The Soup Cans Interview: Paul Mueller

Paul Mueller has been in the television news business for 15 years and during that time, not once has he felt the need to come out of the closet. That's because he's always been open about his sexuality. The openly gay news anchor has toiled on news desks all over the country but has recently found his way back home on home turf in New England, this time anchoring over at ABC affiliate WLNE-TV. Mueller spoke to Soup Cans about his life as an out news anchor and he also shared with us his thoughts about the recent departure from WHDH of his friend and long-time Boston anchor Randy Price. Mueller told us that "Randy has ended yet another chapter of his life." He added, "If I know Randy, he has many more chapters to go. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see him pop up at another station in Boston in the future. Not only is he one of the few remaining distinguished journalists on the Boston landscape, he's also a very good guy who's always willing to help young journalists further their career."

Why is it that there are so few visible gay news anchors?

Why are there so few visible gay anchors? I think this is, in part, because most general managers would rather hire a straight man as their main anchor. Sure, the gay and lesbian community has come a long way in the last few decades but as one of the main faces of the station, I think management tends to avoid gay men and lesbians as they cater to their audiences. Of course, there are a handful of gay anchors I know. Some are out, others are not. I've always been very forthcoming about my sexuality with management. Being gay just adds an extra dimension to a person's personality. As for management at my station, I think being gay was actually a plus when being chosen as the early afternoon anchor and lead nightside reporter. There are plenty of gay reporters out there but, of course, they are in very different roles. They are not the main faces of the station.

Read on to hear Mueller's thoughts about ditching the news business, why an anchor's "coming out" is his/her own prerogative and how he has to explain to some of his admiring viewers that just because he's missing a wedding band from his ring finger doesn't mean that he's looking for a wife.


What are some of the biggest challenges facing gay news anchors?

I think as news anchors, we face so many challenges each and every day, regardless of whether we are gay, straight, or somewhere in between. Can Joe and Mary Bluejean relate to an openly gay anchor? Of course, to answer that question would be to make a sweeping generalization. Some could. Other's couldn't. It's so important that the audience connects with the anchor team and it's up to each and every individual and their willingness to watch a gay news anchor. On the lighter side of things, I receive plenty of emails asking if I'm single since I don't wear a wedding ring and I always reply by saying -- you know, I'm not in a relationship but I try to keep work separate from my personal life. If they press on with another email, that's when I respectfully tell them that I'm interested in men, not women.

With such an attitude shift about gays and lesbians in the country lately, what do you think about the possibility of seeing a major closeted network or cable news anchor coming out sometime soon?

I have many friends who are correspondents for the networks who are gay, and many of them are very open about it. Of course it's up to the individual whether he or she decides to come out. I don't believe it's up to anyone else to "out" them. There are several major cable news anchor who I can think of who are gay that haven't publicly revealed their sexual orientation. Do they need to? That's really a decision they have to make based on their confidence level. We want to be seen as journalists and not the gay journalist. Sometimes coming out seems to muddy the waters and makes viewers more concerned about sexual orientation than story content and delivery.

Television news is a tough business. Was there ever a moment during your career that you thought you should just ditch it and try something else?

I'd be lying if I said no. I think television news is one of the toughest, cut-throat businesses there are. I was laid off as the weekend anchor from the WB affiliate after the station owners sold to another station. From there, I freelanced for quite some time. I even went out to Seattle to try a change of location. To say it didn't work would be a complete understatement. It was in Seattle that I really questioned if I had come to the end of the line in my career. The phone wasn't ringing. Freelance work was tough to get. I almost threw in the towel but luckily didn't. I've now come back home and continue to do what I love.

Over the years, you've bounced back and forth from New England to other parts of the country. How does it feel to back working in the region once again?

It's always good to be home and close to family and friends. I started off in Tyler, Texas and lived there for 2 years and made countless trips back home to Boston because I missed New England so much. There's nothing like being in the area I grew up in and know the people, political figures, ways to correctly say the names of cities and towns because I've been there. There's nothing better than getting a status report from my mother as to my performance on the news that night!

What story in your career has affected you the most?

