Episode 77: Elaine Castillo
The Thoughtful Bro
My electrifying interview with , author of , which the New Yorker called "one of the best books of the year." We discussed (1) the psychological hellscape of the content moderator, one of the worst jobs on earth; (2) the redemptive power of VR therapeutics, and (3) how the most interesting kinds of characters are often those who are certain they are right, but are absolutely wrong. Order Mark's novel . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 76: Jon Hickey
The Thoughtful Bro
My chat with Jon Hickey, author of the timely debut novel , a study of big egos, bad blood, and mudslinging reservation politics. We discussed: (1) the power of belonging, and how it drives power stuggles; (2) the sorrow of losing touch with your culture, and (3) the patient work of trying to make characters come alive on the page. Order Mark's novel . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 75: Jennifer Armentrout
The Thoughtful Bro
My interview with one of the queens of Romantasy, , discussing her latest in the bestselling Blood And Ash series. We discussed (1) The psychological underpinnings of popular tropes (The Chosen One, Enemies To Lovers); (2) What she'd fix about publishing (hire editors outside of New York!); and (3) How, exactly, to publish 70 books in under 15 years (Answer: work 12 hour days, seven days a week, and never feel like you've actually made it.) Order Mark's novel . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 74: Stephen Greenblatt
The Thoughtful Bro
My *utterly electric* convo with one of the great non-fiction writers and scholars of our time, Stephen Greenblatt. Stephen is the Pulitzer Prize winning/bestselling author of some of my favorite books EVER about literary history (including The Swerve), and he's out now with , about the troubled, complex genius of Shakespeare’s top rival, Chris Marlowe. We discussed (1) how Marlowe, the same age as the Bard, was a far more important writer than Shakespeare when he was stabbed to death at 29; (2) how Elizabethan London was a North Korea-like tinderbox of political repression and censorship;...
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Episode 73: Jon Raymond
The Thoughtful Bro
My chat with , a book that The New York Times assures "lives up to its epic title." We covered: (1) writing a story that unites the worldviews of his Buddhist father and Jewish mother; (2) drawing inspiration from Graham Greene's classic The End Of The Affair, and (3) how curing writer despair is often a matter of just re-investing yourself in the writer community. The karma is real. Order Mark's novel . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 72: Daniel Kraus
The Thoughtful Bro
My interview with bestselling Whalefall author Daniel Kraus, chatting about his new World War I novel (written entirely in one sentence!), Angel Down. We covered: (1) the Whalefall film adaptation, starring fellow actor (and writer), Josh Brolin; (2) His previous collabs with horror/fantasy legend Guillermo del Toro; and (3) why he never, ever, ever imitates himself, and how tackling new genres and styles is what gives spark to his work. Order Mark's novel . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 71: Bruce Holsinger
The Thoughtful Bro
My conversation with , author of the bestseller/Oprah pick , 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 . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 70: Stephen Graham Jones
The Thoughtful Bro
My interview with horror master Stephen Graham Jones discussing his latest, . 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 . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 69: Phil Melanson
The Thoughtful Bro
My interview with re his bestselling debut . 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 . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
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Episode 68: Brendan Slocumb
The Thoughtful Bro
My convo with re his latest thriller set in the world of classical music, . 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 . All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on . The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by and .
info_outlineMy 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.