Road trips, cannibalism, and coming to terms with the stories we tell—this week on the pod, I welcome journalist and author E.A. Hanks to talk about her memoir The 10, a powerful deep dive into family, loss, and the messy contradictions of America. We covered everything from growing up with famous parents (yes, those Hanks) to the truths she uncovered while driving the full stretch of Interstate 10. E.A. opens up about writing through trauma, confronting history, and what she found at the intersection of identity, immigration, and myth-making. Spoiler: there’s World War I, evangelical poetry, and a gas station tiger. Obviously.

We also talked about the writing process, creative burnout, and how making something real often takes a village. If you’re into memoirs that mix personal storytelling with sharp cultural critique, if you’ve ever lost a parent too young, or if you’ve ever wondered what America looks like when you actually go see it—this one’s for you. The 10 asks big questions about memory, meaning, and what we inherit, and EA was just as thoughtful, funny, and oddly specific as you’d hope.

Follow E.A. Hanks on Instagram: @EAHanks

Learn more about Hardcore History's Blueprint for Armageddon: Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Book recommendation: This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust (on Civil War and grief)

Book recommendation: Motherless Daughters by Hope Edelman

Podcast: You Must Remember This (for the Manson series mentioned)

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Tickets for Boston Live Shows: Laugh Boston June 25 | City Winery June 26

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Episodes

E.A. Hanks on The 10, Grief, and What Americans Get Wrong About America