Midwesterners like to celebrate commonality. It doesn’t matter if there are actual similarities or just those that are imagined. Michael Hainey and I never had to fabricate the connection or likeness. It was always apparent that we had much in common beyond the geography of where we grew up. His childhood in Chicago and midwestern roots are well documented in his brilliant book After Visiting Friends, which is one of the most beautiful stories you could ever read.

My time in New York is punctuated by the many great people that I met. Friends like Michael who inspire me to look better, be more creative and always stay humble. Currently Michael is the deputy editor at Air Mail (which I’ve been a subscriber of since week one) and a podcaster in his own right. Hope you enjoy our conversation!

One show note. This is the interview (subscription) with Bruce Springsteen Michael speaks about.

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Thanks to Al James for lending me his music. The song is: Hard Working Dogs by Dolorean.

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