David Duchovny, ABOUT TIME: Poems

Summary

Totally Booked with Zibby — David Duchovny, ABOUT TIME: Poems

Aired: September 3, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this intimate conversation, Zibby Owens welcomes back David Duchovny, best known as an acclaimed actor and author, now discussing his poetry collection, About Time. The episode centers on poetry’s elusive "usefulness," the personal and universal nature of grief, and why creating and sharing poetry still matters. Duchovny reads and reflects on several poems, digging into themes of loss, memory, and the puzzle-like craft of writing verse.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The “Use” and Uselessness of Poetry

[05:05] – [08:50]

• Duchovny describes poetry as “pretty useless”—something with no clear agenda or motive.

  “It’s really just a form of expression that’s kind of antiquated. Nobody reads it anymore. A great poet once said the best thing about poetry is you can’t get rich doing it. So… there’s no motive.” (Duchovny, 05:15)

• He expresses appreciation for poetry’s lack of overt political or practical agenda, seeing this “uselessness” as liberating and essential.
• Zibby challenges this idea, suggesting poetry’s power lies in its emotional resonance and connection.

  “The usefulness is in touching our emotions, not anything else. But isn’t that the most useful thing you could provide?” (Zibby, 08:36)

The Personal Experience of Writing Poetry

[06:42] – [07:51]

• Writing poetry is described as “a puzzle”—starting with an image or thought and unpacking it in search of meaning.

• Duchovny enjoys the element of surprise in writing poems, often discovering truths he didn’t expect as he writes.

  “A lot of poems are about the inability of me to say it, to get at it. So as I take different stabs at it throughout the poem, I’m surprised.” (Duchovny, 07:21)

Why Publish Poetry at All?

[07:51] – [08:36]

• Duchovny likens poetry to beautiful, “useless” things like roses:

  “Roses have no use. People love them… most of the things in our lives that really feed us are not useful. They’re beautiful.” (Duchovny, 07:58)

Poetry and Grief: Reading from “Dead Seven”

[10:04] – [12:06]

• Zibby reads “Dead Seven,” a deeply personal poem about Duchovny’s father, leading to a discussion about mourning and the attempt to reconnect with lost loved ones through art.

• Duchovny reflects on the origin—an anniversary of his father’s death—and the shifting perceptions of youth, mentorship, and missed connections in their relationship.

  “It moves me as I speak. So I’m sure it moved me back then to kind of pursue it further… me trying to forge or renew a relationship with him now that he’s gone.” (Duchovny, 13:12)

On Memory and the Afterlife

[14:39] – [15:50]

• Duchovny doesn’t believe in literal life after death, but sees memory as a form of ongoing existence:

  “As long as we continue to speak... then he has a certain kind of life, you know?... I want it to be this. I’m trying again, imprecisely, using these words that I’m given to try and talk about a state of being that doesn’t really exist.” (Duchovny, 14:39)

The Father/Son Relationship

[15:50] – [17:27]

• Duchovny describes an attenuated relationship with his father after his parents’ divorce. He emphasizes that these relationships persist beyond death or separation:

  “A father and a son always have a relationship. A mother and a daughter… those relationships never end.” (Duchovny, 16:45)

The Real Role of Poetry

[17:48] – [19:52]

• Zibby asserts that poetry creates space for the most vital conversations and self-exploration, proving its value.

• Duchovny admits his introduction is partly a defensive preemption of criticism about releasing poetry as a celebrity, but stands by the spiritual and existential utility of poems, likening them to religious texts.

  “Poems help me live… they’re like religious texts. I also like certain religious texts, and they are very poetic to me.” (Duchovny, 19:34)

Poetry’s Place in Modern Life

[23:44] – [25:05]

• Zibby argues that, in an age of diminishing attention spans, poetry should be thriving due to its brevity.
• Duchovny counters that short doesn’t necessarily mean simple—good poems demand rereading and contemplation:

  “They’re hard because… the most profound truths [are]... too simple and profound to say clearly.” (Duchovny, 24:06)

On Grief, Love, and Dogs: Reading from “Another Brick”

[25:11] – [27:01]

• Zibby reads the poem “Another Brick”, about the death of Duchovny’s dog—a meditation on loss, memory, and the quiet impact of animals.

