In this final installment of my interview with Christopher Brown, author of “A Natural History of Empty Lots”--a blend of nature writing, memoir and literary nonfiction that's also a manifesto for rewilding our cities and ourselves–we talk about what’s getting his creative ears perked up these days, where his throughline is leading him next, and his answers to my final fast five questions.
We covered:
- The full moon he saw hovering just over a McDonald’s glowing arches that reminded him of nature’s cosmic majesty amid the banality of everyday life
- A string of great book recommendations, including the so called ‘anti-memoir’ he read last year that is giving him ideas about how write without following any rules
- Figuring out what comes after you’ve made a big creative pivot
- The habit he gave up in order to have more time to write
- The California stoner rock band he listens to when he’s “trying to get going” and the Bach song he’s learning to play on guitar that helps him get centered
- The time of day and year that offers him “maximum tranquility”
Visit Christopher at https://christopherbrown.com/ and sign up for his Field Notes newsletter at https://fieldnotes.christopherbrown.com/.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
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Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley