How to Captivate Someone on a Gut Level: Renowned "Fight Club" Author Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk is the author of Fight Club... a cult classic. And one of my favorite books. I felt so lucky getting to watch him breakdown storytelling. Because he does it in a way that goes beneath the surface. He takes you into what it means to be human. He makes you feel seen and like your life, as messy as it is, makes sense.
Now he has a new book called, "Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life after Which Everything Was Different." Which not only has all the best writing advice I've ever seen, it also has a list of recommended books in the back. Chuck and I read through the list. He asked me, "Have you read this one?"
And said the title. I said, "No."
He said, "I'm so jealous. It's like you're about to have sex for the first time."
I can't wait.
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[@BakerOrDie123]

"Friends are overrated..." More truth to that than most people want to admit.

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

As I get older I realize everyone has flaws. The friends I keep have flaws I can overlook? Or balancing their good and bad traits you find it tips enough toward the good to keep them?

[@BakerOrDie123]

@@AllenFreemanMediaGuru If the individual starts to negatively effect my well being I more or less just excommunicated them from my life. It sounds harsh, but I say my peace to them and just stop wasting time and effort on them.

[@OriginalMindTrick]

When times are easy and you live on a giant surplus you can afford decadence and selfishness. When times get tough you realize what friends and family are for.

[@BakerOrDie123]

@@OriginalMindTrick Family absolutely, if there wasn't a strong foundation of family around a person it'd be terrible. But I've always had the experience that you can trust your family more. I'm sure others have had the opposite situation though.

[@Helicopterpilot16]

Of course the Durdan side came out of me. I then realized how friends are just your enemies in disguise.

[@rickywinterborn1004]

Great interview. Chuck is always good to listen to.

[@kingjohnny7215]

agreed

[@antigaia1817]

survivor was one of hardest hitting books I've ever read

[@xiaoyuxu]

Every year I come back to watch this show.

[@kayligo]

Chuck is so freaking brilliant and does so few interviews. Thank you for having him on.

[@BIGpony777]

he does tons of interviews haha

[@kayligo]

@@BIGpony777 not enough of them, in my opinion. Unless they are posted somewhere besides youtube.

[@ThunderAppeal]

Yeah, you really needed that because youre a sad person.

[@billshire2681]

And often with media twits..

[@quoththeraven3985]

I didn't expect Chuck to have 'working man's hands' or reference Engine mechanics.

[@FreshWith3Hs]

You just know he was so fucking late to dinner. God dammit I love this man.

[@jimwoodswrites]

Take a drink everytime James or Chuck mentions a book or an author.

[@zorelwood243]

I am drinking and I cant keep up dude

[@kingjohnny7215]

you'd die of alcohol poisoning :))

[@shovethedove]

15 minutes in and chuck has barely gotten a word in edgewise

[@zakseagle]

I love when people are this excited to interview someone. Great interview.

[@jacobfought8109]

New fan of the Podcast thanks to your new amazing guest and very great conversations! Chuck is my favorite author of all time and also one of the most interesting people to listen to speak that doesn't have his own podcast. Anyway, THANK YOU!! Amazing stuff really.

[@Crina-LudmilaCristeaAuthor]

I love Consider This (and I've only read a few chapters so far). To me it feels as if it's a love letter to his friends and love letter/rules for his students. Absolutely love it. Awesome to know he likes short stories. I'd love to send him a copy of my book and get his opinion (although I'm sure he's flooded with things like these). Anyway, if you're reading this, Mr. Chuck Palahniuk, I love you. Your novel Choke made me feel I am not alone. Thank you. Ps: I must read Jesus' Son and Miles from Nowhere, both sound great. Thank you for doing this interview, I wish there were more with him.

[@hahnkf8111]

Ur hot

[@clemensetz]

This is fantastic

[@given0fox968]

New fan to your show since you’ve had Tim Dillon and Jocko. Good stuff, thanks.

[@TheRemixGeneration]

so really you just follow people you liked on rogan?

[@given0fox968]

TheRemixGeneration more likely our overlord, the KZbin algorithm, got it right, again. All praise the KZbin algorithm!! First heard Tim on Ari’s podcast, and Jocko on Tim Ferris’s podcast, but know them best from JRE. How about you?

[@NoReligion77]

Chuck has a soothing voice, like Noam Chomsky, James Earl Jones, and Orson Welles. I could go to sleep listening to him.

[@FutureDeadpool]

In the thumb nail i thought that Chuck was posing with his mom. For real

[@mehulsharmamat]

thank you so much i will watch this a hundred times! !!

[@samuelsegura_]

It's amazing and so passionate the way they talk about Denis Johnson's Jesus Son.

