"I think about how much I hope every young person has that thing unlocked in them."
I had that person, two actually, when I returned to college at age 26 and who unlocked that thing in me. Took me some time after that, but eventually I got a PhD in chemistry, and the start of what became a successful career. I wanted to reach out to both of them and thank them for the profound impact they had on my life, but sadly they had both passed. I did, however, get to have lunch with one of their widows, who wept openly when I describe the importance of her late husband in my life ... saying "I only wish he was here to know that."
Unsure how to end this comment. The "I hope every young person has that thing unlocked in them" elicited a very visceral, emotional, and powerful response in me. And I agree, I hope every young person has that moment and/or person and becomes who they have the capacity to be.
I was working in a call centre doing sales in my late 20s and really thought I’d wrecked my life, the only promotion opportunities were to be team leader and I both didn’t want to do that plus 100 ppl applied for every opening, then a job for a business analyst came open, now I’ve always been told “you analyse things too much’ plus I was sick of dealing with the general public so I decided to apply
Part of the interview was a test, now I didn’t even know how to write the simplest formula like a vlookup so I thought this would be the end of me BUT one question was for 4 teams with different values and volumes, what they wanted was a weighted average, that I had no idea how to do, but instead of guessing a number and just writing 67 or whatever I actually typed in the spot where they expected to see a number
“I don’t know how to do this, but what I know you don’t want me to do is just add up those 4 scores and divide by 4, what you need me to do is weight those scores by the volumes in column B, I don’t know how to do it but I know that’s what you want me to do”
And that was the answer that got me the job and gave me an actual career rather than a series of jobs, the interviewer said to me “we can teach you how to write a formula but we can’t teach you to think like that, you either do or you don’t and you do”
Turns out my mum’s lifetime exasperation at me analysing things to death and never just accepting things how they are turned out to be a skill
I know not everyone in Hollywood knows everyone, but am I wrong to presume that Mike might know Emily Blunt fairly well, considering she’s married to I guy he worked with for a half dozen or so years (and had to grow an awful neck beard to run on the outside of his car window in a scene, as I recall)? I think Mike can probably get himself & Joe into her green room.
I managed to skip English in college, since I did well on the AP exam. I was always proud of that, and even glad for it, especially since my friends in college were always complaining about those classes, but maybe the school I went to, known more for engineering than for the humanities, just didn't have a good English department? Maybe if I'd had such a teacher I'd have been steered a different direction. I ended up minoring in Religion Studies, so I got my fair share of writing in, and I'm happy with the choice to go into engineering.
...but man, it does make you wonder, right? I ended up here largely because a couple of high school teachers I liked and respected had suggested this path (actually one suggested physics, and when my physics teacher heard that I was thinking about that, he suggested engineering, which was good enough for me). If my HS creative writing teacher or one of my college religion or philosophy professors had nudged me that way, I might have had a whole different career, a different life!
I bring this all up because I have two aimless teenage boys now, and I have no idea where either of them will end up. But this story gives me hope that they'll find someone (someone other than their mother and I, whose opinions mean bupkis to them right now) to help show them the talent they have and ought to pursue.
I truly believe that it’s impossible to overstate the impact that this kind of spontaneous encouragement can have on a kid.
It has to be honest, and it probably has to come from someone with no skin in your game (of course Aunt Barbara thinks I’m smart), and you have to respect them.
I can remember three specific times it happened to me, and each time it made me see myself differently, and I was better for it.
Looks like the old mileage count from the book in that Seth Meyers blurb. I hope he is holding up a copy of the book for the camera as he reads an incorrect number off the prompter,
"But here’s the thing: I didn’t consider myself a good writer. I had no reason to consider myself a good writer. I’d never had a single teacher or friend or anyone tell me that I was a good writer."
I'm a writer, though not comparing myself in any way to Joe, who is a WRITER, but I do want to say (for anyone reading whom this might help) that there is SUCH a big difference between being a good writer in a school context and actually being a good writer. The latter is more about being good at finding meaningful things to say, and then doing so in a way that connects with readers. I don't know that that's a skill that's particularly tied to academic writing at all.
Love your writing Joe but you put in something that was just a throwaway line. There's a Broadway play of Dog Day Afternoon??? I need to know more!!! That's unbelievable!!! PLEASE EXPAND ON THAT!!! How about a review after you see it???
I love so much about all of this. Mostly, how in discussing all the things you’re going to do and see while in the City, you didn’t even mention that The Knicks might be clinching the NBA Championship that night!!! The freaking Knicks!
Also, I just have to say how much I am enjoying Big Fan. I bought the book, obviously, but I also got the audible version and, as much as I love reading Joe’s writing, listening to him and Mike talk about these experiences is spectacular, maybe better than reading it would be. Mike’s description of the bathroom at the Darts changed my perception of how bad a bathroom could be forever. I’m walking my dog around the neighborhood laughing to no one and looking like a loon. It’s perfect. Thank you.
"I think about how much I hope every young person has that thing unlocked in them."
I had that person, two actually, when I returned to college at age 26 and who unlocked that thing in me. Took me some time after that, but eventually I got a PhD in chemistry, and the start of what became a successful career. I wanted to reach out to both of them and thank them for the profound impact they had on my life, but sadly they had both passed. I did, however, get to have lunch with one of their widows, who wept openly when I describe the importance of her late husband in my life ... saying "I only wish he was here to know that."
