Working: How An Artist Navigates the Health-Care System

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Music, Tv & Film, Arts

4.2 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2023

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, host Isaac Butler is joined by actor, writer, director Erik Jensen for a frank conversation about his recent cancer diagnosis and the challenges artists face holding on to health-care coverage, especially in the age of streaming. They go on to discuss Jensen’s continued creative activity, including a new film project he co-directed with his wife and acted in with his daughter. Later, Jensen explains some of the intricacies of the recent writers’ and actors’ strikes. After the interview, co-host June Thomas joins Isaac to talk about the value of being candid about the financial realities of being a freelance artist. They also dive into creative collaborations and the importance of communicating clearly with the people you work with. Learn more about Erik Jensen’s story and make a donation here. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	During the course of the film I had no idea I was sick and I was operating fine.
0:14.5	So if I can operate, you know, an act with stage four cancer in Minneapolis, I can do it in New
0:20.3	York or Los Angeles. It's not that big a deal for me. Fortunately.
0:23.4	Wow. I'm the exception, not the rule.
0:28.9	Welcome back to working. I'm your host June Thomas. I'm your other host Isaac Butler.
0:34.8	Isaac it is always a thrill to talk with you.
0:38.0	Tell me whose voice did we hear at the top of the show?
0:40.8	That was actor, director, writer, human being extraordinary
0:45.6	Eric Jensen. Eric has been on the show before. You spoke with him and his
0:50.5	artistic collaborator and wife Jessica Blank back in 2020.
0:55.0	Why did you want to talk with him again now?
0:57.0	Well yes, you know I realize this is the second show I've done this year
1:01.0	that's like a returning guest. It's wild that we've been doing
1:04.0	this long enough that like people hit new phases of their lives and careers and they can
1:08.3	come back and I don't know that's kind of a wonderful feeling but as listeners listeners may remember, those of you who were
1:14.3	listening way back at 2020, Jessica and I actually grew up together and Eric and I
1:18.7	have been friends through her for a long time. So they contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know that Eric has cancer and that he was really interested in talking about how he's maintaining a creative life,
1:33.5	you know, he's making a movie right now
1:35.6	and all sorts of other things,
1:37.0	in the midst of, you know, this very serious illness.
1:40.6	And also, he really wanted to talk because the sag strike was just
1:44.5	wrapping up about health insurance and about the financial situation of
	...

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