YANN MARTEL

YANN MARTEL

Novelist

It's interesting to me that the West has been shaped by two works of fiction, The Iliad and The Odyssey and the Gospels, which are prehistoric artistic works. The West has two feet. They're both fictional feet, and after that we started being rational and reasonable.

(Highlights) DELIA EPHRON

(Highlights) DELIA EPHRON

Author, Screenwriter and Producer

So the great thing about being a writer is you can take the pain of your life and make something out of it. And you can mix it up with the happier parts and make something even better out of it. I mean, it's kind of all these things end up being gifts when you're older.

DELIA EPHRON

DELIA EPHRON

Author, Screenwriter and Producer

So the great thing about being a writer is you can take the pain of your life and make something out of it. And you can mix it up with the happier parts and make something even better out of it. I mean, it's kind of all these things end up being gifts when you're older.

ANA CASTILLO

ANA CASTILLO

Award-winning Xicana Activist, Editor, Poet, Novelist, Artist
Author of My Book of the Dead
One of the things of the things that is dying is our planet. We hear these sirens every single day. We’re being warned daily by experts and concerned people how vast that squandering is going. It’s a case of urgency and it’s astounding and a very sad, a very pathetic comment on modern life that most people are ignoring those signs. As a poet, it seems to me that one of the tasks that the poet takes on, it’s a vocation that’s born with it, it’s this consciousness, this serving as witness.

(Highlights) TOM PERROTTA

(Highlights) TOM PERROTTA

Tom Perrotta is the bestselling author of nine works of fiction, including Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which was adapted into a critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning HBO series. His other books include Bad Haircut, The Wishbones, Joe College, The Abstinence Teacher, Nine Inches, and his newest, Mrs. Fletcher. His work has been translated into a multitude of languages. Perrotta grew up in New Jersey and lives outside of Boston.

TOM PERROTTA

TOM PERROTTA

Tom Perrotta is the bestselling author of nine works of fiction, including Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which was adapted into a critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning HBO series. His other books include Bad Haircut, The Wishbones, Joe College, The Abstinence Teacher, Nine Inches, and his newest, Mrs. Fletcher. His work has been translated into a multitude of languages. Perrotta grew up in New Jersey and lives outside of Boston.

CINDY CHUPACK

CINDY CHUPACK

Writer · Producer · Director
Sex and the City, Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Otherhood

It was a long journey because I think I've been writing television now twenty-five years. I never really had the directing bug. I always loved writing and I like being behind the scenes and, in television, writers have so much control anyway to rise up the ranks and run the show and hire the directors, so I mostly had just great collaborations with directors.

(Highlights) HOWARD RODMAN

(Highlights) HOWARD RODMAN

Howard A. Rodman is a screenwriter, author and educator. His novels include The Great Eastern and Destiny Express. As a screenwriter, Rodman wrote Savage Grace, with Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne, nominated for Best Screenplay at the 2009 Spirit Awards, and AUGUST, starring Josh Hartnett and David Bowie. He also wrote Joe Gould’s Secret, the opening night film of the Sundance Film Festival, based on the memoir by iconic New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell. He is the past president of the Writers Guild of America West; professor of screenwriting at USC's School of Cinematic Arts; a member of the National Film Preservation Board; and an artistic director of the Sundance Screenwriting Labs. 

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Bret Young. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. “Winter Time” was composed by Nikolas Anadolis and performed by the Athenian Trio.

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process & One Planet Podcast (Conversations about Climate Change & Environmental Solutions).

HOWARD RODMAN

HOWARD RODMAN

Howard A. Rodman is a screenwriter, author and educator. His novels include The Great Eastern and Destiny Express. As a screenwriter, Rodman wrote Savage Grace, with Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne, nominated for Best Screenplay at the 2009 Spirit Awards, and AUGUST, starring Josh Hartnett and David Bowie. He also wrote Joe Gould’s Secret, the opening night film of the Sundance Film Festival, based on the memoir by iconic New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell. He is the past president of the Writers Guild of America West; professor of screenwriting at USC's School of Cinematic Arts; a member of the National Film Preservation Board; and an artistic director of the Sundance Screenwriting Labs. 

