By Jim Calder

I am recommitting myself this week.
Not to a church, a school or a person but to the art of blogging. I was born a writer and I hope to be remembered as one someday. A new mini goal of mine is to blog on a regular basis. I feel that it is fitting that my first “new blog entry” in this journey is a mini interview with someone that I consider a guru and innovator of the blog format.



Seth Godin is a marketing guru, best selling author, highly acclaimed public speaker whose many highlights include being asked to speak to the employees at Google. Seth has the number one visited marketing blog Seth’s Blog.
I visit it at least once a day and always take something away from reading. From an outsider’s view I consider Seth’s bog the corner stone of what he does. I see his blog as his playground, where he flushes out his best ideas.

Seth has authored two of my favorite books The Dip and Tribes . I look forward to reading his latest book Linchpin .

I recently interviewed Seth and asked for some insight and advice for our ProLong readers in the area of career. I am thrilled to report that he was happy to help out despite his extremely busy schedule. This alone has been motivation for me to commit to the art of blogging. In my first official new blog era please enjoy these responses from SethGodin.

ProLong Magazine: With all that you are doing, do you have any advice for our readers in the area of attempting to balance your work and your personal life?
Seth Godin: Factory work is work where a manager tells you what to do and you get paid (ultimately) by the hour. If you do this work and you want to get ahead, then you have little chance of also finding balance.
On the other hand, if you can make the brave decision to do art, to choose your own path, to create a career filled with meaning and insight, then balance is no real problem.
So, if it’s a problem, look at the core decision that’s driving it.

ProLong Magazine: A common theme in your writing is doing things that are not just satisfying the status quo. Please tell our readers why they should never be satisfied with the status quo?
Seth Godin: The status quo is average, and leaves little room for you to break through, to have real impact and to stand out. Big change brings big opportunity, no? It feels risky to do this, but in fact it’s the safest path you can take.

ProLong Magazine: Many people judge the value of their life based on the impact that they have had in their career. Do you believe that this is a good quality for a strong career or bad and why?
Seth Godin: I think there are many valid ways to live a valuable life, and the thing is to not give someone you don’t respect permission to be the judge of it.

ProLong Magazine: Do you believe that Mentors are important?
Seth Godin: Mentors are overrated, and the idea of finding some stranger or near stranger to sign up to be your mentor is nuts. In my experience, when you find someone who is teaching life lessons as a matter of course, stand near them, listen to them and work harder than you feel you can to learn those lessons. But no need to make it official.

ProLong Magazine: Do you have any quick advice for people who will inevitably have to deal with a bad boss at some point in their career … someone who refuses to embrace change?
Seth Godin:
1. They’re probably not as bad as you think.
2. if they are, leave.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

Ten Topics in 2010

By Jim Calder

Any music fan will tell you that there are voices that stick inside of your head and voices that get shut out and shut down by the miniature hydro powered vaults that we place on our ear drums, which are directly connected to the “Music Taste” sections of our brains. There are voices that the naked ear can hear in just minutes and know that the word “special” is far too simple to use as a description. The amazingly beautiful words for these voices have yet to be invented. The feeling comes over you quickly like a rush of caffeine. You feel like you are in an exclusive invite only club. The club of secret insiders who realize that an artist is about to be huge before the rest of the world knows it.
Lissie Maurus is one of those voices … and I am inviting you to the club.

In November 2009 my wife and I walked into the Tower Theater outside of Philadelphia to see Ray LaMontagne perform. As we made our way to our seats we weren’t prepared for the opening act – a charming, seductive, powerful and soulful voice emulating from the blonde haired young women down front. Enter Lissie Maurus. I must admit I first heard Lissie a few days earlier when her song “Little Lovin” was being played on WXPN in Philadelphia, but I didn’t realize it at the time. Either way, “Little Lovin” had made an impact on my brain.
I have always been a fan of people who are and continue to be approachable. I found Lissie on Facebook and she agreed to do this interview with ProLong Magazine.
Listen to Lissie’s song that first hooked the staff at ProLong Magazine now as you read this article.

	Lissie – Little Lovin’ .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Topic 1 – Ray LaMontagne

ProLong Magazine (PLM): Can you talk about how you ended up touring with Ray LaMontagne, the first time you met him and how this tour has given you additional exposure?
Lissie Maurus (LM): I have the same booking agent as Ray. I guess he was sent a bunch of CDs of possible openers and he ended up going with me. The first night he introduced himself, he gave me flowers and said if I needed anything to let him know. He is very kind. It was fantastic to open for such an amazing and powerful artist like Ray. He inspired me with the huge crowds he’d pull in and their passion for him. Of course it was great exposure. His audiences listen. I’ve been doing my own shows here and there and opening for other groups as well, a combination of both.

