TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:35.169 --> 00:00:48.369
In conversation with Terry Shepard, award-winning broadcaster, narrator, and author, a deep dive into the writer's craft with the artists and support systems who create the stories we love.
00:00:48.849 --> 00:01:02.929
What happens when a brilliant psychiatrist goes from the executive suite to a prison cell, then gets one last shot at rebuilding his life in a free clinic where almost nobody wants him?
00:01:03.409 --> 00:01:10.049
That's the wonderfully complicated premise behind Boston Psychiatric, the new novel from J.
00:01:10.210 --> 00:01:11.409
Brian Turk.
00:01:11.650 --> 00:01:18.049
His protagonist was once a celebrated pharmaceutical CEO in one of psychiatry's rising stars.
00:01:18.370 --> 00:01:24.930
Then came the conviction, the prison sentence, and the spectacular collapse of everything he had built.
00:01:25.169 --> 00:01:41.649
Now on parole, Raj is assigned to a struggling Boston clinic filled with suspicious co-workers, eccentric personalities, endless paperwork, terrible coffee, and patients who couldn't care less about who he used to be.
00:01:41.969 --> 00:01:42.689
The author J.
00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:44.609
Brian Turk joins us in conversation.
00:01:44.769 --> 00:01:46.289
Brian, it's great to have you.
00:01:46.849 --> 00:01:47.730
Thank you, Terry.
00:01:47.810 --> 00:01:52.129
Again, I feel honored to be with you, and you've had so many great authors on.
00:01:52.289 --> 00:01:53.810
I feel privileged.
00:01:54.209 --> 00:01:59.170
Did you originally intend to write a novel about psychiatric care?
00:02:00.129 --> 00:02:01.569
It just happened that way.
00:02:01.649 --> 00:02:04.609
It actually was a film I did in 2009.
00:02:05.009 --> 00:02:15.490
I did an independent film, and I came across a fellow actor, Rich Gustis, who was also a stand-up comedian in Boston.
00:02:15.649 --> 00:02:16.530
He was an instructor.
00:02:16.610 --> 00:02:19.490
He's very well revered in Boston.
00:02:19.810 --> 00:02:23.730
And he had long hair and he had a dark beard.
00:02:23.889 --> 00:02:26.610
And I thought this is like a Jesus figure.
00:02:26.769 --> 00:02:28.849
And I'm thinking, oh, redemption thing.
00:02:29.009 --> 00:02:29.649
Oh, great.
00:02:30.370 --> 00:02:31.730
What would be the best place?
00:02:31.889 --> 00:02:32.769
He was a little zany.
00:02:33.090 --> 00:02:33.969
I said, but you're Dr.
00:02:34.050 --> 00:02:36.129
Murphy, head of a psychiatric clinic.
00:02:36.370 --> 00:02:37.490
That would be really cool.
00:02:37.649 --> 00:02:40.530
And all these quirky patients would come in.
00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:47.490
So another actor, Raj Jazzwell, was he was actually a doctor and intern in Boston.
00:02:47.729 --> 00:02:50.849
And he wanted to grow up and be a comedian, too.
00:02:51.569 --> 00:02:54.930
So I said, Oh, he'd be a great lead character because he's a doctor.
00:02:55.009 --> 00:02:56.210
He's got all the background.
00:02:56.370 --> 00:02:58.210
I don't have to train these guys.
00:02:58.530 --> 00:03:00.849
So it just fell together.
00:03:01.090 --> 00:03:08.530
And again, I like the redemption thing of are people better than the worst thing they've done?
00:03:08.849 --> 00:03:15.490
Because let's face this, we all have done something at some time in our life that we're not terribly proud of.
00:03:15.650 --> 00:03:19.729
And how can you redeem yourself from it if it's a big tragedy?