  “I put my dog down this morning and cried some morning. The loss of his mute, expressive soul… The world moves on in its blithe way and doesn’t care about a little dog. It’s already as if he never existed. But he did. He sure did.” (Zibby reading Duchovny, 25:14)

• Duchovny explains how certain lines capture the essence of both humanity and animal companionship:

  “When I came upon that phrase, ‘mute expressive soul,’ I thought, yeah, I kind of nailed what a dog is.” (Duchovny, 25:46)

The Last Poem He Wrote

[28:45] – [29:43]

• Duchovny shares the most recent poem he wrote, not published in the book, excerpted live:

  “Memory is the language of the dead. I feel my fluency growing even as brute remembrance fades…” (Duchovny, 29:11)

Poetry’s Ambiguity and Paradox

[30:13] – [30:54]

• Duchovny discusses the final poem in the book, referencing the phrase "one door closes and you cross out closes and write opens":

  “It’s never stopping… opening and closing at the same time. What do you mean? And I just say yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” (Duchovny, 30:24)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• David Duchovny on poetry’s agenda:

  “You can’t really get into specifics in poetry that way. So there’s a certain kind of lack of agenda that I like about it…” (05:40)

• On grief and art’s purpose:

  “The world doesn’t care about a little dog. It’s already as if he never existed. But he did. He sure did.” (Zibby reading Duchovny, 25:38)

• Zibby’s argument for poetry’s value:

  “The usefulness is in touching our emotions, not anything else… Isn’t that the most useful thing?” (08:36)

• On the persistence of relationships:

  “You could try to end this relationship through divorce or through death or whatever, but a father and a son are always have a relationship.” (Duchovny, 16:33)

• On poetry’s paradoxical knowledge:

  “That’s the kind of knowledge I think that poetry can give us. It never… it’s opening and closing at the same time. What do you mean? And I just say yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” (Duchovny, 30:22)

• On reading and empathy:

  “There’s a fundamental empathy you get from reading that you can’t get through watching things or hearing things or whatever.” (Zibby, 33:01)

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Important Timestamps

• Poetry’s uselessness and value – [05:05]
• Crafting a poem (“the puzzle”) – [06:45]
• Discussion of “Dead Seven” – [10:04]; Reflection – [12:06]
• On memory and living on through others – [14:39]
• Talking about father/son relationships – [15:53]
• Defending poetry’s place in society – [17:58]
• “Another Brick” about his dog – [25:11]
• Discussion of writing new poems – [28:45]
• Explaining poetry’s open-endedness – [30:13]
• Wish for more people, especially men, to read – [31:46]

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Final Thoughts

David Duchovny and Zibby Owens offer an authentic, rich exploration of why poetry, no matter how “useless,” is profoundly essential to the inner lives of both writers and readers. Through readings and candid conversation, they reaffirm poetry’s ability to connect us, reflect loss and joy, and hold space for ambiguous truths.

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For listeners seeking insight into grief, creative purpose, or the art of poetry—in clear, honest language—this episode serves as a deep, rewarding listen.

Transcript

[Zibby Owens]

