Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Ira Glass on storytelling

A student, after hearing me go on about Ira Glass, sent me a link to a series of four interviews with him, some years ago, about storytelling. He's speaking about broadcasting and radio, but almost everything he says applies to non-fiction writing too. Very interesting and fun. #1 and #3 are particularly good.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=loxJ3FtCJJA

We've survived! Yesterday, the huge maple tree in my neighbour's yard was a sky-high mass of yellow leaves, and this morning was nearly 100% denuded. That's the force of the wind and rain overnight. But nothing here compared to the eastern seaboard in the States. I'm waiting to hear from my cousin Ted, who lives in upper Manhatten during the week but has his real home on the water on Long Island. I hope his house, full of the antiquities he has collected in decades of world travel, came through.

My poor brother is burning out in Ottawa, so I'm on my way again this Friday. But for now, sitting with yet another glass of maroon liquid, listening to dire news on the radio and looking out at the incessant rain. Tonight - the Giller Prize on TV, hosted by my neighbour, that best-selling author Jian Ghomeshi. Every year as I sit in front of the TV, I always feel briefly like Cinderella, in my rags watching famous writers at play. But then I remember - they're celebrating FICTION. What a waste of time.

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