rant · moment 10 of 11
Self-Critique of Author Interviews and Morgue Memories
from Always Be Capturing · #71
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
3 minTim and Ray reflect on the show's pattern of loving authors' books but getting annoyed meeting them, muse about wanting more colorful mob-adjacent guests, and Tim recalls grim details from his old morgue job, including stuffing paper towels in skulls and stitching up shotgun wound faces.
- 1:07:19Tim and guest acknowledge the problem with their author interview format — they invite writers whose work they admire, then get angry about what they learn about them.
- 1:07:38Sometimes it's better to maintain mystery around artists rather than know details about them, like famous people's social media mistakes.
- 1:07:59The most interesting interview subjects tend to be colorful characters who don't dedicate their lives to one singular pursuit, not focused literary types.
- 1:08:32Tim questions what the audience actually wants from the show format and admits uncertainty about the direction.
- 1:08:54Tim won't interview someone just because they were involved in a crime or scandal mentioned in an article — that's not enough of a hook.
- 1:09:31Tim suggests starting to interview people from his personal past instead of chasing mainstream guests.
- 1:09:52Working at the morgue: after suicides by shotgun, staff would stuff paper towels into skulls to prop them up for ID photos during autopsy.