The Thoughtful Bro

My one-on-one with Courtney Maum, re her latest novel Alan Opts Out.

We covered: (1) The longing for the better aspects of the pandemic, when the whole world, for one brief moment, opted out, (2) her lifelong struggles with plot, and (3) the most important rule for a writer: don't be ruled by envy.

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 ESPN/The Ringer writer Jordan Ritter Conn about his new work of narrative non-fiction, American Men.

We covered: (1) How men cope with the gap between who they truly are and their ideal of masculinity, (2) what the manosphere tells men they need, versus what they *actually* need to lead fulfilling lives, and (3) how the most important thing men need to realize is that they can't do it alone.

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 talk with a true American Rambler, Isaac Fitzgerald, whose latest is about walking in the footsteps of folklore icon Johnny Appleseed.

We chatted re: (1) the tradition of literary quests in search of the spirit of America, (2) how the *real* America ain't what's on your screens, and (3) why the book publishing industry is not in the danger people say—books still make lots of money and *no one* wants their great literature written by AI.

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 Dr. Brennan Spiegel on his new book, Pull, about how to overthrow our oldest oppressor—gravity.

We discussed: (1) how your relationship with gravity impacts your health—both mind and body; (2) how becoming gravity-resilient is a goal we all should shoot for, and (3) tips for writing lucid, compelling non-fiction, and making complicated scientific issues easy for the lay reader to grasp. Bonus—a hidden talent for beatboxing may be revealed (!!!)

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 talk with National Book Award-nominee Andrew Krivak, discussing his latest novel, Mule Boy, a book that Publishers Weekly called "flawless."

We covered (1) the importance of wrestling with the old, hard, elemental questions through words; (2) the pride of 20th century coal miners, who loved their treacherous work; and (3) how Andrew learned to tell stories from his grandmother, the one who really made him into a writer.

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 probing discussion with Christopher Castellani re his brand-new literary/true crime novel Last Seen.

We discussed (1) the Smiley Face Murder Theory, (2) how understanding the motives of your narrator is the key to any story, and (3) the real reason why some writers give up, and some keep going.

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 chat with "overnight success" and One Story editor-in-chief Patrick Ryan, who published his debut novel for adults, Buckeye, at 60 years old, and it became the runaway hit of last year.

We discussed (1) how novels have the unique ability to present audiences with the grand sweep of time; (2) what was different about Buckeye from the six or seven novels he wrote before it that didn't get published; and (3) his long, twisty journey to literary stardom late in life, a tale full of gratitude and fortitude, one that gives nourishment and hope to any aspiring artist.

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 fab interview with the legendary Jenna Blum, who's written one of the most purely entertaining books I've read in ages, Murder Your Darlings.

I was there for the whole life cycle of this book, from the moment she thought of it, all the way to launch. We discussed: (1) making a mid-career genre pivot, (2) the keys to a good sex scene, and (3) what it means to be writing popcorn-munching, fun-forward fare in times of turmoil.

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 galvanizing 1:1 with one of the coolest writers out there, Ottessa Moshfegh.

We discussed: (1) what happens when an artist is open about their world-sized ambitions; (2) the connection between the artist and the "god" (for lack of a better word) of creativity; and (3) how to create the kind of art that Mick Jagger himself recommends: the kind that "achieves madness."

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 talk with Oscar-nominated director ("Sugarcane") and first time author Julian Brave NoiseCat, on his new memoir/"coyote story" We Survived The Night.

We discussed (1) a father son saga so improbable, it almost requires a higher power to explain it, (2) the haunting legacy of indigenous genocide at mission schools, and (3) the healing power of myth...in particular, how the oral tradition of the trickster coyote can bring reconciliation and understanding to the world.

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.