The Thoughtful Bro

My interview with Chad Harbach discussing his latest, The Brightness. Chad and I discussed (1) the pressures and uncertainties for a writer who takes a decade or more between books; (2) how the lit journal landscape has changed since founding n+1 over 20 years ago, and (3) the influence of the grand 19th century novel on his own work. 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 rising horror phenom Keith Rosson about his latest book, which is getting all the buzz, Crone. We covered (1) taking on zombies, vampires, and now witches; (2) finding the right moment in your life, to *finally* write that book that's been buried in you for decades; and (3) weaving tender genuine father-daughter emotion into what otherwise is a horror hellscape. 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 one of my favorite speculative/horror authors, Alma Katsu, whose latest book, Incarnate, is a cross between Rumpelstiltskin, Oscar Wilde's Picture Of Dorian Gray, and digital urban legend. We discussed, (1) the rapidly growing online contemporary folklore / horror scene, a.k.a. "creepy-pastas," (2) how AI won't ever replace real art, and (3) why the golden age of horror storytelling is NOW. 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 exploration of the American publishing landscape with one of our great book critics, Ron Charles. We discussed (1) the cardinal sin of novels—sentimentality, (2) whether readers will soon care if their books are mass-produced AI slop rather than the expression of flesh-and-blood humans; and (3) how Toni Morrison gave him the most astonishing reading experience of his 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 and Writer's Bone.

My chat with Scottish literary punk icon Irvine Welsh, who came on to discuss his sequel to Trainspotting, Men In Love. We covered, (1) the impact of his iconic, generational film thirty years later, (2) how AI is trying to make us all redundant, and how creative expression is how to strike back, and (3) why you don't have to choose between your hooligan and artsy sides of your personality. Just be both. 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.