OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East (Writers Guild of America East)
Explorez tous les épisodes de OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Mar 2021 | Episode 45: OnWriting Live - Suzan-Lori Parks, "The United States vs Billie Holiday" | 00:38:40 | |
OnWriting presents three live-taped episodes of OnWriting celebrating Black History Month, presented by the WGAE Black Writers Salon. In each installment, two co-chairs of the WGAE Black Writers Salon—OnWriting’s own Geri Cole and Rashidi Hendrix—speak with Black screenwriters who have each written amazing films about Black icons in history. For the second installment in the series, Geri speaks to Suzan-Lori Parks — Pulitzer prize-winning playwright and screenwriter of the new Hulu feature film, THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY. Suzan-Lori Parks was encouraged to take up playwriting by her then-college professor, James Baldwin. In 2002, she became the first African-American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Topdog/Underdog. She also wrote the screenplays for the Spike Lee-directed 1996 film GIRL 6, the 2004 adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, and the 2019 film adaptation of Richard Wright’s NATIVE SON. She is also a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant. THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY is adapted from Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari. It tells the story of the legendary Billie Holiday (Andra Day) as she's targeted by the federal department of narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black federal agent Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes), with whom she has a tumultuous love affair. The film is directed by Lee Daniels and is currently available to stream on Hulu. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Apr 2024 | Episode 109: Kathy McGee and Beth Godvik (CBS News) | 00:59:29 | |
Host Greg Iwinski is joined by CBS New York writer-producer Kathy McGee and CBS Chicago writer-producer Beth Godvik for a conversation about their work in the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector. They discuss the winding paths that make a career, trusting your instincts in a fast-paced news environment, and keeping up with a constantly evolving media landscape. Kathy McGee is a news writer-producer at WCBS-TV with more than 30 years of experience in broadcast journalism — and over 20 years of experience as an active leader in the WGAE. She writes stories about theater and cultural arts, has served as shop leader at CBS News New York since 2007, and was on the negotiating committee for four CBS contracts. Beth Godvik is a news writer-producer at CBS Chicago, WBBM-TV, where she has worked since 2004. Beth currently works on the 4:30 to 7 A.M. show cut-ins and 9 A.M. and 11 A.M. newscasts, and she designed the format for WBBM-TV’s weekend morning shows. She’s a union co-steward in her newsroom and has served on three negotiating committees for CBS News contracts. Kathy and Beth also both serve on the WGAE Council – Beth as a Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector councilmember, and Kathy as the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News Vice President. This episode of OnWriting is hosted by Greg Iwinski. Greg is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 03 Dec 2021 | Episode 65: John Hoffman, "Only Murders in the Building" | 00:39:25 | |
Host Geri Cole talks to John Hoffman—co-creator and showrunner of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING—about the art of putting together a compelling mystery in a writers' room, how his own life experience shaped his connection to the series, and the creative value of staying in bed. Spoiler Alert: This episode contains lots of big reveals. We recommend you watch the series before you listen. John Hoffman is a writer, director, and actor who wrote and co-starred in the 1997 Disney Channel original movie NORTHERN LIGHTS before making his theatrical film debut (as both writer and director) with the 2003 MGM/Jim Henson Pictures comedy GOOD BOY!. Since then, his credits have included the 81st Academy Awards (for which he earned an Emmy nomination), the HBO series LOOKING, and the Netflix series GRACE AND FRANKIE. Hoffman is currently the showrunner of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, which he co-created alongside Steve Martin. The mystery-comedy series follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years, but the secrets they keep from one another might be even more explosive. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late. The 10-episode first season is now streaming on Hulu, and the series was renewed for a second season in September 2021. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Oct 2018 | Episode 5: Emmy Blotnick, "The Late Show" & "The President Show" | 00:41:43 | |
For episode 5 of the show, Jordan was joined by Emmy Blotnick to talk about her career writing late-night comedy. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 11 Sep 2020 | Episode 35: Amber Ruffin, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" & "The Amber Ruffin Show" | 00:38:05 | |
Geri talks to Amber Ruffin—writer and on-air talent for LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS and the creator and host of the forthcoming NBC Peacock talk series THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW—about the process of writing two shows concurrently, how she crafts jokes out of movie clichés, how wearing MC Hammer pants can teach you to be fearless in a writers room, and much more. Amber Ruffin is a writer and comedian who has written for LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS since its inception. As a writer for LATE NIGHT, she was the first Black woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S., and has also appeared in several of the show's popular segments, such as "Amber Says What?" and "Jokes Seth Can't Tell". In 2018, she hosted the 70th annual Writers Guild Awards New York ceremony, and in 2019, she wrote for the first season of the HBO sketch comedy show A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW. Her new series, THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW, is a levity- and comedy-focused late-night talk show created by and starring Amber, with her fellow LATE NIGHT writer and SECOND CITY alum Jenny Hagel serving as head writer. The show will premiere on Friday, September 25th, and will air on NBC's streaming service Peacock. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 04 Oct 2018 | Episode 4: Ethan Hawke & Sybil Rosen, "Blaze" | 00:43:50 | |
For episode 4, Jordan spoke with Sybil Rosen and Ethan Hawke about their film BLAZE. BLAZE is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film explores Blaze's love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. Sybil Rosen is a writer and actress whose memoir about her eight-month period living with Blaze Foley in a wall-less tree house in West Georgia—Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze—provided the source material for the film. Ethan Hawke is an Academy Award-nominated writer, actor, and director. He has starred in a number of films over the course of his career, including DEAD POETS SOCIETY, TRAINING DAY, the BEFORE trilogy, BOYHOOD, and FIRST REFORMED. Prior to BLAZE, he co-wrote the screenplays for BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 30 Jun 2021 | OnWriting PRIDE: Steven Canals, "POSE" | 00:48:57 | |
OnWriting presents the fourth and final week of OnWriting Pride: a series of live-recordings of the podcast in honor of Pride Month, presented by the WGAE LGBTQ Salon. Each episode features LGBTQ+ screenwriters and the LGBTQ+ stories they tell. For the fourth and final installment in the series, OnWriting host Geri Cole speaks with Steven Canals, the co-creator and executive producer of the FX drama series POSE. After receiving an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA, Steven Canals began his professional writing career as a research assistant at Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s production company Hungry Jackal Productions. He then went on to serve as a staff writer on the Freeform supernatural horror series DEAD OF SUMMER while also writing the short film “Afuera.” In 2018, he started his tenure as co-creator and executive producer of POSE. POSE is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York’s underground ball culture, a movement that first gained notice in the late 1980s. The series follows Blanca Rodriguez, who, after receiving an HIV positive diagnosis, is forced to confront her mortality and dedicates herself to leaving a legacy by founding her own House of Evangelista and supporting her new found-family. POSE, which recently concluded its third and final season, features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles and the largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Netflix, and the third season is available on FX. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast | |||
| 09 Jun 2021 | Episode 53: Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, "Desus & Mero" | 00:51:16 | |
Geri welcomes the Bodega Boys Desus Nice and The Kid Mero to the show to talk about what they do—and don't do—to put together their show; their unique approach interviewing illustrious guests; and why it's so important to be real and stay real with the people you work with… no matter how strong the brand. Desus Nice & The Kid Mero are former Bronx schoolmates who—while building their respective followings as formidable comedians in their own right—reconnected on Twitter and quickly became known for their shared affinity for complaining about their dissatisfaction for their jobs coupled with pointed and funny pop culture commentary. The re-connection of the quick-witted duo led to stints on Complex (DESUS VS. MERO), their current podcast (THE BODEGA BOYS), and a critically acclaimed late-night show on Viceland— all while continuing to amass an enthusiastic following for their smart and comedic off-the-cuff musings on life’s greatest topics. They have also contributed their voices to Ezra Koenig’s (Vampire Weekend) animated series NEO YOKIO and NEO YOKIO PINK CHRISTMAS. DESUS & MERO is the third talk series co-hosted by the duo. In each episode, Desus, Mero, and a variety of illustrious guests speak about important topics and chat about pop culture, sports, music, politics—among many other things. The Showtime series is the network’s first-ever late-night talk show. New episodes air on Mondays and Thursdays. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 12 Sep 2019 | Episode 20: Warren Leight, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” | 00:46:34 | |
Kaitlin sits down with writer, showrunner, director, and playwright Warren Leight to discuss his career from stand-up comic to playwright to showrunner of IN TREATMENT and LAW & ORDER: SVU, running writers' rooms, how to shift the focus of a show with such a powerful legacy, the importance of having your work - and your writing team - reflect the real world, and much more. Warren Leight got his start in the entertainment industry with credits on features like MOTHER'S DAY and THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET (the latter of which he also directed). He also wrote for the female stand-up comic quartet the "High Heeled Women." From there, he eventually moved to the stage, penning plays like MAYOR and the Tony Award-winning, Pulitzer Prize finalist SIDE MAN. Warren joined the writing staff of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT for its second through seventh seasons, when he left to be the showrunner for the HBO series IN TREATMENT. He returned to the LAW & ORDER roster in 2011, when he became showrunner for LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. He worked as showrunner for SVU for its 13th-17th seasons, and is returning to the helm for its 21st. LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT is chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, a squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. The NBC series - which is now the longest-running live-action television series in the United States - will premiere its 21st season on September 26, 2019. -- | |||
| 18 Jul 2019 | Episode 17: Gary Lennon, "Power," "Euphoria," "Hightown" | 00:36:54 | |
Caroline spoke with playwright, screenwriter, and showrunner Gary Lennon about embracing rejection; the elements of a successful writers' room; his philosophy on putting real life in your fiction; the new seasons of POWER, HIGHTOWN, and EUPHORIA, and much more. Gary Lennon's somewhat tumultuous childhood paved the way for the start of his writing career: his first screenplay, for the 1995 film DRUNKS, was an adaptation of his stage play, BLACKOUT – a series of semi-autobiographical monologues about alcoholism. Since then, he has been a consistent fixture in the film and television worlds, with writing credits on shows like THE SHIELD, JUSTIFIED, and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. He's currently the co-showrunner of the Starz crime drama POWER, and is an executive producer on the forthcoming Starz drama HIGHTOWN and the HBO teen drama EUPHORIA. POWER tells the story of James St. Patrick, a ruthless drug-dealer under the nickname "Ghost", who wishes to leave the criminal world in order to support his legitimate business interests as a nightclub owner. The sixth and final season will premiere in August. EUPHORIA, which premiered last month, follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship. HIGHTOWN follows federal Fishery Service Agent Jackie Quinones, whose life of partying and less-than-enthusiastic relationship to her job are upended after she discovers a body in Cape Cod Bay, and finds herself at the center of the Cape’s gruesome heroin epidemic. It's tentatively set to premiere in early 2020. -- | |||
| 17 Feb 2023 | Episode 106: Sarah Polley, "Women Talking" | 00:42:55 | |
Host Alison Herman talks to writer-director Sarah Polley about finding a balance between reality and allegory in a film adapted from a fictional novel based on true events, how her process has changed since becoming a parent and recovering from a head injury, what writing (and rewriting) this film taught her about rigor, and much more. Sarah Polley a writer, director, and actor. She wrote and directed the 2006 film AWAY FROM HER, which earned her first Academy Award nomination for adapted screenplay, as well as the 2011 film TAKE THIS WALZ, the 2012 documentary STORIES WE TELL, and is the writer of ALIAS GRACE, the 2017 miniseries adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel. Most recently, Sarah is the writer and director of WOMEN TALKING. The film is adapted from the Miriam Toews novel that was inspired by true events, and stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, and Frances McDormand as a group of women who have only two days to decide how to take action against a group of men who have been arrested for years of abuse toward the women in the remote and isolated Mennonite community. WOMEN TALKING premiered in December 2022 and is currently nominated for the Academy and Writers Guild Awards for Adapted Screenplay, as well as the Academy Award for Best Picture. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 06 Apr 2021 | Episode 50: OnWriting Live – Eliza Hittman, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” | 00:48:27 | |
The WGAE Women’s Salon presents a series of four live recordings of OnWriting in honor of Women's History Month. In each episode, we’re speaking with women screenwriters whose latest projects center on women’s stories. To wrap up the series, Geri speaks with Eliza Hittman, the writer and director of the acclaimed 2020 film NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS. Eliza Hittman is an award-winning writer and director from Brooklyn, NY. She is the writer and director of the 2013 drama IT FELT LIKE LOVE and the 2017 drama BEACH RATS, the latter of which earned her the 2017 Director Award at Sundance Film Festival. She is also the recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from Lincoln Center and is a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow. Her latest project is the drama film NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS. The film follows Autumn, a 17-year-old who, after learning that she’s pregnant but unable to get an abortion without her parents’ consent in her native Pennsylvania, embarks on a trip to New York City with her cousin Skylar in order to get an abortion there. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Award for Neo-Realism. It also won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. It is currently available to stream on HBO Max. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 20 Jan 2023 | Episode 102: Sharon Horgan, "Bad Sisters" | 00:38:55 | |
