Working: The Pulitzer Wont Change Playwright Michael R. Jackson
This week host Isaac Butler traces the creative origins of Michael R. Jackson\u2019s Pulitzer-winning musical A Strange Loop. In the interview, Michael talks about his early songwriting attempts and the gradual process of turning a monologue about his experiences as a young, Black gay man into a one-man show and then turning that one-man show into a \u201cproper musical.\u201d\xa0\nAfter the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss Michael\u2019s distinction between an \u201cautobiographical\u201d work and a \u201cself-referential\u201d work.\xa0\nIn Slate Plus, Michael talks about two celebrity encounters, one with Liz Phair, whose music inspired a lot of his work, and one with Tyler Perry, whose work was satirized ruthlessly in A Strange Loop.\xa0\xa0\nSend your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com\nPodcast production by Cameron Drews.\nAnd if you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence\u2014and you\u2019ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It\u2019s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now\xa0to help support our work.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices