The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

Steven Moore is here to talk about his memoir The Longer We Were There: A Memoir of a Part-Time Soldier (University of George Press, 2019). Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. Link up to the show on Twitter and Instagram @cnfpod.

"I'm still trying to figure out why the greats are great," says Kevin Robbins, @kdrobbins on Twitter. Kevin Robbins returns to the show to talk about The Last Stand of Payne Stewart.  Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support.

Thanks to Austin Kleon sharing a Stephen Harrigan quote to inspire this pod.

"Writing is not a competitive sport," says Cassandra King Conroy, author of Tell Me a Story, her memoir of her time with Pat Conroy. This show is made possible by Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing . Follow the show on Twitter @CNFPod.  I hope you dig it.  Party on, CNFers!

My favorite book on writing might be a bit unexpected and certainly not 100% in the genre of nonfiction.

"I worked to write this as the longest screenplay possible," says Bob Batchelor, author of The Bourbon King. Thanks to Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and to Riverteeth for the support. Follow the show at @CNFPod .

A riff on success with the freelance writing AC Shilton.

Sonja Livingston returns to talk about The Virgin of Prince Street: Expeditions into Devotion (University of Nebraska Press, 2019). Thanks to Bay Path's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support and to Riverteeth for the promotional support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter and Instagram @cnfpod. 

A CNF Snack (tapas?) on the nature of fun featuring Christopher McDougall.

"All writing is re-writing, all reporting is re-reporting," says Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run, Natural Born Heroes, and Running with Sherman. Thanks to Bay Path University and Riverteeth for the support. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod !

Some wisdom from Henry Rollins.

"Somebody else's success doesn't limit your own," says AC Shilton, a freelance journalist and farmer. Thanks to Bay Path University for the support and Riverteeth for the promotional support.  Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod . 

A CNFin' snack. Creating without Judgement with Chase Jarvis, author of Creative Calling.

"Essays took on this energy for me in part because they're unofficial and in part because they brought me in contact with the world that felt really generative," says Leslie Jamison. Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison is the occasion. It is published by Little, Brown. Leslie is the bestselling author of The Empathy Exams and The Recovering. We dig into a lot of great stuff about her pr...

Chase Jarvis is here to talk about his incredible book Creative Calling.  Chase is a world-class photographer, CEO and founder of Creative Live, and a riser of tides.  I hope you enjoy this conversation. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod . If you dig the show, share it with a friend. Thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay...

"My writing life is being surrounded by 15 half-empty coffee cups which I keep dipping my paint brush into accidentally," says Rachel Dougherty. Rachel Dougherty is a Philadelphia-based illustrator, children's author, and lifelong knowledge-hunter.  She works in acrylic paint, ink, and pencil smudges, using humor and color to inspire curious young minds. Rachel is passionate about US history,...

"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," says Steven Hyden, rock critic for Uproxx and the host and producer of Break Stuff. We talk about him always wanting to be a rock critic, how he still has passion for music, and his incredible podcast on Woodstock '99 titled Break Stuff. Support for this podcast comes from Goucher Coll...

Kate Hopper, author of the essay "Stumbling into Joy," stopped by the show to talk about this essay and how she approaches the work. Keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and Instagram @cnfpod. I hope you find what I made for you is worth sharing. Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction , Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction , and River Teeth for the support. Head over to brenda...

Steven Kurutz, features writer for The New York Times and author of Like a Rolling Stone , stopped by CNFPod HQ to talk about libraries, getting to New York, and his incredible True Story essay "Fruitland." Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to you podcasts and keep the conversation going on Twitter @CNFPod and on Instagram @cnfpod. Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction , Bay Path Universit...

"I like to joke that this is my investment in literary citizenship," says Donna Talarico ( @donnatalarico ). Hey, CNFers, Donna Talarico makes her return to the show after two years to promote this year's Hippocamp, a creative nonfiction conference.  This is a shorter-than-normal interview, but it's got the goods nevertheless. Subscribe to the show if you haven't already and consider leaving...

"A great story for me is one that engages me emotionally. It's like a love affair," says Fred Waitzkin, author of several books, including his latest Deep Water Blues.  Fred Waitzkin comes by the show to talk about his love of writing, how he developed his knack for story, how his parents influenced him, and how breaking into other disciplines cracked the code of his latest book. Support for...

"Let me be your sounding board for how the piece should come together," says Seyward Darby. Seyward Darby is the executive editor of The Atavist Magazine. She's also a writer and a brilliant mind.  Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonficiton and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for supporting the show. Twitter: @CNFPod. Instagram: @cnfpod Subscribe and share widely, CNFers!

"This is not something that comes over night. It's a long, arduous road," says Mark Kram Jr. Mark Kram Jr. is on the show to talk about his incredible career and his latest book Smokin' Joe.  We talk about how he was a late bloomer and through hard work, long work, he grew into his own skin as a writer. This show is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University...

"I spend the most time on making my writing more clear and straightforward," says Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman).  Hey, CNFers, Chuck Klosterman, author of eleven books, including his latest Raised in Captivity: Fictional Nonfiction , joined me for a nice conversation about how books can be anything you want them to be and how he structures his day so he can get the work done. Keep the conve...

"Talent is not enough. You have to have luck. You have to have drive," says Allie Rowbottom ( @allierowbottom ) Allie Rowbottom, author of Jell-O Girls: A Family History is on the show to talk shop. She grew with an artist mother who empowered her to pursue her own art.  Keep the conversation alive on Twitter @CNFPod or Instagram @cnfpod . Subscribe to the show and consider leaving a kind rev...