January 2021 – Home of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

Episode 240: Scott Eden Pans for, Finds Gold in his Atavist Story ‘The Gilded Age’

Scott Eden returns to the show to talk about his incredible and ambitious piece for The Atavist titled “The Guilded Age.”

This extra interview in your feed is part of a new partnership with The Atavist where I interview that month’s featured writer about that month’s story to provide readers and listeners some extra depth to the experience.

In this very first one with The Atavist, Scott talks about:

Developing sources as an investigative reporter
How COVID affected this story … right at the very end
Finding a new angle on something that was already covered
And that moment when a machete was brandished in Peru

I hope you dig this extra bit of goodness. If you’re new to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, it’s the show where I speak to badass people about the art and craft of telling true stories. Subscribe wherever you podcast!

If you want to support the show, the audio magazine we produce and help keep the lights on at HQ, consider becoming a member at patreon.com/cnfpod.

We put out a great monthly newsletter with book recommendations, cool blogs and articles, podcast news, and an exclusive invite to a monthly CNFin’ Happy Hour. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it!

Episode 239: Alexandra DiPalma Leads the Podcast Workshop

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

So excited to have the one and only Alexandra DiPalma back on the show to talk all things podcasting.

She leads the Podcast Workshop, a part of Akimbo Workshops, and in it you’ll learn what it means to find your voice and develop skills that will translate to other areas of your life and career.

If you follow this link ===> THIS ONE <=== you’ll get pretty slick discount. I’m not sure when it expires, but check it out.

Episode 238: Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale Zappia Rock Out with ‘Rez Metal’

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale Zappia (@natzappia) wrote a killer little book based on a killer documentary called Rez Metal: Inside the Navajo Nation Heavy Metal Scene (University of Nebraska Press).

I mean, you know I was into this, right, CNFers?

Episode 237: A Fiction/Non/Fiction Festival with V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara (@CNFPod)

V.V. Ganeshananthan is the author of Love Marriage, an essayist, and a journalist. She also teaches at the MFA program at the University of Minnesota. She’s on Instagram and Twitter.

Whitney Terrell is the author of The Good Lieutenant. He also is a journalist who covered the Iraq War. He teaches at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He’s on Instagram and Twitter.

They co-host the Fiction/Non/Fiction Podcast as part of the Lithub network of podcasts. It’s on Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 236: Michael Leviton on Quantity Over Quality, Play, and His New Book ‘To Be Honest’

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

“Writing a book could be very tedious, but I’m writing to make myself laugh or cry. If I’m not crying or laughing, I’m so bored. When I’m telling a story, I’m laughing or crying. Most of the time, that’s what I’m doing it for. If I’m not thrilled by something, I can’t do it. It becomes tedious and I quit,” says Michael Leviton, author of the memoir To Be Honest (Abrams Press).

He is @michaelleviton on Instagram. A great follow.

Call for submissions! SUMMER: CLOSED!

Become a Patron!

Dear CNFers,

Issue 2 of the CNF Pod audio magazine is coming down the pipe. The theme is summer.

I want your best essays about summer. Summer jobs. Summer flings. Summer breeze. Summer, summer, summer time!

We come of age in summer and I want your best essays of what those precious summer months mean to you.

Word limit: Up to 2,000 words. This is about a 15-minute read. Only submit written pieces.

Deadline: March 21, 2021.

Submit to creativenonfictionpodcast at gmail dot com with SUMMER in the subject line.

Issue 2 will be exclusive to Patreon members, so for as little as $4 a month you’ll get access to the the magazine, as well as some other goodies.

Become a Patron!

Episode 235: Athletic Brewing’s Mason Gravely says ‘Make It Easy to Say Yes’

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

During my conversation with Mason Gravely (@alive_adventures on IG), I asked him what a good interviewer is like. I admire him as an interview so much, I had to know.

He said, “You know, it’s someone who listens. Someone who really is present. You can really tell when an interviewer is distracted, or they’re just kind of going off. They’re calling it in.”

Mason does incredible work for Athletic Brewing, the nations best and only (?) brewery only brewing non-alcoholic beer. Amazing stuff.

Brendan’s Monthly Newsletter: First of the month! No spam! Can’t beat it!