With over 4 million books being published each year, people are reading less; the consolidation of the publishing industry focuses on the bottom line (sales), and now, with the introduction of AI, freelance writing is more challenging than ever. Lawrence Grobel’s book is a sweeping retrospective of a career spanning six decades, 30-plus books, and hundreds of magazine articles. More than a memoir, it is a blueprint for survival in the precarious world of freelancing. Grobel’s reflections are candid, instructive, and deeply human, offering aspiring writers a rare glimpse into the craft and lifestyle of one of journalism’s most accomplished practitioners.
His work inspired me, and several years ago, we debated the endless polemic over taking the long-term commitment to find a traditional publisher or to self-publish. At that time, he preferred traditional publishing because, “Financially, it’s nearly impossible to make a living this way. You don’t get an advance, you don’t get reviews, you don’t get distribution. So, you have to hustle.” But he did admit to getting tired of waiting and, in some cases, “put out my work as I wrote it.”
Grobel is best known as “the interviewer’s interviewer,” a title given by Playboy after his landmark interview with Marlon Brando. His reputation rests on long-form, probing conversations with cultural icons such as Barbra Streisand, Al Pacino, Saul Bellow, and Truman Capote. These interviews often stretched to 10,000–20,000 words and set the gold standard for celebrity journalism in the late 20th century. Joyce Carol Oates once called him “the Mozart of interviewers,” underscoring his mastery of the form.
The book showcases the author’s remarkable range as an essayist and interviewer. From the fascinating historical account of aviation in “The Black Eagle” to candid, insightful conversations with cultural icons like Mae West, Grobel demonstrates his ability to move seamlessly between narrative depth and personal engagement. The inclusion of a previously unpublished interview with Tony Bennett adds a rare and intimate dimension to the book, making Hustle not just a compilation of essays but a vibrant tapestry of history, art, and personality.
Grobel’s formative years in the Peace Corps (1968–71) at the Ghana Institute of Journalism in West Africa, where he taught writing and learned dedication, resourcefulness, and perseverance—qualities essential for freelancing. The Ghana years also instilled in him a global perspective and resilience in the face of rejection, lessons that would sustain him through decades of uncertain paychecks and editorial whims.
Grobel recounts rejections from Esquire and other magazines, noting how even a handwritten “no” became a source of inspiration because it meant his work had been read. Among my favorite lessons were pitching an idea creatively, convincing reluctant subjects to speak candidly, and accepting failure as part of the journey. Grobel emphasizes that freelancing is not for the faint of heart—it demands hustle, resilience, and a willingness to gamble on one’s own talent.
I appreciated that Grobel’s writing was not only a career but a means of connecting with his family and documenting their struggles and triumphs. He includes pieces about his daughter’s battle with infertility and his grandson’s recovery from a rare disease. These personal essays reveal how writing became a way to process family challenges and celebrate resilience and how an author’s life can be deeply intertwined with family and creativity.
Grobel’s Conversations with Truman Capote was a classic interview. They captured Capote’s wit, candor, and scandalous opinions on fame, literature, and society. Published shortly after Capote’s death, the book became a bestseller and earned Grobel a much-deserved PEN Special Achievement Award. It exemplifies his ability to balance empathy with rigor, allowing Capote to reveal himself in outrageous and profound ways.
I totally agreed with Grobel’s insistence that freelancing is more than just a career, it’s a lifestyle. It requires living with uncertainty, embracing risk, and finding satisfaction in independence. Freelancers must accept sporadic paychecks, constant rejection, and the need to reinvent themselves. Yet, for Grobel, freelancing offered freedom: the chance to pursue stories that mattered to him, to travel, to meet extraordinary people, and to weave writing into every part of his life.
Although Grobel is an accomplished writer, he never stops learning. In a recent message, he congratulated me on how I’d marketed myself and my work on Substack. “But I do see your emails, and it always makes me think that I should be following your example.”
His book is both a memoir of survival and a testament to the power of persistence. Grobel’s journey—from Ghana to Hollywood, from rejection slips to PEN awards—illustrates that freelancing is indeed a lifestyle, one that demands hustle but rewards with freedom, creativity, and connection. For aspiring writers, the book is a roadmap; for readers, it is a compelling portrait of a man who turned interviews into art and writing into a way of life. Although this book represents one freelance writer’s journey, it’s intended to inspire present and future freelancers to consider the road less traveled.
About The Author
Lawrence Grobel is the author of 32 books and hundreds of magazine articles. Among his honors are a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for his fiction; Special Achievement Awards from PEN for his Conversations with Capote, and Playboy for his interviews with Barbra Streisand, Marlon Brando, Gov. Jesse Ventura, Coach Bob Knight, and Robert De Niro; and the Prix Litteraire from The Syndicat Francais de la Critique de Cinema for his Al Pacino: In Conversation with Lawrence Grobel. Peace Corps Worldwide named his book TURQUOISE the Best Memoir of 2023 and singled out his book HUSTLE for a Special Achievement award in 2024. He is the 2025 recipient of the HAFEZ Cinematic Literature Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been a Contributing Editor for Playboy, Movieline, World (New Zealand), and Trendy (Poland) and has been called “A legend among journalists” by Writer’s Digest, and “The Mozart of Interviewers” by Joyce Carol Oates. He served in the Peace Corps, teaching at the Ghana Institute of Journalism; created the M.F.A. in Professional Writing for Antioch University; and taught in the English and Honors Departments at UCLA. He has served as a jury member at the annual Camerimage Film Festival in Poland. He has appeared as himself in the documentary Salinger and Al Pacino’s docudrama Wilde Salome. His works have been translated into fourteen languages. All his books are on Amazon, and his website: lawrencegrobel.com.
About The Reviewer
Mark D Walker was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala and spent over forty years helping disadvantaged people in the developing world. Walker’s three books are: Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond; My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, named Best Travel Book of the Year; and The Guatemala Reader:Extraordinary Lives and Amazing Stories. He’s written 80 book reviews, and of his 30 published essays, two were recognized by the Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing. He’s a contributing writer for the “Arizona Authors Association Digest,” “The Wanderlust Journal,” “Literary Traveler,” and “The Great Writers You Should be Reading.”His wife and three children were born in Guatemala. You can learn more at www.MillionMileWalker.com