DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Nancy Updike, a founding producer and senior editor at This American Life, and Jenelle Pifer, a former Longform Podcast editor and current senior producer at Serial. They discuss their new three-part podcast series, 'We Were Three,' which centers around Rachel McKibben, a poet who lost her brother and father to COVID-19 in quick succession.
Updike shares how she was drawn to McKibben's story after reading her tweets about the losses and her attempts to piece together her family's history. She highlights the collaborative process with Pifer in shaping the narrative and deciding the length of the series. Pifer explains her role in providing an editorial perspective and guiding the storytelling approach.
The conversation delves into the challenges of crafting a personal story, the emotional resonance of McKibben's words, and the decision to end the series on an open-ended note, reflecting the ongoing nature of grief and understanding. Updike and Pifer discuss the unique aspects of working together and allowing McKibben's voice to guide the narrative.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The podcast series 'We Were Three' explores a personal story of grief and family through the lens of a poet who lost her brother and father to COVID-19.
- Updike and Pifer collaborated to shape the narrative, with Pifer providing an editorial perspective and Updike allowing the subject's voice to guide the storytelling.
- The series aims to capture the complex emotions and ongoing process of understanding and making sense of loss.
- The decision to end the series on an open-ended note reflects the ongoing nature of grief and the journey of finding meaning.
- The project highlights the challenges and rewards of crafting a personal narrative while navigating the collaborative dynamics between a host and producer.
- Updike's own experience of being the subject of a story provided a unique perspective on the storytelling process and the relationship between subject and interviewer.
- The series showcases the depth and complexity of storytelling beyond surface-level narratives, exploring the intersections of personal experiences and broader societal issues.
- Pifer's role as a producer involved guiding the narrative approach and providing an editorial lens, while respecting Updike's storytelling instincts and the subject's voice.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “We were doing a lot of talking about, for Nancy, what are the driving questions you tend to be attracted to? There were a few things we came up with, one of which was that you tend to gravitate toward stories where somebody is in the middle of something that they don't know what to make of yet, and you kind of just want to sit with them and see what direction they walk in, or what they say, or what meaning they put onto something.“ by Jenelle Pifer
- “I felt like sometimes she was like, I don't fucking have time for this. Cause I got this other stuff going on, and I was like, I hear you, and I'm sorry to be calling you, and I will text you tomorrow and see if it's a better day to talk.“ by Nancy Updike
- “I also do think one element of it that was collaborative in a particular way with Rachel, between Rachel and you, is that. And you say this in the show, at one point, you're like, we have separate but overlapping missions and had in mind the ways in which what you were doing was the same and what you were doing was different.“ by Jenelle Pifer
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Episode Information
Longform
Longform
11/2/22