Hi listeners, we have totally booked live coming up this fall and I hope you'll be a part of it. We have three events in New York City, September 19th, 25th and 30th in New York where I'll be doing six interviews live each day. We also have a petite retreat in Greenwich on October 4th. Go to zibbemedia.com and event or and or eventbrite and search the events and please come. I can't wait to meet you in person. If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Grainger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Grainger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. Today's episode has been sponsored by Digipod. As someone who's passionate about books and authors, I'm always excited to share resources that can help bring your stories to life. That's why I am thrilled to tell you about Digipod, a print on demand company that truly understands what authors need to make make that happen. Here's what I love about digipot they don't just print your books and send you on your way. Their team holds your hand throughout the entire process with incredible customer service. They deliver professional grade printing quality, consistently beat their competitors turnaround times, and they can handle rush orders. They simplify the whole printing process and make it incredibly easy. To achieve your vision for your books, head over to Digipod Zibby that's D I G G y p o d.com Zibby set up a free 15 minute printing consultation and get 10% off your first print order. You'll talk with their experts who will walk you through exactly how to set up your print job and answer all your questions. And by the way, I've seen the books and they are amazing looking. If you've been thinking about printing your book, this is the support you want. Again, that's digipod.com zibby for your free consultation. Today's episode is sponsored by the Foxed Page, a podcast and YouTube channel that dives deep into the very best books. It's basically your favorite college English class, but very relaxed and way more fun. No exams, no participation, and only books you really Want to read? Kimberly Ford, best selling author, one time professor and PhD in literature, offers up entertaining, often funny talks that will leave you feeling inspired and a little smarter. She digs right into everything from J.D. salinger to Miranda July, from Demon Copperhead to Madame Bovary, from Pride and Prejudice to Lessons in Chemistry. The talks on individual books are the heart of the podcast, but enriched read segments tackle ideas like unreliable narrators, while old favorite talks treat you to a fresh adult look at childhood gems like Harriet the Spy and Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. Want to get the most out of what you read and be entertained along the way? The Foxed page is for you. Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have time to read books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know. Get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram. Iby Owens David Duchovny is the author of About Poems. David is an award winning actor, director, New York Times best selling author and singer songwriter with an acting career spanning more than three decades. Duchovny is a two time Golden Globe winner and four time Emmy nominee. His novels include Truly Like Lightning, Holy Cow, the Reservoir, which he was on this podcast to discuss, which was a novella, and Better Effing Dent, which Duchovny adapted into the film Reverse the Curse. The film directed by Duchovny premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. As a musician, Duchovny has released three studio albums, Hell or High Water, Every Third Thought and Gestureland. He is the host of the podcast Fail Better. All right, welcome back on Totally Booked. David, thank you so much. Here to talk about About Time, your poetry collection. Congratulations.

[David Duchovny]

Thanks for having me on again.

[Zibby Owens]

It's my pleasure, my pleasure. Okay, your whole argument in the beginning of this book is that poetry is so unnecessary. Why read it, why write it? And yet it's essential. Can you explain that a little bit?

[David Duchovny]

Well, I mean it gets into the whole argument about, you know, what is what, what is the use of poetry, you know, And I think that one of the main draws for Me is that it's pretty useless. I mean, it's a. It's. It's. It's really just a form of expression that's kind of antiquated. Nobody reads it anymore. A great poet once said the best thing about poetry is you can't get rich doing it. So there's really no. There's no other motive, you know, there's no motive. There's no political motive, you know, which I think is, in fact. It's maybe the wrong word, but it's. In fact, a lot of our art over the past 10, 20 years is like, well, what is it saying politically? And that's not an issue with poetry or has never. It's not. It's not. Everything is political in some sense because it's talking about the world, but not. You can't really get into specifics in poetry that way. So there's a certain kind of lack of agenda that I like about it or I hope that I can maintain in it. You know what I mean? So I think all those things. The fact that nobody raises. Great.

[Zibby Owens]

I mean, I read it, but it's okay.

[David Duchovny]

You can't get rich at it. Great. It seems useless. Fantastic. So because it's useless or doesn't have an overt political agenda, then it becomes about just basic existence and language and communication and those kinds of things for me.

[Zibby Owens]

And what does it do for you to write poetry?

[David Duchovny]

I don't know. It's like when I'm involved in. When I have an idea for a poem or I start to write a poem, it's really like a puzzle, you know, because usually I just have an image to start with or a thought. And then the poem becomes an unpacking of that thought over and over. And the thought changes over the different unpackings of it or the image. For some reason, if I have it, I'm going to do it the honor of thinking that it came there for a reason. And I got to figure out what that reason is. So I unpack the image. And I'm always surprised. And I think that's the nice thing about. For me about writing poetry is, you know, I start with this one thing in mind, with this phrase or this image or this idea. And then the surprise comes as I unpack it, as I try to write around it. You know, a lot of poems are about the inability of me to say it, to get at it. So as I take different stabs at it throughout the poem, I'm surprised.

[Zibby Owens]

So if poetry really has no use and you enjoy the Fact that it's not widely read, why publish it at all?

[David Duchovny]

Well, roses have no use. People love them. There's many things in this world. Behold the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they spin. It's what our most ancient wisdom is about. Things that have no use at all. I think we get. We get wrapped up in what is the use of things in this culture? Because we're, you know, capitalist culture or whatever. You know, what. What is the use of it? How can this make money? How can this. How can this do anything out there in the world when in fact, you know, most of the things, if we were honest, most of the things in our lives that really feed us are not useful. They're beautiful.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, the usefulness is in touching our emotions, not anything else. But if you argue that there's no use to bringing joy and connection to people, then I guess. But isn't that the most useful thing you could provide?

