20K+1
We've got a great new podcast with Lance Richardson about Peter Matthiessen, thoughts on my 20000th day on earth and the odds of doubling that, a little art, & more!
The Virtual Memories Show News
A 2x/week email about a podcast about books & life
Podcastery
This week, I posted Episode 658 of my Virtual Memories Show, with Lance Richardson rejoins the show to celebrate his magnificent new biography, TRUE NATURE: The Pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen (Pantheon). We talk about his youthful introduction to Matthiessen via The Snow Leopard, how this project grew beyond his (& his publisher's) original concept, the health risks of following PM's trek through Nepal to the Crystal Monastery and the fleetingness of his time there, and which of PM's many hyphens he focuses on (novelist-naturalist-Zen roshi). We get into Matthiessen's journey into American Zen, the problematic nature of race and gender in PM's life and work, PM's fixation on Bigfoot and how that shifted to the notional, the Paris Review/CIA connection that everyone asks about, and how Matthiessen's widow came to trust Lance with the project. We also discuss his fave of Matthiessen‘s novels, the financial challenges of long-term writing projects (this one took eight years), getting over self-doubt and learning from his previous biography of Tommy Nutter, enjoying the research-hunt of biography more than the writing, what his literary upbringing in Australia was like, whether he came to like or despite Matthiessen, and more! (Plus, I monologue-ramble about my 20,000th day on earth and the pod-retirement of Marc Maron.) Give it a listen! And go read TRUE NATURE!
Last week, I posted Episode 657 with political cartoonist Tom Tomorrow (a.k.a. Dan Perkins) to focus on his new Kickstarter project, OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE (closing Oct. 30, 2025), collecting 5+ years of weekly This Modern World cartoons! We talked about how he keeps his sanity (well, tries to), what it was like to look back at the past half-decade week by week, and what it means to have a bookshelf of his strips (and not just pixels on a screen). We got into the importance of his Sparky’s List newsletter as the media landscape keeps withering away, his writing process and how the, um, of this administration compels him to build some flexibility each week, and the realization that he’s made a major body of work over the past four decades. We also discussed his major life changes since we last recorded, the good and bad of Being Very Online, what makes him a New Yorker, and the impossibly fraught question of what brings him joy. Give it a listen! And go support OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE!
Recent episodes: Kayla E • Hunter Prosper • M.L. Rio • David Leopold • Dmitry Samarov • Ask Me Anything • Dan Goldman
20K+1
Yesterday was my 20,000 day on earth, a timeframe I had never remotely contemplated until I saw the movie about Nick Cave’s 20,000th a couple of years ago. At which point I thought, “Huh: wonder when mine is,” and here we are, and 20K+1. I didn’t get to drive Kylie Minogue around, though.
I talked about the day during the outro of this week’s episode, interweaving that big round number with the finale of Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. I won’t repeat too much here, but I’ll note that it’s funny to reach a big number like this and realize that there’s almost zero chance that I’ll live to double that.
Doubling has become important in my life. If my white blood cell count doubles in a 6-month span, that’s the surest sign that I need to start getting treatment for my chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Friends send me reports of my doubles, surreptitious over-the-shoulder photos of someone they swore looked just like me. A double-take.
“I like to see peoples’ dreams accomplished by helping them move forward with their lives. . . . The correlation between mental health and physical wellness is strong, and having a ‘brain coach’ can really help patients face life’s many challenges and develop opportunities for growth.” So says Dr. Gil Roth, LCSW, LCSAC, in Madison, WI.
Between this arts-/podcast-self and my pharma-self, you could say I lead a double life, though I contend they barely add up to a single life.
But they do add up. I spent day 20K doing what I do — making a podcast, scrambling to catch up on work, going out for a 5K run, watching TV in the evening, walking the dog — but trying to do it all deliberately, with the awareness that this day is a miracle and I’ll never see it again.
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This email setup runs $29/month, podcast-hosting via LibSyn is $20/month, and the remote recording setup on Zencastr is $20/month, so if you want to help out with these expenses or otherwise Contribute To The Cause, you can support the Virtual Memories Show with a contribution of any size, one-time or recurring.
Instaxery
No new Instax this week, but I hope to record in person with someone this weekend and get a neat pic for you.
Artistry
Speaking of doubles, I did a quick sketch from a selfie last night, just to have something to show you.
You should go to the Flickr album of most of the art I’ve made & find something you like.
Postcardery
Let me know if you want to be on my postcard-a-day list. (Financial supporters of the podcast get a hand-drawn or painted postcard as a thank-you.)
Until Next Time
Thanks for reading this far. I’ll be back on Sunday with links, books, & workout-/meditation-craziness, and on Wednesday with a new episode, and maybe some more art & new Instaxes.
I am alone now / I am beyond recriminations / The curtains are shut / The furniture has gone,