DiscoverThe Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'MearaEpisode 472: Melissa Febos and the Art of Personal Exploration with 'The Dry Season'
Episode 472: Melissa Febos and the Art of Personal Exploration with 'The Dry Season'

Episode 472: Melissa Febos and the Art of Personal Exploration with 'The Dry Season'

Update: 2025-06-06
Share

Description

"I talked to my wife, and she was like, 'You're probably tired. You've been writing this book non stop for six months, and you probably just need a break. Like, go get a gelato and chill out.' And I was like, 'I can't,' then I was like, 'All right, fine, I will.' And then I  ate a bunch of ice cream and watched the Pam Anderson documentary on Netflix in the middle of the day. And after, I don't know, four or five days, I had an idea, and I was like, ready to get back to work," says Melissa Febos on Episode 472.

Melissa is the author of five books of nonfiction, including her latest, The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex (Knopf).

In this conversation, we talk about:

  • Writing in community
  • Literary stardom
  • Being a weirdo
  • Wile E. Coyote
  • The jealousy dragon
  • The theory of bottoms
  • And the liberation of quitting things

Really rich stuff. You can learn more about Melissa at melissafebos.com and follow her on IG @melissafebos.

Order The Front Runner

Newsletter: Rage Against the Algorithm

Show notes: brendanomeara.com


Comments 
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Episode 472: Melissa Febos and the Art of Personal Exploration with 'The Dry Season'

Episode 472: Melissa Febos and the Art of Personal Exploration with 'The Dry Season'

Brendan O'Meara