:52:01
for a year and a half.
:52:02
lt's a program about the Mennonites
called "Quiet in the Land"...
:52:05
and that's the ultimate
in community isolation.
:52:08
So next l want to do a comedy
about an isolated man...
:52:11
because l'm sick and tired
of all these profound statements.
:52:15
Well radio itself is
a solitary experience.
:52:17
Why does it interest you as a medium?
:52:20
l'd like to deal with this
as sensibly as l can.
:52:22
lt's a big question.
lt's an important question.
:52:25
l don't know
what the effective ratio would be...
:52:27
but l've always had
a sort of intuition...
:52:30
that for every hour you spend
with other human beings...
:52:34
you need X number of hours alone.
:52:37
Now what that X represents
l don't really know--
:52:40
whether it be two and seven-eighths
or seven and two-eighths--
:52:43
but it's a substantial ratio.
:52:46
Radio is something that's been
very close to me since l was a child...
:52:50
something l listen to
virtually nonstop.
:52:51
l mean it's wallpaper for me.
:52:54
l sleep with the radio on
in fact.
:52:57
Now l'm incapable of sleeping
without the radio on...
:52:59
ever since l gave up Nembutal.
:53:01
Does it affect your dreams?
:53:04
Sure insofar as if there are
broadcasts on the hour...
:53:08
l will pick up the bulletins
and dream them...
:53:10
and in the morning if there's
a boat that's just gone down...
:53:14
l'll think "Gee that was on odd dream
about the Titanic l had last night."
:53:19
And l will have
of course gone through it.
:53:21
Maybe your feelings about solitude
come from your Nordic temperament.
:53:24
l think that's certainly part of it.
lt's always been an ambition of mine...
:53:28
which l'll probably
never get around to realizing...
:53:30
to spend at least one winter
north of the Arctic Circle.
:53:34
Anyone can go there in the summer
when the sun is up...
:53:36
but l want to go there
when the sun is down l really do...
:53:39
and so help me
l'm going to do it one of these times.
:53:43
l've been saying this
for five or six years now...
:53:45
and every year
the schedule gets in the way.
:53:48
Well l hope you do.
Thank you very much Mr. Gould.