Wild Minds
by Reid Mitenbuler
January 15, 2021
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What does Reid Mitenbuler do on a typical day?
I have a small baby in the house, so multitasking has taken on new importance. I basically wish I had more arms. Tell us more about your recent book titled Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries That Inspired the Golden Age of Animation. The first fifty years of animation (from about 1910-1960) involved a very unique culture, one that was much more sophisticated and adult than people today generally remember it as. The studios behind so many iconic cartoon characters - Felix the Cat, Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, etc. - were full of these highly creative |
Photo: courtesy of the artist |
people whose histories are relatively unknown. Their stories weave together in ways that paint an interesting portrait of America during their time. Wild Minds a tale that brings together all these different threads about politics, economics, and creativity.
What have you read recently?
I just finished the novel Cloudmaker by Malcolm Brooks (it's not out until March; I received an advance copy). People should look for it - it's a great escape from today's stresses, and it is beautifully written.
Brooks researched this unique subculture of people who, in the 1930s, built their own airplanes in their garages (yes, totally a thing). His characters connect with this sense of self-reliance and doing the impossible - two things our culture today sometimes loses track of.
Knowing that you are also the author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey, we have to ask for tips that might come handy when picking a good bottle of bourbon.
When stacking a home bar - something a lot of people are doing while quarantining - it's probably helpful to know that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get good whiskey. The history of the whiskey industry is one of craft, but also one of marketing. There's a lot of upselling going on. Some of the most "humble" brands are actually very well made.
How have you kept in touch with your audience during these months of no live readings and literary events ?
I wish I had a better answer for this. I'm not very present on social media. It has some positives, but I think its drawbacks (disinformation, echo chambers, the addiction of constantly being plugged in) are, at this point, are more of a negative on society than a positive. I wish there were more social media platforms that helped nurture nuanced thinking and truly engaging discussion.
Would you like to share any piece of advice aimed at new or aspiring writers?
Good writing involves a lot of rewriting. Also, read widely and truly challenge yourself with works you might not necessarily agree with. Try to see the good in them before seeing the bad. I'd also recommend not spending too much time on Twitter, which I feel undermines creativity by promoting groupthink: people signaling to some ideological tribe that they're on board with some silo of doctrinaire thinking, rather than just exploring ideas.
Have you picked up any hobbies during the lockdown?
Ha! Child care, if that can be considered a hobby. One small hobby I've gotten into is making my own chai teas: getting lots of spices and experimenting with different proportions. There's an Indian grocery store near me where I've gotten my ingredients, like smoked black cardamom. Some of my attempts are pretty good. Others taste like drinking a melted-down Yankee candle. Some day, however, I'll strike gold.
#BeatTheBlues is one of our ongoing campaigns reflecting on proven ways of mental health. Do you follow a routine so that you #BeatTheBlues?
I've started calling friends on the phone. Before the lockdown, there was an aversion to chatting on the phone (texting only!). Now, I set times and call people. I wear a headset and do chores while doing it (subjecting my friends to sounds of dishes being washed or toilets being scrubbed). It's very therapeutic and a way to connect. I've reached out to friends I haven't spoken with in years and done this. Everyone's eager to do it, and I've rekindled some old friendships.
Have you been more adventurous with your musical choices lately? Any new discoveries?
I loved listening to Christmas music in December. I searched out favorite artists seeing if they have Christmas albums. Elvis (lots). Willie Nelson (a few). Wu-Tang Clan (none, alas).
The lockdown finds me searching out "comfort listens." I love the feel of old movie soundtracks, so I've been listening to Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Nelson Riddle.
My most recent going-on-walks album is Peter Greene's 'The End of the Game,' which taps into a psychedelic groove that I have a taste for.
Can you with our readers your expectations and goals for 2021 the new decade ahead of us?
Let's hope that we get over this pandemic and start being more civil, engaging in local communities more.
Thank you and good luck!
What have you read recently?
I just finished the novel Cloudmaker by Malcolm Brooks (it's not out until March; I received an advance copy). People should look for it - it's a great escape from today's stresses, and it is beautifully written.
Brooks researched this unique subculture of people who, in the 1930s, built their own airplanes in their garages (yes, totally a thing). His characters connect with this sense of self-reliance and doing the impossible - two things our culture today sometimes loses track of.
Knowing that you are also the author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey, we have to ask for tips that might come handy when picking a good bottle of bourbon.
When stacking a home bar - something a lot of people are doing while quarantining - it's probably helpful to know that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get good whiskey. The history of the whiskey industry is one of craft, but also one of marketing. There's a lot of upselling going on. Some of the most "humble" brands are actually very well made.
How have you kept in touch with your audience during these months of no live readings and literary events ?
I wish I had a better answer for this. I'm not very present on social media. It has some positives, but I think its drawbacks (disinformation, echo chambers, the addiction of constantly being plugged in) are, at this point, are more of a negative on society than a positive. I wish there were more social media platforms that helped nurture nuanced thinking and truly engaging discussion.
Would you like to share any piece of advice aimed at new or aspiring writers?
Good writing involves a lot of rewriting. Also, read widely and truly challenge yourself with works you might not necessarily agree with. Try to see the good in them before seeing the bad. I'd also recommend not spending too much time on Twitter, which I feel undermines creativity by promoting groupthink: people signaling to some ideological tribe that they're on board with some silo of doctrinaire thinking, rather than just exploring ideas.
Have you picked up any hobbies during the lockdown?
Ha! Child care, if that can be considered a hobby. One small hobby I've gotten into is making my own chai teas: getting lots of spices and experimenting with different proportions. There's an Indian grocery store near me where I've gotten my ingredients, like smoked black cardamom. Some of my attempts are pretty good. Others taste like drinking a melted-down Yankee candle. Some day, however, I'll strike gold.
#BeatTheBlues is one of our ongoing campaigns reflecting on proven ways of mental health. Do you follow a routine so that you #BeatTheBlues?
I've started calling friends on the phone. Before the lockdown, there was an aversion to chatting on the phone (texting only!). Now, I set times and call people. I wear a headset and do chores while doing it (subjecting my friends to sounds of dishes being washed or toilets being scrubbed). It's very therapeutic and a way to connect. I've reached out to friends I haven't spoken with in years and done this. Everyone's eager to do it, and I've rekindled some old friendships.
Have you been more adventurous with your musical choices lately? Any new discoveries?
I loved listening to Christmas music in December. I searched out favorite artists seeing if they have Christmas albums. Elvis (lots). Willie Nelson (a few). Wu-Tang Clan (none, alas).
The lockdown finds me searching out "comfort listens." I love the feel of old movie soundtracks, so I've been listening to Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Nelson Riddle.
My most recent going-on-walks album is Peter Greene's 'The End of the Game,' which taps into a psychedelic groove that I have a taste for.
Can you with our readers your expectations and goals for 2021 the new decade ahead of us?
Let's hope that we get over this pandemic and start being more civil, engaging in local communities more.
Thank you and good luck!