Making Television + Sharing the World with Michael Oates Palmer
A conversation with a great friend, award winning screenwriter, world traveler, political junkie, social justice activist and great human: none other than Michael Oates Palmer! Michael has worked as a writer on countless TV shows, building an unpredictable and varied career over the last twenty years.
With many interests and a voracious curiosity for the world around him, Michael has managed to stay astride of his inspiration and keep moving on, even through failure and difficult periods. We chat about journalling practices, the creative process, travel and why the research that goes into new work is one of his favorite parts of the job. Michael also shares some of his deeper philosophies on being at home in the world, round table conversations and the connection between curiosity and empathy. With a huge heart and bright mind dedicated to creativity and positive impact, our guest really shows how it is possible to follow your abilities and passions while at the same time thinking about something larger than oneself. This conversation covers everything from film and TV, to music, politics and the geography of the US. For a truly wonderful chat, be sure to tune in to the Not Real Art Podcast today!
Key Points From This Episode:
• What has been keeping Michael busy lately.
• The current abundance of great TV shows.
• Why Michael loves the research part of his work and learning about new things.
• Travel, wandering and broadening experiences for your craft.
• Popularity, quality and how these can exist simultaneously.
• Michael’s exciting travel itinerary for this year!
• The importance of different opinions and meaningful disagreements.
• Why Anthony Bourdain and Leonard Cohen were such compelling characters.
• Michael’s own creative process and the long winding journey of craft.
• The essay that Michael wrote during the Writers’ Guild strike.
• Is it a better time to be a film and television writer than before?
• The love of the journey, working on what you care about and staying excited.
• New Orleans parade lines, dancing and abandoning the ego.
• The accelerating loss of faith across institutions and the decline of journalism.
• Letting it all in, curiosity and a connectedness to the world.
• Impactful art and protest in a world that often baffles us.
• The Trojan’s horse theory and the benefit of nourishing entertainment.
• And much more!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Michael Oates Palmer — https://www.instagram.com/oatespalmer/
Emmy Awards — https://www.emmys.com
Robert Redford — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/
Three Days of the Condor — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/three_days_of_the_condor
Condor — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/condor/s01
Lord of the Flies — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7624.Lord_of_the_Flies
Mr Mercedez — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mr_mercedes
Silicon Valley — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/silicon_valley
Breaking Bad — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/breaking_bad
Wes Anderson — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0027572/
Aaron Sorkin — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0815070/
The West Wing — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing
Picasso — https://www.pablopicasso.org/
Guernica — https://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp
Allen Toussaint — http://allentoussaint.com/
Betty Harris — https://thevinylfactory.com/news/betty-harris-lost-soul-queen-of-new-orleans-compilation/
Michael’s Grandmother’s Art —
Anthony Bourdain — https://www.mashed.com/94441/untold-truth-anthony-bourdain/
Kitchen Confidential — https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Updated-Adventures-Underbelly/dp/0060899220
Leonard Cohen — https://www.leonardcohen.com/
Old Filth Trilogy — https://www.europaeditions.com/book/9781609452285/old-filth-trilogy-boxed-set
Jennifer Egan —http://jenniferegan.com/
A Visit From The Goon Squad — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7331435-a-visit-from-the-goon-squad
John Steinbeck — https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1962/steinbeck/biographical/
Travels with Charley — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5306.Travels_with_Charley
Writers’ Guild — https://www.wga.org/
Stripes — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083131/
Bill Murray — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000195/
Game of Thrones — https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones
Broadcast News — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/broadcast_news
Tender Mercies — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tender_mercies
Sundance — http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival
Susan Lucci — http://susanlucci.com/
Michael Keaton — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000474/
Birdman — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2562232/
Warren Zevon — http://www.warrenzevon.com/
Straight Outta Compton — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/straight_outta_compton
Pableaux Johnson — http://pableaux.com/
Molly Ivins — https://mollyivinsfilm.com/
The Big Short — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596363/
Get Out — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get_out
Sullivan’s Travels — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sullivans_travels
Man One — http://www.manone.com/
Man One on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ManOneArt
Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughpower/
Not Real Art Conference — https://www.notrealartconference.com/
Not Real Art on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/notrealartofficial/