00:03:20.129 --> 00:03:39.889
Like his was that he was head of a psychiatrist, psychiatric, not psychiatric, but pharmaceutical company, and cross the line, as we do once in a while, not we, but some people do once in a while, and you take money that's inappropriate money to fund your research, and he got caught by the government and is sent to prison.
00:03:40.210 --> 00:03:42.530
And the thing is, should he really be there?
00:03:42.689 --> 00:03:47.250
Can he do anything else better for society than sit in a prison cell?
00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:50.050
And that's kind of how the story evolved.
00:03:51.090 --> 00:03:55.490
What made you choose a free psychiatric clinic as the setting?
00:03:56.210 --> 00:03:59.810
A free clinic would let everybody in.
00:04:00.210 --> 00:04:15.969
So actually, in our world, it's kind of not a great medical system where the people who have a lot of money are taken care of, and people at the very end, people that commit a crime or something are to are brought into the system.
00:04:16.129 --> 00:04:17.649
But the people in the middle are not.
00:04:17.810 --> 00:04:20.850
But if you have a free clinic, anybody can come to it.
00:04:21.090 --> 00:04:25.649
So it opened the world up to many different characters and personalities.
00:04:32.449 --> 00:04:35.730
His website is backbaystories.com.
00:04:36.370 --> 00:04:40.370
How do the patients contribute to Raj's transformation?
00:04:41.169 --> 00:04:48.610
He comes in initially saying this is time I have to put in, but he becomes more and more connected to them.
00:04:48.850 --> 00:04:54.689
He begins to understand that he has a lot to offer, but they also can teach him something.
00:04:54.850 --> 00:05:02.050
One of the main themes in the book is yes, and I got that from my improv comedy.
00:05:02.370 --> 00:05:07.730
I did an improv comedy in Boston at the improv asylum for a couple years.
00:05:08.050 --> 00:05:12.769
And that teaches you to say yes and and to go with the feeling and build on it.
00:05:13.009 --> 00:05:23.810
So instead of sitting down and saying, Here's your diagnosis, this is the medication, I'm kind of done with you, he gets more involved into what caused this problem.
00:05:24.290 --> 00:05:28.769
How can we work together to resolve the issue?
00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:49.410
So it's more of the patients become people to him with dreams, hopes, and fears, and he works with them to get close to let them be able to tell them what their real problem is that they're having.
00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:56.449
So he gets past, he
Load full transcript
does the medication, but gets past the meditation, medication it's on understanding the people.
00:05:56.689 --> 00:05:59.009
Then he begins to understand himself more.
00:06:06.209 --> 00:06:10.769
And sometimes just keeping a patient upright for five minutes is a win.
00:06:12.610 --> 00:06:17.089
Your life could be a fascinating memoir in itself.
00:06:17.250 --> 00:06:23.810
How did your winding road take you from an Air Force intelligence officer to an author?
00:06:24.689 --> 00:06:28.370
Going back many years, my father was a commercial writer.
00:06:28.610 --> 00:06:36.529
At times he laid claim to the fingers, do the walking through the all pages, Keebler Cook Cookies, the Elves.
00:06:37.009 --> 00:06:48.050
He started with the Greyhound in Chicago, where I was born, and with a customer that was Greyhound at the time.
00:06:48.209 --> 00:06:56.689
And Angie Dickinson, for us to remember her from Police Story and that, was the actress who was in the commercial that he did.
00:06:56.930 --> 00:06:58.209
So I grew up with that.
00:06:58.290 --> 00:07:04.529
He also had a show on location for about 15 years in Cleveland, a human interest story.
00:07:04.610 --> 00:07:10.129
So I would go with him as a young boy to interview different notables in Cleveland.
00:07:10.449 --> 00:07:19.810
And one of his big stories at the time was he went up with the man who painted the flagpole at the Terminal Tower.
00:07:20.290 --> 00:07:24.209
And he's in the old days, he's holding the microphone as he's climbing up.
00:07:24.449 --> 00:07:26.610
So it was a lot of human interest stories.
