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In this week's episode, the legendary Bruce Wagner joins us to discuss his new novel Amputation, inspired by the 2025 Los Angeles fires. The conversation moves from the book’s genesis in anger at bureaucratic incompetence to Wagner’s reflections on art, rage, and the sacred. We discuss how indignation can be transformed into creative energy without devolving into polemic, his long-standing use of real public figures in fiction, and his resistance to censorship and “cultural bureaucrats.” The discussion broadens into questions of artistic integrity, nihilism, and compassion; the corrosion of civic responsibility; and how modern fame, selfhood, and delusion intertwine. We also meditate on impermanence, artificial intelligence, and the dissolution of self in art, positioning AI as both a creative threat and a spiritual mirror. And much more. Join us for one of our favorite episodes ever!

Buy Amputation here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1648211615?&tag=skyhorsepub-20

Music:

Because We Built It, John Maus

He Stopped Loving Her Today, George Jones

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