On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Aaron Burch interviews Jason McCall.

Jason McCall is the author of the essay collection Razed by TV Sets (Autofocus, 2024) and the poetry collections What Shot Did You Ever Take (co-written with Brian Oliu); A Man Ain’t Nothin’; Two-Face God; Mother, Less Child (co-winner of the 2013 Paper Nautilus Vella Chapbook Prize); Dear Hero, (winner of the 2012 Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize and co-winner of the 2013 Etchings Press Whirling Prize); I Can Explain; and Silver. He and P.J. Williams are the editors of It Was Written: Poetry Inspired by Hip-Hop. He holds an MFA from the University of Miami. He is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and he currently teaches at the University of North Alabama.

Aaron Burch is the author of the essay collection A Kind of In-Between and editor of How to Write a Novel: An Anthology of 20 Craft Essays About Writing, None of Which Ever Mention Writing, both from Autofocus Books. He's also the author of several other books, including the novel, Year of the Buffalo. He is currently the editor of Short Story, Long and the co-editor of WAS (Words & Sports) and HAD.

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Full conversation topics include:

-- a recent bout with cancer

-- the rhythm of art and community

-- the pleasures of teaching

-- realizing you can write about your cultural interests

-- getting into history and mythology and storytelling

-- getting into poetry after fiction

-- approaching writing as a fan

-- sports and pop culture

-- the new essay collection RAZED BY TV SETS

-- the contradictions of fandom

-- collective celebration

-- playing with your offhand

-- new work about John Henry

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Podcast theme music by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.

The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

Serious | Playful - with Caleb Parkin