hopper, author of the essay "Stumbling into Joy," stopped by the show to talk about this essay and how she approaches the work. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod. I hope you find what I made for you is worth sharing. Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and River Teeth for the support. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to sign up for the newsletter!

Steven Kurutz, features writer for The New York Times and author of Like a Rolling Stone, stopped by CNFPod HQ to talk about libraries, getting to New York, and his incredible True Story essay "Fruitland." Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to you podcasts and keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and on Instagram @cnfpod. Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and River Teeth for the support.

"I like to joke that this is my investment in literary citizenship," says Donna Talarico (@donnatalarico). Hey, CNFers, Donna Talarico makes her return to the show after two years to promote this year's Hippocamp, a creative nonfiction conference.  This is a shorter-than-normal interview, but it's got the goods nevertheless. Subscribe to the show if you haven't already and consider leaving a kind review on Apple Podcasts. Share with a friend. That's how this spreads.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod.  Thanks also to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and Riverteeth for supporting this show.

"A great story for me is one that engages me emotionally. It's like a love affair," says Fred Waitzkin, author of several books, including his latest Deep Water Blues.  Fred Waitzkin comes by the show to talk about his love of writing, how he developed his knack for story, how his parents influenced him, and how breaking into other disciplines cracked the code of his latest book. Support for this episode comes from Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Keep the conversation going on Twitter by tagging the show @CNFPod, on Instagram @cnfpod and Facebook. Party on, CNFers!

"Let me be your sounding board for how the piece should come together," says Seyward Darby. Seyward Darby is the executive editor of The Atavist Magazine. She's also a writer and a brilliant mind.  Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonficiton and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for supporting the show. Twitter: @CNFPod. Instagram: @cnfpod Subscribe and share widely, CNFers!

"This is not something that comes over night. It's a long, arduous road," says Mark Kram Jr. Mark Kram Jr. is on the show to talk about his incredible career and his latest book Smokin' Joe.  We talk about how he was a late bloomer and through hard work, long work, he grew into his own skin as a writer. This show is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction.  Keep the CNFin' conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod.

"I spend the most time on making my writing more clear and straightforward," says Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman).  Hey, CNFers, Chuck Klosterman, author of eleven books, including his latest Raised in Captivity: Fictional Nonfiction, joined me for a nice conversation about how books can be anything you want them to be and how he structures his day so he can get the work done. Keep the conversation going on Twitter by pinging the show @CNFPod and @BrendanOMeara. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support.

"Talent is not enough. You have to have luck. You have to have drive," says Allie Rowbottom (@allierowbottom) Allie Rowbottom, author of Jell-O Girls: A Family History is on the show to talk shop. She grew with an artist mother who empowered her to pursue her own art.  Keep the conversation alive on Twitter @CNFPod or Instagram @cnfpod. Subscribe to the show and consider leaving a kind review on Apple Podcasts. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. 

"There's always gonna be people who are better than you and there's also people who're gonna be worse than you. That really can't be the reason you write or don't write," says Naomi Gordon-Loebl. Naomi Gordon-Loebl, a journalist and essayist comes on the show to talk about her work. Find her on Twitter @naomigordonloebl and visit her website at naomigordonloebl.com. Keep the conversation going on Twitter by tagging the show @CNFPod and on Instagram @cnfpod. Thanks to our sponsors Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction.

"I want to hear more of you in this. I want this weirder. Let loose," says Eric Ducker (@ericducker). Eric Ducker, freelance writer for The Ringer, among others, came on the show to talk about music, his time at Fader, and his Ringer piece on Jenny Odell (check out Ep. 151 for her). Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and on Instagram @cnfpod. 

"I think that's why people stop writing. It's the not knowing what you're doing that feels so terrible." —Sonya Huber (@sonyahuber). Sonya Huber, author of five books and countless essays, joins me on the pod. Shoutout to our patrons in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod or on Instagram @cnfpod. 

"You can persevere and you can grind, but you have to get lucky at times," says T.D. Thornton, @thorntontd. T.D. Thornton, author of Not By a Long Shot and My Adventures with Your Money came by the show. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for sponsoring the show. Twitter: @CNFPod. Instagram: @cnfpod Subscribe where you get your pods!

"You gotta fall in love with your subject, and sometimes people have to pull you out," says Julian Smith (@juliansmith on Twitter). Julian is the co-author of Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West. It is published by William Morrow. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod. 

