Cover art for podcast Longform

Longform

635 EpisodesProduced by LongformWebsite

Interviews with writers, journalists, filmmakers, and podcasters about how they do their work. Hosted by Aaron Lammer, Max Linsky, and Evan Ratliff.

54:19

Episode 288: Tom Bissell

Tom Bissell is a journalist, critic, video game writer, and author of The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made. His latest book is Magic Hours. “I kind of have come around to maybe not as monkish or fanatical devotion to sentence idolatry as I was when I was a younger writer, earlier in my career. I think I’m coming around to a place where a lot of middle-aged writers get to, which is: I tried to rewire and change the world with the beauty of language alone—it didn’t work. Now how about I try to write stuff that’s true, or that’s not determined to show people I am a Great Writer. Like a lot of young writers, you’re driven by that. Then at a certain point you realize A) you’re not going to be the Great Writer you wanted to be, and B) the determination of that is completely beyond your power to control, so best that you just write as best you can and as honestly as you can, and everything else just sort of becomes gravy.” Thanks to MailChimp and Tripping.com for sponsoring this week's episode. Bissell on Longform [00:50] The Father of All Things: A Marine, His Son, and the Legacy of Vietnam (Pantheon • 2007) [01:25] "Cinema Crudité" (Harper’s Magazine • Aug 2010) [01:40] The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made (Simon & Schuster • 2013) [02:40] "Loch Ness Memoir" (VQR • March 2007) [03:15] " Video Games: The Addiction " (The Guardian • March 2010) [04:25] Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia (Pantheon • 2016) [05:25] Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter (Vintage • 2011) [21:55] "Escanaba’s Magic Hour" (Harper’s Magazine • Sep 2000) [22:50] Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia (Pantheon • 2003) [23:45] "Euphorias of Perrier: The Case Against Robert D. Kaplan" (VQR • June 2006) [42:40] "How to Get Rich Playing Video Games Online" (Taylor Clark • The New Yorker • Nov 2017) [52:15] Magic Hours (Vintage • 2018)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Educational emoji reaction

Educational

Interesting emoji reaction

Interesting

Funny emoji reaction

Funny

Agree emoji reaction

Agree

Love emoji reaction

Love

Wow emoji reaction

Wow

Are you the creator of this podcast?

Verify your account

and pick the featured episodes for your show.

Listen to Longform

RadioPublic

A free podcast app for iPhone and Android

  • User-created playlists and collections
  • Download episodes while on WiFi to listen without using mobile data
  • Stream podcast episodes without waiting for a download
  • Queue episodes to create a personal continuous playlist
RadioPublic on iOS and Android
Or by RSS
RSS feed
https://feeds.megaphone.fm/VMP6079657536

Connect with listeners

Podcasters use the RadioPublic listener relationship platform to build lasting connections with fans

Yes, let's begin connecting
Browser window

Find new listeners

  • A dedicated website for your podcast
  • Web embed players designed to convert visitors to listeners in the RadioPublic apps for iPhone and Android
Clicking mouse cursor

Understand your audience

  • Capture listener activity with affinity scores
  • Measure your promotional campaigns and integrate with Google and Facebook analytics
Graph of increasing value

Engage your fanbase

  • Deliver timely Calls To Action, including email acquistion for your mailing list
  • Share exactly the right moment in an episode via text, email, and social media
Icon of cellphone with money

Make money

  • Tip and transfer funds directly to podcastsers
  • Earn money for qualified plays in the RadioPublic apps with Paid Listens