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From the NFL to Crime Fiction: Andre Hardy on Tear the City Down (E237)
Description
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Andre Hardy, a former NFL player turned writer and author of the debut crime novel Tear the City Down. Set in San Diego against the high-stakes world of professional football, the novel draws on Andre’s own experiences in the NFL while exploring the darker sides of the sport and the city. We also talk about his path to writing, the role of jazz throughout the Coltrane series, and the experiences that shaped his storytelling.
Episode Highlights
- Andre’s journey from professional football to writing and what led him to put his own NFL experiences on the page
- Looking beyond the glitz & glamour of professional football to the physical toll on players, particularly their bodies and brains
- Exploring the contrasts of San Diego and what lies beneath the beautiful version of the city most people see
- Why Andre believes writing about books challenges us to slow down, think more deeply, and examine what we believe
- The influence of John Coltrane & how pairing the novels with Coltrane’s music creates a bigger, broader experience for readers
- Andre’s book flight of atmospheric mysteries and thrillers, including stories featuring male protagonists navigating fatherhood and relationships with their daughters
Connect with Andre:
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Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
- Edgar Allen Poe books
- The Blue Flame by George Pelecanos
- Record Lows by CJ Green
- James McBride books
- Percival Everett books
- Middle Passage by Charles Johnson
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Darktown by Thomas Mullen
- Ghalen by Walter Mosley
Book Flight
- Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
- Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke
- She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
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- One chapter book for growing readers
- One picture book for our littlest readers
- A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
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