"It's like wet jeans, that's the feeling of generating a bunch of crappy writing," says Amanda Petrusich, a staff writer for The New Yorker.  Amanda can be found @amandapetrusich on Twitter. She's the author of Don't Sell at Any Price and she came by the show to talk about her career and early struggles. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support.  You can join me on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Instagram is @cnfpod. Subscribe to the show and share with your fellow CNFers!

"For a writer, ignorance and curiosity are a magical combination," says Philip Gerard. Philp Gerard, author of The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina and the novel Cape Fear Rising, returns to CNF to talk about his latest book. Philip is a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and has written several books. Visit philipgerard.com for more information. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod, and Instagram @cnfpod. Facebook @CNFPodcast. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support.  Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your pods!

"Find something else that is so absorbing to you. That is a place you can go to get away from [social media]," says Jenny Odell.Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing, came by the show.Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support.Be sure keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to sign up for the newsletter.

"A good idea knows no experience level or age," says Ian Frisch, @IanFrisch on Twitter. Ian Frisch, author of Magic is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians. We dig deep into the book, as well his approach to freelancing. Thanks to our show's patrons in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction.

"Part of me thinks nobody should write a memoir," says Anika Fajardo, @anikawrites. Anika Fajardo, author of Magical Realism for Nonbelievers, joined me for a nice conversation about her late-blooming journey through writing. She thinks writing is about community and connection and writers need to be submitting work. Be sure to keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction. 

"I don't have destinations in mind. I always have experiences in mind," says the poet Jericho Brown. (@jerichobrown) Today I welcome the award-winning poet Jericho Brown to the show, whose latest collection of poems The Tradition just released. It is published by Copper Canyon Press. We talk about his committment to phsyical fitness, experiences over destinations, his new collection of poems, that time he almost died of the flu, and how he invented the poetic structure known as the duplex. Support for this show comes from Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction. 

"The pleasure of reading a book is that it's reciprocal," says Meredith May (@meredithmaysf).  Meredith May, author of The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage, and a Girl Saved by Bees, stopped by the show.  The show is made possible by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and my monthly newsletter! Keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Instagram is @cnfpod. Subscribe to the show and thanks for listening!

"Maybe the world will aways be crazy, and creative work will always be hard. Then the question becomes: How do you keep going?" says Austin Kleon. This is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, producers, and podcasters about the art and craft of telling true stories. Austin Kleon is the author of Newspaper Blackout, Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, The Steal Like an Artist Journal, and his latest book is Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod.  Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for helping make today's show possible.

"At what point are you taxing the reader?" asks Scott Eden, "knowing when the reader has had enough." That’s Scott Eden, investigative reporter for ESPN the Magazine and THIS is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. Subscribe at iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher to get this delivered to your feed on every Friday. Follow me on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod and follow the show on Instagram @cnfpod. So Scott Eden is here. He’s an intrepid reporter and we got to dig deep into his process and deconstructed how he wrote his piece on the former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who gambled on the games he reffed and essentially fixed games. Thanks to Goucher College’s MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path Unviersity’s MFA in Creative Nonfiction for making this show possible. Be sure to head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Sign up and get the next one on the first of the month. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

"If I fail, I want to fail because of me. If we succeed, I want to succeed because of us," says Vlad Yudin. Vlad Yudin, director and filmmaker, stopped by the show to talk about his bodybuilding documentaries and why he left Russia to come to the United States. This episode is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction, Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and my monthly newsletter. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and @BrendanOMeara.

"I want to do right by these people. I want to tell a story that honors the stuff they did," says Blake J. Harris. Blake J. Harris, author of The History of the Future  and Console Wars came by the show to talk about his latest book on virtual reality, Oculus, and Facebook.  Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for sponsoring today's show. Keep the conversation going by joining me @BrendanOMeara and the show @CNFPod on Twitter.  Visit brendanomeara.com for show notes to this and many, many more shows!

"You've gotta find new ways to have fun in old things," says Jeff Goins. It’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, producers, and filmmakers about the art and craft of telling true stories, how they got to where they are, how the cope with crippling self-doubt, and the routines they enlist to get the work done. I’m your host Brendan O’Meara and today’s episode is a tight 30, man. When you get somebody like Jeff Goins (@JeffGoins) on the show, author of a quintillion blog posts and several books, including Real Artists Don’t Starve, you adhere to the time allotment. So this was a tight window, but I think it’s packed with great stuff. Amazing what you can get done in a tight window if you focus and don’t dither. This episode was made possible by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction.

