My friend Rick Rubin sent me the link to his podcast with Malcolm Gladwell on Tuesday night. (This article’s finding is just one example of what makes Rick so special—and so handsome!—beyond the fact that he might be the greatest music producer of all time.) Rick sent me this interview from Hawaii, after fleeing the Malibu fires.
This is a fantastic interview, even if you’re not a music fan (who isn’t a music fan, though?). Definitely worth a listen on a number of levels. First, Rick’s Zen attitude towards losing two homes and possibly his recording studio (“ultimately, it’s just stuff”) is an inspiration to me. I do not know anyone who embodies this Zen ethos more than Rick and I feel so lucky to know him and call him a friend. Second, the brilliant discussion of music, the master’s class by Gladwell in interviewing someone and following up…pure bliss, especially as I work frantically to hone my own skills at this craft.
The 2018 California wildfires are almost unimaginable, and yet, here we are. (Image below is the one Rick shares with Gladwell at 4:05 of the podcast episode.)
– Peter