It’s been going on two years since the last new episode, and I really wasn’t sure if there was going to be another one, but I came across someone whom I just had to invite on, and she said yes, and we had a lovely chat in July, and here we are! Whether this will be a coda or a reboot, we shall see - I’d love your input on that

From Ayun Halliday’s website: “I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and came of age at the height of the preppy craze. For some unfathomable reason, my grandparents had a subscription to The New Yorker. Every week, I’d paw through it, daydreaming of a glamorous future in which I’d be a celebrated stage actress, living in sin with some hot, devoted trumpet player in a Greenwich Village loft with a skyline view I’ve since learned is possible only from downtown Brooklyn or the western shores of New Jersey.”

Ms. Halliday is a writer, actor, performance artist, zinester, the list goes on and on! She pubilshes the Zine The East Village Inky. It was and still is written and illustrated entirely by hand. 

I could spend a good while longer discussing some of her many other theatrical and publishing achievements, but what brought her to my attention this spring was the publication of her latest (7th) book, Creative, Not Famous: The Small Potato Manifesto, a compendium of Halliday’s words and illustrations along with input from a variety of creative people (I just can’t get myself to take the noun “creatives” seriously) who comprise “99.9% of all humans who … have not been and will never be rich as a result of their art. Nor will we be famous…at least not as famous as we deserve.”

I heartily encourage you to look up any of the artists mentioned in our conversation and, especially if you’re a lil spud, to pick up a copy of the Small Potato Manifesto, available through Ayun’s site or wherever books are purveyed. 

For all episodes of this show, from small fries to Sedarises, please find us on the social mediae (insta/twitter) at 15minsjamieb, on facebook by just looking for the name of the show, or at 15minutesjamieberger.com, or email me at 15minutesjamieberger@gmail.com

-Jamie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

-Jamie

(Image by Anja Schutz)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://15minutesjamieberger.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now I understand why some of my guests hesitate to post about our episodes. It leaves them in the position of writing to friends, family, and fans saying “Hey everyone here’s a conversation focused on ME! Awkward.

With that in mind, Meat for Tea is a great magazine with a nifty podcast and host/publisher/editor Elizabeth MacDuffie and I had a long and enjoyable talk, for the two of us anyway.

So Hey everyone here’s a conversation focused on ME!

(and here's a link to the essay, which I read out loud at the end of the episode)

https://psiloveyou.xyz/itch-itch-itch-8934f97ed7ed

Stay Safe.

Vote.

BLM

xox

-Jamie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s my conversaion from back in February (2020), aka a zillion lifetimes ago, with podcaster, Maximum Fun creator, and, perhaps most publicly, Judge John Hodgman bailiff Jesse Thorn. That's him with the glorious facial hair, above. (photo: Ibarionex Perello)

It’s nice, you’ll like it.

Re: my callout to you all in the intro, you can reach me at info@15minutesjamieberger.com or find me on Insta or twitter at @15minsjamieb.

Thanks!

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://prettygoodfriends.com/it-started-as-a-joke

Best to all in these strange, tough times.

-j

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode starts with a serious #metoo conversation before moving on to lighter topics. So if you're needing light in these heavy times, after the intro, jump ahead about a half an hour.

Best to you all, I wish you the best lives you can possibly live right now!

-jamie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"“If I knew that I would have an acting job for the next five years on a network show, where I didn’t even really have to think, it was just showing up, doing some scenes, having a free lunch and collecting a fat paycheck, I would like to do that for the next five years with the full knowledge that at the end of the five years I’d have enough money in the bank to write a novel, devote myself to the podcast, five years of being number 5-7 on the call sheet. There’s a sweet spot there that’s just ideal. I don’t want to be in every scene, I don’t want to solve the crime.”

***

I wish us all better times, and a free and fair election, in 2020.

-Jamie B.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's still one of my favorites, back from when I didn't know what I was doing at all but sometimes it worked.

Enjoy!

-Jamie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello Everyone!

The very first guest on 15 Minutes was John Hodgman (and we’ll be reposting that episode right after this one). Back in Fall of 2015, we spoke for a nearly exact 15 Minutes (the only full episode with a guest that’s actually anywhere near that short, most are around an hour - yes, yes, but the name of the show, we know, we know). When I heard about his new book Medallion Status (pub. date 10/15/19!), which John describes as “your basic minor fame to no fame Hollywood memoir with some peeks into the secret clubs and hidden rooms that celebrity allowed me briefly to peek into,” I knew it was time to have him back, and this time we talked a whole lot longer.

