Desuccession
This one's got a new ep. on improv & spontaneity, a pan-generational business observation that's probably more about me, a lack of art, & more
The Virtual Memories Show News
A 2x/week email about a podcast about books & life
Podcastery
This week, I posted Episode 588 of The Virtual Memories Show, feat. author, professor & philanthropist Randy Fertel as we celebrate his new book, WINGING IT: Improv’s Power & Peril in the Age of Trump (Spring Publications), and explore the role of improvisation & spontaneity in the arts, sciences & culture. We talk about what drew him to the conflict between reason and intuition, the importance of “Yes, And” in more than just a comedic context, the neuroscience of Hot and Cold Cognition, and the moment in graduate school that started him down this path 50 years ago. We get into what improvisation really is, how it underlies creativity and innovation, how Trump embodies its dark side, and how his upbringing in New Orleans may have contributed to his improv-epiphany. We also discuss how canonical authors & works began as outsiders, why the essence of improv is disruption, the importance of unmediated experience (and why he futilely took heroic amounts of hallucinogens to prepare for a conference panel), his love for Jon Batiste’s 2023 Jazz Fest set, his next project exploring the emergence of global pop culture, and plenty more. Give it a listen, and go read WINGING IT!
Last week, I posted Episode 587 of The Virtual Memories Show, feat. the return of director D.W. Young! For more than 40 years, the breathtaking pictures of photographer James Hamilton have chronicled New York City and America (and a couple of war zones), and now D.W.’s amazing new documentary UNCROPPED (Greenwich Entertainment) has launched a rediscovery of his work, life & times. D.W. & I talk about how James’ career at the NY Herald, Village Voice, and NY Observer opened the door to a bigger story about NYC, arts/culture and media, how NYC has changed and how the culture adapts, and how young viewers react upon learning about the city’s vibrant newspaper & alt-weekly scene that preceded the internet. We get into the difference between empathy & formality in photography, how D.W. really didn’t want to make another NYC film after The Booksellers but wound up making the MOST, why some of UNCROPPED is shot on film, why sit-down interviews in documentaries get a bad rap but why they can be so valuable, and how Wes Anderson ended up being interviewed for the movie in a largely empty room. Plus we discuss D.W.’s first post-lockdown movie-theater viewings, the relief of making a short narrative film (Dancing on the Silk Razor) in the midst of making UNCROPPED, why it’s a travesty that the Village Voice archives aren’t digitized, and a lot more. Give it a listen, and go see UNCROPPED! (& go listen to our 2020 conversation!)
Recent episodes: Jen Silverman • Leonard Barkan • Emily Raboteau • Trillian Stars & Kyle Cassidy (bonus) • Leela Corman • Keith Mayerson • Edith Hall • David Small
Desuccession
On a business trip in March, I had a series of catch-up conversations with some “lifers” in my industry: people in their late 60s who were already around when I entered this sector 25 years ago. Those talks got me wondering about who today’s lifers are; for the life of me, I couldn’t name anyone under 40 who I thought was going to stick around another ~20 years.
I started talking about that with other pals of mine, also mostly lifers, but closer to my age. For the most part, they concurred, and we talked about different factors at play, like the professionalization of our industry, some lack of opportunities for advancement, the restlessness of Those Goddamned Kids today, & other stuff.
Yesterday, while talking about it with someone at this trade show in Philadelphia, it occurred to me that maybe I’m really concerned about myself. Industry folks jokingly (?) call me a rockstar, as I’ve jokingly (?) mentioned in this space, and I’m wondering if what I do — my weird set of schmoozing & communication skills (& organizational obsession), my complete lack of formal education, training, or certification for this role — is all somehow unique and will be lost when I’m gone.
That is, I think I’m more concerned about NOT being replaced than about being replaced.
So maybe that’s why I’m concerned about the next generation of lifers (or lack thereof) in my industry. Lots of people in my business life respect what I do, but I don’t know anyone I could point to as a successor. (About which, yes, my board of trustees has also expressed concerns.)
As someone without kids, I never thought about legacies in that conventional sense, and never really considered what I was leaving behind until Mortality Reared Its Ugly Lymphocytes a few years ago.
It was grimly funny to realize this while walking down the exhibit hall floor in the Pennsylvania Convention Center: that all my pondering about pan-generational, industry-stratifying business concepts may be Yet More Symptoms Of Gil’s Midlife Crisis.
Art
Speaking of not having a I didn’t make any art this past week. I tried sketching last night in the hotel room, but it went nowhere. I’m not happy about it, but there we are. You should go to the Flickr album of most of the art I’ve made & find something you like.
Postcardery
Let me know if you want to be on my postcard-a-day list. (Financial supporters of the podcast get a hand-drawn/painted postcard as a thank-you.)
Kickstartery
I’m planning to make a book of Instax photos (like a Polaroid) + text, similar in format to Valid Until Sunset by Jarrett Earnest (photo on left page, text on right). I took a pair of photos last weekend while recording with Randy Fertel and Jim Moske (below). I also took a neat one when I stopped in on past guest Patrick McDonnell on my drive down to PHL for this trade show. Once I figure out production pricing etc. (& how to scan/repro Instax w/out getting glare from the glossy coating), I hope to get a Kickstarter going for it. If you’ve got ideas about what sort of rewards I should make for different tiers of donors — like, things you’d love to receive if you contributed, say, $30, $40, $50 to this project — let me know.
Until Next Time
Thanks for reading this far! I’ll be back on Sunday with links, books, & workouts, and Wednesday with a new episode, maybe some art, & who knows maybe a little profundity or something.
Don’t wait for luck to come to you / You’ve got to get out and hustle for yourself,