Adam Skolnick is a journalist, non-fiction writer, famed Roll On podcaster, and the author behind the brilliant new novel - his first! - American Tiger.
He’s also, spookily, somebody with whom I have a lot in common, as we discovered during this roving, discursive chat in the classic Looking Sideways tradition. You can watch a little clip below:
As his first published novel it is, of course, the latest stage in his evolution as an artist.
But it is also confirmation of the way that personal philosophies inevitably seep into the work we produce. Because while the book is ostensibly about a young girl called Bell spotting a tiger in suburban California, it’s really about much more.
Like all the best works of art, American Tiger brings together the preoccupations that have underpinned Adam’s career up to now into one artistically coherent and page-turning whole.
It’s an adventure story. An LA novel. A coming-of-age saga. And, above all, a thesis on the way that Adam sees nature as a partner, rather than a resource to be exploited.
I’ve started a Looking Sideways book store! Yep, inspired by the fellow book geekery of my Looking Sideways listeners and readers, I’m now listing my favourite books of the year on the new LS bookshop here. And yes! You can buy American Tiger from here too.
Buy anything from here and you’ll be supporting independent UK book stores (ie not paying for Jeff Bezos’ next rocket), as well as helping finance Looking Sideways (I get a 10% commission) in a really simple way. Big up reader Tim LeRoy for giving me this idea.
Related: want to discuss any of my selections, or share any of your own 2025 reads? Click here.
And the story of how Skolnick brought this thing into the world is itself an instructive tale for anybody attempting to get their own creative vision off the ground: part creative psychology, part survival guide to the modern writer’s life, part sheer bloody-minded entrepreneurialism in an era of shrinking outlets and collapsing budgets.
My thanks to Adam for the brilliant chat, and to April for all the help. I loved this conversation, and I think you will too.