Topic 2 – Start in Music, Annie and the Smell of Hair Spray

PLM: We recently read that you started singing in the play Annie in school. Do you remember the first time you were on stage singing alone in front of an audience? What did that experience trigger inside of you that made you want to pursue a career in music?
LM: When I was really young, I always hummed and sang. At age five I started taking these dancing/singing/acting classes with a local kid’s group. We’d put on shows and I remembered loving the night of the show. That excitement leading up to the show, then performing and how rewarding and exhilarating it was, even at that young age, the thrill hooked me! It was an experience I would always associate with the smell of hair spray for some reason, which is strange because I never use it. But it was that big event that I loved! When I was nine I auditioned to be Annie in a local dinner theatre of my own accord. I ended up doing 80 shows and felt like it was where i was most comfortable! It felt good to have the vibration of singing coming out of my throat and into a space. First time, not sure … but those were the early days.

Topic 3 – The EP

PLM: You released your EP “Why You Runnin” with Fat Possum Records . Please describe what the release of the EP has meant to you and how long it has been in the making?
LM: It’s been fantastic to have some music out. I’ve been playing for years, recording in bits and pieces, but it wasn’t until this last year, that a “sound” started to form. It had been unclear to me for a while because I had always played solo. But as far as the EP goes, I met Bill Reynolds through mutual friends and we ended up recording some songs together over the last year or so. We took 4 of them and I also used a writing demo I’d done in London with Ed Harcourt to create this collection (the EP) … then I was able to get it to Fat Possum and a release date was set.

Topic 4 – Rock Island, Illinois to Los Angeles, California

PLM: You grew up in Rock Island, Ill., and then lived in L.A. for awhile. Tell us about this journey and what advice would you give for others who are thinking of moving to L.A. to advance their careers in the arts?
LM: Well obviously Rock Island is a lot smaller and the Midwest is incredibly different from the West coast as far as landscape, population, weather, etc. People wise … I think you have to be more of a team player in towns like where I grew up. The focus is more on the whole than the individual in a way. In LA it seems to be all about the individual, which is good in that people can truly be themselves and go for it on their own terms … but bad in that people can be more selfish and less genuinely thoughtful of others. I grew up in a blue collar kind of place so there’s a lot less emphasis on material things than in LA. I’d like to think I took the good from both places and melted it into the little stew that I am.
There are way more things to do in LA but maybe it is that the things you do in Rock Island end up getting more focused energy.
I adjusted to LA in that I found a great family of friends a year and a half in that were like minded. I sold honey for awhile at farmers market to make some dough and get outside. I think that LA is different for everyone. I think people need to really hang on to who they are if they move there because ultimately that’s what makes a person interesting. You gotta work hard and balance staying open to new people with setting up clear boundaries. And so much of advancing your career is honing your skill and meeting people … and probably luck!

Topic 5 – An UnSquashable Spirit

PLM: Is it true that you were kicked out of high school and how has that experience has influenced your music?
LM: I was but I don’t want to go into it. But it shaped me in that it kept me focused on establishing that I was a good person who meant well but needed to break away from anything that tried to squash my spirit.

Topic 6- Artist Influence

PLM: What artists have influenced your sound, music style and your lyrics?
LM: Everything from folk to musicals to female singer songwriters to classic rock, jam rock, country, reggae, rap, pop … you name it! A bit of it all found its way into my view of music. But mostly I don’t think about it and I just do what feels right.

Topic 7 – Passion

PLM: When you are not singing or writing lyrics what areas of life are you passionate about?
LM: Being outdoors, chilling with the pup, cooking, homemaking, watching funny shows and films, spending time with friends and family.

Topic 8 – Off The Beaten Track

PLM: You live with your dog, in a farmhouse in Ojai, California, away from the beaten and obvious track of LA’s music scene. Why have you chosen to remove yourself from the day to day LA scene?
LM: I wanted a yard and to be closer to nature. My dog needed a yard. I wanted to spend more time alone. I wanted to get away from traffic and certain hassles. I still pop into LA from time to time when I need to see/play music with friends or yearn for a bit of excitement!

