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Episode 364: Mitchell S. Jackson

“I’m never going to let an editor push me off my square in terms of voice.” — Mitchell S. Jackson

Several Pultizer Prize—winners have graced the CNF Pod main stage, and, wow!, we get to add the incomparable Mitchell S. Jackson to the roster. What a thrill to talk to this brilliant writer and thinker.

His accolades are too long to list, but here are a few (for more, visit mitchellsjackson.com).:

He won the aforementioned Pulitzer Prize for his piece on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery for Runners World titled “Twelve Minutes and a Life,” which we talk about a bit. (Edited by Leah Flickinger)
He’s a regular writer for Esquire and among his many profiles is this one on Chris Rock, which we talk about a bit.
His first novel, The Residue Years, was nominated (and won) several “first novel” awards.
Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family was listed by fifteen different publications as one of their best books of the year in 2019.
He famously studied with Gordon Lish, which we talk about; and it was Lish who told Mitchell that he could be great. (And, in Lish, fashion, he cut Mitchell out of his life.)

And, damn, he sure is great.

Episode 122—Tracy Kidder on Writing Badly and Looking for People Over Subjects

By Brendan O’Meara

“The possibilities of doing something similar [to fiction] in nonfiction really did appeal to me.” —Tracy Kidder

“I don’t look for subjects. I look for people.” —Tracy Kidder

Are you riffin’ kiddin’ me!?

By virtue of today’s guest I’m assuming there might be a new CNFer or two to our little marauding gang of turbulent souls in this corner of the Internet.

Welcome. We play heavy metal music, we kick maximum ass, and we will, we will rock you. This is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast (subscribe!), the show where I speak to bad ass tellers of true stories about where they came from, what and who inspires them, and how they approach the work, so that you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. I’m your mutha-riffin’ host Brendan O’Meara, hey, hey.

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 74—Madeleine Blais says Reality is Compelling Enough

Pulitzer Prize winner Madeleine Blais joined me on the podcast. Maddy is a dear friend and treasured mentor and it was so great to speak to her about her work and her new book “To the New Owners.”

By Brendan O’Meara

Tweetables by Madeleine Blais

“I always say mixed feelings equal material.”

“You’re only as great as your next story.”

“If you’re a feature writer or a person who does longform, you start to suspect a lot of depth in a lot of people.”

“I try to tell myself that nothing is ever wasted.”

“Reality was compelling enough.”

“I like the stories that make me feel like I’m going in the opposite direction of other people.”

Welcome back to another episode of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak with the world’s best artists about creating works of nonfiction to try and tease out the origins, habits, and routines so that you can apply their skills of mastery to your own work: narrative journalists, New York Times bestselling authors, award-winning filmmakers and, yes, even a Pulitzer Prize winner. Continue reading “Episode 74—Madeleine Blais says Reality is Compelling Enough”