Rick Rubin and Mary Karr (#745)
This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #76 “ Rick Rubin on Cultivating World-Class Artists (Jay Z, Johnny Cash, etc.), Losing 100+ Pounds, and Breaking Down the Complex ” and episode #479 “ Mary Karr — The Master of Memoir on Creative Process and Finding Gifts in the Suffering .”
Please enjoy!
Bios of guests may be found at tim.blog/combo .
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Podcast Addict , Pocket Casts , Castbox , YouTube Music , Amazon Music , Audible , or on your favorite podcast platform .
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Transcript of the full Rick Rubin episode | Transcript of the full Mary Karr episode | Transcripts of all episodes
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#745: Rick Rubin and Mary Karr
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SHOW NOTES
[05:11] Notes about this supercombo format.
[06:15] Enter Rick Rubin.
[07:58] How Rick lost over 135 pounds in his late 30s.
[16:03] How artists can hurdle the obstacles that hinder their best work.
[19:31] Where to find world-class contemporary music.
[20:24] Approaching music production with a fan’s-eye view.
[22:53] Recommended reading.
[24:22] Helping artists break their creative blocks.
[26:54] Rick’s advice for his younger selves.
[29:06] Why practicing self-kindness isn’t just nice — it’s a necessity.
[32:01] Enter Mary Karr.
[32:25] Growing up in “The Ringworm Belt.”
[34:44] The catalyst for Mary expressing herself and publishing to the world.
[37:47] The role reading played for young Mary.
[40:31] The feeling that inspired Mary’s desire to become a poet at a young age.
[44:27] “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
[45:17] How Mary, a high school dropout, got into college and became an A student.
[49:13] Mary’s struggle with bringing darkness with her even after leaving her traumatic past.
[53:23] The highly selective process for getting into Mary’s graduate seminar at Syracuse University.
[54:33] The first day of Mary’s class and what it illustrates about processing memoir-building memories.
[1:00:20] The value of a commonplace book and helping others find alternative perspectives.
[1:04:19] The importance and utility of prayer in Mary’s life and sobriety.
[1:17:09] The significance of Ignatian exercises in Mary’s Catholic faith and gratitude practice.
[1:23:10] Obligatory Texas talk about weaponry and hunting.
[1:26:41] The origins of Mary’s unique wordsmithing.
[1:34:24] Mary’s process of rough drafts, revision, and using past memories for storytelling.
[1:42:34] How Mary copes with the pain of dredging up memories through writing.
[1:46:09] Why Mary feels the happiest at 65 and her advice to her younger self about therapy.
[1:49:26] The most and least effective types of therapy for Mary.
[1:53:25] Mary’s solution to fear and getting through uncomfortable times.
[1:58:14] Recognizing the gifts from suffering through difficult times in retrospect.
[2:06:28] Mary’s billboard.
[2:07:35] Parting thoughts.
