This was a hugely revealing conversation with David Blum, who now works for Audible, but once wrote books.

We started off talking about David's early journalism career, including the famous 1985 New York Magazine article about the Brat Pack, a phrase he coined.

He then wrote the book Flash in the Pan which came out in 1992. It was about a New York restaurant, invested in by actor Matt Dillon. For 15 months David embedded himself at the restaurant as it was launched and slowly failed.

We talked about why the book didn't sell well, the impact on his career, the reaction of those he was writing about, and his career afterwards, including the book having a second life after being championed by Anthony Bourdain, who called the book "painfully hilarious".

We also talked about his techniques, how he got dialogue down, how he gained access not just at the restaurant but to the Brat Pack, and his use of raw material on the page.

You can buy Flash in the Pan here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/flash-in-the-pan-david-blum/3506245?ean=9781439193778

David recommended George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, which is here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/down-and-out-in-paris-and-london-george-orwell/4817584?ean=9780008442651

And finally, my books are here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/andrew-hankinson

Thanks for listening.