This American Life Bonus: Nancy's Deep Cuts
Jul 17, 2025
Nancy Updike, a longtime producer and the first hire of Ira Glass, shares her insights on creating compelling radio stories. They discuss the power of vulnerability, reflecting on how a eulogy sparked personal revelations. Through anecdotes, they explore the depths of friendship, loss, and the challenges of storytelling. The conversation also touches on the evolution of radio identity, striking a balance between privacy and public life. As they reminisce about family and childhood, listeners are invited to engage with the intimate narratives that shape our identities.
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Revealing A Private Separation
- Ira reveals he had been separated from his wife Anahid for years and had kept it secret from staff.
- He first told colleagues by reading this personal essay aloud in an edit session, surprising many coworkers.
Daily Friendship With Mary
- Ira describes his daily friendship with Mary, who he met in a dog park and talked to nearly every night for a decade.
- He recounts her life, caregiving for cousin John, neighborhood history, and how much he misses her bad advice now that she is gone.
John's Bedbug Obsession
- Ira tells the story of Mary's cousin John, who became obsessed with imagined bedbugs and hauled laundry into the dining room.
- Mary refused to indulge him, and Ira suggested a fake exterminator to calm John, showing their different caregiving approaches.