Episode 8: Tony DuShane

Drinks With Tony podcast host Tony DuShane and I talk about his novel ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’ and what it was like for him growing up a Jehovah’s Witness.

Episode 8 Promo

Tony DuShane

Tony DuShane at Cafe La Boheme in San Francisco, where he wrote parts of ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’. Photo credit: Jana Ašenbrennerová/’The Chronicle’.

Tony is the author and award-winning screenwriter of the film adaptation of his novel, ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’, directed by Eric Stoltz, and streaming on Amazon Prime. His journalism and essays have appeared in ‘The Los Angeles Times’, ‘Mother Jones’, ‘Penthouse’, ‘The Rumpus’, ‘The Believer’, and other media outlets. He teaches screenwriting at UCLA Extension, and he was a music columnist and covered books and authors for the ‘San Francisco Chronicle’ until 2015. 

He's hosted Drinks with Tony since 2002, a chat show with authors, musicians, and filmmakers. Tony’s hard at work on his next novel, ‘Dream Casting’. He lives in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. 

About This Episode

EPISODE TOPICS:

Drinks With Tony podcast host Tony DuShane and I talk about his novel ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’, what it was like for him growing up a Jehovah’s Witness, his worst experience going door to door as a Jehovah’s Witness, how/why Tony left the religion, how music and literature saved his life and the role both play in his novel, Tony’s experience working on the film adaptation (directed by Eric Stoltz). Because Tony has written so much about music as a journalist, he is his own music guru in this episode. We talk about some of the most well-known Jehovah’s Witness musicians (think Michael Jackson and Prince).

MUSIC AND MEDIA IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

1. Billy Childish with his wife, live at Sala Rossa (Montreal) in 2005

2. “Blackstar” by David Bowie      

3. “The Heart Part 5” by Kendrick Lamar

4. “Loverman” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

5. “Bad” by Michael Jackson

6. Clip from ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’ movie adaptation—Gabe gets disfellowshipped

7. Clip from ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’ movie adaptation—Bill confesses to masturbating

8. “Into My Arms” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

9. “Damaged I” by Black Flag

10. “Give Me The Night” by George Benson

11. “Erotic City” by Prince

12. “Thriller” by Michael Jackson

13. Clip of Eric Stoltz interview about making the movie

14. “1999” by Prince

LINKS:

Drinks With Tony podcast, drinkswithtony.com

Episode of Drinks With Tony featuring Christy Alexander Hallberg

Tony on Twitter, @tonydushane

Tony on Instagram, @tonydushane

Tony DuShane with Eric Stoltz

Wyatt, the Rock is Lit mascot