Glengarry Glen Ross with Matthew David Brozik

06-11-2022 • 1 hr 25 mins

Long Island-based author and humorist Matthew David Brozik is on Finding Favorites to talk about his favorite things - potato chips, sleeping and super heroes. More specifically, the last ten minutes of the 1992 movie Glengarry, Glen Ross. We also talk about REM, XTC and TMBG... and TLC.

Matthew's new book Odder Space is available on Amazon in print and digital (though he'd really rather you choose the print copy). Odder Space is a humorous upper middle grade sci-fi novel with awe-inspiring spaceships, belligerent aliens, phlazer battles, pseudoscientific gobbledygook, and an artificial intelligence with a serious morale problem... but also spunk, heart, and some important life lessons. Mostly it’s just a lot of fun.

Keep up with Matthew at IMDB.name

Show Links

Matthew David Brozik_mixdown

1:25:24

SPEAKERS

Announcer, Leah Jones, Matthew David Brozik

Matthew David 00:00

Hello, my name is Matthew David Brozik and my favorite thing is, Glengarry Glen Ross.

Announcer 00:06

Welcome to the Finding Favorites Podcast, where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones.

Leah Jones 00:19

Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. It is Sunday, November 6, 2022. In a couple hours, I'll be sitting down with Matthew David Brozik to interview him about his new book, Odder Space and his favorite things. But in order to get this episode out before midnight, I thought I would record my introduction first. So I don't know what Matthew and I will have talked about. What a week it's been! Last Sunday, after I published my episode with Eden, I went to see; How Did This Get Made, Live. I talked about that a lot in the upfront last week that it was, how did this get live was back at the Chicago theater that I had seen Hrishikesh Hirway, and Jenny Owen Youngs earlier in the week at sleeping village, the tote bag, that joke, my reverse merging two celebrity podcasters and straight up celebrities. And when Jocelyn and I went to How Did This Get Made? We were in the third row, even with Jason Mantzoukas. And throughout the show he talked to me a few times, and ended the show by asking me the name on my podcast and recommending it to everyone, who was left in the Chicago theater as the night wound down. And I've spent the whole week recovering from that it was really exciting. And I don't know, if he'd actually got the tote bag or not? I guess it means enough to me that he knows it exists and probably saw a picture from Hrishi. I did get it on stage, thanks to my friend Jocelyn. When you listen to the Morbius episode, maybe you'll hear a little bit of that interaction. But I doubt it. You might hear my question. I think my question will probably make the episode but that's about it. But it was just really cool. I've been a big fan of, How Did This Get Made, for many years now, five or six years. I just have a really clear memory of being at a happy hour, after a leadership retreat at a previous employer, before I was laid off, which would have made me, I think 39 or 40 at the time. It's such a weird, clear memory, explaining How Did This Get Made and who Jason Mantzoukas wasn't what they knew him from, which at the time was mostly the league. Anyway, that happened, that was huge. I finally got the results of my ADHD evaluation, which I will take to the rest of my medical team and see what we can do with it. Essentially, I would have ADHD exclamation point, if I hadn't had the last two years of cancer, and the sarcoidosis diagnosis, because they can never separate out the impact of sarcoidosis on my brain from my current cognitive functioning. But essentially all signs point to ADHD, except for that 4 MRIs of my brain that point to sarcoidosis. So hopefully, I will get to try. I'll start working specifically on some ADHD interventions and maybe try some medication. But it was frustrating. It's such a good professional that I worked with to get this evaluation. But I am very frustrated that I continue to be someone who is considered a complex patient with complex medical history. When I'm like no, no, no, I was really good until I was like 39 and then you know like it's just been a hard few years but that doesn't mean it's complex forever, but it kind of does. So that's just frustrating hard to come to terms with. He also recommended that I find a health psychologist somewhere to start working through the trauma of the cancer diagnosis, even though it was stage one and it was an “easy” (you know, quote unquote easy) treatment that I still like clearly have a lot of anxiety left over from as I come out of this year and a year half of cancer treatment. I am going to try and go vote midterms are on Tuesday. So I have gone through all of the election mailers in my mailbox and found some of the most useful ones, made some notes on it. And I'm going to go vote in between recording this and then talking to Matthew later this afternoon. It was spring forward fall back. Most of the clocks in my house have changed. Some have not, some are now three hours off. I don't know, how they even got two hours off. I mean, it's just been, what a huge week. It's just been a big week, but also feels kind of like nothing has happened. It is finally fall weather in Chicago. Climate change has kept it a very warm fall. We had beautiful colors but because of it but 70 degrees and November was unsettling. So the incredible winds that we get rains, we got this weekend felt a little bit more appropriate to the season. I don't know with that. I am buying myself another T-shirt quilt because I am also recovering from bronchitis this week. But as part of that, they put me on steroids. And so I suddenly have a lot of energy that I haven't had in months. And so, I tackled my out-of-control shelves and dug out 16 T-shirts to turn into a T-shirt quilt, which opens up room for more appropriate clothing that I need to wear this winter. So I'm sending off T-shirts to memory stitch again. And I don't know, I guess, it's not a nothing happened week. It's a lot of things happen. With that, I hope that you get out and vote that you're voting for Democrats that you're voting in support of access to health care workers’ rights, unions, bodily autonomy, access to free devoting, access to the social safety net, increased taxes, wash your hands, wear your mask, get your booster, get your flu shot, and keep enjoying your favorite things.

