John McPhee is widely regarded as America’s most prolific nonfiction author. Over a career spanning seven decades, McPhee has written more than thirty books, elucidating everything from shipping and boatbuilding to geology, engineering, and aviation. 

On this episode, McPhee joins contributing writer Anthony Domestico to discuss his latest book, Tabula Rasa, Vol. I, a series of short vignettes about “desk drawer projects”—pieces that McPhee started, but never finished. 

McPhee stresses that when it comes to good writing, authorial ego must be put aside. Instead, it’s the work—the writing process and the humble attention to the subject—that matters. 

For further reading: 

• Dominic Preziosi on whether parking explains the world
• Morten Høi Jensen on the writing life of Martin Amis 
• The latest from Anthony Domestico’s books column, on John McPhee