Episode 535: Alex Ronan's Masterclass in the Depth of Reporting
About this episode
Alex Ronan discusses the depth of reporting and the impact of faith on medical decisions in his work.
"One of the things that Patrick Radden Keefe told me was, when I'm doing interviews, I'm always thinking about the anecdote that I will tell someone later at a bar, this is the thing I talk about. That's helpful because there's so much to work with even in one interview or one scene, and the those little gems that you pull out instinctively when you're talking to other people have value, and so I'm often thinking about that in terms of writing," says Alex Ronan, who wrote "The Extremist in the Family" for the Atavist Magazine. Today we welcome Alex Ronan who wrote The Extremist in the Family: The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor to save their lives? There's a note as well: This story contains descriptions of child abuse and death. It draws from testimony given by many of the named subjects and extensive court records. That sets the table, no? It reminded me of the Metallica song "The God That Failed." You should check it out. It's what happens when people who believe in divine healing reject medical treatment on…
More episodes of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara
- Episode 537: Pamela Colloff's Now-or-Never Moment with 'Catch the Devil'
- Episode 536: The Blood, Flesh, and Messiness of Human Existence with Matthew Wolfe
- Episode 534: Shoeleather Reporting and Exploring the Riddles of America with Wil Haygood
- Episode 533: Susan Orlean on Her 'Best' Rejection, Coming Up with Ideas, and Letting the Reporting Meander
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