Topic 9 – Interesting Family Line

PLM: Your family line has a lot of history: a grandfather who was an international barbershop quartet champion, a great-grandfather who was a train-jumping hobo on the famous Rock Island Line, and a father who delivered you at birth. How do you channel these people and experiences in your music?
LM: I’m not sure how … I’ve inherited passion and conviction and a need for adventure I guess.

Topic 10 – Living Life

PLM: ProLong Magazine is about increasing the life in your years. Do you have any tips or advice for our readers; for how you have managed to balance building your music career and still have time for friends, family, pets, and other hobbies?
LM: Just staying in the present, having faith and doing my best to enjoy my experiences as they’re happening has helped each separate part of my life feel richer and more wonderful when I’m able to be in it.

Photos courtesy of www.myspace.com/lissiemusic

Ten Topics in 2010 is a new column by ProLong Magazine. It takes a look at different topics for a person that we feel is making a mark in 2010.For more information on Lissie visit Lissie’s MySpace Page


Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

Listen to More Lissie

The entertainment industry is full of dreamers just waiting for their big break. Jason Strange is not one of them; he is a passionate writer and family man devoted to his craft. After spending six weeks in a drug induced coma, Jason rose from his death bed to continue to chase his goal of becoming a produced screenwriter. With a script currently inpre -production and filming slated to start in 2010, he is well on his way to achieving his self-proclaimed mark of success. Keep reading to find out how a young man that racked up close to a million dollars in medical bills can still be happy, believe that his illness may have actually extended his life, and remain positive enough to laugh out loud at his own jokes.

Interview By Staff Member Brian Farkas

ProLong Magazine (PM): Describe the work that you are doing with Screenwriting how did you get started?
Jason Strange (JS): I suppose my interest in screenwriting began in the mid 1990s when I saw three films that had an impact on me. Dazed & Confused, Forest Gump and Dances with Wolves. I started writing around that time, but managed to get sidetracked for a number of years. Contracting a near fatal case of Legionnaire’s Disease was my wake up call. As I was recovering, I decided that I wanted to knuckle down and really learn the craft of screenwriting and finish at least one feature length script. I kept hearing that line from The Shawshank Redemption in my head, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” If there was one thing I wanted to do before I died, it was finish a script and since I now realize that you just never know when your number is up, I got to work immediately. That first feature was completed in 2004 and I’ve written 7 more since then and 2 work for hires.

PM: What scripts have you wrote that have been produced?
JS: As of now, I am unproduced. Anyone’s Son is currently in pre-production with filming slated to begin in 2010.

PM: Can you tell us about any exciting projects you are currently working on?
JS: Right now I split my time writing specs and working with Starline Films based in New York. I am writing two assignments for Starline. The first is Anyone’s Son, a dark biopic based on a teenager who murdered his family in 1976. The other is called Mr. October and is a biopic centered on the life of Yankees legend, Reggie Jackson.
Both of my assignment projects are pretty exciting considering that a host of known actors have shown interest or are currently attached to them. These include Shirley MacClaine, Danny Aiello, James Caan, Keanu Reeves, Terrance Howard and Michael Douglas.

PM: How can people learn more about your stuff (website or contact email?)
JS: I have run my own website since 2005, www.strangelitworks.com and can be contacted through it.

PM: Are you currently screenwriting full time and if so how long?
JS: I still work a normal 9-5 job. Unfortunately, with indie work, the money doesn’t start coming in until the filming starts. I’m getting close, though.

PM: Is being a full time screenwriter your dream? And how far are you from achieving that dream?
JS: I’ve never been fond of the term “dream” when talking about screenwriting. Dream suggests that becoming a screenwriter is unreal or essentially unattainable. I prefer to use the word “goal” because it suggests more of a concrete endpoint. With that said, being a full time screenwriter is a goal of mine. It’s tough to gauge how far I am from attaining it, though. In the film industry, there are just so many variables, so many things can fall through that you never know where you stand. If my assignment work pans out, I could be considered professional (and produced) by the end of next year. You just never know how near or far you are – but I do know that I’m a lot closer now than I was when I began writing.

PM: Please describe the time you were sick?
JS: I was admitted into the hospital in August of 2003. The initial diagnosis was Legionnaire’s Disease, which is similar to the flu. This illness led to a number of others including Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and a lung infection. I was released from the hospital in October of 2003. Of the eight or so weeks in the hospital, I spent six of them in a drug-induced coma.

