Fail Better with David Duchovny John Seabrook’s Family Was the Vegetable Version of ‘Succession’
14 snips
Dec 9, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, John Seabrook, a veteran staff writer for The New Yorker and author of The Spinach King, unpacks the complexities of his family legacy in the industrial farming world. He reveals shocking revelations about generational power struggles and hidden family violence. Seabrook also discusses the art of blending personal memoir with narrative history while reflecting on his recovery journey and its impact on his writing. Dive into the fascinating intersection of privilege, betrayal, and the quest for redemption.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Know Your Writing Strength
- John Seabrook realized he lacked the fiction 'gene' because he couldn't trust invented truths while writing a novel for Joyce Carol Oates.
- That pushed him toward nonfiction and magazine journalism where descriptive truth suited him better.
Let Interviews Breathe
- When interviewing, prioritize spontaneous, unplanned moments over a rigid question script to capture real detail and flavor.
- Use silence and listen more, because unplanned remarks yield the best narrative scenes.
Record And Transcribe Interviews
- Use modern tech: record interviews on your phone and transcribe them to avoid note-taking interruptions and to capture true speech.
- Rely on transcripts to find surprising details you wouldn't have flagged live.
