The Thoughtful Bro

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 ...

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.

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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...

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 th...

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.

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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 Might...

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...

Unpacking storytelling with Callan Wink, who's out with a new novel, Beartooth.

Topics: (1) reinventing the heist novel, (2) life in the *real* Yellowstone (as opposed to Kevin Costner’s TV version) and (3) the pros and cons of living the writers’ life far from the Brooklyn literary/publishing scene.

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

My chat with Eric Puchner about his incredible Oprah's Book Club pick Dream State.

We discussed (1) writing the "good old fashioned" novel, (2) writing the "big little" emotional moment on which stories often turn, and (3) whether you should write as if everyone you know is dead.

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 b...

My interview with Presumed Innocent author Scott Turow, on his latest novel, Presumed Guilty.

Topics included, (1) The creative freedom that comes when authors realize they can't write like their heroes; (2) the advice Scott gave to Gillian Flynn, when she was on the rocket ship to literary fame, and (3) as a former President of the Authors Guild, his take on the threat AI poses to writers.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

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My conversation with The New Yorker fiction editor of 20+ years, Deborah Treisman.

Topics included: the "egoless" midwifery of editing; common traits among the famous writers she's known (obsessiveness and dedication are hallmarks); and anecdotes of the late David Foster Wallace.

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 b...

My discussion with one of the towering literary and spiritual writers of our time, translator Stephen Mitchell.

We dug into his insights and process in a career translating everything from the Tao Te Ching to The Iliad to The Bible to the Bhagavad Gita. I've read more of Mitchell's words than any other writer. In many ways I've been preparing my whole life for this interview. A meaningful one.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

A...

My interview with Einstein’s Dreams author Alan Lightman. His latest is The Miraculous From The Material, a beautiful book which pairs stunning nature photos with brief essays which explain the science behind everything from Saturn’s rings to soap bubbles.

Topics included (1) spirituality for the scientific-minded; (2) Alan’s most powerful and personal spiritual experience; and (3) how Salman Rushdie quietly and unexpectedly helped...

My chat with New York Times-bestselling “recovering productivity geek” Oliver Burkeman, on how to re-program your brain so you can live a life of meaning.

Topics included (1) finding self-worth outside of one’s productivity output; (2) helpful ways to think about huge issues one can’t control (elections, global warming); and (3) how (oddly) admitting that it’s impossible to change is often the moment when real change begins.

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With one of my oldest publishing friends, YA author Joe Moldover, discussing his latest novel Just Until.

We unpacked: (1) writing about trauma, (2) whether you can really save another person, and (3), our most colorful insights re the publishing industry from a couple of young fellas just gettin in the game.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thought...

My glorious conversation with 2-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward, discussing her latest novel, Let Us Descend.

Topics included: (1) gaining hope and strength by remembering what others have borne; (2) making invisible history visible; and (3) finding authorial authenticity through concrete specifics.

Order Mark's novel Bunyan and Henry.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoug...

With Alison Espach, author of the instant bestseller The Wedding People. 

We discussed (1) her long, unpredictable process of writing her hilarious, absurdist mega-hit, (2) how writing a great book is often about letting characters just be honest and forcing them “stay in the room,” and (3) truly the *best piece of writing advice* I’ve heard in a minute, which instantly helped me improve my own work in progress. You have to listen ...