Michael Palin, the British comedian and writer, began keeping diaries in 1969 after quitting a heavy smoking habit. This decision led him to document his life, capturing the rise of Monty Python and his adventures as a travel presenter. His diaries offer insight into his creative process and self-reflection, with the latest volume ‘There and Back’ releasing soon. Palin emphasizes the necessity of justifying one's behavior through the published diaries, illustrating the blend of comedy and introspection in his life’s narrative.
When I gave up smoking—it was virtually overnight—it was a quite extraordinary feeling of effective use of willpower. In the back of my mind, I thought, how else can I use this newly enlivened willpower? Keeping a diary must have been the first thing that came into my head.
The diaries constantly surprise me, how I completely contradict myself, he said.
That's the thing about publishing your diaries, Palin said. I have to be able to justify my behavior in my life in a way.
The first volume of his diaries, The Python Years, was published in 2006. The fourth, There and Back, will be released in the United States on Tuesday.
Collection
[
|
...
]