Nothing I like to do pays well
7 things to read this week + book notes
These articles caught my attention this week:
writes about David Milch’s writing process
Here’s how it worked on NYPD Blue and, later, Deadwood: Milch would lie on the floor in the middle of a room in the show’s writing trailer, with other writers and producers sitting in chairs around him. In front of Milch would be a computer monitor displaying the script in progress. On the other side of the monitor, a typist sat at a desk (with his or her own monitor), typing the script as Milch dictated it. These writing sessions thus came to resemble a kind of séance, with Milch summoning the voices of the characters, inventing their lines on the spot—and reciting variations of these lines over and over (and over and over) until he arrived at the exact right piece of dialogue.
Milch is the creator of the HBO show Deadwood and also had quite the successful career writing for NYPD Blue. I’m reading Peter Biskind’s book about this era of influential TV shows, and just made it through the section about this show.
On the difficulty of getting rid of books
This hit because I stood in line at Strand Books off Broadway near Union Square in NYC the other day and it felt like an uber New York moment—-standing on the corner with other bibliophiles hawking our things so other people could one day buy them, getting a penance back for the entertainment we did or did not enjoy
Most of the books I took back were graphic novels my kids are reading (they love the Babysitter Club reboots)
I did return Drifts by Kate Zambreno & Trust by Hernan Diaz — books I read last year and liked!
Book Notes
(notes on the books I’m currently reading)
While at Strand, I picked this up. Hughes is an illustrator and designer. This is a sci-fi book in the experimental mold of House of Leaves so that’s like a no-brainer for me to get.
Masters of Atlantis by Charles Portis
I’m still in this and it has a complete Confederacy of Dunces vibe, and I’m not sure how it’s going to wrap up, but it’s quirky and not hard to read, so I’m going with it
Also started the aforementioned Pandora’s Box by Peter Biskind about modern TV and streaming.
Not sure why I like books about TV and movies so much, but I think it’s cool to investigate the creative process in that way
Christian books: Started Dangerous Jesus by KB Elijah Burgess and The Stone Lectures by Abraham Kuyper came in the mail
“Nothing I like to do pays well.” — Charles Portis
Keep going,
-Josh Spilker
PS: Check out my note-taking templates on Gumroad. Talk soon!