Host Alison Herman talks to Sharon Horgan about how she kept her stories straight when writing across two timelines, her tips for pitching a project, the universal ideas at the heart of a story about four sisters failing spectacularly at attempting murder, and more. Sharon Horgan is an acclaimed writer, actress, producer, and director, best known for her multiple award-winning sitcom CATASTROPHE, which she co-wrote and starred in with Rob Delaney. Her other writing credits include the BBC comedy series PULLING, the comedy series SHINING VALE, and the BBC sitcom MOTHERLAND. As an actress, Sharon is known for her roles in feature films like GAME NIGHT, DATING AMBER, THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, among others. Her latest project is BAD SISTERS, which she co-created, wrote, and stars in. The ten-part comedy thriller follows a group of five sisters (the Garveys) and the promise they make to always protect each other after their parents’ premature death. The Writers Guild Award-nominated series premiered in the US in August 2022 and is available to stream on Apple TV+ Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 26 May 2022 | Episode 80: Danny McBride, “The Righteous Gemstones” – In conversation with Derek Lawrence | 00:32:28 | |
Entertainment Weekly’s Derek Lawrence sits down with Danny McBride—the creator, writer, executive producer, and costar of the dark comedy series THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES. Danny McBride is a writer, actor, comedian, and producer. He wrote and starred in the HBO television series EASTBOUND & DOWN and VICE PRINCIPALS, both of which he co-created with Jody Hill. He's also known for his appearances in films like PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and TROPIC THUNDER as well as for his voice acting roles in films like THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES. His current project is the HBO dark comedy series THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES. The show tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work. THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES premiered in August 2019 on HBO. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on HBO Max, and the show was renewed for a third season in early 2022. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Feb 2022 | Episode 72: Zach Baylin, "King Richard" | 00:40:57 | |
Host Geri Cole talks to Zach Baylin—screenwriter of KING RICHARD—about how a serendipitous meeting before heading to the US Open led to the script landing in the hands of Will Smith, his experience collaborating with the Williams family, and the importance of writing every day, because even a few lines can feel like a success. Zach Baylin is a screenwriter whose script, KING RICHARD, was #2 in the 2018 Black List survey, and is his first produced writing credit. His next project is CREED III, which is currently in production for MGM. KING RICHARD is the true story of how Venus and Serena Williams were raised and coached by their parents to become the tennis legends they are today. Zach's screenplay won the 2022 Black Film Critic Circle Award and is currently in the running for a Writers Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Academy Award. KING RICHARD was released in November 2021. It's currently playing in theaters and available to stream on VOD. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Sep 2018 | Episode 2: Alec Berg & Bill Hader, "Barry" | 00:29:10 | |
For episode two of OnWriting, Jordan spoke with Alec Berg and Bill Hader about their Emmy-nominated HBO series, BARRY — a dark comedy starring Hader as a low-level hitman with aspirations of becoming an actor. Bill Hader's eight-year stint on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE turned him into something of a household name. He’s also written on SOUTH PARK for the last decade, and he co-created the mockumentary series DOCUMENTARY NOW with his fellow SNL alums, Seth Meyers and Fred Armisen. Alec Berg wrote for SEINFIELD and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM before working as a showrunner for SILICON VALLEY. He has also written on LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN, and co-wrote the screenplays for films like EUROTRIP and THE DICTATOR. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 08 Apr 2019 | Episode 13: David Mandel, "Veep" | 00:55:51 | |
Caroline spoke with David Mandel - the showrunner of the HBO hit series VEEP - about his amazing career trajectory, his strong opinions on writers' rooms, and their mutual obsession with Robert Caro. VEEP follows Selina Meyer, the Vice President (and, later, President) of the United States, and her team as they attempt to make their mark and leave a legacy without getting tripped up in the day-to-day political games that define the American government. The Emmy- and WGA Award-winning series – which is an adaptation of the BBC satire THE THICK OF IT – is currently in its seventh and final season. Before David Mandel’s tenure as VEEP showrunner, he was a writer, director, and executive producer for CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Prior to that, he wrote for the seventh, eighth, and ninth seasons of SEINFELD; for the 18th, 19th, and 20th seasons of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the 2003 film adaptation of THE CAT IN THE HAT, and was a writer and co-creator for CLERKS: THE ANIMATED SERIES. -- | |||
| 02 Oct 2024 | Episode 117: Making the News with MSNBC Union's Amy Hooker & Andrew Joyce | 01:07:20 | |
Host Zhubin Parang talks to MSNBC Union members Amy Hooker and Andrew Joyce about staying flexible in the challenging newsroom environment, how to handle an election season where unprecedented events happen weekly, and winning a strong union contract that helps them do both of those things as effectively as possible. Amy Hooker has worked as an associate producer on MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes since 2018. Andrew Joyce is a segment producer with at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show and Alex Wagner Tonight, with over a decade of experience in journalism. Amy and Andrew both served on the bargaining committee that negotiated MSNBC Union’s recent groundbreaking contract wins. Zhubin Parang is a co-executive producer and writer on The Daily Show, as well as a former member of the WGAE Council. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 10 Dec 2021 | Episode 66: Amanda Peet and Jennifer Kim, "The Chair" | 00:38:38 | |
For the latest live taping of OnWriting, Amanda Peet and Jennifer Kim join host Geri Cole to discuss their work on the new Netflix (academi)comedy-drama series, THE CHAIR. Amanda Peet is the co-creator, showrunner, writer, and executive producer of THE CHAIR. You may also know her from her extensive acting credits, including DIRTY JOHN, BROCKMIRE, and TOGETHERNESS. Jennifer Kim is a writer on THE CHAIR, as well as a staff writer for the upcoming Mel Brooks variety series HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART II, which was announced earlier this fall. THE CHAIR is the story of Professor Ji-Yoon Kim—the newly appointed chair of the English department at the prestigious Pembroke University, and the first woman of color to hold the position. The first season of the comedy-drama series follows Kim’s efforts to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department all while trying to ensure the tenure of a young black colleague; negotiate her relationship with her crush, friend, and well-known colleague Bill Dobson; and parent her strong-willed adopted daughter. The show was released in August 2021 and is available to stream on Netflix. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 10 Jul 2024 | Episode 114: Late Night Writers Roundtable | 00:53:27 | |
Host Liz Hynes, a WGAE Council member and writer for LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER, moderates a conversation with writers from some of your favorite late night comedy series about their experiences and insights from the world of late-night comedy writing. The panelists include late night writers Molly McNearney (JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!), Dan Amira (THE DAILY SHOW), Felipe Torres Medina (LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT) and Jenny Hagel (LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS). --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| 21 May 2021 | Episode 51: Sierra Teller Ornelas and Mike Schur, "Rutherford Falls" | 00:58:12 | |
To kick things off for Season 9, Geri is joined by Sierra Teller Ornelas and Mike Schur, co-creators — along with Ed Helms — of the new Peacock sitcom RUTHERFORD FALLS, to discuss how the series tackles big issues around race and culture with an abundance of humor; how they built an inclusive and equitable writers' room; and how television, and the world, is better off when we learn from history. Sierra Teller Ornelas is a Navajo and Mexican American writer, producer, and showrunner whose long list of past credits includes BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, SUPERSTORE, and SPLITTING UP TOGETHER. Mike Schur is a writer, producer, and actor who is probably best known as the co-creator of PARKS AND RECREATION and BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, the creator of THE GOOD PLACE, as well as a writer on THE OFFICE and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – among other things. Their latest project is the sitcom RUTHERFORD FALLS. The series—which was co-created by Ornelas, Schur, and Ed Helms, and for which Ornelas is showrunner—follows Nathan Rutherford and Reagan Wells, two lifelong friends who find themselves at a crossroads, quite literally, when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wake-up call. The complete first season premiered on April 22 and is available to stream on Peacock. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 18 Jun 2021 | OnWriting PRIDE: Kimberly Peirce, "Boys Don't Cry" | 00:55:43 | |
OnWriting presents week two of OnWriting Pride: a series of live-recordings of the podcast in honor of Pride Month, presented by the WGAE LGBTQ Salon. Each episode features LGBTQ+ screenwriters and the LGBTQ+ stories they tell. For our second installment in the series, Geri speaks with Kimberly Peirce, the writer and director of BOYS DON’T CRY. BOYS DON’T CRY is the 1999 film based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a young transgender man trying to live and find love in Nebraska. On the film's 20th anniversary, it was selected for preservation at the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 20 Jun 2024 | Episode 113: Amy Schumer (Life & Beth) and John Hoffman (Only Murders in the Building) | 00:50:30 | |
John Hoffman and Amy Schumer sit down to talk about the joys and challenges of leaning into the personal in your writing, the importance of finding the right collaborators, confronting the hardest parts of life with both vulnerability and confidence, and much more. John Hoffman is the co-creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed and award-winning comedy-drama mystery series Only Murders in the Building. Amy Schumer is a writer, actor, director and producer known for creating and starring in the sketch comedy series Inside Amy Schumer, writing and starring in the 2015 comedy film Trainwreck and creating and starring in the comedy-drama series Life & Beth. Only Murders in the Building and Life & Beth are both currently available to stream on Hulu. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 02 Oct 2020 | Episode 36: Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser, "The Choice 2020: Trump vs Biden" | 00:43:30 | |
Geri is joined by documentarians Mike Wiser and Michael Kirk—the writer-producers of the FRONTLINE special “The Choice 2020: Trump vs Biden”—to discuss making documentaries that are hard-hitting but nonpartisan; their impressive catalogue of Frontline specials, which have examined everything from the Mueller report to Mitch McConnell’s takeover of the Supreme Court; the absurd timelines they work off of for all of their projects, and more. Michael Kirk was the original senior producer of Frontline from its inception in 1983 until the fall of 1987, when he created his own production company, the Kirk Documentary Group. He has produced more than 200 national television programs, and has won four Peabody Awards, four duPont-Columbia Awards, two George Polk Awards, 16 Emmy Awards, and 12 Writers Guild of America Awards for his work. Mike Wiser has worked on more than 30 films for Frontline since joining the Kirk Documentary Group in 2003. His work as a writer and producer reporting on national security, foreign affairs, sports, criminal justice, and the global financial crisis has earned him several Peabody, Emmy, and Writers Guild of America Awards. The Choice 2020: Trump vs Biden is the ninth installment of “The Choice,” a PBS Frontline investigative documentary series aiming to better inform American voters about the two major candidates of that year’s presidential election. The 2-hour program examines the biographies of President Donald Trump and presidential candidate Joe Biden, where they came from, and how they lead. The program, which recently premiered on PBS, is available to stream now on the PBS website. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 18 Nov 2022 | Episode 94: Rebecca Lenkiewicz, "She Said" | 00:51:59 | |
Host Marina Fang is joined by SHE SAID screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz to discuss the process of collaborating with Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, how screenwriting compares to the world of theater, creating a realistic depiction of journalism on screen, the importance of giving a voice to survivors, and more. Rebecca Lenkiewicz is a screenwriter and playwright. Her plays have been performed in London and internationally including at London's Royal National Theatre, and she has written numerous productions for BBC Radio. As a screenwriter, she is known for co-writing the 2013 drama IDA, the 2017 romance DISOBEDIENCE, and the 2018 biopic COLETTE, as well as for her work on TV series SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL, THE EDDY, and SMALL AXE. SHE SAID is based on the groundbreaking New York Times investigation by reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and their editor Rebecca Corbit, as well as Jodi and Megan's book of the same name. The film follows Twohey and Kantor through the process of publishing the story that exposed sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein—and became a launching pad for the #MeToo movement, shattering decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault and harassment. The film premiered in September 2022 at the New York Film Festival, and will be released in theaters in the US on November 18, 2022. Marina Fang (she/her) is a senior culture reporter at HuffPost, based in New York. She primarily covers film and television, examining their intersection with politics, race and gender. She can be found on Twitter at @marinafang. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 16 Sep 2022 | Episode 90: Greg Mottola, "Confess, Fletch" | 00:54:40 | |
Host Greg Iwinski talks to Greg Mottola about leaning into the absurdity of the everyday, bringing a 70s-era whodunnit into the 21st century, our rediscovered love of murder mysteries, and much more. Writer and director Greg Mottola began his career with his 1996 indie dramedy film THE DAYTRIPPERS, for which he received a Golden Camera nomination at the Cannes Film Festival for best first feature film. He then went on to direct the hit 2007 coming-of-age comedy SUPERBAD, then wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2009 film ADVENTURELAND, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay. Since then, he has gone on to direct other film projects like PAUL and KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES. Mottola has also directed episodes of several hit television series, including the pilots of FX’s DAVE and HBO’s THE NEWSROOM, as well as episodes of the THE COMEBACK, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, UNDECLARED, and THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS. He most recently wrote and directed the crime comedy film CONFESS, FLETCH, which is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Gregory Mcdonald and a reboot of the hit 1980s series starring Chevy Chase. CONFESS, FLETCH stars Jon Hamm as the roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch, who becomes the prime suspect in a murder case while searching for a stolen art collection. The only way to prove his innocence? Find out which of the long list of suspects is the culprit - from the eccentric art dealer and a missing playboy to a crazy neighbor and Fletch’s Italian girlfriend. Crime, in fact, has never been this disorganized. The film will be released simultaneously in limited theaters and on paid digital streaming platforms on Friday, September 16, and will be available to stream on Showtime starting October 28. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 04 Jun 2021 | Episode 52: Zack Akers, "Limetown" | 00:44:09 | |
