The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

Author Melissa Chadburn talks writing and her incredible piece of work "The Readiness Assessment."

Kevin Wilson, president of Kevin Wilson Baseball, LLC and a former professional baseball player, tells us what #Goodbatting is all about.

Jen Miller is a freelance writer and wouldn't have it any other way. She talks about that and her most recent book "Running: A Love Story."

Chautauqua Americana published my essay, "That Pickoff Play", earlier this year. The editors nominated it for a Pushcart Prize. I read that essay for this milestone episode of #CNF.

Pete Croatto celebrates 10 years of freelancing by sharing what he's learned over that time.

Sarah Shotland, essayist and novelist, won Proximity Magazine's personal essay contest for her "On Visiting Prison Again" essay. We talk about that and much, much more.

Paul Lisicky stops by the podcast to talk about his memoir "The Narrow Door."

Meet Kevin Robbins, author of "Harvey Penick: The Life and Wisdom from the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf."

Elane Johnson won "Creative Nonfiction's" marriage essay contest. The title of the essay is "The Math of Marriage." It's distinctive and hilarious. Elane also teaches online courses in creative nonfiction. "Teaching for me is writing," she says. Go on with your bad selves and listen to Episode 25 of the #CNF Podcast!

Brin-Jonathan Butler's memoir "The Domino Diaries" is now out in paperback (go buy it). It's about his time in Cuba boxing with world champions, chasing Hemingway's ghost, and spending 10 years of his life in Castro's Cuba. Sound good? That's because it is. Enjoy!

Author Tom Stanton talks about his latest book "Terror in the City of Champions."

Jeff Krulik is a documentary film maker—the first on #CNF!—and he stops by the show to talk about his approach to work, the history behind "Heavy Metal Parking Lot," and being a freelancer for 20 years.

Author and journalist Bronwen Dickey stops by the podcast to talk about her new book "Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon."

Glenn Stout, author of the newly released "The Selling of the Babe: The Deal That Changed Baseball and Created a Legend," returns to the podcast to talk about the book, writing, and the transcendent nature of hitting a home run.

This episode was originally a three-parter from back in the day. It features Brian Mockenhaupt, author of the critically acclaimed By-Liner Original "The Living in the Dead." Enjoy the hell out of this throwback all mushed together into one episode.

Mary Pilon is the New York Times best-selling author of "The Monopolists" and a freelance "story person".

Brin-Jonathan Butler, a freelancer writer whose much-acclaimed work has appeared in SB Nation Longform, Esquire, ESPN the Magazine, and Harpers, stops by the podcast to talk about his approach to his beautiful writing.

Charles Bethea is an Atlanta-based writer-at-large whose work has appeared in Outside Magazine, Grantland, and The New Yorker. He has even hiked the Appalachian Trail. That should give you an idea of the intense focus this guy has. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, subscribe to brendanomeara.com, and share this with a friend! Thanks for listening!

Eva Holland is a freelance journalist who writes gripping narratives about the outdoors. Her piece "Unclimbable", written for SB Nation Longform, is getting a lot of attention and so too is she. Eva offers terrific insights into the life of a freelancer and how she got her start in this crazy biz.

My guest is Glenn Stout, series editor for the Best American Sports Writing anthology, longform editor at SB Nation, and author of several books including Young Woman and the Sea and Fenway 1912: The Birth of a Ballpark, A Championship Season and Fenway’s Remarkable First year. He talks about reading poetry in a baseball uniform outside Fenway Park while taking swigs from a two-liter bottle of blo...

Greg Hanlon is a crime editor at People Magazine and also a freelance sports writer. His piece "Sins of the Preacher" was anthologized in the Best American Sports Writing 2015 edition. His "The Many Crimes of Mel Hall" was a notable selection. That's called a hell of a run! In this conversation we hit up a lot nuts and bolts and also what Greg looks for in a story before he goes all in.

Sarah Einstein joins me to talk about her wonderful new book "Mot: a Memoir." Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a nice five-star review on iTunes!

Carrie Hagen is the author of "We is Got Him," a gripping narrative of the first ransom kidnapping in the United States. This book, her first, reads like a seasoned pro, like a writer in total command. I hope you enjoy this conversation and if the audio is a bit off, I apologize. It's always a challenge with my primitive equipment to make it sound like your other favorite podcasts. Bear with me, b...

Joe DePaulo is a freelance features writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, SB Nation Longform and The Boston Globe Magazine, just to name a few. In this conversation we talk about some of the work that we turn to for inspiration and guidance. We also delve into Joe’s life as a freelancer, how he balances the harsh realities of making a living and doing the work he loves. That’s shou...

John Scheinman won the Eclipse Award for feature writing in horse racing for his piece "Memories of a Masters" about the late Dickie Small. There's a bit of horse racing talk here so if you want to know John's sleeper pick for the Kentucky Derby this year stay tuned. About halfway through we really get into the weeds about reporting and some of the anxiety that comes with having to interview peopl...