[@KapowskiGG]

Nice job! 25:35

[@EricNorcross]

I knew someone out there was listening. 😃🙏

[@MlRAAK]

Chuck makes me want to be a writer so badly, but I can't get myself to feel like one.

[@zechs5079]

Just write

[@darnellmajor8895]

If you dont feel like one then you are a writer..........

[@MlRAAK]

@@darnellmajor8895 This is absolutely crazy! You left this comment as I am in the process of typing my 41,995th word in my first book, which I'm planning on self publishing sometime early in 2023. I still don't feel like a writer, but I very much appreciate your encouragement :)

[@samuelstroud5059]

@@MlRAAK That's amazing! Time for an 8 month update... how's it going?

[@authordeborahjeanwhite6188]

Best interview ever!!!!

[@DrainKats]

Really interesting, thank you for interviewing him and for the great questions

[@doodleydoo2745]

Absolute genius

[@ukaszwillner53]

thanks for the interview James :>

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

Awesome video. About the box in the woods-I only found one book. In the 60s my neighborhood was new and no fences had gone up yet so cutting through yards once I saw something in a hedge. The paperback ”Candy”. I read this erotic story (don’t remember it) and put the book back in the same bush. Sort of a secret bush library!

[@billshire2681]

By Terry Southern !

[@findethanjames]

Do I have to watch 10,000 ads in 120 minutes to learn from the guy who wrote Fight Club?

[@davidburton2294]

Really enjoyed this haven't read a good book in a while but when i need some wit, humor and intelligence I 'go to' Chuck for his books and book recommendations

[@slottmachine]

Beautiful Go board.

[@JD-ku3xt]

I was going to say 3 friends, but maybe one is a couple.

[@JD-ku3xt]

If you have more, aren't they just acquaintances? I'm pretty sure people who "befriend" at work are just sociopaths networking. Run/hike groups and writing groups are great for bonding with people. Biking not so much because you can't really talk.

[@FrutigerAero21]

The liminal and liminoid concepts are explained in Rant.

[@eisenwerks6388]

Lol James you clever fellow, you might just be the first person to follow the rules of you know what!

[@andrewesposito2071]

This is real life Ted Mosby lol

[@TrentonErker]

Love it

[@DJSTOEK]

🖤

[@oscarnelson819]

GO board cameo!

[@jenskapper6007]

LET HIM TALK!!!!!!!

[@SanDiegoSouth]

The interviewer needs to ask a simple, straightforward question and let the interviewee speak. We're here to listen to Chuck Palahniuk speak, not hear the interviewer ramble incoherently.

[@JohnnyUtah269]

Legit thought that was moby at first

[@jeffrey7592]

Love to see Chuck speak, on any topic, however, I've got some advice for the host. Less about you, More about the guest. It's not about you. That's why I clicked, yep. * After reading through half a page of comments....Jesus dude... maybe it's time to ask yourself why you get to interview a legend like Chuck Palahniuk given your past present and future... * OK OK, between you and me. Keep going...that is... ..if you actually care.

[@fatherfreedom1946]

Let the guest talk.

[@GourmetDiarrhea]

chuck looks so different

[@kingjohnny7215]

chuck look like moby

[@GourmetDiarrhea]

@@kingjohnny7215 lol!

[@EzeICE]

@@kingjohnny7215 Chuckoby

[@yungyosef]

What is this word that he says at 5:28 “a kind of __________”? It’s driving me nuts, and no, he doesn’t say sedentism.

[@katebugster]

Yung Yosef “asceticism:” basically extreme self-discipline. (Pretending like i didnt have to google it.)

[@yungyosef]

Kaitlyn Ann, thanks. I really appreciate it.

[@quoththeraven3985]

25:30 lol,

[@CptnHammer1]

is the interviewer drunk?

[@steve_bal4]

I fell asleep listening to this twice, and not in a good way. Palahniuk's interview on Joe Rogan was far more stimulating, imo. (Also, I had to stop watching and just listen because of the little guy's distracting wig. That is a wig, right? Or is it a perm?...)

Put some respect in your mouth when you speak about James.

[@EzeICE]

A Jew-fro bro.

[@zetareticuli1904]

I h8 dzhew

[@wokesherman2713]

Wow! Chuck looks like he's been wondering the streets doing dope. Hope he's okay.

[@escapethehatetrix]

He's almost 60, give the guy a break.

[@wokesherman2713]

@@escapethehatetrix Alright , fair enough , break is given!

[@joshknightfall]

Eh he looks like he's comfortable with himself more than anything

[@saltyzu8412]

Ehhh, your jack in the box video tells me you are projecting hahah. No worries, you got my upvote homeless man. Enjoy your dope

[@grungepants]

Chuck should do asmr.