For those of you who don’t know him, and yes, Hodgmaniacs, there are those folks out there:

JOHN HODGMAN is a writer, comedian, and actor. Most recently, he is the author of the acclaimed collection of funny true stories called VACATIONLAND. He also wrote three books of fake facts and invented trivia, all of them New York Times Bestsellers, and his writing has also appeared in The Paris Review, This American Life, The New Yorker, and Mad Magazine. After an appearance to promote his books on “The Daily Show,” he was invited to return as a contributor, serving as the show’s “Resident Expert” and “Deranged Millionaire.”

For the past nine years, he’s also been the host of the popular Judge John Hodgman podcast, where he settles serious disputes between real people. He also contributes a weekly column under the same name for The New York Times Magazine.

He’s also the host of the viral Instagram-live sensation Get Your Pets! with John Hodgman in which he talks to animals and their people in a live broadcast, while perhaps occasionally plugging his new book Medallion Status (http://bit.ly/MEDALLIONSTATUS) every so often.

Over nearly an hour and a half, we talked a lot about the book and those rooms and clubs, his previous book, Vacationland, fame as addiction, adjusting and appreciating life as one’s status inevitably declines over time (We also go into how white men are handling the reality of their/our inevitably declining status), and why it’s really important for authors that readers pre-order their books if possible, and which you should do if you’re so inclined and you’re reading this before 10/15/19, and you should be so inclined, because Medallion Status and John Hodgman will make your life better. Where can you go to pre-order, you may ask? Why http://bit.ly/MEDALLIONSTATUS, that’s where! My short plug: Like Vacationland, the book (and this 15 Minutes episode) is funny in ways many know John to be, as well as moving and contemplative in ways you might not expect. I gave it five starts on Good Reads.

Early praise for Medallion Status:

“This funny, sometimes delightfully absurd book offers sharp meditations on status, relevance, and age, and fame—or at least being fame-adjacent.” -PW

“Hodgman offers thoughtful musings about human nature and our drive for status. An entertaining and endearing entry from the author of Vacationland (2017).” -Booklist

(Note: this is one of those episodes with a false ending, so when you hear us saying bye, stick around for more!)

But enough plugging, enjoy the episode! Oh, and when you do enjoy it, PLEASE PASS IT ON - you'll be helping a worthy author sell books, and an independent podcaster get listeners, both very difficult tasks in supersaturated markets. Thanks!

-Jamie

(Image: detail of Medallion Status cover by Aaron Draplin)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can find her at http://marinaomi.com. Here’s some of what you’d learn about her there:

“MariNaomi is the award-winning author and illustrator of Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22 (Harper Perennial, 2011), Dragon's Breath and Other True Stories (2dcloud/Uncivilized Books, 2014), Turning Japanese (2dcloud, 2016), I Thought YOU Hated ME (Retrofit Comics, 2016), and the Life on Earth trilogy(Graphic Universe, 2018-2020). Her work has appeared in over eighty print publications and has been featured on websites such as The Rumpus, LA Review of Books, Midnight Breakfast and BuzzFeed.”

“She is the founder and administrator of the Cartoonists of Color Database, the Queer Cartoonists Database, and the Disabled Cartoonists Database. She is the cohost of the Ask Bi Grlz podcast with author Myriam Gurba.”

***

You can find all episodes of this podcast at http://15minutesjamieberger.com and a really old site of my writing at http://jamiebergerwords.com, which I mention for the first time since starting this podcast because I’m starting to write a little after about a decade hiatus.

Episode 72 will mark the return of Episode 1 guest John Hodgman, whose new book, Medallion Status,  the follow up to his supergreat memoir Vacationland, will be out in mid-October.

Thanks for listening!

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the pic of Todd and Charlize Theron, please see the episode page on our site

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Among the topics and people discussed with the legendary British singer-songwriter are self-promotion, the Beatles, Elvis Costello and a whole lot of other 80s music, the idea of leaving a small-lizard-sized legacy, the need to make one living, not two, having Ethan Hawke sing your song in a movie,  - and a whole lot more. But you’re not here to tell me what I talked to Robyn Hitchcock, you’re hear to listen to Robyn (and I) talk. Enjoy!