00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:37.969
And the one of his early ones was a police story about the first real motorcycle cops in Cleveland in their fancy uniforms and that.
00:07:51.730 --> 00:07:56.529
And then the last thing I'll say about that is I can't fall asleep at night unless there's a typewriter going.
00:07:56.930 --> 00:07:59.569
So I grew up.
00:07:59.810 --> 00:08:01.649
One more quick story, because this is funny.
00:08:02.290 --> 00:08:05.649
Fourth grade, I come out, and there's four children.
00:08:06.050 --> 00:08:12.449
Mom's getting us ready for a school at a Carnett Ward Academy, and there's this guy sleeping on the couch.
00:08:12.850 --> 00:08:18.850
And there's an older guy, and my father was in his office typing as usual.
00:08:18.930 --> 00:08:20.529
And I go, Mom, who's that?
00:08:20.689 --> 00:08:21.730
I said, Oh, don't worry about it.
00:08:21.889 --> 00:08:23.250
It's Governor Rhodes.
00:08:25.410 --> 00:08:31.329
He was a noted governor in Ohio, also known as a favorite son of the Republican Party.
00:08:31.569 --> 00:08:33.730
But my father was doing a speech for him.
00:08:34.049 --> 00:08:37.970
So I grew up in an uncommon environment, let's say.
00:08:39.809 --> 00:08:42.850
What was the attraction of improv comedy?
00:08:44.049 --> 00:08:48.450
Actually, I went on a cruise and there was an improv group there.
00:08:49.170 --> 00:08:53.490
And
I said to myself, like we all do, Terry, I can do this.
00:08:53.569 --> 00:08:56.610
And they had a workshop later that day.
00:08:56.690 --> 00:08:57.809
So I joined it.
00:08:58.049 --> 00:09:03.410
And uh a woman giving it after we did it, we all took part, said, You're very good.
00:09:03.649 --> 00:09:05.089
And I go, I know.
00:09:06.610 --> 00:09:08.049
I said, Well, that's a shock.
00:09:08.289 --> 00:09:16.210
So I found out there was improv asylum like Second City, if you're familiar with Second City in Chicago and Boston.
00:09:16.369 --> 00:09:17.730
I said, I can go there.
00:09:17.970 --> 00:09:19.890
I'm a little older, but what the heck?
00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:21.650
So I really enjoyed doing that.
00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:23.170
You learn a great deal.
00:09:23.410 --> 00:09:29.009
You learn to work in a group, to take something and build on it to make a story.
00:09:29.329 --> 00:09:31.650
So I was naturally had that.
00:09:31.970 --> 00:09:34.289
And that's really how I got into that.
00:09:34.930 --> 00:09:35.089
J.
00:09:35.250 --> 00:09:36.769
Brian Turk is our special guest.
00:09:36.849 --> 00:09:42.369
We're talking about his book, Boston Psychiatric, BackbayStories.com, is the website.
00:09:42.609 --> 00:09:48.210
Why is humor important in a story dealing with guilt, suffering, and redemption?
00:09:49.410 --> 00:09:56.210
I think it's extremely important because we have humor in our lives all the time, which balances us.
00:09:56.369 --> 00:10:05.650
It gets extremely depressing if you I didn't want to do a mental health specific story as they've been done in the past, and frankly, they're depressing.
00:10:05.890 --> 00:10:17.009
But if you look at the humor in the situation, that's something you I'm sure you noticed when I wrote the story, is that there's the patients are treated respect and with dignity.
00:10:17.250 --> 00:10:21.410
The humor comes from the situation, things that happen.
00:10:21.730 --> 00:10:24.690
And that's really what the humor is in the book.
00:10:26.529 --> 00:10:29.170
Your resume is varied.
00:10:29.410 --> 00:10:38.289
Air Force officer, military intelligence, security consultant, filmmaker, actor, comedian, and now novelist.