"My system is, it's okay not to have a system," says Evan Ratliff, @ev_rat on Twitter. This week I spoke to Evan Ratliff, who puts the bad in badass. Yes, that means I put the ass in badass. Neither here nor there. Evan came on the show to talk about his career as a freelance journalist and, most recently, his epic new book titled The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal. It’s a book that combines all the tools of the trade a master reporter needs to tell the globetrotting story That’s right, this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show were I talk to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. I try and unpack their origins and how they go about the work so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. I’m your host, Brendan O’Meara. So before we get to Evan, you’ll want to find a way to subscribe to this show. I make it easy, man. Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,  Spotify, Stitcher. I think that’s enough. If you find the show entertaining or informative, share it across your platform with your pals. You are the social network. Rage against the algorithm, rrrrage. If you’re feeling generous of course you can leave a review on iTunes, but I’m jsut as happy with you sharing it or even emailing the show creative nonfiction podcast at gmail dot com. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to sign up for my monthly newsletter. The latest one went out today. You’ll find book recommendations and maybe a link to a story written about me in the Register-Guard here in Eugene, OR. I always wanted to be a writer worth writing about. But I guess, for the time, I’m a podcaster worth writing about. It’s pretty cool. Check it out. Newsletter, once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it. Okay, so Evan Ratliff, @ev_rat on Twitter, came by the show. His latest book The Mastermind is a masterpiece of true crime writing. Evan is also the founder of The Atavist Magazine, a co-host of the Longform Podcast, and a long-time freelance writer. This was fun. He came to play ball, which not every guest does so I’m thrilled that he took the time to jam with me. Here’s my conversation with Evan Ratliff. Let’s kick it!   What else? Oh, yes, keep the conversation going on Twitter by pinging me @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Wanna barf? The show has an Instagram page now: @cnfpod. And, as always, you can like the show on Facebook. You have no excuse for not seeing the show out there in the world. Thanks to Goucher College's Masters in Nonfiction for sponsoring the show!  

“If you’re gonna be a writer, you gotta sweat,” says James Carl Nelson. James Carl Nelson, author of The Polar Bear Expedition: The Heroes of America’s Forgotten Invasion of Russia, 1918-1919, came by the show. The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. It’s here we learn how they became the artists they are, the struggles they deal with, and the routines that allow them to get the work done, so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. Let’s keep the conversation going on Twitter. Tag me and the show @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod to let me know what you liked. And head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes to this show and the previous 139 shows and to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. I share my book recommendations and what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. You don’t want to miss out. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

"The freak-of-nature-tiger was actually a man-made disaster," says Dane Huckelbridge, @huckelbridge. You’re here because you love listening to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers talk about the art and craft of true stories. I try and unpack their journey and how they go about the work, so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and hand this episode over to a friend you think would benefit from it. If you want to leave a written review please do. Feel free to email me with kind words or questions. I might just read them on the air. And keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. You are the social network. Subvert the algorithm, man. Rage against the algorithm (great podcast name by the way). If you need any more evidence of Dane’s cool, check out his Twitter handle is simply @huckelbridge. Dane has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Beast, Tin House, The New Republic, and New Delta Review. He is the author of Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit; The United States of Beer: The True Tale of How Beer Conquered America, From B.C. to Budweiser and Beyond; and a novel, Castle of Water, which has been optioned for a film. He grew up in Cleveland. Went to Princeton. And he lives in Paris with his French wife. Happy Valentine’s Day, holy shit. Dane’s book was originally going to be a chapter in a book of man-eating animals, but this story got bigger and bigger and bigger. It’s a brilliant exploration of the tiger as well as British colonialism and how the this tiger was a man-made disaster. Let’s get it on, here’s @huckelbridge, the coolest dude living in Europe.