P.S. I meant to include Sonny Smith's new record label, Rocks-In-Your-Head in the outro, but forgot, so here you go:

http://rockshead.com/

Sorry Sonny!

Find Robyn stuff at http://robynhitchcock.com

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey it’s our first episode of 2019!

Zak Trojano is, well, he’s a friend here in the Pioneer Valley whose music I’ve enjoyed for many years, and who’s latest album is “Wolf Trees.” He performed in our live show back in June of last year, and we finally sat down to talk fame, legacy, his tour in Germany, the color pink, social media, the joy of wearing a skirt, and apparently a great deal more stuff that at least interested one person - as this is the longest episode yet - in January. Here’s the bio from his website (zaktrojano.com):

“Zak Trojano is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, a finger-style guitar player, a fly-fisherman, and a beer drinker. He watches more than he talks, the guy at the end of the bar nursing a drink while the afternoon light angles in, letting the conversation pile up around him like snowfall. He grew up in New Hampshire, outside of town in a cabin built by his parents. His father was a drummer who held down a regular country gig, and nights after work he would loosen his tie and show his son the finer points of Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones. In New Hampshire they drove around in trucks, and Prine and Dylan cassettes showed up in most of those trucks. Zak made Eagle Scout, got his knots down. Then it was college and out, wandering the country from the desert Southwest to Great Plains until he ran out of money, washing windows to work up the bus fare home. After a while it seemed like he ought to write some songs, and he did: heavy songs with a light touch; an AM radio throwback voice and an intricate finger-style technique framed by a drummer’s rhythm and sharpened by years of immersion in the work of players as various as John Fahey, Merle Travis, and Chet Atkins. In over a decade writing, recording, and performing music professionally - sharing studios and stages with his band Rusty Belle, or supporting touring acts like Chris Smither, Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault, and Peter Mulvey - Zak Trojano has evolved his own thing: a warm baritone paired with an old Martin guitar, floating above spare lines of cello and lap steel, horns and brushes, with a deceptively simple lyricism that on repeated listening shows that the fellow at the end of the bar doesn’t say much, but he’s worth hearing.”

***

Along with our conversation, you’ll find three songs from “Wolf Trees” and a live performance of a John Fahey guitar solo from the anniversary live show at Hawks and Reed last year.

Coming up in April will be another musical guest, Robyn Hitchcock, whom I’ve learned either needs no introduction at all or a very thorough one, depending on whom you ask.

Enjoy the show!

-Jamie B.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

-Jamie B.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://www.15minutesjamieberger.com/news/2018/5/31/episode-59-david-sedaris-returns

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://www.15minutesjamieberger.com/news/2018/7/2/episode-61-sonny-smith

Hope your 2019s are starting as well as they possibly can!

-j

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://www.15minutesjamieberger.com/news/2018/7/24/episode-62-simon-rich

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://www.15minutesjamieberger.com/news/2018/10/31/ut7e8v0a42fxh464sg7ponwmyq6nvh

It's noon on New Year's Eve - the countdown is on! Have a great one, all!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We'll be back in the new year with new episodes, but wanted to repost a few favorites you might have missed. Here's, #5, which is the second half of my conversation with writer/performer/friend-of-show Beth Lisick.

http://www.15minutesjamieberger.com/news/2018/2/22/episode-54-beth-lisick-pt-2

Since then, Beth trekked up to Western Mass to participate in our first live show, AND got signed by a great publisher (I'm blanking on who it is right now) for her first novel, which will be out sometime in 2019!

(In part one of our conversation,

http://www.15minutesjamieberger.com/news/2018/1/19/episode-52-beth-lisick-part-1

we wrestle with more difficult stuff such as men learning how to reckon with their actions and how to successfully apologize - this one is the lighter half of the conversation)

Below are the original notes for that episode, from back in January.

Happy New Year, all!

***

Here's part two of my conversation with writer/performer, old San Francisco friend Beth Lisick. (And here's Part One)

Before the conversation, I read a shortened version of an essay of mine called "Peep Show", that Beth was instrumental in getting me to write, a pretty long time ago., when she asked me to perform at her (And Arine Klatt's) legendary San Francisco storytelling series, Porch Light. 

