‘Great Interviews of the 20th Century’ was the heading that caught my attention on the train (I confess in someone else’s newspaper!) The Guardian are publishing 14 interviews.. I was facinated.. Whose stories stood out or held our interest over time? Which interviewers revealed something unique in an individual and their story?
What is it about someone else’s story that is so fascinating? Are we searching for inspiration, hope or some explanation or understanding of life? I was struck by the contrast between the depth and diversity in these ‘Great’ interviews and the blandness and sameness in some celebrity interviews. Surely what makes an interview is a story, not just an aspirational lifestyle – something that truly engages the emotions of the reader.
We can get so busy with other people’s lives and stories, that we miss our own and the inspiration and understanding these can bring us. What are your stories (yes – they’ll be more than one!) and when did you last tell them to yourself?
OK, I’ve left you in suspense long enough.. The Guradian Interviews are:
1) Richard Nixon by David Frost
2) Diana, Princess of Wales by Martin Bashir
3) John Lennon by Jann Wenner
4) Marlon Brando by Truman Capote
5) Dennis Potter by Melvyn Bragg
6) Francis Bacon by David Sylvester
7) Marilyn Monroe by Richard Meryman
8) Sex Pistols by Bill Grundy
9) Malcolm X by Alex Haley
10) Adolf Hitler by GS Viereck
11) F Scott Fitzgerald by Michael Mok
12) Margaret Thatcher by Terry Coleman
13) Fidel Castro by Herbert Matthews
14) Mae West by Charlotte Chandler
Source: Guardian Great Interviews (2 & 9 appear in the Observer)
