<p>In this conversation, Zach sits down with acclaimed author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, the writer behind Chain-Gang All-Stars and Friday Black, to explore the uneasy relationship between violence, justice, and entertainment in modern culture. They discuss how violent spectacle, from gladiators to modern media, captures our attention and forces us to confront our own role as spectators. </p><p>Nana explains how Chain-Gang All-Stars uses brutal prison death matches as a lens to examine the American carceral system, state violence, and the moral contradictions around punishment. The conversation also dives into Nana’s writing process, including why he sometimes writes longhand, how Metroid Prime influenced the book’s unique footnote structure, and why humor can coexist with the darkest subject matter. </p><p>They also discuss Succession, the psychology of audiences misreading satire, and how growing up with a defense-attorney father shaped Nana’s views on crime and compassion. Ultimately, the episode wrestles with a bigger question: what stories about violence reveal about who we are, and who we’re becoming.</p><p>Guest bio: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is the acclaimed author of the bestselling novel Chain-Gang All-Stars and the award-winning short story collection Friday Black. A National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Esquire, exploring violence, justice, and the American imagination.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH LINKS:</p><p>Chain Gang All-Stars (Buy Local): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1hLRjA5azJybU5nc1p2Y0VSV1YtVW9PaFQ2UXxBQ3Jtc0ttSGJuZ3djenNMWVFMOHZyeUdJeEdSc1B3anp1LXJGLW11Mmc1NmRKdmUyWmxKUzNPS3N5Y3BMTVZRaHhreDlDdWhIYzlkYTJjVjdsLVdrei05eURXWVBVa21NSGFORWNUTjZVcHZfZEJoUUVyV2cxdw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F4cqaXqz&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/4cqaXqz</a></p><p>Friday Black (Buy Local): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkh5NVJmODNmYkZ3OTc4cktBU1BrUUFQVWZId3xBQ3Jtc0tuTjlvMWpaTExpZTVJYVB5OW5RQ2Ewd09Md3hoOVdmY2lMRDd6NVBhVk13MkoyQXdyVE9OcWZuYlFjamtCUlgxdGhFakEtei1TWFZsY1BhWndkaFVPaWt4OHVFdnBlLWFmd3h6NEtDc1V2TWtCdEc4RQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F4luPKyl&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/4luPKyl</a></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbV9hOUJJLS01VEJtUGFBTjVSRWZfbU1PeUtpZ3xBQ3Jtc0trMnRrUlNWX2VXYkdESG1oWDIxYVZmOHE1UlFHM1hNNC0wX3d4bk8wRGFEZnE0V0RKbnR0RHFtY1BqcFVJYnF1SzJJV082bE03eVBLcXFUSndYYjZnUjhVazhoUUFta3Y4VHBiRUdpbzZwYUh2TWdjZw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nanakwameadjei-brenyah.com%2F&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.nanakwameadjei-brenyah.com/</a></p><p>Spotify: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1pDb2pSQkZITUJ4dWlZM0pfS09uWVNYSXZkZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttQktIT0ZXYkhXeG1TYlhqOEVTUHhrWVRGM1RWZE11bUVEM2tBdkNkNS1GSHhVOVNLWTVtZWV2RjgzTFJBc3U0LU1DX0pQUEdEWk9NVFhBVHJfRkE3cnZNdk1TZkpkQUl1NzJ6Uk9RYkc5YWplVGVaRQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F4bblEuU&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/4bblEuU</a></p><p>Substack (WISLY): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmJfY2hzaWhVcFMxdmtxZ29MU09FZW96YnJmUXxBQ3Jtc0tudnZXbUVxcWI5LV9vSUNZMEFQOTNaUGJPOVVtRVp2NTdHOVU3RE1wUlp1Z1dkdDR1UlZPS1dHcGtpWjYwcm1nYmlSTHJTRjNpZHF4ZXdXaFhDQ0RfMHo0UWxocy11NnJqcDFyeU1KRmo1VXowaXM2QQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fnanakwame.substack.com%2F&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://nanakwame.substack.com/</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/king_nk/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/king_nk/</a></p><p>Stream All of