Ruby McConnell (@rubygonewild) is one of our great environmental writers and her latest book is Wilderness and the American Spirit. It's published by Overcup Press.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @crea

Episode 407: Alex Squadron Respects the Grind

8 days ago 1h 4m

Alex Squadron is a sports writer for Slam Magazine and the author of Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the NBA.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction pod

Episode 406: When to Share a WIP with Darrell Hartman

15 days ago 58m 20s

Darrell Hartman (@dwhartman) is the author of The Battle of Ink and Ice: A Sensational Story of News Barons, North Pole Explorers, and the Making of Modern Media. It is published by Viking.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brend

Episode 405: Hallie Lieberman and the Drawer of Dead Pitches

22 days ago 1h 17m

Hallie Lieberman (@hallielieberman) is a journalist, writer, and historian. She's the author of Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy. Her latest piece for The Atavist is "The Handcuff Man." Visit magazine.atavist.com to read it.Newsletter

Episode 404: Hanif Abdurraqib's Nod to Witnessing in 'There's Always This Year'

29 days ago 1h 2m

Hanif Abdurraqib is poet, critic, and author of several books, including There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension (Random House).In this episode we talk about his nod to witnessing, specificity, intentionality, making it, and LeBro

Episode 403: Elizabeth Rush Moves Toward Exactitude

Mar 15th, 2024 1h 7m

Elizabeth Rush is the author of The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth (Milkweed).Liz talks about writing toward exactitude, lyricing her way through sticking points, being a character in her own work, and voice.For a c

Episode 402: The Stentorian-Voiced Dudely Bro-ness of Rob Harvilla

Mar 8th, 2024 1h 9m

Rob Harvilla (@harvilla on X) is a staff writer for The Ringer and the host and creator of the long-running 60 Songs that Explain the 90s. His first book is 60 Songs that Explain the 90s.We talk about the end of the podcast, the evolution of vo

Episode 401: Jessica Camille Aguirre on Racking Up Rejections, Online Nothing Burgers, and The Atavist's "Watch It Burn"

Mar 1st, 2024 1h 15m

Jessica Camille Aguirre (@jessicacaguirre) is a freelance journalist and wrote "Watch it Burn" for The Atavist Magazine.In this episode we talk about racking up rejections, voice, and what makes climate stories drag.For a couple weeks, visit co

Episode 400: Richard Blanco on Fever Writing and Finding the Poem within the Poem

Feb 23rd, 2024 1h 15m

Richard Blanco was the Presidential Inaugural poet at Pres. Obama's second inauguration, a winner of the National Humanities Award medal, and the author of Homeland of My Body (Beacon Press).Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: bre

Now in Paperback: 'Simple is the Way to Go' with Mirin Fader

Feb 16th, 2024 1h 9m

This originally aired on December 10, 2021 as Episode 291.Mirin Fader is the author of Giannis: The Improbably Rise of an MVP and a staff writer writing features for The Ringer. She is @mirinfader on social media.Newsletter: Rage Against the Al

Now in Paperback: Leslie Jamison — Make It Scream, Make It Burn, and the Bounded Infinity of Nonfiction

Feb 9th, 2024 50m 48s

This originally aired on September 27, 2019 as Episode 170.Leslie Jamison is the best selling author of several books including Make it Scream, Make it Burn. She has a new book out (not talked about in this paperback edition) called Splinters:

Episode 399: William Ralston Recounts a Harrowing Rescue for The Atavist

Feb 2nd, 2024 46m 19s

William Ralston is a freelance journalist based out of the UK. In this episode, we talk about his Atavist piece "Mayday."Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSup

Episode 398: Emily Sohn Explores the Complicated Legacy of Virginia Kraft

Jan 26th, 2024 1h

Emily Sohn is a freelance journalist and wrote "The Catch," a gripping profile of pioneering sports writer Virginia Kraft for Long Lead.Emily talks about how she arrived at the story, writing through the research, and the dark night of the soul

Now in Paperback: Howard Bryant says, 'Everybody Gets Forgotten'

