The Man Who Became Big Bird

An interview with Caroll Spinney, who, at 81, has worked at “Sesame Street” as the puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for 45 years.

Source: Longreads
Published: May 6, 2015
Length: 13 minutes (3,430 words)

Celebrating Singlehood and Reclaiming the Word ‘Spinster’

An interview with Kate Bolick about the single women in history who helped her understand how she could live on her own terms.

Source: Longreads
Published: Apr 21, 2015
Length: 19 minutes (4,797 words)

Smearch, Fidgital, Skinjecture: Creating New Terms for the Modern World

Lizzie Skurnick on her new book of neologisms and why she’s republishing beloved young adult books from her youth.

Source: Longreads
Published: Apr 7, 2015
Length: 18 minutes (4,597 words)

The Twisted History of Your Favorite Board Game

An interview with Mary Pilon about her new book, The Monopolists, which uncovers the real story about how Monopoly became the game it is today.

Source: Longreads
Published: Mar 12, 2015
Length: 16 minutes (4,113 words)

A Conversation With Writer Colm Tóibín on the ‘Close Imagining’ of Fiction

Longreads spoke with Tóibín, who splits his time between Dublin and New York, by phone about the protagonists he’s compelled to write about and how he goes about creating their worlds.

Source: Longreads
Published: Feb 24, 2015
Length: 17 minutes (4,283 words)

Finding Stories in Familiar Territory: An Interview With Miranda July

We spoke recently by phone about her relationship with her characters, the evolution of her work, and where her novel came from.

Source: Longreads
Published: Jan 22, 2015
Length: 14 minutes (3,540 words)

Interview: Simon Rich on Guilt, Humor Writing, and Being the Worst Person Ever

An interview with humorist Simon Rich on comedy, writing stories for the New Yorker vs. writing sketches for SNL, and his new book Spoiled Brats.

Source: Longreads
Published: Oct 14, 2014
Length: 17 minutes (4,290 words)

Interview: Caitlin Moran on the Working Class, Masturbation, and Writing a Novel

An interview with journalist, critic, and essayist Caitlin Moran, who just published her debut novel, How to Build a Girl.

Source: Longreads
Published: Sep 26, 2014
Length: 13 minutes (3,300 words)