Geri speaks with Zack Akers, writer and co-director of SHIPWORM, about how the project is the first podcast to be covered on the Writers Guild Minimum Basic Agreement; the challenges and freedoms of writing for audio; and the roles that doctors working during the pandemic, a rented duck, and a rare & elusive type of mollusk have played in his creative process. Zack Akers, along with his creative partner, Skip Bronkie, run the podcast production company Two-Up, the studio known for groundbreaking fiction, musical and documentary podcasts like 36 QUESTIONS, THE WILDERNESS, and LIMETOWN—the last of which was also adapted into a TV series for Facebook Watch (and which is now available to stream on Peacock). His latest project is SHIPWORM: a first-of-its-kind feature-length scripted podcast. The two-hour narrative story stars Broadway luminary Quentin Earl Darrington as Wallace Conway, a small-town doctor who wakes up to find he's been implanted with an untraceable chip that allows a mysterious voice to lead him on a deadly journey that threatens his family, friends and his own life. The full podcast is now available on all streaming services. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 10 Jun 2022 | Episode 82: Amy Schumer, "Life & Beth" | 00:35:48 | |
Host Alison Herman talks to Amy Schumer, creator and star of the comedy-drama series LIFE & BETH, about how motherhood changes your perspective as a writer, why she loves writing in bed and the differences between writing a sketch show like INSIDE AMY SCHUMER versus a scripted show like LIFE & BETH. Amy Schumeris a New York-based comedian, actress, and screenwriter. From 2013 to 2016, she was the creator, co-producer, co-writer, and star of the Comedy Central sketch comedy series INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, for which she received a Peabody Award and was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2015. Schumer wrote and made her film debut in a starring role in TRAINWRECK, for which she received nominations for Writers Guild and Golden Globe Awards. In 2022, she co-hosted the 94th Academy Awards alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. Her current project is the Hulu comedy-drama series LIFE & BETH. In this semi-autobiographical series, the seemingly-perfect life of Beth, a Manhattanite wine distributor, is upended by an unexpected incident that forces her to engage with her past. In a single moment, her life changes forever, leading her on a journey to discover how she became who she is and what she wants to become. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 29 Jan 2019 | Episode 12: Bo Burnham, "Eighth Grade" | 00:24:10 | |
Caroline and WGAE Indie Film Caucus Director Jenna Bond sat down to speak with writer, director, and comedian Bo Burnham about his feature film debut, EIGHTH GRADE, which received a Best Original Screenplay nomination in this year's Writers Guild Awards. EIGHTH GRADE follows Kayla - an anxious thirteen-year-old - as she tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before graduating to high school while simultaneously hosting a video blog on YouTube in which she gives life advice. Bo's own career also started on YouTube, where he published a number of viral comedic music and skits starting in 2006. His online popularity quickly translated into an IRL career when he signed with Comedy Central Records in 2008. Since then, he released a series of comedy albums and stand-up specials, appeared in a number of feature films, and co-created, wrote, and starred in the MTV comedy series ZACH STONE IS GONNA BE FAMOUS. -- | |||
| 12 Mar 2021 | Episode 47: OnWriting Live – Emerald Fennell, "Promising Young Woman" | 00:49:41 | |
OnWriting presents the first in a series of four live recordings of OnWriting in honor of Women's History Month, presented by the WGAE Women's Salon. In each episode, we’re speaking with women screenwriters whose latest projects center on women’s stories. For the first of these Women's History Month episodes, Geri speaks with Emerald Fennell — writer and director of the dark PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN. Emerald Fennell is an actress, writer, and director. As an actor, she’s known for starring in the BBC period drama series CALL THE MIDWIFE, as well as her role as Camilla Shand in the third season of the Netflix period drama THE CROWN. She also served as the KILLING EVE showrunner during its second season – for which she earned two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Her latest project is the Writers Guild Award-nominated black comedy thriller PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN. PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN – Emerald's feature film debut as both writer and director – follows Cassie (Carey Mulligan), who everyone said was a promising young woman ... until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story. The film is currently in theaters and available to purchase on VOD. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 12 Nov 2021 | Episode 62: Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve, "Dune" | 00:39:10 | |
Host Geri Cole is joined by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve—two-thirds of the writing team behind DUNE—to discuss the challenges of writing a story that serves two audiences, relearning the lesson of focusing on the human element in science fiction, and just how much coffee it takes for three masters of filmmaking to collaborate on the script of DUNE (spoiler alert… it's a lot). Jon Spaihts wrote the screenplays for PROMETHEUS, THE DARKEST HOUR, and MARVEL'S DR. STRANGE. Denis Villeneuve is perhaps best known as the director of SICARIO, ARRIVAL, and BLADE RUNNER 2049. Third co-writer Eric Roth—who, unfortunately, couldn’t join us because of technical difficulties—is the writer of titles like FORREST GUMP, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, and A STAR IS BORN, among many others. DUNE—co-written by Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Roth and directed by Villeneuve— is a mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey adapted from the 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. The film tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive. DUNE is now playing in theaters, and can also be streamed on HBO Max. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 24 Apr 2024 | Episode 110: Ron Nyswaner, "Fellow Travelers" | 00:59:13 | |
Host T Cooper is joined by Ron Nyswaner to discuss having the confidence to push Hollywood's boundaries, staying flexible during the unpredictable reality of being on a TV set, telling authentic LGBTQ+ stories without always centering suffering, and more. Ron Nyswaner is the 2024 recipient of the WGA East’s Walter Bernstein Award, and creator of the Showtime series Fellow Travelers. He is known for his feature screenplays, including Smithereens, Philadelphia, and My Policeman. He is also known as a writer and producer of the Showtime series Ray Donovan and Homeland. Over the course of his career, Ron has been nominated for numerous awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. His most recent project is the Showtime series Fellow Travelers. Based on the 2007 fictional novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, the historical drama follows the paths of political staffers Hawkins Fuller and Tim Laughlin, whose paths converge at the height of the Lavender Scare of the 1950s. Despite the constant threat of getting caught, their searing love for each other only intensifies in the tumultuous decades that follow. Their volatile romance spans the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, as they face obstacles in the world and in themselves. This episode is hosted by T Cooper, a Writers Guild of America East member with credits including The Get Down and The Blacklist. T. also serves as co-chair of the Guild's LGBTQ+ Writers Salon. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 14 Jan 2022 | Episode 68: Tony Kushner, "West Side Story" | 00:45:35 | |
Host Geri Cole kicks off a new year, and a new season of OnWriting, in conversation with celebrated screenwriter, playwright, and author Tony Kushner—the screenwriter behind the recent adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY. Geri and Tony discuss the process of adapting one of the most famous musicals of all time, how in-depth research about New York's West Side added historical context and deeper meaning to the script, and how even the likes Tony Kushner get anxious looking at a blank page. Tony Kushner is a celebrated playwright, author, and screenwriter who is perhaps best known for writing the acclaimed play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes—and its TV miniseries adaptation—as well as for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg as screenwriter for MUNICH and LINCOLN, both of which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. Angels in America earned Tony both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993, and he received Emmy and Writers Guild Awards for its onscreen adaptation. He also received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013. His latest screenplay (and most recent collaboration with Spielberg) is the musical romantic period drama WEST SIDE STORY. The film—based on the 1957 stage musical and a follow-up of the acclaimed 1961 film adaptation—explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, as they explore the ever-shifting (and never-changing) landscape of New York. WEST SIDE STORY was released in December 2021 and is now showing in theaters. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 07 Oct 2022 | Episode 92: David O. Russell, "Amsterdam" | 00:43:05 | |
Host Alison Herman talks to writer and director David O. Russell about themes like love and loyalty in AMSTERDAM, his long collaboration with actors like Christian Bale, his real life work with organizations like Ghetto Film School to increase representation in Hollywood, and more. David O. Russell is a writer and director known for films like THE FIGHTER, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, AMERICAN HUSTLE, and JOY. He has received numerous accolades for his screenplays, including three Academy and Writers Guild Award and two Golden Globe nominations, and two BAFTA and Independent Spirit Awards. He has also received multiple nominations and wins for his directorial work. His latest project is the period mystery film AMSTERDAM, which he wrote and directed. The comedy follows three friends and World War I veterans who witness—and are subsequently implicated in—the murder of a U.S. Senator and wind up uncovering one of the most outrageous plots in American history. The film will be released in theaters on October 7, 2022. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 16 Oct 2020 | Episode 38: Julie Taymor, “The Glorias” | 01:02:43 | |
Geri speaks with acclaimed screenwriter, dramatist, and director Julie Taymor—co-writer and director of the new biopic THE GLORIAS—about her approach to storytelling, how projects can be shaped by limitations, how established creators like her still have to fight to get films like THE GLORIAS made, how travel has been the best education, and much more. Celebrated for her work on stage and screen, Julie Taymor’s writing and directing credits include the 2002 Frida Kahlo biopic, FRIDA; the Beatles jukebox musical, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE; and one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time, THE LION KING, which received three Drama Desk and two Tony Awards in 1998. Her latest project, THE GLORIAS, is a biography of feminist icon Gloria Steinem. Julie and co-writer Sarah Ruhl adapted the screenplay from Gloria Steinem's memoir, My Life on the Road. The film was released on September 30, 2020, and is available to stream on Amazon Prime. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 27 Mar 2024 | Episode 108: John Wilson, "How To with John Wilson" | 00:48:38 | |
Host Geri Cole sits down with documentarian John Wilson to discuss How To choose episode titles that will make for good stories, How To make your writers room feel like a therapy session, How To find serendipitous interview subjects, and more. John Wilson is a New York City-based documentary filmmaker known for creating and hosting the acclaimed comedy-docuseries, How To with John Wilson. How To with John Wilson chronicles self-proclaimed "anxious New Yorker" John as he films his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give advice on topics ranging from “how to watch birds” to “how to put up scaffolding.” The HBO series premiered in October 2020 and has received widespread critical acclaim and several accolades, including Primetime Emmy and Writers Guild Award nominations. The third and final season concluded in September 2023, and all three seasons are available to stream on HBO Max. This episode of OnWriting is hosted by Geri Cole, a writer and performer based in New York City. She is currently a full-time staff and interactive writer for SESAME STREET, for which she has received Writers Guild Award and two Daytime Emmys. She also performs sketch and improv at theaters and festivals around the country. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Apr 2019 | Episode 14: Alex Ross Perry, "Her Smell" | 00:56:00 | |
Caroline was joined by writer and director Alex Ross Perry to discuss his upcoming film HER SMELL (which is in theaters on Friday, April 12), their shared Philly roots, his Kim's Video alum-heavy list of frequent collaborators and much more. HER SMELL follows '90s punk rock superstar Becky Something as she grapples with motherhood, exhausted bandmates, nervous record company executives, and a new generation of rising talent eager to usurp her stardom - and eventually must retreat from the spotlight to try to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success. Alex's career kicked off with the 2009 feature film IMPOLEX - an absurdist comedy inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Gravity's Rainbow. Since then, he has written seven other features - five of which he also directed - including indies like THE COLOR WHEEL and QUEEN OF EARTH, as well as the 2018 Disney film CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. -- | |||
| 02 Apr 2025 | Episode 124: Soo Hugh ("Pachinko") in conversation with Lynn Nottage | 01:01:01 | |
Lynn Nottage is joined by Soo Hugh for a conversation about approaches to adaptation for the screen, improving work-life balance by recentering collaboration, building the writers room for a show that spans several languages, countries, and times, and much more. Soo Hugh is a writer, showrunner and producer who cut her screenwriting teeth as a staff writer on shows like the AMC crime drama The Killing, the CBS sci-fi series Under the Dome. She then went on to serve as creator and showrunner for ABC’s 2015 sci-fi series The Whispers and as the co-showrunner for the first season of the AMC supernatural anthology The Terror. She is currently the showrunner, writer, executive producer, and visionary behind the drama series Pachinko, based on the international bestselling novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. Told in three languages – Korean, Japanese, and English – Pachinko follows the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive. Season 1 received the Peabody Entertainment Award, a Critics Choice Television Award for best foreign language series, an Independent Spirit Award for best ensemble cast in a scripted series, a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series, and was notably elected as one of AFI's TV programs of the year. The series debuted on Apple TV+ in March 2022, and the highly anticipated season two premiered globally last summer. This episode is moderated by Lynn Nottage. Lynn is a screenwriter, playwright and installation artist. She is the first, and remains the only, woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice – for her plays Sweat and Ruined. As a screenwriter she was a writer and producer on the Netflix series She's Gotta Have It and a consulting producer on the third season of the Apple TV+ series Dickinson. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| 08 Feb 2022 | Episode 71: Adam McKay & David O. Russell, "Don't Look Up" | 01:00:36 | |
Geri Cole turns it over to David O. Russell for a conversation with Adam McKay about his latest project, DON’T LOOK UP. David O. Russell is the Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-nominated writer and director best known for his work on titles like FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, THREE KINGS, I HEART HUCKABEES, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, AMERICAN HUSTLE, and most recently, JOY. Adam McKay is a writer, director, comedian, and co-founder of the comedy group Upright Citizens Brigade. He kicked off his film & TV career in the ’90s as a head writer for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE before rising to fame in the 2000s for his collaborations with fellow comedian and SNL alum Will Ferrell, with whom he co-wrote the hit comedies ANCHORMAN, STEP BROTHERS, and THE OTHER GUYS. In the 2010s, McKay ventured into more dramatic waters as co-writer & director of the 2015 dramedy/biopic THE BIG SHORT—for which he and Charles Randolph received the Academy and Writers Guild Awards for Adapted Screenplay—and as writer & director of the 2019 Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-nominated Dick Cheney biopic VICE.