If you want more of a bio of Beth, go take a look at Episode 52, where you can find the first half of our conversation. 

Among the topics we dive into here are: 

Moving to New York City in one's 40s, writing/writer career stuff and how we define success therein, "Punk-Rock Damage," asserting/enjoying one's own successes, making sure you get to do your own own audio book if you have the chance and want to!, working with a writing partner, avoiding becoming a “brand,” connecting with strangers in Trump Year One, #metoo and Louis and Harvey and fame and sex and power and whether it’s time for redemption and the misuse of the word “pervert” as equivalent to “predator,” and a bunch of other stuff. 

Coming up in March are comedian/author/Conan-O'Brien-writer Laurie Kilmartin and former Playboy Editorial Director Chris Napolitano.

Here's the full-length version of the essay "Peep Show" I read at the beginning of the episode that came out of a story told at Porch Light ...

... and here's the short story, "Close," that led to the Porch Light story that led to the essay that ...

And here's the book Bo's Arts, which came out of an art show at Adobe Books that Beth wrote about back in those halcyon days of yore.

Find Beth Lisick at http://bethlisick.com

Find us at http://15minutesjamieberger.com

Thanks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Napolitano is an old college friend. When we graduated, I headed off to work for literary presses Grove Press and New Directions, while Chris started working at Playboy, where he eventually rose to be Editorial Director for many years. After his 20 year tenure at Playboy, he became the Creative Director at Indian Country Today Media network.

In the earlier episode, we talk about editing in general, editing one's heroes (Norman Mailer and John Updike, among them), Chris’s decision to take a sharp turn away from the glitz and glam of Playboy in the early 2000s, and much, much more.

This episode is the somwehat less literary of the two. Among the topics we discuss are Chris's first-hand impression of Donald Trump (they met in the Playboy offices, near Trump Tower, on several occasions), #metoo and the legacy of Hugh Hefner, Playmates’ odd celebrity, and a story about Perry Farrell’s party at the Mansion.

Find all episodes of 15 Minutes on iTunes, Spotify and pretty much everywhere pods are cast, or at http://15minutesjamieberger.com.

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***

Find us at http://15minutesjamieberger.com or wherever pods are cast! Thanks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one was put together on short notice, and made in part because I couldn’t find written words to express my thoughts on this and it was making me crazy.

Here are some stories mentioned in the episode:

Elliott’s “How An Anonymous Accusation Derailed My Life”: https://quillette.com/2018/09/25/how-an-anonymous-accusation-derailed-my-life/

The news story about the lawsuit: https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/stephen-elliott-sues-moira-donegan.html

Other “shitty men” respond to the lawsuit: https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/stephen-elliott-moira-donegan-men-respond.html

Writers respond to the lawsuit: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/books/writers-condemn-author-stephen-elliott-after-he-sues-creator-of-s-ty-media-men-list

On the possible effects of the suit:

https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/stephen-elliott-lawsuit-moira-donegan-spreadsheet-privacy-expert.html

The Honest Couretesan’s Maggie McNeill’s “Topping from the Bottom” mentioned & quoted in intro:

https://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2018/10/15/topping-from-the-bottom/

Moira Donegan’s legal defense fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/hz8sxq

My “A noisy man on the silence of men” rant:

https://medium.com/@15minsjamieb/if-this-reads-like-a-facebook-post-a0fde26a45a7

If you want to read Bari Weiss’s Times Opinion Piece, you’ll have to look it up yourself.

Please find all our episodes, I’d say all of them more cheery than this one, at

http://15minutesjamieberger.com

Insta/twitter: @15minsjamieb

Feedback? info@15minutesjamieberger.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week, in our now-annual visit, is WFMU radiomaker (also available in podcast form!) and 15-Minutes-inspirational-icon Hearty White. This being his third visit (see Episodes 8, 31, and 32 for more!), we’ve pretty much dispensed with the formality of talking about fame and just chat about whatever comes to mind, which this time included Timothy Leary, sanity, The Rockford Files (of course), rings, heroes, the Attention Economy, Black Stalin, Sundar Popo, Chutney Music, how he makes episodes of “Miracle Nutrition” (his show), the cultural obsession with recording/preserving memories, and much much more! Find him on WFMU.org or by searching for "Miracle Nutrition with Hearty White" on your favorite podcasting application.

Before that, though, I rant for a while about how infuriating it is how many dudes such as this clever fellow (picture of a tweet you won’t see on the podcast apps so go to 15minutesjamieberger.com)

and most most recently, long-since-relevant comedian Norm McDonald, insist on shouting BUT IT’S NOT COMEDY about, instead of discussing the content of, Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix stand-up comedy special, “Nanette,” which somehow led me into a tangentially related story from my San Francisco performance art days.

Find “Miracle Nutrition with Hearty White” at/on WFMU and all the podcast places, where you can also find this show, or at 15minutesjamieberger.com.

Thanks!

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's the bio from Sarah's website. 

Sarah Fran Wisby writes poetry, short fiction, memoir and essays, preferring always to deepen and subvert genre by way of the hybrid form. Her book Viva Loss was published in 2008 by Small Desk Press. Recent work can be found in Eleven Eleven Journal and Rumpus Women Volume 1, and heard on Invisible Cities Audio Tour #2: The Armada of Golden Dreams. She’s also been published in Instant City, Sparkle and Blink, Digital Artifact, and The Encyclopedia Project Volume 2, F—K, for which she was honored to write the entry for fuck. She performs her work all over the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, and was a Literary Death Match champion in December 2010.

***

Coming next week to wrap up August, will be part two of the conversation from earlier this year, (Episode 56) with former longtime Playboy editorial director Christopher Napolitano.

Oh, last thing - this episode contains some wonderful adult content - enjoy!

As ever, thanks for listening! 

-Jamie

http://15minutesjamieberger.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about some of that stuff! Simon also reads two of his stories, (47:30) one of which includes a cameo of me as Death! Look out Hollywood, here I come!

At least today, July 24th, 2018, which is also the pub date for Hits and Misses, this is my new favorite episode. Hope you enjoy it!

-Jamie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s what Mother Jones had to say about his new album:

“On his own, or as leader of Sonny and the Sunsets, the engaging Sonny Smith specializes in finely observed vignettes about everyday people that showcase his wry, slackerish voice. For all its rough edges, though, there’s nothing casual about his scruffy garage pop, which tempers a streak of melancholy with offhand, self-aware wit. Produced by Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach (who knows a thing or two about making eccentricity accessible), Rod for Your Love is Smith’s most commercial effort yet—it’s all relative—boasting a brighter sound and sunnier vibe than before. Witness the jaunty, toe-tapping optimism of the irresistible “Lost,” where he chirps, “I know the way this time,” or the romantic drama “Burnin’ Up,” featuring Angel Olsen’s tangy harmonies. While Smith may never top the charts, he’s never been more entertaining or more deserving of mainstream attention.”

We talked about flying to Nashville to be produced by a rock star (and guests Pat Sansome of Wilco and Angel Olsen), and about then deciding to head home and onto his next projects instead of hitting the road to promote that album. We traded Robyn Hitchcock and Spalding Gray stories. We went into the tough decisions artists need to make regarding creative living versus promoting a creative life. To name just a few topics. We had a lot of fun reconnecting. Or at least I did. I think we both did.

We mention a few names and places. Virgil = Virgil Shaw, Kelly = Kelly Stoltz, Atom = Atom Ellis, and the Make Out Room is a bar I used to work at and he used to play at in the Misison in SF.

Find all episodes of 15 Minutes at:

http://15minutesjamieberger.com

Lately, we’ve had to turn down a couple of great guests because there’s just no budget to put up more episodes in a timely fashion. Please help us make this show more than twice a month, at:

https://www.patreon.com/15minutesjamieberger

Or via Paypal at 15minutesjamieberger@gmail.com

Thanks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spotify

iTunes

(or search "Jamie Berger 15 Minutes" on Google Play, Stitcher, you know, all the places.)

Hello All! 

Getting back in the groove after our first live recording (episodes to come in August) and the big ole 2nd-anniversary David Sedaris episode!

Episode 60 is a conversation with comedian Keith Lowell Jensen, whom I started following on twitter last year, because of tweets like this that make me feel better and worse about life in America:

I had Keith on my list of people to contact to see about having him on the show, and when his latest album of new material, "Bad Comedy for Bad People," hit #1 on the iTunes charts this spring, it seemed like the time. It was the time! And now is the time to bring that conversation to YOU!

