Adam milch father
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Life’s Work: A Memoir of Storytelling and Self-Destruction
'Illuminating . . . there is never a dull moment' The Times
'Marvellous . . . full of riches' New Statesman
David Milch is the critically acclaimed writer of the iconic TV series Deadwood and NYPD Blue. As he descends into a dementia from which there's no return, Life's Work is his urgent account of his increasingly strange present and his often painful past.
Betting on race horses and stealing booze at eight years old, mentored by Robert Penn Warren and excoriated by Richard Yates at twenty-one, Milch never did anything by half. He got into Yale Law School only to be expelled for shooting out streetlights. He paused his studies at the Iowa Writers' Workshop to manufacture acid. He created some of the most lauded television series of all time, started a family and pursued sobriety, only to lose his fortune betting on the horses – just as his successful but drug-addicted father had taught him.
Like Milch's best screenwriting, Life's Work explores how chance encounters, self-deception and luck shape
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1. Childhood trauma and family dynamics shape a writer's perspective
"I was ashamed that I had walked away from the experience. But I didn't really; I came back to it in a different way, and it was a liberation."
Early experiences shape creativity. David Milch's childhood was marked by complex family dynamics, including his father's alcoholism and his own experiences of sexual abuse. These traumatic events profoundly influenced his perspective as a writer, providing both raw material for his stories and a unique lens through which to view human behavior.
Art as a means of processing trauma. Milch's writing became a way to confront and process his past experiences. This is particularly evident in his work on NYPD Blue, where he explored themes of abuse and family dysfunction through characters like Andy Sipowicz. By transforming personal pain into art, Milch found a way to give voice to difficult experiences and connect with audiences on a deep emotional level.
2. The power of mentorship and education in nurturing creative talent
"Mr. Warren had given me
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I Thought Life’s Work Would Be a Dishy Celebrity Memoir. But David Milch’s Book Is a Gorgeous Celebration of Creative Spirit.
Look, of course I was going to read David Milch’s book. The guy made some of my favorite TV shows of all time! I figured Life’s Work would be rich with stories of David Caruso being haughty and Ian McShane swearing up a storm. So imagine how surprised I was to discover that this slender memoir offered so much more than writer room gossip: a deep investigation into creativity, a meditation on hope, and an earnest celebration of living. Milch assembled the book with the help of his children and wife as he lost the connection with his own past due to Alzheimer’s disease, which only made the whole thing more moving.
For fans of Milch’s shows—the beloved series NYPD Blue and Deadwood (as well as the less-beloved John From Cincinnatti and Luck)—yes, the book offers plenty of background on the development process and the general mayhem of TV-making. The behind-the-scenes stuff is great; fans of Deadwood may be surprised, as I was, that the show evo
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