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Filmmaker, author and humorist Jon Ronson just released a fascinating new ebook about ordinary individuals who are trying to live extraordinary secret double lives: they are donning extreme costumes and taking to the streets to fight crime as real-life superheroes. The book, The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones: And the Less Amazing Adventures of Some Other Real-Life Superheroes is available for download from Amazon and other ebook retailers. It is a quick-paced and engaging read that I know you folks will enjoy.

Jon was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about the book and the superheroes he encountered during its creation.

Rebecca O’Malley (RO): How did you first become aware of the real-life superhero movement?

Jon Ronson (JR): It was Twitter. There was a flurry of tweets about Phoenix Jones. Someone from Seattle tweeted about how proud they were of their city that it could create something as fabulously insane as Phoenix.

So I watched a short CNN segment about him, and kind of knew that I was destined to go on patrol with him. He just felt like someone waiting to be written about by me. He was a mix of genuinely inspiring, mysterious, awesome, but also kind of absurd. I really liked that combination.

RO: How difficult is it to track down and gain the trust of someone who is trying to keep his identity a secret?

JR: It was tough. I had to go through an emissary, Peter Tangen, whose own origin story is amazing. Peter is a Hollywood studio photographer. He shot the movie poster for Spiderman. When he learnt that there were people doing in real life what Tobey Maguire was only pretending to do on a film set, it unlocked something profound in him. He became compelled to become their official photographer and media advisor. So whenever I wanted to talk to Phoenix, I had to approach Peter Tangen.

RO: You’ve written about psychology before, so I’m sure some of your expertise in that area must have influenced how you viewed the real-life superheroes. What do you think motivates these individuals to create these identities and seek out danger? Boredom? Altruism? Swagger? Or just a need for excitement and attention?

JR: All four of those things!

RO: Do you have a personal opinion as to whether it is appropriate for these individuals to attempt to intervene in situations that are normally kept solely in the realm of the police?

JR: Well, I'm a liberal, so I'm instinctively against the idea of what's basically a form of libertarian vigilanteism. But you can't help falling for Phoenix when you hang out with him. He's so goofily charming and inspiring and charismatic, your sagacity goes out of the window a little. You kind of fall in love with him.

RO: Do you believe that they are actually making the streets safer?

JR: I think they perform acts of derring-do that improve people's lives, yes. But I also think they're so addicted to doing good, they'll sometimes leap into a situation that they oughtn't. One time Phoenix tried to give a taco to a drunk driver to sober him up. The drunk driver refused it. Phoenix insisted. The drunk driver got violent. Phoenix pulled out his taser... So sometimes things will inadvertently escalate.

RO: There were a few times in the story when the would-be superheroes seem very disappointed that their evening patrol did not result in the discovery of any ongoing crime. What did you make of that? Does it expose something about their desire for either excitement or notoriety?

JR: Yes. It's a bit of a worrying character trait. One time they started hassling some wizened old addicts at a bus stop at 3am in Seattle. I was thinking, "Leave them alone. They'll be gone by the time the daytime people arrive."

In the middle of my adventures with Phoenix I had dinner one night in New York with Ira Glass. I was telling him all this stuff, how I thought they should leave the crack addicts alone, but I was probably mainly thinking that because I'm scared of confrontation, and Ira said, "Your position obviates the need for superheroes."

I don’t want to obviate the need for superheroes! But I do think they should be careful out there.

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Some stories have such great charm and relevance that they can be told over and over again in many formats - and still win your heart. Certainly that's true of your traditional fairy tales or the Shakespeare classics; but there are also a few sweet modern tales that hold up well in multiple formats. One such story, in my view, is Mike Birbiglia's delightful "Sleepwalk with Me". It's a timeless story of one man's fear of love and maturity; but it is told - with terrific humor and stark honesty - through a chronicle of his struggle with a strange and dangerous sleepwalking condition.

