In Conversation with Merve Emre on The Critic and Her Publics

Welcome to Season Four of The Critic and Her Publics: The Art of the Interview. This season, host Merve Emre talks with professional interviewers of all kinds about how they get the answer they’re looking for, what makes a good question, how do you listen for what’s unsaid, and how hard do you have to push someone before they say something new?

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From the episode: “Rachel Syme has interviewed all the grand dames of New York and Los Angeles: she’s had Cosmos with Carol Burnett, she’s accompanied Sarah Jessica Parker to the ballet, she’s shopped with Parker Posey at Rachel Comey, she’s Skyped with Patti LuPone and gabbed with Barbra Streisand on her landline. At a time when the glossy profile feels hopelessly compromised, Rachel uses her deep knowledge of musicals, fashion, and old Hollywood to put meat on the bones of fame and fortune—and Rachel loves a good yarn. Our conversation was full of behind-the-scenes stories, showing how an interview can transform a mere celebrity into an icon.”

For a full transcript, head over to the New York Review of Books.

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The Critic and Her Publics
Hosted by Merve Emre • Edited by Michele Moses • Music by Dani Lencioni • Art by
Leanne Shapton • Sponsored by Alfred A. Knopf

The Critic and Her Publics is a co-production between the Shapiro Center for Creative Writing and Criticism at Wesleyan University, New York Review of Books, and Lit Hub.