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?
Continue reading “Episode 238: Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale Zappia Rock Out with ‘Rez Metal’”
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.
Continue reading “Episode 236: Michael Leviton on Quantity Over Quality, Play, and His New Book ‘To Be Honest’”
Ho! Ho! Ho! CNFers!
What’s that under the tree? It’s Lamorna Ash here to talk about her wonderful debut work of nonfiction Dark, Salt, Clear: The Life of a Fishing Town (Bloomsbury).
Great talk with Lamorna as we dig into how she’s dealing with the pandemic, feeling trapped at sea, drawing inspiration from other forms of art and so much more. She’s 26 years old and you can tell she’s going to be a star. Maybe she already is!
Say hi on social media @CNFPod and, if you have time, leave a kind written review on Apple Podcasts. Almost at 100. Been sitting there for a long, long time.
Being a member on Patreon is HUGE. You’ll be supporting the audio magazine, supporting writers, and making the product possible. No members means no magazine. If you liked Issue 1 of the magazine, consider supporting the next one.
For $4 a month, you’ll get access to new transcripts, the forthcoming audio magazines, and other goodies exclusive to members. Check it out.
Lee Gutkind (@LeeGutkind) has returned to the show after a long, long time, this time to talk about his wonderful new book My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Male in His Seventies (University of Georgia Press).
We talk about a lot of stuff, like voice. Lee says:
Continue reading “Episode 233: Lee Gutkind on Magical Moments, the Rope Test, and ‘My Last Eight Thousand Days’”
For the 30th and final edition of what we have come to know as The Best American Sports Writing series (Best American Paper, or Houghton Mifflin. Harcourt, (Amazon says Best American Paper, HMH’s website says it’s theirs. I don’t know anymore.), 2020), CNFPod bestie Glenn Stout returns to the show to talk about BASW and the evolution of journalism, or the evolution of the medium.
He also has a new book coming out in March: Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid: America’s Original Gangster Couple. It is available for pre-order.
If you want your fix of Stout, he’s been on the show here, here, and here. All worth listening to. There’s nobody better at distilling what this mess is all about.
Continue reading “Episode 232: Change is the Only Constant with Glenn Stout”
Become a Patron!View on Zencastr
Pete Croatto (@petecroatto on Twitter) is here to talk about freelancing, writing, and his new book From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA (Atria Books, 2020).
Where’s the juice? Where’s the juice in the enterprise?
Continue reading “Episode 231: Pete Croatto on Listening, Showing His Work, ‘From Hang Time to Prime Time,’ and Adding that Ding”The juice is in coming up with an idea and convincing an editor that the idea is worth pursuing, convincing a person, selling a person on that idea. When I get an idea for a story, it’s almost a giddy feeling. It’s a feeling that that you have a secret that no one else knows about, so you want to just tell as many people as you can about that. It’s like gossip, it’s a big piece of juicy gossip, and you want to share it and get it in the right hand.
Pete Croatto from Episode 231 of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast
It’s been a long time coming, but, at long last, here is the inaugural Creative Nonfiction Podcast Audio Magazine!
The essays take you to edges of isolation and what that means to these five brilliant contributors.
I’m very proud of this, and I’m thrilled to keep improving the product and developing it.
As you know, this is the show where I usually speak to badass writers about the art and craft of telling true stories. So it’s my esteemed pleasure to bring you true stories on the feed.
Now, this inaugural issue will forever be free for all, but subsequent issues will only be available for members in the Patreon community. The first tier grants you exclusive access to the 2021 audio mag, which I hope will publish around June/July. The new theme and submission guidelines are at the end of this audio mag. Very exciting!
You’ll want to keep the conversation going on social media @CNFPod and let me know what you think of this exciting enterprise.
Continue reading “Audio Magazine Issue No. 1: Isolation”
Kermit Pattison (@KermitPattison) steps up this week to talk about his new book Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind (William Morrow, 2020).
It’s a great read about the rivalries among scientists, the purity of the mission, discovery and inquiry. Kermit does an admirable job of making this science accessible.
We talk about:
Keep the conversation going on social media @CNFPod. Consider leaving a kind a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts. I’ll be sure to read it on the air and give you the love you deserve.
A Patreon page is coming VERY soon, so I want to prime the pump for that. I’m excited to offer some cool goodies and access and coaching for those who are willing to take the leap. It’ll help keep the lights on. This enterprise is free, but it ain’t cheap!
Norton Anthology of Poetry
A John Le Carre novel
Collected Works of Charles Dickens
Fossil Men
A blank journal
A special call out to journalists and nonfiction writers who could use some extra support in these unpredictable times. Writers House Pittsburgh is accepting applications for a 6 month residency starting as early as January 2021. The Writers House is a physical home and long-term residency seeking to provide housing stability, mentorship, and community when you need it most. Head over to WritersHousePittsburgh.org to learn more. Applications will close on November 30th.
Annie Duke (@AnnieDuke) is a world-class poker player and the author of How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices.
This book is essential reading because what is more fundamental to life than making decisions? It provides a framework for making the most educated decisions, objective decisions, and the context to tell you whether or not a bad outcome was, in fact, the result of a bad decision.
There are many instances where you make a great decision, but the outcome is horrible. When you see the play calling at the end of Super Bowl when New England beat Seattle, you realize Pete Carroll’s decision to throw was a brilliant decision, but it had the worst possible outcome.
It’s a bad throw. But that’s not the point. Annie breaks this play down in the podcast.
Great decision … TERRIBLE outcome. What if they complete the pass? Greatest, gutsiest call in history! That’s resulting and that’s what Annie gets at, among other things, in her new book.
Keep the conversation going by linking up to the show on social media, @CNFPod.
How to Decide
Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts
How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed and Won Millions
“That’s what the practice is. It’s for people who have read enough blog posts or books to know the method, but for whatever reason look straight at the method and blink,” says Seth Godin.
Seth is the author of twenty books and I’m thrilled to celebrate his latest book, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work.
It’s an incredible book and the book we need for these distracting and troubling times. You’ll want to pair this book with The Dip and This is Marketing. And Linchpin.
You’ll want to keep the conversation going on social media, @CNFPod, across the Big Three.
Signing up for the my monthly newsletter is where it’s at! Reading recommendations, writing tips, and news from the podcast. I hosted the first CNFin’ Zoom Happy Hour for newsletter subscribers. If you want to come to the next one, subscribe! Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.
If I’ve made something worth sharing, I hope you you’ll considering linking up to the show on social media. And if you have a moment, leave a kind review on Apple Podcasts.
OK, that’s it, friend. Please enjoy.