Podcast
SmartLess book recommendations
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laugh…
Latest mentions
-

Open
-

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
-
Moneyball
-
Dr Zhivago
-
Anam Cara [Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition]
-
A Doll's House
-
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
-

The Picture of Dorian Gray
-

The Stand
-

Imminent
-

Dune
-

The Color Purple
-

Fall of Giants
-

Sage Warrior
-

Why I Write
-

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
-

Red Comet
-

Niagara Falls, Or Does It?
-

You Can't Drink a Meatball Through a Straw #7
-

The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
Most recommended on SmartLess
-
Dune
On SmartLess, host interviews with director Denis Villeneuve and actor Josh Brolin centered heavily on Frank Herbert's "Dune." Villeneuve explained that reading the novel as a teenager deeply influenced his creative development and long-standing passion for the story. Brolin, who portrayed Gurney Halleck in the film adaptations, discussed the collaborative filmmaking process under Villeneuve's direction. The hosts expressed enthusiasm for the cinematic adaptation, asking Brolin questions about filming conditions and praising the film's immersive world-building. The conversation highlighted the monumental challenge of translating Herbert's complex science fiction universe and distinct tone from the page onto the screen.
Discussed“But um, but recently I've been more drawn towards uh books that uh, um, I all books that I have been with me since a long time! Like the Dune books, the books that I read when I was a teenager!”
Where to get it
-
Gone with the Wind
On SmartLess, Margaret Mitchell's novel 'Gone with the Wind' came up in conversations during episodes in July 2022 and January 2023. James Burrows recounted a quirky story about comedian Andy Kaufman sitting on stage and reading the book until the audience left, and the podcast participants later referenced the film adaptation when discussing the history and definition of blockbusters.
Discussed“But Indiana Jones—that was around the block too for The Greatest Show on Earth by Cecil B. DeMille and also Gone with the Wind. Yes, everybody thinks Jaws was the first blockbuster, but it wasn't!”
Where to get it
-
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
On SmartLess, author Michael Lewis appeared to discuss his literary career, during which hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes praised his book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game." Arnett discussed how the book framed Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane as an outlier who revolutionized baseball strategy. Lewis shared behind-the-scenes details about the movie adaptation process, noting that it took seven years to bring the book to the screen under director Bennett Miller. In a later episode featuring film executives Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, De Luca recalled reading the book upon its release in 2003.
Discussed“And by the way, I remember reading Moneyball. That was 2003. The great Michael when that book came out. The great Michael Lewis. Absolutely. The great Michael Lewis. I've read all his books. These guys have never read a book in their lives. And I read I read that book. My ears work. They read book reviews though, I'm sure.”
Where to get it
-
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
On SmartLess, host Jason Hayes and guest Michael Lewis discussed the book 'The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine' during an April 2022 episode. Hayes noted that the book was adapted into a popular film, and Lewis spoke about his conversations with director Adam McKay regarding the cinematic adaptation. In a previous episode from March 2022, Adam McKay also discussed the book on the podcast, explaining that reading it gave him the immediate vision of how the film should look and how he would break the fourth wall.
Discussed“Some of his books have even become some of our favorite movies, such as The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short.”
Where to get it
-
The Catcher in the Rye
On SmartLess, J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye was mentioned by guest Jeff Bridges. Bridges recalled that he and his brother practiced acting by working on scenes featuring Holden Caulfield while they were attempting to secure an agent early in their careers. In a different episode, host Bill Maher discussed media challenges without focusing on the literary work.
Discussed“We were working on some, you know, Holden Caulfield, you know what, uh, Catcher in the Rye scenes, you know, other scenes that he worked at because we were trying to get me an agent and so forth, right?”
Where to get it
-
The Picture of Dorian Gray
