SELECT MEDIA & EVENTS
Substack Live with Michael Estrin: Sept. 25, 2025
The inimitable Michael Estrin and I went Live on Substack and discussed the dismal state of American capitalism, the corrosive effect of money on culture and politics, and the surprising amount of heart displayed by the characters in Leverage.
Watch the video replay by clicking HERE.
Books & Boba Podcast: Sept. 15, 2025
I had a wonderful conversation with Marvin Yueh and Reera Yoo on their excellent podcast Books & Boba, which highlights stories by authors of Asian descent. We talked about the ugly sides of capitalism, being an "other" in White dominated-institutions, satirizing the increasingly ridiculous grotesqueries of the real world, and more.
Listen via: Apple Podcasts || Spotify.
The Writing Table with Kris Clink Podcast: Sept. 8, 2025
The delightful Kris Clink had me on her excellent literary podcast, The Writing Table. We talked about Leverage, how to write with confidence, the joys of taking risks on the page, and the privilege of working with my kickass literary agent, Christopher Schelling.
Listen via: Apple Podcasts || Spotify.
Bouchercon 2025: Sept. 3-7, 2025
I made my first ever appearance at the legendary mystery, suspense, and thriller writing convention Bouchercon, which took place in the great and sweaty city of New Orleans.
Authors Answer Q&A: Aug. 26, 2025
For Elizabeth Rynecki's wonderful Authors Answer series, I talked about my love of classic films and how they've influenced my own writing, why Watchmen is my favorite graphic novel, when I decide to throw in the towel on a book, and more.
Read the full interview HERE.
Encantada Craft Essay: Aug. 22, 2025
For the brilliant and prolific Cynthia Pelayo's craft series, I wrote a short essay offering my best piece of writerly advice: keep things moving.
Read the pithy piece HERE.
Thriller Thursday Q&A: Aug. 21, 2025
The bestselling thriller author Greg Wands dove deep on the topics and themes in Leverage, including why I chose to write about America's economic and political climate, how I approach character development, the influence hip hop music has had on my writing style, and how I bring confidence and self-assuredness to the page.
Read the excellent interview HERE.
Discover the Flow Podcast: Aug. 20, 2025
I had a fun, fast-paced, and wide-ranging discussion with former pro wrestlers Kip Stevens and Tristin Hayze, the co-hosts of the always interesting podcast Discover the Flow. We discussed my inspiration for writing Leverage, the perverse incentive to cheat on Wall Street, the alarming prevalence of crypto-based financial scams, and my path to traditional publication.
Listen via: Spotify || YouTube.
LEVERAGE Launch Party: Aug. 19, 2025
The Book Cellar, a wonderful independent bookstore in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood, graciously hosted my Leverage launch party on Tuesday, August 19!
About the Authors TV Interview: Aug. 19, 2025
I had fun and free-flowing conversation with Jake Brown for his burgeoning interview series, About the Authors TV. We discussed the challenges of navigating the world as an "other," why these days nothing is too outlandish to be believable, why great stories are always about great characters, and more.
Watch the highlights on YouTube. Full episode coming soon!
Everything is Horrible Interview: Aug. 19, 2025
I spoke with the fearless independent journalist Noah Berlatsky about the genesis of Leverage, the myth of meritocracy, the perverse incentives plaguing the hedge fund industry, and why we might be heading for a lot more pain before we make a little progress.
Read the admittedly depressing interview HERE.
Process by Wil Dalton Q&A: Aug. 18, 2025
The charming and good-natured fiction writer and super dad Wil Dalton conducted a cheeky Q&A with me. This one's a lot of fun.
Read the ridiculous piece HERE.
Attention Economy Profile: Aug. 17, 2025
On her must-read publishing newsletter Attention Economy, the brilliant Leigh Stein chronicled my journey from mad scientist to Wall Street scumbag to wholly-dependent-on-his-wife-stay-at-home dad and traditionally published novelist.
Read the killer piece HERE.
Chicago Magazine Profile: Aug. 14, 2025
The delightful and amazingly talented Kathleen Rooney interviewed me to discuss my inspiration for writing Leverage, the predatory nature of neoliberalism, and how I made the jump from Wall Street to novel writing.
Read this banger of an interview HERE.
Accounts of Andrew Fleig Profile: Aug. 14, 2025
Following a fast-paced and free-flowing conversation concerning the process of creating meaningful art—and the concept of satire—writer and researcher Andrew Fleig distilled our discussion into a fascinating profile.
Read the piece HERE.
Keen On America Podcast: July 12, 2025
The provocative Andrew Keen invited me to talk about Leverage, the perverse incentives of Wall Street and Silicon Valley, and the brutal business of writing novels on his hard-hitting podcast.
Listen via: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || YouTube.
NonfictioNOW 2025: June 11, 2025
I participated on a literary panel which discussed the opportunities, challenges, and risks of monetizing a newsletter via the Substack platform.
Read an abridged version of the discussion HERE.
Chicago Writers Association: March 15, 2025
I discussed my traditional publishing journey with the Chicago Writers Association, from crafting Leverage to querying literary agents to the financial realities of Big Five publishing.
Read the conversation HERE.
The Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast: March 3, 2025
With just the right ratio of wonk to snark, I analyzed “Financial Systems in Fiction” with The Rabbit Hole of Research crew.
Listen via: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || YouTube.
Hot Sheet Publishing Panel: Sept. 25, 2024
Jane Friedman invited me to participate on a "state of the publishing industry" panel with several literary power brokers. I was the odd man out on multiple metrics, but the discussion proved very insightful.
Read the full transcript HERE.
Talk Fiction Podcast: April 28, 2024
Fiction writer and multimedia extraordinaire Meg Oolders and I discussed the craft and business of novel writing.
Listen via: Apple Podcasts || Spotify.
Jane Friedman Business Clinic: Nov. 17, 2023
The legendary Jane Friedman put my OG email newsletter through the wringer as we analyzed the much touted, and much overhyped, “1,000 true fans” business model.
Watch the discussion on YouTube.