Two Writers Slinging Yang
Anchor FM
Jeff Pearlman's weekly in-depth, no-holds-barred conversation with a writer on writing. Available here and on iTunes
Location:
United States
Genres:
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Networks:
Anchor FM
Description:
Jeff Pearlman's weekly in-depth, no-holds-barred conversation with a writer on writing. Available here and on iTunes
Language:
English
Website:
https://anchor.fm/jeff-pearlman9
Episodes
Mark Medina: Longtime NBA writer/reporter
11/18/2025
On the changing landscape of basketball media. On what life was like covering Kobe Bryant. On the highs and higher highs of USA Today. On whether there's a future for this industry.
Duration:00:56:32
Mike Levin: United States Congressman
11/11/2025
On how the decline of media has impacted political messaging and general news. On whether people should still have faith in America. On Speaker Mike Johnson and his steady diet of bullshit.
Duration:00:47:48
Jim Geschke: Former San Diego Padres spokesman and co-author of Tony Gwynn's autobiography
11/4/2025
On the wild, wacky, weird joy of working with the 1984 Padres. On how he was plucked to help write Tony Gwynn's autobiography. On the highs and lows of life in baseball.
Duration:00:54:38
Jim Lampley: Legendary sports announcer, author of, "It Happened!: A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television"
10/28/2025
On the highs and lows of watching boxers live and die in the ring. On lessons learned from television. On the craziest boxer he's covered. On the old USFL.
Duration:00:56:15
Michele Soulli: The world's greatest researcher/genealogist
10/21/2025
On how she managed to track down Brenda's baby—and Brenda. On whether Ancestry is reliable. On how technology impacts family digging.
Duration:00:52:56
Jeff Pearlman, author of "Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur"
10/14/2025
On why a sports writer would think himself worthy of chronicling Tupac Shakur. On the highs and lows and hardships of book reporting. On Tupac's amazing journey.
Duration:00:45:16
Seth Wickersham: ESPN senior writer and author of "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback"
10/7/2025
On whether the publication payoff is worth the grind of book reporting. On Warren Moon and Tom Brady and the dudes who throw balls very far. On deciding which superstars to cover.
Duration:00:51:02
Bill Madden: Veteran New York Daily News scribe and author of, "Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown: A Baseball Memoir "
9/30/2025
On what it was like to cover the Bronx Zoo Yankees of the 1970s. On Reggie and Billy and George. On what he learned from the legends of the business. On why baseball stopped being so fun.
Duration:00:57:15
Jane Leavy, New York Times best-selling author of, "Make Me Commissioner: I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It"
9/23/2025
On the pleasure/pain of the bookstore event. On why baseball seems so dull and listless; on meeting with the greats of the game; on living in book hell.
Duration:00:55:09
Dan Wetzel: ESPN.com writer
9/16/2025
On making the jump from Yahoo to ESPN after decades in one spot. On surviving as a top-shelf sports journalist in a hellish age. On the highs and lows and lows and highs of the gig. On early pizza-making days.
Duration:01:04:22
Lulu Kesin: Greenville News' South Carolina women's basketball and football beat writer
9/9/2025
On the similarities and differences between covering women's basketball and football at a major university. On life with Dawn Staley, and whether she would make a good NBA coach. On coming up in the modern era of adjusted journalistic dreams.
Duration:00:57:48
Tony Mandarich: Former NFL offensive lineman and TikTok superstar
9/2/2025
On how he made the transition from football to social media. On why he likes Donald Trump way, way, way more than I do. On whether it's OK to own past mistakes—and how to do so. On decency with those who disagree.
Duration:00:56:00
Elizabeth Merrill: ESPN senior writer
8/26/2025
On the details and doggedness of a lengthy look at the aftermath of the 1988 New Orleans Saints. On interviewing people after a tragedy. On life on the mid-2000s Kansas City Chiefs beat.
Duration:01:01:35
Emily Adams: Hartford Courant beat writer, Connecticut Sun and UConn women's basketball
8/19/2025
On the challenges and joys of covering the WNBA in 2025. On what it's like to cover a painfully bad team after always covering great ones. On the differences between Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma
Duration:01:01:25
Dick Friedman: Former Sports Illustrated senior editor
8/12/2025
On the daunting task of line editing some of the all-time great sports writers. On how to improve a piece and how to back off. On the glory days of magazines. On covering Harvard football as an alum.
Duration:00:58:53
Lizzy Wright: Co-Author, "Marinovich: Outside the Lines in Football, Art, and Addiction"
8/5/2025
On what prompted her to write a book with. former football phenom Todd Marinovich. On how to capture the voice of another person. On what she's learned about the intricacies of the game from being married to an NFL veteran.
Duration:00:53:28
Joseph Bien-Kahn: Senior editor, Esses Magazine
7/29/2025
On throwing himself into the world of motor sports without having a PhD in motor sports. On whether media can be saved—and how. On chatting up Laurence Fishburne when Laurence Fishburne has been chatted up to death. On whether this biz is worth it.
Duration:00:52:54
Julia Poe: Chicago Tribune Bulls and Sky beat writer
7/22/2025
On covering an NBA team vs. a WNBA team. On the phenomenon of Angel Reese and the joy of DeMar DeRozan. On whether she knew what she was talking about back in college. On whether writing can be taught, or is strictly natural.
Duration:00:48:57
Chris Hine: Minneapolis Star Tribune Wolves beat writer and Ant Edwards biographer
7/15/2025
On how one writes a biography on a young superstar entering his prime. On the wild boredom of Las Vegas summer league. On Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns. On working as an openly gay journalist in 2025 professional sports.
Duration:00:55:41
Shehan Jeyarajah: CBS Sports College Football Wrtiter
7/8/2025
On his spectacular 5,000-word deep dive into Texas Tech football and the power (and limitations) of NIL dough. On creating content in a confusing time for content creators. On whether the writing dream still lives. On a Sri Lankan dude covering college sports in the deep south.
Duration:00:56:11