"You build good habits but the terrain going forward should be unknown to you," says Connor Ratliff. Hey, What’s up there CNFers, today’s guest is none other than Connor Ratliff, actor, comedian, writer, and performer for the Upright Citizen’s Brigade: Hey, it’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. I trace their origin stories and get to the heart about how they go about the work. Go on and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes to this show and every other episode. There you can also subscribe to my CNFin’ monthly reading list newsletter. Book recommendations and what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it. Like I said, Connor Ratliff is on the show and you might wonder why the hell I invited an improv performer who works with the likes of Chris Gethard, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Zach Woods, and countless others. Thanks also to our sponsor in Goucher College’s MFA in nonfiction and thanks to you, kind listener.

"Clarity is a goal I want to be working toward. The more clear a piece of writing is, the more honest it feels," says three-time guest Bronwen Dickey (@BronwenDickey). Bronwen is the author of "Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon" and a kick-ass journalist, writer, and teacher. Little change of pace with this episode as it is just us talking shop for an hour. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Once a month. No spam. Can't beat it! Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction for the support!

J. Hope Stein, author of the book of poems "Little Astronaut", stopped by the show to talk about her wonderful writing and how she draws power from the sheer act of doing. Follow her on Twitter @poetrycrush and follow me and the show @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod!

"Don't worry if you go through a fallow period. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you," says Leanna James Blackwell. Leanna James Blackwell (@baypathmfaCNF) stopped by the show to talk about her True Story essay "Lethe," as well grabbing hold of ideas, dealing with fallow times, and finding community. This episode is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction. Join me on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod to keep the conversation going! Subscribe to the show and consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

"I always felt this indescribable pull to create something I'm proud of. 'Look. I made this,'" says Harrison Scott Key. Harrison Scott Key came back to the show to talk about his amazing work. Since that day way back in 2013, Harrison has published his first memoir The World’s Largest Man about his father, which also won the Thurber Prize for the funniest book in the country. And his latest book, Congratulations, Who Are You Again? Was my single favorite book from 2018. Do you subscribe this here podcast? You can find it just about anywhere and if you dig this show and others, link up to it on your social media platforms. You are the social network, CNFers. Rage Against the Algorithm. And if you have a minute or two, please give the show a rating over on Apple Podcasts. Follow the show @CNFPod on Twitter and @BrendanOMeara on Twitter. It also has a Facebook page. This is where we continue the conversation and I’d love to hear from you.

"We all need little successes," says today's guest Vanya Erickson. Vanya Erickson, author of the memoir Boot Language. You can find her at vanyaerickson.com, that’s Erickson with a CK, and follow her on Facebook @vanyaerickson.author. In this episode we talk a lot about how she survived her often brutal upbringing. It was one of emotional and physical abuse from two parents who couldn’t be more different. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on Twitter @CNFPod and me @BrendanOMeara. It has a Facebook page too. Go check it out. I’ve curtailed my social media use by a LOT. I check Twitter only on my computer and only once a day to connect with you. If you’ve taken the time to say something nice or engage, I’ll do my best to reply or retweet or otherwise give you a high five. And if you dig the show, share it with your circle. That’s how this thing grows. Trust and passing it hand to hand. I’ll play the long game. Like it or not, I’m not going anywhere. Sucka. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in nonfiction and the noun despair for their support.

"When I experience something interesting that happens I need to compose it in words," says Laura Hillenbrand. In many ways this is the logical conclusion of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. This is the Tony Soprano cut-to-black moment, Walter White dying beside his precious meth lab, or Gollum plummeting into the fires of Mt. Doom with the Ring of Power clutched in his hand. This interview with the one and only Laura Hillenbrand was about two years in the making and through unshakable endurance on both sides we were able to get this done and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by this in the least. For those who don’t know, Laura is the best-selling author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend and Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Rddemption. I think best-selling is an understatement. Unbroken spent a staggering 42 weeks at No. 1 on the New York Times Best seller list. Both books were made into Oscar-nominated movies with Gary Ross directing Seabiscuit and Angelina Jolie directing Unbroken. Laura won the National Magazine Award in 2004 for her New Yorker article “A Sudden Illness,” which describes the acute onset of chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, that has been with her since the 1980s. If you haven’t subscribed to the show, be sure to do that wherever you get your podcasts. If you dig the show, please consider leaving an honest review over on iTunes. You can follow me and the show on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Like the Facebook page, it’s just The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, and feel free to follow me on Instagram where I post cool audiograms of the shows as well as stupid drawings I do when I need to decompress. Always compressin’ over here. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to subscribe to my monthly newsletters where I share my reading recommendations for the month, articles, and what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. It’s a little bite of goodness to start your month. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it. Thanks again to our sponsors in Goucher College’s MFA in Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine. And, hey, happy New Year, friend. And thanks for being on this CNFin’ journey with me. Here’s to 2019.

