First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing with Ben Fountain

Rasputin Swims the Potomac is a biting satire of American politics and a searingly intelligent novel about the cruel absurdities of contemporary life, centering on a world champion professional wrestler with presidential ambitions. Ben Fountain is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction including the award winning Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which won the National Book Critic’ Circle Award for Fiction. Some of his other work include Brief Encounters with Che Guevera, Beautiful Country Burn Again, and Devil Makes Three. First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing is a literary podcast produced and hosted by Mitzi Rapkin. Each week the podcast features an in-depth interview with a fiction, non-fiction, essay, or poetry writer. The show is equal parts investigation into the craft of writing and conversation about the topics of an author’s work.