Dale seeks a little help from comedian and writer Lana Schwartz as he attempts to be creative in this time of social distancing. Lana talks with Dale remotely about her new book, Build Your Own Romantic Comedy, which is available now and offers multiple ways to construct a solid and entertaining rom-com. Dale checks in with Lana about her quarantine experience, how she’s passing the time, what isolation foods she’s excited about, and generally how she’s faring in this strange time. The two discuss problematic high school TV shows, the best rom-com actors, and how we’re all moving through grief wandering from room to room in our sweat clothes. Plus Dale is convinced that airports have feelings and he shines the new Deep Night Spotlight on comedian and musician Eileen Hanley who has contributed a beautiful new Turtleneck song, heard at the end of this episode.

If you are a creative person and have something you’d like Dale to share on the podcast, the Deep Night Spotlight is open. For a limited time, reach out and we’ll highlight folks who might need a little extra scratch to get by until those big government checks arrive or things start to get back to whatever normal is. Dale’s happy to feature new works in audio storytelling, writing, music, or even visual stuff that he can post on Instagram or include in a future episode.