My conversation with Bruce Holsinger, author of the bestseller/Oprah pick Culpability, in which a family is torn apart in the wake of a self-driving car accident.

We discussed, (1) the rampant feeling of fear and malaise related to the ongoing AI culture takeover, (2) writing zeitgeisty novels, and (3) how using chatbots instead of learning to read and write for yourself dangerously cuts one off from the traditions that have shaped human culture for millennia.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My interview with horror master Stephen Graham Jones discussing his latest, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

Our talk covered (1) re-inventing the vampire for the American West, (2) writing for the fans v. writing for the critics, and (3) the ancient and visceral attributes of the horror genre (and how snobs like T.S. Eliot look down on it).

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My interview with Phil Melanson re his bestselling debut Florenzer.

Topics included: (1) the secret/suppressed details of Leonardo da Vinci’s sex life, (2) the scandalous details surrounding the most expensive painting ever sold (Salvator Mundi), and (3) the mysterious/beguiling/restless nature of da Vinci's genius.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My convo with Brendan Slocumb re his latest thriller set in the world of classical music, The Dark Maestro.

We covered (1) how people can't really hide the art that needs to come out of them; (2) musical prodigies from underprivileged backgrounds (there's more of them out there than you think); and (3) how a personal health scare can make the creation of art even more urgent than before.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My 1:1 with novelist + novel-structure-master Dana Spiotta.

We discussed her latest novel, Wayward, as well as (1) midlife crises...the female version; (2) the risks of "challenging" the reader with innovative novel forms, and (3) her techniques for giving humane feedback.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My interview with David Baldacci discussing his career selling over 150 million books, his MasterClass on writing, and his latest novel, Stranger in Time.

We covered (1) the one skill he wishes he had, that some other writers do with ease, (2) how he is, in my estimation, the Tom Cruise of literature (you'll have to listen to the ep to find out how), and (3) the *one quality* that all his books have in common, and which explains the wild popularity of his stories.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My *everything* talk with Adam Ross, discussing his hit literary novel Playworld.

Along with *everything* (we covered a lot of ground) we also chatted about (1) Safetyism v. Adventure in raising kids today, (2) the origin and theory behind his beautifully warm opening paragraph, and (3) his love/hate relationship with being compared to that other writer of precocious New York City kids, J.D. Salinger.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My interview with NYPL Young Lion/5-Under-35 debut author Alexander Sammartino, on his novel Last Acts.

We discussed: (1) the search for transcendence and "leaving your body" via literature; (2) father & son stories; and (3) unchecked Samuel Beckett fandom.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My talk with National Book Award-winner Colum McCann, discussing his latest novel, Twist.

We explored, (1) the underwater garden hose-sized tubes that (rather vulnerably) carry all the world's information; (2) how writers ought to feel in the age of AI writing (hint: undaunted!); and (3) how the current age of political strife will likely generate powerful new art.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.

My fresh convo on with Ron Currie re his latest novel, the family crime saga, The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne.

We discussed: (1) creating existentialist heroes, (2) eats-nails-for-breakfast French Canadian female mobsters, and (3) how leading an authentic life as the highest virtue in a world of fading meaning.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm and Writer's Bone.