Nonfiction Episodes

Jess and I discuss Americanon, the way these thirteen books shaped culture, gender roles and beliefs in the U.S., evaluating American identity in terms of a different canon of books, looking into what books were owned in any given era, …

Philip and I discuss The Appalachian Trail, crafting the history of the trail from the perspective of the people who built it and how and why they did so, the difficulty of knitting together a very long and narrow space …

Ly and I discuss her new book House of Sticks, the extent to which her father’s PTSD shaped her childhood, immigrating to the United States through a humanitarian program when she was three, writing about her family, the multi-layered meaning …

Cate and I discuss her new book Mergers and Acquisitions, what she learned while writing for the wedding section of The New York Times, focusing on how people view commitment in today’s world, juxtaposing her own love story with the …

Ayanna and I discuss her new book Blackface, her desire to encourage honest and sustained conversations about race, understanding the history of performing blackness and connecting these performances from Shakespeare to minstrel into one long arc, the need for the …

Tovah and I discuss her new book Lilyville, her difficult relationship with her mother and their generational chasm, how she came up with the delightful format of the book, incorporating “Lilysisms” into her story, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro after her mother …

Julia and I discuss her new book Come Fly the World, how she discovered and decided to tell these women’s stories, approaching the issue of memory and recall with her interviews, the importance of stewardesses’ contributions to the feminist movement, …

Zibby and I discuss her anthology Moms Don’t Have Time To, the genesis of the essays, how she pulled this project together so quickly, which genre is Zibby’s personal favorite, how she reads so many books, and what surprised her …

Anna and I discuss her new book The Three Mothers, the importance of black women and their stories and contributions, how she chose these three mothers, the direct connection between these women and the work their sons pursued, how we …

Ty and I discuss his new book Robert E. Lee and Me, the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy and its creation and perpetuation, how telling his own personal story is more impactful than just sharing his views, …

Melissa discusses her book Single and Forced to Mingle, how her story went viral, creating the fun format she used in the book, why millennials are choosing to not have children, debunking the myth that there is one path that …

Joe discusses his new book American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey Through the Artisan Cheese World, how he became interested in artisanal cheese, the role of Whole Foods in the American cheese renaissance, the role of cheese influencers, and much more.

Jason discusses his book My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me, his wife Amy’s viral essay and his response, processing grief, advice for writing a memoir, attending Burning Man, and much more. My Wife Said You May Want …

Bridgett discusses her decision to honor her mother with a memoir, growing up in Detroit and participating in her mother’s business, writing the screenplay for The World According to Fannie Davis for Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B, and some …

Episode 5 – Eric Eyre has been a reporter at the Charleston Gazette-Mail since 1998. In 2017, his investigation into massive shipments of opioids to West Virginia’s southern coalfields was awarded a Pulitzer prize. He lives in Charleston, West Virginia, …