>> IN COLLEGE I DECIDED I WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER.

I WAS -- MUST HAVE BEEN 1969, 1970, THE YOUNGEST SCREENWRITER IN HOLLYWOOD, ADAPTING MY FIRST NOVEL INTO A FILM.

THE DUMB LUCK OF BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

THAT IS, WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY TOPICAL AT THAT MOMENT.

JUST TURNED 21.

JUST TURNED 22.

THE IDEA OF THE NOVELIST HAD A CERTAIN CACHE AS BEING A CULTURE HERO IN THE 1960S, WHEN I GREW UP.

THESE ARE THE ACTORS IN THE MOVIE.

THE PAPERBACK EDITION SAYS, "THE NEW NOVEL THAT SAYS ALL THERE IS TO SAY ABOUT THE MARIJUANA SOCIETY."

THE SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD - BLUE, BITTER, AND MOSTLY A BUMMER.

AND I THINK IT EVEN SOLD WELL IN JAPAN.

AND THEN MY SECOND NOVEL TO FOLLOW THAT UP WAS CALLED "FOUR STROKE", ABOUT COMMUNAL LIVING AND GROUP MARRIAGE.

AND THE TITLE, THE COVER OF THIS ONE THE MASS MARKET EDITION: "SUPER-CHARGED WITH THROBBING PASSION, A NOVEL OF FOUR PEOPLE WHO DARE TO COME TOGETHER TO FIND WHAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ALONE."

SO I WAS KIND OF A BAD BOY, I GUESS I WOULD SAY.

I WAS KIND OF TESTING THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT THE CULTURE WOULD ACCEPT.

I CAN RECALL A PARTICULAR NIGHT WHEN THE TITLE "THUMB TRIPPING" CONCATENATION OF THE IDEA OF HITCHHIKING IN AN ESPECIALLY RESTLESS AND RECKLESS WAY WHERE YOU HAVE NO DESTINATION, REALLY, AND YOU JUST WANT TO SEE WHO'S GONNA PICK YOU UP AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.

YOU CAN FEEL THE ICE BENEATH THE HAY JUST BEGINNING TO BREAK UP.

WHEN I AGREED TO ADAPT MY NOVEL NOW THAT ONE CAN'T GO TOO MUCH LONGER.

EVERYBODY WHO BECAME ATTACHED TO THE PRODUCTION BROUGHT THEIR OWN IDEAS.

YEAH, YOU.

LONG STORY SHORT, A 22-YEAR-OLD YOUNG NOVELIST ISN'T MUCH INTERESTED IN BEING TOLD HOW TO ADAPT HIS STORY BY PEOPLE WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH TO BE HIS FATHER.

I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT HAVE THE AUTONOMY THAT I HAD HAD AS A NOVELIST, AND THAT I WISHED TO SO THIS IS A BOOK THAT SHAPED MY GENERATION, KIDS WHO CAME OF AGE IN THE LATE '60S, EARLY '70S.

AND WE WOULD PORE OVER THIS BOOK, OR MAGAZINE, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, FOR HOURS ON END.

HOW TO BUILD A GEODESIC DOME.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HORSES.

HOW TO BUILD A WINDMILL.

HOW TO PAN FOR GOLD.

THE IMPOVERISHED STUDENT'S BOOK OF COOKERY, DRINKERY, AND HOUSEKEEPERY.

ON PAGE 66, SOMEBODY HAD WRITTEN IN, "SHEEP.

I WOULD LIKE TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE JOYS OF RAISING SHEEP.

THEY REQUIRE ALMOST NO WORK, AND VERY LITTLE MONEY, TO CARE FOR.

IN RETURN YOU GET WOOL, MANURE, A CHEAP SOURCE OF MUTTON OR LAMB," ETC, ETC.

AND IT WAS ON THE BASIS OF THIS THAT CHERYL AND I SAID, "LET'S GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO RAISING SHEEP."

WE BEGAN THE FLOCK IN 1976, SO THIS IS THE 39TH YEAR.

IN THE 1830S AND '40S, SHEEP WERE THE PREDOMINANT FARMING SYSTEM IN VERMONT, AND THERE WERE AT LEAST A MILLION SHEEP IN THE STATE.

IN THE TIME THAT I'VE LIVED IN VERMONT, THERE SIMPLY WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY IN RAISING SHEEP TO JUSTIFY THE INVESTMENT.

ALTHOUGH WE CAME HERE TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT BACK-TO-THE-LANDERS WE BOTH QUICKLY REALIZED, ONCE WE HAD CHILDREN, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GET REAL-WORLD JOBS.

THE PATH THAT I FELL INTO WAS HIGHER EDUCATION, TEACHING AT MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE FIRST IN CREATIVE WRITING, PERSONAL ESSAYS, COURSES IN NARRATIVE FICTION, SOME POETRY, SCREENWRITING, WRITING FOR FILM.

I THINK ANYBODY WHO TAUGHT AT A PLACE LIKE MIDDLEBURY WOULD SAY THAT THEY MISS WORKING WITH SOME OF THE NICEST AND THE BRIGHTEST YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, AND I DO MISS THAT.