On SmartLess, Oscar Wilde's book is referenced in episodes from June 2024 and March 2025. In the 2025 episode, one of the hosts compares a painting of Bennett to the famous portrait in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'. In the 2024 episode, guest Daisy Ridley mentions that she is going to see a performance of 'Dorian Gray', alluding to the original literary work.
Discussed“It's like It's like uh the portrait of Dorian Gray.”
Where to get it
-
This Is Where I Leave You
On SmartLess, guests Shawn Levy and Rose Byrne discussed 'This Is Where I Leave You' by Jonathan Tropper in the context of its film adaptation. Shawn Levy shared how he spent five years chasing the rights to the book and assembled a star-studded cast for the movie.
Discussed“But you know, I've worked with Jason too, I've worked out two out of three of you guys which is pretty... This Is Where I Leave You!”
Where to get it
-
1984
On SmartLess, guest Dana Carvey referenced George Orwell during a conversation about fame. Carvey attributed a quote to Orwell about everyone being famous for fifteen minutes, alluding to the themes of media and public attention associated with Orwell's dystopian novel 1984.
Discussed“Orwell said we'd all be famous for 15 minutes, right? Now it's like we'll all be stars!”
Where to get it
-
A Brief History of Time
On SmartLess, guest Jack Black brought up Stephen Hawking's popular science book 'A Brief History of Time' during the July 11, 2022 episode. Black mentioned that he had attempted to read the book, but found it dense and not so brilliant.
Discussed“Well, no, for instance, I've tried to read that book A Brief History of Time... It's not so brilliant.”
Where to get it
-
A Doll's House
Discussed“I was about 2 years old, one of Norah's children in a doll's house with my father playing Torva.”
Where to get it
-
A Visit from St. Nicholas
During an episode of SmartLess released on October 31, 2022, featuring guest Elisabeth Moss, the host Will Arnett referenced the classic poem A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. Arnett casually quoted the famous opening line while discussing co-host Sean Hayes's sleeping habits and his potential use of an old-time sleeping cap.
Discussed“Well, you know, like 'Twas the Night Before Christmas', like an old-time sleeping cap.”
Where to get it
-
All About Me!
On SmartLess, Mel Brooks's memoir 'All About Me!' was discussed in a July 2022 episode. Guest James Burrows mentioned that he contacted his agency, which put him in touch with a literary writer named Eddie Freefeld who had recently written the Mel Brooks book. Burrows noted that connecting with Freefeld played a significant role in helping to launch his own book project.
Discussed“So I got a—I called my agency and they put me in touch with a literary guy who had just written the Mel Brooks book, a guy named Eddie Freefeld, who's a big fan of comedy.”
Where to get it
-
All Quiet on the Western Front
On SmartLess, Steven Spielberg discussed Lewis Milestone's film adaptation of 'All Quiet on the Western Front' by Erich Maria Remarque. Spielberg praised the moving camera work in the film, which inspired him as a director.
Discussed“Growing up, I was amazed by moving cameras, especially in Lewis Milestone's work, like in All Quiet on the Western Front or Pork Chop Hill. Those amazing shots with the camera moving to climb a hill with Gregory Peck, Woody Strode, and Robert Blake stuck with me!”
Where to get it
-
American Buffalo
On the SmartLess episode released on February 12, 2024, Sam Rockwell discussed David Mamet's play American Buffalo. Rockwell talked about the difficulties he experienced memorizing his lines, noting that he was losing his saliva literally, and described the moment he decided to seek help from a friend regarding the production.
Discussed“I went to him with American Buffalo, and I was like I was losing my saliva, literally.”
Where to get it
-
American Psycho
On SmartLess in July 2023, Bret Easton Ellis's novel 'American Psycho' came up when Jason Bateman humorously discussed receiving the Hasty Pudding award. Bateman mentioned an article that humorously and incorrectly attributed his role in the series Ozark to the character Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho'.
Discussed“Um, uh they said that, uh that that I received this, uh, the Ozarks, uh, uh Ozark star got together, get no gets gets a gets the Hasty Pudding award and then in the body of the thing, um Ozarks Patrick Bateman received the, um, American Psycho.”
Where to get it
-
Among the Thugs
On an episode of SmartLess titled Depeche Mode on May 29, 2023, Will Arnett mentioned Among the Thugs by Bill Buford. Arnett used the book as a reference point for stories about his youth and experiences relating to soccer hooliganism.
Discussed“I've done that a few times—for me, Twitter—Bill Buford called 'Among the Thugs,' which is about— I don't know if you've read about that!”
Where to get it
-
Anam Cara [Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition]