His most recent project is DON’T LOOK UP, a comedy-drama and cautionary tale written and directed by McKay and based on a story by himself and David Sirota. The film follows two astronomers who discover a comet orbiting within the solar system and which is set on a direct collision course with Earth. The problem? No one really seems to care. Turns out warning mankind about a planet-killer the size of Mount Everest is an inconvenient fact to navigate. The astronomers embark on a media tour that takes them from the office of an indifferent President and her sycophantic son and Chief of Staff to the airwaves of upbeat morning show The Daily Rip. With only six months until the comet makes impact, the team struggles to manage the 24-hour news cycle and gain the attention of the social media-obsessed public—before it’s too late. DON’T LOOK UP was released in December 2021 and is available to stream on Netflix. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 18 Dec 2020 | Episode 40: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” | 00:44:53 | |
Geri speaks to Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, and Peter Baynham—cowriters of BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM—about why they decided to revisit the iconic character, how intense it was to film that now infamous Rudy Giuliani scene, and the reality of filming in very dangerous situations. Sacha Baron Cohen is best known for his portrayal of bawdy and raucous fictional satirical characters such as Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard and Admiral General Aladeen. Sacha and his cowriters and frequent collaborators Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham have featured these characters in a number of films and television series, including ALI G INDAHOUSE, THE 11 O’CLOCK SHOW, BRÜNO, THE DICTATOR, and BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN, the latter of which was nominated for the 2006 Writers Guild and Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay. Their latest collaboration, BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM, follows the titular Borat Sagdiyev after his release from a stint in prison for bringing shame to his country, as he risks life and limb when he returns to America with his 15-year-old daughter. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
— Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: — Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast | |||
| 24 Jul 2020 | Episode 32: Kristen Bartlett and Mike Drucker, "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" | 00:56:33 | |
Kaitlin is joined by Kristen Bartlett and Mike Drucker—the Emmy-nominated and Writers Guild Award-winning co-head writers of FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE—to talk about the challenges of writing comedy remotely, how they're taking more creative chances with material and the benefits and responsibilities of being co-head writers of a late night show in 2020. Before their time on the Full Frontal writing staff, Kristen Bartlett wrote on two seasons of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, while Mike Drucker wrote on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON and BILL NYE SAVES THE WORLD. FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE is a late-night talk and news satire show starring former Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee, and is now in its fifth season on TBS. -- | |||
| 23 Dec 2019 | Episode 27: Greta Gerwig, “Little Women” | 00:33:43 | |
Kaitlin sits down with writer, director, and actor Greta Gerwig – the writer and director of the 2019 film LITTLE WOMEN – to talk about why the world needs a new version of the classic story; how Greta cuts down her 400-page first drafts; the intersection between women, money, and writing; and much more. Greta Gerwig started her film career with a small acting role in the 2006 film LOL. She went on to act in, co-write, and co-direct several mumblecore films over the subsequent years, and has been a frequent collaborator of writer and director Noah Baumbach since 2010. She made her solo screenwriting and directorial début with the 2017 film LADY BIRD, for which she was nominated for both a Writers Guild and an Oscar. LITTLE WOMEN is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical 1868/1869 novel by Louisa May Alcott. The film follows the four March sisters – Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg – as they come of age during the aftermath of the Civil War. The film will be released in theaters on December 25, 2019. -- | |||
| 26 Jun 2020 | Episode 29: Liz Tigelaar, "Little Fires Everywhere" | 00:52:53 | |
Kaitlin chats with Liz Tigelaar – showrunner and head writer for the Hulu miniseries LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE – about the start of Liz's creative journey as a Dawson's Creek writer's assistant, how story arcs around mothers and daughters have evolved, why an intersectional writers' room is essential for all storytelling, and much more. Liz Tigelaar's long career in TV drama includes shows like BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ONCE UPON A TIME, and NASHVILLE, among others. She also created the CW series LIFE UNEXPECTED and ran the Golden Globe-nominated Hulu series CASUAL. Her latest project, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, stars Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon and is based on the novel by Celeste Ng. The series is a meditation on motherhood, race, and the tensions between them in a suburban Ohio town in the '90s. -- | |||
| 17 Dec 2021 | Episode 67: Tracey Scott Wilson, "Respect" | 00:38:05 | |
Host Geri Cole is joined by Tracey Scott Wilson, writer of the Aretha Franklin biopic RESPECT, about writing the film’s screenplay on a very expedited timeline, how being a playwright has informed her film & television career, and her creative process – which includes writing in longhand and starting each day reading scripts. Tracey Scott Wilson is an accomplished television writer, producer and playwright. She served as a co-executive producer on FOSSE/VERDON and MORNING SHOW. Before that, she was co-executive producer on the award-winning series THE AMERICANS, where she wrote for 4 seasons and received two Writers Guild awards, two Peabody awards and a Golden Globe. Her plays include BUZZER, THE GOOD NEGRO, and THE STORY. She is the winner of multiple awards for her work as a playwright, including 2001 Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, the 2003 AT&T Onstage Award, the 2004 Whiting Award, the 2004 Kesserling Prize, the 2007 Weissberger Playwriting Award, and the 2007 Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the O’Neil National Playwriting Conference. Her latest project is the Aretha Franklin biopic, RESPECT. The film follows the rise of Aretha Franklin's career — from a child singing in her father's church choir to her international superstardom — and tells the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice. The film was released in August 2021 and is available to rent or buy on major streaming platforms. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 25 Jul 2019 | Episode 18: Solvan "Slick" Naim, "It's Bruno!" | 00:29:32 | |
Caroline spoke with Solvan "Slick" Naim—writer, director, rapper, actor, and creator of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series IT'S BRUNO!—about the ways that music informs and shapes his work, the importance of diversity-focused mentorship programs in the entertainment industry, his advice to those who are just starting to try launch their careers in film & TV, translating his love of his dogs into his show, and much more. Solvan "Slick" Naim is an Award winning Algerian-American writer, director and rapper who was born and raised in New York City. Slick's filmmaking career started by way of his music career: as a rapper, he wrote treatments to his songs and began directing his own music videos. His debut feature, FULL CIRCLE, won 5 festival awards including the Audience Award at the 2013 HBO Urbanworld Festival and was acquired by EOne. IT'S BRUNO! - which premiered on Netflix in May - follows a Brooklyn native and his Puggle dog, Bruno, through the small adventures they encounter every day as they navigate their native Bushwick. -- | |||
| 29 Apr 2022 | Episode 78: Melissa Silverstein in conversation with Liz Meriwether (“The Dropout”) | 00:45:59 | |
Geri hands it over to guest host Melissa Silverstein, the founder and publisher of Women in Hollywood, for a conversation with THE DROPOUT creator and showrunner Liz Meriwether. Liz Meriwether is a writer, showrunner, and producer known for her work as the creator and showrunner of the hit comedy series NEW GIRL and the sitcom BLESS THIS MESS, as well as for writing the screenplay for the 2011 romcom NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Guest moderator Melissa Silverstein is the founder and publisher of Women and Hollywood, an initiative and website that educates, advocates, and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and the global film industry. THE DROPOUT is a Hulu limited series based on the ABC podcast of the same name. The series follows the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. The series premiered in March 2022 and is available to stream on Hulu. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 02 Sep 2022 | Episode 89: David Jenkins, "Our Flag Means Death" | 00:44:54 | |
Host Alison Herman talks to OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH showrunner David Jenkins about the creative freedoms that come with a virtual writer's room, why the true story of pirates Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard makes the most sense as a romance, the labor implications of ratings transparency in the streaming age, and much more. David Jenkins is a television writer, showrunner, producer, and playwright. He’s known for creating the 2016 TBS sci-fi comedy series PEOPLE OF EARTH, and for his work as creator and showrunner of the acclaimed HBO Max pirate workplace rom-com series OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH is a (very) loose adaptation of the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet. After trading in the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede becomes captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas. The series, which was recently renewed for a second season, premiered on HBO Max in March 2022. The full first season is available to stream on HBO Max. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 16 Apr 2025 | Episode 125: Daytime Drama Roundtable with the 2025 Writers Guild Award Nominees | 00:50:52 | |
Three Daytime Drama writers whose shows were contenders the 2025 Writers Guild Awards join us to discuss their work, how they became daytime drama writers, how the daytime format helps you avoid procrastinating, some favorite plotlines, and much more. Kate Hall is a daytime drama writer whose credits include Days of Our Lives, All My Children, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless. She was nominated for the 2025 Daytime Drama Writers Guild Award for General Hospital. Ron Carlivati is a daytime drama writer who has served as head writer for One Life to Live, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, and as a staff writer on the new show Beyond the Gates. He was nominated for the 2025 Daytime Drama Writers Guild Award for Days of Our Lives. Charlotte Gibson-Bauer is a daytime drama writer who has worked as a scriptwriter on All My Children and General Hospital, and as a breakdown writer on As the World Turns, Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives. She was nominated for the 2025 Daytime Drama Writers Guild Award for General Hospital. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| 10 Feb 2023 | Episode 105: Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner, "The Fabelmans" (in conversation with Judd Apatow) | 00:58:23 | |
Alison Herman hands it over to guest moderator Judd Apatow for a live conversation with Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner about their latest collaboration, THE FABELMANS. Steven Spielberg a screenwriter, director, producer, and studio executive. In a career spanning over four decades, Spielberg has directed nearly three dozen feature films and written or cowritten the screenplays for four. His directorial work has covered many themes and genres–from science-fiction and adventure films to subjects like the Holocaust, the Transatlantic slave trade, war, and terrorism. He has been the subject of widespread critical acclaim, and numerous awards and accolades including 19 nominations and 3 wins at the Academy Awards, multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations and wins, and the 2015 United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many others. Tony Kushner is a celebrated playwright, author, and screenwriter who is perhaps best known for writing the acclaimed play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes—and its TV miniseries adaptation—as well as for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg as screenwriter of MUNICH, LINCOLN—both of which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay—and the 2022 adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY. Angels in America earned Tony both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993, and he received Emmy and Writers Guild Awards for its onscreen adaptation. He also received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013. Together, Steven and Tony cowrote the screenplay for THE FABELMANS, which Steven also directed. The semi-autobiographical story of Spielberg's own adolescence follows a young Sammy Fabelman as he falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see "The Greatest Show on Earth." Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his own films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother - and discovers how the power of films can help him see the truth about his dysfunctional family and those around him. The Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-nominated film was released in November 2022 and is now available on most major SVOD platforms. Moderator Judd Apatow is a writer, director, comedian, and producer known for his work writing and directing films such as THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, and FUNNY PEOPLE, among many others. In 2012, he received the Writers Guild of America, East’s Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| 13 Jan 2023 | Episode 101: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" | 00:47:34 | |
Host Greg Iwinski talks to Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole about their collaboration process for BLACK PANTHER and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, rewriting a screenplay while – and as part of – grieving, space-saving ways to write a half-dozen languages into your script, and more. Ryan Coogler is a writer-director whose credits include the 2013 biopic FRUITVALE STATION and the CREED franchise. Joe Robert Cole is a writer-director who has written for the series THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, and wrote and directed the feature film ALL DAY AND A NIGHT. Ryan and Joe cowrote the screenplay for BLACK PANTHER as part of Phase Three of the MCU. The film was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Adapted Screenplay and became the first superhero film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – their latest project together and the sequel to the 2018 film – follows Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje during their fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom. The film was released in November 2022. It’s currently playing in theaters and will be available to stream on Disney+ starting February 1, 2023. Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 04 Feb 2022 | Episode 70: Zhubin Parang, Josh Johnson, Kat Radley, and Roy Wood Jr. , "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" | 00:47:17 | |