This is a timely question. We're coming up on the 6th anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island. I was one of the first reporters on the scene that frigid February night. The building went up in flames in a mere 3 minutes. People were piled one on top of the other just feet from freedom. They are images that will never leave me. I had never seen that much emergency equipment in my life, that many emergency responders. I'll never forget the look on people's faces as they walked aimlessly in the street, having been in the club just minutes before and now it was reduced to nothing but rubble. We all know about the 6 Degrees of Separation. In Rhode Island, since it is such a small state, it's more like 1/6 of a Degree of Separation. Out of the 100 people killed that night and 200 others injured, Rhode Islanders either knew one of those people or knew of someone who knew one of those injured or killed. I had worked for 10 hours that day before being rushed out the door to cover the fire. For the next 12 hours, I was on the air. It's something I will never, ever forget.

Who are your journalistic heroes?

Who are my journalistic heroes? Hmm, good question. I have to say Edward R. Murrow to start, Peter Jennings, one of my mentors Jeffrey Kofman of ABC News, and longtime aviation reporter now consultant to NBC Bob Hagar. I'm an avid aviation buff and there's no one who can tell a story like him. Also Steve Hartmann and the photographer he often works with, Les Rose. They did a segment for CBS called "Everyone has a story." The two of them were a dream team that really made stories come alive.

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The Soup Cans Interview: Brian Unger

Soup Cans editor Steve Pep recently had the chance to speak to multi-hyphenate (humorist, producer, writer and commentator) Brian Unger. The former "The Daily Show" correspondent, who has on occasion filled in for Keith Olberman on MSNBC (someone please give this guy his own cable show already!), has been making the country (especially us) laugh with his terrificly witty and deadpan "Unger Report" on NPR. But enjoy that feature on the radio while you still can - Unger's final day at NPR is on March 20.

What is the process for coming up with stories for your "Unger Report" segment on NPR's "Day to Day?"

This is a good question, Steve. Adequately preparing the Unger Report for NPR listeners weekly -- each Monday morning -- is a delicate waltz. First, I prospect for stories and monitor their trajectory and sustainability in the week's news cycle. I think of the news cycle as a sewer pipe with stories flowing through it. Some stories ripen mid-week, and rot. Some lose their potency, their news value because CNN journalist Rick Sanchez beats them to death with his journalism stick. Other stories sustain longer and flow through the news sewer pipe for the entire week, but after those stories have been handled, consumed, talked out, mocked, or satirized by Letterman, Leno, Kimmel, Colbert, Stewart, the cast of SNL, Maher, Olbermann, Ferguson, O'Brien, Shearer, Garrison Keiller, Peter Sagel, Frank Rich, Maureen Dowd, 2.6 million bloggers, my friend Neal, and, finally, Carson Daly, there's really little left to say. The echo chamber in the sewer pipe is deafening when you're standing alone at the end of it, Steve.

And by week's end, the news buffet, the journalistic cupboard, or sewer, is bone dry, empty and bare, certainly by Sunday morning. Whatever crumbs, or waste residue, are leftover, George Will usually consumes later that morning. That leaves me, Brian Unger, still, with nothing to say. So I'm typically in a desperate search for a topic, issue, or story with an iota of interest or appeal. Sometimes I just call in sick. Of course, none of this applies if a story breaks on Friday night, or over the weekend in which case I get first crack at news, and in essence, become a humorous Cronkite-like figure for people stuck in traffic listening to public radio.

Keep reading to find out what Unger has to say about Keith Olbermann, his stint on the Fox News Channel (and not the hit show "24") and a lot more.

In your opinion, what is the worst thing about working in television?

Feeling intellectually inferior to the people working in public radio.

And what is the worst thing about working in radio?

Feeling financially inferior to the people working in television.

Any thoughts on George Bush finally leaving office?

See answer to question #1.

You've filled in for Keith Olbermann on his show "Countdown." Is being a permanent host for a show like that something you'd be interested in for yourself?

Of course it is. I enjoyed filling in for Keith and was honored he and Phil Griffin at NBC News allowed me to do it. I'm a huge fan of Keith's, and his staff is one of the most talented in TV news - fake or real. It's tricky being the fill-in guy since it's not your race to run. You're not in the chair to win it, but keep it warm. So, you don't get to sprint and show off. It's not a bad job really -- subbing for hosts who get sick, go on vacation, who have a grievance against their bosses, or have a death in the family. A more permanent job would be nice, but displacing the third repeat of Lou Dobbs on HLN at 10 p.m. is no easy feat. I would really love to anchor a show from LA - Larry King seems to be the only presence out here, and so when he's finished interviewing Suzanne Somers, that leaves many smart, funny, and relevant people out here in this part of the country who aren't heard amid the dominant east coast chatter. But the blessing to get such a show, any show, has to come from above, and I don't mean from Jesus.