Welcome my CNFin’ buddy, how are YOU, doing? I’m @BrendanOMeara, Brendan O’Meara in real life and this is @CNFPod, or The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. If you want to get better at the form, you’ve come to the right place. This is our little corner of the Internet. If you’re here for the first time, welcome, welcome, crack open a notebook, pour yourself a cup of coffee and settle in, CNFers. Where to start, where to start? My guest is Debbie Millman. Yes, you heard that correctly. Your ears did not deceive you. I didn’t bother digging too deep into Debbie’s origin story because there are several podcasts where she dives into that and I wanted to spare her from repeating herself. Maybe I was too timid in that regard, but I figured I’d steer the ship toward other things. At this point in the introduction is usually where I riff …. on what’s going on, maybe offer some insights into how you can improve your work by sharing something I find helpful. But...sometimes the most helpful thing is getting the cuss out of the way. In 17 words Debbie Millman is a writer, designer, educator, artist, brand consultant, and host of the podcast Design Matters. But in a single word? Debbie is an inspiration. She made a name for herself as a graphic designer and branding guru after years and years of rejections, failures, and false starts. She’s persistent sometimes, she admits, to a fault. Her writing is tight and playful. It’s deep, meaningful, resonant, and beautiful to look at as most of her essays are illustrated in her whimsical way of inking and penciling. As for her career in branding, If you’ve seen the Burger King logo, various Pepsi products, Tropicana, Haagen Daas, and Twizzlers (totally twisted) then you’ve seen her work. If it makes the supermarket look prettier, odds are Debbie had a hand in that. She was the president of Sterling Brands for 20 years, and under her stewardship grew the company from 15 employees to 150. But after a decade of being a titan in her field, from 1995 to 2005, often at the expense of her own creative projects, her writing, her drawing, her painting, she was granted the opportunity to host an internet radio program that, I must add, she had to pay to produce, called Design Matters. This was in 2005. 14 years later and she’s still doing it and for my money she, along with Joe Donahue of WAMC Northeast Public Radio, are the best interviews around. I have a reason for this and I talk about this with Debbie. She has interviewed Milton Glaser, Malcolm Gladwell, Anne Lamott, Seth Godin, Shepard Fairey, and hundreds more. Design Matters is a testament to her endurance and generosity. It wasn’t until she had done the show for several years that it really began to gain traction, win awards, and become the behemoth that it is today. I could go on and on and I must apologize for my titanic nerves in this episode. I mean I suffer from them all the time, but this one was especially bad, for that I’m sorry, but getting the chance to speak to Debbie for nearly an hour was such an esteemed an honor that I had trouble keeping my you know what together. You made it this far so I must say thanks for listening. I do this for you guys so you know that even the best of the best deal with the same bullshit we’re all dealing with. If you haven't already, consider subscribing to the show on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher and subvert the algorithms across the social platforms. If you liked the show, share it with just one friend. Email them the link or share it on social media. And tag me @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod so I can toast to your awesomeness. Consider leaving an honest review on iTunes as well. I want to see it hit 100 ratings. We’re gonna get there in 2019, but it starts with you. If you have five minutes to spare, please give the show some love. I also have a monthly newsletter where I send ou

Today's guest is Alexandra DiPalma, freelance podcast producer to the max! Man, you're gonna love hearing all about her. @LSDiPalma on Twitter. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes and wherever you get your podcasts. Visit brendanomeara.com to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat that. So… I’ve done 130 of these podcasts starting incredibly raw with the most primitive ways of recording till now where I even have a boom arm to hold up the microphone. Yet, yet...I ponied up some $200 to buy a podcasting class package from Creative Live (no affiliation) and in that bundle was a class by Alexandra DiPalma, the brilliant freelance audio producer whose list of credits includes Food For Thot and Seth Godin’s Akimbo. She also is the foreman of Seth Godin’s Podcasting Fellowship so you could say Alexandra knows her shit. Be sure to follow her and her shows on Twitter. Hit her up on the internets and hit up the show @CNFPod and @BrendanOMeara. Facebooky is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. Give us a follow, like the page, join our little community of badass true story tellers. Rising tides float all boats. Thanks, moon. Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine.

