fiction/non/fiction

S8 Ep. 5: Jess Walter on the Election


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In the lead-up to the presidential election, novelist Jess Walter returns to the show to revisit his previous comments about former president Donald Trump. Walter joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss Trump’s dangerous decisions and inflammatory rhetoric, as well as how reactions to him have changed since 2016. Walter talks about former Trump cronies who have abandoned the candidate and endorsed Kamala Harris, and reflects on the inaction that has made it possible for Trump, a felon, to run for the presidency once more. He hazards a prediction about the election results, and reads from his short story “Town and Country,” which appeared in his recent story collection Angel of Rome. 


To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/


This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.


Jess Walter

  • The Angel of Rome and Other Stories 
  • The Cold Millions
  • Beautiful Ruins

  • Others:

    • Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1 Episode 6: "All the President's Shakespeare: Jess Walter and Kiki Petrosino" 
    • Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 4 Episode 4: “Life After Trump: Jess Walter and Jerald Walker on the Aftermath of Election 2020”
    • Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 8 Episode 2: “Jeff Sharlet on ‘Sanewashing’ and Fascism”
    • Anderson Cooper interviews Kamala Harris | CNN | October 24, 2024
    • The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party by Michael Tackett
    • Liz Cheney
    • Lindsey Graham
    • Shark Tank
    • Hopium Chronicles by Simon Rosenberg
    • Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 7 Episode 50: “Thomas Frank on How the Harris-Walz Ticket Can Win Red State Voters” 
    • Veep
    • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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