Host Geri Cole is joined by four writers from THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH: supervising producer and head writer Zhubin Parang, writers Kat Radley and Josh Johnson, and correspondent Roy Wood Jr. The writers and Geri cover what it takes to put together an episode of THE DAILY SHOW… and to do it daily, how being encouraged to bomb creates a sense of community in the writers’ room, and how segments like “CP Time” help teach chapters of Black history you won’t find in a textbook. THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH is the Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning evening news program that examines the day's biggest news stories in politics, pop culture, entertainment, sports and more. In each episode, Trevor and his team of correspondents provide coverage of (and catharsis from) daily events through a sharp, reality-based lens. Episodes of THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH air live on Comedy Central nightly. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 06 May 2022 | Episode 79: David Simon, “We Own This City” | 00:57:09 | |
Host Geri Cole talks to David Simon, co-creator and showrunner of the new HBO miniseries WE OWN THIS CITY, about how he sees the mini-series as the coda to his legendary show, THE WIRE; the lessons he learned as a journalist that have helped him as a television writer; and why the drug war is one of America's worst policies and needs to end. David Simon is a Baltimore-based screenwriter, journalist, author, and television producer. A former crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun, he is the author of two books of narrative nonfiction—Homicide and The Corner—and is the creator of the celebrated HBO series THE WIRE, which depicts the political and socioeconomic fissures in an American city. His other television credits include the NBC drama HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET and HBO’s THE CORNER—both adaptations of his nonfiction books—as well as HBO’s GENERATION KILL, TREME, and THE DEUCE. He was a 2010 MacArthur Fellow and has received numerous accolades over the course of his career, including an Edgar Award and multiple Emmy and Writers Guild Awards. His latest project is the crime drama miniseries WE OWN THIS CITY. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by fellow Baltimore Sun alum Justin Fenton, the show details the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force and the corruption surrounding it. The six-part miniseries premiered in April 2022 on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 04 Dec 2024 | Episode 120: Julio Torres & Jeff Schaffer in conversation | 00:46:03 | |
Writers and showrunners Julio Torres and Jeff Schaffer discuss their work on some of TV's most acclaimed comedy series. Julio Torres is a writer and comedian who wrote for Saturday Night Live and the HBO comedy series Los Espookys, the latter which he co-created alongside Ana Fabrega and Fred Armisen. He then went on to write and direct the 2023 surrealist dramedy film Problemista. After Problemista, he created, wrote, and starred in the critically acclaimed surrealist comedy series Fantasmas, which premiered in June 2024 on HBO. Jeff Schaffer is a film and television writer and director known for cowriting cult-classic features like Eurotrip and Bruno and for his work on acclaimed television series like Seinfeld, The League and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He served as showrunner for Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2009 until the end of its twelfth and final season, which concluded in April 2024. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 10 Oct 2020 | Episode 37: Cord Jefferson, "Watchmen," "The Good Place," "Succession" | 00:38:26 | |
Emmy Award-winning writer Cord Jefferson joins Geri to talk about his experiences in the writers’ rooms for two of the most prestigious series currently on television, writing about race and extreme privilege, why staying in your lane is an antiquated idea, and more. Cord Jefferson was a journalist at Gawker from 2012 until 2014, when he joined the writing staff of the Starz sitcom SURVIVOR’S REMORSE. Since then, he has gone on to write for television series like THE NIGHTLY SHOW WITH LARRY WILMORE, THE GOOD PLACE, SUCCESSION, and WATCHMEN. At the 72nd Annual Writers Guild Awards, the writers of WATCHMEN and SUCCESSION won the awards for New Series and Dramatic Series categories, respectively. Cord also received an Emmy Award for co-writing the sixth episode of WATCHMEN, “This Extraordinary Being.” He is currently developing a TV series about Gawker alongside the site’s former Editor-in-Chief, Max Reed. Season 7 of OnWriting is hosted by Geri Cole, a writer and performer based in New York City. She is currently a full-time staff and interactive writer for SESAME STREET, for which she has received Writers Guild Award and two Daytime Emmys. She also performs sketch and improv at theaters and festivals around the country. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Jun 2021 | OnWriting PRIDE: Emma Seligman, "Shiva Baby" | 00:43:19 | |
For the first part of our OnWriting Pride Month series, Geri is joined by Emma Seligman, writer and director of SHIVA BABY, to discuss the challenges of writing and directing a low-budget first feature, the ways Judaism and a love of cinema have shaped her storytelling, and how the film uses anxiety and a horror soundtrack to heighten the tension and the comedy. Emma Seligman is a Canadian filmmaker. While studying film at NYU, she made a number of short films, including “Lonewoods,” “Void,” and her thesis project, “Shiva Baby,” which had its world premiere at the 2018 South by Southwest film festival. SHIVA BABY is the feature-length adaptation of that project, and Seligman’s feature debut. The film follows Jewish, bisexual college senior Danielle as she—along with her family, her ex-girlfriend, and, to her shock, her sugar daddy—attends a shiva for a barely-remembered relative. The film—which premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and has since received widespread critical acclaim, including the Best Screenplay award at Outfest 2020—is now showing in select theaters in the US and is available to rent on most major streaming platforms. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 18 Dec 2018 | Episode 9: David Magee, "Mary Poppins Returns" | 00:42:13 | |
Caroline spoke with David Magee about his screenplay for MARY POPPINS RETURNS—the highly anticipated and ambitious sequel to the 1964 Walt Disney classic. Prior to MARY POPPINS RETURNS, David wrote the screenplays for FINDING NEVERLAND, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, and LIFE OF PI. He received Academy Award nominations for his work on both NEVERLAND and PI, and is currently at work on a project about the life of famed author Hans Christian Andersen. MARY POPPINS RETURNS follows the magical nanny as, decades after her original visit, she returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives. It opens in theaters everywhere tomorrow, December 19. -- | |||
| 08 Jan 2021 | Episode 41: Aaron Sorkin, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" | 00:36:49 | |
Geri talks to writer and director Aaron Sorkin about spending 15 years writing his latest film, THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7; why intention and obstacle are the backbones of every good story; and how his career is kind of like being struck by lightning… if being struck by lightning were a good thing. Aaron Sorkin is the Academy, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Writers Guild Award-winning writer behind myriad films, television series, and plays including THE WEST WING, THE NEWSROOM, the play A FEW GOOD MEN (and its 1992 film adaptation), MONEYBALL, MOLLY’S GAME—which he also directed, and THE SOCIAL NETWORK. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, written and directed by Sorkin, is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The film was released in the fall of 2020 and is available to stream on Netlfix. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 30 Nov 2018 | Episode 7: Matt Bai, Jay Carson & Jason Reitman, "The Front Runner" | 00:42:50 | |
It's season two of the podcast, and we're hitting the ground (front-)running. In this episode, our season 2 host Caroline Waxler sat down with THE FRONT RUNNER co-writers Matt Bai, Jay Carson, and Jason Reitman. The film, based on a book by Matt Bai, explores how, in 1988, Senator Gary Hart's presidential aspirations were derailed after an affair became national news, and chronicles the moment when politics crossed over into entertainment. Matt Bai is a journalist, author, and screenwriter. He's currently the national political columnist at Yahoo News. Before that, he was chief political correspondent for the New York Times Magazine. You may also recognize him from his recurring role as himself in season two of HOUSE OF CARDS. Jay Carson is an international and American policy advisor and strategist. Throughout his career, he's been the press secretary for Hillary Clinton, a senior staffer for several other elected officials - including President Bill Clinton, and Chief Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles. He was also the supervising producer and political consultant for HOUSE OF CARDS. Jason Reitman is an Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer. In addition to THE FRONT RUNNER - which, in addition to co-writing, he also directed - his screenwriting credits include UP IN THE AIR and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 03 Dec 2019 | The OnWriting Guide to Crafting Scripted Podcasts: Part Two | 00:31:24 | |
When you're a screenwriter moving to TV or a novelist moving to screenwriting or even a comedy writer moving to drama, you'll have questions about how this new territory differs from what you're used to. Questions like... how does breaking a script work? Or... how do I write character development over the course of a two hour film rather than over a full TV season? Questions are normal. But typically, there are at least some factors that are givens – things that have been established over the course of decades. Problem is, since podcasts are new territory for pretty much everyone, those sorts of rules and standards about the most basic issues don't exist yet. There's no consensus about how to format a podcast script, let alone any popular beliefs about things like whether you need a writer's room. To find answers for some of these questions, we spoke to writers and producers who have made a name for themselves in the scripted podcast industry – some who are just starting out, and some whose podcasts have gone on to become TV shows. In Part One, we heard from LIMETOWN co-creator Zack Akers, HOMECOMING producer Alicia Van Couvering, and WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson about the industry's business side: what the market looks like, how to break in, and how to protect yourself once you're there. Now, in Part Two, we'll take a deep dive – with the help of Zack and Alicia, as well as Danielle Trussoni (CRYPTO-Z), and River Donaghey (AMERICAN AFTERLIFE) – into the creative side of the industry – from recruiting talent, to necessary skillsets, to creative satisfactions and beyond. Learn more about the Guild’s work in the scripted podcast industry: wgaeast.org/podcasting. -- The OnWriting Guide to Scripted Podcasting, Part Two was written & produced by Molly Beer; hosted by Kaitlin Fontana; sound design, mixing, and tech production by Stock Boy Creative; with special thanks to River Donaghey, Danielle Trussoni, Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Alicia Van Couvering, Lowell Peterson, Jason Gordon, and Marsha Seeman. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast | |||
| 24 Jul 2024 | Episode 115: Writing Slate's Acclaimed Podcasts | 00:59:12 | |
Host Katie Rich sits down with Sophie Summergrad, Christina Cauterucci and Madeline Ducharme — three of the journalists and producers behind Slate's "Slow Burn" and other acclaimed podcasts — to discuss their paths into journalism, the process of turning an idea into a critically acclaimed podcast, how a strong union contract gives you the freedom – and time – to do the things you care about, and much more. Sophie Summergrad is a producer at Slate currently working on season 10 of "Slow Burn". Before that, she worked on "Slow Burn" seasons 3 through 9, as well as the narrative podcast "One Year". Christina Cauterucci is a senior writer at Slate who covers politics and culture. She's also the host of season 9 of "Slow Burn": Gays Against Briggs, the host and co-founder of "Outward", Slate's weekly podcast about LGBTQ life, and previously wrote for and hosted episodes of "One Year". Madeline Ducharme is a producer for Slate's daily news podcast, "What Next". Before that, she produced season 4 of "Slow Burn", and has worked on other narrative shows at Slate including "One Year". Host Katie Rich is a comedy writer known for her six-year tenure writing for "Weekend Update" on Saturday Night Live. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| 21 Nov 2018 | Special Episode: The Made in NY Writers Room | 00:39:44 | |
We're bringing you a special episode of OnWriting all about the Made in NY Writers Room—a fellowship program from the WGA East, the NYC Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. The fellowship elevates emerging writers with diverse backgrounds and view points by providing career development training from established showrunners and television industry leaders. For this episode, showrunner and Made in NY Writers Room mentor, Michael Rauch will be our guest moderator. He'll be in conversation with New York City Commissioner, Julie Menin, and the Writers Guild of America East Executive Director, Lowell Peterson. You can learn all about the program and how to apply by visiting wgaeast.org/writersroom -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 05 Nov 2021 | Episode 61: Jen Statsky, "Hacks" | 00:44:28 | |
Host Geri Cole is joined by Jen Statsky—co-creator and showrunner of the HBO Max series HACKS—to talk about the show's journey from an idea on a road trip to a hit series, why writing about people's flaws can bring out the best in a character, and the challenges of writing a comedy series about writing comedy. Jen Statsky is a TV writer and comedian who cut her comedy-writing teeth on Twitter. Her posts were popular, and she eventually found herself with enough of a following that, in 2011, the account helped her land her first TV writing job at LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON. Since then, she has written for a number of hit comedies, including BROAD CITY, THE GOOD PLACE, and PARKS & RECREATION (all while maintaining her Twitter account, of course). She currently serves as the showrunner of the comedy-drama series HACKS. The series, which Statsky co-created with Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs, follows legendary stand-up comic Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart) as she works to maintain relevancy through a reluctant partnership with struggling millennial comedy writer Ava. The show premiered in May 2021, and was recently renewed for a second season. It's available to stream on HBO Max. -- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 24 Oct 2019 | Episode 23: Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, "Patriot Act" | 00:48:50 | |
