On this episode of the Spark, I continue where we left off --- thesis statements with Rhiannon Giddens -- with her collaborator, writer John Jeremiah Sullivan. His truly brilliant essays have been in New York Times Magazine, GQ, Harper’s, and The Paris Review, where he is the Southern Editor. John is a voracious researcher, and spending time with his work is a lesson in how research benefits when it is as intensely personal as it is scrupulous. I imagine all historical rabbit holes must long for the compassionate imagination and deeply personal connection he brings his subjects, from reporting on Christian rock festivals to the best places to get stoned at Disneyland to Kentucky horses and beloved flawed heroes at the writing life. In this conversation we talk about courage, children and how clearly one can hear the intention to make work that isn't full of shit. Check it out.
Special thanks to John Jeremiah Sullivan, Carolina Performing Arts and to our producer, Charlie Shelton-Ormond and WUNC Public Radio.
The Spark | John Jeremiah Sullivan