[David Duchovny]

Yeah, I don't know if it's joy, the connection. Sure. Even if it's in connection of like, oh, this is impossible to do. You know what? We're trying. We're trying to put words. This poetry is often about itself, about the act of trying to speak. And it really calls attention to this thing called language that we all think means the same thing to us, but it doesn't. These words are just approximations. And a poem for me is throwing all these different kinds of words at things or breaking words up from their usual places that we usually think of them in, or the way we usually say them, and shedding new light on the fact that it's kind of artifice and it's all imprecise and trying to get back to kind of like. Oh, let's try to be precise here. And so, yeah, it's connection, for sure. Joy. Yeah, it could be joy, because I think connection is joyous.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, can I read a couple of them and see the backstory? Hear the backstory if you have to, maybe. Or a passage from one of them. Am I embarrassing?

[David Duchovny]

You can read whatever you want. I'm being. I'm just being, you know, that guy.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, let's read something from Dead seven. I don't need an occasion to think of my father occasionally. Dead now seven years. Better than nothing I hope waits for him. An afterlife, a rebirth. Is it? If so, then is the old man young again in death, A seven years dead boy, growing steadily deadly as he watches me in life. Growing seven years, learning the netherworld ropes, Still a child by turns wide Eyed and sullen as he crawls, walks, runs into the walls of his newly unlimited understanding. His 75 years or so on earth useless except as a dream of power, a moderately successful campaign of tiny plastic soldiers. Who is his mentor there? Who reminds him, who comforts him and teaches him the otherworldly equivalent of fishing or algebra or empathy for the dead living all around him? Does he sit dead, little head in little dead hands on the curb, lonely and abandoned, he who held my hands and taught and did not teach me so many things of nature and that nature I age like a tree, each new ring and orbiting armor round an empty marrow, the things I did not learn closed off at the center of my being, unreasonable of interest only to those who would chop me down to see what I might deliver coldly from another age. Oh, so you see here, this was the problem, right here. The worm at the root, the uneven ring. I'm almost done, I promise. Older now than he in death, I see him confused, reaching for my steadying arm as a dead branch perjures life in the wind. His language, his access to our symbols impenetrable, the dead tongue mute. My need for him transcribed into his imagined need for me, My inarticulate want, his full fathom. Five, six, seven, now going on eight. My sweet silken boy calls to me. I am here. I respond, and ready and of absolutely no use. Yeah, that's so. It's so emotional. I mean, it's a way of trying to understand the loss of someone you love so much, which, of course, all of us are trying to do every day with various people. Tell me about writing this poem.

[David Duchovny]

Well, clearly it was on, I think, the seventh anniversary of my dad's death, which is a while ago already. 15 years ago. That poem's probably 15 years old. Yeah. If he died in 2003, I think he did. Or four, I think three then. Yeah, that would be sometime 2010. And I guess I just had that thought on an anniversary, like, oh, seven years. And then this impossible notion of, well, what if. What if we can. What if we are born again, but we're not here. We're born into some other consciousness of realm of death, where. Where we grow, where it's not just the end of something. And then kind of, I guess I'm trying to think back, but I think I was excited by this idea of him being younger than me and me being. Me being his mentor or his father in some way. And feeling, yes, feeling for his confusion. You know, feeling as one feels for the confusion of one's own children. And that it moves me as I speak. So I'm sure it moved me back then to kind of pursue it further. What. What would be those things that a. A living dead person, you know, not. Not. Not our movie versions of living dead, not the Last of Us or, you know, the Walking Dead or whatever, but more of a consciousness, less of a spectacle. So just. And then I think it becomes, like, unclear who I'm talking about when I'm talking about me as his son or him as my son. And it's really forging. I think it's me trying to forge or renew a relationship with him now that he's gone. And that's why at the end, it's very sad that I'm ready finally, probably because I have been a father. I'm ready finally to have a connection with him and to help him. But it's too late. I'm of absolutely no use, you know, so. Because he's dead. So I. I guess that's where that poem comes from. If I'm. If I'm too explicated, I think it's. I think it's pretty understandable.

