Hey look! err..Listen! John’s on NPR. Briefly.
After meeting a friend-of-a-friend at a birthday party over the weekend, I ended up getting pressed into service for a story on NPR’s Day to Day.
Reporter Mike Pesca wanted to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s challenges converting his action-movie persona into a consensus-building governor, and wanted to talk to a screenwriter about it. So I happily made with the quotes.
Here’s what I learned. Somehow, the experience of talking into a microphone makes constructing a coherent thought 300% more difficult. I sat down ready to talk about things like California’s abysmal Proposition 13, and found myself speaking non-words like “governenceship.” Bah. Fortunately, the snippets that made it in to the report are at least English.
You can hear the results here.
(For the record, I’m pretty neutral on Schwarzenegger. He’s honestly been a lot better than I was expecting, but that’s sort of damning with faint praise.)
Articles
June 16th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
The best thing for me about Gov. Schwarzenegger is that, since the California Gov’s signature goes on a UC diploma, and I’m getting my MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA, Arnold’s signature will be on my screenwriting diploma. That just somehow seems right.
June 19th, 2005 at 4:44 pm
That is hilarious. And all the best David!!
July 29th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
You’re a wizard. Your movies are the best. You are the most ingenious crafter of stories ever.
As a former network writer/producer in promo, I appreciate your support of the Guild’s efforts to organize unscripted TV. Their job is just like my job was; way too much work, way too little compensation, monetarily or otherwise. And you’re absolutely right about the train-length cookie-cutter trailers with the same voice. But you’ve probably met even more of these suits than I. I’m happy to say I’m finishing my third screenplay, and though my agent hasn’t sold the first one yet, it’s a way better way to occupy oneself. And the most important thing I learned here: Never feed a cold squirrel. Good advice, good metaphor. Congratulations on the birth, too. Much luck and admiration. Robin