How to begin: Susan Orlean on "The Orchid Thief"

Spark & Fire: Fuel Your Creativity

Jan 5 2021 • 45 mins

How do you move past that "wobbly moment" in your creative journey? Just move. From the moment she heard about it, Susan Orlean knew she had to tell the story of "The Orchid Thief" – a wild, true story of obsession set in the swamps of Florida. But somewhere deep in the telling, she risks losing her own footing. Spark & Fire follows Susan as she pursues the story that "set her brain on fire," pushing past a creative crisis to write the magazine article and then book that in turn inspired the film "Adaptation." She tells her story in her own incisive, honest and very funny words — with insider details you haven’t heard, and actionable advice for anyone at any stage of their creative journey.

Susan Orlean is a journalist and nonfiction writer who became a staff writer at the New Yorker in 1992. Her works of literary nonfiction include The Orchid Thief, The Library Book, and most recently, On Animals. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanorlean

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at http://sparkandfire.com/orchidthief/

Subscribe to the Spark & Fire weekly newsletter for images, stories and creative prompts: http://eepurl.com/hkmyMr

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You Might Like

The Moth
The Moth
The Moth
Spooked
Spooked
Snap Judgment
Snap Judgment
Snap Judgment
Snap Judgment and PRX
99% Invisible
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
Myths and Legends
Myths and Legends
Jason Weiser, Carissa Weiser, Nextpod
Selected Shorts
Selected Shorts
Symphony Space
The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
Adam Graham Radio Detective Podcasts
The Book Review
The Book Review
The New York Times
Fantasy Fangirls
Fantasy Fangirls
Fantasy Fangirls | QCODE
The Sporkful
The Sporkful
Dan Pashman
Free Audiobooks
Free Audiobooks
Appbly.com