Former TV producer and writer Matt Williams is best known for his work on ‘Roseanne’ and ‘Home Improvement.’ On Saturday he’s returning to his alma mater, the University of Evansville, to support the theatre department for a fundraiser by reading excerpts from his new book. WNIN’s Tim Jagielo spoke with Williams about his book about finding beauty in the world, his Midwest upbringing and the needs of the U of E Theatre Department.
Tim Jagielo
We will get into what you're doing at U of E and everything but I gotta ask — because people know you — they just may not know your name. So what people might have seen that you've done?
Matt Williams
Well, I started on ‘The Cosby Show’ as a writer, producer. I created the television show ‘Roseanne.’ And then I co-created and executive produced ‘Home Improvement.’ Those are kind of the high points in TV. I produced ‘What Women Want.’ I directed ‘Where the Heart Is’ and produced that film with Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman and produced about or wrote about 9 to 10 other films.
TJ
You'll be at U of E to read excerpts from your book, ‘Glimpses.’ That's a shortened version of it. Can you tell me about this book and why you're reading it at the University of Evansville?
MW
The title is ‘Glimpses — A Comedy Writer’s Take on Life, Love and All That Spiritual Stuff.’ It's a collection of personal essays and what I'm calling ‘spiritual musings.’ The intent behind the book is to make people laugh, first and foremost; there's a lot of humor, but it's also to encourage kindness. And I really want to celebrate compassion. I want people to remember there’s still good in the world. So the message is uplifting — not saccharine. Funny. That's my whole goal.
And I'm reading these excerpts at the University of Evansville, because it's a fundraiser for the John David Lutz Theatre Lab. John David Lutz, professor at the University for many years, and he was a major influence in my life. He was the teacher who came in, encouraged me, challenged me and inspired me to pursue a life in the entertainment industry.
TJ
Did you want to share any excerpts of it?
MW
I pulled one paragraph. It's short from one of the essays. It's self contained. I think it'll make sense:
It was early morning, and there had been a light sprinkle of rain, but the sun had come out. Fred and I were walking down the sidewalk in Santa Monica. He was 3, 3 and a half, maybe 4 years old. And on the street near the curb, was a puddle of oil. A car engine had leaked, and left an oil slick. My cell phone rang. I answered it, and as I talked, Fred went to the curb, ran his hands through the sticky oil and smeared it all over his body, his face and hair all over his clothes up and down his arms. I yelled ‘Fred. What the hell are you doing?’ He looked up and grinned and said, ‘I'm painting myself with rainbows.’ And he pointed at the dark smudge when the sunlight hit the puddle of oil just right. Shimmering rainbows rippled off the stain. I saw oil. My son saw rainbows.
TJ
That was great. Why is it important to flip that perspective like that, in this day and age?
MW
Well, I think we've lived through so much divisiveness that snarkiness the horrible vitriolic, vitriolic nature of politics now. And everyone trying to shame and condescend and tear at each other. And I thought, ‘we've had enough of that,’ let's put a positive message out there. Let's change our mindset. I mean, we're in this together, we've got to work together, you know, in order to survive. And so I really do want to encourage kindness and compassion, and the title ‘Glimpses,’ throughout the book.
It's about finding little glimpses of God. And by 'God,' I'm not talking about the angry old man sitting on a cloud with a thunderbolt. I'm talking about the spirit of love, moments of grace and kindness. And if we take the time to look around, we can usually find those little glimmering moments of grace. And so that's what I'm really trying to celebrate in the book it is a memoir, but it's an unusual memoir in that it is this collection of essays and musings laced together.
TJ
I wanted to ask you about your writing in the '90s versus the 2000s. And talking about how you've had enough snark — the '90s were pretty snarky. Is there anything you want to say about writing in the modern era versus the '90s?
MW
Well, to me, it's about getting back to heart, humor and humanity. I want to tell stories, to remind the reader that we are all connected. We have a shared humanity. We are in this together. And even though we may disagree politically, or live in different parts of the country, we are still connected by spirit, we are united by spirit. So let's, let's celebrate that. And by spirit, I'm not talking religious dogma. I'm talking about our shared humanity, our shared ethos. I mean, it's pretty easy. ‘Just be nice, play nice, share, be kind, be gentle.’
And that's the encouragement that I'm trying to put out into the world as opposed to ‘let's stand back and rip and tear and criticize.’ We've had enough of that. That's, that's done. That's old news. Let's move on.
TJ
And is there anything else that you want to point out about writing for today, versus writing for an '90s audience?