You were a correspondent on the "The Half-Hour News Hour" on the Fox News Channel. What was your experience like on that show?

Because I'm a journalist acting and an acting journalist, my agent sent me to audition in Chatsworth - a part of L.A. known for its production of pornography and the series "24" -- for what I was told in vague terms was a news-based comedy for "FOX." Out here, "FOX" means "The Simpsons" not "The Hannity." I had a couple of scenes in-hand, not an entire script. And Joel Surnow, the EP of this pilot - and creator of "24" - greeted all of us, but cautioned that some of the comedy in the pilot would be critical of the Left, and that if anyone had a problem, they should consider leaving. As you would expect, not one among our unemployed ranks exited the building in front of the EP of what was the hottest show on TV. Leaving would have blown my chances of getting on "24," forfeited my shot at bumping into Jack Bauer in the hallway, and made me look like I was a liberal without a sense of humor. After all, there are douchebags on the left as well as the right -- but mostly on the right. I rehearsed for the pilot, but for only the scenes I was cast. And those rehearsals complied with the Geneva Conventions. Rehearsals were held on the "24" set, in the conference room at CTU. For a fan of "24," it was intoxicating. It wasn't until tape day that I sobered up. As the studio audience sat quietly awaiting the cold open -- a videotaped piece -- I was as curious as they were to see what show I was in.

In the first sketch, Rush Limbaugh appeared as the president with Ann Coulter as his V.P. It got progressively more partisan from there, but not in a progressive way. "Oops," I said to myself, "Next time I should ask to see the entire script," unless Woody Allen is directing. I was a founding correspondent and a producer on "The Daily Show," I worked for NPR, I had just subbed for Keith -- it was not the right fit for me. My understanding is that "FOX" passed on the pilot. But "FOX NEWS" picked it up because Roger Ailes, I later learned, was a friend of Surnow's - who called me personally and graciously thanked me and asked me to join up. I thought that was very nice of him, but I was in an exclusive contract with The Discovery Channel. And so I wished him luck. I never got a role on "24."

Do you watch "The Daily Show" these days?

I do occasionally, and when I do, I feel proud.

Do you regret ever having taken the job with "Extra," which you were eventually fired from for not having the right look?

My "look" was only part of the problem. Ultimately it wasn't the right fit for either of us. No regrets. You gotta have a thick skin, because Hollywood is a toxic place. If not for that experience, I wouldn't have garnered the research I needed for my pilot at Comedy Central. And I did get to meet Keanu Reeves at the Matrix premiere, and question him vigorously on why he refused to make Point Break II. That also may have contributed to my dismissal.

You seem to keep yourself constantly busy with work. What's on your plate these days?

Season two of Discovery Channel's "Some Assembly Required," which I hosted, is in the can, and should air soon. There will not be a season three I've been told. So, if it "seems" that I'm constantly busy, good. Lately, I've had my hands full socializing my 1 year-old French Mastiff, Honey.

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The Soup Cans Interview: Lynne Russell

The Washington Post pretty much summed up how scores of people felt (ourselves included) when Lynne Russell left CNN Headline News in 2001 after 18 years at that network's anchor desk. “We are, frankly, devastated by the news… Lynne Russell is leaving…the future seems a little sadder” said the Post. Since her departure from CNN, Lynne's been keeping herself busy (as always) selling her own brand of silk lampshades, hawking real estate and hosting her own radio talk show. Soup Cans recently caught up with Lynne to talk about her professional and personal life as well as her new adopted home of Canada.

What are the biggest differences between anchoring a news desk in the US and anchoring one in Canada?  

Good question. First, let me say that I wouldn’t trade anything for the people I’ve worked with in the broadcasting industry in Canada. I have made some very dear friends. It’s interesting that there is a flow both ways across the border. As you know, there are many Canadians on the air in the States… although I might be the first American, and probably the last, to anchor the CBC (more on that in a minute). After nearly two decades with CNN - and then 5 years traveling and writing - I went back to TV news here in Canada, because it’s a hard habit to break. I did not expect it to be the same, and it wasn’t.

