Podcast Summary: The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: Terry Gross Talks with David Remnick
Date: January 6, 2020
Host: David Remnick
Guest: Terry Gross (Host of Fresh Air)
Event: Recorded live at the New Yorker Festival, October 2019

Overview

In this episode, David Remnick—editor of The New Yorker—engages in a compelling, in-depth conversation with legendary radio interviewer Terry Gross. Together, they explore Gross’s storied career, from her early days in public radio to her nearly 45-year tenure on NPR’s Fresh Air, dissecting the craft of interviewing, the evolution of women’s roles in radio, and the surprising intimacy of conversations held across distances. Gross candidly reflects on her process, challenges, and what gives her interviews their unique depth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Crafting a Great Interview

• Terry’s Process
  • Research is mostly conducted the night before; questions are written in the morning, often right before a 10 AM interview.

    “I do the research the afternoon and the night before, and then in the morning I write up the questions. My interview is often at 10 in the morning, so I don’t have a lot of time…” (Terry Gross, 03:02)

  • She multitasks during and after live shows, preparing intros and copy for future episodes.
• Role of Her Team
  • There’s a generational mix among Fresh Air’s staff, helping keep up with the overwhelming volume of pop culture.
  • Producers help preview films/TV; Terry herself reads the books and prepares for literary interviews.

The Ethics of Editing and Ground Rules

• Guest Comfort & “Do-Overs”
  • Gross gives guests permission to rephrase their answers mid-interview if needed, but with stipulations:

    “If at any point... they want a second crack at it, they can back up to an earlier part of the answer and say it again. But... start at the beginning of a sentence so we can make a clean edit.” (Terry Gross, 05:16)

  • If a question feels too personal, guests can signal her to move on.
• No “Do-Overs” for Politicians
  • She is clear: "Anybody who's in elected office or running for elected office." gets no second chances.

    “...I do not do that with politicians.” (Terry Gross, 06:42)

  • She avoids political interviews, feeling inadequately informed to challenge politicians’ talking points and unwilling to let them “get away with something.”

The Unique Intimacy of Remote Interviews

• Interviewing Remotely
  • David remarks on the oddity of not being face-to-face; Terry counters that this can enhance intimacy.

    “There is something incredibly, surprisingly intimate about having somebody's voice just fed into your ears, directly kind of into your head and your brain.” (Terry Gross, 09:08)

  • Without visual cues, all communication must come through the voice.

Terry Gross’s Early Life and the Path to Radio

• Growing Up & Early Radio Influences
  • Both Terry (Brooklyn) and David (NJ) grew up in an era with almost no female radio voices; she idolized AM personalities like Murray the K and pioneering DJ Allison Steele.

    “Allison Steele—the Nightbird. The night will soothe you like a tender mother folding you against her soft bosom…” (Terry Gross, 09:49–09:57, as Steele)

• Life Before Broadcasting
  • Gross had a brief, disastrous stint as a junior high English teacher in Buffalo, NY.

    “I got fired within six weeks because I was that good.” (Terry Gross, 12:22)

  • Fell into radio via a feminist show at her college station after temp jobs and “collective” living experiments.
  • Her first radio voice was high and nervous; eventually, she trained her voice through the Alexander Technique (posture and breathing exercises).

The Early Days of Women in Public Radio

• Systemic Change
  • Remnick notes that low pay in early NPR opened doors for women, with men seeking higher salaries elsewhere.

    “The thing you have to understand about a career like Terry Gross is that it was made possible by... public radio paid so poorly that women came to public radio.” (David Remnick, 16:47)

• Legacy of Bill Siemering
  • Siemering’s feminist values and policies fostered female voices on air.

    “Bill Siemering... had feminist values... he was told, you're making a big mistake. He knew he wasn't, and he set the tone.” (Terry Gross, 17:19)

Feminism and the Pipeline to NPR

• College Radio as Ground Zero
  • The women’s movement in the 1970s saw many feminists cutting their teeth at college radio, feeding the NPR talent pool.

Personal Weaknesses and Interviewer Insight

• Gross admits to shyness; radio gave her a “liberating” power to ask hard questions.

  “I was an inherently shy person and... the microphone kind of liberated me…” (Terry Gross, 20:00)

• She grew up “socialized to be liked,” but sees her job now as holding people accountable through probing questions.

  “And, like, suddenly, like, no, it’s not about being liked. It’s about doing your job, holding people accountable, asking probing questions...” (Terry Gross, 20:45)

Therapy vs. Interviewing

• Essential Differences
  • In therapy, the goal is the subject’s well-being; as an interviewer, she aims to clarify and shape her guest’s narrative.

    “I am there to help you clarify your thoughts... and to ask you questions that I think might be helpful in maybe... framing some new thoughts...” (Terry Gross, 21:47)

Memorable Interviews: The Honesty of Maurice Sendak

• Gross is recognized for drawing out deep emotional honesty, as with Maurice Sendak on mortality and grief.

  "My tears flow because two great, great friends died close together, a husband and a wife who meant everything to me... It’s very, very hard." (Maurice Sendak, 23:04)

• Gross believes demonstrating deep engagement with a guest’s work fosters this trust:

  “...The way to get somebody to speak honestly and openly isn’t to flatter them... it’s to ask questions that show your comprehension... and show through your questions that it has deeply affected you.” (Terry Gross, 24:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Research Discipline:

  “When it comes to the book, with a few exceptions, I will be the one who reads the book and... do all the processing of that.” (Terry Gross, 03:52)

• On Politicians:

  “I take politics too seriously to be in the position where I’m letting somebody get away with something.” (Terry Gross, 07:12)

• On First Hearing Her Voice:

  “When I first heard my voice, it was really a horrible experience... it was like, oh, my God, do I sound that way?” (Terry Gross, 15:15)

• On Early Feminism at NPR:

  “He [Bill Siemering] wanted women on the air. And he was told, you’re making a big mistake. He knew he wasn’t, and he set the tone.” (Terry Gross, 17:19)

• On Intimacy of Remote Conversations:

  “There is something incredibly, surprisingly intimate about having somebody’s voice just fed into your ears, directly kind of into your head and your brain.” (Terry Gross, 09:08)

Key Timestamps

• 01:33: David Remnick’s confession and admiration for Terry Gross’ interviewing style
• 03:02–03:52: Terry describes her research and prep process
• 05:16: Terry explains her “Bill of Rights” for guests
• 06:46: Terry’s hard line on not offering do-overs to politicians
• 09:08: The intimacy of voice-only interviews
• 12:22–12:58: Terry’s failed teaching job
• 13:42: The serendipitous path to her first feminist radio job
• 15:03–15:59: On discovering and training her own voice
• 17:19: On Bill Siemering’s feminist leadership at NPR
• 20:00: Gross’s thoughts on shyness and power
• 21:47: How interviewing differs from therapy
• 23:04–23:44: Maurice Sendak speaks about loss and mortality
• 24:13: Terry on building trust for authentic interviews

Closing Reflections

This conversation not only tracks Terry Gross’s remarkable career and personal journey but also reveals her philosophy and precise mechanics behind masterful interviewing. She underscores the values of preparation, humility, and genuine engagement, with insights relevant to interviewers—and listeners—everywhere.