The Art of the Interview: Lessons from a Master of the Craft

Book arrived on time, in excellent condition and I even had a follow-up contact from the seller to be sure I got it. Good experience.

As one aspiring to become an interviewer, Grobel's book acts as what I feel, a decent guide for even the most amateur interviewer. Sure, as many have pointed out, this book does seem to double as a memoir. Still, one can find pointers, or at least relevance. Particularly what was fascinating about this book was just the way in which he talked about his interviews. I mean, it is always good to have a presence of sorts when interviewing, and this seems to come out in his book. Now my greatest problem is that it is hard to equate interviews with Barrymore to interviews with the local police chief; however, Grobel does make it seem possible enough, and that is what matters.

A wonderful read...there's some really juicy information about some high profile people in here too. Very accessible and highly interesting.

Over the last three decades, John Brady's classic book "The Craft of Interviewing" has become somewhat sine qua non amongst any serious practitioner of the interview profession. Sadly, a lot has changed in the world of journalism since Brady's landmark book was first released. Today students will discover a vastly different professional scenario awaiting them as they enter their journalistic careers. The business has not been kind to those who have mastered the craft of the interview. Magazines and newspapers are on a downward spiral and publishers have been forced to compromise their editorial content for advertising and sales, publicists run amok, the internet and magazine style television shows have spawned celebrity-driven puff pieces disguised as news. The age of pop journalism is upon us. The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel offers a new perspective and a first-hand account of what it's like to operate in the ever-changing world of modern interview writing. A certifiable master of the Q & A form, Grobel presents us with a no-holds-barred journey through today's world of overly-aggressive publicists, pampered celebrities, and magazine publishers who continue to marginalize the role of the classic in-depth interview. Lawrence Grobel is best known for his interviews in (...) magazine with such reclusive subjects as Al Pacino, Patty Hearst, Robert De Niro, Governor Jesse Ventura and others. Along with Alex Haley's earliest work for Playboy, Grobel's conversations with the late Marlon Brando at the actor's island hideaway in Tetiaroa, Tahiti is still recognized as one of the literary high marks for the popular magazine. Grobel's new book presents what appears to be a very difficult and challenging career choice for new writers, but if you dream of venturing into the world of high profile interviewing, he provides the reader with invaluable insights and riveting personal accounts of what it's like to face off with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Steve Martin, Norman Mailer, and others. Most readers will likely find the celebrity gossip here as much fun to read about, as it is to learn the craft of writing an interview. When it comes to the business of writing, Grobel is as upfront with his opinions as he expects his subjects to be, and he doesn't hold back when scrutinizing the styles and methods of Barbara Walters, Charlie Rose, Larry King, and other fellow interviewers. The book details numerous examples of the ins and outs of dealing with publicists, editors, and difficult interview subjects. His advice is frank and easily digestible, and I believe that the information provided here would be helpful to any individual studying to become a newscaster or journalist in either the print or broadcast medium. My favorite chapters on reading this book were the interviews with editors and fellow writers. These particular chapters offer some wonderful tips for aspiring writers on the methods of research, structure, writing, and publishin

Would you believe that there's a class in interviewing people at UCLA? Well there is, and it's tought by Lawrence Grobel. What I found astounding was the amount of preparation that he goes through before interviewing someone. After having it explained, it all makes sense. If you're going through the effort to travel to Tahiti to spend a week interviewing Marlon Brando, you're not going to get another chance to follow up with more questions later. But for the interview with Drew Barrymore he prepared 158 questions, that's right one hundred and fifty eight. I don't plan to go interview movie stars, but I've had job interviews, and the preparation he does in advance makes it clear that these techniques will work in both directions. The person interviewing you will turn out to be interview by you instead and can't help but be impressed with your preparation and understanding.