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October 5, 2025 edition
Novelist and screenwriter Bruce Wagner returns to discuss his exceptionally timely new novel Amputation—a strange, exuberant, and ultra meta work set against a topic I’ve talked about a lot this year, the January LA wildfires. Bruce, an L.A. native and prominent literary figure in the city, explains how the book came together in less than two months, why he resists “political novels” even when writing inside a political moment, and how language (not legacy) keeps him making art.
We also talk about real-life figures who appear as characters (Stephen Colbert, Mayor Karen Bass, Debra Winger, and a Timothée Chalamet student double, among others), the surrealism of driving through miles of leveled neighborhoods, and the deranged comic-tragic chorus of the Nextdoor app. Bruce also reflects on being an L.A. “outsider who outsided his way inside,” why the book is opera, not noir, and what it means to keep walking the “narrow, burning road to the palace.”
About Bruce Wagner
Bruce Wagner is the author of fifteen novels, including the “cell phone” trilogy, The Marvel Universe, The Met Gala and Tales of Saints and Seekers, Roar: American Master, and now Amputation. A longtime Hollywood insider/outsider, he has written for film and television and is currently published by Arcade.
My January 2021 interview with Bruce Wagner
When Your Publisher Calls You Problematic: Bruce Wagner Goes Rogue By Going Public
Bruce Wagner, a successful Hollywood screenwriter and the author of twelve novels, has been a beloved literary figure for decades, especially in his home city of Los Angeles. His most recent novel, The Marvel Universe, was enthusiastically acquired by a small press until, he says, the publisher objected to certain "problematic" language, specifically th…
A few solo episodes about the L.A. wildfires. Find them all here.
Special Episode: Letter From the Los Angeles Fires
Some thoughts about the city, the fires, and how to even begin to think about this.
Los Angeles Fires: The Immaterial World
A week ago, my house burned to the ground in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, CA. On January 9, I shared some initial thoughts. Here’s some of what’s been on my mind since then.The Unspeakable with Meghan Daum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subs…
Housekeeping
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