A Conversation with Michael Ian Black, Author, 'A Better Man, A Mostly Serious Letter to my Son'

Join Michael in his discussion with actor, comedian, writer, and podcast host Michael Ian Black about his book A Better Man, A Mostly Serious Letter to my Son; a compelling reflection on masculinity and its sometimes devastating consequences for human relations and American culture writ large.

Guest

Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black is a multi-media talent who’s starred in numerous films and TV series, written and/or directed two films, is a prolific author and commentator, and regularly tours the country performing his ribald brand of jokes and observations. He most recently starred in TVLand's “The Jim Gaffigan Show” and Comedy Central’s “Another Period.” He also reprised one of his iconic film roles in Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later,” and previously in "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp." His third standup comedy special, “Noted Expert,” was released on Epix.Black’s authored 11 books, including the recently released best seller, “A Child’s First Book of Trump.” He’s written two well-received memoirs: “Navel Gazing: True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (but also my mom’s, which I know sounds weird)”, and “You're Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death and Other Humiliations.” In 2012, he collaborated with conservative Meghan McCain on “America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom.” He’s the author of “My Custom Van (and 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face),” and seven children's books, including “Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop!,” “Naked”, “Chicken Cheeks,” “The Purple Kangaroo,” “A Pig Parade Is A Terrible Idea” and “I'm Bored.” He also writes book reviews for the New York Times.Previously, Black released two stand-up specials, “Very Famous” and “I Am A Wonderful Man.” He and Tom Cavanagh host the popular podcast, “Mike and Tom Eat Snacks.” He also writes and hosts a podcast with Michael Showalter, "Topics,” and his own interview podcast, “How To Be Amazing.” He hosts “Debate Wars” on SeeSo, and he recently hosted “Easiest Game Show Ever” on Pop TV.Sketch comedy fans know Black’s work on “The State,” “Viva Variety,” “Stella” and “Michael and Michael Have Issues” all of which he co-created, wrote and starred in. Other TV credits include quirky bowling alley manager ‘Phil' on the NBC series “Ed,” and his hilarious commentary on cable’s “I Love the...” series. He recently starred in two hit web series that migrated to cable TV: “Burning Love” on E! and “You’re Whole” on Adult Swim.Black’s movie roles include “Slash,” “Smosh: The Movie,” “They Came Together,” “Hell Baby,” “This is 40,” “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Reno 911!: Miami,” “The Ten” and “The Baxter.”

Host

Michael Zeldin

Michael Zeldin is a well-known and highly-regarded TV and radio analyst/commentator.He has covered many high-profile matters, including the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the Gore v. Bush court challenges, Special Counsel Robert Muller’s investigation of interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the Trump impeachment proceedings.In 2019, Michael was a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he taught a study group on Independent Investigations of Presidents.Previously, Michael was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as Deputy Independent/ Independent Counsel, investigating allegations of tampering with presidential candidate Bill Clinton’s passport files, and as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, October Surprise Task Force, investigating the handling of the American hostage situation in Iran.Michael is a prolific writer and has published Op-ed pieces for CNN.com, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Hill, The Washington Times, and The Washington Post.Follow Michael on Twitter:@michaelzeldinSubscribe to the Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-said-with-michael-zeldin/id1548483720