Steve Almond

This week we talk to Steve Almond about the good and bad in all of usSteve Almond spent seven years as a newspaper reporter in Texas and Florida before writing his first book, the story collection My Life in Heavy Metal. His books, Candyfreak, and Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life: A Book by and for the Fanatics Among Us were New York Times Bestsellers. His short fiction has been included in The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize anthologies, and his collection, God Bless America, won the Paterson Prize for Fiction. Almond writes commentary and journalism regularly for The New York Times Magazine and The Boston Globe. A former sports reporter and play-by-play man, his latst book is called Against Football: One Fan's Reluctant Manifesto.He is also the co host of the popular Dear Sugar podcast that he co-hosts with Cheryl Strayed.  Our Sponsor this Week is Athletic GreensClick here to get 50% off your first order!!  In This Interview Steve and I Discuss...The beginnings of the Dear Sugar columnBeing funny and poignant at the same timeWhat makes good writingHow to make an advice column goodThe culture of treating everything like a joke or with ironyKurt VonnegutLanguage, storytelling and humor as a way to fight of despairThe declining American cultureThe One You Feed parableThe two stories that we are constantly telling the worldHow the two wolves keep fighting all our livesThe flattening out of character in American discourseHow we all contain great and terrible qualitiesHow our culture makes a god out of convenienceFor more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.