00:10:38.450 --> 00:10:42.369
Which of those experiences influenced your storytelling the most?
00:10:43.970 --> 00:10:45.490
Oh, I think they all did.
00:10:45.650 --> 00:10:53.890
I believe for a writer, you need a vast amount of experience to capture, again, to create I like to create worlds.
00:10:54.049 --> 00:10:57.410
To create the world, you have to experience life.
00:10:57.569 --> 00:10:59.890
You have to uh be around many characters.
00:10:59.970 --> 00:11:05.650
And I'll tell you, there's not you not the military is no less unique than the real world.
00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:15.089
So you see that side, comedy side, I see entertainment side, the real life side, life growing up from a young boy through college.
00:11:15.329 --> 00:11:22.369
And I'll tell you, college was crazy, but you find all these unique and you experience them, plus you feel them.
00:11:22.529 --> 00:11:25.569
You have to feel the emotions, I believe, for the story, too.
00:11:25.809 --> 00:11:29.009
How did you feel when you when this happened to you?
00:11:29.170 --> 00:11:31.490
How did you feel at your lowest point?
00:11:32.049 --> 00:11:35.089
So that all contributes to it.
00:11:35.970 --> 00:11:37.809
You've also worked in film.
00:11:38.049 --> 00:11:44.849
When you write a novel, do you tend to see scenes visually almost as though you're directing them?
00:11:45.569 --> 00:11:57.009
Yes, and that was a criticism of my publicist, to be frank, was you're writing the first draft was more like a like the movie was.
00:11:57.410 --> 00:12:04.130
You need to expand the story, you need to tell, you need to uh show and not tell.
00:12:04.529 --> 00:12:18.690
So, yes, I wrote as as a director, as a as a writer, as a uh improv, stand-up comedian, and you need to you need to bring it all hearts, not just that one facet of it.
00:12:18.849 --> 00:12:22.450
So it was an experience, it was a learning experience doing a novel.
00:12:22.769 --> 00:12:28.849
And the other thing I tell people is take criticism and work with the best people you can.
00:12:29.329 --> 00:12:41.009
You may love your story, but if it doesn't communicate what you want to, and create an environment that the reader wants to come with you in the story, you're not you're wasting your time.
00:12:41.410 --> 00:12:55.170
So be open, and that's my greatest strength, and I think that's really from improv, yes, and is this is what I did, this is what I'm giving you to build on it, and I'm open to what you tell me.
00:12:55.490 --> 00:12:58.769
And that's what I did in the filming of the movie.
00:12:58.930 --> 00:13:04.210
I had a lot of cast members say, Hey Brian, what if we do it this way?
00:13:04.690 --> 00:13:09.490
And I said, I'm open to it, I'll do two different scenes, we'll see what works better.
00:13:09.890 --> 00:13:11.410
So I think that's very bad.
00:13:11.569 --> 00:13:18.130
You got to take criticism not to heart, just take criticism as people want to help you.
00:13:18.289 --> 00:13:26.289
It's an ensemble cast when you when I did the film, and I wanted everybody to be part of it, so that's where I come from.
00:13:26.369 --> 00:13:30.130
So I listen to screen, you know, that doesn't mean you gotta take it all, Terry.
00:13:30.210 --> 00:13:32.210
We know there's bad criticism.
00:13:32.930 --> 00:13:35.730
Oh, it's good, you can feel it in your heart.
00:13:36.130 --> 00:13:38.289
Our special guest is Jay Brian Turk.
00:13:38.369 --> 00:13:43.089
His book is Boston Psychiatric BackbayStories.com is the website.
00:13:43.250 --> 00:13:46.210
What do you think separates forgiveness from redemption?
00:13:47.650 --> 00:13:48.450
Forgiveness?
00:13:48.609 --> 00:13:49.410
That's a great question.
00:13:49.650 --> 00:13:52.210
Separates forgiveness
from redemption.