BUT I FEEL, AND I THOUGHT IMMEDIATELY, THAT THE 24-YEAR TEACHING CAREER WAS THIS STRANGE, ABERRANT HIATUS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING WHAT I HAD COME EVERY DAY WE LOOK AT THE SHEEP, WITH THE EYE OF A SHEPHERD, TO EXAMINE HOW THEY'RE DOING.

IT'S JUST BECOME AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF MY IDENTITY.

I MEAN, THESE ARE NOT -- THESE ARE NOT PETS, THEY'RE NOT COMPANION ANIMALS.

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES ONE'S LIFE RICHER FOR HAVING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CARING ABOUT OTHER LIVING I THINK SHE'LL LAMB TODAY.

WHAT'S UP, MOM?

SOMETHING ABOUT HOW WHEN SHE STOOD UP, SHE DIDN'T RUN OFF TO REJOIN THE FLOCK, I MEAN SHE'S IN THE SEPARATION THING.

AND JUST LOOK AT HER FACE, SHE'S JUST KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, INTO HER HEAD.

IS IT AN ART FORM?

NO.

THERE ARE -- NO.

YOU -- NO.

IT'S AN AVOCATION.

IT INVOLVES VARIOUS LEVELS OF WHAT I WOULD CALL CRAFT SKILL.

BUT I MUST SAY, HER RUMP HAS NOT DROPPED DOWN YET.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT INVOLVES ARTISTRY.

STILL, THAT'S MY CALL.

I MEAN, YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT WELL, YOU CAN DO IT POORLY, YOU CAN DO IT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE MISTAKES.

I SUPPOSE, I MEAN -- NO, I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO CREATE ART, AND CARING FOR THE SHEEP IS NOT -- IS NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS THAT.

AND EVEN NOW, SHE HAS NOT MOVED FROM THAT PLACE, SO I THINK SHE'S MADE HER DECISION SHE I BUILT OUR HOUSE 30 YEARS AGO.

WATCH OUT FOR THESE NAILS, POKE OUT.

AND IT WAS REALLY BUILT AS THE PLACE TO RAISE TWO KIDS IN.

THESE ARE FROM 30 YEARS AGO, THAT I JUST EXPOSED.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE HOUSE WHEN IT WAS BUILT.

I HAVE A FRIEND WHO'S AN ARTIST WHO SAYS, "IF YOU HANG AROUND LOOKING AT YOUR EARLY PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS, YOU GET A BAD EYE FOR WHAT YOU WANNA DO IN THE FUTURE."

AND THIS SPACE WAS GIVING ME A BAD EYE.

WITH TIME YOU DISCOVER WHAT IS TO YOUR TASTE AND WHAT IS NOT.

FOR DON AND CHERYL, WITH GOOD MEMORIES AND GREAT RESPECT.

WITH AFFECTION, D. THIS WILL NEVER BE TO MY TASTE, SO.

ALEXANDER POPE.

POEMS.

GREAT IF YOU WANNA UNDERSTAND IAMBIC PENTAMETER: BA-DA BA-DA BA-DA BA-DA BA-DA, BA-DA BA-DA BA-DA BA-DA BA-DA.

FAR TOO MANY COPIES OF BOOKS AND STUFF THAT I'VE WRITTEN.

THERE'S SOME NOVELS HERE, THERE'S I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PERSONAL LETTERS TO PEOPLE.

SOME ENTREPRENEUR GOT THE IDEA TO CREATE THUMB TRIPPERS THAT HITCHHIKERS COULD BUY.

HOLD IT UP HIGH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WRITE THEIR DESTINATION.

A NEON SIGN SAYING, "OH, BY THE WAY, THIS HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST."

SO NOW IT'S BASICALLY OF NO VALUE.

DURING THE YEAR THAT WE LIVED IN GREECE, HE WAS LIVING ON THE SAME ISLAND.

NOT A GREAT NOVEL, BUT OFFERS SOME INSIGHT INTO THE SINGER-SONGWRITER LEONARD COHEN, AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE WITHOUT THIS BOOK.

I'VE HAD NINE BOOKS PUBLISHED BUT FOR EVERY BOOK THAT I'VE WRITTEN THAT'S BEEN PUBLISHED, I'VE WRITTEN AT LEAST ANOTHER BOOK THAT WAS NOT PUBLISHED - I MEAN WRITTEN, START TO FINISH.

AND I'VE BEGUN MANY, MANY PROJECTS THAT JUST DIDN'T PAN OUT.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU JUST GET HOT, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING, AND YOU KNOW IT AND THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHEN YOU DON'T BUT YOU STILL NEED TO KEEP YOUR HAND IN.

I DO HAVE A WRITING PROJECT.

IT'S A MORE PERSONAL PROJECT THAN MOST OF MINE HAVE BEEN.

BASICALLY I'M TRYING TO WRITE A SERIES OF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAYS, EACH ONE SPACED AWAY FROM THE OTHERS BY ABOUT TWO OR THREE YEARS IN TIME.