Leah Jones 08:00

Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we learn about people's favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. Today, I am talking with Matthew David Brozik. Matthew and I have been online friends now for a very long time and have never actually spoken to each other. But we have a common, we've got one friend in common. I think only one. And that's how we know each other. But Dave, what Matthew? Are you doing this afternoon?

Matthew David 08:31

I'm doing very well. Thank you. I'm doing great. And I just want to mention that this is my first time as a podcast guest.

Leah Jones 08:40

What?

Matthew David 08:42

And yeah, I know. Can you believe that with a voice like this?

Leah Jones 08:43

Truly, with a voice like this. The Microphone?

Matthew David 08:47

Exactly. The microphone belongs to my wife. I had to dig it out of a closet. But where I put it, actually, I put it in the closet. So I was the only one, who knew where it was. And being very interesting, which…

Leah Jones 09:02

I will come to find out. I know that you're interesting on Facebook. And I know that you have stayed friends with Ronnie for longer than anyone should. So I suspect, you're funny and interesting.

Matthew David 09:17

I am, as is Ronnie and we'll talk about Ronnie in a minute because that's really, he's looking forward to that. It's not going to be interesting to anybody else in the world, but our mutual friends. So I just wanted to say because I've never been on a podcast and I assume this is going to be a nerve-racking experience. I poured myself a cocktail as one does, and I made sure to put in a generous amount of ice both so that I don't fall asleep in 20 minutes. And so that you hear the tinkling of ice cubes, right, but now I'm afraid, afraid might not be the word, concerned that the tinkling won't be sufficient, so please, would you add some ice tinkling in post. Just to make sure because that's the kind of podcast guest I want people to think of me as. That sounds more like applause.

Leah Jones 10:12

That was applause.

Matthew David 10:14

That was applause.

Leah Jones 10:15

I have cheering, clapping, laughing, drum rolls.

Matthew David 10:18

But no ice tinkling?

Leah Jones 10:20

No Ice tinkling.

Matthew David 10:21

All right, well.

Leah Jones 10:22

So, I'll see, what I can find.

Matthew David 10:24

I'll send you something, if need be.

Leah Jones 10:22

A clean sample.

Matthew David 10:31

Yes. Actual ice tinkle. Yes, I will. You know, the last time I sent someone tinkle. The feds showed up at my... Okay, so we're talking about, oh, so here's the other reason that I was nervous. I'm not actually but as your audience knows, probably better than I do. This is a show about favorites. And the conceit is brilliant. It's somewhat reactionary to algorithms. And the idea is an interesting and or available person comes on and recommends, suggests things that they like, and I sent you an initial list of things that I like. And I was then embarrassed by my list because I realized that so many of the things that I like are things that people already know about, and I felt wow, this is going to be awful. If I just recommend things to people, do you like Ghostbusters? Have you ever heard of that? Because or like, oh, what's

Leah Jones 11:37

It’s an independent film from the 80s. You would really say that, New York is the character in the movie.

Matthew David 11:44

There are four or five, six main characters, but also Manhattan is as much of a character in Ghostbusters, as it is in such other films as say, Manhattan. But, we're just without the luxury. So I started thinking about things that I like, and I realized, I really like a lot of things that everybody also likes. And I thought, wow, what a terrific guest I would be, if I just start recommending things like Star War.

