Be a Fan First

By Brendan O’Meara

Some lessons from Henry Rollins.

Here is the interview that inspired this CNF snack.

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Episode 167: Steven Hyden—Woodstock ’99, ‘Break Stuff,’ and Books as Roadtrips

Steven Hyden
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“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.” — Steven Hyden (@steven_hyden)

Hey, CNFers, glad you could make it. Got Steven Hyden for you. He’s a rock critic for Uproxx and his podcast Break Stuff about Woodstock ’99 is the stuff of legend. So I reached out to him.

We talk about that, books as roadtrips, and how you can have, perhaps, “questionable” taste, but still be a good read.

He makes mention of Chuck Klosterman being an inspiration given they come from similar backgrounds: remote upbringing yet somehow made a go of it in mainstream rock criticism.

Keep the conversation going on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I hope I’ve made something worth sharing, so share widely. And if you’re feeling kind, leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Books by Steven Hyden

Your Favorite Band is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life
Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock
Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of the Black Crowes—A Memoir

Episode 165: Steven Kurutz—The Power of Libraries, Getting to New York, and ‘Fruitland’

By Brendan O’Meara

Welcome back, CNFers! The 301 Redirect is live so you should be getting that bump of CNF now in your feeds. Sorry about that missed week there. Things got broke. Acutally, things are still mildly broken with some older episodes. The podcast gremlins are on it.

Steven Kurutz is here. He’s a features writer for The New York Times, and it was his essay for Creative Nonfiction’s True Story, “Fruitland,” that made me want to reach out.

This was a fun one and I hope you dig it. If you do, please share it with your immediate network. That’s how I want this show to keep growing, not by interrupting people with Facebook ads, but by you deciding it has value and sharing it with your friends. Hand to hand. You’re the social network, man.

If you dig the show, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod. Let me know your thoughts. Podcast for your thoughts.

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Episode 153: Amanda Petrusich—Clinging to Tiny Victories, Letting the Process Sustain You, and Wet Jeans

Amanda Petrusich is on the main stage for Episode 153.

By Brendan O’Meara

“The work itself, the process has to sustain you.” —Amanda Petrusich (@amandapetrusich Twitter)

“It’s like wet jeans, that’s the feeling of generating a bunch of crappy writing.”—Amanda Petrusich (@amandapetrusich IG)

Amanda Petrusich, staff writer for The New Yorker, joined me for a spirited conversation about her approach to writing criticism and the grind she endured to get where she’s at.

It was this great piece she wrote on Metallica that made me want to reach out to her. The way to this man’s heart is through Metallica.

Be sure to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts and wherever else you get your podcasts. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod. Instagram: @cnfpod. Facebook The Creative Nonfiction Podcast.

Books by Amanda

Don’t Sell at Any Price
It Still Moves
Pink Moon

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