AND I GUESS THE -- AND THEY'RE LONG ESSAYS, THEY'RE LIKE 40 PAGES EACH.

AND I GUESS THE GOAL IS TO REVEAL HOW MANY DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE SAME PERSONALITY A PERSON CAN REVEAL OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LIFETIME.

BUT I'M DOING IT WITHOUT ANY PARTICULAR HOPE OF PUBLICATION, BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS SO MUST FEEL SO GREAT TO GET OUT OF THERE.

ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE JAMMED IN WITH ONE OR TWO OTHERS.

GOD!

GET YOUR HOOF OUTTA MY FACE.

TAKE NOTES, LADIES.

COME ON.

COME ON, MOM, COME ON.

COME ON.

THE OTHER EWES WHO GO OVER AND TRY TO LICK IT UP AND STEAL IT ARE THE ONES WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE LAMBING SOON THEMSELVES.

[ SHEEP BLEATING ] HAVING A LAMB IS THE PRIZE.

THEY WANT THE PRIZE.

WE CHOOSE EARLY APRIL FOR LAMBING, HOPING FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF WEATHER IN MIND, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE SOME SITUATIONS THAT SO THIS ONE'S GONE NOW.

THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A YOUNGER MOTHER HAVING TWINS OR TRIPLETS.

SHE DECIDED TO LAVISH HER AFFECTION ON ONE AND NOT THE OTHER.

MAKING SOME KIND OF DISCRIMINATION BASED UPON THE WAY THEY TASTED, HOW THEY SMELLED.

THAT'S A FAILURE OF MOTHERING.

I THINK THE ONE THAT DIED WAS THE BIGGER OF THE TWO.

$102.99.

YOU DON'T RAISE SHEEP FOR VERY LONG BEFORE YOU STOP THINKING PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL BUT RATHER THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE FLOCK.

IF WE HAD A BUNCH OF UNCASTRATED LAMBS RUNNING AROUND WITH THE FLOCK BY AUGUST, SOME OF THOSE LAMBS WOULD BE TRYING TO IMPREGNATE THEIR MOTHERS AND THEIR SISTERS, AND THOSE LAMBS WOULD BE BORN IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY, NOT APRIL.

SO WE WOULDN'T BE IN CONTROL OF I DON'T KNOW HOW I FORGOT THIS, THIS CARRIES THE SHOCK FROM ONE ROLL OF FENCE OVER TO THE NEXT.

MY FATHER, AS A CHILD WAS PRETTY MUCH FORCED TO CHANGE HIS NAME WHEN HIS FATHER DIED AND HIS MOTHER REMARRIED TO A MITCHELL.

EVERYBODY OUT.

PUT DIFFERENTLY, MY NAME, MY NAME WOULD BE DONALD TRELEVEN IF THOSE EVENTS HADN'T TAKEN PLACE.

BUT I WANTED TO KEEP THE NAME ALIVE.

SO DID CHERYL.

BY NAMING THE FARM TRELEVEN, WE'RE KIND OF HONORING A FAMILY HERITAGE THAT WAS OTHERWISE IT'S ON.

I THINK IT MEANS "THE FARMSTEAD BETWEEN THE TWO ELM TREES" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

TRELEVEN.

IT'S A VERY OLD AND RARE NAME.

IF I EVER MET SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WAS A TRELEVEN, THEY WOULD DOUBTLESS BE A FAIRLY CLOSE RELATIVE.

THERE'S SOME CRAPPY FIRST CUT IN THERE TOO, BUT YOU'LL FIND THE SECOND CUT.

YUP OKAY.

>> HEY GUYS, LOOK!

WHATEVER THEIR MOMS ARE DOING THEY USUALLY TRY TO DO FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

AND THEN THEY GET BORED, AND THEY START CRUISING AROUND.

[ SHEEP BLEATING ] >> IT'S A SOCIALIZING THING, WHEN THEIR MOMS ARE EATING GRAIN, THEY'RE, LIKE, RELEASED FROM THAT MATERNAL THING AND THEY JUST KIND OF CAROUSE AROUND TOGETHER AS A PACK.

AS A CHILD, I WAS GROOMED TO HOPEFULLY BECOME LIKE A DISNEY MOUSEKETEER.

I WAS A YOUNG REPUBLICAN DURING THE FIRST NIXON CAMPAIGN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.

AND THEN I WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST ANY HIPPIE BUT KIND OF A MEGA COUNTERCULTURAL, ANGRY YOUNG MAN FIGURE.

I WAS A FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN.

THE NOSE IS RIGHT BEHIND IT, SO, THERE.

COME ON, MOM.

COME ON, PUSH, PUSH.

THERE WE GO.

ENORMOUS!

ENORMOUS TRIPLET.

YEAH, FEAST ON THIS ONE.

FEAST ON THIS ONE.

YEAH.

YOU CAN STOP RIGHT THERE AT BE SITTING HERE AGAINST A AS A WRITER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW UP FOR WORK, ALMOST EVERY DAY WHETHER YOU FIND YOU CAN DO IT OR NOT.

AND IF YOU FIND THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT THAT DAY, THEN AT LEAST YOU SHOWED UP.