"You're whole life adds up to who you are," says filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito. This is of course The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to bad-ass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories whereby I unpack their artist journey and tap into their routines and habits about doing the work. This week for Ep. 129 is Lisa D’Apolito, the mastermind behind the brilliant documentary Love, Gilda about the legendary comedian and comedic actor Gilda Radner. We talk about her early life growing in Greenwich Village, her transition from acting to filmmaking, and what really drew her to Gilda Radner. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine for making this show possible. Of course you can follow the show in myriad places. It’s on Twitter @CNFPod and @BrendanOMeara. If you have any questions or things you’re struggling with in your work, shoot me a note. Be sure to share the show across your platforms to help grow our little community and go subscribe to my newsletter at brendanomeara.com.

If you’re anything like me, and one assumes you are because you find some value in this humble little podcast, you need constant prodding in a sense. That can either be to get your work done or to get your brain in check. I’m one of those dudes who gets pretty down pretty easily, so it helps to have guests on who inspire me. Enter David Lee Morgan, @davidleemorgan on Twitter. David was a long time sports writer for the Akron Beacon Journal and most recently he turned his attention to teaching high school English, a move he doesn’t regret in the slightest. For the people who say “If you can’t do teach,” one of the more insulting things you can say to any artist who teaches or teachers who don’t, I give you David, who not only is a brilliant writer, but by the very nature of his attitude and approach, makes him that rare teacher that inspires with every lesson. To be frank, I haven’t been in David’s classroom, but if my 90 minutes with him is any indication of what it’s like to sit at a desk in his class, well, sign me up. Oh, hey, this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the best writers, filmmakers, podcasters, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. Here I try and unpack their personal history and also drill down on their routines and habits around getting the work done so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. If you haven’t subscribed, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or Stitcher and hit that button. Share this episode with just one friend, or across your social platforms, and if you’ve got the time, please leave an honest review over on Apple Podcasts. Okay, so David is the author of six books, including LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, which was the book on LeBron before he became King James. We talk about garnering trust among sources, being positive, and using slights as fuel. I think you’re going to love this episode, now, it’s time for the main event. Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College’s MFA in NOnfiction as well as Creative Nonfiction Magazine. What else? Oh, yes, be sure to subscribe to the show and be sure to head over to brendanomeara.com to sign up for my monthly newsletter. New one goes on the first of the month. It’s an inventory of great reading material as well as what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. I hope it gives you as much value as it gives me by putting it together. I’m @BrendanOMeara on Twitter and IG. The podcast is @CNFPodHost on Facebook, so connect with me or the show wherever you like. The show is in service of you, so if you have questions of me or my guests, please don’t be shy to email or ping me on social.

Did you know it’s Di-November. Not die as in death, but dino as in dinosaurs, which is how and why today’s guest is Sam Chiarelli (@DinophileSam on Twitter), author of the memoir Dig: A Personal Prehistoric Journey, published by Hippocampus Books. What is up? It’s the Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to bad-ass writers, filmmakers, producers, and podcasters about the art and craft of telling true stories. I try and unpack their artist journey as well as habits and routines so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. I’m @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod on Twitter. I’m Brendan O’Meara in real life. Sam’s book is about chasing your curiosity and following your deepest passions, or re-finding them again as if they got lost in the rock years and years ago. Maybe consider excavating what excited you as a child, that time when you did what you wanted for no other reason than you thought it was fun and cool. Oh, by the way, Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for coming along this CNFin’ journey. I’d be deeply grateful to you if you shared the podcast with your immediate circle and, if you’re feeling extra generous and maybe a bit doped up on food, writing a review over on iTunes. Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction as well as Creative Nonfiction Magazine.

