The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

"There's always gonna be people who are better than you and there's also people who're gonna be worse than you. That really can't be the reason you write or don't write," says Naomi Gordon-Loebl. Naomi Gordon-Loebl, a journalist and essayist comes on the show to talk about her work. Find her on Twitter @naomigordonloebl and visit her website at naomigordonloebl.com . Keep the conversation going on...

"I want to hear more of you in this. I want this weirder. Let loose," says Eric Ducker ( @ericducker ). Eric Ducker, freelance writer for The Ringer, among others, came on the show to talk about music, his time at Fader, and his Ringer piece on Jenny Odell (check out Ep. 151 for her). Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. Keep the conversa...

"I think that's why people stop writing. It's the not knowing what you're doing that feels so terrible." —Sonya Huber (@ sonyahuber ). Sonya Huber, author of five books and countless essays, joins me on the pod. Shoutout to our patrons in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction . Keep the conversation going on Twitter @ CNFPod or on Instagram @ cnfp...

"You can persevere and you can grind, but you have to get lucky at times," says T.D. Thornton, @thorntontd. T.D. Thornton, author of Not By a Long Shot and My Adventures with Your Money came by the show. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for sponsoring the show. Twitter: @CNFPod. Instagram: @cnfpod Subscribe where you get your pods!

"You gotta fall in love with your subject, and sometimes people have to pull you out," says Julian Smith (@juliansmith on Twitter). Julian is the co-author of Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West. It is published by William Morrow. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction...

"It's like wet jeans, that's the feeling of generating a bunch of crappy writing," says Amanda Petrusich, a staff writer for The New Yorker.  Amanda can be found @amandapetrusich on Twitter. She's the author of Don't Sell at Any Price  and she came by the show to talk about her career and early struggles. Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in...

"For a writer, ignorance and curiosity are a magical combination," says Philip Gerard. Philp Gerard, author of The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina and the novel Cape Fear Rising , returns to CNF to talk about his latest book. Philip is a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and has written several books. Visit philipgerard.com for more information. Keep...

"Find something else that is so absorbing to you. That is a place you can go to get away from [social media]," says Jenny Odell. Jenny Odell , author of How to Do Nothing , came by the show. Thanks to Goucher's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for the support. Be sure keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod .  Head over to brendanomeara.com...

"A good idea knows no experience level or age," says Ian Frisch, @IanFrisch on Twitter . Ian Frisch, author of Magic is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians. We dig deep into the book, as well his approach to freelancing. Thanks to our show's patrons in Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction .

"Part of me thinks nobody should write a memoir," says Anika Fajardo, @anikawrites . Anika Fajardo, author of Magical Realism for Nonbelievers , joined me for a nice conversation about her late-blooming journey through writing. She thinks writing is about community and connection and writers need to be submitting work. Be sure to keep the conversation going on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod ....

"I don't have destinations in mind. I always have experiences in mind," says the poet Jericho Brown. ( @jerichobrown ) Today I welcome the award-winning poet Jericho Brown to the show, whose latest collection of poems The Tradition  just released. It is published by Copper Canyon Press. We talk about his committment to phsyical fitness, experiences over destinations, his new collection of poe...

"The pleasure of reading a book is that it's reciprocal," says Meredith May ( @meredithmaysf) .  Meredith May, author of The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage, and a Girl Saved by Bees, stopped by the show.  The show is made possible by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction , Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction and my monthly newsletter ! Keep the conversation going on Twit...

"Maybe the world will aways be crazy, and creative work will always be hard. Then the question becomes: How do you keep going?" says Austin Kleon. This is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, producers, and podcasters about the art and craft of telling true stories. Austin Kleon is the author of Newspaper Blackout, Steal Like an Artist, Show Your W...

"At what point are you taxing the reader?" asks Scott Eden, "knowing when the reader has had enough." That’s Scott Eden , investigative reporter for ESPN the Magazine and THIS is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. Subscribe at iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher to get this delivered to your feed on every Friday. Follow me on Twitter @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod and follow the show on Insta...

"If I fail, I want to fail because of me. If we succeed, I want to succeed because of us," says Vlad Yudin. Vlad Yudin, director and filmmaker, stopped by the show to talk about his bodybuilding documentaries and why he left Russia to come to the United States. This episode is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction , Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction , and my monthly...

"I want to do right by these people. I want to tell a story that honors the stuff they did," says Blake J. Harris. Blake J. Harris, author of The History of the Future   and Console Wars came by the show to talk about his latest book on virtual reality, Oculus, and Facebook.  Thanks to Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction and Bay Path University's MFA in Creative Nonfiction for spons...

"You've gotta find new ways to have fun in old things," says Jeff Goins. It’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, producers, and filmmakers about the art and craft of telling true stories, how they got to where they are, how the cope with crippling self-doubt, and the routines they enlist to get the work done. I’m your host Brendan O’Meara and today’s episode...

"My system is, it's okay not to have a system," says Evan Ratliff, @ev_rat on Twitter. This week I spoke to Evan Ratliff, who puts the bad in badass. Yes, that means I put the ass in badass. Neither here nor there. Evan came on the show to talk about his career as a freelance journalist and, most recently, his epic new book titled The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal. It’s a book that c...

“If you’re gonna be a writer, you gotta sweat,” says James Carl Nelson. James Carl Nelson, author of The Polar Bear Expedition: The Heroes of America’s Forgotten Invasion of Russia, 1918-1919, came by the show. The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. It’s here we learn how they became the a...

"The freak-of-nature-tiger was actually a man-made disaster," says Dane Huckelbridge, @huckelbridge. You’re here because you love listening to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers talk about the art and craft of true stories. I try and unpack their journey and how they go about the work, so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podca...

"You build good habits but the terrain going forward should be unknown to you," says Connor Ratliff. Hey, What’s up there CNFers, today’s guest is none other than Connor Ratliff, actor, comedian, writer, and performer for the Upright Citizen’s Brigade: Hey, it’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling t...

"Clarity is a goal I want to be working toward. The more clear a piece of writing is, the more honest it feels," says three-time guest Bronwen Dickey (@BronwenDickey). Bronwen is the author of "Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon" and a kick-ass journalist, writer, and teacher. Little change of pace with this episode as it is just us talking shop for an hour. Keep the conversation going on...

J. Hope Stein, author of the book of poems "Little Astronaut", stopped by the show to talk about her wonderful writing and how she draws power from the sheer act of doing. Follow her on Twitter @poetrycrush and follow me and the show @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod!

"Don't worry if you go through a fallow period. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you," says Leanna James Blackwell. Leanna James Blackwell (@baypathmfaCNF) stopped by the show to talk about her True Story essay "Lethe," as well grabbing hold of ideas, dealing with fallow times, and finding community. This episode is brought to you by Goucher College's MFA in Nonfiction. Join me on Twit...

"I always felt this indescribable pull to create something I'm proud of. 'Look. I made this,'" says Harrison Scott Key. Harrison Scott Key came back to the show to talk about his amazing work. Since that day way back in 2013, Harrison has published his first memoir The World’s Largest Man about his father, which also won the Thurber Prize for the funniest book in the country. And his latest book,...