Editor of
Features Editor at Death & Taxes Magazine, contributor to The Week, Interview, and Vice Magazine.
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On interviews and ignorance.
So I’m sitting there pounding a coffee before an interview, trying to shake whatever cobwebs out of my Professional Journalist hat before I put it on for the half hour.
It’s odd, you know? Interviewing people. It’s the equivalent of sitting next to someone on the train for ten stops and being told you have to talk to them. It’s a little awkward. You’re sitting there asking them questions like an step-mother who just caught them sneaking back in after a night out.
If someone came at me the same way I came at them with questions I’d think they were a little unbalanced; there’s something… well… intrusive about asking people questions right off the bat like that.
Interviewing a band is one thing. That’s fun. They have a thing you can witness and you can ask them questions about that thing and everyone walks away happy. Interviewing people who’s ideas matter? That’s a whole other ballgame. Then, I suppose, it feels intrusive to ask people about the inside of their head. It’s sort of like being asked into someone’s apartment for twenty minutes, running around the whole time, asking them “WHAT DOES THIS LAMP MEAN” and “WHY ARE YOU ALL OUT OF MILK DO YOU NOT DRINK MILK DID MILK RAPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHAT DOES IT MEAN” etc etc etc.
So I had an interview today that went surprisingly well – with Cenk from The Young Turks. Really cool guy. It was sort of like talking to a college professor.
I kinda came at this whole writing career choice the same way one might pick a late night meal – through necessity (money) and an honest desire for it (I’m hungry, mentally, if you will). But I came at it initially thinking it was kind of a joke. And, to an extent, it still is. By and large its entertainment. To that end, I guess, that interview today made me think a lot about (not so much “growing up” but) learning a lot more.
I’ve always been fascinated by ignorance. Ignorance doesn’t necessarily mean “stupidity” – although they’re both used in the same breath a lot of the times. Ignorance is simply “not knowing” – the capacity is there for people to know, does that make sense?
So, coming into that interview ignorant, asking this guy questions, and then being blown away by the depth of some of these answers… that was a lot of fun. It’s exciting to learn that you still have a lot to learn. That means there’s so much more out there that you don’t know. I’m excited to learn about all this new shit out there now.
Anyway. Hope that kind-of helped somebody, somewhere, maybe, possibly. I’m going to go drink a Diet Coke now.
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reporterly reblogged this from nedhepburn and added:
Interviews are the best and most stressful part
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THIS.
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lightinwinter said:
You’re awesome. That is all.
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be-kavalier said:
I’m interviewing someone for a podcast project that I’m doing with a friend in a week or two. What are your best tips for a great interview?
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This is really great.
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