Storyteller and Grammy/Emmy-nominated writer-producer Maxim Langstaff discusses his decades behind the scenes with music legends including John Denver and Beatles producer George Martin, describing how his John Denver Wildlife Concert work led to a 16–17 year collaboration with Martin on a live stage/film project exploring Sgt. Pepper’s creative process. He reflects on the changing, overwhelmed modern media landscape and how artists are shaped by myth versus truth. Langstaff connects his conservation roots and time in New England wilderness to his debut novel “Sasq'et,” a cinematic, women-centered adventure using Sasquatch as a device to explore identity, nature, and unanswered questions, blending fiction with researched science and history. He shares how the book emerged nonlinearly while living in a remote Maine cabin and traveling cross-country with his dog, Kemo. “Sasq'et” releases April 7, with the audiobook as well.
00:00 Meet Maxim Langstaff
02:35 Behind the Music Legends
06:44 George Martin and Sgt. Pepper
09:57 Industry Then and Now
12:02 John Denver and Conservation
19:18 From Documentaries to Fiction
22:11 Truth Best Left Unknown
22:34 Writing Finds Its Path
23:34 A Woman’s Journey
24:13 Sasquatch as Metaphor
26:06 Belief Versus Science
28:45 Native Names and Origins
30:37 From Book to Screen
32:29 Craft of Storytelling
35:26 Release Date and Audiobook
36:46 Lightning Round Favorites
40:26 Casting and the Dog
43:23 Final Thanks and Farewell