Nana's Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa01zVlFqWGp4Q2VtNFg1VDJ3ZElXNW03UVJfZ3xBQ3Jtc0trM1dPOG9LTjl0eVMzM0dLeEZsZjFqWXdJWmphNGNsd2daZDJYZnQ2WHJHOC05ajZRMks5Yl9JVUZTWEh0eE5zMHhoTGVGRGczbnFHQ2RNXzVTN1FzUUU1VFJydlFfY1d6dmVTZGUxS0xYbDloNnU3WQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F40MSD3G&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/40MSD3G</a></p><p><br /></p><p>THE ZACH SHOW LINKS: </p><p>The Zach Show 2.0: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnNpVmtQWUJvMktMMVEtcGdJRlpFa2NMdXVBZ3xBQ3Jtc0trRi1tdUFpeXhobjdCekYyVXJjcG9pYUtKc3BPc3ltRWJoMDFJeHU1Q1ZiNXFJWTAyRmJmRmFKXzFMbmI3bTcxZ3VQZmFjZkVRLUo3SkZ6TndoZFNMNVpyQlRUUVExaTA5aGR4a3RpSTBhWWRKUzhaOA&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fthezachshow.supercast.com%2F&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://thezachshow.supercast.com/</a></p><p>Spotify: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHdablBsT2RDVGtLUWVjcTJqWm1QZm9Ib21Hd3xBQ3Jtc0ttQmxFU2x3dTdLNmdqZVZLWEZuaHZrOGxTQUxKODQwOGFHc0Izei14M0FvZE1qUjRNYzM1M2otRlRTeVplR0c5ME03cEx6ZWU2OTdSRUtxWFZyTndXX0wtemoyY2ZjM2VMYjN0MTllM2xzRU5LOWxXQQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fspoti.fi%2F3zaS6sP&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://spoti.fi/3zaS6sP</a></p><p>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2ZBZ0hlbzRoLWRSYlppaENNbWYzQTZkSDhKUXxBQ3Jtc0trSG1LVE12dE05UTZnQXg4bG1ReUtnZDIyREN5VG5MRVRQN0MxOGVVMkpkVi1rQXBtcmxrX0dTd3AxWWV1M1F2TXR3Z2J2eG5IdUdPVXNyRnJLbzR3NW14eGZuOG9HOFp3M05KUUdDYzdHMXBzSlltYw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3lTpJdj&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/3lTpJdj</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/</a> </p><p>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@zachshowpod" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tiktok.com/@zachshowpod</a> </p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGpDNTVaSDZuc3V6eUxhTlFnZ1BVXzhiTEtmd3xBQ3Jtc0tsTUVBSVNLUGROS3FaNjg5TU9NWTIwaEljdkotRXhjNVNUSHV2QlgxM2w2TGtzNEh5Z0RUWWhpQXVJWEhsZDI0MmdBWUhjX2pWb1BGUzdtY0VoUllfNF9Ca0NGMWpreVE0M1M5VUpQT053Q3U3VkpkTQ&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.auxoro.com%2F&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.auxoro.com/</a></p><p>Substack: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2JxYnQxN0JHb19DemxWWkVESGJHX1BzRWtVZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsc2Ryc1lZSTl6WWw4VWlKRl95a0ZLcG5RaDVJcEdnWHNDSXJGRTdyOTdtY1VGOF9UYmxON25udzAtaWxac2dnWDJ2U256Rk1KN1Q2MEJYcDZ2bF9pTG9wMWVvZXExejdLOWJXbVl2SXlpQzJJcHUtOA&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fthezachshow.substack.com%2F&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://thezachshow.substack.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>If you’re not ready to subscribe to The Zach Show 2.0, rating the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts is free and massively helpful. It boosts visibility, helps new listeners discover the show, and keeps this chaos alive. Thank you:</p><p><br /></p><p>Rate The Zach Show on Spotify: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDlSUnRsa3hJdjRsSml3RDNUSy1scGtYZDNUd3xBQ3Jtc0tuelc2RDdZeUtpaFQ0c1hPaG9RYW1Zc3NtQUJweWtSaHhqZENqQUJWTVFLcURLWmdjN0EtS2dNbUVMSDhlOUJGYjJlUHM2VnBmQU1EU1cxWUQ0YV8zWmw4WjJEZDZ5ZlJhRGNPRFJhZ29JdnJTcjdIdw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F43ZLrAt&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/43ZLrAt</a></p><p>Rate The Zach Show on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNMRmZGRUE2emJCT3FtNW5wNm14aDFCeWQyUXxBQ3Jtc0ttcDZnUzlNYmE1NFU2TXhhdjJ4WG1xTnRRYTg3RGtLRVBENTl3RWY0M0xkYWs0dExydU53UXl0ZEtjNWJVTFkzUW04X2lkenphUjdGZ21uMndITk1Zdk44ZVZreHdYRGdWOERWa3hzZnI4ZFcwdWJDbw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F458nbha&amp;v=k3MLH6-tqjA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bit.ly/458nbha</a></p>