Fresh Cyber Air

[Betterout]

When I lived in Norman, I was able to listen to the radio program Fresh Air (http://freshair.npr.org) all the time. I really liked Terry Gross's interview style. She's seemingly quite knowledgeable about a broad range of art and intertainment topics, and her disarming demeanor makes it sound like most of her guests would be completely comfortable with just about any question she could think to ask them. "B.B. King, when was the last time you walked around your house naked for more than two hours?" "Well, Terry, I'm not sure..." If you don't listen to Fresh Air, you really ought to. Unfortunately, it seems I can't anymore. These days, I'm never around an NPR-friendly radio when the show comes on, and I'm too busy to go and track down the shows on the web. That's a shame.

I've been thinking about Fresh Air more and more because I'm involved right now in an oral history project, the second one I've helped organize here at the tribe. Terry's style is evidently big in the oral history community. At an oral history conference I went to a couple of years ago, I remember hearing several people say things like, "Now, if you're a really good interviewer, like Terry Gross or somebody like that..." or, "The most surprising thing about Terry Gross is that she is almost never in the same room as her subjects, and is often a half a continent or more away..." or, "well, I like Tom Snyder, but he's no Terry Gross." (I did not hear this last comment--no one likes Tom Snyder). So, I guess I've been trying to channel Terry as I've been drafting questions for this upcoming project. Oh, by the way, just in case you're interested, I'll be interviewing (or at least surveying) all 13 living Kaws who attended Chilocco Indian School as children.

Anyhoo, it got me to thinking. Maybe one of the ways we could bolster some of the participation around the board would be to interview each other over a thread. For instance, one of us plays Terry Gross (or some other interviewer) for awhile, interviewing another of us like we were all important figures in some field or another, or multiple fields, or just important figures in general. Just think of it, Jeff could interview Martial Arts expert Adam Hull. Or Amanda could interview computer guru and political thinker Tyler Batdorf. We could set the interviews for a certain number of posts or whatever. Later, when we're looking for content on the radio site, we could even rerecord these interviews, if we wanted.

Is this just a stupid idea, or would any one be at all interested in this?

[mj]

When do I get to play David Sedaris? because I'd be all. over. that.

Interesting idea, though it is a bit daunting, trying to fill those Gross shoes and all. That, and, you know, being grilled by other board members. Well, not GRILLED, but, eh, you know. Anyway, I'm going to slink away now because I'm supposed to be on internet restriction and here I am on company time TYPING at the BOARD, which is most definitely ONLINE.

[jtmx1]

Here are the interviews I want to hear right now:

1. Justin on Kansa/the history of pop music/composing music for guitar
2. Ryan on audio engineering/pop music aesthetics/The Man
3. Katie on knitting
4. Amanda on the art of the self-portrait/effects of welfare reform
5. Chris on film aesthetics/cinematography/producing independent film
6. Bridget on stage direction/philosophy of sex
7. Rick on keeping one's artistic edge in a commercial environment/highpoint project/Denali trip
8. Adam on Christianity/Martial Arts
9. Cory on Buddhism/ Tattooing
10. David on Western Art (from a NA perspective)
11. Tyler on Christianity/Political Philosophy/Role Playing Games
12. Andy on the war in Iraq (and boy would I like to hear Jessie conduct this interview!)
13. Tammy Batdorf on the state of health care in America

I'd also love to hear some panel discussions. I can't tell you how many times I've walked away from hearing your conversations telling myself that I have to remember them.

Anyway, the interviews I'd like to hear may sound narrow, but it's just because I'd like to hear you guys talk first. Ultimately, I'd love to hear you guys interview people I don't know. You would be my window onto new people and their ideas.

[chris]

You might not need to interview me... I'm trying to get a digital copy of the interview I did with Cyndi Kane in Pawhuska (over the phone) two months ago... not exactly a wide-ranging interview (talking about "Indian Girl"), but still.

This sounds like a fun project... sign me up!

[Guest Justin]

So, yeah, count me in, too. I suppose I'd be willing to interview someone or be interviewed by someone.

I like Jeff's suggestions, but I think any number of others would be good, as well. Any other suggestions?

I would suggest the interviews be no shorter than ten posts of questions, broken up by at least ten posts of answers. I don't know about an upper bound, but maybe we can just say no more than 25 total posts. To keep it interesting, the questions need to be open-ended. So, for example, "Dave, do you like western art?" just won't work, 'cos Dave could just reply, "no." A better question might be more like, "Dave. I've heard you speak about western art in numerous contexts--some really good and some really bad. Without trying to pin you down, could I ask you to explain what aspects of Western art do you find appealing and why? And as a follow up, what aspects do you find deplorable, and why so?" That's just one question. But, I would say that list posts--i.e., one of the type "1) Do you like western art? 2) Who is your favorite western artist? 3) What about Matisse? 4) etc."--are no good, because there's no back and forth between questioner and answerer, which is something that these interviews should encourage. But, in the same vein, we don't want a debate. Questioner comments that inspire additional thought and discussion on the part of the answerer are okay. Questioner comments that badger or that offer only disagreement are not okay.

How does this sound, guys? And who's on deck first?

[chris]

Wait... I thought you wanted to actually do audio interviews...

[jtmx1]

That's what I thought, too, Chris.

[Guest Justin]

If you can think of a way to do it, that would be ideal. But just failing that (by distance, lack of technical knowhow, or our nearly legendary collective laziness*), I thought the next best thing would be text interviews with an option to record them later.

* There is a great quote from Jeff found in an old Font or perhaps from DI wherein he describes the group as always preferring critical debate over rash action. Was it Kim Johnson or someone else who read it and asked, "are you saying that you'll always prefer talking over doing?" Yep. That's us for the most part.

[jtmx1]

Could we record the audio (and perhaps video!?!) of skype or msn messenger conversations?

By the way, that was Kim Johnson. In the first Font I talked about how contemporary culture was failing to connect individuals and that our response was... !Dialogue! Kim said, "You mean you are just going to talk?" The point of her comment was not just that action is preferable, but that lots of people were already talking about it and our voices were irrelevant. (Which of course was part of the problem. Remember this was the pre-internet world.)

[Thanin]

I'd love for this to happen, but I'm sure it never will. This group is Terrible at following through and finishing interesting ideas.

.. and Justin, I really wish your pic said 'Photographer Unavailable'.