Leah Jones 12:19

The Avengers, Star Wars

Matthew David 12:20

Do you like Spiderman?

Leah Jones 12:23

Have you ever heard [Not audible [00:12:25]]?

Matthew David 12:25

And then because I have problems and everything is a joke to me. I started thinking, what if I came on and really committed to this bit, where I just recommended things like money or potato chips. And I like just sincerely suggested, hey, do you guys have you heard of sleeping? It's amazing at the end of the day.

Leah Jones 12:50

Yeah. I could straight up talk to you for an hour about sleeping because one; What sheets are you using these days?

Matthew David 12:57

I think, they're all cotton maybe bamboo or we have a wide variety, we have eight pillows, there's two of us. The Mrs. and I, we have eight pillows, so eight pillowcases because you know we [Not audible[00:13:10]]

Leah Jones 13:10

Are they [Not audible] or are they acrylic like what like in Memory foam.

Matthew David 13:15

You know, it's I think we have one of everything. Like we definitely have and this isn't necessarily a recommendation but [Not audible] I will recently bought. No we bought a Helix mattress and I assume; I'm allowed to name names because we're Finding Favorites and I do like it very much. I don't know that I go out of my way to recommend it because I don't sleep on that many different mattresses especially now that I'm married. So you know, stick to the one that we have. But we did upgrade recently from a spring mattress to whatever this other kind is considered just no springs.

Leah Jones 13:52

I just got, I have a totally Instagram bed now. So I have the Thuma bed frame, which I am obsessed with. It's the one that is essentially Lincoln Logs, but like it's Japanese engineering, adult tinker toys. There are two screws in the whole thing. It's just well for the joints. Beautiful. I have the Big Fig Mattress, which is specifically a mattress for heavier people. I am obsessed with sheets from a company called Comphy. They make sheets for Spas. So it's meant to be like massage tables are meant to be washed all the time and every time you wash them they get softer.

Matthew David 14:41

Do you have a guest bedroom?

Leah Jones 14:42

Ideal.

Matthew David 14:43

Can I visit?

Leah Jones 14:44

You may.

Matthew David 14:45

Is it a fancy? Like I realized, it's not going to be as nice?

Leah Jones 14:48

Not as nice but they are quality sheets. I upgraded to like a bamboo, a bamboo sheet for that. And then I've got a really nice T-shirt quilt with like fleece on one side and T-shirt, which I think is a perfect quilt.

Matthew David 15:02

That sounds terrific. We don't have anything. This might be, why I don't sleep very well. And worrying about being interesting on a podcast.

Leah Jones 15:13

So I guess, what I'm saying is even if you'd come to me with sleep and potato chips, I have a potato chip, I tried last night. I think, I threw the bag away. But it is a new, it's Lay's. And it is the shape of a checks. But it is big.

Matthew David 15:32

It's like square? Like a pillow? Gotcha.

Leah Jones 15:36

A potato chip. So it's like a potato chip Poof. It's like only the ridges woven together into a salty poof. It is amazing.

Matthew David 15:45

Anyway, yeah. So it sounds like you live a very pillow rich life.

Leah Jones 15:50

Pillow rich life, snack rich life, Lot of candy. I do what I can.

Matthew David 15:56

You like candy? And have you heard of Halloween?

Leah Jones 16:01

Do I have a second podcast called Candy Chat Chicago.

Matthew David 16:05

Oh, that's right. You know what, and Ronnie, who we still have not explained to anyone mentioned that to me when I told him. So as soon as you invited me. I immediately then emailed Ronnie. And you don't let's not tell anybody who Ronnie is. Let's just get go and just let them try to figure it out. And, I said, oh, so Leah asked me to be on our podcast. And I'm really excited. And he said which one? And I was like, I Okay, you lost me. And he said, I assume it's the Finding Favorites, unless it's the candy one. So that's how I immediately knew that you had a second podcast. I mean, most people, and I don't know, if you know this, but I did some research. Most people don't even have one podcast. Although we're getting to that point where I guess on your typical person, does have one.

Leah Jones 16:57

You, typical person has a podcast that stops at six episodes.

Matthew David 17:02

What number is this? Seven?

Leah Jones 17:05

Seven.

Matthew David 17:06

Okay.

