Ben Fountain: "We're Real Good At The Blur"

Today on The Gist, Mike Pesca delivers a bittersweet announcement. Then, acclaimed novelist and political chronicler Ben Fountain joins for the entire hour to discuss his sprawling, scathing new satirical novel, Rasputin Swims the Potomac. Fountain details his decision to render the fictional president’s identity as a literal redaction, the fascinating parallels between the manufactured reality of professional wrestling and the modern American electorate, and how the relentless firehose of sensory overload generated by our pocket technology forces a mass collective anxiety onto the human brain.

Produced by Corey Wara

Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig

Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com

For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠

For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/

For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/

Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/
X https://x.com/pescami
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist

To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠sales@amplitudemediapartners.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.