During the making of this podcast, I learned a lot about my own relationship with gossip. I learned that what I really love (more than stories and twists and breaths) is how people come to life when they present a really juicy story. I’ve learned that the best gossip is universal: relatable enough that it doesn’t really matter who the players are or what the setting is as long as the bits are true. But it wasn’t until we recorded the season two premiere with Daniel Henderson that I learned that no matter how old the gossip is. Decades have passed and nothing is really in the face of drama.
What makes a great gossip story is not timeliness or proximity. Something that happened to your random coworker six months ago contains the same conspiracy as something happened to your roommate, but with this podcast we don’t carry the same personal luxury. We don’t know most of our listeners, and eventually we have more than eight weeks to complete the recording. That means gossip has to have something else, something that has a heart that beats on its own.
I know gossip is good for this week’s episode because when I listen to voicemail, my jaw goes off. Alex and I were texting while listening to it. The story is so good, so weird, so unexpected. Who cares if it happened more than 40 years ago?
This week Daniel Henderson Joined me on this time-machine ride in the 1980s. Danielle is a writer, a television showrunner, co-host of the podcast I Saw What You Did, and a memoirist. The Ugly Cry. Daniel and I talked about the inevitability of gossip after your return to town and how to write a memoir about your growing up experience — and publish it the week you go home — maybe you can get as much gossip as you can.
I then told Daniel a story about a girl who goes on vacation with her new boyfriend’s family just to get an accusation of theft, a grandma with a ‘best friend’ named Dot and a generation’s longing for a Kashmiri sweater.
Also! This week’s show has a special announcement: We’re having our first live gossip show in Cavite New York on June 1st! The only way you’ll be able to watch this show is in person! You can find ticket information here, and defector / general gossip supporters should check their emails for information on how they can get discounts for the event!
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And if you have any good yards that you would like to hear from us, email [email protected], or call 2-6-7-9-GOSSIP.
(A copy of this week’s episode can be found here)