Leah Jones 17:08

Number Seven, 137 something like that. In the range.

Matthew David 17:13

That is impressive. I am impressed. Color me impressed.

Leah Jones 17:17

So Matthew, you have a book just launched?

Matthew David 17:22

I do under launch.

Leah Jones 17:23

Odder space.

Matthew David 17:23

I shouldn't talk over you.

Leah Jones 17:27

It's fine.

Matthew David 17:28

You're pushing my book, and I'm speaking over you.

Leah Jones 17:33

So you've just launched Odder Space. And it is an upper grade sci-fi adventure, upper middle grade. It’s different than, why?

Matthew David 17:43

It is. And maybe, I shouldn't confess that I'm fairly new to this age range. As far as writing, I'm not new to the actual age range, because I am in my late 40s. So I passed through these ages.

Leah Jones 17:56

You survived them.

Matthew David 17:57

I did. But I used to, and still do write for adults, I don't write adult literature. But I didn't write for the younger set, as we might say. But a good friend of mine, who does write for middle grade students, twisted my arm and got me to start writing for younger readers. And so I learned very quickly what the gradations are there, and YA is probably what most people are most familiar with. Because the A and YA, obviously is adult and young adult novels are fairly popular with adult readers as well. And they tend to be at least one serious theme, whether it be death or disease or sexuality. And I have no interest in any of those things. I have no interest in death, or dying, or sexuality, just in my actual life, not just reading about them. So I aimed a little lower, not in terms of quality, clearly, well, not clearly. But in terms of grade and reading level, not coincidentally, because my daughter is now 10 and I wrote a first children's novel two years ago, and she was my main audience. So that was solidly middle grade, which is a little younger than YA and tends to be defined by not having anything serious, not having any adult.

Leah Jones 19:34

Not having a dark theme or heavy life lesson.

Matthew David 19:37

But they are chapter books that typically are geared toward the middle grade sets, a figure middle school or like fifth grade to seventh grade and then upper middle grade would be, just shift that up one or two years. And the rule of thumb, which again, I learned a couple of years ago is that younger readers tend to prefer their protagonists about a year older than they are. So I didn't necessarily set out to write an upper middle grade novel with Odder Space, I think, I first decided the age of the protagonist. And he is a 13 year old boy. At this point, as we sit here, and I reminisce about the past couple of years of writing this book, I don't remember why I decided that he would be 13. But it seemed that I needed him to be in a certain place at a certain time, and the certain places outer space on a spaceship.

Leah Jones 20:45

In time reference

Matthew David 20:47

Exactly right. Yes, that, you know, that's what's missing. That'll be in the sequel. God willing. And so then once I determined that he was going to be 13, then I realized, okay, this is firmly upper middle grade. So I'm saying 9 to 13 is the audience but, most of my read, I mean, all of my first readers are adults. They're my friends, including Ronnie. The aforementioned and soon to be mentioned again, many times, Ronnie, who has read the book, at least twice. And so my readers have been, again, adults, but and then my daughter read a proof. And she stayed up reading it. She didn't originally find it very interesting in manuscript form. But then I got a proof of the book, asked her to read it, it felt like a book that may have made a difference, just the size, instead of reading a manuscript on 8 and a half by 11, cheap white paper, she was holding a paperback. And I was very flattered. When early the next morning, she burst into my bedroom, which we were talking about earlier, you and I, your audience will recall, there's a bed with sheets. And actually she burst into the room and she said, Dad, your book is great. And I said, get out of my room. I'm trying to sleep. And I said, No, thank you. That's really wonderful, that means so much to me. I said, did you read the whole thing? She said, I couldn't put it down. I read the whole thing. I stayed up. And I read it. And I didn't even want to put it down to go to the bathroom. And I said being a good parent. I said, well, you know, you should put a book down and go to the bathroom if you need to. And she said, Oh, I went to the bathroom. I just took the book with me.

Leah Jones 22:48

That is the ultimate compliment.

