The Thoughtful Bro

With National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson, on his debut novel for adults, Nicked.

We discussed: (1) the blurry boundary between YA/adult fiction, (2) the identity of his true intended audience, and (3) how great titles begin to tell the tale before you turn the first page. He also reads aloud the opening paragraph of the story, one of the finest in recent memory.

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.

With debut novelist Sara Shukla, on her satirical, absurdist and emotionally satisfying beach reach, Pink Whales.

We discussed (1) making sure you have a solid story beneath the humor; (2) figuring out the formula of comedy through trial and error, and (3) how she finally gave up on writing that Big Important Literary Novel, and started just having fun.

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.

With Derek Black, on their new memoir The Klansman's Son.

We discussed Derek's journey from being the child of the head of the KKK, to their renunciation of their white supremacist beliefs and becoming an anti-racist. In an America where the GOP presidential nominee is openly adopting planks of the white nationalist platform, Derek is sounding the alarm.

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.

With Garth Risk Hallberg discussing his second novel, and first in nine years, The Second Coming.

Topics included: (1) the unique benefits of writing *very* long books; (2) Tom Wolfe & the sprawling, all-inclusive NYC novel; and (3) how/how not to deal with sudden, massive literary fame.

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.

With bestselling author and A Mighty Blaze co-founder Caroline Leavitt. We discussed her 13th novel, Days of Wonder, then went deep on a subject we're both obsessed with: story structure.

We covered (1) the importance of presenting your book's main question in the first chapter, (2) the pros of workshopping your synopsis before writing, and (3) how Caroline says learning to structure "saved my life."

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.

With former FBI Director James Comey discussing his second novel, Westport.

We chatted re: (1) the truth/falsehood behind popular mystery genre tropes, (2) the importance of a reliable bad cop to any investigation, and (3) his prognosis on the Trump Trials.

Listen to Mark's first conversation with James Comey.

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.

With 5-Under-35 and Orange-Prize-winner Téa Obreht, discussing her third novel, The Morningside.

We chatted re: (1) the necessity of an urgent emotional connection to your work; (2) what can/can't be taught about writing; and (3) today's fraught political climate for artists.

Order Mark Cecil'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.

My convo with debut bestseller Doug Westerbeke, author of A Short Walk Through A Wide World, about which The New York Times says, "Imagine The Life of Pi, The Alchemist, and The Midnight Library rolled into one fantastical fable."

We covered (1) struggling to nail the ending, (2) writing the adult fairy tale, and (3) why sometimes "the best way to survive things is to not understand them."

Order Mark Cecil'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.

Who could possibly step into Mark Cecil's host shoes on The Thoughtful Bro on his pub day without skipping a beat and fire super intelligent and fun questions at him? A Mighty Blaze co-founder and best-selling author Jenna Blum, of course!

They discuss Mark's debut Bunyan and Henry; Or the Beautiful Destiny, now available wherever books are sold. Make sure you check out his book tour schedule and learn more about the novel.

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

With Boston literary citizen par excellence Hank Phillippi Ryan, discussing her latest suspense novel One Wrong Word.

Hank has won scores of awards as a TV journalist and novelist (including 37 Emmys), and I dug into her storytelling habits, methods and style, unpacking the mind of this master of economical prose, twisty plots and upbeat endings.

Order Mark Cecil'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.