“You have to live a life in order to tell stories," says Matthew Mercier on this week's episode of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. Hello, CNFers, I’m Brendan O’Meara and this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to the world’s best artists about creating works of nonfiction, leaders in the worlds of narrative journalism, memoir, essay, radio, and documentary film to tease out tactics and routines to inspire you and your work. I love it, baby, today we’ve got Matthew Mercier for Episode 69, who wrote a great essay in Creative Nonfiction about HIP, high-intensity practice, and we dig into that. We also talk a great deal about the power of spoken word performances as he has performed stories for The Moth. There’s a lot of great stuff we unpack, so I hope you’ll hang out with us. The reviews and ratings keep coming in and I just want to extend a heart-felt thank you. Please keep them coming. I’ve been leaving more and more on podcasts I love, even ones that quote-unquote don’t need the reviews because you can’t ask for them if you’re not willing to dole them out. What kind of monster do you think I am? Please share this episode with a friend, leave a review if you have 60 seconds, and head on over to brendanomeara.com for a toe-tappin’ good time. There’s a monthly newsletter there worth your time, I promise. Promotional support for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast is provided by Hippocampus Magazine. Now in its fifth year, Hippocampus publishes creative nonfiction essays and just completed its third annual conference, Hippocamp in lovely Lancaster, PA. Be sure to check out the website, hippocampusmagazine.com, for submission guidelines, but also to read the wonderful work being done. Hippocampus Magazine, memorable creative nonfiction. Feel good? Let’s do the show!