[Zibby Owens]

What do you think happens? Do you. Are you someone who, like, talks to your dad or says, like, here's what I'm working on with my child, or what do you think?

[David Duchovny]

Oh, I mean, I think they live on, but I think they live on in our. In our minds, you know, our hearts, our souls in some way. I don't think any. I don't think anything continues. But it does continue if we continue. He's alive now. We talk about him. He's alive. He's here. We talking about him. He's here. He's not here in the way he was when he was alive, but he's here. So that's a certain kind of a continuation of life. So as long as we continue to speak. As long as I continue to speak of him or write about him or address him in my mind in some way, then he has a certain kind of life, you know? And then I also want him to be happy with the way I talk about. Only if I'm going to write a poem about him. I don't want to lie about anything. I want it to be this. I'm trying again, imprecisely, using these words that I'm given to try and talk about a state of being that doesn't really exist, trying to get at it. So I would never want him to be embarrassed. Yet I also don't want to sugarcoat everything.

[Zibby Owens]

What Was. It's none of my business, but what was your relationship with him like?

[David Duchovny]

Well, my parents divorced when I was 11, so my relationship after the age of 11 was attenuated. Is that the word? It was. It was less. Less intense than when I was a kid. And I. I will always miss that. And that's the kind of absolutely no use thing. It's like, didn't get. Didn't get them. Didn't get it. Like, you don't get to have it. You know, that's the other thing. It's like things happen. Things happen in life and you don't get to do them over. You don't get to not have them happen. But you do get to try to figure out what they are, and you do get to figure out how you're going to live with it. So this, in a way would be my way of trying to live with the fact that we didn't have the kind of father son relationship that in my mind I wanted to, or looking back, I would have wanted. But that doesn't mean we don't have a relationship. And that doesn't mean his death doesn't mean we don't have a relationship either. You know, like, you could try to end this relationship through divorce or through death or whatever, but a father and a son are always have a relationship. A mother and a daughter. Cross sex is through a father and daughter, mother and a son. You know, those relationships never end. And it's called comfort, you know, if you lose a child to say that you still have a relationship. But it's true, you know, and luckily I haven't had that. To me, that's the most terrifying thing to confront in life, period. Is a child predeceasing you?

[Zibby Owens]

I went to a funeral of a friend this week who was only in her early 40s, and her dad got up and kissed her casket and was like, how am I supposed to eulogize my daughter? This isn't the way it was supposed to be. It's just. Oh, I just. I keep replaying it. It's just so sad. I mean, for every parent. I'm a parent. You're a parent.

[David Duchovny]

Yeah.

[Zibby Owens]

Anyway. Terrifying. Back to poetry. So I think we. I think our conversation is an argument for the usefulness of poetry. Because it.

[David Duchovny]

Are you gonna keep.

[Zibby Owens]

It keeps this conversation? No, it keeps the conversation going. It opens up like, what would we be talking about if we didn't have the poem?

[David Duchovny]

Sure. I mean, you know, for me to start the introduction to the, to the poems, that way it's A little defensive because again, I'm saying, you know, who needs to hear from, who needs to hear poems from an actor? It's the last thing. There's so many pressing. There's so many pressing issues. No, but I'm saying you do need to hear poems from them. Yeah, I'm anticipating the argument of like, who the fuck cares what this guy is feeling something about or is writing obliquely about rather than a plot filled novel that's going to entertain us on the beach or something, or, you know, his new Amazon series or whatever, you know, entertain us actor, you know, don't, don't, don't make us feel or think really. So don't try to be serious. Don't try to be real. You know, like it's all bullshit. Right. So, so there's all these kinds of things that are in my head. I'm anticipating arguments, clearly. I believe poetry has a use, you know, has many uses. But I'm trying to get out in front of, you know, that idea, contrary to that idea, which is, you know, it's nice to have a little poem here and there, but, you know, it's not really, doesn't really help me live, but in my life, you know, poems help me live that. They're like religious texts. I mean, the closest thing, I also like certain religious texts and they are very poetic to me. So for me, I do love novels and I love movies and I love those other forms of writing or adapting writing. But I find poetry to be deeply useful.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Zibby Owens]

Well, it's like a. It's better than a soundbite because it's the complete distillation of a concept. I feel like poetry, and I said this recently. We published a collection of poetry at my publishing house. Like, I feel like in this day and age of no attention, poetry should be having, like, its biggest moment ever, right? It's so short. Like, read a poem, you'll feel really good about yourself. It takes two seconds.