"I never try to write a valentine. I always try to tell the story straight," says Glenn Stout, who makes his third visit to the podcast. Buckle up, CNFers, I’m Brendan O’Meara and this is my podcast, the show where I speak to the best writers and filmmakers, producers and podcasters about the art and craft of telling true stories. I try and extract habits and routines around the work so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, steam on Spotify, find the show and do it up. If you dig the show, if there’s a tasty nugget you know will help a fellow CNFer, pass it along to one person. Share it with you dozen Twitter followers, or your 300 Twitter followers and if you have a moment, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Head over to brendanomeara.com for show notes and to sign up for my monthly newsletter where I give out reading recommendations, writing tips, and what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it. So it’s Glenn Stout this week author, at last count, of 3,000 books, go look it up. His latests is the most comprehensive history of the New England Patriots to date titled The Pats: An Illustrated History of the New England Patriots. He put this book together with his long time collaborator Richard Johnson, who handled much of the curating of the art you’ll find in this gorgeous book. So Glenn came back for his third trip to the show. We talk about shotgunning ledes, chain smoking book projects, rationing out energy and, of course the Patriots, my home team, being a New England boy. Thanks to out sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine. Glenn is @glennstout on Twitter. Go buy the book for the Pats fan in your life. I’m @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod on Twitter. You can follow along on Facebook @CNFPodHost/The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. I’m also @brendanomeara on Instagram if you like rando pics, drawings, and audiograms. Is that it? I think that’s it. Happy Thanksgiving, gobble gobble mofos. And remember, if you can’t do, interview, see ya!

Brin-Jonathan Butler has the world record for appearances on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast at four times.His new book The Grandmaster: Magnus Carlsen and the Match that Made Chess Great Again is a masterpiece. Be sure to visit Brendan O’Meara.com for show notes and to sign up for my monthly newsletter. If you want to connect on social, I”m @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod on twitter. On Facebook you can search for the podcast by name and the hanlde @CNFPodHost. If you’re an Instagrammer, I post drawings I do and audiograms from the show. Got any questions or concerns? Ping me on social or email me [email protected]. Maybe I’ll answer the question on the show. Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College’s MFA in Nonfiction as well as Creative Nonfiction Magazine. Go check them out.

Natalie Singer, author of California Calling: A Self Interrogation comes by the show this week. So here we are again. Happy to say last week’s episode was featured in Creative Nonfiction Magazine’s November newsletter as a “distraction,” meant only as flattery, of course. Jane Friedman, THAT Jane Friedman, also gave us a great shoutout in a blog post a few weeks ago. That’s riff worthy… Oh, you didn’t think I was gonna drop that hammer did you, sucka? Hey, this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the best artists about the craft of telling true stories. I’m Brendan O’Meara (hey, hey) and this is what we do. Today I welcome Natalie Singer, author of California Calling: A Self Interrogation to the show. We talk about confidence, or the lack thereof, books as mentors, and day jobs and feeling shame for day jobs. I hope to change that perception over the next six million episodes, but shame is real, man, it is real. Well, are you subscribed to the show? You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and just about anywhere else you get your pods. If you like this episode, tell one friend. Hand the show off like a baton and let them run with it. I’d love to see the show grow. It’s getting there. We march on. Got a newsletter you should consider subscribing to. I give out reading recommendations, but I’m also thinking of sprinkling in some other cool stuff I’ve stumbled on over the past month in the vein of Austin Kleon’s newsletter. I love his newsletter. I’m gonna Steal Like an Artist. See what I did there? Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction as well as Creative Nonfiction Magazine. So, the show is @CNFPod on Twitter and I’m @BrendanOMeara on Twitter. I don’t know. Following either of those two would be pretty rad. The show is on Facebook too if you’re into that.

"I wanted to dig deeper into the essay collection AS they essay," says Elena Passarello. Welcome wayward CNFers, it’s the Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to bad ass writers, filmmakers, movers and shakers about the art and craft of telling true stories. Here you’ll learn the story, tips, and tactics that will inspire you to greater heights in your own own work. I’m your host Brendan O’Meara, hey, hey. Yeah, it’s Elena Passarello, not only is she wicked smaht, but we had a super fun, loose, entertaining conversation about her essays from Animals Strike Curious Poses, as well as the writing process, Metallica, and a host of wide-ranging topics. This was one of the rare in-person interviews so we had a ton of fun riffing (hey, hey) with each other. I probably talk a little too much about myself in this show, but that was the nature of the conversation, so do with that what you will. You can follow Elena on twitter @elenavox. Feel free to follow me as well @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. FWIW, I always respond to tweets. Since you’re here, why don’t you consider A)Subscribing to the podcast wherever you jam and B) Subscribe to my newsletter over at brendanomeara.com (hey, hey). It’s once a month, no spam, can’t beat that. Hey, if you dig the show, consider sharing it with a CNFin’ buddy. Why? Because I don’t want to rely on social networks to do the work. We are the social network and if we email and share with friends we are tethered by something more than algorithms. Right? Don’t forget about my newsletter. It’s a fun bit of monthly goodness. Head over to brendanomeara.com (hey, hey) and subscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time, but know that I take it wicked personally if you do. No pressure. Remembah! If you can’t do….interview! See ya! Thanks to today's sponsors Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine for the support!

