Tag: science

Episode 103—Persistent, Constant, Careful Work with Dennis Overbye

Dennis Overbye, whose graceful writing about the cosmos, made me want to reach out to him for episode 103.

By Brendan O’Meara

Tweetables by Dennis Overbye (@overbye):

“What interests me are questions that don’t have answers.”

“I have to remember I’m there for the reader, not for me.”

We’re back in the saddle again.

I took a week off from producing a show, much to the chagrin of the wife, who thought it was a bad move to miss a week, but I had two hard deadlines, and our dog is in rough shape these days, so it’s incredibly hard to focus. #excuses

On top of that, I got back some feedback on this book I’ve been writing since 2009 and it’s the kind of feedback that is incredibly valuable, smart, incisive, but it has made me realize just how shitty I am at this. I’m paying a significant amount of our GDP to become a better writer and editor myself. It’s a continuing ed thing as much as trying to get my stupid book published. #itsnotyouitsthework

Okay, so I’m probably less shitty than I was 10 years ago, but I’m still wicked shitty. 10 years from now, I’ll be less shitty than I am now and all the people I’ve disappointed will likely be dead, so there’s that.

So what is this show? It’s the Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to artists about telling true stories. Today’s guest for episode 103 is Dennis Overbye, @overbye on Twitter, a science writer for the New York Times. He’s a Pulitzer Prize-finalist and author of two books: Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Story of the Scientific Quest for the Secret of the Universe and Einstein in Love: A Scientific Romance.

I’d love it you subscribed to the show wherever you get your podcasts and share episodes across your social streams with people you think might get some value from the interview. You are the social network.

Another CNFPod in the can. Got any questions or concerns, by all means ping me on Twitter @BrendanOMeara or @CNFPod. I’m @BrendanOMeara on Instagram and @CNFPodcast on Facebook. I do all kinds of wacky cross promotional things, so if you’re into that, pick a network and follow me.

Most important is if you want my monthly reading list newsletter, head over to BrendanOMeara.com and sign up for it. Once a month. No Spam. Can’t beat it.

If you’re feeling especially kind, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes as that helps with visibility and validates this entire operation so we can reach as many people as possible.

Promotional support is provided by Hippocampus Magazine. Its 2018 Remember in November Contest for Creative Nonfiction is open for submissions until July 15th! This annual contest has a grand prize of $1,000 and publication for all finalists. That’s awesome. Visit hippocampusmagazine.com for details. Hippocampus Magazine: Memorable Creative Nonfiction.

Episode 93—The Hidden Life of Life with Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas spoke about her latest book “The Hidden Life of Life.”

By Brendan O’Meara

“What I wanted to do was show the commonality of all life on earth…it seemed important to me that we’re related.” —Elizabeth Marshall Thomas.

You’ll excuse that there’s not traditional intro and outro to this show. You might even prefer it. I’ve had what I can only hope is a MINOR complication with recent oral surgery and don’t want to talk and thus compound the problem at hand. I won’t bore you.

It’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to artists about telling true stories. Leaders in narrative journalism (like Bronwen Dickey), memoir (like Maddy Blais), essay (like Erica Berry), radio (like Joe Donahue), and documentary film (like Penny Lane) talk about their origins, routines, processes, and key influences so you, kind listener, can apply those tools of mastery to your own work.

EMT returns to the show to talk about her new book The Hidden Life of Life: A Walk Through the Reaches of Time (Penn State University Press, 2018).

Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words, writes, “We are lucky to have shared some time on Earth with Elizabeth Marshall Thomas…Reading her is like looking through a telescope and realizing that the brightness you see actually happened long, long ago and has taken all this time to reach your own eyes.”

Dig the show? Leave a review for a review! What’s that? Consider leaving an honest review on iTunes and I will coach up a piece of your writing up to 2,000 words. Reviews are the currency that drives the podcast economy and I’d be thrilled if you added your two cents. Show me proof via electronic mail and we’ll get it done. You give me a minute of your review time, I’ll give you a few hours of mine (that’s how long it takes to read a piece three times and give good notes.) You give you get.

Also, in an effort to be less dependent on social media (@CNFPod, @BrendanOMeara, @CNFPodast, and @BrendanOMeara), my monthly newsletter is the bedrock of my little community here. It’s my monthly book recommendations and what you’ve missed from the world of the podcast. I’d love it if you signed up. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

Maybe I’ll be able to talk next week. In the meantime, enjoy Episode 93, and if you want to hear far more from Elizabeth, be sure to check out Episode 80 with her.