by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
Once, long ago, I had a boss at a community newspaper that was a lot like Lorne Michaels. He was very powerful throughout the Virginia newspaper industry and he could make or break a career.
I was in a severe crisis when I started working for him and I am forever grateful that he was kind enough to help me make a graceful exit from a very, very bad workplace environment. And I feel bad that I was so whacked out from where I just came from that I wasn’t able to give him my best at the paper.
He ultimately came to hate me and he fired me because, well, I was bonkers. He’s dead now so it’s not like I can ever make it up to him.
But, like I said, when I listened to the two part Fly On The Wall podcast interview of Lorne Michaels I was taken aback by what an interesting guy he is. Michaels in the interview comes across as both extremely powerful and intimidating while also being reasonably approachable.
I can imagine a situation where he’s a firm but fair boss who is quick to be someone’s mentor as events warrant. He reminds me of the other successful people I’ve met in my life, like the high ups at The Richmond Times-Dispatch and the occasional New York Times reporters I’ve come in contact with now and again.
Anyway. It was a very good interview that David Spade and Dana Carvey did. You should definitely check it out.
