In this episode, we talk about biographies. About reading biographies that inspire, biographies that keep up from living our own lives, biographies we should have avoided, biographies we should have read, and then not living your own life like it’s a biography. Tim talks about Van Gogh, Tom talks about Steve Martin, Klaus Kinski and Ted Hawkins. Give it a listen!
We are graced with the voice of Ell Potter in this (and future episodes). Go visit the Ell’s temple of creativity here and here. Thank you Ell!
Here are some timestamps:
00:15 A friend obsessed with people's biographies. Are we living our own lives?
01:48 Young Tim surprised biographies existed at all
03:00 Van Gogh's biography. The shock of his unfulfilled life
04:40 Tom on inner lives of the past
05:15 Klaus Kinski's autobiography, and his sunflower
07:25 Emily Dickenson is too intense
8:45 Steve Martin's autobiography and why it's the last one Tom will read
11:12 What straight white men are sick of
12:15 Van Gogh again
15:55 "I have a lot of love to give"
17:40 Capitalism and rage and the suffocating of human gifts
19:00 Ted Hawkins
23:40 Where do you want to put your heart?
25:50 Tim's olds friends at Church who don't want to hear the gospel
28:43 No longer believing in the singular artist
31:00 Our work as a bridge or relics for our family and community
32:00 How awesome youth is and how boring old people are
33:00 Tom believes nothing matters anymore; Van Gogh doesn't matter, the Beatles didn't matter. Nothing lasts.
36:00 Approaching a life like it was a narrative or biography instead of just living it
38:30 Not forgetting your own private meaning.
40:00 - 44:00 Tom's reading corner: Klaus Kinski and the sunflower
