When writer Brandon Taylor was growing up in Alabama in the early 2000s, he didn’t quite fit in with the rest of his family or his classmates at school. And these days, he still prefers his own company. “I never feel more myself than when I am by myself feeling just like a little lonely,” he told Anna. “That is like my optimal state of being.”
But Brandon found community online in chat rooms, roleplaying communities, and on message boards for the books and TV shows he loved as a teenager, like the anime show Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, or the Harry Potter series. And as an adult, the Real Life and The Late Americans author is figuring out how to share his excitement of literature and popular culture on and offline, which doesn’t always resonate with people in real life. In this episode, Brandon tells Anna about managing money on his own, what he likes about being single, and his evolving relationship with the Internet.
"They Rely On Me": An Update From A USPS Mail Carrier
This Senator Saved My Love Life
What Keeps Wendell Pierce Up At Night
Rent Is Due Tomorrow
Books We Love: A Big Conversation About "Big Friendship"
How Bobby Berk Became A Boss
A Widow’s Guide To Grieving
Books We Love: Michael Arceneaux’s “I Don’t Want To Die Poor”
What Money Can't Solve
Skin Hunger: Part 2
Skin Hunger: Part 1
When Six Feet Isn't An Option
An Essential Worker, Going Back In
I Love You, But There's This Money Thing...
"This Has Been A Long Time Coming."
Financial Therapy: How Much Should I Help My Family?
What Do You Need To Say Right Now?
Financial Therapy: Why Did I Take That Risk?
Financial Therapy: What Is Our Savings For?
Financial Therapy: Meet Amanda Clayman
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Stuff You Should Know
On Being with Krista Tippett
TED Radio Hour
Planet Money
The Dinner Party Download