Matthew David 22:51

It is. It really is. And then I said okay, you hold on to that copy. And please, just don't put that on a shelf and put it back on the communal, don't put it back. Exactly. Keep that off the coffee table in the living room. So Odder Space is an upper middle grade sci-fi book. It's humorous. It is very much in the general Star Trek vein in that the all of the action or most of the action takes place on a spaceship. And we were joking earlier about the New York City being as much of a character and as any Star Trek fan knows the Starship Enterprise or other ships are a character and Odder Space takes it a little further in that the ship called the Amity because the powers that be didn't want to call it the starship friendship, because that would sound ridiculous. So they called it the starship Amity has a personality. It has an artificial intelligence on board named MANI it's an acronym MANI - Mail Automated Networked Interface. And MANI is very much a character with a personality and a problem. Manny is very sad. So that was really the genesis of this book. I was thinking about classic science fiction adventures like Star Trek, like Star Wars, like Battlestar Galactica, like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And I made a list of what made each of them unique. What was the driving force of each of them and they were all slightly different? And I realized that there was a sort of an opening for a different approach, which is, what if a crew were on a spaceship and the ship itself were their biggest problem? And that led me to the idea of an artificial intelligence that just doesn't want to do its job anymore? And I was thinking, why would that be? And I don't want to give anything away. And I'm not going to, but essentially, just before the opening of the book, there's a catastrophe that really depresses the AI on the ship. And that leads to, well, I want to say hilarity and also other things. And that's the premise of the book. And I decided to write it.

Leah Jones 25:14

It's an AI that has a different goals than How(couldn’t understand the movie name) from 2001?

Matthew David 25:20

Yes, in fact, again, without going into too much detail, you might even say a completely different goal, because How(couldn’t understand the movie name) entire goal was self-preservation. And this is an AI that basically has given up and doesn't want to go on. He has suffered a loss, that only he really feels it in a way that none of the humans on board feel and he just doesn't want to go on. And, the only one who really connects with him is the main character Jeremy, who goes by his nickname Jerm, which is a bit ironic because his mother is the doctor on the ship. And just circling back to the Star Trek, I had an immediate reservation, of course, because the kid on Star Trek The Next Generation, Wesley Crusher, played by Wil Wheaton was the female ship doctor's son. And that's the exact scenario that we have here. And I wondered, hey, is that going to be to derivative? And then ultimately, I said, you know, what? It's fine. And chances are most 9 to 13 year old readers these days. We're not watching Star Trek The Next Generation, and just won't make the Westlake Crusher connection.

Leah Jones 26:46

And if their parents read it and catch a nod to it, great. Something they recognize.

Matthew David 26:52

And in fact, there are plenty of I don't want to say Easter Eggs, but there are plenty of nods to Star Trek and other classic sci-fi properties in there. There's a very central key piece of equipment onboard the Amity, called a spectrometer. And it's a mass spectrometer and one of the problems is that they haven't worked out all the Kirk's in the mass spectrometer yet. So there's a great deal of wordplay, that it's okay, if the primary audience isn't going to get but spell check certainly didn't get the jokes. But the adults will and I encourage children of all ages, adults of all ages to read well, maybe not children of all ages, but anyone, eight, nine and up, I think they'll get a real kick out of it. And I loved writing it. I'm extraordinarily proud of the book. And I'm excited. I really hope people get to read it. I hope they just do and love it as much as I do.

Leah Jones 28:01

Amazing. So it is available now. People can order it on Amazon. It's also available on Kindle, but they should order the print copy.

Matthew David 28:10

Oh, absolutely. I don't love eBooks. And I'm very glad that Amazon's publishing platform allows now paperback books. And a lot of work went into the book not just writing it but the cover design. The interior was designed. It's a beautiful little book.

Leah Jones 28:32

What chapter headings, did you settle on. Ronnie and I were talking about.

Matthew David 28:37

Oh, numbers. So this was my daughter's actual contribution to the book. I had originally written them out as words, chapter one, chapter two all the way to chapter 20. And hadn't given that a lot of thought even though with each manuscript that I write, I do think about what kind of chapter headings I want. Sometimes they'll be actual names of chapters, sometimes it's just numbers. And this time I had written it out and I don't think I really thought about it until I got the first proof and thought this is an opportunity to maybe, Mary, the chapter headings a little bit more to the to the substance, especially because it was in a nicer font. And I realized, there's nothing special about just writing out Chapter 1, Chapter 20. So I noodle around and I asked my daughter, and I asked Ronnie and some other friends and we had almost settled on spelling out the word chapter and writing the number in numerals. And then my daughter, an actual certified genius. I certified her. I'm certified as a genius certifier. It's a kind of a loop, but she said well, why not just the numbers and is like giant embarrassing light bulb went off over my head and I was like, that is the way to go. But 01,…. So really emphasize that binary computer. And speaking of binary, there was a moment where I very briefly considered putting the numbers in binary and just zeros and ones and then I realized this is that's a bridge too far. So I stopped that probably would have been off putting. There's a time and a place. Actually, Roman numerals would be hilarious. Just completely anachronistic. Just absurd.

