Experimental Memoirs with Tom McAllister & Sebastian Matthews

Experimental Memoirs with Tom McAllister & Sebastian Matthews

From Fall for the Book Podcast by Fall for the Book

March 10, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

Sebastian Matthews and Tom McAllister discuss their unique approaches to memoir writing in this episode.

Sebastian Matthews and Tom McAllister discuss their experimental memoir structures in this episode of the Fall for the Book Podcast. In The Patient Body: A Personal Narrative in Pieces, Sebastian questions what it means to lead a balanced life as a husband, father, friend, and more through a mosaic of ‘flash’ pieces. McAllister’s It All Felt Impossible: 42 Years in 42 Essays delivers on the ambitious promise of the title. The essays, which all are 1,500 words or less, explores the profound and mundane moments that build a life.

People in this episode

Guests: Tom McAllister, Sebastian Matthews

Topics covered

  • experimental memoir
  • personal narrative
  • life balance
  • essays

Keywords

  • The Patient Body
  • It All Felt Impossible
  • flash pieces
  • life moments

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Patient Body, It All Felt Impossible

Books & works: Experimental Memoirs, The Patient Body: A Personal Narrative in Pieces, It All Felt Impossible: 42 Years in 42 Essays

More episodes of Fall for the Book Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Fall for the Book Podcast podcast page.