Discussed“There's a book about that. that John O' Donahghue the poet wrote called the anamara which is means soul friend it's gaic right it means soul friend”
Where to get it
-
Aol.com
On the SmartLess podcast episode featuring guest Kara Swisher, Swisher discussed her professional background covering AOL. She mentioned to the hosts that she had authored a couple of books on the subject while referencing Bob Pittman's earlier coverage of AOL.
Discussed“I’ve known him since he covered AOL. I wrote a couple of books on AOL.”
Where to get it
-
Atomic Habits
On SmartLess, James Clear's book 'Atomic Habits' was featured during an ad read in September 2023. The hosts recommended the title, explaining that it functions as a practical guide allowing readers to put useful habits into motion rather than serving as a typical self-help book.
Discussed“One that I'm really enjoying is written by James Clear, called Atomic Habits! It's just basically, you know, it's not just another self-help book, it's something that like you can actually put these things into motion!”
Where to get it
-
Bag Man
On an episode of SmartLess featuring guest Rachel Maddow on October 23, 2023, Will Arnett brought up Maddow's book Bag Man. Arnett highlighted the book's detailed examination of the legal scandal surrounding Spiro Agnew, drawing compelling parallels to potential modern political scenarios and discussing whether it served as a precedent for ongoing legal outcomes.
Discussed“Well, maybe what might be even more apt, um, uh, the another book that you wrote, Bagman, um, correct me if I'm wrong, is the Spiro Agnew, um, that there was a a deal offered him, uh, that may or may not potentially be a precedent for what could shape the possible conclusion of any sort of Trump sentencing!”
Where to get it
-
Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother
On SmartLess, host Will Arnett brought up the memoir Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother by Barry Sonnenfeld during an interview with the author. The mention led to a comedic and engaging conversation about Sonnenfeld's motivations for writing the book and his life experiences.
Discussed“Um Barry, so you've written this book, 'Barry Sonnenfeld: Call Your Mother.'”
Where to get it
-
Be Useful
On an episode of SmartLess featuring guest Arnold Schwarzenegger on December 25, 2023, the hosts took time during the interview outro to congratulate the legendary actor on his career and accomplishments. Specifically, one of the podcast hosts expressed gratitude to Schwarzenegger for his appearance and highlighted his inspiring book titled 'Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.'
Discussed“Thank you for taking the time to talk to us and for all your success, including your amazing book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.”
Where to get it
-
Bean Fate
During an August 1, 2022 episode of SmartLess featuring guest Kerry Washington, host Will Arnett brought up the book Bean Fate by James Arnett. Will Arnett shared that he had finally read the work and expressed deep pride in his father, Jim Arnett, for writing it. He described the book as amazing, highlighting his personal connection to the author and the project during the conversation.
Discussed“Well, one of them is my dad's book, Bean Fate, which I finally read, and it's amazing. I'm so proud of my dad, Jim Arnett, who wrote a book, actually.”
Where to get it
-
Big History
On SmartLess in March 2023, the hosts and guest Jon Favreau discussed 'Big History' as a prior video course and box set on DVD that explained various subjects including physics, chemistry, and geology.
Discussed“Yeah, you were watching a series of videotapes at the time; I think it was the DVDs, a box set of it was called Big History!”
Where to get it
-
Born Standing Up
On SmartLess, Martin Short humorously joked about Steve Martin's autobiography 'Born Standing Up' being old news by claiming it was already two years old. Steve Martin then shared a lighthearted anecdote about the writing process, describing how he kept a small box of physical mementos and receipts from Salt Lake City in 1971 to help trigger his memory while recounting his past.
Discussed“Um, and number one is walking, uh, Steve's new book is for Tracy. Uh, that's—that's what they call two years old!”
Where to get it
-
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
On SmartLess, guest John Krasinski discussed Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace. Krasinski shared that his directorial debut was an adaptation of Wallace's book and mentioned that Will Arnett was involved in the project.
Discussed“No, Will was in my directorial debut, which was an adaptation of a David Foster Wallace book called Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and Will was probably starring, one of the idiots probably headlining, name above title.”
Where to get it
-
Caging Skies
