Men: An Explanation
Men: An Explanation Podcast
Men: An Explanation, Conversations Episode 5. Biographies
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Men: An Explanation, Conversations Episode 5. Biographies

Cartoonist Tom Hart and poet / lay-historian Tim Miller talk about being modern guys, about living inside of creativity, longing, and caring about community, art and meaning.
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Hi everyone!

So, here is our podcast, episode #5 of Men: An Explanation. Tim calls it Savage Amazement. Maybe it’s both.

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!

(If you live a life full of despair, are laughed at, ridiculed and completely unaided, you too might end up a doll in some toy store.)

Here are some timestamps:

Episode 5

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 Dickinson 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 Musician 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

Thanks to Tim for his wise thoughts in this conversation, and to you for listening.

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