• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

John August

  • Arlo Finch
  • Scriptnotes
  • Library
  • Store
  • About

Citizenship

At the table with Kamala Harris

November 4, 2024 Citizenship, First Person

I first met Kamala Harris at a small lunch in 2010. Just four or five of us around a table. Harris was running to become California’s next attorney general, so a friend suggested we meet her. I found Harris to be incredibly bright and charismatic. I donated to her campaign on the spot.

Afterwards, I described her as a superstar. My friend suggested Kamala Harris could be president one day. I agreed.

In the years after that initial meeting, I crossed paths with Harris several times. My husband and I were seated with her at a fundraiser in 2012. She was there to introduce President Obama. Everything was running late, so we ended up talking with her for more than an hour. She’s incredibly easy to talk to, and funny. She asks questions. She’s curious.

This video in which Harris explains dry-brining a turkey captures a bit of that vibe.

When Harris ran for U.S. senator in 2016, I met her again at a backyard fundraiser. (I keep saying “met” because while I’ve probably spoken with Harris for two hours over 14 years, she almost certainly doesn’t know who I am. And that’s totally how it should be! When it comes to people, “knowing” isn’t really reciprocal.) Harris was still the same warm/funny/smart candidate I’d met at that lunch in 2010. I happily made my donation, excited to see her become our senator.

In 2019, Harris dropped out of the crowded Democratic primary fairly early, but I was delighted to see her become Biden’s running mate. It’s easy to forget Harris has already made history as our nation’s first-ever female vice president. But then again, it’s easy to forget vice presidents if things are going well.

My most recent encounter with Harris was, again, in a back yard. In June 2024, just three days after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, Harris had to convince a group of terrified donors that the campaign could still win. She largely succeeded. She acknowledged reality — that Biden had lost the debate — but then laid out in clear terms the issues and the dangers presented by another Trump presidency. She wasn’t afraid to swear and smile and laugh. She was very much the woman I’d met at a lunch in 2010. I walked away thinking, “Man, I wish she were the candidate instead of Biden.”

And then she was.

In the 106 days she’s been at the top of the ticket, it’s been remarkable to see this singular talent translate the energy she’s always brought to one-on-one encounters to giant arenas. Beyoncé now opens for her.

This ad, the closer of the campaign, accurately captures Harris’s unique blend of compassion, curiosity and conviction.

The election is tomorrow. It could go either way. I’ve donated and phone banked and done all the things. I fervently hope Kamala Harris will be our next president.

Obviously, one votes based on which candidate best reflects their world view and priorities. But you’re also electing a person. Trust matters. So does authenticity. That’s why I’m writing up these observations.

Most people will never have the chance to meet Kamala Harris in person. But as someone who’s been lucky to interact with her over the years, I can tell you that the Kamala Harris you get face-to-face is just as impressive as the candidate on the stage.

If you’re undecided about who to vote for, or worry that Kamala Harris is some manufactured political entity, I can assure you she was this cool 14 years ago.

Scriptnotes Writers Voting Live Event

October 11, 2020 Citizenship

Watch as John and Craig sit down with Ashley Nicole Black (A Black Lady Sketch Show) and Beth Schacter (Billions) to discuss democracy and work on our 2020 ballots.

Real-World Villains

Episode - 374

Go to Archive

November 6, 2018 Adaptation, Citizenship, Follow Up, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot

John and Craig investigate actual villains in this installment of How Would This Be a Movie? From the eerily prescient writer of “How to Murder Your Husband” to the dark comedy of Jacob Wohl, sometimes reality provides the character — now you just need an actual story.

We also look at the craft behind writing for ensemble, plus follow-up on the end of FilmStruck, “No Writing Left Behind,” specifying character race in scripts and the hopeful resurgence of family-friendly Christmas movies.

Links:

* [FilmStruck is Shutting Down](https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/filmstruck-shutdown-warnermedia-turner-1202998364/)
* Aaron Sauerland’s [tweet](https://twitter.com/aaronsauerland/status/1057425706450206720?s=21) about writing for ensembles
* [Novelist Who Penned ‘How To Murder Your Husband’ Essay Charged With Husband’s Murder](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/647113406/novelist-who-penned-how-to-murder-your-husband-essay-charged-with-husband-s-murd) by Laurel Wamsley for NPR
* [Never Go Full Trump: The Lena Epstein Story](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/never-go-full-trump-the-lena-epstein-story) by Josh Marshal for TPM
* [The Humiliating Crash and Burn of Pro-Trump Media Star Jacob Wohl Is the Best Political Story of the Season](http://www.pajiba.com/politics/the-downfall-of-protrump-media-star-jacob-wohl-is-the-best-political-story-of-2018.php?fbclid=IwAR2C81ZC3YUUb7HOzQGblTDb1dicPKKQtD1nGnJthaXFBgWXSI5WXyaqNtw) by Dustin Rowles for Pajiba
* [‘Nicole From Last Night’: University Of Calgary Student Mass Emails 247 Nicoles](https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/09/09/nicole-from-last-night-university-of-calgary-email_a_23521669/) by Maija Kappler for Huffington Post
* [Meet the gallant all-black American female battalion that served in Europe during World War II](https://face2faceafrica.com/article/meet-the-gallant-all-black-american-female-battalion-that-served-in-europe-during-world-war-ii) by Elizabeth Ofosuah Johnson for Face 2 Face Africa.
* [Mary McLeod Bethune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McLeod_Bethune)
* [6 Tips for Getting Your Solo Play to Broadway](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/30/theater/mike-birbiglia-broadway-the-new-one.amp.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&smid=nytcore-ios-share#click=https://t.co/Ggwb3dYQgI) by Mike Birbiglia
* [Decrypto](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/225694/decrypto)
* T-shirts are available [here](https://cottonbureau.com/people/john-august-1)! We’ve got new designs, including [Colored Revisions](https://cottonbureau.com/products/colored-revisions), [Karateka](https://cottonbureau.com/products/karateka), and [Highland2](https://cottonbureau.com/products/highland2).
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Find past episodes](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* [Scriptnotes Digital Seasons](https://store.johnaugust.com/) are also now available!
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Matthew Chilelli ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_374v2.mp3).

