The Art of the Interview

Book excerpt: THE ULTIMATE INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE FINE ART OF INTERVIEWING “I had a fantasy the other night that this interview is so great that they no longer want me to act—just do interviews. I thought of us going all over the world doing interviews—we’ve signed for three interviews a day for six weeks.” —Al Pacino, in an interview with Lawrence Grobel Highly respected in journalist circles and hailed as “the Interviewer’s Interviewer,” Lawrence Grobel is the author of well-received biographies of Truman Capote, Marlon Brando, James Michener, and the Huston family, with bylines from Rolling Stone and Playboy to the New York Times. He has spent his thirty-year career getting tough subjects to truly open up and talk. Now, in The Art of the Interview, he offers step-by-step instruction on all aspects of nailing an effective interview and provides an inside look on how he elicted such colorful responses as: “I don’t like Shakespeare. I’d rather be in Malibu.” —Anthony Hopkins “Feminists don’t like me, and I don’t like them.”—Mel Gibson “I hope to God my friends steal my body out of a morgue and throw a party when I’m dead.”—Drew Barrymore “I want you out of here. And I want those goddamn tapes!”—Bob Knight “I smoked pot with my father when I was eleven in 1973. . . . He thought he was giving me a mind-extending experience just like he used to give me Hemingway novels and Woody Allen films.”—Anthony Kiedis In The Art of the Interview, Grobel reveals the most memorable stories from his career, along with examples of the most candid moments from his long list of famous interviewees, from Oscar-winning actors and Nobel laureates to Pulitzer Prizewinning writers and sports figures. Taking us step by step through the interview process, from research and question writing to final editing, The Art of the Interview is a treat for journalists and culture vultures alike.