DM: What's interesting is that being on the Lampoon [a semi-secret Sorrento Square social organization that used to be occassionally publish a so-called humor magazine], all the seniors go to L.A. or New York and go get writing jobs. And when you're surrounded by that, it's a different atmosphere. You think, "Oh, these guys do survive. They're still living, even though they're not I-banking."

JA: I've never lived by myself and had to deal with things like health insurance. My mother said, "How are you getting health insurace if you go into the arts?" And I said "I'll get it, I'll get it, I'll get it." And she finally laid off. So I went upstairs to my room and called my sister and asked "What's health insurance?" I mean, I thought it was the one that when you die the money gets left behind you. So I was like, "I don't need that shit!"

DM: Life insurance!

JA: I don't know the first thing about surviving. Paying rent. Which is my own stupid fault. I have trouble tying my shoes some days, too. But it is definetly a concern. You see people go off and live very comfortably for the rest of their lives. And though it's boring, you respect that.

JG: I was in San Fransisco this summer, and was connected with a lot with people who were in the film scene there, people who went to theater, plays, were happily involved in the local music scene...But there was also a huge group of Harvard and Ivy people, either graduates or summer joblings, who were miserable. I think that's my point: happy vs. miserable.

DM: What were they doing?

JG: Consulting, I-banking, start-ups, 120 hours a week, until 3a.m. on Friday nights...blah, blah blah.