"The possibilities of doing something similar [to fiction] in nonfiction really did appeal to me," says Tracy Kidder, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Are you riffin’ kiddin’ me!? By virtue of today’s guest I’m assuming there might be a new CNFer or two to our little marauding gang of turbulent souls in this corner of the Internet. Welcome. We play heavy metal music, we kick maximum ass, and we will, we will rock you. This is the Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to bad ass tellers of true stories about where they came from, what and who inspires them, and how they approach the work, so that you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. I’m your mutha-riffin’ host Brendan O’Meara, hey, hey. Today’s guest is none other than Pulitzer Prize—winning author Tracy Kidder, author of take a deep breath Brendan… Soul of a New Machine, Among Schoolchildren, Old Friends, Home Town, My Detachment, Good Prose, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Strength in What Remains, A Truck Full of Money, and House. That, CNFers, is a body of work. And who tells them better than Tracy Kidder, friends? He’s been a literary hero of mine every since I got into this mess. If you’re as big a headcase as I am, I’d go ahead and read Good Prose, the book he wrote with his long time editor and former mentor of mine Dick Todd. It lets you know that you’re not alone and these increasingly digital times, it’s easier and easier to feel, what’s the word??? Shitty... Tracy’s an apex CNFer in a long line of them that have appeared on this show. Please enjoy this conversation with the one, the only, Tracy Kidder. Cross that one off the Bucket List...How’d you like it? I hope you dug it. I tried my bestest for y’all. Thanks very much to this show’s sponsors Goucher College’s MFA program in nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine. You can visit Tracy Kidder.com for more information about Tracy and his work and events and the like. I believe he has an author Facebook page. While I’ve got your attention, I’d ask that if you dig the show, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave an honest review over on Apple Podcasts. They’re a big, big help and I’m deeply appreciative of whatever you can do to help out the show. Visit brendanomeara.com to sign up for my monthly reading list newsletter. Great books and great podcasts. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat that. I think that’s a wrap. Remember, if you can’t do interview! See ya! Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine for sponsoring this podcast.

Oh, hey, welcome to the show, CNFers, and, my, my, my are you in for a treat. Susan Orlean, @susanorlean on Twitter, a New Yorker staff writer and the best selling author of The Orchid Thief, Rin Tin Tin, and now her latest book, The Library Book, is out now. And it’s everything you’d expect from her work. But before we get to that, maybe you’re new to the show. Let me tell you what me and the voices in my head are up to here. This is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to great artists about the craft of telling true stories: Leaders in narrative journalism, memoir, documentary film, essay, radio, and podcasting stop by so we can talk about their creative path and how they go about the work so you can apply those tips, tricks, and routines to your own work. Susan Orlean, susanorlean.com, came back to the show. I recommend listening to both her shows. Episode 61 talks a lot about her origin story as a writer and running your show like a business. This time around for Episode 121, she dives into her methods of structure and what her latest book—a book she never thought she’d write—is all about. Thanks to our sponsors, Goucher College’s MFA in Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction magazine for the support. Be sure to give me a fist bump over on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. You can like the Facebook page too if that’s where you spend your time. And if you have questions, feel free to reach out. Also, if you dig the show, consider sharing it with a friend or even write a short review over on iTunes/Apple Podcasts. If you head over to brendanomeara.com, not only will you find show notes for the podcast, but you will also be able to sign up for my monthly newsletter where I send out reading recommendations and other CNFin’ goodies. You’d enjoy getting something tasty in your inbox from me on the first of the month, head over to the site. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

Eli Saslow is a Pulitzer Prize—winning journalist for The Washington Post and author of the book "Rising Out of Hatred." Thanks to our sponsors Goucher College's MFA for Nonfiction and Creative Nonfiction Magazine. Lots to love in the episode. I hope you dig it, and if you do, please share with a friend and even consider leaving an honest review over on Apple Podcasts.