Pablo Torre Finds Out One Dream After Another: The Storytelling Secrets of This American Life's Ira Glass
Oct 7, 2025
Ira Glass, a veteran radio producer and the voice behind This American Life, dives into the art of storytelling, reflecting on nearly 30 years of navigating narrative journalism. He shares insights on public persona versus private life, his thoughts on the show's funding challenges, and contrasting feelings about his separation reported through his work. Ira also discusses transforming radio stories into musicals with Lin-Manuel Miranda and his envy of modern news formats like The Daily, all while navigating his minimal engagement with social media.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Private Response To Public Praise
- Ira Glass describes not enjoying praise and preferring private life over public adulation.
- He says people usually praise the show rather than him personally and he responds simply with thank you.
Mixed Feelings About Milestones
- Glass feels anniversaries can feel corny yet is quietly grateful the show lasted decades.
- He expresses mixed feelings: fatigue from the work and appreciation for longevity.
Revealing Personal Life Through A Story
- Glass recounts separating from his first wife and keeping it private from staff while producing a personal radio piece.
- He revealed the separation to staff only when the story required it during an edit read.
