You don't have to move to LA

a chat with comedy writer Seth Rubin

the vibes for today

knock knock it’s me!

Today, I bring you the final installment in this month’s free Q&A series. If you’re new here, go back and check out the other interviews:

• Writer and artist Nicole Chilton on writing through chronic illness

• McSweeney's editor Lucy Huber on creativity as a new parent

• Cookbook author and recipe developer Abi Balingit on publishing with a day job

If you’ve enjoyed this series, good news: I’m launching a monthly exclusive interview series for my paid subscribers! More info on paid subscriber benefits here. Another benefit not included in that list: a big fat kiss from me kiss kiss kiss kisssssss smooch smooch mm mm how nice

Anyway!

Our final Q&A of 2023 is with 34-year-old Seth Rubin (they/he), a writer at Jackbox Games.

Seth left Chicago for Los Angeles in 2021 (HUGE MISTAKE SETH); then, earlier this year, they packed up their two naughty cats and hightailed it to Philly, which is near their South Jersey hometown, to be closer to family and reimagine what a creative life could look like.

I was excited to chat with Seth for three reasons.

First, I’ve been a fan of Seth’s for ages; last year, we collabed on a piece for The New Yorker in which Seth argues that everyone is gay and viola players are losers. Correct on both counts, Seth!

Second, I love Philadelphia, a historic, vibrant city where football fans drive dune buggies up the art museum steps.

Finally, it’s pretty rare to hear from someone who left New York or LA—the cities traditionally billed as the only *real* options for those of us trying to break into the entertainment industry—to build a life more conducive to what Seth calls “creative wonder.”

As a Chicagoan, I think that’s really special. Earlier this year, I felt stuck in a transitional period—like I was in limbo, wasting away in the moment before my Real Adult Creative Life (RACL) would begin. Newsflash, self: Your adult life is here, bitch! You have the time and resources to make stuff you like! Life is beautiful!!!!!!! DAMN

Q&A: Seth Rubin on leaving LA and building something new

Hey, Seth! Let’s go back to 2021. What prompted your move to LA?

I wanted to be more serious about screenwriting. I also moved with two of my good friends, and it felt like a fun adventure. We were like, “We’re all gonna live in a house together and do comedy all the time, and it'll be so great.”

How’d it go?

There are a lot of things in LA that are really great for writers. A lot of my friends that I made were fellow writers who wanted to write for TV or film, so it felt like there were a lot of people I could reach out to for notes or collaboration. That was really nice. I've made some friendships that I'll have for the rest of my life.

But ultimately, the scene wasn’t for me. I put up a show there, and it was so soul-crushing every step of the way. You have to pay for the theater; you have to do all of the marketing yourself. It felt like there was no room for the sense of artistic wonder that Chicago has. (Editor’s note: CHICAGO GREATEST CITY ON EARTH)

It felt like everyone was waiting for their big break, and I just wanted to play.

When did you decide to move?

I had moved into a studio in a new neighborhood, and it was immediately so isolating. The neighborhood had really bad parking, so no one wanted to come visit—and I didn't want to drive anywhere, because I would lose my parking spot.

Around that time, my sister [who lives on the east coast] was like, “You should move to Philly.” And I was like, “No, I will never do that.” And she was like, “Well, you come here on, like, every vacation to see me and my kids. It's where you grew up. And it's a great city. And it's close to New York.”

I should say: I was thinking about moving to New York. But then I looked it up on Zillow and realized I could never afford to live in New York unless something dramatically changes.

Seems like you were pretty resistant to the idea at first. What changed?

I got over myself. Because I grew up outside of Philly, [I had this idea] that I was moving back home—like I couldn't hack it out west. Also, eventually, my sister suggested that I could probably buy a house in Philly. And I was like, “No, that's absurd. House buying is not allowed for millennials.”

[Now], my mortgage payment is like $100 more than what I was paying to rent a studio in LA.

When did you realize that moving was the right decision?

It took me a little while to get excited about it, probably I had been thinking about moving to New York. It took me a while to stop viewing Philly as second place [to New York]. But ultimately, I just became really excited about the thought of having more space than I had in my LA studio. I had this image in my head—me in my little house, having space to write, not being distracted by a bunch of other stuff. And that sounded like a pretty good life.

What has the move meant for you as a creative person?

I think for a very long time, I thought that in order to be a successful creative person, that had to be all you did. Your community was strictly other artists; your friends were all comedians. Now, it feels a little bit more balanced in my life. I think of myself as more than just a writer now. Like, I am also a sibling. I’m also an uncle. These things are all part and parcel with being a writer.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I will just say Philly is cool as fuck and anyone who thinks it’s a lesser city because it's not New York or LA should really check themselves.

go birds,

Lil