On SmartLess, guest Taika Waititi discussed how his mother recommended that he adapt the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens into a film. Waititi recounted that he found his mother's enthusiastic pitch of the story both amusing and fantastic.
Discussed“My mother read this book called Caging Skies and she pitched it to me, she said, you should make this into a movie. And the way she pitched the story to me, I found so funny and I thought this is fantastic!”
Where to get it
-
Charlotte's Web
On SmartLess in an April 2024 episode featuring guest Don Cheadle, the actor reminisced about his childhood. Cheadle mentioned that when he was in the fifth or sixth grade, he played the role of Templeton the rat in a school production of E. B. White's classic children's book, Charlotte's Web.
Discussed“I think I was in fifth or sixth grade; uh, I was Templeton the rat in a production of Charlotte's Web!”
Where to get it
-
Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition)
In the July 24, 2023 episode of SmartLess featuring guest Steven Soderbergh, the book Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition) by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace came up during the conversation. Soderbergh brought up the book to illustrate an important concept, highlighting its advice on problem-solving with the notable motto, Be wrong as fast as you can.
Discussed“There's that, you know, perfect explanation of how to solve things from the Ed Catmull book about Pixar, Creativity, Inc., where the motto is, 'Be wrong as fast as you can.'”
Where to get it
-
Digital Audiobooks
During an episode of SmartLess featuring guest Katy Perry, the hosts delivered a promotional segment for Audible. In discussing the platform, they highlighted its extensive catalog of digital audiobooks across numerous genres, including bestsellers, new releases, celebrity memoirs, mysteries, thrillers, wellness, and business titles.
Discussed“Audible offers an incredible selection of audiobooks across every genre, from bestsellers and new releases to celebrity memoirs, mysteries, thrillers, motivation, wellness, business, and more.”
Where to get it
-
Directed by James Burrows
On SmartLess, Will Arnett brought up the newly released book Directed by James Burrows by James Burrows. He described it as a gigantic book featuring five decades of stories from the legendary television director known for his work on shows like Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, and Will & Grace.
Discussed“You have this new gigantic book that's out now called Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and tons more!”
Where to get it
-
Dr Zhivago
Discussed“Russian novel made into a film starring Omar Sharif. You got this one. I can see. Oh my god, I know it. I'm literally my brain is on fire. That's where the answer would be. Don't look in the other organs. It's not in your lungs or the frozen turkey section. I'm s Dr. Jivago.”
Where to get it
-
East of Eden
On SmartLess, Josh Brolin reflected on watching the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, noting that the movie left a significant impression on him.
Discussed“And at the same time I did see Streetcar and I saw East of Eden and those two movies had a major impact! Anyway, somebody, Hillary Shore took me on as... even though she knew the whole resume was [___], and she took me on!”
Where to get it
-
EDITIO PRINCEPS.
On SmartLess, Kara Swisher referenced the historic impact of the printing press when discussing the revolutionary nature of digitizing information. Her co-host subsequently connected this technological shift to the historical significance of the Gutenberg Bible.
Discussed“And that was, that’s I was like, oh, well, that’s that's like the Gutenberg Bible!”
Where to get it
-
Elon Musk
During an episode of SmartLess broadcast on September 11, 2023, Kara Swisher discussed an upcoming book about Elon Musk written by Walter Isaacson. She highlighted that the publication focuses on Musk's early life and detailed the harsh treatment he received from his father during those formative years.
Discussed“And then this concept of yourself, you know, there’s a book coming out by Walter Isaacson that’s going to talk about his early life but it was, his father was quite brutal to him.”
Where to get it
-
Everyone Poops
On SmartLess, one of the hosts brought up the children's book 'Everyone Poops' by Taro Gomi during a lighthearted conversation, using the title to humorously reference universal human experiences.
Discussed“There's a book called that, right? Everybody Poops! Yeah, remember that book?”
Where to get it
-
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
On SmartLess, Sigourney Weaver discussed her name during her appearance on the podcast. She revealed the origin of her name, explaining to the hosts that 'Sigourney' is explicitly mentioned in F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby.
Discussed“Yes, yeah, it's it's and from The Great Gatsby, right?”
Where to get it
-
Fairy Tale