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Rick Rubin:
Website | Twitter | Instagram
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin | Amazon
Barrel Saunas | Amazon
Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster By Exercising Slower by Stu Mittleman | Amazon
Safe. Scientific. Sustainable. | MAF Method
What Is Circadian Rhythm? | Sleep Foundation
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: Which Benefits Me More? | GoodRx
A High-Protein Diet Plan to Lose Weight and Improve Health | Healthline
Calorie Tracker & BMR Calculator to Reach Your Goals | MyFitnessPal
Why Ego is The Greatest Opponent to Your Creativity and Success (And How to Fight Back) | Ryan Holiday
The Mojo List | Mojo
Mojo: 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made Playlist | Spotify
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Podcast | Spotify
Reign In Blood by Slayer | Amazon Music
Tao Te Ching: A New English Version by Lao Tzu and Stephen Mitchell | Amazon
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn | Amazon
Meditation, Mindset, and Mastery | The Tim Ferriss Show #201
10 Years of Slackline Progression | Justin Wagers
Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 | The University of the Arts
How to Develop Self-Compassion and Be Nicer to Yourself | Tiny Buddha
La Futura by ZZ Top | Amazon Music
Connect with Mary Karr:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Tropic of Squalor: Poems by Mary Karr | Amazon
The Liars’ Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr | Amazon
Cherry by Mary Karr | Amazon
Lit: A Memoir (P.S.) by Mary Karr | Amazon
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr | Amazon
Nonna (Grandma) | Daily Italian Words
East Texas Cities, Towns, and Ghost Towns | East Texas Travel Guide
Ringworm | CDC
Memento | Prime Video
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne | Amazon
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White | Amazon
Christianity: Eucharist | BBC
The Riverside Shakespeare by William Shakespeare | Amazon
[in Just-] by E. E. Cummings | Poetry Foundation
The Duty of Newspapers Is to Comfort the Afflicted and to Afflict the Comfortable | Quote Investigator
To Comfort The Disturbed, and to Disturb the Comfortable: Onward Children of the Sun by Cesar A. Cruz
When Exactly Did Bansky Say “Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable?” | Reddit
Macalester College
Syracuse University
How I Teach My Students Not to Trust Their Memories | Mary Karr, the Washington Post
Difference Between Eidetic Memory and Photographic Memory | Better Help
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
Sobriety Coin | Wikipedia
Mary Karr Thought Her Whiting Award Call Was a Prank and Hung Up | Literary Hub
What Are the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius? | Loyola Press
The Jesuit Mission: Seeking God in All Things | Georgetown University
Electile Dysfunction: The GOP’s Incredible Shrinking Boehner | Slate
US Results: How Will This Endless Election End? | BBC News
99 Questions to Complete Your Examination of Conscience | The Catholic Company
Steve Kornacki and John King Are the Election Coverage MVPs We Need Right Now | For the Win
“Most Likely to Secede” | Tim Ferriss, Instagram
Rifle Build: 7mm Remington Magnum | Guns and Ammo
Glock 34 | Glock
M&P 45 M2.0 | Smith & Wesson
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
Steven Rinella on Hunting (and Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #470
Boar Hunting with a Knife is Not for the Faint of Heart | Wide Open Spaces
‘Lit’ by Mary Karr: The Top 10 Everything of 2009 | Time
Raining Like a Cow Pissing on a Flat Rock | Tony Goff
More Colorful Texas Sayings Than You Can Shake a Stick At | Texas Monthly
Iambic Pentameter Made Easy | Shakespeare Coach
Mary Karr Interview: Boss of Memoir | The Writer
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez | Amazon
My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse (Includes Extensive Resource List) | The Tim Ferriss Show #464
D-Day: The Allies Invade Europe | The National WWII Museum
Battle of the Bulge | The US Army
US Forces Liberate Buchenwald | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Why Is Quitting Smoking So Difficult? The Science Behind Addiction | American Lung Association
Commencement Address by Poet Mary Karr | Syracuse University News
‘Honeydew’ Turns Road Trip into Bizarre, Hallucinatory Backwoods Nightmare | Bloody Disgusting
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Stu Mittleman
Philip Maffetone
Mo Ostin
David Heber
The Beatles
Neil Strauss
Slayer
Stephen Mitchell
Lao Tzu
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Laird Hamilton
Neil Gaiman
Stephen King
ZZ Top
Charlie Marie Moore Karr
Pete Karr
William Shakespeare
Prince Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet
Macbeth
Richard III
Lady Macbeth
Janis Joplin
Michael Joplin
E.E. Cummings
Banksy
Cesar A. Cruz
Finley Peter Dunne
Colin Kaepernick
Doonie
George Saunders
Arthur Flowers
Juno Diaz
Stanley Kunitz
Devereux Milburn
Steve Kornacki
Steven Rinella
Phil LaMarche
Lev Grossman
Mark Twain
Dr. Phil
Don DeLillo
Leo Tolstoy
Dana Spiotta
Lecia Karr
The post Rick Rubin and Mary Karr (#745) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss .
