‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed’ with Isaac Fitzgerald | Jeselnik Book Club

October 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Johnny Appleseed as a Trojan Horse: Isaac Fitzgerald on Grief, Walking, and the Art of Nonfiction

Isaac Fitzgerald arrived at the Jeselnik Book Club with a complicated relationship to his own success. After Anthony Jeselnik read Fitzgerald's first memoir, Dirtbag, Massachusetts, in a day and started texting friends—including comedian Kyle Kinane, who texted back that he had a matching tattoo with Fitzgerald—the two became friends. Jeselnik even credits Fitzgerald as the reason he decided to launch a weekly book podcast. But the book they're here to discuss, American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed, is a stranger, riskier book than its predecessor, and Fitzgerald knows it.

The Container Problem

American Rambler began as a challenge. Fitzgerald's now-wife asked him if there was any famous walker from history he was interested in. He said Johnny Appleseed without missing a beat. "That's not a real guy," she replied. That exchange isn't even in the book, but it captures the book's central tension: Fitzgerald grew up near where Appleseed was born, but the historical figure is mostly legend. "Appleseed is such a great way to look at legends versus facts, memories, the way we view things," Fitzgerald says. "It was my way of getting into what was true about my family and both the negative but also the positive."

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What you'll learn

1 (01:01) **Welcome & Friendship Backstory** - Jeselnik introduces Isaac Fitzgerald as both a friend and admired writer, and they recount how they met through *Dirtbag, Massachusetts*.
2 (14:26) **What Jeselnik Loved About *Dirtbag, Massachusetts*** - Jeselnik describes why the memoir resonated so deeply, focusing on its writing and emotional honesty.
3 (25:58) **Regrets & The Seed of *American Rambler*** - Isaac reflects on the pressure of memoir and how his mother’s response to *Dirtbag* directly inspired his follow-up.
4 (31:37) **Fiction vs. Nonfiction** - The hosts debate the value of reading fiction versus nonfiction, especially for male readers.
5 (42:51) **Introducing *American Rambler*** - The conversation pivots to Isaac’s new book, a follow-up to *Dirtbag* that uses Johnny Appleseed as a narrative framework.
6 (46:20) **The Emotional Gut Punch** - Jeselnik reveals the book’s devastating twist: Isaac’s mother dies by suicide in the epilogue, transforming the entire narrative.
7 (54:39) **Walking Away from Isolation** - Isaac explains the deeper thesis of *American Rambler* and how it connects to his mother’s death.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Anthony Jeselnik

Show Notes

Anthony is joined by ‘Dirtbag, Massachusetts’ author and 'Today' correspondent Isaac Fitzgerald to discuss his new memoir, ‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed.’ The guys explore Isaac’s journey following in the footsteps of Johnny Appleseed, separating legend from fact, and the case for nonfiction. They also discuss why the book is a love letter to Isaac’s mom and what makes it “a grief memoir in reverse.”

(00:42) Introduction
(17:13) Chapter 1: 'Dirtbag, Massachusetts'
(30:38) Chapter 2: The Case for Nonfiction
(40:30) Chapter 3: ‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed’
(59:04) Chapter 4: JBC Gauntlet
(1:17:00) Chapter 5: One Additional Question

(1:24:06) - Acknowledgments: Isaac's Gift and Praising JBC
(1:28:14) - To Be Continued: 'The Trees' Book Review and Mailbag

Email me your thoughts/questions about our next book club selection, 'The Trees,' by October 26 at [email protected].

Join Jeselnik Book Club: anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club

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Host: Anthony Jeselnik
Guest: Isaac Fitzgerald
Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao
Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini
Creative Producer: Daniel Comer
Technical Director: Chris Wohlers
Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra
Editor: Matt Pevic
Social: Keith Fujimoto
Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson (edited)

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