On SmartLess, Jason expressed his love for listening to Stephen King's 'Fairy Tale' on Audible. He mentioned following the audiobook and shared his curiosity about how King managed to write the story during the pandemic.
Discussed“One of the things I'm listening to and loving is Stephen King's "Fairy Tale."”
Where to get it
-
Fall of Giants
During the November 4, 2024 episode of SmartLess featuring guest Alicia Keys, the hosts discussed the singer's art collection and its accompanying tour. In that context, one of the hosts referenced the related publication, describing the 'Giants' book by Ken Follett as spectacular.
Discussed“There's also a book that goes along with it. The 'Giants' book is spectacular.”
Where to get it
-
Flim-Flam Man
On SmartLess in 2021, Sean Penn discussed the book Flim-Flam Man, a memoir by Jennifer Vogel. He explained that the book had served as the source material for a script that came to him years prior, which ultimately inspired the film Flag Day.
Discussed“Oh, that's great to hear, I, um, yeah, it was a script that came to me many years ago based on Jennifer Vogel's memoir Flim Flam Man.”
Where to get it
-
Gomorrah
On the October 3, 2022 episode of SmartLess featuring guest Anderson Cooper, the hosts discussed Roberto Saviano's book "Gomorrah." Cooper and Will Arnett talked about reading the source material behind the popular crime television series, noting that Saviano had lived in hiding since writing the book. Cooper also mentioned having read another of Saviano's subsequent works, though he found it less engaging.
Discussed“I did, I didn't love it either But you know what, I don't want to criticize anything about Gomorrah because I just, I didn't even like the movie, Gomorrah as much, the TV show, I just, I, it's mine Did you, did you and I want to, I'm not here to one-up you Anderson I think you're great, oh boy”
Where to get it
-
Greenlights
On SmartLess, host Will Arnett congratulated guest Matthew McConaughey in September 2023 on his recent success as an author, specifically highlighting his book "Greenlights." During the conversation, McConaughey explained his personal motivations for writing the memoir, sharing that it stemmed from a deep reflective practice of projecting forward to his own deathbed, eulogy, legacy, and what his heart and spirit would ultimately represent.
Discussed“And but what's really amazing is in the last couple years, as I mentioned, you have been writing books! So you wrote Greenlights, huge success!”
Where to get it
-
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Discussed“Well, I seem to be behind everybody every uh I I'm I'm just I'm halfway through the second of these seven novels.”
Where to get it
-
Heat 2
On SmartLess, the hosts interviewed Sigourney Weaver in an episode from December 2022. During the conversation, a host mentioned the book Heat 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner, noting that it served as a follow-up to the film Heat written by Mann and Gardiner, and discussed its release as an audiobook.
Discussed“For instance, by the way, by the Bee, he too just came out by Michael Mann and Meg Gardner which is the follow-up to Heat, the film they wrote this book!”
Where to get it
-
Holy Bible (NIV)
On SmartLess, Will Arnett jokingly referenced the Bible, claiming in a facetious tone during the conversation with guest Daisy Ridley that he had read a certain piece of information within its pages.
Discussed“You know where I read it? I read it in the Bible!”
Where to get it
-
I Must Say
On SmartLess, the host discussed Martin Short's biography I Must Say. The speaker recounted a humorous anecdote about purchasing the book at a bookstore upon its release after not receiving a complimentary copy from Short, and then sending him a photo of the book and receipt.
Discussed“Yeah, I went, um, speaking about receipts, I went to the, when Marty's biography came out, um, he didn't send me one, so I went to the bookstore, bought it, and while I was at the cash register, put the book and the receipt, took a photo of it, emailed him and said that's okay, I got it. [Laughter] Very”
Where to get it
-
Imminent
During the December 30, 2024, episode of SmartLess featuring guest Luis Elizondo, host Jason discussed Elizondo's book Imminent. Jason expressed his eagerness to read the work, highlighting its subtitle, Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs.
Discussed“You have a book called 'Imminent,' which I'm getting. It's Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs, it's called 'Imminent', and I haven't read it, but I want to; I can't wait to read it. And you wrote it.”
Where to get it
-
Iron John
On SmartLess, guest Kevin Bacon brought up Robert Bly's book "Iron John" during the October 10, 2022 episode. While discussing a personal rite of passage, Bacon specifically referenced a metaphor from Bly's work involving stealing a key from underneath the queen's bed.
