Origin Stories

Over the past year, I’ve had the chance to talk with some of the most interesting creative minds working in film, television, podcasting, and journalism—and to discuss their inspirations, influences, and obsessions. Now, Origin Stories is moving to a new home as part of the Campside community on Substack. But don't worry: I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing: Origin Stories will still publish new content. And you’ll also find writing, interviews, and recommendations from Campside, plus new episodes and some old favorites from the archive. Hope you’ll come along.

To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Have a question, guest recommendation or just want to say hi? Email us at Originstories@campsidemedia.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Fragoso is the host of Talk Easy, the long-running interview podcast known for its intimate, deeply reported conversations with artists, activists, and public figures. Since launching the show in 2016, Fragoso has built a reputation for interviews that feel less like promotion and more like genuine exchanges, shaped by extensive research and a clear editorial point of view.

In this episode, he talks to Matthew about the differences between written and audio interviews, why podcast conversations can feel more revealing, and how trust is built with guests. He also reflects on what it takes to create an environment where people are willing to open up, and how his approach has evolved over time.

“I’m taping for the listener,” he says. “I’m thinking about someone in their car, at home, walking their dog and going, is this going to land?”

To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Have a question, guest recommendation, or just want to say hi? Email us at Originstories@campsidemedia.com

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caleb Gayle is a historian and journalist whose work bridges narrative nonfiction and the academy. A professor at Northeastern and a longtime magazine writer, he has built a reputation for excavating overlooked Black histories and rendering them with literary force.

In this episode, he talks to Matthew about Black Moses, his National Book Award–longlisted book about Edward McCabe — the 19th-century lawyer, newspaper publisher, and politician who envisioned Oklahoma as a Black-governed state. Gayle breaks down how he followed McCabe’s paper trail across archives with almost obsessive intensity, why he intentionally gets “lost” in research before finding the story, and how he learned to let narrative carry the theme. He also reflects on the discipline of structure and what it takes to make history feel urgent.

“Beautiful prose is the ball game for me,” he says. “The only thing I have in my arsenal is to render their story with some relative beauty.”

To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Have a question, guest recommendation or just want to say hi? Email us at Originstories@campsidemedia.com

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.