Creative Fitness with Writer (and my half-brother), Andre Dubus III

EPISODE NOTES

Fitness runs in my family, as does insomnia, anxiety and self punishment. I’m thrilled I was finally able to get my exceptionally talented, exceptionally busy half-brother scheduled for an interview. His ongoing relationship with his body and creative output was always part of my experience of what ‘working out’ meant. Instead of mirrored gyms and fancy lycra, fitness in my family was more often, self directed and self expressive… Andre gives us a beautiful, articulate story of his own experience of fitness. Both painful and liberating I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Caveat - Andre is from a different time both in the world of health and fitness and as an older white male who has experienced the worst of patriarchy as well as the privileges it has bestowed on him. There are moments in this interview where our values and opinions do not align for example I don’t think the fact that he and his wife are free of medication in their 60s is due solely to their healthy diet and exercise regime. I think they have access, education, genes and an untold amount of variables that have granted them the ease they are experiencing physically at their age. I also know that Andre would agree had I interrupted him at various moments. It is only due to my growth as an interviewer that I was not able to share that opinion. Please listen with that in mind.