It’s actually difficult to compare the networks I know first-hand, since CNN is an American commercial network that’s all about immediacy, and CBC is Canadian government-run, without a breaking news approach. It is the BBC in a hockey sweater. Here are a couple of differences:

American networks do not promote themselves as lending a particular nationalistic viewpoint to the news (whatever one might think actually happens!). Yet CBC “Newsworld” promotes itself as providing “news with a Canadian perspective.” To me this is an astonishing admission, a disservice to the viewing public and exactly the opposite of what it should be. A journalist’s job – privilege and responsibility – is to tell the story, explain why it’s important, and then shut up and allow the public to draw their own conclusions. I have faith that they are very capable of this.

Then there’s breaking news as a priority: Even at small local stations, there will be at least a reporter on call in the evenings, to chase down facts and interviews when news happens. At the CBC that was not the case, as a large staff focused attention on the late evening program (which left me tap dancing around stories, and left the public uninformed unless they tuned to the other networks, which were indeed airing more information). That late evening program is the network’s “showcase”, an hour-long, slow-moving compilation with a documentary feel, that runs several more times in the course of a day. It’s very nicely done – some of it is brilliantly produced – but just don’t call it news.

Most telling, I suppose, was the day in 2006 when a Canadian was tragically killed in an American friendly-fire accident in Afghanistan, and I was abruptly replaced on my scheduled newscast by, well, by a Canadian. I wondered why there were two of us sitting in Makeup…

So yes, it was an experience. As they say in Jersey (and my family does), what’re you gonna do?

Read on to find out what Lynne has to say about The Patriot Act, Chuck Roberts, the legendary Jane Russell and the current state of TV news. We've also included a picture she kindly sent us of her most recent hairdo (we were in awe of her ever-changing hair in the 90's. So sue us.).

 
What are your feelings on the state of television news today? Do you miss it?

Sometimes I have an almost overwhelming urge to grab a news photographer and go right some wrong. That will always be there. I continue to feel a real dedication to the people’s right to know. As I speak to journalism classes at a college here, I keep hammering home that the exchange of information is the basis of a free society, and no contribution is too small. I know that sounds corny, but it’s the truth, and it isn’t something that changes over time.

And I continue to be optimistic about television news reporting (and anchoring, which, when it’s done right, is simply reporting from the set), although there should be less “I” in the copy. When you’re telling me about my world today, I don’t care what you think, what you want after the break, or who you talked with last week. Skip the self-promotion and show biz. Get to the news.
 
Not many people pursue their interests with as much fervor as you do. To name just a few, you are a licensed private detective, sheriff's deputy, a black belt in Choi Kwang Do and design lampshades. How does someone acquire the focus and drive to do so many different things with such passion?

That’s very flattering. Maybe it’s a lack of focus, ever think of that?! It’s just that we should not let other people place limits on what we think we can accomplish in our lives. When we realize that we can actually try the things that interest us… and we understand that discontinuing them is not a sign of weakness or failure, that just having the guts to sample something new is an accomplishment… then we’re free to have some fun! You use the word “passion”, and you’re right. That’s the key.

 
Why did you decide to get involved in real estate?

In the States, I enjoyed buying, leasing out, and selling houses. There – and here –  I was exposed to the good, the bad and the ugly. I always thought that if I had the chance, I’d like to be the agent I wished I’d had, on more than one occasion. So voila.
 
What kind of similarities do you see between news and real estate?

In both cases, you have to take the initiative. Reminds me of an important lesson I learned from a Secret Service agent, when I worked for a Honolulu station. As a visiting dignitary was making his way through a crowd and getting into his limo, I yelled to the agent, “What are the odds he’ll slow down so I can talk to him?” (okay, I was hoping he’d help me out with that) and the agent shouted back, “Make your own odds, Lynne!”  So I did, and I got the interview. Same thing with the rest of life, including real estate. The opportunities are there, but you’ve got to make them yours.
 
You and Chuck Roberts were the king and queen of Headline News in the 1990's. What was your relationship with him like? Do the two of you still talk?

We’re still in touch. Chuck is my hero, and should be running the place. He did the very first Headline News-cast. He’s kind, intelligent, experienced and even-tempered. We’ll always be friends. I have a photo in my living room of the two of us on one of our many General Election nights. He always did the politics (which he totally gets… amazing, since he doesn’t play politics, himself. This is a compliment.) and I did the rest of the world. His was more interesting.
 
