Meet Morty Shallman

We recently connected with Morty Shallman and have shared our conversation below.

Morty , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

In a word, “practice.” Since so much of what I do requires a performance, of one kind or another, I find that confidence stems from being fully rehearsed and prepared. Whenever I’ve got a big show coming up, I diligently get my voice in shape, practice my set backwards, forwards, and inside out, and that becomes the foundation of confidence upon which I build my show. When you’re well-rehearsed, you can just relax and perform with freedom and emotion. As for self-esteem, I’m not sure where that comes from. We can all be hard on ourselves and sell ourselves short from time to time. But the bottom line is, when it comes right down to it, I simply believe in myself and my art 100%. And my #1 goal in life is to share my unique gifts with the world as only I can. This goes for anyone, by the way. “Just do you” is a cliche, but like all the good ones, it’s true. No one can be “you,” so confidence, self-esteem, and, yes, success, come from working to become the best version of “you” you possibly can.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am the Amazon #1 Bestselling Author of the groundbreaking sexistential novel, The Tyranny of Desire (2023), which was the #1 New Dark Comedy Release and the #1 Bestselling Absurdist novel on Amazon. It has been praised as a “Comedic Masterpiece” by Readers’ Favorite, and as a “ribald and incisive provocation” by Booklife/Publishers Weekly. My latest novel, War and Sex (2024), was Amazon’s #1 New Release in Popular Culture and reached #3 in Political Humor. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Faulkner-Wisdom Prize in Literature.

In addition to writing novels and screenplays, I am an accomplished singer-songwriter and recording artist with dozens of worldwide releases. I was voted the #1 Indie Artist in LA by Reverbnation.com (2018) on the strength of my hit single, “Freak,” and I am the creator of Literary Pop, an artistic genre characterized by unique mashups of pop music and literary fiction. My seminal works of Literary Pop include Love’s Oblivion, A Novel in Twelve Pop Songs (2002), Last of the Zachary’s, A Novel with Songs (2010), and Pop Fiction, An Indie-Noir Musical Thriller (2017).

On my agenda for 2025 is:

1) My new Literary Pop single, “Our Love,” will be released worldwide on July 24, 2025. It’s a song about love as a refuge in the midst of chaos. I’m really proud of this track, which features the great Todd Sucherman of Styx on drums and multi-talented former Brian Wilson Band Member West Montgomery on keyboards, lead guitars, and background vocals.

2) An adaptation of my novel “The Tyranny of Desire” into a screenplay that I am currently shopping to Hollywood in the hopes of it becoming a feature film or 6-8 part limited series for HBO, Netflix, etc. Interested parties can reach out to me at my website, www.morty.org, where I have created a film/TV portal displaying all my projects.

3) A reissue of my 2010 “Novel with Songs,” Last of the Zacharys, as a trilogy. Originally, it was released as an e-book only, with hyperlinks to stream the over 40 original songs that function within the narrative. I plan to release it now as a hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and a new and improved ebook edition.

4) A new literary novel: I have several ideas that are in competition in my brain right now. I hope to choose a winner and get cracking on it in the Fall!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1) The ability to follow my heart and take risks

Face it, society, parents, friends, family, all place expectations on us. They usually want the best for us, but that often means taking the easy way out, the safe path, following the sure money, the steady job. But that’s like taking the beeline to a boring existence. I believe in following your heart and leading with your dream. Because the surest way to unhappiness is to abandon your dreams — your art — in the name of safety and a steady paycheck.

2) The relentless quest for originality

Sure, lots of people make it by copying others. The NEXT big thing is often just a rehash of the previous big thing. I hear it all time, especially in Hollywood — give us the same, only different. Now, with AI, an entire massive industry is based on hoovering up other people’s originality and running it through a giant blender that regurgitates “artificial intelligence” and artificial “art.”

Now, I’m not a luddite. AI tools are great — as tools. But they can never be a substitute for the human touch, the artistic soul. It’s impossible. Why? Because an artist is unique, like a snowflake or a fingerprint. You have to find your OWN special gift — your unique original voice — because that’s the meaning of life.

3) Never giving up

I will never stop creating. They’ll have to pry my laptop and my guitar from my cold grey hands. Better yet, they can bury me with them. Because you never know what I might cook up in the great beyond!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Writing novels and songs can be a rather solitary experience. But, when it comes to adapting my work to the screen, partners and collaborators are essential.

That’s why I’m currently seeking professionals in the film industry, such as studio executives, producers, talent, and representation (specifically literary Agents and Managers) to work with me on my various projects, especially my screenplay adaptation of my novel, The Tyranny of Desire.

In addition, I have hundreds of songs available for sync licensing, so Music Supervisors, Editors, and Filmmakers who need great songs to complement their work, feel free to reach out to me!

I can be reached at my website, www.morty.org or via email at [email protected].

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Personal Photo Only — Photo by James Rizer

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we

Highlighter Series
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we

Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than