39 Minute Conversations

In the season 1 finale, we come full circle! Dennis Curlett, the very first guest of the pod, comes back to guest host and interview screenwriter, actor, comedian, and your usual host Brian T. Arnold (39 Minute Conversations! Brian P. Arnold in Paradox Lost, a film by Dennis Curlett!) Listen to us talk about where this podcast came from and why Brian is taking a break from it, the joys and frustrations of screenwriting, Brian's writing process or lack thereof, trying to build a steady career in Hollywood, branching out into acting/directing/producing, the WGA strike, and much more! You can follow Brian on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, and probably other places at @BrianTArnold. Thanks for listening to 39 Minute Conversations! We'll be back for season 2 somewhere down the road, so stay tuned!

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with filmmaker, editor, and assistant editor Jessica Perlman Jessica Perlman (Breathing Underwater! Bojack Horseman! I Think You Should Leave!)* Listen to us talk about growing up a child of deaf adults and how the visual language of ASL translated to her filmmaking style, joining the editorial teams of some of her favorite shows, what she looks for in a script she might want to direct, her favorite aspect of making movies, which Muppets we are, and much more! You can follow JP on Instagram at @perlzzy, and watch her short Breathing Underwater and her other work at her website: http://www.jessicalperlman.com/! *For the duration of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, we're not endorsing or promoting any AMPTP projects. Credits are just a matter of public record. You get it!

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with writer Geri Carillo (Walker! The CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase!)* Listen to us talk about the camaraderie of the picket lines, how she got her first writing job, her advice for up-and-coming writers, their shared time writing for the CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase, and much more! You can follow Geri on Instagram at @gericari! *For the duration of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, we're not endorsing or promoting any AMPTP projects. Credits are just a matter of public record. You get it!

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with writer and art director Dana Braziel-Solovy (Adventures of a Comic Con Girl! Wandavision! CSI: Vegas!) Listen to us talk about her adventures on the picket line, designing and selling shirts to support the Entertainment Community Fund, the importance of television as an escape in difficult times, our shared love for the Teamsters' own Lindsay Doughtery, and much more! You can follow Dana on most of the social media things @danabraziel, and check out https://www.bonfire.com/store/writers-strike-shirts/ to buy some Dana-designed shirts. All proceeds go to the Entertainment Community Fund. And, if you're in SAG-AFTRA or the WGA and live in Los Angeles, check out the World Harvest Food Bank at https://www.worldharvestla.org/. They're offering free carts of groceries to guild members for the duration of the strike!

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with award-winning writer, director, and podcaster Becca Roth (Margo & Perry! Lenses! They Thought I Was You!) Listen to us talk about how the pandemic blew up Becca's life and led to her move to Los Angeles, how improv made us better writers, making documentaries, what prompted her to host a podcast examining the film and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen through a modern feminist lens, and hear Becca diagnose Brian with ADHD in real time! You can follow Becca on Instagram and Threads at @beccaroth and on Twitter at @Becca_Roth!

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with writer and WGA Strike Captain Jasmyne Peck (Kevin Can F*ck Himself! Love, Victor!) Listen to us rank the all-time best West Virginians, how they started in development at Monkeypaw before becoming a professional writer, their work for The Black Film Allegience and the importance of representation in writers rooms, how film and tv can be an important tool for social justice, and so much more. Jasmyne is an emotionally healthy person who isn't on social media, but you can check out the Black Film Allegiance here: https://www.bfallegiance.com/

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with writer and WGA Strike Captain Jackie Penn (Turner & Hooch! 4400!) Listen to us talk about when she realized she wanted to be a writer, her journey from Youngstown, Ohio to working in television, rising from PA to Writers PA to Writers Assistant to Staff Writer and how important that pipeline is for up-and-coming writers, finding out a show she worked on was being pulled from streaming, what it's like being a strike captain, her favorite theme pickets, and so much more. You can follow Jackie on Twitter at @JackiePenn18 and on Instagram at jlpenn18.

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with Emmy-winning writer Mark Blutman (Boy Meets World! Girl Meets World! Ghostwriter!) Listen to us talk about why this strike is angrier than 2007's, how writers have been devalued in Hollywood, the problem with pitch decks, mentoring Pre-WGA writers, the magic of show business and how it's at risk of being destroyed, the legacy and impact of Boy Meets World, and so much more, You can follow Mark on Twitter at @BlutmanMark.

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with two-time Emmy-winning late-night comedy writer Greg Iwinski (The Late Show! Last Week Tonight! Game Theory!) He's also on the council of the WGA East and the 2023 Negotiating Committee. Listen to us talk about what it's like being in the room for the contract negotiations, how Silicon Valley is trying to turn our industry into gig work, the importance of a strong union, issues facing late-night comedy writers in the streaming era, what spurred Greg and other comedy writers to make Contract TK, a web series created by striking comedy writers, and most importantly, we get into a scandal that rocked our fantasy basketball league! You can follow Greg on Twitter at @garyJackson. And, watch Contract TK on Youtube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/@ContractTK.

In this episode, Brian T. Arnold has a 39-minute conversation with writer and comedian Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary! A Black Lady Sketch Show! Suicide Kale!) Listen to us talk about how her Twitter thread about the issues facing TV writers, especially writers of color and from underrepresented backgrounds, went viral, having to repeat levels as a TV writer, what it's like coordinating strike action at the WB lot, how to become a WGA strike captain, her advice for up-and-coming writers, exactly when Janine and Gregory get together, and so much more! You can follow Brittani on Twitter at @BisHilarious. And, if you want to help people affected by the strike, and look good doing it, check out www.wgastrikeshirts.com. All net proceeds go to the Entertainment Community Fund!