[@cheersmyfriends]

I was here for Chuck Palahniuk, not for Mr. Altucher...dude, tone it down. Let your guests do the talking.

[@kingjohnny7215]

altucher remind me of richard lewis with the prolonged questions so verbose

[@JoBlakeLisbon]

Agreed

[@drts6955]

It's a conversation not an interview

[@causticgrip8329]

This podcast has arguably the most comfortable literary setting ever.

[@steveme49]

Man this guy is a terrible interviewer. So annoying to hear him repeat everything Palahniuk says with useless examples.

[@hahnkf8111]

steveme49 At least he’s having a conversation with him unlike every other interviewer. Besides I appreciate the examples because I’m not a big reader. Not every person has read every book on earth

[@joshknightfall]

Initially I was annoyed too, but Chuck seems to jive well with it. So it's like it's not 100% shiny for the audience's ears, but substantial still if you can just accept the unpolished nature of it.

[@aurelien_auteur]

Nice podcast! Completely agree, this book is so interesting for writers, i'm still blown away, i'll have to read it again!

[@AlisonWonderland999]

Sorry to say I found myself skipping forward constantly to capture the brief interludes when Chuck was able to get a word in edgeways 🤣

[@aguilacoors]

Friends are overrated.

[@faithnelson5383]

Killer interview. I listened to it on Apple Podcast. Watching again on KZbin. I have pages of notes and ordered the book. James may I suggest a different angle or direction for the mic for future interviews. I can't see the lower half of his face. Great conversation and sound, fantastic master class! Thank you.

[@rotosaerial270]

Chuck Palahniuk is actually a neighbor of mine, yet never met him consciously by name; here in NW Portland, Linnton Neighborhood we have a strong soap theme; this was obvious as I moved to the area 20 years ago and someone left a lintroller, obviously as a joke , harmonizing element or silly serndipity; Soap from the Dawn of Tiime to Edge of Days... Check out out my tribute to Chuck with Apocalyptic Soap Structures such as complete wormholes or Living Rorschach Experience (see your mind from the inside) This you can find on my channel under Playlist Quantum Bubbler; A lot of this takes place at Cathedral Park, wherein I am ordained as Soap Shaman, my best cleanest, soapy self. The other day at the park under strict 6' perimeter and face-shield, I got the blessing from surely the pure at heart, as a little girl shouted-out: "This is the Best Day of My LIfe!!" If all I can do is bring the most enchanting soap to the people, then a mood-elevator I must be, taking all going up straight to the Penthouse of sorts. Here I invite you, Chuck, and all others of strong heart to enter my Quantum Tunnel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epzMY6iceNxshdE

[@chemicalburn6749]

Interviewer needs to stop talking ffs.

[@dieterfeldkamp1522]

Haha i did the exact same thing as you. I read the book and wrote down EVERY advice. Wish this interview was longer. Thanks a lot!

[@braudhadoch3432]

Love Chuck. If he wants, the cultural environment is right for him NOW. If he can come up with a stunt, he would become the trending cultural icon of 2023

[@Helicopterpilot16]

First rule about fight club I think translates into, first rule about my life is we do not talk about my life.

[@OriginalMindTrick]

I have been out of the Chuck game for some time and just realized he had morphed into Moby.

[@VestigialVoice]

Excellent interview, James. When talking with a genius, it is difficult not to come off as almost child-like, but you had outstanding input during the discussion. Thank you for putting together this video for us :)

[@evanpeltier]

I just read James Altucher's essay from the New York Post entitled "New York is dead forever". It's about the effect that Covid-19 has had on NYC. Check it out!

[@billshire2681]

Three Days ! Jane's Addiction..

[@kingjohnny7215]

when james altucher ask questions he remind me of richard lewis, thank for having chuck on, really enjoyed this interview

[@kingjohnny7215]

chuck look like moby, he's a tremendous writer, great insight here

[@KhaosKryptos]

Legendary author hopefully you have him on again!

[@cathrynm]

Wow, nice interview. Lot in this, still only about half-way through.

[@cathrynm]

Oop, you screwed up Palahniuk's dinner party.

[@yototrash]

I needed 1 hour and 20 mins to notice the Shogi table lol

[@yototrash]

or GO? Not sure... it looks like Shogi to me.

[@LaZanyarr]

Please have him on again!

[@leftyshawenuph4026]

Started to watch this. "Interviewer" never shuts up. So, nope.

[@apointonacurve]

This conversation should never end!! Next one both will use catheters and intravenous to get us poor souls to the beginning of the Universe.