How do you feel about news anchors also being viewed as sex symbols?

Smoke it if you’ve got it.
 
In your book, How to Win Friends, Kick Ass and Influence People, you talk about the possibility about you and your friend Jane Russell being related. Have you ever confirmed that to be true?

Jane sent me lots of family information and photos, which my mom misplaced. Jane’s dear late husband, John, thought we were related, and got us together. She’s the original glamour girl, so I hope it’s true. Whenever I write, I sign it ‘the other Russell”. She’s so gracious, she told me that I should re-take the picture on the back cover of How to Win Friends, Kick Ass and Influence People using the same haystack pose she made famous in The Outlaw. To me, that was the ultimate compliment.
 
In the past you've said you couldn't reveal which celebrities you've been a bodyguard to because it would "blow (your) cover." Do you still work as a bodyguard? If not, can you now reveal who you've worked for?

That’s right, had to pass up being on Tom Snyder’s last week of talk shows (he was my favorite interviewer, ever) because I couldn’t reveal clients. Unfortunately, I still can’t, just a matter of keeping to the word of the contract. Haven’t done much body guarding, lately. Legal guns are so hard to come by up here, it wouldn’t be as much fun anyway!
 
Your first book was such a fun read. Do you plan to write another?

Thanks. Back in 2005, I was nearly finished with “Enemy of the State: the state of personal liberties in post 9/11 America” when I realized three things: my co-author cared more about his tennis game, publishers either didn’t care or didn’t dare to take up the issue, and Americans sadly weren’t willing to consider that their daily lives, their privacy, their liberty and their well-being were in jeopardy at the hands of their own government (especially the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act). Much of what the book demonstrated as a clever but sad set of circumstances for one fictitious family, became commonplace fact. We weren’t willing to ask enough questions, so in a sense we got what we deserved.

And, yes, I did put my money where my mouth is. After I left CNN, I was asked to do some instructional videos for the federal government, to train local police to operate according to federal requirements, and I had to say that I could not in good conscience do it. The way things were going, I had no idea how my contribution might adversely affect individual rights.

At present, I’m having fun with a quick-read novel about (how original) a television reporter who is also a private detective. It’s very much based in fact. Yet there are so many similarities with some of Janet Evanovich’s details, I’m changing mine. She, of course, has nothing to worry about anyway!
 
You currently have your own talk show on Newstalk 1010 in Toronto. How does it feel to be more candid about what you have to say on the air?

Took some getting used to. Being a professional question mark for so long requires that you see both sides of absolutely everything, and honestly it’s hard to stop. But for those two hours, I’ve got it goin’ and there’s no turning back. Where but on talk radio could you say that Sarah Palin would be a vice president who winks like she’s turning tricks?

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The Soup Cans Interview: Benoit Denizet-Lewis

So far, 2009 has been a big year for openly gay New York Times journo Benoit Denizet-Lewis. Over the past week, he has come out as a sex addict in a talked about Times essay (when we asked him if coming out as a sex addict was more difficult than coming out as a gay man he answered with a resounding "hell yes") and his debut book landed in bookstores all across the country. In America Anonymous, a compelling and intimate look into the all-consuming world of addiction, Denizet-Lewis follows eight people trying to regain control of their lives. We chatted with about the book, it's subject matter and the author's own struggles with addiction.


What was it like for you to immerse yourself so intimately in the lives of the eight men and women you followed, some for as long as three years?

Expensive! =) I wanted to write about people from all across the country, so I spent a lot of time in trains, planes, and automobiles. I also wanted to profile different kinds of people--from a bisexual bodybuilder to an alcoholic grandfather to a college sex addict. It was an honor to be allowed into their lives for the years I followed them.

What do you hope the reader will take away from America Anonymous?

A more nuanced and empathetic understanding of addiction in this country. Addiction is our costliest and most misunderstood public health problem, one that exacerbates or triggers many of our most pressing social problems--skyrocketing health care costs, crime, poverty, and our overcrowded jails and backlogged criminal justice system. But we don't treat it like a major health problem, partly because we can't agree on what we're talking about (is addiction a disease? A moral failing?), and partly because the millions of Americans in recovery have been talking to each other for years in church basements and have failed to create an advocacy movement demanding that we start treating addiction like we do other illnesses. I also hope readers will come away with a greater understanding of addictions to things like sex and food. I wanted to write a book that went beyond drugs and alcohol and really looked at a whole host of behaviors that neuroscientists are now beginning to see as true addictions that affect similar parts of the brain as drugs and alcohol. Finally, I hope this book will put a dent into the shame, stigma, and confusion that still color our cultural understanding of addiction.