00:13:53.569 --> 00:14:00.289
Forgiveness can be given it can be tough, but it can be given.
00:14:00.769 --> 00:14:04.210
Redemption, you gotta do a lot of work at it.
00:14:04.529 --> 00:14:07.250
You've done something, it's like breaking a window.
00:14:07.569 --> 00:14:17.089
If you throw a baseball and you accidentally throw it through your neighbor's window, you can go over and say you're sorry and they can forgive you, but you gotta pay for the window.
00:14:17.250 --> 00:14:19.650
Or you gotta make, if you know what the money you gotta make it up.
00:14:19.809 --> 00:14:25.730
I'll rake your la yard for a month or whatever, but you get you gotta redeem yourself.
00:14:26.289 --> 00:14:29.250
Which character was the most fun for you to write?
00:14:32.849 --> 00:14:33.089
Dr.
00:14:33.329 --> 00:15:03.089
Hodgkins, who was the quirky psychiatrist who was obsessively compulsive about forms and not really that interested in healing patients, but he was the administrator of the administration, and it's an offshoot of the movie where a good friend of mine, Steve Deval, played Steve Hodgkins, and he did it so I wanted to capture it and expand his personality in the book.
00:15:03.410 --> 00:15:05.170
I really liked that, it was fun.
00:15:05.490 --> 00:15:06.769
You also write that Dr.
00:15:06.849 --> 00:15:13.809
Weston Mysteries, what does Boston Psychiatric allow you to do as a writer that the mystery format doesn't?
00:15:15.410 --> 00:15:15.809
Dr.
00:15:16.049 --> 00:15:18.450
Weston is actually an offshoot of Dr.
00:15:18.690 --> 00:15:25.089
of Boston Psychiatric, where I have a patient of Belize Sherlock Holmes in modern-day Boston.
00:15:25.490 --> 00:15:33.410
But I didn't want to make a close relationship to it, so I broke it off, it made it into a book of 19 mysteries.
00:15:33.569 --> 00:15:43.730
I think mystery you're more centered in a type of way the reader expects the characters to move in.
00:15:43.890 --> 00:15:47.250
You're in the mystery form, you're in the police procedure.
00:15:47.490 --> 00:15:49.089
Not that it's all police.
00:15:49.329 --> 00:15:57.410
Mine is uniquely because it talks, it really goes into psychological aspects of the main character and Dr.
00:15:57.569 --> 00:15:58.849
Weston Mysteries.
00:15:59.009 --> 00:16:01.650
The Austin Psychiatric lets you go anywhere.
00:16:01.730 --> 00:16:03.809
It's just the world is more open.
00:16:05.809 --> 00:16:10.049
What do you hope people will take away from their encounter with Boston Psychiatric?
00:16:10.609 --> 00:16:16.130
I really hope they take away that we are more than our the worst thing we've done.
00:16:16.369 --> 00:16:18.529
And there is redemption for us.
00:16:18.849 --> 00:16:20.369
Boston Psychiatric is the book.
00:16:20.529 --> 00:16:25.329
Backbaystories.com is the website, and our special guest has been J.
00:16:25.490 --> 00:16:26.289
Brian Turk.
00:16:26.529 --> 00:16:27.650
Brian, this is fantastic.
00:16:27.730 --> 00:16:28.769
Thanks so much.
00:16:29.170 --> 00:16:30.049
Thank you, Terry.
00:16:30.130 --> 00:16:31.089
I really enjoyed it.
00:16:31.250 --> 00:16:34.369
I'd like to do it in the future with you with my next novel.
00:16:34.930 --> 00:16:39.170
In Conversation with Terry Shepard is a copyrighted presentation.
00:16:39.410 --> 00:16:40.849
All rights returned.
00:16:41.009 --> 00:16:42.210
I'm Lisa Davis.
00:16:42.529 --> 00:16:45.650
Join Terry Shepard next time in conversation.