Leah Jones 30:33

I inexplicably have you know that song, there's 123456 wheels on a big rig. And then it's like count by twos. There's 2 4 6 8 10 12

Matthew David 30:46

I do not know.

Leah Jones 30:50

So there's a verse of that song.

Matthew David 30:52

That's Pearl Jam?

Leah Jones 30:54

It's Pearl Jam. Covered also by the Beatles.

Matthew David 30:59

Pearl Jam covered by the Beatles. I don't like the way it usually goes. But okay.

Leah Jones 31:03

While it was interesting. And there's one verse of it. It's like Roman numerals. How many wheels on a big rig I IV, VI, VI, VI X X that like, and that is a how I can count to 18 in Roman numerals.

Matthew David 31:20

That's I'm going to have to look up that. So if you can write Beatles, how's that Spelled? B E A T. It's wordplay right?.

Leah Jones 31:31

B E E D Valley, the Beatles

Matthew David 31:35

I'll have to look up that song. See if you can find it and make it like the tag to this.

Leah Jones 31:43

So Odder space available now. People can find out more information on IMDB dot name.

31:50

Matthew David 31:49

Don't go to IMDB.com because I've never been in a movie But with a voice like this. But yes, so IMDb dot name, my own personal and spend some time there, noodle around. There's all sorts of short story, short humor pieces, no videos of cats? I don't like that..

Leah Jones 32:12

Early when we like met, you had published a book called Taking IV Seriously, which you no longer make available?

Matthew David 32:20

Yes.

Leah Jones 32:23

Why? Copyright problem?

Matthew David 32:25

No, it's entirely. [Not Audible] You know what I forgotten about?

Leah Jones 32:32

Honestly, My basic understanding of copyright. Copyright, Infringement, patent law comes from that book. In a previous life, you were a copyright attorney, right?

Matthew David 32:45

Yes, I practiced for a decade and decided to then become a copywriter. Which is very confusing to people who meet me. And it's why I just don't like meeting people anymore. Because I have to explain, because if they've heard even a little bit about me, then I'm already, we're already into deep. They say so you used to be a lawyer. And you did copyright law. And now you're a copywriter. And what's the difference? And I say, who looks really interesting, that guy over there. And when they when they look, I just run usually toward the bar. But yes, I published a novella, it was the first thing that I published. It was the first longer piece of fiction that I wrote, longer than any short story, but not quite novel length. And I like it very much. And it was something I labored on for about 10 years. And I had started, when I was in Law school. And I think, I never quite cracked it. I never quite solved it. And even though I released it, I reached a point or there came a time when it was no longer being purchased. And I think I released it maybe seven, eight years ago, I don't honestly don't remember at this point. And maybe even longer than that. It maybe, it was 10 years ago. But as was with most things that had a shelf life. And once it reached the point that whoever was going to buy it had bought it. I started thinking this is not necessarily what I want to be representing me anymore, because I had written more and better and longer things. And it bugged me a little bit that it wasn't quite as long as maybe it could or should have been. And I just figured you know, what I can because it was self-published, I can just sort of take it down. And I did and that's not to say that I wouldn't put it back at some point. But it just felt like okay, I'm better represented by everything that I've written and released since then, and there have been a few things. I think, I've got five or six books available. And one of which is a novella intentionally; Danger with a Hard G.

Leah Jones 35:18

Harrison Bennett Novella.

Matthew David 35:20

Yes. Harrison Bennett Novella, the main character is Harrison Dangar Bennett, hence the danger with a Hard G. Something else. Another thing I had a hell of a great time writing. And, but that was intentionally a novella. I just wanted to write a short, tight, sort of comic, hardboiled mystery novel. And I did and there was never a battle for page length or word count. And I never felt like, oh, this is coming in too short. If anything, I tried very hard to keep it to novella length, just get in and get out, make the jokes, hit those beats. And I'm very proud of that. I'm very proud of everything that I've released. But something about IV, I just figured you know, what, maybe I'd like to not take it back. If given the opportunity, I wouldn't go to people's homes and deleted off their Kindle. And that one, in fact, I only released as an eBook. There is no paperback version of that. So I would have to break into people's homes and access their devices. And that's time consuming, honestly.

