Welcome!

I'm excited to introduce you to Substack's first newsletter of exclusive interviews.

My name is Max Raskin and for the past few years I have interviewed some of the world’s most influential and creative people about their daily routines, hobbies, and philosophies.

My interviews are different from what you're used to.  I try to ask questions that go deeper than scripted talking points.  For instance, instead of talking politics with Tucker Carlson or Al Franken, I ask them about their love of the Grateful Dead.  And I find out what Noam Chomsky and Daniel Kahneman are watching on Netflix. Throw in some questions about God and the afterlife with people like Ken Burns and Wes Anderson, and we get a deeper and more authentic picture of these personalities.

Churchill’s Naps

Sigmund Freud had a belief that he called the “psychopathology of everyday life.”  He believed that seemingly trivial details can reveal a lot about a person.  For example, Winston Churchill would take a daily nap, even at the height of World War II.  He would also drink a bottle and a half of champagne each day.  What would the world look like if he had been a sleep-deprived teetotaler?  These aren’t topics he would have been asked about, and our understanding of him is lesser for it.

We get a limited view of public figures from their interviews.  The media wants to write simple headlines that fit a narrative, and so so it’s no surprise that most interviews are shallow and scripted.  But people are much more interesting than their talking points.

Reader Participation

I'm grateful that Substack is giving me this platform to reach more readers.  We invite you to join in by asking questions and providing suggestions for future guests. Your engagement will play an important role in shaping the direction of our conversations. So please reach out with your guest suggestions.

To give you a sense of my interview style, I've put together a list of my top 10 interviews from the past year. In this collection, you'll find conversations with individuals ranging from Twyla Tharp and Jim Mattis to Ron Paul and Lindsey Metselaar. It's a diverse mix that showcases the depth and breadth of our discussions.

I hope you'll sign up and become part of this community. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Max Raskin