We talk about: calling out pervy middle-school teachers, letting go of his grudge on Julie for throwing his BDP cassette across the cafe, Keith's friendship with Robin Williams, and the time he performed for him in the parking lot after a show, TMZ & how much fame is too much fame, and much much more!

You can find out more about where to catch Keith live, how to buy any of his 8 or so albums, on his site (click the words "his site" there). If you want to read and/or support his comic strip collaboration with Evan Svoboda, you can do that here. 

For all episodes of this show, please go to 15minutesjamieberger.com.

And yes, we too have a Patreon page, on which you can pledge as little as $1 per episode to help us get this show made. Please and thank you! You can also pledge whatever you want whenever you want but just Paypalling 15minutesjamieberger at gmail. We'd love to get back to three or even four episodes a month, but right now we just don't have the income to make that time. Thanks, regardless!

Ed Patenaude is the engineer. I, who write these words, Jamie Berger, am the host and pretty much everything else, except graphic designer and occasional photographer - that's Anja Schutz.

Find us on Twitter and Instagram @15minsjamieb, and on Facebook by searching "15 Minutes Jamie Berger."

Christian Cundari made the theme song.

Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 59 - David Sedaris

This is the podcast where David Sedaris gets to (okay, is strongly encouraged to) tell the dirty jokes he can’t tell Terry Gross! (This both a warning and an invitation.) But we talk about serious stuff too.

This episode marks the 2-year anniversary of 15 Minutes, and I was so happy to have our guest from right around our first anniversary return. (Episode 38 is where you can find our first conversation)

David Sedaris is a multiple NYT-bestselling author/humorist. But chances are really good you already knew that.

Stuff we talk about: Aging; Success; his diaries and his new book of essays, Calypso; denim shirts; Stormy Daniels; what’s funny and what isn’t; letting a stranger who isn’t a surgeon take you to her office and perform surgery on you; David Rakoff; bitterness; being confused for a woman; and much, much more!

***

All episodes of this podcast can be found at http://15minutesjamieberger.com, and on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and pretty much wherever pods are cast.

Ed Patenaude engineers the show. Christian Cundari made the the theme music. The show is hosted and created by me, Jamie Berger.

Anja Schutz, who handles all elements of visual design for the show, made today's episode image, in conjunction with Cola Saitux, LTD, based on a photo of David S. for which we could not find the photographer, and the cover of Calypso.

Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Annie Duke is a poker legend - winner of a WSOP bracelet, the WSOP Tournament of Champions, and of the NBC National Heads’-up Poker Championship in 2010, among other accolades. She was also runner-up to Joan Rivers on Season Two of Celebrity Apprentice. Among other charitable endeavors, Annie is co-founder, along with Don Cheadle and Norman Epstein, of Ante up for Africa. Our first first guest who's been over the Wall of Fame and climbed back, Annie is now retired from both poker and TV and is now a professional speaker, decision strategist, and one of the founders and directors of How I Decide, a nonprofit dedicated to helping youth become skilled decision makers, both in school and out. You can find them at howIdecide.org. Last, and Annie would say, most important, she is the proud mother of four."

***

Now Annie is back with her first mainstream (as opposed to poker) book. Part cognitive- psychology inquiry, part how-to guide, Thinking in Bets, posits that if we think of life less as the proverbial game of chess and more like poker, with its greater uncertainty and more unknowns, and act (bet) accordingly, we will make better decisions. We talk about that idea in terms of everything from voting and engaging in political conversation to deciding on everything from whether to run a red light to momentous life decisions. 

If you want to hear Annie recount her experiences with and thoughts on fame, go back and check out that earlier episode. We pretty much are completely OT re that fame stuff in this one.

(NOTE: At around 37:00 I refer to a poker book I once reviewed, but vaguely. It's Positively 5th Street by James McManus.)

Here's a link to Jennifer Wright's "Women Don't Owe Men a Debate about Feminism," mentioned in the episode.