Leah Jones 36:32

It is, but it gives you the chance to travel the country, travel the world,

Matthew David 36:36

The world? Exactly.

Leah Jones 36:40

According to my inbox that I apparently never clean out, taking IV seriously, was released on September 5, 2013.

Matthew David 36:49

Okay, so 50 years ago. What did you say? 2013?

Leah Jones 36:56

2013, Labor Day.

Matthew David 36:58

Life lifetime ago. That was like, I wasn't, still practicing Law. Maybe I was, I don't know. But at least for at least, four jobs ago. Four copywriting jobs ago.

Matthew David 37:26

So do you want to hear about any of my favorites?

Leah Jones 37:26

Yeah, I was just about to ask you.

Matthew David 37:29

I should let you be in charge. You drive this train.

Leah Jones 37:31

I will do the job of hosting. How about that? I just for the record, the first list you sent me was not like, so common. Words and writing, comedians and jokes. Glen Glengarry Glen Ross, Ecstasy the band and Back to the future. So, other than writing, writing has been pretty well covered because they do interview a lot of authors.

Matthew David 37:58

How dare you?

Leah Jones 37:59

I know. How dare, they're constantly be authors, with books to promote who also have favorite things they want to talk about. But then you're like, okay, in addition to boring things like Star Wars and Ghostbusters, you've got Jeeves and Wooster, The Adult Short Stories of Roald Dahl, Bands with Letters For Names, English Madrigals, The Last 10 Minutes Of Glengarry Glen Ross and really clever comedians,

Matthew David 38:28

Can I ask you have you seen Glengarry Glen Ross? Like are you familiar with the film?

Leah Jones 38:32

I think, Glengarry Glen Ross is like always be selling and shut up and drink the coffee. Right? Like they're angry and they're [Not audible]

Matthew David 38:41

Both wrong. Well, I mean, you were close, but everybody listening is laughing now.

Leah Jones 38:47

Always be closing?

Matthew David 38:48

Always be closing. Excellent. And put that coffee down. Coffee is for closers. But yes, you're familiar enough to make everybody who loves this film cringe and that was excellent. But wait, have you seen it? Or are you just, my voice is cracked.

Leah Jones 39:11

I don't know, if I've seen it or if I just know, it from movie podcasts and Tumblr.

Matthew David 39:15

Wow! We're here now. This is the moment. Glengarry Glen Ross is originally a play by David Mamet. It was successful as a play and mounted, I believe originally both in London and New York, I think first one than the other, and was then fairly quickly adapted into a film, which David Mamet then wrote the screenplay for and the original play. The play is just 2 acts three scenes per act, two locations. The movie is essentially those same two locations with others sprinkled in. He fleshed it out. Added much more dialogue, more characters and famously added Alec Baldwin's character who is a representative of the head office that these salesmen work for, who is sent to their office one night to give them a very abusive, motivational talk.

Leah Jones 40:23

Is he Glengarry Glen Ross?

Matthew David 40:26

No. I hate the title.

Leah Jones 40:31

It’s so hard to say.

Matthew David 40:32

It is. Yes.

Leah Jones 40:33

Glen Garry Glen Ross, Glen Ross.

Matthew David 40:38

No. It's one. Glen Garry is one word. And then Glen Ross, two words, and they refer to two different land. So the salesmen are in the business of selling land, mainly and Florida and Arizona, basically just crappy land that they're selling to unsuspecting. It's like a boiler room operation of selling land. And that's just not worth what they're claiming it is. And Glengarry Farms is one of the parcels or one of the sets of land that they used to sell. And that's referred to at one point, and then, or Glen Ross farms and then Glengarry. Glen Garry is the new set of leads that they got, I literally watched this movie again two days ago, and I'm confused. But the new leads, the Glengarry leads is, what the movie is really all about. They're the new hot leads, the people who might be interested in purchasing land, and the salesmen all want to get their hands on these leads, but they're not allowed, because they're not good enough. So those leads will only go to the closers. And these guys are not. So I hate the title of this movie. And if I ever met David Mamet, and David, if you're listening, please email me. And explain to me why you couldn't have named