Ben McGrath is the author of Riverman, An American Odyssey, and longtime staff writer for The New Yorker.

In his book Riverman, Ben tells "The riveting true story of Dick Conant, an American folk hero who, over the course of more than twenty years, canoed solo thousands of miles of American rivers—and then disappeared near the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This book contains everything: adventure, mystery, travelogue, and unforgettable characters”.

We talk canoeing, the social structure of rivers and river towns, Bens path toward writing the book, and more.

New episodes the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.