“This American Life” Host and Producer Ira Glass To Present “Radio Stories “and Other Stories” at Yale

Published: March 10, 2009

Ira Glass

New Haven, Conn. — Ira Glass, award-winning producer and host of the popular public radio program “This American Life,” will visit Yale as a guest of the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism, and deliver the Gary G. Fryer Memorial Lecture at Yale on Tuesday, March 24.

The lecture will take place at 5 p.m. in the Levinson Auditorium of Yale Law School, 127 Wall Street. The event is free and open to the public.

Glass’ presentation, “Radio Stories and Other Stories,” is based on his travels across country meeting people from all walks of life who have told him "unexpected stories that happen to be true." Glass will share some of his favorite stories, play audio clips from his show and answer questions from the audience.

To listen to some of the most popular episodes of “This American Life” online, visit:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Favorites.aspx

This American Life” airs on local radio stations including WNPR Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and on WSHU.

“This American Life” premiered on Chicago's public radio station WBEZ in late 1995 and is now heard on more than 500 public radio stations each week by over 1.7 million listeners. Most weeks, the podcast of the program is the most popular podcast in America.

In March 2007, the television adaptation of “This American Life” premiered on Showtime to great critical acclaim and in 2008 won two Emmy awards (Outstanding Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming). While producing the series for the cable network, Glass and his staff continue to create original radio shows.

Ira Glass began his career as an intern at National Public Radio's network headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 1978, when he was 19 years old. Over the years, he worked on nearly every NPR network news program and held virtually every production job in NPR's Washington headquarters. He has been a tape cutter, newscast writer, desk assistant, editor, and producer. He has filled in as host of “Talk of the Nation” and “Weekend All Things Considered.”

Under Glass’ editorial direction,“This American Life” has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including the Peabody and DuPont-Columbia awards, as well as the Edward R. Murrow and the Overseas Press Club awards. The American Journalism Review declared that the show is “at the vanguard of a journalistic revolution.” It has won critical acclaim and attracted continuous national media attention over the years. In 2001, Time magazine named Glass “Best Radio Host in America.”

In 2007, Riverhead Books published “The New Kings of Non-Fiction,” a collection of narrative nonfiction essays chosen by Ira Glass. A feature film, “Unaccompanied Minors,” based on a story from the radio show was released by Warner Brothers in December 2006. The show has put out its own comic book, three greatest-hits compilations, a paint-by-numbers set, a "radio decoder" toy, and a DVD, which was created with cartoonist Chris Ware.

The Fryer Memorial Lecture commemorates Gary G. Fryer, who served as director of Yale’s Office of Public Affairs and special assistant to Yale President Richard C. Levin; Fryer directed the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale from 1994 until 1997. The lecture in his honor focuses on the ethical responsibilities of individuals involved in government, higher education and communications.

The Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale, which sponsors the Fryer Lecture, was established by Nelson Poynter, who received his master’s degree from Yale in 1927. The fellowship brings to campus journalists who have made significant contributions to their field. Recent Poynter fellows include David Brooks, Al Franken, Tom Friedman, Riz Khan, Charlie Rose, Margaret Warner, Michael Wilbon, Judy Woodruff and Bob Woodward.

Media wishing to cover the event must register in advance with the Yale Office of Public Affairs. No later than Tuesday, March 17, please send an email with your name, affiliation, a photograph and telephone number to kianti.roman@yale.edu

Organizations wishing to send more than one representative should send a single email with the required information for all individuals who will be covering the event.

Photographers can take photos without flash for the first five minutes of the presentation. Neither audio nor video recording of the lecture will be allowed.

There will be reserved seating for media on the balcony of Levinson Auditorium.

PRESS CONTACT: Kianti Roman 203-432-8055