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Every book Joseph Gordon-Levitt recommended on podcasts
Joseph Gordon-Levitt shares insights into artistic mentorship, creative processes, and character preparation during his appearances on podcasts like Acquired. Reflecting on both his personal creative journey and the research required for specific acting roles, Gordon-Levitt discusses influential books that have left a lasting mark on his perspective. He enthusiastically recommends Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, noting that he received a copy of the wonderful book as a gift from Rian Johnson. He highlights how the text offers timeless wisdom through the correspondence of a mentor poet writing to a young writer. In addition to artistic philosophy, Gordon-Levitt discusses his preparation for portraying complex real-world figures by referencing Mike Isaac's book Super Pumped. He explains how reading Isaac's work served as a baseline for understanding the corporate landscape and events surrounding Travis Kalanick, though he balanced this research by speaking directly with individuals who had worked closely with Kalanick in order to capture the nuanced human dynamic of the room. Through these reflections, Gordon-Levitt illustrates how literature serves both as a wellspring of personal creative guidance and as a practical tool for deep character research.
Books recommended by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
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Letters to a Young Poet
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke is a collection of evocative correspondence offering timeless advice on art, solitude, and the creative process.
Recommended“Rian sent me a copy of uh the book Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke, which is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. And one of the things it talks about in the right towards the beginning of the book, it's sort of a mentor poet speaking to writing a letter to a young poet.”
Where to get it
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Super Pumped
Discussed“I had a couple conversations with Mike, but no, mostly I just read his book and beyond that, I wanted to talk to a bunch of people that worked closely with Travis because I wanted to know not just what happened, but how it felt to have a conversation with him or be in the room with him”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Pumped (with Brian Koppelman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) | Acquired | 2022-02-22 | 3 |