Write About Now

It's been 20 years since Ron Burgundy first appeared on the screen urging viewers to "stay classy." Film comedy historian Saul Austerlitz joins the show to talk about his new book Kind of a Big Deal: How Anchorman Stayed Classy and Became the Most Iconic Comedy of the Twenty-First Century, which celebrates this classic movie. Austerlitz shares the inside story of how Anchorman came to be, how it was written and cast, and how it ultimately launched the careers of future superstars like Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd. More than just a hilarious comedy, the film was actually a decade ahead of its time taking digs at toxic masculinity and MeToo sexism. You will be surprised at some of the tidbits Austerlitz uncovered in his research on the film.

Alexander Stille talks about his fascinating new book, The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune. Led by a charismatic psychoanalyst, the Sullivanians flourished in Manhattan's tony neighborhood in the 1970s and 80s, attracting many brilliant, creative people as patients, including Jackson Pollack and Judy Collins. But what started as a utopian experiment in psychoanalysis devolved into a paranoid sex cult in which therapists controlled their patients' lives, instructing them who to sleep with and where they could work. The real tragedy is the story of the children, who were shipped off to boarding schools so that their parents could be free to sleep around and jettison the constraints of the nuclear family. Stille is an accomplished journalists and a professor at Columbia Journalism School.

In this episode, we're talkin' bout the generations. Guest Dr. Jean Twenge is the author of the endlessly fascinating new book Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future. Twenge dives into government surveys, databases, and scientific studies to give a revelatory report on why generations change, what makes each generation unique, and how we can learn from each other. I understand my kids and my parents so much better now! Subscribe to my substack Small Talk @ https://jonathan856.substack.com/ Check out my new TikTok video @ https://www.tiktok.com/@writeaboutnowpod Watch the interview on YouTube @https://bit.ly/WriteAboutNowYouTube

When you think of your 'future self,' who do you see? The image is probably pretty blurry, but it doesn't have to be. My guest Hal Hershfield believes that by strengthening the connections between your present and future selves, you gain a new perspective on what's important—and create the future you want. Hershfield is the author of Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today and a Professor of Marketing, Behavioral Decision Making at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. He spent over a decade researching how understanding our future selves can help us achieve our goals and hopes for the future. Topics discussed include: How similar our future selves are to our present selves Why living in the now is not in opposition to planning for the future. How thinking of our future self motivates us. Techniques for connecting with your future self. Subscribe to the Write About Now newsletter @ bit.ly/SmallTalkSubstack Watch interview @ bit.ly/WriteAboutNowYouTube

Guest Courtney Kocak is a writer, podcaster, and comedian based in LA. She reports frequently on taboo topics such as porn, sexuality, and sex work. On her podcast Private Parts Unknown, Courtney takes a Bourdain-like sexual tour around the world, revealing secret seductive subcultures. On this episode, she talks about why she enjoys writing about sex, her fascinating experience getting a happy ending massage in Tokyo, and what she's learned having an OnlyFans page. After you've finished listening head on over to her other podcast, The Bleeders, in which she grills me about writing the "Jake" column for Glamour magazine. Listen to our interview on The Bleeders: https://bit.ly/3YnMmJW Watch the video on YouTube: bit.ly/3Qv5fZn Subscribe to my Substack: https://jonathan856.substack.com/

UFOs are back in the news. Last month, three U.S. military veterans testified to the congress that the government had possession of "non-human" biologics. And my guest Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb recently led an exhibition to the bottom of the Pacific to retrieve what he believes could be materials from an extraterrestrial spacecraft. In this episode, we revisit my conversation with Dr. Loeb about his book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth and his controversial belief that we have been visited by ETs. For more information on Write About Now, visit: writeaboutnowmedia.com Subscribe to my newsletter @ jonathan856.substack.com

Ian Fleming introduced James Bond 007 in 1953, writing 14 Bond books before he died. Since then, a few well-regarded novelists have carried the torch for the world's most famous spy. But guest Kim Sherwood is the first woman to pen a James Bond book. Sherwood is an award-winning author and creative writing teacher at the University of Edinburgh. On the podcast, she talks about how she got the gig, her lifelong obsession with Bond, her secret mission in writing the novel, and how she updated the characters and universe for the 21st Century.

Fiona Davis is one of the most successful historical fiction writers working today. Her seven novels all take place in famous historic New York landmarks. Last month, she released The Spectacular, set in Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday. On the pod, she talks about her circuitous route to becoming a novelist, how she accidentally became a New York City real estate scribe, who she turns to for her ideas, and how she researches her projects. She also offers tips on imposter syndrome and getting over writer's block. To learn more about Write About Now, visit: writeaboutnowmedia.com Subscribe to the Small Stack substack @ https://jonathan856.substack.com/ Watch interviews on youtube.com/@writeaboutnowpodcast111

Recently, I surveyed listeners about the biggest challenge they face in achieving their goals The number one answer: Procrastination. So this episode is all about the dreaded P-word. What procrastination is, why we do it, and how to overcome it. Guest Petr Ludwig is a procrastination slayer. His book The End of Procrastination is a well-researched action plan for inaction. Petr's main argument is that procrastination is not a time-management problem—it's an emotions-management problem. He offers tips to stop beating yourself up and start psyching yourself up to get the stuff done you know you should.

The biggest obstacle standing between you and your goals could be yourself. Even more insidious—you might not even know you're doing this. Self-sabotage is the act of unconsciously undermining our own success, often through negative thoughts and behaviors. In this episode, Dr. Judy Ho talks about the hidden reasons why we self-sabotage, the signs to look for, and how to break free from this destructive pattern. Dr. Judy is a triple-certified psychologist and author of Self Sabotage: Six Ways to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower and Get Out Of Your Own Way! Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jonathan856.substack.com/ Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writeaboutnowpodcast Special discount on AG1 by Atheletic Greens: http://athleticgreen.com/writeaboutnow