BJ Barham and S.A. Cosby

“Talent means writing about characters in a good enough fashion that people think you’re writing about yourself.”—BJ Barham

“The mark of a genius is the writer’s ability to write about something that has no resonance in their own life.”—S.A. Cosby

I first interviewed BJ Barham of American Aquarium in November 2020, and we had so much fun we decided to do it again! This time we added a third: S.A. Cosby, author of one of our favorite books from 2020, BLACKTOP WASTELAND.

The New York Times called the book "a roaring, full-throttle thriller, crackling with tension and charm.” NPR says, "This is a gritty, violent story, which makes it a good crime tale, but what matters most here, what pushes Blacktop Wasteland into the realm of important novels, is the way it uses a fictional story to deliver truths and discuss history." And in April 2021, BLACKTOP WASTELAND won the LA Times 2020 Book Prize in the mystery/thriller category.

So read it.

This interview was two creative heavyweights talking about the writing process and books and music. As you’ll hear, their artistic endeavors intersect: Cosby talks about the impact that Bruce Springsteen and Tyler Childers have on his writing process, and Barham talks about writing a song inspired by the August Wilson play FENCES. And there's a great discussion here about the role of the narrator and how closely it needs to hew to the author's own story.

Watch and listen to our interview below!