[David Duchovny]

But they're hard, you know, they're hard because they should. They're not, you know, aside from maybe my Death of My Dog poem in this, they're not. You can read them, but they need to be read a few times. You know, like, even for me, something like, not comparing myself, but somebody like Emily Dickinson, deceptively simple. Most stuff is deceptively simple. The words that Jesus speaks, deceptively simple. The great rabbi masters, deceptively simple. They're all poetic because you can't say the most profound truths easily or simply. It's too simple and profound to say it clearly. You just can't do it. I mean, you can say, all you need is love. And if that's the kind of poems that you like, that's cool, but that's not the kind of poems I'm trying to like. I like it in a song. I don't necessarily want it. I like it as a reminder, but it's not to me, it's not, like, the best that poetry can do.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah. Well, what about some of your shorter poems like you have? Can I read one more? Really short, though.

[David Duchovny]

You can read them all.

[Zibby Owens]

This is the dog dying. I guess I'm just sort of drawn to grief. So. Sorry, but that's just me. Another brick. I put my dog down this morning and cried some morning. The loss of his mute, expressive soul. This afternoon at work, a blue sky punctuated only by disjointed loitering clouds. The world moves on in its blithe way and doesn't care about a little dog. It's already as if he never existed. But he did. He sure did. My dog is, like, right there. This. Like, this got me so much. Oh, my gosh.

[David Duchovny]

Yeah. A couple things that I'm proud of in that poem. When I came upon that phrase, mute expressive soul, I thought, yeah, I kind of Nailed what a dog is.

[Zibby Owens]

Totally.

[David Duchovny]

And I'm proud of that. And then. He sure did. I think that came, like, five minutes. I think the poem just kind of came out, and I put it away. And then five minutes later, I think I went back to. He sure did. I mean that there's something childish about it. You know, there's something young about that. Like, he's something boyish about you. He sure did, you know, innocent. So I like that. I like that button at the end. And, yeah. The truth is, you know, obviously, the world doesn't care about. World doesn't care about little person. But we humans have a need to care about dogs and people and each other, and we have a need to say, we existed, we were here. We sure were. We sure were. We were here. So it becomes mourning for all of us in the future as well. And also, the Marlene aspect of it is always. It gets everybody. Not everybody. I don't know what it is about dogs, but we are opened up by them.

[Zibby Owens]

It's true. So at lunch, right before this, my dog came over, and I kind of imitated her voice, and it came, which I never do. And literally everyone at the table was like, that's not what she would sound like. And, like, I know it was too Scooby Doo. I don't even know why I did that. But it's so true. Because we all have in our heads, like, maybe what the dog would sound like really, like, who it really is.

[David Duchovny]

Or what it's thinking or, you know, we're constantly kind of, what do you think? You know, what do you. And then there are those camps that are like, he's just with you because you feed him. And then there are the camps that are like, no, that's real love. This is real, real, like, unselfish love. So I prefer to think of it the other way.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah. Not just the feed.

[David Duchovny]

They love the food. Sure. But they also love us.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah. I mean, I know. I think of that sometimes, too. People who are mean to their dogs, like, how can you be mean to your dog? But then there are people who are mean to everybody who don't even care about life. So, I mean.

[David Duchovny]

Yeah, well, I get frustrated. I get frustrated with my dog. Sure. You know, But I. I like to think I'm never mean to my dog. But, yeah, certainly, you know, and Brick was, you know, Brick, that dog. That's why. Well, another Brick, that was the name of that dog. So he had a rough, like, last couple of years. And it's frustrating, you know, to take care of a dog that's all over your house and throwing up and basically has dementia, you know, and it's hard to know, you know, when to stop the life for the animal, you know, just as it's hard for us to know that with people. But we don't really do that in this country. I wish that we would, but we don't.

[Zibby Owens]

So when's the last time you wrote a poem and what was it about?

