The Curious George Questionnaire: #7
TV & film rec writer-at-large Beth Lisogorsky has entered the chat!
She: There is no stopping the wave of weird, wonderful, and “wait, WHAT?” offerings of film and TV these days. And for Beth Lisogorsky that is nothing but good news. Beth helms a TV and cinema mothership over at Beth’s TV and Film Recommendations, but don’t let the name fool you. Beth has created an awesome screening lounge with smart essays, detailed recs, engaging roundtable discussions, and really fun virtual chats for subscribers to come together and get into IT. Substack might need to get her a liquor license at some point. And when she’s not bringing the high-test TV talk to readers, Beth is working on various fiction projects. George could not believe his luck to catch Beth on a bit of a commercial break with time for a chat.
MM: Here’s the secret (and no doubt Beth has more below)…find out what you don’t know, shake off the discomfort, and get curious (as She has also said)! Incuriosity rears its ugly head but guess what…lol…Karma IS a bitch. So don’t get bit. I’m grateful to Beth for the collaborations we did in the past year. She’s your go-to person for the latest in film and TV productions and I’m grateful for her curiosity and tenacity. And glad she got to chat with George! Happy new year, my friend!
Beth Lisogorsky Answers The Curious George Questionnaire!
To me curiosity is…
Asking questions while reserving judgment. You have to be willing to release your pre-conceptions and know that your ideas and opinions are disposable—they aren’t you. People forget this sometimes. Also, that curiosity is a muscle and like any muscle, its strength is formed and reinforced from practice and repetition. I’m always amazed at how many people don’t ask questions! Seems like a missed opportunity to expand your worldview. I interview people in my line of work, and if I wasn’t curious, it would be very difficult to do what I do.
Describe a road not taken. Any regrets?
Is it crazy that I don’t have any? I’ve tried my best to take detours along the way when I’ve been compelled to. This year, I finally finished my first work of fiction—a romance novel about a Jewish woman coming to terms with unresolved grief and finding love through her self-discovery journey. That was a big deal. I definitely have moments where I wish I’d started things earlier, but, as long as I keep moving, staying curious (See what I did there?), and nurturing my interests, I’ve been able to stay the course of fulfillment.
Tell us how you fill your curiosity well.
People, books, films and TV. And learning new crafts. This year, I started beginner ballet. I’m pretty much a “two left feet” kind of person and it’s wonderful to be bad at something and see myself slowly improving. Continuing to learn is how I fill my curiosity and I gravitate to the arts and movement.
Wonder or awe? Why?
I’m going with awe. Why? My brain is always firing on all synapses trying to make sense of things and loves forming connections, seeing patterns, and finding errors and then solutions. Wonder implies that along the way you’re processing and reflecting—thinking. Whereas, with awe, it’s the feeling part that rises to the surface and it can be a transformative experience, however ephemeral. You release and submit yourself to something greater and all your senses are awakened. That’s powerful. It’s also antithetical to how I’m wired, so likely why it’s so alluring.
How would you spend your last day on earth?
Assuming apocalyptic state: In a well-stocked basement bunker, watching an episode of Friends—oh wait, that’s already been done [See this film]. Conditions: Plenty of food options, purified air, controlled temperature, water, sewage, and with my friends and family. Ideally there would also be a DVD player, and at least following films, ET, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, and Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom. I’d just want a whole lot of life-affirming stuff, some of which would also make me laugh.
My life philosophy is_____.
Karma’s a bitch. So try and do right by people.
I love what you said about curiosity. It's so accurate and I wish more people realized the benefits of being curious. And looking forward to reading your book.
Love, love, love all this. So grateful for this.