The Art of the Interview: A Step by Step Guide to Insightful Interviewing

by Martin Perlich

Book Overview

Martin Perlich's 30+ years of interviewing experience can aid and inspire all levels of journalists. Both entertaining and instructive. Useful for interviewers and interviewees. Interview examples... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 0972208798
• ISBN13: 9780972208796
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Empty Press
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Masterful. Oh, yeah.

This delightful book is as much a `and then I ...' as it is a `and this is how you...' type of book. Martin Perlich (originally from Cleveland) was a young man in the right place at the right time, and happily grasped every opportunity made available to him. He describes his triumphs as well as his goofs in this book which is, really, a combination text-book and memoir. Every page contains a famous name-or two, or three. Mr. Perlich has interviewed rightfully famous folk as well as celebrity-type folks, and cheerfully tells us how he got that story. For the classical music buff, the episodes about famous musicians will be all-too-short, but yet entertaining, even if too short. There are also tales about rock/pop musicians, athletic stars, politicians, and would-be's in each of those categories. For the person who wishes to conduct interviews-whether written or recorded (audio or visually) his tips cannot fail to be helpful to the novice as well as the more experienced reporter. Mr. Perlich is very willing to give credit where credit is due, a most enjoyable trait. He happily acknowledges those who helped him along the way. I could wish the book was twice the size it is-probably you will, too. Hint, hint.

Beyond the interviewing realm

An interview - well, I never gave it much thought. But now, after reading The Art of the Interview I'll never hear one the same again. The author, Martin Perlich presents the interviewer begining with a blank sheet of paper or glob of clay and it is his/hers task to create the Mona Lisa or drop the ball, so to speak. The end product becomes a work or art; hence the title. The book gives some very practical advise on how to prepare for and conduct a good interview. If this were the whole focus of the book it wouldn't have held my interest throughout. Perlich see the that interview is about remaining open to possibilities, entering situations without set goals in mind and allowing space for spontaneity, growth and even insight to happen -just like life. Mr. Perlich's approach and philosophy extends well beyond the interview realm. Lots of common sense advice, a bit of Buddhism, the politics dealing with stars and more than a touch of wisdom. Lest you believe the Art of the Interview to be too philosophical it is chocked full of small tidbits of fun stories covering the range from Jack Kennedy's sex life to Jerry Lee Louis' defense of his marriage to a very young teenage bride. Definitely a good read.

Perlich delivers a good read

A sleeper! This is one of the most delightful books I've read recently. It will become a holiday gift for friends and clients. I've decorated this book with food stains since it stole my attention, accompanying me to every possible solo meal for a week. It's as if Kurt Vonnegut was writing for and editing People Magazine. Perlich can write. His style is more compelling than one expects to find in such a slim volume (don't ask me why), and hardly a sentence goes by without a fresh turn of phrase. From the first page I felt pulled by the current through some interesting canyons, those being both of the call and response of interviewing and then also of the pantheon of musical and social icons he has interviewed over the decades. Having done some interviews myself lately, I was very interested in the interview process, but I found it was his interview stories that just take off. Many are lifetime "keepers," like the one with Jerry Lee Lewis, where Perlich raises a question that goes directly to one of Lewis' shall we say, less well considered life decisions, even though it takes up less than a page. The range of personalities is not only wide but the list has gravitas and covers about 40 years of interviews. Normally wide range could be expected and gravitas is a plus, but this is 141 pages! There are some great chuckles and genuinely intimate `revealings' of such a wide ranging characters as Leonard Bernstein and (the aforementioned) Jerry Lee Lewis, Isaac Stern and Oscar Brown Jr., Ron Kovic to Bill Evans. I mean, them's some heavy and very interesting folk, and nothing as dopey as a Hillary Clinton.That having been said, what I found most interesting were his philosophical insights in the instructional "how to" elements; how to communicate by the dual `humilities' of preparing and of listening. In this respect, the book is really about mediating the two complementary "energies" in any endeavor, each of which could be characterized by the two foundational Chinese philosophies, as I understand them; Confucianism ("structure") versus Taoism ("formlessness"). The Confucian "duty" is a worship of "role"; to be the best "interviewer" you can be. Paradoxically, Perlich demonstrates how that comes about only by observing its opposite, the "Tao", (I guess that's why they have two!) the embodiment of being aware of the emptiness of the moment needing to be filled or seized, such as challenging a star like Frank Zappa with a question that might end the interview but instead yields an insight. Perlich gives a professional bow to the marquee stars like Larry King or Charlie Rose for their preparation and abilities, although I feel betrayed by them as they invariably "soft ball" the very people we need to be made accountable. Here I think Perlich belongs to the higher school of the profession, more akin to Oriana Fallaci or Marc Cooper (however odious as a pseudo-left operative) who obviously have the depth of knowledge AND "cajones" that allow them

To be Interested, helps make us Interesting

I don't work in the news, broadcast or entertainment media, and have never done "Professional" interviews. Yet I found "The Art of The Interview" a fast and fascinating read. My interest was piqued by the many accomplished, talented people Mr. Perlich has interviewed, over his long career in radio. These people include Randy Newman, Leonard Bernstein, Gore Vidal, Frank Zappa, Iona Brown, and Jose Carras, to name just a few. Though I wanted to learn more about them; it is not the purpose of the book to do short bio sketches of celebrities. And perhaps, what I got out of the book was also not its main purpose. What impressed me most goes beyond the nuts and bolts of interviewing. His book brings into focus the fact that people, not just "celebrities", generally like to tell their stories to others. It's flattering to most of us when others take an interest in who we are. This book has helped me to understand this and has given me valuable tools in knowing how, and what questions to ask, in order to get to know others better. This in turn, can help make me a more interesting and fun person to be around, whether I'm making business contacts, or just meeting new people at a party. Unless you're a recluse living in a cave; knowing good interview techniques, as outlined by Mr. Perlich, is a helpful art for all. Knowing how to be interested in others, makes us more interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone not living the life of a hermit.

The Interview as an Art form

In a time when news is supposed to contain "value", and truth is at best subjective, comes this book by Martin Perlich, who began his broadcast career when an interviewer was supposed by his peers, superiors, and audience to be searching for truth while engaging his subjects.Perlich provides a view from the other side of the mic.If you have wondered what it might be like to ask questions of prominent people,to be a conduit for the transmission of information, and to be able to shape the message, read this book. "The Art of the Interview"has stories of encounters with Leonard Bernstein, George Szell,Frank Zappa, Randy Newman, Stephen Stills, Gore Vidal, Martin Mull, and Lou Reed to name a few. The story of his final question to Jerry Lee Lewis during taping of an installment of NBC's "Midnight Special" is worth the purchase price by itself.If you wondered what an interviewer does, or if you are attracted to the job, read this book. If you are wondering about the current crop of "infotainment" hacks we see oozing from our screens, read this book.