( https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a19480416/women-changing-mens-minds-feminism-steven-crowder/ )

You can find 15 Minutes at http://15minutesjamieberger.com or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, pippa.io, and pretty much everywhere pods are cast. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recent tweet of hers, which was a response to not only a previous tweet, but a response to a response to said tweet, Whitney's "new twitter challenge" to "describe yourself like a male author would" led to thousands of responses and retweets, which led to press coverage ranging from a Huffpo article to a New Yorker piece and a BBC radio interview. She was also asked to do a TV interview for BBC, which she declined, and, in fact, decided to move on from this kind of attention. I was honored to be the last person she agreed to talk to about this. 

On top of learning about the splendors and terrors of Twitter virality, Whitney tells us about Twitter as a place not just to look for audience, but also, (as many of us have treated Facebook for years, and now treat Instagram, but are ignorant of re twitter) for community. I haven't used twitter in that fashion, and I look forward to giving it a go. 

We spoke on the phone on Saturday, 4/7/18, about a week after the big tweet.

Find her @whitneyarner, or don't, she's really not that concerned about it.

Sounds like a healthy way to go. 

Find us at

http://15minutesjamieberger.com or

@15minsjamieb (twitter/insta)

and on Facebook, Patreon, iTunes, Spotify, oh gosh, the list really does go on. 

Thanks!

(see below for a couple of great responses to Whitney Reynolds' tweet)

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talked about editing in general, editing one's heroes (Norman Mailer and John Updike, among them), and a bunch of other stuff. Part one is the more literary of the two.

Part 2, coming soon, touches on the other stuff - visits to the Playboy Mansion, the treatment of women both in editorial and in front of the camera, at the magazine, Chris's first-hand impression of Donald Trump, #metoo, and more.

At the top of the show, I gripe for a few minutes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laurie Kilmartin has been a Staff Writer for “Conan” since 2010 and a stand-up comedian for three decades. Her new book, “Dead People Suck,” (which she’s calling her second, and last, book) is a simultaneously heartwarming and biting comedic memoir about her father’s death and a tongue-in-cheek how-to about dealing with the death of a loved one.

She also co-hosts “The Jackie and Laurie Show” podcast with fellow comic Jackie Kashian.

***

Laurie and I talked about the book, about writing for Conan, the life of a stand-up, the joys and hazards of making jokes about her living mother and dead father, and of course, about fame and what she sees as her place in the comedy world.

And because you all know I have that magical gift of making funny people unfunny by asking them serious questions, I’ve included a couple of clips from her album “45 Jokes about My Dead Dad.” (which you can also find on Spotify, etc.)

You can find Laurie Kilmartin at

http://www.kilmartin.com/

and “Dead People Suck” wherever books are sold!

You can find us at

http://15mintuesjamierberger.com

and, again, now on Spotify!

Our new host is Pippa, and if you’re a podcaster looking for a host, check them out at http://pippa.io

Our theme song is by Christian Cundari.

Ed Patenaude is the Engineer.

Thanks for listening!

-jb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before the conversation, I read a shortened version of an essay of mine called "Peep Show", that Beth was instrumental in getting me to write, a pretty long time ago., when she asked me to perform at her (And Arine Klatt's) legendary San Francisco storytelling series, Porch Light. 

If you want more of a bio of Beth, go take a look at Episode 52, where you can find the first half of our conversation. 

Among the topics we dive into here are: 

Moving to New York City in one's 40s, writing/writer career stuff and how we define success therein, "Punk-Rock Damage," asserting/enjoying one's own successes, making sure you get to do your own own audio book if you have the chance and want to!, working with a writing partner, avoiding becoming a “brand,” connecting with strangers in Trump Year One, #metoo and Louis and Harvey and fame and sex and power and whether it’s time for redemption and the misuse of the word “pervert” as equivalent to “predator,” and a bunch of other stuff. 

Coming up in March are comedian/author/Conan-O'Brien-writer Laurie Kilmartin and former Playboy Editorial Director Chris Napolitano.

Here's the full-length version of the essay "Peep Show" I read at the beginning of the episode that came out of a story told at Porch Light ...

... and here's the short story, "Close," that led to the Porch Light story that led to the essay that ...

And here's the book Bo's Arts, which came out of an art show at Adobe Books that Beth wrote about back in those halcyon days of yore.

Find Beth Lisick at http://bethlisick.com

Find us at http://15minutesjamieberger.com

Thanks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.