PM: Did you almost die from it?
JS: Haha… well, there are conflicting reports on that. The short answer is definitely yes. At one point, the doctors were telling my family that it was really in God’s hands. I guess it’s pretty serious when the doctors feel helpless. I did requiredefibrillation at one point and some say it was because my heart stopped while other say it was due to an irregular heartbeat.

PM: How did they treat it?
JS: The initial treatment was a drug induced coma with mechanical ventilation. When that didn’t provide the results desired, I had atracheostomy performed. I also had a surgical procedure performed to remove an infection around my right lung.

PM: How much in hospital bills did you have from it?
JS: Another mystery, but I do know that the hospital bill (not including individual doctor bills) were somewhere in the area of $750,000.

PM: What did you learn from this horrible experience?
JS: I don’t know if you really learn anything from something like this because it wasn’t something wrong that I did to contract the disease. It’s not like I got hammered and wrapped my car around a tree, I just got really sick. But it is something that puts your life in perspective and alluding to what I said earlier, it really motivates to start pursuing the goals you have in life.

PM: How does it affect how you live your life?
JS: There are some lingering effects that I will always have. I’ll permanently have about 75% lung capacity, but unless I’m running somewhere (which I never do – that’s why we have cars), it’s not noticeable. A large portion of my chest will never have feeling again due to the surgery. But my life hasn’t changed much. I had to give up my cigarettes, but that’s not such a bad thing… shit, getting this illness might actually have extended my life. I do have to be careful as contracting the flu or pneumonia could be a real problem. I have to get a seasonal flu shot every year and a pneumonia vaccination every 5 years. I’ll probably have to get the H1N1 vaccine as well.

PM: Are you scared to die? Why or why not?
JS: Isn’t everyone scared to die? You ever seen a dude who wasn’t? Yeah, they are the crazy bastards you stay away from on the subway. Even skydivers are afraid to die, evidenced in the fact that most of them are dead before they hit the ground when the parachute doesn’t open. I don’t know if I’m necessarily scared anymore, but I certainly don’t want to.

PM: How do you find balance between your dedication to your craft and living your life (family, etc.)?
JS: My wife and I just had a baby boy about 8 months ago. Oddly enough, he was born right around the time I won the Anyone’s Son assignment. It definitely has taken a bite out of my writing time, but if you are dedicated, you always find time.

PM: What is most important to you today?
JS: Writing and family. It’s not that I necessarily value writing over my family but they are definitely intertwined. Becoming a successful writer will allow me to provide better for my family and for that, it’s worth the effort.

PM: What would you have said if I asked you that same question five years ago?
JS: Five years ago, my family was a little smaller, just me and my wife. But I’d say the answer would be the same.

PM: What are you passionate about?
JS: Obviously, I’m extremely passionate about my writing, but raising my son has become a priority to me. Being a parent is the greatest challenge I’ve ever had to face. I mean, if you fail at executing a story in a screenplay, you’ve got an unsellable screenplay. If you fail at raising your kid, well, that kind of failure has far greater consequences.

PM: Are you happy, and why?
JS: Sure, I would consider myself happy. I mean, we all have things we want but don’t have, but I’ve got a budding writing career, a healthy son and a wife who is very supportive of me reaching my professional goals.

PM: How do you encourage others to pursue their passions?
JS: It’s funny you should ask this because I’ve got an actor friend who is in the same situation as me, professionally. I always give advice that I think would help him achieve his goals as an actor, but at the same time make sure he knows that I, like most folks in the industry, don’t really know anything and you should always follow your gut instincts. I’m also mentoring him through his first foray into writing. But the best guidance I can give is to weigh the sacrifices you need to make to achieve your goals. Everyone needs to be aware that achieving your goals is only worthwhile if you still have the people who supported you through your journey when you get there.

PM: Did anyone ever tell you that your dream was impossible? And did it weaken you or make you stronger?
JS: This question always makes me laugh. In the writing and film business, everyone always tells you this. Screenwriters in particular are always dealing with people telling you that you just aren’t good enough. I wouldn’t say it’s made me stronger, but back when I was starting out, I did doubt myself quite a bit. Then I learned that a lot of people just don’t know what they are talking about and when I decided to ignore the haters, I became a lot more satisfied by my work. Screenwriting is a business, not just in the film industry, but in the writing industry itself. For every screenwriter, there is “professional” coverage service, blogger or industry “insider” available that is going to tell you just how to you can make a million bucks as a writer. Don’t listen to these people, because more often than not, they make their money by telling you, you aren’t good enough. That way you’ll pay them again and again to get your work sell-able. They prey on starving writers and I consider them a cancer on the writer’s journey. People need to remember that in this business, opinions vary widely and there is no formula to success. It only takes one person to say yes – the challenge is finding that person.