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Bret Young. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. “Winter Time” was composed by Nikolas Anadolis and performed by the Athenian Trio.

(Highlights) ETGAR KERET

(Highlights) ETGAR KERET

Writer and Director

When I compare novelists to short story writers or very short story writers, I can’t compare them, but one thing for sure, the purpose is different. I think that someone who writes tries to create or document a world. And when you write very short fiction you try to document a motion, some kind of movement.

ETGAR KERET

ETGAR KERET

Writer and Director

When I compare novelists to short story writers or very short story writers, I can’t compare them, but one thing for sure, the purpose is different. I think that someone who writes tries to create or document a world. And when you write very short fiction you try to document a motion, some kind of movement.

(Highlights) JONATHAN FURMANSKI

(Highlights) JONATHAN FURMANSKI

Cinematographer Jonathan Furmanski’s credits include the film Good Boys. For TV, he’s lensed the cult crime comedy Search Party, Inside Amy Schumer, and The Detour. He’s shot on massive glaciers, active volcanos, and in international combat zones. His documentary feature films include The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers, 30 for 30: Doc & Darryl, Big Men and The Family Business: Trump and Taxes.

JONATHAN FURMANSKI

Directing is its own art form, so I have great respect and appreciation for directing and all the directors that I’ve had an opportunity to work with, but I just know that’s not me. So I’m happy that cinematography found me or I found it. I appreciate what you said about how cinematography, obviously is its own art form and can function as a character in a project and in the audience’s experience of watching that project. I think cinematography can–I don’t want to say make or break a project–because I think ultimately the writing and the performances are the foundation of any good project, but I think that cinematography can either elevate or undermine both the writing or the performances, depending on how it’s treated and how it’s executed. So, to me, it’s a fundamental part of the process.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Leni Sperry-Fromm. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. 

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process. 

JONATHAN FURMANSKI

JONATHAN FURMANSKI

Cinematographer Jonathan Furmanski’s credits include the film Good Boys. For TV, he’s lensed the cult crime comedy Search Party, Inside Amy Schumer, and The Detour. He’s shot on massive glaciers, active volcanos, and in international combat zones. His documentary feature films include The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers, 30 for 30: Doc & Darryl, Big Men and The Family Business: Trump and Taxes.

JONATHAN FURMANSKI

Directing is its own art form, so I have great respect and appreciation for directing and all the directors that I’ve had an opportunity to work with, but I just know that’s not me. So I’m happy that cinematography found me or I found it. I appreciate what you said about how cinematography, obviously is its own art form and can function as a character in a project and in the audience’s experience of watching that project. I think cinematography can–I don’t want to say make or break a project–because I think ultimately the writing and the performances are the foundation of any good project, but I think that cinematography can either elevate or undermine both the writing or the performances, depending on how it’s treated and how it’s executed. So, to me, it’s a fundamental part of the process.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Leni Sperry-Fromm. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. 



Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process. 

(Highlights) MICHAEL MAREN

(Highlights) MICHAEL MAREN

Michael Maren is a journalist, filmmaker and former aid worker. He’s written scripts for HBO, Sony Pictures, and many independent producers. His film, A Short History of Decay was a funny and moving examination of a writer  Bryan Greenberg visiting his ailing parents, played by Linda Lavin and  Harris Yulin. His forthcoming film is an adaptation of Chris Belden’s novel Shriver. It’s a comedy set at a writers conference and stars Michael Shannon, Kate Hudson, Don Johnson, and Zach Braff.  Maren has taught screenwriting at Wesleyan University, Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Taos Summer Writers’ Workshop, and co-directs the Sirenland Writers Conference. He created the film screening/discussion series Under the Influence: Writers on Film.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

I don't know how you like to define yourself, you're a writer, you're a director. You came up as a foreign war correspondent, as a volunteer. It's quite an interesting trajectory, I think, for anyone who might want to become a director. Could you describe how you fell in love with telling stories?

