This week, I’ve got something a little different for you. While attempting to write the memoir, I sometimes found it difficult to draw out my memories of the past in the requisite detail. Some of the incidents that made it into the book I hadn’t thought about in decades. Some were so painful I would do my best to avoid thinking about them. But the book had to get written, and I realized I needed someone to talk to who would help me unspool my memories. So once a week, I would hop on a video call with my editor, Mark Sussman. Sometimes my creative director, Nikita Petrov would join. I would talk about my life, Mark would listen and ask questions, and we recorded the whole thing. The transcripts from those conversations comprised the raw material for the memoir.
As a result, I not only have the book but also around 60 hours of recorded conversations about my life. For the past couple months, Nikita has been combing through this archive, pulling out the most compelling material, cleaning up the audio, and assembling it into episodes. So today I’m presenting the first volume of what we’re calling “The Memoir Tapes.” These recordings give you a look into the writing process of the book and some material not found in Late Admissions. Think of them as a supplement to the book or freestanding episodes or mini-documentaries or whatever you like. However you choose to think of them, I think you’ll enjoy this peek into the process.
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0:00 Intro
2:50 “I got arrested driving a stolen car ...”
9:27 The Regal Auntie Eloise and the Bug-Eyed Uncle Moonie
23:17 “There was a lot of pain that the blood of Jesus was invoked to cover ...”
39:38 Winners & Losers
50:31 Words I Think of When Remembering My Mother
The Memoir Tapes Vol. 1: Stealing a Car, Aunt & Uncle, Church, Winners & Losers, Jekyll & Hyde