Two Writers Slinging Yang

On sitting across from Oprah and asking great questions; on whether celebrity can be intimidating; on how to convince people to open up during chats; on whether publicists are friends or foes.

On the enormous difference between Magic Johnson saying, "It does" and "It do"; on how to make a scene soar without overwriting and relying too much on dialogue; on sharing the credit for a project with dozens of collaborators. 

On the weird landscape that is Hollywood; on writing dialogue for characters based upon real people; on the art of the ideal comic book; on serving as a "Green Mile" standi-n. 

On what happens when someone says, "We wanna turn your book into an HBO series"; on our magical day on set and the difficulties of Sidney Moncrief's name; on meeting Sally Field and watching your work come to life

On what it's like to have a show coming out on HBO in two weeks; on the steps Jim took to option my book, "Showtime," and why he brought a block of chocolate, a tomato and imitation wine drink to my house; on life insider the writers' room.

On what it's like having (my pathetic, podunk home turf) work to ban her book from school libraries; on why people feel so threatened by words on a page; on whether it's limiting to write for a younger audience.

On locking himself in a cabin, living off of noodles and energy drinks while writing 8,000 words per day; on embracing the unique joy of shitty Amazon reviews; on why Urban Meyer is the world's biggest douche.

On chronicling the early days of a basketball icon; on the complications of writing about someone who recently passed; on whether the modern newspaper sports columnist still matters; on being called out via Zoom by a Philadelphia Flyer standout.

On jumping on to a new beat midway through a high-profile coaching search; on going from Iowa to Louisiana; on why one would pursue journalism over medicine.