MICHAEL MAREN

When I was in fifth grade. We used to have a little creative writing class, and people would write stories. And I don't know why I did this, but I remember when I was in the class, they started their student stories with–so I woke up in the morning and I went to the... I just thought, I'm nine years old, I just cut to the chase and talked about being in the air with the go-cart rolling over, and the teacher was blown away. In fifth grade, she said, "You're a really good writer." And I never forgot that.

-

So, I'm very, very much a natural journalist in that way. I had a lot of opportunities to get involved in things overseas, whether it was to stay in aid work or to work for, when I got out of graduate school, offers to like join financial institutions and World Bank kind of stuff or investment banking. I have a masters from Columbia, but I took a job for seventeen thousand dollars a year writing for this little magazine about Africa.

And it gave me the opportunity to keep traveling and keep reporting. And I just loved it. I loved it for years and years. And part of my interest in Africa came from watching movies set in Africa as a kid. And I actually tried my hand at writing screenplays during the 1980s a couple of times just by myself and actually trying to option them. I was reporting out of Uganda in the mid-80s when Yoweri Museveni, who's now the president, was still a guerrilla leader fighting against the regime.

And during that time, I was sort of sleeping outside and doing a lot of stuff. I read a copy of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, and I thought, "Wow, this would make a great movie." When I got back to New York, I at one point I called, but I ended up realizing that the rights had been owned for many, many years, and I wasn't about to get the rights to make the screenplay.

My mentor in journalism was it was a guy named Richard Ben Cramer, one of the great journalists of all time. And I met Richard in Africa in the early 1980s. And Richard taught me one thing. He said every five minutes as a journalist, stop and ask yourself, what's the story? What's the story? And the point is, you can walk into any world and kind of get lost in the details. But when you know the story you're trying to tell, you know what the details are and pay attention to them.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Katherine Vasiliev. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. “Winter Time” was composed by Nikolas Anadolis* and performed by the Athenian Trio.

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process.

 
MICHAEL MAREN

MICHAEL MAREN

Michael Maren is a journalist, filmmaker and former aid worker. He’s written scripts for HBO, Sony Pictures, and many independent producers. His film, A Short History of Decay was a funny and moving examination of a writer  Bryan Greenberg visiting his ailing parents, played by Linda Lavin and  Harris Yulin. His forthcoming film is an adaptation of Chris Belden’s novel Shriver. It’s a comedy set at a writers conference and stars Michael Shannon, Kate Hudson, Don Johnson, and Zach Braff.  Maren has taught screenwriting at Wesleyan University, Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Taos Summer Writers’ Workshop, and co-directs the Sirenland Writers Conference. He created the film screening/discussion series Under the Influence: Writers on Film.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

I don't know how you like to define yourself, you're a writer, you're a director. You came up as a foreign war correspondent, as a volunteer. It's quite an interesting trajectory, I think, for anyone who might want to become a director. Could you describe how you fell in love with telling stories?

MICHAEL MAREN

When I was in fifth grade. We used to have a little creative writing class, and people would write stories. And I don't know why I did this, but I remember when I was in the class, they started their student stories with–so I woke up in the morning and I went to the... I just thought, I'm nine years old, I just cut to the chase and talked about being in the air with the go-cart rolling over, and the teacher was blown away. In fifth grade, she said, "You're a really good writer." And I never forgot that.

-

So, I'm very, very much a natural journalist in that way. I had a lot of opportunities to get involved in things overseas, whether it was to stay in aid work or to work for, when I got out of graduate school, offers to like join financial institutions and World Bank kind of stuff or investment banking. I have a masters from Columbia, but I took a job for seventeen thousand dollars a year writing for this little magazine about Africa.

