Michael T. Starks

Category: Storytelling

  • Doing vs. Being

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    When it comes to doing vs. being, I’m more of a Doing kind of a guy. I believe that just about every human is worth loving just for Being alive. Still, I admire the people in this world who manage to DO significant things. Raising kids is significant. Teaching and leading can be significant. Playing…

  • Birth of Ideas

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    I love the feeling when a new idea emerges from my tired, old mind. Call it inspiration. Call it an “ah-ha” moment. It’s not everyday that we come up with something new. That is, something new to us. It’s entirely possible that others have had very similar thoughts before. Today, while taking a walk, I…

  • Trickle-Down Nastiness

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    While we’ve learned that trickle-down economics doesn’t work, it seems that trickle-down nastiness does. When the President of the United States treats others poorly, many people in our society seem to think that makes it okay. We often look to our leaders to demonstrate the best qualities of human nature. Not all leaders live up…

  • Energy vs. Wisdom

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    Older people have experience. They may even have a bit of wisdom. Younger people have energy. They may be able to punch through walls that appear to be unbreakable. Some things are best handled by younger people, and some things are best handled by older people. Our world needs both energy and wisdom. Of course,…

  • Hypocrisy

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    What a fun word! According to Oxford Languages, hypocrisy is defined as “the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.” We see it everywhere. An organization may “claim” that they value respect. It’s hard to believe this claim when the organization’s leaders consistently treat…

  • Telluride Again!

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    I’m back home after another amazing experience at the Telluride Film Festival. One of the things I love about the festival is that I feel at home there. It’s a beautiful location, the people tend to be friendly, the movies are always impressive (in one or more ways), the Noon seminars and Conversations are engaging,…

  • Blue Moon

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    Blue Moon, directed by Richard Linklater, is one of the best movies shown at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival. It tells the story of Lorenz Hart after the opening of the musical “Oklahoma!”. We see his love of the craft of writing, his struggles with alcoholism, and his thwarted drive to reach higher levels of…

  • Who Needs Sleep?

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    For the past two nights, I’ve been lucky to get about four hours of sleep each night. Usually, I need at least six hours to feel energetic during the day. I suppose my lack of sleep is due to excitement. I’m not having trouble falling asleep. It’s just that I wake up around 2 AM…

  • Telluride Film Festival

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    I’m excited to be returning to the Telluride Film Festival this year. I’ve had so many great experiences there that are worth remembering. “No matter what kind of year I have had, if I come to Telluride, it’s been a good year.” — Werner Herzog Here are some of the people I’ve met, listened to,…

  • The Purpose of Writing

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    Many people write to influence others. While all writing may be at least somewhat influential, that’s not my primary goal. Most often, I write to understand myself. Writing is a form of thinking. If we’re not able to clearly communicate our ideas to others, it’s unlikely that we clearly understand them ourselves. The act of…