bromeara8 – Page 39 – Home of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

Episode 120—Eli Saslow, the Pulitzer Prize Winner on Empathy, Muscling Through Drafts, and His Book ‘Rising Out of Hatred’

Eli Saslow, Pulitzer Prize winner, stopped by the show.

By Brendan O’Meara

[Pull Quotes TK]

Welcome to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the best artists about the art and craft of telling true stories. Leaders from narrative journalism, doc film, memoir, essay, radio, and podcasting stop by to share their stories and how they go about the work so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work.

Would you look at this guest for Episode 120L: Eli Saslow (@elisaslow), Pultizer Prize winner and fellow Oregonian, and author of Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist, and staff writer for The Washington Post joined me for a wonderful conversation about his work.

Eli is one of the good ones. You can tell by talking to him that he’s an energy giver, you know what I mean? You talk to the guy and you want to go out and do your best work. I felt similarly when I spoke with Elizabeth Rush and Andre Dubus III.

Fact is, Eli’s work alone makes you want to go out and do good work because it’s top notch and major league. His latest book is a masterpiece so you need to go out and buy a copy for you and a pal. It is published by Doubleday.

You’re gonna learn a lot of great writing and reporting tips from your time spent listening to this episode.

Be sure to follow the show and me on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Why not sign up for my monthly newsletter? I give out reading recommendations. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

Go like the Facebook page too and consider leaving a nice review on Apple Podcasts.

Thanks to the show’s sponsors: Goucher College’s MFA for Nonfiction and for Creative Nonfiction Magazine.

Books by Eli Saslow

Ten Letters: Stories Americans Tell Their President

Episode 119—The Multi-Hyphenated Allison K. Williams

Allison K. Williams embodies the spirit of a true creative.

By Brendan O’Meara

“Fame does not equal success, and success does not equal fame.” —Allison K. Williams

“Every project I do has made me more fit and better to do my next project.” —Allison K. Williams

It’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the very best in the genre of telling true stories, how they got to where they are and the tools, tips, and tricks that make them so good at what they do. I’m your host Brendan O’Meara.

Today’s guest is none other than Allison K. Williams. She’s @GuerillaMemoir on Twitter and you can visit her website at idowords.com.

Episode 118—Earl Swift on Routines, Proportionality, and the Secret to Being a Fly on the Wall

Earl Swift, everybody! Photo credit goes to Hyunsoo Leo Kim/The Virginian-Pilot.

By Brendan O’Meara

“It’s always been experience that the inspiration comes while you’re doing [the writing].” —Earl Swift

“The process of being a fly on the wall doesn’t rely on folks forgetting you’re a reporter.” —Earl Swift

Hey, CNFers, welcome back to another show.

This week’s guest is Earl Swift, author of seven books, with his latest being Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Waterman of Vanishing Tangier Island.

But before we get to that, maybe I should let you know what it is we do here at CNF HQ. This is the podcast where I speak to the best artists about the craft of telling true stories: origins, habits, routines, key influences, so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work.

Episode 117—Steve Brusatte and The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

Steve Brusatte, author of “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs.”

By Brendan O’Meara

It’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the best about telling true stories. Leaders in narrative journalism, doc film, radio, podcasting, essay, and memoir stop by Digital CNFPod HQ to talk about how they go about the work so you can apply those tools of mastery—if you so choose—to your own work.

Today I present to you Steve Brusatte (@SteveBrusatte on Twitter), author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of the Lost World. The entirety of the book is brilliant but the way Steve talks about T-rexes and the Asteroid are some of the most compelling reading you’ll come across.

Episode 116—Adventures in Drawing with Scott Campbell

Scott C., author and illustrator, whose Adventures in Drawing is wicked awesome.

By Brendan O’Meara

“I find it inspiring to see people have successes. It makes me want to do better stuff.” —Scott C. (@scottlava on IG)

“When I get started I have to make decisions on color and it kinda stresses me out and there’s always a middle zone where I’m trying to salvage the painting. This is gonna turn out horrible. I’m trying to salvage it.” —Scott C.

Loping along here at CNF HQ. What the hell is going on, CNFers?

Today’s guest is Scott Campbell, better known as Scott C., also known as Scottlava across the Twitter and Instagram.