**UPDATE 11-14-18:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-374-real-world-villains-transcript).

Austin Live Show 2018

October 30, 2018 Awards, Citizenship, Film Industry, Follow Up, QandA, Scriptnotes, Television, Transcribed, Treatments, WGA

John and Craig invite Wendy Calhoun (Station 19, Empire), Phil Hay (The Invitation, Ride Along), Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel), and Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman, Ice Age: Continental Drift) to join them onstage for a discussion about the death of the writing middle class, why we get bored during a film or episode of television, and the consequences of handing over unpaid writing.

We also play a game called “Why is Craig So Mad?”

Recorded live from the Driskill Ballroom at the 2018 Austin Film Festival. Thanks to the Austin Film Festival for hosting us, and to a great audience!

Links:

* Thanks for joining us, [Wendy Calhoun](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1618213/), [Phil Hay](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006534/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1), [Nicole Perlman](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2270979/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1), and [Jason Fuchs](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0297229/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1)!
* And thank you, Beto, for the message! Check out the (https://johnaugust.com/Assets/20181027_044233000_iOS.mov) from the audience.
* [The Death of Hollywood’s Middle Class](https://www.fastcompany.com/90250828/the-death-of-hollywoods-middle-class) by Nicole Laporte for Fast Company
* This [tweet](https://twitter.com/nicola_prigg/status/1052664430692093953?s=21) by Nicola Prigg
* Keep an eye on [Weekend Read](https://quoteunquoteapps.com/weekendread/) for screenplays this awards season.
* T-shirts are available [here](https://cottonbureau.com/people/john-august-1)! We’ve got new designs, including [Colored Revisions](https://cottonbureau.com/products/colored-revisions), [Karateka](https://cottonbureau.com/products/karateka), and [Highland2](https://cottonbureau.com/products/highland2).
* [The USB drives!](https://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-300-episode-usb-flash-drive)
* [Wendy Calhoun](https://twitter.com/wendycalhoun) on Twitter
* [Phil Hay](https://twitter.com/phillycarly) on Twitter
* [Nicole Perlman](https://twitter.com/uncannygirl) on Twitter
* [Jason Fuchs](https://twitter.com/JasonIsaacFuchs) on Twitter
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Find past episodes](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* [Scriptnotes Digital Seasons](https://store.johnaugust.com/) are also now available!
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Matthew Chilelli ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_373v2.mp3).

**UPDATE 11-8-18:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-373-austin-live-show-2018-transcript).

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Newsletter

Inneresting Logo A Quote-Unquote Newsletter about Writing
Read Now

Explore

Projects

  • Aladdin (1)
  • Arlo Finch (27)
  • Big Fish (88)
  • Charlie (39)
  • Charlie's Angels (16)
  • Chosen (2)
  • Corpse Bride (9)
  • Dead Projects (18)
  • Frankenweenie (10)
  • Go (30)
  • Karateka (4)
  • Monsterpocalypse (3)
  • One Hit Kill (6)
  • Ops (6)
  • Preacher (2)
  • Prince of Persia (13)
  • Shazam (6)
  • Snake People (6)
  • Tarzan (5)
  • The Nines (118)
  • The Remnants (12)
  • The Variant (22)

Apps

  • Bronson (14)
  • FDX Reader (11)
  • Fountain (32)
  • Highland (73)
  • Less IMDb (4)
  • Weekend Read (64)

Recommended Reading

  • First Person (88)
  • Geek Alert (151)
  • WGA (162)
  • Workspace (19)

Screenwriting Q&A

  • Adaptation (66)
  • Directors (90)
  • Education (49)
  • Film Industry (491)
  • Formatting (129)
  • Genres (90)
  • Glossary (6)
  • Pitches (29)
  • Producers (59)
  • Psych 101 (119)
  • Rights and Copyright (96)
  • So-Called Experts (47)
  • Story and Plot (170)
  • Television (164)
  • Treatments (21)
  • Words on the page (237)
  • Writing Process (178)

More screenwriting Q&A at screenwriting.io

© 2025 John August — All Rights Reserved.