Michael Bennett: DON QUIXOTE to TikTok and the Evolution of Satire

Lawyer by training and a writer by compulsion Michael Bennett joins us for episode thirteen of Unedited: From Idea to Manuscript and Shelf to Screen. We discuss where funny comes from, what it means to be funny to different people, the evolution of satire from Don Quixote to the present, and whether, in a realm of seven-second Instagram reels, political satire still has a meaningful place in longform literature. As a father of two, former investment banker, and flight-hopping operator in international economic development, Michael gives us his thoughts on how to maximize creativity in small blocks of time. We also talk books, both expected and unexpected—from Hardy Boys to Planet of the Apes.Michael Bennett is a lawyer by training and a writer by compulsion. After growing up in California, he graduated from Wesleyan University and Columbia Law School. Michael has lived and worked in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris and Washington, D.C. He has published articles in numerous legal and financial journals around the world and is a dedicated supporter of the Yakult Swallows baseball club. He is the author of the political satire Young Donald.