This week my guest is Phil Eil, an author and freelance journalist based in his hometown–and mine!–Providence, Rhode Island.
Phil a smarty pants about things we all could stand to know a little more about—things like immigration detention centers, crooked doctors, and how AI is fostering the spread of misinformation—but also he’s an open book when it comes to talking about mental health, modern masculinity, and doing the work you love without burning yourself out.
Phil was the news editor and staff writer at the alt-weekly, the Providence Phoenix, until the paper closed in 2014. Since then, he’s contributed to VICE, the Atlantic, Salon, The Nation, The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, and Huffington Post, and is a regular contributor to vital local independent news outlets including UpriseRI and the Rhode Island Current.
His first book, Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer,’” came out in 2024 and was hailed a riveting true-crime page-turner by the Columbus Dispatch. He’s currently working on a new book about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, RI, a maximum-security prison that was hailed as an economic lifeline for Rhode Island’s poorest–and geographically smallest–city and is now being used to house people detained by ICE and causing quite a stir in the local community.
Phil Eil, practical matters: When the work you’re passionate about doesn’t make a lot of money
Phil Eil, inner stuff: The power of writing about mental health challenges (especially as a man
Philip Eil, what’s coming up: Tackling clutter and how AI is spreading misinformation
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“The kind of journalism I practice these days is a way to be an observer of what’s going on in the world and in the country and in my neighborhood and write about it and document it and engage in—not to be too lofty about it—the work of democracy.”
The continuing education class he took that clicked his career path into place
How meaning and passion can make up for lack of profit
The news story he just broke (a rarity for as he typically covers longer, more involved stories, not breaking news)
How he uses speaking to supplement his income
The link between AI and the spread of disinformation (a subject he speaks about)
A look at the financial realities of being a journalist in 2026
Why he doesn’t get down when reporting on bleak topics
The prescription medication that was a game changer for him
The type of writing that just “tumbles out” for him
Why he doesn’t miss writing for outlets that have national name recognition
What his inner critic is telling him as he works on his second book
Buy Phil’s book—a riveting look at one man’s outsized impact on fueling the opioid crisis How being passionate and excited about your work can get you into some tricky situations… and how to avoid that
Why he openly writes about his mental health challenges
How he’s pushing back against our current ideas of masculinity
The local nonprofit news outlet he just joined the board of
Stumbling into being an expert on AI and misinformation (book him for a talk at your local library!)
Why it’s helpful to think about the people whose careers you envy
The parts of being an author he finds especially rewarding and thrilling
The link between clutter and mental health
The novels he recently binged, the brand of coffee he swears by, and the absolute best part of his week
“I find tremendous meaning in my work, which makes up for the fact that there is not a lot of money.”
The scoop he published for the Rhode Island Current: “City of Central Falls receives first payment from Wyatt since 2021.”
Phil’s article “Depression is no joke. So why are comedians so good at talking about it?” for The Boston Globe
Phil’s article “Celeb Men Are Leading A Male Mental Health Revolution” for Huffington Post
Phil’s article Here’s Why it’s Still Really Hard to Get Men to Go to Therapy” for VICE
The News Media and the Misinformation Age talk he gives at libraries
Yellow Face by RF Quinn
The Secret History by Donna Tart
Lori Gold, practical matters: Listening to the voice that says “I want to do something different”
Lori Gold, inner stuff: On writing what you *don’t* know
Lori Gold, what’s coming up: Re-jiggering your schedule so writing comes first
John Glynn, practical matters: Making time to write while working a full-time job
John Glynn, inner stuff: Taking your doubts as a sign you’re on the right track
John Glynn: what’s coming up: Savoring the sensation of (finally) being on the right path
Christopher Castellani, practical matters: Using your creative practice to make sense of the world
Christopher Castellani, inner stuff: Tricking yourself into doing the work
Christopher Castellani, what’s coming up: Finding inspiration in the midst of upsetting world events
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