Kaitlin is joined by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, co-creators of the Netflix series Patriot Act, to talk about how they joined forces to create their headline-making series, the importance of a unique take on the news, and why you can never have enough late night shows. Hasan Minhaj is a comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. Before starting his time as host of PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ, you may have recognized him from - among other things - his four-year stint as a correspondent on THE DAILY SHOW, or as the host of the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Since the premiere of PATRIOT ACT, Hasan has won a Peabody Award and two Webby Awards, and was listed of one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2019. Prashanth Venkataramanujam is a writer, actor, comedian, and producer who is currently the head writer and executive producer for PATRIOT ACT. In 2016, Prashanth wrote Minhaj's host speech for the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner which was televised on C-SPAN – the recording of which subsequently went viral and now has over 1.3 million views on YouTube. In 2017, he became a writer for Netflix's BILL NYE SAVES THE WORLD, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and wrote Hasan's speech for that year's WHCA Dinner. PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ explores the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity. In each weekly episode, he uses his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to investigate the larger trends shaping the fragmented world. Episodes are released weekly on Netflix, and the fifth season will premiere on November 10, 2019. -- | |||
| 05 Aug 2022 | Episode 87: Seth Meyers, "Late Night With Seth Meyers" | 00:41:10 | |
Host Greg Iwinski is joined by Late Night’s Seth Meyers to talk about the spirit of 12:30 and how a diverse writing staff is essential to success – and to take a closer look at A Closer Look. Seth Meyers is a writer, comedian, and author known for his work on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and as the host/writer of NBC’s LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS. He was named one of the 2014 TIME 100, Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and has received numerous awards and accolades, over 30 Writers Guild and Emmy Award nominations altogether, a 2009 Peabody Award, and back-to-back Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Talk Show in 2020-21. LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS is the fourth incarnation of the LATE NIGHT franchise. Each episode features monologues and news segments that add a comedic lens to that day's biggest alongside a slate of guests that includes both A-list celebrities, as well as people not seen anywhere else in late night like political figures and other interesting newsmakers. The series, which recently received its first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, airs weeknights on NBC at 12:37 AM. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 04 Mar 2022 | Episode 74: Bruce Miller and Yahlin Chang, "The Handmaid's Tale" | 00:46:55 | |
Host Geri Cole welcomes THE HANDMAID’S TALE creator, showrunner, writer, and EP Bruce Miller and writer and EP Yahlin Chang to the show to talk about how real-world refugee stories give the show inspiration and guidance, the ways in which writing can be both cruel and cathartic, and how the show encourages everyone—both above and below the line—to bring their A-game. ** - Please note: This episode comes with a spoiler alert as well as a content warning for a discussion of sexual violence against women and other traumatic topics. - ** Bruce Miller is a television writer and producer who, before HANDMAID'S, was well known for his work as showrunner and writer for popular sci-fi series like EUREKA and ALPHAS. For his work on The Handmaid's Tale, Miller won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Yahlin Chang is a writer and producer who wrote on several series including DIRTY SEXY MONEY, PAN AM, and SUPERGIRL, before joining the writers' room of THE HANDMAID'S TALE. She was nominated for a 2021 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama for the series. THE HANDMAID'S TALE is a dystopian television series based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel of the same name. The series portrays life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was the United States which is ruled by an ultra-religious fundamentalist regime. Faced with a world devastated by environmental disasters and a plummeting birth rate, the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Offred, is determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find the daughter that was taken from her. The series—which has received multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, Writers Guild Awards, among many others—premiered on Hulu in April 2017, and is currently in production for its 5th season. Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Hulu. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 15 Apr 2022 | Episode 77: Jonathan Tropper, “The Adam Project” | 00:44:47 | |
Host Geri Cole speaks with Jonathan Tropper about The Adam Project's eight-year journey to the screen, how to write a great action scene, the rules of writing time travel, and why you don't tell Bob when to drink the Coke. Jonathan Tropper is a screenwriter, novelist, and producer. He is the internationally-acclaimed author of six novels, the two most recent of which—This Is Where I Leave You and One Last Thing Before I Go—were both New York Times bestsellers. His screenwriting credits include THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU (the 2014 film adaptation of his novel), the 2017 feature KODACHROME, showrunner of the sci-fi series SEE, co-creator and showrunner of the action series BANSHEE, and creator and showrunner of the martial arts drama series WARRIOR. Most recently, he wrote the screenplay for the sci-fi adventure film THE ADAM PROJECT. The film follows time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed who, after accidentally crash-landing in the year 2022, must team up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future. The film was released in March and is now streaming on Netflix. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Mar 2022 | Episode 75: Mariama Diallo, “Master” | 00:46:12 | |
Host Geri Cole talks to writer-director Mariama Diallo about the uncanny—and all-too-real—experience of navigating predominately white spaces as a Black woman, the complexities of identity, the importance and necessity of your community, and more. Mariama Diallo is a writer and director whose short film “Hair Wolf” premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival—where it won the Short Film Jury Award—and was then released on HBO and the Criterion Channel. Diallo also co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the short film “White Devil,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is a writer-director on the Peabody Award-winning HBO series RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS. Her latest project—and feature debut—is MASTER, a supernatural horror film about three Black women striving to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and will arrive on Prime Video (and in select theaters) starting March 18. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 18 Sep 2018 | Episode 3: Sofia Alvarez, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" | 00:42:10 | |
For episode 3 of the show, Jordan spoke with Sofia Alvarez about her latest project, the romantic comedy TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, which was released on Netflix on August 17. The film was adapted from Jenny Han's 2014 novel of the same name. It follows 16-year-old Lara Jean Song Covey, whose life is thrown through a loop when someone exposes the secret love letters she wrote to—you guessed it—all the boys she's loved before. Sofia Alvarez is a playwright and screenwriter. Before TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, she was a staff writer on FXX's MAN SEEKING WOMAN and USA Network's SIRENS. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 24 Jan 2019 | Episode 11: Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, "The Other Two" | 00:46:07 | |
Caroline spoke with Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, co-creators of the Comedy Central series THE OTHER TWO. THE OTHER TWO follows two older siblings who navigate and struggle to find success in their 20s, as their much younger brother becomes a mega star thanks to a viral video he made for a song called, 'I Wanna Marry You at Recess'. Chris and Sarah were staff writers on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE starting in the show's 37th season, and were co-head writers for its 42nd season. Before their careers at SNL, Chris was a staff writer and director at Funny or Die and Onion News Network. His first feature film, OTHER PEOPLE, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Sarah was a writer and actor for CollegeHumor, where she starred as a fictionalized version of herself in the sitcom THE COLLEGEHUMOR SHOW. She has also written for the Netflix comedy MASTER OF NONE. -- | |||
| 23 Jan 2020 | Episode 28: Taika Waititi, "Jojo Rabbit" | 00:29:00 | |
Kaitlin is joined via phone by Taika Waititi -- the writer, director, and star of the film JOJO RABBIT, and the producer of the show WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS - both of which have earned him nominations at this year's Writers Guild Awards. Taika chats about writing a Nazi satire, using fear as a creative motivator, writing comedy when you aren't attracted to comedy writing, how he engages with the Indigenous filmmaking community worldwide, and more. Taika Waititi's filmmaking career started in the early 2000s and gained international attention when he received an Oscar for his 2004 short film TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT. Since then, he has written and directed films like EAGLE VS. SHARK, BOY, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, and THOR: RAGNAROK, which have all been met with widespread critical acclaim. His latest project, JOJO RABBIT, is a dark comedy based on Christine Leunens's book Caging Skies. Set in Nazi Germany, the film follows Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a Hitler Youth member who finds out that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Jojo must then question his beliefs, while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend -- a fanciful version of Adolf Hitler (played by Taika himself). It has received nominations at this year's Writers Guild Awards, as well as six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. -- | |||
| 17 Oct 2019 | Episode 22: Tom Perrotta, "Mrs. Fletcher" | 00:41:06 | |
Kaitlin sits down with novelist, screenwriter, and showrunner Tom Perrotta to discuss his creative process, writing about sexual awakening, porn, adapting his latest novel into his latest TV show, and much more. 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 he and Damon Lindelof adapted into a Peabody Award-winning HBO series. MRS. FLETCHER, Perrotta's new HBO series, is based on his latest novel, and tells the story of a single mom who attempts to start a new life after her son heads off to college. It premieres on October 27th. -- | |||
| 29 May 2024 | Episode 111: Nonfiction TV Roundtable with Chinisha Scott, Gautam Singhani and Sarah Katz | 00:44:54 | |
Host and WGAE Nonfiction Women of Color Caucus Chair Chinisha Scott talks with WGAE members Gautam Singhani and Sarah Katz, who both recently worked at the nonfiction television production company Story Syndicate. Story Syndicate is one of the latest nonfiction television shops to join the Writers Guild of America East and they are currently negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement. This week, we focus on nonfiction television, lovingly described as the Wild West. Chinisha, Gautam and Sarah discuss advocating for the truth, both in nonfiction production and the labor movement, why the time to unionize is now and what it means to be fairly compensated in nonfiction television. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 10 Jul 2020 | Episode 31: Ramy Youssef, "Ramy" | 00:40:59 | |
Kaitlin chats with Ramy Youssef—the writer, creator, Golden Globe-winning star, and frequent director of the Hulu comedy series RAMY—about the importance of representation in crafting his show, what was in his head when he won his Golden Globe, and why if you're going to be weird you have to earn it. Ramy Youssef kicked off his industry career as a co-star in the Nick at Nite comedy SEE DAD RUN, where he shadowed the writers' room. Since then, he's had a recurring role on USA Network's MR ROBOT and an HBO stand-up special. His latest project, RAMY, drops us into the day-to-day life of Ramy Hassan, a millennial Muslim living in New Jersey who's trying to navigate faith, family and being a first generation immigrant while also waiting in the murky waters of sex, love and trying to be good. Seasons 1 and 2 of the series are now streaming on Hulu, and the show was recently renewed for a 3rd season. -- | |||
| 23 Oct 2018 | Episode 6: David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, "Episodes" | 00:34:18 | |
For the 6th and final episode of Season 1, Jordan spoke with David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, the brilliant minds behind the award-winning Showtime/BBC series EPISODES, which recently concluded its fifth and final season. David and Jeffrey both got their start writing on the legendary late-night HBO sitcom DREAM ON. From there, Jeffrey went on to write and co-produce the hit series MAD ABOUT YOU, while David co-created the sitcom FRIENDS. EPISODES follows a British husband-and-wife comedy writing team who travel to Hollywood to remake their successful British TV series with FRIENDS’ alum Matt LeBlanc. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| 20 Nov 2024 | Episode 119: Laura Eason on "Three Women" | 01:03:56 | |
Host Anya Epstein is joined by Laura Eason to discuss gaining confidence as a first-time showrunner, the art of adaptation and collaboration, hiring diverse writers to give life to diverse characters, navigating delicate topics with the nuance that they require and much more. Laura Eason is a screenwriter, showrunner, executive producer and playwright. She began her television writing career as a staff writer for four seasons of House of Cards, for which she received both an Emmy nomination for Drama Series and a Writers Guild Award nomination for Writing in a Drama Series. After House of Cards, she went on to serve as co-Executive Producer and writer for the 2019 miniseries The Loudest Voice in the Room. Laura is currently the showrunner, executive producer and writer of Three Women. The Starz limited series, which is based on Lisa Taddeo's 2019 book of the same name, is intimate and haunting portrayal of female desire that finds three – or really, four – women on a crash course to radically overturn their lives. Three Women premiered in the US in September 2024, and is available to watch on Starz. This episode is hosted by Anya Epstein. Anya is a TV writer and producer, and the co-showrunner of series like The Affair and In Treatment. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 19 Mar 2025 | Episode 123: Digital News Roundtable with the 2025 Writers Guild Award Nominees | 00:50:54 | |
