82: Michael Gibson

My guest this week is Michael Gibson who lives in Athens, Georgia, and works as a Senior Editor at Lexington Books. He has written on Paul Schrader and Stanley Kubrick and we learn why film has been a significant part of Michael’s journey and why he is influenced by Schrader’s work on abundant vs. sparse cinema. We talk about Schrader’s contribution to film scholarship, and we learn why Schrader’s Affliction is very John Ford-ish. Two of Michael’s earliest memories are to do with film, including going to see The Empire Strikes Back and seeing the trailer on TV for The Shining. We learn how the Criterion Channel has kept him sane during lockdown and that Michael has been watching old Japanese films. Michael was a music buff as a child, and he explains why music is a soundtrack to his life and how our musical interests diverge from that of our parents. We learn about Michael’s career journey and how he wound up in publishing and how it keeps him in touch with his research interests, and the interdisciplinary scope that he is afforded. Michael talks about his time spent at Oxford and the different ways that geopolitics was covered in the UK and US, and he talks about it being a life-changing experience. Then, at the end of the interview, we discover why Michael’s memories are predominantly positive, we discuss the ‘new normal’ created by lockdown and we find out why he is both a looking back and a looking forward person. Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Michael Gibson and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.