Unsure how to end this comment. The "I hope every young person has that thing unlocked in them" elicited a very visceral, emotional, and powerful response in me. And I agree, I hope every young person has that moment and/or person and becomes who they have the capacity to be.
"I definitely won’t bother her to say what a big fan I am." Big fan. Heh. We see what you did there, Joe.
I was working in a call centre doing sales in my late 20s and really thought I’d wrecked my life, the only promotion opportunities were to be team leader and I both didn’t want to do that plus 100 ppl applied for every opening, then a job for a business analyst came open, now I’ve always been told “you analyse things too much’ plus I was sick of dealing with the general public so I decided to apply
Part of the interview was a test, now I didn’t even know how to write the simplest formula like a vlookup so I thought this would be the end of me BUT one question was for 4 teams with different values and volumes, what they wanted was a weighted average, that I had no idea how to do, but instead of guessing a number and just writing 67 or whatever I actually typed in the spot where they expected to see a number
“I don’t know how to do this, but what I know you don’t want me to do is just add up those 4 scores and divide by 4, what you need me to do is weight those scores by the volumes in column B, I don’t know how to do it but I know that’s what you want me to do”
And that was the answer that got me the job and gave me an actual career rather than a series of jobs, the interviewer said to me “we can teach you how to write a formula but we can’t teach you to think like that, you either do or you don’t and you do”
Turns out my mum’s lifetime exasperation at me analysing things to death and never just accepting things how they are turned out to be a skill
I know not everyone in Hollywood knows everyone, but am I wrong to presume that Mike might know Emily Blunt fairly well, considering she’s married to I guy he worked with for a half dozen or so years (and had to grow an awful neck beard to run on the outside of his car window in a scene, as I recall)? I think Mike can probably get himself & Joe into her green room.
Will you be wearing glasses or contacts?
Let’s hear it for that professor. Generosity is a beautiful human trait.
The trick to being on TV, especially late night, is to keep checking your fly to make sure it's not open.
I managed to skip English in college, since I did well on the AP exam. I was always proud of that, and even glad for it, especially since my friends in college were always complaining about those classes, but maybe the school I went to, known more for engineering than for the humanities, just didn't have a good English department? Maybe if I'd had such a teacher I'd have been steered a different direction. I ended up minoring in Religion Studies, so I got my fair share of writing in, and I'm happy with the choice to go into engineering.
...but man, it does make you wonder, right? I ended up here largely because a couple of high school teachers I liked and respected had suggested this path (actually one suggested physics, and when my physics teacher heard that I was thinking about that, he suggested engineering, which was good enough for me). If my HS creative writing teacher or one of my college religion or philosophy professors had nudged me that way, I might have had a whole different career, a different life!
I bring this all up because I have two aimless teenage boys now, and I have no idea where either of them will end up. But this story gives me hope that they'll find someone (someone other than their mother and I, whose opinions mean bupkis to them right now) to help show them the talent they have and ought to pursue.
I truly believe that it’s impossible to overstate the impact that this kind of spontaneous encouragement can have on a kid.
It has to be honest, and it probably has to come from someone with no skin in your game (of course Aunt Barbara thinks I’m smart), and you have to respect them.
I can remember three specific times it happened to me, and each time it made me see myself differently, and I was better for it.
I hope your boys are as fortunate as I was.
Looks like the old mileage count from the book in that Seth Meyers blurb. I hope he is holding up a copy of the book for the camera as he reads an incorrect number off the prompter,
"But here’s the thing: I didn’t consider myself a good writer. I had no reason to consider myself a good writer. I’d never had a single teacher or friend or anyone tell me that I was a good writer."
I'm a writer, though not comparing myself in any way to Joe, who is a WRITER, but I do want to say (for anyone reading whom this might help) that there is SUCH a big difference between being a good writer in a school context and actually being a good writer. The latter is more about being good at finding meaningful things to say, and then doing so in a way that connects with readers. I don't know that that's a skill that's particularly tied to academic writing at all.
Love your writing Joe but you put in something that was just a throwaway line. There's a Broadway play of Dog Day Afternoon??? I need to know more!!! That's unbelievable!!! PLEASE EXPAND ON THAT!!! How about a review after you see it???
Do you suppose they've turned it into a musical?
I adore the "fly on the wall" story.
This reminds me of so many of your past essays that have stuck with me. Deeply personal and beautifully written. Thanks as always!
Joe—- I just started the book.
I will only read one chapter a day of your books so I can savor the experience.
As a Bills fan and western New Yorker I was prepared to hate chapter one but the second footnote made everything okay 😊
I loved it!!
Wednesday is my last day of school so I can stay up and watch your late night debut and celebrate the Knicks victory 🏆
"We love your work, Ms Blunt, but you cannot talk to Joe Posnanski."
She'll probably want to talk to Mike about being on one of his shows
I love so much about all of this. Mostly, how in discussing all the things you’re going to do and see while in the City, you didn’t even mention that The Knicks might be clinching the NBA Championship that night!!! The freaking Knicks!
Also, I just have to say how much I am enjoying Big Fan. I bought the book, obviously, but I also got the audible version and, as much as I love reading Joe’s writing, listening to him and Mike talk about these experiences is spectacular, maybe better than reading it would be. Mike’s description of the bathroom at the Darts changed my perception of how bad a bathroom could be forever. I’m walking my dog around the neighborhood laughing to no one and looking like a loon. It’s perfect. Thank you.