Ira Glass, my hero

I'm writing this for my niece Martha, who is the only person I know who regularly reads anything here, and the only person I know (although there are millions) who listens to This American Life. Tonight I had the chance to listen to my hero, Ira Glass, host of TAL. He is every bit as charming, thoughtful, funny, and poetic in person as on the radio. Like most folks on the lecture circuit his talk is a well-honed piece. He integrates pieces from the show (and pieces that didn't make the show) with music, insights, and jokes. It is, surprisingly, just like the show!

Two things that I walked away with. First, the whole structure of storytelling. He pointed out the need for action, for building suspense, for moving the story forward. He said that when he interviews people he often asks them to back up, to tell things in order, asking "what happened next?" As he said a story is like a train, moving out of the station, gathering momentum, you want to know where it is going. You can't stop listening. Second, the meaning of storytelling. How stories are a way to see into the lives of others, to share their experiences. He noted how rare it is for any one of us to have someone in a day who really listens to our story, who cares about our lives. And, how we can listen to the stories of others. Oh, and a third thing, I realized that while I know the basic outline of the story of the Arabian Nights, I don't really know as much as I now would like to know.

A wonderful night.