Interviews with Friends: Jesse W

Interviews with Friends is so very literally what is being implied by the name. I have some mics, I have some friends and I’ve combined the two. I’ve taken questions from James Lipton’s questions he’d ask folks, and because I’m a stickler for a project I haven’t veered too far off that path.

But these are people I adore, and I think it’s nice to capture their voices so they can listen back to this and think about what’s changed, what’s the same, and oh-my-god-listen-to-how-young-I-sound.

If you’re not the folks in these recordings, I hope you enjoy them all the same.

A quick note: the volume on this is low. I’ll fix it….eventually.

Below is a transcript of the audio above.

Jesse G

What's your favorite word at the moment?

Jesse W

At the risk of - just because I've had to think about this, because I've had this question before - at the risk of sounding a little bit pretentious, my favourite word is in French. And it's the word "etre", and it means "to be".

And the reason why it's my favorite, but not that you asked, is because there was something about obviously, as an English speaker, when you start learning French, being able to do that sound is not easy. And so I feel like I know in my case, going to a year and a half or something, you're going like [noise], it's sounding horrible and you can't get it. And it's such a basic fundamental word, it's one of the first verbs you learn, obviously. And the day - it was kind of like learning to whistle for the first time, a clicking - one day, you can just do it.

It's like a huge aha! moment. Nothing happens, but, for some reason, you can just do it now. And one day it was just etre. And I was like, that's the most beautiful word to me in history now.

[Jesse G attempts in background]

Not bad.

There's less of it, depending on how much emphasis you're putting. There's less of an "uhh" on the end, so "etre".

[Jesse G attempts again].

That's good. That's really, really good.

[Jesse G: Thank you.]

Very natural setting. That's great.

Jesse G

Least favorite word?

Jesse W

My least favorite word. My least favorite word. I can't even bring myself to say - f a r t, please don't say it. I can't handle the word, dude! I can't handle it! I don't like it when it's said around me. I definitely cannot say it.

Jesse G

Wow. Yeah.

Jesse W

And it's something about. Specifically. That word, for example, I can say it, and hear it said in French, no problem. It's not the concept necessarily that it's connected to function.

Jesse G

It's the sound of the-

Jesse W

Yeah.

Jesse G

Wow.

Jesse W

[Jesse G: OK, yeah.] But I know it's obviously that it's attached to that as well. But in French, it's like a degree of separation, like in English. There's just not.

Jesse G

Incredible. I love it. What turns you on creatively?

Jesse W

Is it ok to have a pause this long?

Jesse G

It's fine. I can edit it out. [I didn’t - big whoop]

Jesse W

Well.. What's up?

Jesse G

What inspires you? Is anything that inspires you, try not to think of the words "turns you on creatively."

Jesse W

No, it's not that I don't understand the question it's that I don't have a good answer. What turns me on creatively? New experiences, whenever something new is going on in my life is when I want to write the most.

Jesse G

Spiritually?

Jesse W

Relationships.

Jesse G

And emotionally?

Jesse W

Kindness.

Jesse G

What turns you off, creatively?

Jesse W

Deadlines.

Jesse G

Spiritually?

Jesse W

Misinformation

Jesse G

And emotionally?

Jesse W

Dogmatism, I want to change my last answer - emotionally? Cruelty.

Jesse G

What's your favorite curse word?

Jesse W

Fuck. [Jesse G: still?] Still? So that's what I said last time? Ahh ok. It'll be interesting to compare them.

Jesse G

That's what I was thinking, as well. I’ll try and find the audio.

A sound, or noise that you love?

Jesse W

Eugenie [Jesse’s wife] goes "ehhh", when she's- when we're joking, and where she's pretending she's upset at what I've said because she'll be like. "you love me?", I'll be like "nup!", she'll be like "ehhh" - it's an exchange we have, like, eight times a day.

Jesse W

It's my favourite sound in the world.

Jesse G

A sound or noise that you hate?

Jesse W

A dog whimpering.

Jesse G

What is a profession other than your own that you would like to attempt?

Jesse W

Um. Right now, I cannot think of a single other thing I'd rather be doing.

Jesse G

That's a good answer.

Jesse W

Done.

Jesse G

What profession would you never like to do?

Jesse W

Family law. [Jesse G: ooft. Yeah.]

Jesse G

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Jesse W

“Don't worry about it.”

Jesse G

Like, don't stress?

Well, thank you.

Jesse W

Thank you.

Jesse G

Now I've got to turn these off.