Scott is an author and illustrator and his latest wonderful creation is Adventures in Drawing: A Guided Sketchbook. This thing is tons of fun. I love drawing as a way unplugging my brain from my daily nonsense. His Instagram feed is chock full of his amazing and playful sketches and water colors. His Great Showdowns are hilarious and cute and fun. I won’t do them justice by talking about them so you should visit Scottc.com or look him up on Insta at Scottlava.

We talk a lot of creative insecurities, comparing yourself to others, and the importance of community in any artistic pursuit. I wish I had two hours to talk to Scott, but we’ll have to made due with one.

One other thing…are you subscribed this pod? Go find it on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, Google Play, and Spotify. And if you’re feeling kind, leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Please share this with a buddy.

Hey, CNFers, today’s episode is brought to you by my amazing monthly newsletter. That’s right. Sign up for my reading recommendations list by entering your email either in the Smart Bar at the top of the page or on the pop up in the middle.

On the first of the month you’ll receive a cool photograph I took, four book recommendations, a cool quote or two, links to any writing I’m proud of, and links to that past month on the podcast. It’s a tasty bit of goodness to start your month.

Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

Episode 115—Candice Hare and the Wide World of Horse Racing

By Brendan O’Meara

Today’s guest is Candice Hare (@candicehare_ on Twitter). She’s a broadcaster for TVG, a horse racing channel. As some of you know, my primary field of expertise in the writing world is horse racing, so there’s quite a bit of that here.

But Candice’s story is nice, so even if you don’t dig horse racing, you’ll be able to pull out some cool tidbits from her approach to her own work. Continue reading “Episode 115—Candice Hare and the Wide World of Horse Racing”

Episode 114—Matthew Polly on Bruce Lee, Shaolin Temples, and Video Games

Portrait of Matthew Polly, writer and author of “Bruce Lee: A Life” ©JUSTIN GUARIGLIA, WWW.EIGHTFISH.COM

By Brendan O’Meara

“The great thing is if you find the right story it often is more interesting than fiction because it’s weird and quirky.” —Matthew Polly (@MatthewEPolly)

This is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the best in narrative journalism, doc film, radio, podcasting, essay, and memoir about the art and craft of telling true stories.

Today’s guest is Matthew Polly. He’s the author of three books of nonfiction, most recently Bruce Lee: A Life. He’s a graduate of Princeton and a Rhodes Scholar, so you can say my 1050 SAT score didn’t exactly level me up any in this conversation.

Episode 113—Jennifer Goforth Gregory: Your Ticket to Earning Six Figures

Jennifer Gregory might just change your life.

By Brendan O’Meara

Tweetables from Jennifer Goforth Gregory (@ByJenGregory)

“The persistence is the difference.”

“If you don’t follow up, you’re leaving money on the table.”

“We’re not each other’s competition; we’re each other’s colleagues.”

Well, well, well, look what your subscription dragged in. Another episode of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the best in narrative journalism, doc film, radio, essay, and memoir about the art and craft of telling true stories so you can better at your own work.

You are subscribed, right? Head over to iTunes/Apple Podcasts and lay it down. We’re also on Spotify! Yeah, that’s right. The whole catalog is over there streaming if that’s your thing. Please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts because that’s how we prove to the newcomers that we’re doing something special over here at CNF Pod HQ.

Episode 112—Paul Willetts Slays ‘King Con’

By Brendan O’Meara

Tweetable by Paul Willetts:

“Revision as you go along can be tremendously destructive of what you’re doing.”

I’ve had quite a run of late of guests from the other side of the pond as it were. Today is no different as I welcome Paul Willetts to the show.

Paul is very smart and he loves the work. He is the author of several books of nonfiction, most recently King Con: the Bizarre Adventures of the Jazz Age’s Greatest Imposter.

Episode 111—The Empowering and Exciting Nature of Film with Emer Reynolds

Emer Reynolds wrote and directed “The Farthest,” the documentary about the Voyager Mission.

By Brendan O’Meara (@BrendanOMeara or @CNFPod)

“You’re really finding the film in editing the documentary.” —Emer Reynolds (@emerpreynolds on Twitter).

Ever catch yourself staring at the sky at night and being categorically floored, hair blown back by the scope of it all?

This happens to me almost nightly and there’s two distinct approaches you can take and I’ve taken both of them, believe you me.