Summary
Overview
This episode explores how books have transformed people's lives in profound and unexpected ways. From a playwright who found her calling through her grandfather's annotated copy of Moss Hart's autobiography, to a construction worker who built the largest Lewis and Clark book collection in America, to a writer who moved to the prairie inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories, these tales reveal the deep connections readers form with books—not just as texts, but as catalysts for life-changing decisions and lifelong passions.
Following Moss Hart: From Grandfather's Margins to Broadway
Alexa Young discovered her grandfather's annotated copy of Moss Hart's autobiography 'Act I' at age seven. The book became more than a memoir—it became a blueprint for her life. She followed Hart's path from the margins of a dead man's book to the stages of New York, eventually becoming a successful playwright and television writer herself. Her obsession with Hart grew from mentorship to imagined romance, culminating in an awkward encounter with Hart's widow, Kitty Carlisle.
- Alexa discovered her playwright grandfather's books at age seven, drawn to his critical margin notes
- She wrote her first play at age 11 using archaic 1930s rules from her grandfather's books
- Moss Hart's autobiography 'Act I' became her most cherished book, which she tried to memorize entirely
- She moved to New York and pursued playwriting, consciously and unconsciously following Hart's path
- She wrote letters to strangers asking for funding, just like Hart did, and it worked once
- Her obsession turned romantic—she imagined Hart as her destined husband
- Meeting Kitty Carlisle at college ended badly when Carlisle seemed disturbed by Alexa's possessive attachment
- Alexa became a successful TV writer for shows like Friends, The West Wing, and Big Love
" I knew what was going on in this book was fun. It drove him so powerfully, and it seemed to make him so happy. "
" It felt like I was recognizing an old friend. And it felt like a familiarity of, oh, I found a home. This guy likes the same home I want. "
" She just looked at me, and she was so elegant and so classy, and she just said, I don't understand, darling. Did you know him? "
A Letter from a Dying Grandfather
Alexa Young shares a letter her playwright grandfather wrote to his students in 1969 while seriously ill. The letter exemplifies the warmth and eloquence that made both her grandfather and Moss Hart beloved figures. It demonstrates the qualities Alexa saw in both men—honesty, humor in the face of hardship, and deep affection for their communities.
- The grandfather's 1969 letter to students is 'one of the most beautifully written things' the host has read
- He puts clinical details in parentheses, allowing readers to skip them if they prefer
- The letter closes: 'I don't at all approve of my own extinction. I don't like the idea of it one bit'
- Final words: 'You've had my love, and I've had yours, and I'm a damn fortunate man'
" I don't at all approve of my own extinction. I don't like the idea of it one bit. Though reason assures me that the world can get along very nicely without me, I can't quite believe that it will. "
" You've had my love, and I've had yours, and I'm a damn fortunate man. So thanks and good luck. "
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