PM: Do you consider yourself successful?
JS: At this point, I do not consider myself successful. I feel that I’ll have achieved my goal when I either get a piece of work produced or I am able to support my family through my writing.

PM: Who do you consider successful?
JS: I just sat down with an old high school friend of mine a few weeks ago. This guy had struggled through various creative endeavors, much like I have. He was involved in the New York music scene and even worked at becoming a novelist. He decided to write a screenplay and ended up selling that screenplay to Fox Atomic in 2008. Since then he’s sold a few more specs, some pitches and a television show to Comedy Central. He is what I would call a true Hollywood success story.

PM: What was the first job you ever had?
JS: I was a waiter at an upscale retirement home when I was 15. I had to wear a tuxedo to work complete with a pink bow-tie and cummerbund. They said it was “Dusty Rose” but as far as I’m concerned, it was fucking pink.

PM: Who helped you get where you are today? Or who inspired you to keep going and not give up?
JS: Professionally, I have a lot of influences. John Hughes, Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith, to name a few. But I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without the support of my wife. She’s the only one who has consistently told me that I am good enough.

PM: What is your favorite part of screenwriting?
JS: Typing FADE IN. Because you never know what’s going to happen. Typing FADE OUT. It gives you a real sense of accomplishment. I write a lot of comedies and as I’m reading through my drafts, every once and a while I’ll let out an uncontrolled laugh at something I write. What kind of a dumbass laughs at their own jokes? Me – and I love doing it because if I know its coming and still laugh, the unsuspecting reader is going to have a good time.

PM: If you could make 25% more money or have 25% more vacation, which would you choose?
JS: I’d take the money, but my wife would “convince” me to take the vacation. She’s good like that.

PM: If you could teach a class to every high school student in America, what would the course cover?
JS: American History. I’ve always had a love for this subject.

PM: What is the one thing you wish someone would have told you in high school?
JS: That having long hair… long hair down to your ass… just ain’t cool.

PM: How many hours a week would you say that you spend working on your craft?
JS: Between reading, writing, rewriting and developing ideas… I have no clue. Seriously. If you’re clocking the hours, it’s a job. No one likes to have one job, let alone two.

PM: What would you say is the most difficult part of screenwriting and why?
JS: Marketing, and unfortunately, it’s the most important. Hollywood is the business of “no.” If you are unproduced, uncredited, unknown and have no contacts, you’ll get used to hearing “no.” No one wants to deal with an amateur. It’s so hard to even get read in the film business that getting a “no” after getting a read can be considered an accomplishment.

PM: Are you an early riser or night owl, or both?
JS: Haha… did I mention that I have a 7 month old son? I’m up early everyday! Little kids are like alarm clocks with busted snooze alarms. But I do get some of my best writing done at night.

PM: What’s the best advice you could give someone just starting out?
JS: Feedback is very important. Feedback from unbiased people – not friends, not family. Through your feedback process, you’ll get a lot of opinions but the most important thing is to be happy with what you’ve created. You can move an audience unless you’re passionate about your own work. And as I’ve noted before, don’t pay for people to read your work. There are plenty of peer review sites out there that are absolutely free.Triggerstreet.com and Zoetrope.com are two of the larger ones.

PM: What question are you asked the most?
JS: Are you going to be famous? This is a great question because screenwriters are never famous. There may be a few names people can rattle off, but most of those people are also directors or producers.

PM: What is the biggest waste of time in your life?
JS: The god-damned Internet. I curse the people who brought us Facebook. Damn you!

PM: Do you have a personal motto?
JS: Nope.

PM: Who are your favorite authors?
JS: If we’re talking about screenwriters, John Hughes. I’m not a big fan of novels, I mostly read non-fiction. I don’t think non-fiction books are really known for their authors, are they?

PM: What do you do to become better at your craft?
JS: Reading screenplays from aspiring writers is probably the best thing I, or anyone, can do to better their craft. Being able to analyze other writers’ works, both strengths and weaknesses, allows you to focus on your strengths and weaknesses.

PM: Who would play you if there was a movie about your life?
JS: Haha… I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that.

PM: What is next for Jason Strange?
JS: Right now I just want to see some of my assignment work produced. I’m also actively seeking representation and have had a few leads on that front but no contracts yet. I’ve just started a new spec based on my experiences as a new parent. It should be a good comedy.