I first heard Birbiglia tell the story on a 2008 episode of This American Life called "Fear of Sleep." If you haven't yet heard that episode, you must obtain it immediately. It will do nothing less than restore your faith in the power of solid storytelling.

The story later become so beloved that Birbiglia adapted it to a one-man show and then into a book. Now, with help from Ira Glass and This American Life producer Alissa Shipp, Mike is bringing the story to film.

Birbiglia directed the movie, and wrote it with Seth Barrish (who directed the stage version), Joe Birbiglia and Ira Glass. The film stars Mike, Lauren Ambrose, Jim Rebhorn and Carol Kane and was produced by Jacob Jaffke.

I've never been to Sundance - and probably won't make it this year - but I've never been more jealous of those who will be there. This film is going to be terrific.

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• Tig Notaro was on Conan last week. Missed it? We've got your back.
• Over at the AV Club, Louis C.K. is rewarding devoted fans with with an amazingly detailed summary of how he went about making each episode in the second season of Louie.
• Chris Hardwick is all over your television. Last weekend was the premiere of his show The Nerdist on BBC America. His guests were a geeky dream team of Jonah Ray, Matt Mira, Mike Phirman, Craig Ferguson and even Doctor Who’s Matt Smith! If you missed it, you can grab the first episode from itunes. And starting October 16, Hardwick will be hosting a new show for AMC called Talking Dead. It will be a live show that airs immediately after episodes of The Walking Dead. Hardwick will recap the most recent Walking Dead episode while talking to fans, actors and producers.
• I’m excited to check out the first episode of The Dead Authors Podcast. It features time-traveling writer H.G. Wells (portrayed by alum Paul F. Tompkins) as he welcomes long-lost literary heroes to his show at L.A.’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater. Sounds smart and funny, right? Not sold yet? How about this: the first episode features Andy Richter as Emily Dickinson. Boom. Can’t miss.
• Ira Glass will be touring Australia in January with a show called "Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass." He will be performing in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. You can find the dates and ticket information here. Unrelated: there are some rather delightful stories circulating about Ira's recent performance in The Drunk Show at the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. Here he is talking about the experience with Marc Maron.

If you want to see highlights from the show that Ira doesn't remember, Brooklyn Vegan has some terrific photos of the evening (taken by David Andrako) that feature Mr. Glass arm wrestling on the floor with Leo Allen and forming a human pyramid with John Hodgman, Eugene Mirman and others.

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Ira is a CLASS ACT.

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Session 3: May the Best Band Win from Ford Foundation on Vimeo.

Two great past TSOYA guests, Ira Glass and Damian Kulash of OK Go chat about the power of INTERNET at the Ford Foundation.

Special guest appearance by a CERTAIN JUDGE.

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• I'll stop posting funny videos with Rob Huebel when he stops making them. Also, see this on Funny or Die Presents' new season on HBO, starting January 14th.
  
  
• Ego Trip, the hiphop magazine turned media collective, has just gone live with their new site. Check it out.
  
  
• More on the world of hiphop, with an open letter from Chuck D.
  
  
• Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (of The State and Reno 911) are both attached to a leprechaun-meets-Bourne-Identity film that's currently in production. It's described as as what happens when "a height-challenged wish-granter loses his memory, and settles in with a group of Chicago firefighters."
  
  
• TV writer and producer Jane Espenson, of Buffy and Caprica, will be on a team writing for the new HBO show Game of Thrones. The series is based on a series of bestselling fantasy books by George R.R. Martin.
  
  
• Ira Glass returns to TV briefly: the Showtime version of This American Life will re-air on Current TV, running January 10th through April 4th. Really, really worth watching.
  
  
• Jon Glaser will reprise his role as a man in the witness protection program for a second season of Delocated on Adult Swim.
  

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John Hodgman solves the problem of violent video games using public radio's Ira Glass. "You're welcome."

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Bravo. BRA VO.

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"I try to make things fascinatinger."