The five contenders for Digital News at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards sit down for a roundtable discussion of their nominated pieces, their writing processes, facing challenges and finding silver linings in the media industry, pre-publication nerves, and much more. The Digital News nominees at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards were Henry Grabar for "Mise-en-Seine: A Paris Olympics Diary" (Slate), Akbar Shahid Ahmed for "What Is Hamas Thinking Now?" for (HuffPost), Molly Olmstead for "Sent by God" for (Slate), Jim Newell for "The Unraveling of Nancy Mace" (Slate), and Jaya Saxena for "The Food That Makes You Gay" (Eater). --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 16 Dec 2019 | Episode 25: Noah Baumbach, "Marriage Story" | 00:27:40 | |
In the season 5 premiere, Kaitlin sits down with Writers Guild Award- and Oscar-nominated writer and director Noah Baumbach to talk about his latest film, MARRIAGE STORY. They discuss how a film about divorce is really a film about love, what New York and LA mean on screen, when you know you're ready to open that final draft file and really write, and much more. Noah Baumbach made his feature film debut with his critically acclaimed 1995 film KICKING AND SCREAMING, and has gone on to write and direct such films as FRANCES HA, THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES, and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE – the script for which was nominated for both a Writers Guild Award and an Oscar. MARRIAGE STORY follows actor Nicole Barber and her stage director husband Charlie as they struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them both to their personal and creative extremes. The film now streaming on Netflix. -- | |||
| 03 Oct 2019 | Episode 21: Lorene Scafaria, "Hustlers" | 00:48:10 | |
Kaitlin sits down with Lorene Scafaria to discuss her latest film, HUSTLERS, as well as her writing processes for both adapted and original projects, the importance of portraying women and their relationships in a dynamic way, the work in sex work, and much more. Lorene earned her first Writers Guild credit with the acclaimed teen comedy NICK AND NORA'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. Since then, she's written and directed three films: SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, THE MEDDLER, and - most recently - one of this year's most buzzed-about films, HUSTLERS. Inspired by the New York magazine article "The Hustlers at Scores," HUSTLERS follows a group of strippers, when the 2008 economic collapse, devise a scheme to scheme to take their lives back by turning the tables on their Wall Street clients. The film was released in theaters on September 13, 2019. -- | |||
| 05 Mar 2021 | Episode 46: OnWriting Live - Shaka King, "Judas and the Black Messiah" | 00:46:27 | |
OnWriting presents three live-taped episodes of OnWriting celebrating Black History Month, presented by the WGAE Black Writers Salon. In each installment, two co-chairs of the WGAE Black Writers Salon—OnWriting’s own Geri Cole and Rashidi Hendrix—speak with Black screenwriters who have each written amazing films about Black icons in history. For the third & final installment of the series, Geri and Rashidi speak with Shaka King, co-writer and director of JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH. Shaka King is a screenwriter, director, and producer. His debut feature film, NEWLYWEEDS, premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Someone to Watch Award at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards. He then cowrote and directed the short film MULIGNANS, with which he and cowriter Kristan Sprague competed in the USA Narrative Short Film Program at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and for which they received the Nantucket Film Festival Screenwriting Award. He also co-wrote and directed the 2017 short film LAZERCISM, starring LaKeith Stanfield. On the small screen, King has written and directed episodes of several series, including HIGH MAINTENANCE, SHRILL, and RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS. His latest project is JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH – the powerful true story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) – chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party – and his betrayal by FBI informant William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), which led to Hampton being executed in bed in a pre-dawn raid by Chicago law enforcement. Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, and Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas (better known as the Lucas Brothers); Directed by Shaka King. The film will be available to stream on HBO Max until Sunday, March 14. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 15 Oct 2021 | Episode 58: Lang Fisher, "Never Have I Ever" | 00:46:06 | |
Geri is joined by Lang Fisher—co-creator and showrunner of the Netflix series NEVER HAVE I EVER—to discuss creating a comedy that’s rooted in grief, writing teen characters who sound like real teens, how casting tennis champion John McEnroe as narrator helped tie the whole series together, and more. Lang Fisher was a staff writer for The Onion and started her TV writing career at THE ONION NEWS NETWORK. Since then, she’s written on hit comedies like THE MINDY PROJECT, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, and 30 ROCK. While at 30 ROCK, she co-wrote the episode “A Goon's Deed in a Weary World,” which was named in Variety’s “25 Best TV Episodes of the Decade (2010-2019).” Her latest project is NEVER HAVE I EVER – a coming-of-age dramedy co-created by Fisher and Mindy Kaling. The series follows Devi, an Indian-American high school student, as she grapples with the death of her father, her Indian identity, and trying to improve her social status at her school. The series premiered in 2020 and was recently renewed for a third season. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Netflix. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 03 Feb 2023 | Episode 104: Tony Gilroy, "Andor" | 00:50:20 | |
Host Greg Iwinski talks to Tony Gilroy about ANDOR, how his music career influenced his work as a screenwriter, why empathy is the key to imagination, the similarities between being a showrunner and a dairy farmer, and more. Tony Gilroy is a writer, director, and showrunner known for his numerous screenplays, including THE CUTTING EDGE, the JASON BOURNE franchise, and his 2007 acclaimed directorial debut MICHAEL CLAYTON, for which earned received Oscar, BAFTA, and Writers Guild Award nominations for Original Screenplay. Currently, Tony is the showrunner and executive producer of the Star Wars series ANDOR. The show, which he also created, serves as a prequel to both the 2016 spin-off ROGUE ONE as well as the original 1977 STAR WARS film. The Writers Guild Award-nominated series follows Cassian Andor, a Rebel spy during the formative years of the Rebellion, and chronicles his difficult missions for the cause. ANDOR premiered in September 2022 and is in production for its second season. Season one is currently available to stream on Disney+. Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson (external - opens in a new window) --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 24 Nov 2021 | Episode 64: Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, "PEN15" | 00:47:49 | |
Host Geri Cole speaks to PEN15 co-creators, co-writers, and co-stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle about how the duo met (at an experimental theater program in Amsterdam), how PEN15 has become even more honest and raw in its second season, and the curious case of writing for yourself as a 13-year-old. Maya Erskine is a writer and actor known for her onscreen roles in several comedy series, including MAN SEEKING WOMAN, HEARTBEAT, CASUAL, and INSECURE. Anna Konkle is a writer, actor, and director, known for co-starring in the Fox police procedural ROSEWOOD. Together, Erskine and Konkle co-created, co-write, and co-star in the Hulu series PEN15. The "traumedy" follows fictionalized versions of Maya and Anna as teenage outcasts in the year 2000, during a period when the best day of your life can turn into the worst with just the stroke of a gel pen. The series, which premiered in 2019, is available to stream on Hulu. Part two of Season 2 is scheduled for release on December 3. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 02 Jun 2022 | Episode 81: Michael Waldron, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" | 00:42:29 | |
Host Greg Iwinski talks to Michael Waldron, writer of DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, about the Harmon Story Circle, how the worlds of wrestling and comic books are similar, and the cultural obsession with spoiling things. (Speaking of which, this episode does contain some spoilers. Proceed with caution!) Michael Waldron is a writer and producer who started his career in film & TV as a PA on the fifth season of the hit NBC sitcom COMMUNITY. After his time at Greendale Community College, he served as a writer/producer for the animated series RICK & MORTY – for which he and his colleagues received an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, showrunner for the Disney+ series LOKI, and creator/co-showrunner for the Starz drama series HEELS. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is the latest feature film from the Marvel cinematic universe, and the sequel to the 2016 film DOCTOR STRANGE. The film follows the titular Doctor Strange as he teams up with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can travel across multiverses. Along the way, the duo battles multiple threats, including other-universe versions of Stephen Strange, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse. The film premiered in early May 2022 and is now playing in theaters. Host Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes Last Week Tonight and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. He recently finished writing the first season of Game Theory with Bomani Jones on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 11 Dec 2020 | Episode 39: Sofia Coppola, “On the Rocks” | 00:27:42 | |
Geri chats with Sofia Coppola—writer, director, and producer of ON THE ROCKS—about how her writing process has changed over the years, how family dynamics helped shape her work, and why it's so important to trust your instincts. Sofia Coppola’s career as a writer and director began with her 1999 film THE VIRGIN SUICIDES. Since then, Sofia has written and directed films like THE BEGUILED, THE BLING RING, MARIE ANTOINETTE, and LOST IN TRANSLATION. Her script for LOST IN TRANSLATION received the 2004 Writers Guild and Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay. Her latest feature, ON THE ROCKS, tells story of young New York-based author and married mother-of-two, Laura, who has become suspicious that her career-driven husband may be having an affair with a coworker—a speculation encouraged by her caddish, bon vivant father. The film was released in October 2020, and is available to stream on Apple TV+. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 19 Jun 2022 | Episode 83: Natasha Lyonne & Alice Ju, “Russian Doll” | 01:00:31 | |
Host Geri Cole talks about the Netflix series RUSSIAN DOLL with co-creator, writer, producer, director, star Natasha Lyonne, and writer-producer Alice Ju They discuss how the series uses religious philosophy to work on both literal and metaphorical levels, taking the show from “Groundhog Day” to “Quantum Leap”, and exploring the nesting doll of dealing with grief. Warning, there are spoilers. | |||
| 27 Mar 2021 | Episode 49: OnWriting Live – Jenny Lumet, "Clarice" | 00:40:37 | |
OnWriting presents the third in a series of four live recordings of OnWriting in honor of Women's History Month, presented by the WGAE Women's Salon. In each episode, we’re speaking with women screenwriters whose latest projects center on women’s stories. For the third installment in the series, Geri speaks with Jenny Lumet, the co-creator and showrunner of the new CBS series CLARICE. Jenny Lumet is a screenwriter and actress who is widely known for her screenplay for the acclaimed 2008 drama film RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, directed by the late, great Jonathan Demme. She is a writer-producer on STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, and is co-creator and showrunner of the forthcoming sci-fi series THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. Her latest project is CLARICE — the CBS crime procedural drama series co-created by Lumet and Alex Kurtzman, and for which Lumet serves as showrunner. CLARICE takes a deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) as she returns to the field in 1993, one year after the events of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Brilliant and vulnerable, Clarice's bravery gives her an inner light that draws monsters and madmen to her. However, her complex psychological makeup that comes from a challenging childhood empowers her to begin to find her voice while working in a man's world, as well as escape the family secrets that have haunted her throughout her life. The series premiered in February 2021 on CBS and is also available to stream on Paramount+. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 12 Jun 2024 | Episode 112: Meredith Scardino (Girls5Eva) & Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live) | 01:07:30 | |
Acclaimed comedy writers Meredith Scardino and Paula Pell sit down together for a conversation about their journeys to WGAE membership, their journeys to the WGAE office, how producing differs from other positions in the writers room, the importance of both deadlines and procrastination in the creative process and much more. Meredith Scardino is a screenwriter, showrunner and producer who has written for multiple TV comedies, including The Colbert Report, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Mr. Mayor. Most recently, she created and is the showrunner of the Peacock/Netflix musical comedy series Girls5eva. Paula Pell is a writer, actor and producer known for her work as a writer and supervising producer on the late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, a writer and producer on the comedy series 30 Rock, and as the writer of the 2015 comedy film Sisters. Paula received the WGAE's Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at the 2020 Writers Guild Awards. She also currently stars as Gloria in Girls5eva. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 04 Sep 2020 | Episode 34: Charlie Kaufman, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" | 00:45:36 | |
Season 7 host Geri Cole speaks with Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-winning screenwriter and director Charlie Kaufman about his latest film, how his writing is shaped by fear, finding meaning in his films, the benefits of walking, and much more. Charlie Kaufman is a critically acclaimed screenwriter and director. His writing credits include ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND—for which he received the Academy, Writers Guild, and BAFTA Awards for Best Original Screenplay—as well as BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and ADAPTATION, both of which earned him a BAFTA Award and nominations for the Writers Guild and Academy Awards in their respective screenplay categories. Three of his screenplays were included in the WGA's "101 Greatest Screenplays" project in 2005. Kaufman's feature directorial debut was the 2008 film SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK. His latest project, the Neftlix psychological drama I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, is based on the 2016 novel by Iain Reid. The film is narrated by the unnamed girlfriend of Jake as the new couple travel deep into the country to visit Jake's parents' secluded farm. Upon arriving, she comes to question everything she thought she knew about Jake, and about herself. The film was released in late August and is available to stream on Netflix. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews at www.onwriting.org/ Follow us on social media: | |||
