For a few months now, I've been writing this story that I've tentatively titled "How to Lose Your Mind." It's about a character named Bill Manson, a struggling filmmaker, who befriends James Edwin Palmer, an eccentric auteur on a mission to leave his mark on every art form, and details their relationships to each other and those around them. The story is told from Bill's perspective as he recounts these events ten years later. I first envisioned it as a parody of Netflix documentaries like Tiger King and Bad Vegan with a touch of Christopher Guest mockumentaries like This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show, but at some point I started imagining it as a narrative podcast, sort of a less morbid version of true crime podcasts, or a non-supernatural take on the Magnus Archives. Inspirations include House of Leaves, The Disaster Artist (the book, not the movie), In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, Stanley Kubrick, Brian Wilson, Vincent Van Gogh, and FLCL. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I'm excited about it. Here's the first paragraph:
If you’re with the right group of people and mention the name James Edwin Palmer, two things will happen: a beat of silence, and then pure chaos.
Welcome to how to lose your mind. My name is Bill Manson. I want to tell you a story. This is a story about art, but more importantly about artists. It’s a story about trust and what happens when that trust is broken. It’s a story of decisions that made sense at the time. This is the story of my time working with James Edwin Palmer.
Before I get started, I just want to thank you all for listening. I’ve been aching to tell this story for quite some time, and the fact that someone’s finally humoring me is a relief. And James, if you’re listening, all I can say is… keep cool. Now let’s get on with it.
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