Mark Saltzman (Clutter)

Playwright Mark Saltzman, who began his career writing for The Muppets with Jim Henson, is the winner of seven Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street. Years after being scolded by his mother, who referred to him as a ‘Collyer Brother’ for having a messy room, Mark Saltzman’s research on the famous hoarders inspired him to write CLUTTER: The True Story of the Collyer Brothers Who Never Threw Anything Out. Mark and I talked about the public’s fascination with the concept of hoarding, which has become quite topical on TV talk shows and reality shows, and why this obsession is something we can all relate to on some level.