I love it when people come on the show with deep curiosities about life and what it’s all about. Why? Because that depth of exploration shows up not just in the conversation, but also throughout their creative journey. And today’s episode with writer Tom Epperson is one of those moments. Tom shares countless tales from his life including his creative origin story when he learned he wanted to be a writer, deciding to leave Arkansas with a childhood friend for Hollywood determined to make it, resilience in the face of adversity, the importance of keeping good things alive in yourself when surrounded by evil, and how characters come alive in his mind. We also discuss his most recent book, Baby Hawk, a novel in verse.

• Tom Epperson
• Baby Hawk: A Novel in Verse by Tom Epperson
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
• AC/DC – Who Made Who (Official HD Video)
• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
• Schwab’s Pharmacy
• Billy Bob Thornton
• The Gilded Age (TV Series 2022–)
• A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled by Kevin Roose
• WarGames (1983)
• Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser
• Thích Nhất Hạnh
• Episode photo downloaded from Envato Elements: Brown or green by alesha_macarosha