And it gave me the opportunity to keep traveling and keep reporting. And I just loved it. I loved it for years and years. And part of my interest in Africa came from watching movies set in Africa as a kid. And I actually tried my hand at writing screenplays during the 1980s a couple of times just by myself and actually trying to option them. I was reporting out of Uganda in the mid-80s when Yoweri Museveni, who's now the president, was still a guerrilla leader fighting against the regime.

And during that time, I was sort of sleeping outside and doing a lot of stuff. I read a copy of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, and I thought, "Wow, this would make a great movie." When I got back to New York, I at one point I called, but I ended up realizing that the rights had been owned for many, many years, and I wasn't about to get the rights to make the screenplay.

My mentor in journalism was it was a guy named Richard Ben Cramer, one of the great journalists of all time. And I met Richard in Africa in the early 1980s. And Richard taught me one thing. He said every five minutes as a journalist, stop and ask yourself, what's the story? What's the story? And the point is, you can walk into any world and kind of get lost in the details. But when you know the story you're trying to tell, you know what the details are and pay attention to them.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Katherine Vasiliev. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. “Winter Time” was composed by Nikolas Anadolis* and performed by the Athenian Trio.

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process.

 
(Highlights) CAROLINE THOMPSON

(Highlights) CAROLINE THOMPSON

Award-Winning Screenwriter & Novelist
Edward Scissorhands · The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton had just Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. He was at some point in the making of Beetlejuice. Our agency didn’t know what to do with either of us with our off-kilter sensibility, so they introduced us, and we immediately felt a kinship and became friends. It was pretty clear from pretty early on that we wanted to work together. We threw out ideas. Among the ideas we talked about Tim mentioned to me a drawing he had made in high school of a character who had scissors instead of hands. And I said, ‘Stop right there!; First of all, this may surprise you, it was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard in my life, so I knew it was brilliant. It was so simple and so stupid and such an obvious metaphor, I knew that it had power beyond belief. I said, ‘Stop, I know exactly what to do with that!’

CAROLINE THOMPSON

CAROLINE THOMPSON

Award-Winning Screenwriter & Novelist

Tim Burton had just Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. He was at some point in the making of Beetlejuice. Our agency didn’t know what to do with either of us with our off-kilter sensibility, so they introduced us, and we immediately felt a kinship and became friends. It was pretty clear from pretty early on that we wanted to work together. We threw out ideas. Among the ideas we talked about Tim mentioned to me a drawing he had made in high school of a character who had scissors instead of hands. And I said, ‘Stop right there!; First of all, this may surprise you, it was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard in my life, so I knew it was brilliant. It was so simple and so stupid and such an obvious metaphor, I knew that it had power beyond belief. I said, ‘Stop, I know exactly what to do with that!’

(Highlights) JACK THORNE

(Highlights) JACK THORNE

Jack Thorne is an internationally acclaimed playwright and BAFTA award-winning screenwriter. His adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is currently airing on HBO and the BBC, and his new series The Eddy was recently released for Netflix. Thorne’s screenwriting career began on the Channel 4 series Shameless and BBC series Skins. Later this year, his feature adaptation of The Secret Garden will be released and feature films Enola Holmes and Swimmers are on the way. Thorne’s films include The Aeronauts, starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, Wonder, starring Julia Roberts and A Long Way Down starring Toni Collette. As a playwright, Jack’s credits include the Tony and Olivier award-winning West End and Broadway hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Photo by Gage Skidmore

JACK THORNE

JACK THORNE

Jack Thorne is an internationally acclaimed playwright and BAFTA award-winning screenwriter. His adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is currently airing on HBO and the BBC, and his new series The Eddy was recently released for Netflix. Thorne’s screenwriting career began on the Channel 4 series Shameless and BBC series Skins. Later this year, his feature adaptation of The Secret Garden will be released and feature films Enola Holmes and Swimmers are on the way. Thorne’s films include The Aeronauts, starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, Wonder, starring Julia Roberts and A Long Way Down starring Toni Collette. As a playwright, Jack’s credits include the Tony and Olivier award-winning West End and Broadway hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.