Discussed“Yeah, but at that moment, you know, at that moment, I did that thing that, uh, I think it’s Robert Bly talks about, you know, in Iron John, where you steal the key underneath the queen's bed.”
Where to get it
-
It's a Book!
During the SmartLess episode featuring Kenan Thompson on August 22, 2022, the book "It's a Book!" by Lane Smith came up in conversation. Specifically, Sean expressed that he would be completely content reading about space in a book instead of visiting NASA in person.
Discussed“Yeah, I mean, honestly, for me, I'm like I could read about it in a book and be like great, thanks, I'm good!”
Where to get it
-
Jupiter's Travels
On SmartLess, guest Ewan McGregor discussed Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon. McGregor described how Simon, a former journalist for The Sunday Times, wrote the book in the 1970s about his journey traveling the world, noting that the work served as a major inspiration for him.
Discussed“Then I read this book written by Ted Simon, who wrote a beautiful book called Jupiter's Travels in the 70s. He was a journalist, I think, for The Sunday Times, and he decided he wanted to travel the world.”
Where to get it
Host picks
Guest picks
Guests who recommended books
Latest mentions
“I think this job saved my life in the sense that like I remember, do you guys read the Agassy um autobiography? No, but I've heard I should. I heard that's about an athlete and and an athlete that hates the sport that he he hates tennis. Like the first line is I hate tennis.”
“And what's funny is I said that to each of the directors and the writers who have taken the projects on: John Lee Hancock with The Blind Side, Bennett Miller with Moneyball, Adam McKay with The Big Short.”
“And by the way, I remember reading Moneyball. That was 2003. The great Michael Lewis when that book came out. The great Michael Lewis. Absolutely. The great Michael Lewis.”
“Russian novel made into a film starring Omar Sharif. You got this one. I can see. Oh my god, I know it. I'm literally my brain is on fire. That's where the answer would be. Don't look in the other organs. It's not in your lungs or the frozen turkey section. I'm s Dr. Jivago.”
“There's a book about that. that John O' Donahghue the poet wrote called the anamara which is means soul friend it's gaic right it means soul friend”
“I was about 2 years old, one of Norah's children in a doll's house with my father playing Torva.”
“Well, I seem to be behind everybody every uh I I'm I'm just I'm halfway through the second of these seven novels.”
“This week, I'm going to see, though it’s supposed to be a surprise, Sarah Snook in Dorian Gray on Thursday! I read and watch movies; we went to see Monkey Man.”
“you have the life of Chuck coming out on Netflix which looks so good ... based on a Stephen King Nolla and there's a part for you in it and blah blah blah ... it's based on a Stephen King novella ... it's called the life of Chuck”
“You have a book called 'Imminent,' which I'm getting. It's Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs, it's called 'Imminent', and I haven't read it, but I want to; I can't wait to read it. And you wrote it.”
“But things like Dune, as Sean pointed out, it's world-building. It's creating a world; it's creating a whole thing that's so hard to get right. Yeah, no kidding.”
“And for Steven Spielberg, you know, the E.T. man, the shark man to to then, you know, direct The Color Purple and and Whoopi Goldberg. This character became so big, you know, when your little life is just bigger and brighter and more impactful.”
“There's also a book that goes along with it. The 'Giants' book is spectacular.”
“So I even think about like what do I want to do, and there's this beautiful book called 'The Sage Warrior' by a woman named Valarie Kaur, who’s this incredible, she's a lawyer, she's an activist, she's a woman who just—she's a writer, she does all this incredible stuff, and she paired this book with this album of music that”
“Who's out there in Wisconsin saying, 'You know what we really need to do? We need to ban Orwell's books, provide tax cuts for billionaires, and repress women.'”
“But tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow is—is one of the things I read last year which I just still am floored by, really, if tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow, it's wonderful fiction, wonderful fiction, yeah.”
“There's Sylvia Plath biography that everybody loves; I’m going to write that down too.”
“No, Hank, Zipser was 28 in total, 28 books, 7 million copies sold. 28 individual novels, you know, then we wrote Here's Hank when he was in the second grade.”
“No, Hank, Zipser was 28 in total, 28 books, 7 million copies sold. 28 individual novels, you know, then we wrote Here's Hank when he was in the second grade.”
“And then the third one we shot was Lazy Sunday, which was a dork rap about me and Parnell having a lazy Sunday going to see The Chronicles of Narnia! So good!”