The Chills at Will Podcast

Episode 129 with Sam Quinones, Highly-Acclaimed Journalist, Storyteller, and Author of the Acclaimed Books Dreamland and The Least of Us, and True Tales from Another Mexico


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Episode 129 Notes and Links to Sam Quinones’ Work 
 
    On Episode 129 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Sam Quinones, and the two discuss, among other topics, growing up in a house that exalted reading, Sam’s freelance writing training, his time living and writing in México, his love of storytelling in its myriad forms, and his insights gleaned from his reporting for his amazing recent books on the opiate and meth and fentanyl epidemics. 
    Sam Quinones is a journalist, storyteller, former LA Times reporter, and author of three acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction, including The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, released in 2021, and his 2015 release, Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. 
Sam Quinones' Website
 
Buy Sam’s Books
 
Sam on C-SPAN BookTV’s In Depth
 
REVIEWS: The Least of Us in Christianity Today & Plough Quarterly
 
Sam on CBS Saturday Morning
 
 
At about 1:30, Sam discusses his upbringing as the son of two teachers, and how his parents fostered his love of reading
 
At about 4:20, Pete and Sam discuss The Godfather and its themes, in connection to Sam’s father having taught Shakespeare by making parallels between these seemingly-disparate works, as well as parallels between Appalachia and Sicily and México 
 
At about 9:15, Sam explains migration patterns from small Appalachian towns
 
At about 10:00, Sam talks about his high school years and early adulthood and how they were without formal journalism training but rich on experience and story ideas
 
At about 12:30, Sam recounts the tale of his first formal interview and its transformative power on him
 
At about 13:40, Sam gives background on his time covering the punk rock scene and how freelance writing connects to the punk rock ethos
 
At about 15:30, Sam discusses his time covering crime in Stockton, CA
 
At about 17:00, Sam talks about is ten-year stint in Mexico
 
At about 18:00, Sam references writers who have inspired him, including Calvin Trillin, Edna Buchanan, and Alma Guillermoprieto, and Elaine Shannon
 
At about 22:10, Sam and Pete talk about the community of writers, with people like Gustavo Arellano who aspire to, and concentrate on, “human stories”
 
At about 31:40, Pete highlights the greatness of True Tales from Another México and its diverse and interesting stories
 
At about 33:00, Sam gives background on the beginnings of the Mexican Drug War
 
At about 36:00, Sam talks about the “scariest moment of [his] life” in researching and dealing with the Mennonite drug traffickers of Mexico
 
At about 37:40, Sam traces the story of Chalino Sánchez that is featured in True Tales from Another México
 
At about 41:00, Sam draws parallels between the “punk rock” and “DIY” ethos that brought together music movements of the 70s/80s/90s
 
At about 42:40, Pete and Sam recount the themes and details of a few pieces from the collection 
 
At about 43:45, Sam expounds upon the incredible lasting power of the PRI and its connections to his writing
 
At about 45:45, Pete discusses some “rabbit holes” that Sam’s writing has led him down, and Sam expounds upon the story of the lynching in Hidalgo
 
At about 48:50, Sam connects the theme of “impunity” to Mexican immigrant stories, especially the impunity of political figures
 
At about 50:40, Pete talks about the theme of rural living and immigration/migration
 
At about 52:35, Sam uses “La Jaula de Oro” by Los Tigres del Norte as an example of a mindset regarding immigration flows from Mexico
 
At about 53:40, Pete gives his personal connection to some of the stories  regarding Michoacán 
 
At about 54:10, Tocumbo and La Michoacana are mentioned as a happy story of innovation, and Sam mentions a cool future book idea
 
At about 55:30, Sam talks about the seeds/genesis for Dreamland
 
At about 59:40, Sam talks about free market and its connection to the opioid epidemic, and how Dreamland became a book about “dee
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