| 26 Aug 2022 | Episode 88: Phoebe Robinson, "Everything's Trash" | 00:51:02 | |
Host Marina Fang talks to Phoebe Robinson—the creator, writer, and star of EVERYTHING’S TRASH—about the experience of writing "TV Phoebe,” balancing studio notes with your creative vision, the importance of portraying realistic New York City living, and much more. Phoebe Robinson is a writer, comedian, and actress known for her work as the co-creator and co-star of the hit podcast-turned-HBO series 2 Dope Queens and critically acclaimed podcasts including Sooo Many White Guys and Black Frasier, as well as for her starring roles in the films IBIZA and WHAT MEN WANT. She’s also the nationally bestselling author of Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes, You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, and Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay, the latter of which is the basis of her comedy series EVERYTHING’S TRASH. EVERYTHING’S TRASH follows Phoebe, an outspoken podcast star, who is forced to start her journey into maturity when her older brother launches a political campaign while navigating life, love, her career, and living Brooklyn. The comedy series, which premiered on Freeform in July 2022, airs Wednesdays on Freeform and is available to stream on Hulu. Marina Fang (she/her) is a senior culture reporter at HuffPost, based in New York. She primarily covers film and television, examining their intersection with politics, race and gender. She can be found on Twitter at @marinafang. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 14 Mar 2024 | Episode 107: Jesse Armstrong, "Succession" | 01:15:02 | |
To kick off a brand new season, host Taffy Brodesser-Akner sits down with Succession creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong to discuss how he staffed and ran his writers’ room, the importance of maintaining distance and perspective in your artistic endeavors, what's next for Jesse now that Succession is over, and much more. Jesse Armstrong is a screenwriter, showrunner, and producer known for his work on several critically acclaimed television series. He rose to prominence as co-creator and writer of British sitcoms Peep Show and Fresh Meat, as a writer on the first three seasons of The Thick of It and cowriter of its 2009 feature adaption, In the Loop, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Most recently, Jesse served as creator and showrunner of the HBO black comedy Succession, for which he received – among others – four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, three Golden Globes, and two Writers Guild Awards for Drama Series. Succession centers on the ultra-wealthy and ultra-dysfunctional Roy family, owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch. The series—which is nominated for the 2024 Writers Guild Award for Drama Series—concluded its fourth and final season concluded last year, and the entire series is available to stream on Max. This episode of OnWriting is hosted by screenwriter, journalist, and author Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Taffy is the creator and showrunner of the FX on Hulu miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble which is based on her 2019 novel of the same name. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and as a contributor for GQ and The New York Times, where she is currently a staff writer. You can follow Taffy on Twitter at @taffyakner. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| 20 Dec 2019 | Episode 26: Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” | 00:36:02 | |
Kaitlin is joined by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, co-writers of A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, to talk about the eternal battle between cynicism and kindness, the gravitational pull of Tom Hanks, and how keeping bankers' hours keeps them sane. Before their most recent project, Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster were writers and producers on the recently concluded Amazon series TRANSPARENT, for which they won a Peabody Award and were nominated for Emmy, Writers Guild, Golden Globe, and GLAAD Awards. The duo are also co-writers of MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the 2019 sequel to the 2014 film MALEFICENT. Inspired by the Esquire Magazine article “Can You Say… ‘Hero’?,” A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD is based on the true story of a friendship between renowned children’s television host and educator Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. -- | |||
| 19 Nov 2021 | Episode 63: Erica Saleh, "One of Us Is Lying" | 00:30:27 | |
Host Geri Cole talks to Erica Saleh—writer & EP of ONE OF US IS LYING—about the process of developing the series for three different networks before finally finding its home on Peacock, how ’80s and ’90s nostalgia influenced the writers’ room, and the importance of having faith in your ability to finish a draft. Erica Saleh is a TV writer and playwright whose past television credits include EVIL, INSTINCT, WISDOM OF THE CROWD, and CHANNEL ZERO. As a playwright she is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, and her work has been produced and developed by multiple theaters across the NYC area. She also serves on the WGA East’s Council, as well as the Guild’s Committee for Inclusion and Equity. Erica developed, writes on, and executive produces the new young adult mystery series ONE OF US IS LYING. Based on Karen M. McManus’s New York Times best-selling novel, the show tells the story of what happens when five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide. ONE OF US IS LYING premiered in October 2021 and is currently streaming on Peacock. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 30 Sep 2022 | Episode 91: Jessica Knoll, "Luckiest Girl Alive" | 00:52:37 | |
Host Marina Fang talks to Jessica Knoll about the extensive process of adapting her own book, how her personal experiences shaped the film, why Gillian Flynn is her guiding light, and so much more. Jessica Knoll is a screenwriter and novelist known for her thrillers Luckiest Girl Alive, and The Favorite Sister. In 2021, she was named a screenwriter to watch by Variety, and in 2019 her original script, 'TIL DEATH sold to Amazon and made The Black List. Her feature screenplay debut, LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, is an adaptation of her first novel (of the same name). The mystery-thriller stars Mila Kunis as Ani Fanelli, an up-and-coming writer at a glossy magazine who is set to get married at a lavish Nantucket wedding. But when a director of a documentary urges Ani to go on camera to tell her side of a school shooting that took place when she was a teenager, Ani is forced to confront the dark truths of her past that threaten to unravel her meticulously crafted life. The film premieres on October 7, 2022 and will be available to stream on Netflix. Marina Fang (she/her) is a senior culture reporter at HuffPost, based in New York. She primarily covers film and television, examining their intersection with politics, race and gender. She can be found on Twitter at @marinafang. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 22 Oct 2021 | Episode 59: Dan Perlman, "Flatbush Misdemeanors" | 00:49:00 | |
Geri is joined by Dan Perlman—co-creator and co-star of FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS—to talk about the show's journey from a short to a network series, how the real Dan and Kevin compare to their onscreen characters, and the importance of hearing judgment-free feedback. Dan Perlman is a writer, stand-up comedian, and director. As a comedian, he has been featured on Comedy Central and was named one of the New Faces at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. He wrote and directed the 2020 short film CRAMMING, which won the Audience Award at the 2020 Brooklyn Film Festival and First Prize at the 2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival. Alongside Kevin Iso, Dan also co-created the award-winning web series "Flatbush Misdemeanors," the first installment of which received the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at the 2018 Florida Film Festival. Dan's latest project, FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS, is an adaptation of the original web series. The dark comedy stars Dan and Kevin as fictionalized versions of themselves – young, up-and-coming comedians struggling to thrive in Flatbush, Brooklyn while tackling issues like race, gentrification, mental health and more. The series premiered in May 2021 and season 1 is available to stream on Showtime. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 08 Apr 2022 | Episode 76: Soo Hugh, "Pachinko" | 00:41:30 | |
Host Geri Cole is joined by PACHINKO showrunner, writer, and producer Soo Hugh to talk about how the writers adapted the acclaimed novel to keep it focused on family over colonialism; the process of crafting a complex, authentic story that couldn't have been told the same way a decade ago; and the power inherent in telling extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Soo Hugh is a writer and producer whose past credits include sci-fi and horror drama series like CBS sci-fi mystery UNDER THE DOME, ABC sci-fi drama THE WHISPERS (which she created) and AMC horror anthology THE TERROR (for which she was co-showrunner), among others. She is currently serving as creator, writer, showrunner, and producer of the Apple TV period drama PACHINKO. Based on the acclaimed novel by author Min Jin Lee, PACHINKO chronicles the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family. The story begins with a forbidden love, and crescendos into a sweeping saga that journeys between Korea, Japan, and America to tell an unforgettable story of war, peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning. The series’ first three episodes premiered in March 2022, and new episodes are streaming weekly on AppleTV+. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 15 Jan 2021 | Episode 42: Terence Nance, "Random Acts of Flyness" | 00:47:37 | |
Geri and Terence Nance — creator, writer, director, and co-star of the new HBO Late Night series RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS — talk about the trauma in - and of - making art, how his writing takes place before he opens Final Draft, and how we can find success by looking in each other's faces. Terrence Nance is a writer, director, actor, and musician. His 2012 feature film AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY premiered at Sundance and received a Gotham Independent Film Award. He was the recipient of a 2014 Guggenheim fellowship for his work. His latest project is the HBO late-night sketch comedy series RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS - a fluid, stream-of-consciousness response to the contemporary American mediascape. Each episode features a handful of interconnected vignettes which showcase an ensemble cast of emerging and established talent. The show is a mix of verité documentary, musical performances, surrealist melodrama and humorous animation. Nance and his collaborators weave together such themes as ancestral trauma, history, death, the singularity, romance and more. The six-episode first season explores evergreen cultural idioms such as patriarchy, white supremacy and sensuality from a new, thought-provoking perspective, and is available to stream on HBO Max. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 25 Nov 2022 | Episode 95: Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, "The Menu" | 00:46:33 | |
Host Alison Herman talks to THE MENU co-writers Will Tracy and Seth Reiss about the transition from satirical newspaper to late-night to feature writing, finding humor in sadness, the shared qualities between restaurant kitchens and writing rooms, and much more. Will Tracy and Seth Reiss are veterans of late-night shows like LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER and LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, and before that, the satirical newspaper The Onion. Their first-ever feature screenplay is THE MENU, a horror satire that is set in the world of fine dining. The film was released in November 2022 and is now playing in theaters. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| 15 Nov 2019 | Episode 24: Edward Norton, "Motherless Brooklyn" | 00:54:00 | |
Kaitlin chats with writer, director, producer, and actor Edward Norton about his many screenwriting jobs, how he gets past writer's block, his 20-year journey taking his latest film - MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN - to the big screen, and much more. Edward Norton had his film debut in the 1996 film PRIMAL FEAR, and within three years had risen to prominence for his starring roles in AMERICAN HISTORY X and FIGHT CLUB. Since then, he has received critical and cult acclaim – as well as numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations – for his roles in films like RED DRAGON, THE ILLUSIONIST, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, MOONRISE KINGDOM, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, BIRDMAN (just to name a few). He has also directed or produced films like KEEPING THE FAITH and THE PAINTED VEIL. MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN is an adaptation of Jonathan Letham's 1999 novel of the same name. The film follows Lionel Essrog, a lonely private detective living with Tourette Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna. The film was released in theaters on November 1. -- | |||
| 07 Dec 2018 | Episode 8: John Krasinski, "A Quiet Place" | 00:46:47 | |
In this episode, Caroline sat down to chat with John Krasinski—the screenwriter, director, producer, and star of one of this year's most frightening features (and one of AFI's Top 10 Films of 2018), A QUIET PLACE. The film follows the Abbott family as they attempt to silently navigate a post-apocalyptic world plagued by ruthless monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. It was released in April 2018 to widespread critical acclaim and quickly became a box office success. You probably know John Krasinski from his eight-year stint playing Jim Halpert in the NBC comedy THE OFFICE, or else from his more recent turn starring as the eponymous hero of Amazon Prime's JACK RYAN, but Krasinski has also made a name for himself behind the camera. He made his feature film screenwriting and directorial debut in 2009 with BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, based on the short story collection by David Foster Wallace, and he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film PROMISED LAND, directed by Gus Van Sant. -- | |||
| 06 Aug 2020 | Episode 33: Katori Hall, "P-Valley" | 00:49:34 | |
Kaitlin speaks with writer Katori Hall – the creator and showrunner of the Starz drama series P-VALLEY – about the show's journey from theater to TV, the showrunner as changemaker, how creating a show is like climbing a pole, and much more. Katori Hall is an acclaimed playwright whose stage credits include Hurt Village; Tina; and The Mountaintop – a fictionalized account of Martin Luther King Jr.'s last night alive, for which she received the 2010 Olivier Award for Best Play. P-VALLEY is an adaptation of Katori's play Pussy Valley. The series centers on a strip club in the "Dirty Delta" of Mississippi and the people whose lives—and secrets—revolve around it. The show premiered on Starz in July 2020, and was recently renewed for a second season. -- | |||