MW
A shorter attention span. The reality is, we live in the soundbite age. And even in constructing this book, I was cognizant of that, because I kept bite-size chapters in place, you know, I think we tend to think and process the world in shorter and shorter sound bites. Now, sometimes if your story is compelling enough, and you hook the reader, you can carry them along for a while. But really get to your point, say it as clearly and quickly as possible and leave. That's how that's the difference that I've seen in the last 20 years or so.
TJ
And regarding producing, executive producing, writing for TVs and movies, how is that workflow different or similar to writing ‘Glimpses?'
MW
Well, the big lesson for me — in television, you're constantly meeting a deadline, you have to get the script written, you have to be in editing, you have to be at the rehearsal, you have to be shooting, you're constantly delivering, there's always a deadline. Hurry, hurry, hurry. And when I stopped and closed my production company and moved back to upstate New York, to write books, I was writing, as if I was still writing for television.
I went, ‘Whoa, wait, slow down.’ This doesn't have to be down in the studio for them to rehearse tomorrow morning. I can take my time. I still give myself a deadline. But the ‘tyranny of the now’ has gone away. And it has allowed me to think longer and deeper and really spend some time with each story as opposed to ‘get it finished, because Friday we're taping it.’
TJ
And how is your Midwest upbringing kind of colored your career?
MW
Oh, it's influenced it on every level. One, beginning with a work ethic. You show up, you do the work. I mean, I learned that working construction during summers. I learned it at the University of Evansville building sets and transporting sets and rehearsing, and you have to show up, you have to be on time. So the work ethic, and also it sounds like a cliché, but there is a certain ‘niceness,’ if you will, I'm putting that in big quotes about the Midwest. People really are nicer, they look you in the eye, and there's a degree of humanity that you have to work a little harder for in the bigger cities, and coming from Evansville, the Midwest.
TJ
And if I could bring it back to the theater lab, what is that? What is it going to be? What do they need? And why is it important to support it?
MW
Well, this is an intimate theater. It's around 89 seats, and it will have the highest end technology lighting sound for the students to work with and learn by doing. It is, an as I said, an intimate setting for things such as this reading or play readings or one person shows and it'll serve as a classroom. And it is advanced in its technology so that the students there can stay ahead of the curve, so when they graduate and go out into the real world, they know that the computers and the lighting boards and the sound boards, they're familiar with that, and they will be prepared to function out in the, quote, ‘real world.’
The reason I'm doing this reading is to raise money to complete the equipping and the renovation of that space. And so we will be raising money that night, and there will be some naming opportunities, by donations for chairs and things like that. So my hope is we do raise a lot of money to celebrate John David Lutz and complete this theater.
TJ
Do you know what kind of money gap there might be or if there is one?
MW
We're looking to raise about 300,000 to $350,000 if possible. We may not do that in one fell swoop. But we're certainly going to make a big push and get as many people as we can to contribute to this worthy cause.
TJ
If something was gonna draw you back to TV, what might that be? If such a thing exists …
MW
Oh, my gosh, I don't know, I've gotten spoiled and not sitting and writing and being your own boss, and not getting notes from the studio on the network. And I don't know, it would have to be something very, very special to drag me back into television, because I'm really enjoying this solitary confinement in my library where I can sit and daydream and put those dreams on paper. That's been thrilling.
TJ
How many excerpts are gonna be able to read just a little bit of framework of your —
MW
— What I will do is, there will be a brief introduction, I will read for about an hour, between 50 minutes and 60 minutes, and then open it up to question and answers for about 20 minutes. So the whole evening will be around 90 minutes. And then there's a reception that follows that.
TJ
Well, thank you so much — and I'll just say — I'm sure you've heard this a million times. I grew up on your shows. I know you hear this all the time. But it is fun to talk to you. And I appreciate when people can kind of evolve and step out of the frenzy that exists with other careers.
MW
Yes, yes, I understand what you're saying. And look, I'm in the last third of my life. And I said, ‘What do I want to do with that last third?’ I thought about it and prayed about it. And I said, ‘I want to be in service to others.’ And I thought, well, ‘how do I do that?’ I'm not an engineer. I can't dig wells in the Sudan. I don't speak foreign languages — I can't go to a foreign country and teach. The only gift I have is storytelling.
So all the stories in this book, and all the sales from this book, I should say, the profits will go to charities that support children in need around the globe. Every penny I make off this book will be donated to charities that help children. That's my passion. And that is my service. And that is one of the main reasons for writing this book, besides getting the stories out of my head and heart is this is my way of giving back.