[David Duchovny]

I added one to that collection, but it was too late and I don't know where it is. Let me see if I can find it. It's on my iPad, which is what I'm talking to you on. So I don't know if I have it other than on my iPad. I might have it in my notes. I've been working on an album too, so there's a lot of that. Oh yeah? Yeah, it's another dead one.

[Zibby Owens]

Great. I'm your market.

[David Duchovny]

Yeah. So memory is the language of the dead. So that's the last poem I wrote.

[Zibby Owens]

Excerpt 1 line teaser memory is the.

[David Duchovny]

Language of the dead. I feel my fluency growing even as brute remembrance fades from surround sounds, storyboards to melody to unheard and near atmosphere. Memory is kingdom of a dead. I have visited it in sleep, had my passport stamped by a three headed dog. Memory is thick with dogs.

[Zibby Owens]

That's beautiful.

[David Duchovny]

More dogs.

[Zibby Owens]

More dogs. More beauty.

[David Duchovny]

So that's gonna be a. I think that's on the Amazon audible. I. I had it in time to record my readings of the poems, but it's not in the actual book. But in the book, a couple of the last three poems of the most recent. God is a Change, man is recent, I say no is recent. And Homesick the mystery. Those are all probably the most recent. And they're towards the end, this one.

[Zibby Owens]

Too, how you ended the whole thing. One door closes and you cross out closes and write opens. Another door opens. You cross out opens and closes.

[David Duchovny]

I'll just keep circling.

[Zibby Owens]

So that's.

[David Duchovny]

That's the kind of knowledge I think that poetry can give us. It never, you know, it's. That's what I mean. It's not useful. It's like what the am I supposed to do with that saying, you know, what do you mean? It's like it's never stopping. It's like it's opening and closing at the same time. What do you mean? And I just say yes, that's exactly what I mean. You know, like it's. It's not useful, but it's useful in that it puts you Maybe in a state of mind that you recognize. And then there's that connection that you're talking about.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, your sort of preemptive defense that the world doesn't need poems by an actor. The world doesn't really need anything.

[David Duchovny]

But from an actor.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, that's not true from anybody.

[David Duchovny]

It's true. The world doesn't need any.

[Zibby Owens]

It doesn't mean that they won't appreciate it and like it very much.

[David Duchovny]

Yeah, no, I think sometimes maybe you can appreciate it more if it has no agenda on you. It's not trying to convert you religiously, politically, anyway. It's just kind of trying to put you in a state of mind that opens and closes at the same time.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah. Wow. Well, thank you. Thank you for taking your time to talk about. About time with me and to thank.

[David Duchovny]

You for having me on again. I love coming on with you and I love the fact that you're a reader and you're. And you speak about books and you try to speak to people who read. You know, Maureen out just had a really interesting article. I don't know if you read it on Sunday. And she was talking about, like, the statistics aren't. Men don't read anymore. Like, readers are women. And Maureen was saying, you know, men who read are sexy. Now, that's Maureen. And there was a picture of James Dean reading a book on the article. But, yeah, I mean, I would like everybody to read. I think reading is what makes us human in many ways. And I wish that men would read more and men can write poetry. It's not just. I'm not saying women shouldn't read or I'm making a distinction. I'm just saying I. I want more readers. But I'm afraid it seems like it looks like because of phones and the way we're living, that people just are out of the habit of reading. And I think if they can get something out of a book, even one that says you can't get anything out of it, maybe I'll continue to read, you know.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah, I'm on the same. Pushing the same cause here. I agree. There's a fundamental empathy you get from reading that you can't get through watching things or hearing things or whatever. So, yeah, I agree.

[David Duchovny]

Allowing somebody to take over your mind.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah, I know. I think it's the coolest thing. Like, how can you not do this? Anyway, all right, well, thank you so much, and best of luck with your collection.

[David Duchovny]

I appreciate it.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay.

[David Duchovny]

Thank you. Nice to see you again.

[Zibby Owens]

You too. Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have time to read books? If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram, ibbeoans and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.

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[David Duchovny]

ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. This area was sort of a shark tank for predators. Not just the Green River Killer, but.

[Zibby Owens]

Others in who Took Misty Copsey?

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[Zibby Owens]

Year old girl who vanished from the.

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[David Duchovny]

How? Why? She was so sweet and so young. What happened to her?

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[Zibby Owens]

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[David Duchovny]

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