
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with Christopher Brown, author of the brand new book, “A Natural History of Empty Lots,” as well as the science fiction novel, “Tropic of Kansas” and the legal thrillers “Rule of Capture” and “Failed State.”
- How there were “not a lot of huggers” in his family, and how that relates to his desire to get better at engaging emotionally in his writing, versus just telling a good story
- Using a regular newsletter to write your way into a longer work
- The challenge of weaving together different genres in one body of work–in his case, memoir, nature writing, and literary nonfiction
- The challenge in outlining what your book will be about in a book proposal and actually writing a book that matches that outline
- How the voice you’ve used in short form pieces doesn’t wholly translate to long-form (i.e., the medium is the message)
- When things you read 40 years ago pop up to influence your current work (i.e., another plug for reading widely)
- A common reality in modern publishing–your editor leaves in the middle of your book getting published, and how to navigate that
- Figuring out how to turn a narrative of colonization–something we’ve all been so exposed to its part of our collective subconscious fabric–into a narrative of decolonization
- The questions Christopher asks himself when he’s worried he’s not getting something exactly right
Visit Christopher at https://christopherbrown.com/ and sign up for his Field Notes newsletter at https://fieldnotes.christopherbrown.com/.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
By Kate Hanley4.8
104104 ratings
Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with Christopher Brown, author of the brand new book, “A Natural History of Empty Lots,” as well as the science fiction novel, “Tropic of Kansas” and the legal thrillers “Rule of Capture” and “Failed State.”
- How there were “not a lot of huggers” in his family, and how that relates to his desire to get better at engaging emotionally in his writing, versus just telling a good story
- Using a regular newsletter to write your way into a longer work
- The challenge of weaving together different genres in one body of work–in his case, memoir, nature writing, and literary nonfiction
- The challenge in outlining what your book will be about in a book proposal and actually writing a book that matches that outline
- How the voice you’ve used in short form pieces doesn’t wholly translate to long-form (i.e., the medium is the message)
- When things you read 40 years ago pop up to influence your current work (i.e., another plug for reading widely)
- A common reality in modern publishing–your editor leaves in the middle of your book getting published, and how to navigate that
- Figuring out how to turn a narrative of colonization–something we’ve all been so exposed to its part of our collective subconscious fabric–into a narrative of decolonization
- The questions Christopher asks himself when he’s worried he’s not getting something exactly right
Visit Christopher at https://christopherbrown.com/ and sign up for his Field Notes newsletter at https://fieldnotes.christopherbrown.com/.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21,998 Listeners

38,737 Listeners

39,007 Listeners

27,218 Listeners

3,873 Listeners

87,149 Listeners

112,489 Listeners

24,692 Listeners

5,123 Listeners

16,234 Listeners

3,080 Listeners

4,547 Listeners

2,205 Listeners