Jan 19th, 2024 1h 12m

This originally aired on June 10, 2022 as Episode 320.Howard Bryant is the bestselling author of several books, including Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original (Mariner Books).Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: bren

Now in Paperback: Matt Bell Refuses to be Done, Dammit

Jan 12th, 2024 1h 5m

This episode originally aired on March 4, 2022 as Episode 305Matt Bell is the author of the craft book Refuse to be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts. It's published by Soho.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes:

Episode 397: Leah Sottile Riffs on Kurt Vonnegut's Rules on Writing

Jan 5th, 2024 52m 57s

Leah Sottile is the author of When the Moon Turns to Blood, which is now out in paperback. She added a new chapter that concludes the Lori Vallow saga.Leah also talks about: Kurt Vonnegut's rules on writing Writing about overlooked people An

Episode 396: Rae Nudson on Earning Trust, The Atavist, and the Pint-of-Ice-Cream Moment

Dec 29th, 2023 1h 30m

Rae Nudson is a journalist and author and she's on the show to talk about her piece for The Atavist Magazine.We also hear from Atavist editor-in-chief Seyward Darby as we close out 2023.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendano

Now in Paperback: Jackie MacMullan on the Fear of Failure, Writing that Teaches You, and the Final Chapter of 'Best American Sports Writing'

Dec 22nd, 2023 53m 31s

This originally aired as Episode 244 on February 26, 2021.Jackie MacMullan is a long time sports writer for The Boston Globe, ESPN.com, and author of several best-selling books covering the NBA. She was the final guest editor of The Best Americ

Episode 395: "The Six," Mini-Deadlines and the Twang with Loren Grush

Dec 15th, 2023 1h 3m

Loren Grush is a space journalist for Bloomberg and the author of The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts. In this episode, Loren talks about: Centering women in space Mini-deadlines And what is the "twang"?Newsletter:

Episode 394: Athena Dixon is OK with the Plateau

Dec 8th, 2023 50m 13s

Athena Dixon is the author of The Loneliness Files (Tin House) and The Incredible Shrinking Woman. Her work has appeared in Hippocampus Magazine, Lit Hub, and The Rumpus.In this episode, Athena talks about: Writing quietly Being OK with the p

Episode 393: Katya Cengel and Finding Enough 'There' There for The Atavist

Dec 1st, 2023 1h 8m

Katya Cengel (@kcengel) is a journalist and author who wrote "The Truth is Out There" for The Atavist Magazine. In this episode we also here from editor Jonah Ogles on: What sets pitches over the top Pitching multiple timesAnd trustKatya tak

Now in Paperback: Susan Orlean on Writing for an Audience and the Entrepreneurial Nature of a Writing Career

Nov 24th, 2023 1h 4m

This episode originally aired as Episode 61 on August 11, 2017.Susan Orlean is the best selling author of The Library Book, The Orchid Thief, and Rin Tin Tin. She's a longtime staff writer for The New Yorker and you can find her on Threads @sus

Episode 392: Damon Brown Goes from Zero to 18,000

Nov 17th, 2023 59m 55s

Damon Brown is an author, entrepreneur, and coach and his latest book is The Complete Bring Your Worth Collection.In this episode, we talk about: How he grew is YouTube channel from 0 to 18K The BYW Collection as capstone And how obscurity i

Now in Paperback: Glenn Stout on Combining the Things You Love, Effort, and the Poem That 'Knocked Him on his Ass'

Nov 10th, 2023 50m 6s

This episode originally aired on December 6, 2015.Glenn Stout is a brilliant editor and writer. He's the author of Young Woman and the Sea, The Selling of the Babe, and Tiger Girl and Candy Kid.Here, we revisit the first of his many times on th

Episode 391: For the Atavist Magazine, Lily Hyde Takes Us to Ukraine

Nov 3rd, 2023 54m 2s

In "Two Thousand Miles from Home," journalist Lily Hyde chronicles the unbelievable true story of three pregnant women torn apart by war.Lily talks about how she hates every thing she writes, struggling with the invasiveness of journalism, and