In the book, you talk very openly about your own struggle with sex addiction and trace one of the primary causes of the addiction back to a lack of love and understanding from your parents. What's been their response to this revelation?

It's really anyone's guess where my sex addiction came from. We know there is a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, but was I genetically predisposed to sex addiction? Or was the fact that my mother never hugged me or said she loved me to blame? Or is it something else that caused this? Why can I take or leave drugs and alcohol but can waste entire days and weeks in online chat rooms looking for sex, no matter the consequences? I like to say that anyone who tells you they have addiction all figured out is on crack. Addiction is very, very complicated, but we can learn a lot from the stories of the eight people I follow in America Anonymous. As for my parents, they are two of my closest friends today and are incredibly supportive.

After the jump, more talk about addiction and Denizet-Lewis reveals his crush on a certain silver fox.

How do you feel about the way certain films and television shows (such as Californication & Trainspotting) treat the subject of addiction?

It depends on the addiction. There have been many great films about drug addiction and alcoholism, but good luck trying to get someone to write a smart movie about sex addiction. It's much easier to make fun of people who suffer from sexual compulsivity than to portray them accurately and humanely.

What's been the response so far from current and former addicts who have read the book?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive so far, both to the book and to my "Modern Love" essay about my sex addiction. In the day or two after the essay ran, I received hundreds of emails from people all across the country who thought they were the only one who had this problem. To give you an idea of the kinds of email I've received, I'm including one here:

"The experience you recount is precisely what my life has been plagued with over the past few years. It is the first time I've read someone's experience that so acutely resonates with me. I'm nineteen yet have had about 150 sexual partners. If somebody met me, you would never know about this part of my life. The late nights turning into sleepless days on the Internet, immediate gratification upon entering a gay chat room, and the compulsive obsession with pornography you describe have had a major impact on my life. I am now HIV+ and have lost track of time for days at a time in the pursuit of sex.

In the past year and with my first ever boyfriend, I have tried to pare down my sex addiction. Unfortunately, it flared up only six months into my relationship. I cheat on someone whom I love dearly and cannot understand why. I was targeted by what were essentially pedophiles when I was 10 in online chat rooms. I had sex with a much older man at the age of 14. Upon reading your article, I wonder if this could be part of why I am like this.

I apologize for the litany of personal information and the rant. It's just a relief to hear that somebody else, a young intellectual gay man no less, was in the same boat. I'm not sure where to go to find help, or what exactly that help is, especially as a young gay man. Anyway, thank you for writing, your words brought tears to my eyes."

As an openly gay journalist yourself, are there any gay journalists whose work you admire?

There are so many. The three that come to mind first are Michael Joseph Gross, Andrew Solomon, and David France. They all do remarkably important work. When it comes to television journalists, I've always had a bit of a crush on Anderson Cooper. =)

Now that you've completed your very first book, what can we expect from book number two?

In January, 2010, Simon & Schuster will publish American Voyeur: Dispatches from the Far Reaches of Modern Life, a collection of my previously published magazine writing. I also recently signed another deal with Simon & Schuster to write a book about dogs and humans tentatively titled, Dog Country: Travels Among Canines and Their Humans. I love dogs, and it's a book that's about as far from addiction as one can get, so I'm actually quite happy about that!

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The Soup Cans Interview: Will Lyman

The great Will Lyman has narrated "Frontline," the bestest show on PBS, for the last 25 years. Lyman was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk to Soup Cans about his distinguished career, instantly recognizable voice and about how "Frontline" teaches people that they can learn from their mistakes.

Your voice is so distinct and pretty well-known. Do you ever get recognized over the phone?

I can’t say that I’ve had that experience on the phone. There aren’t really that many people that pay that kind of attention to voices. I’ve been in situations in person, say, dealing with a salesperson, who will say as we’re concluding our business, “I enjoy your work on Frontline,” and it catches me by surprise. One guy said, “I recognized you as soon as you said ‘Hello.’”

How did the job with "Frontline" initially come about?

I had done some work on shows that were being produced by WGBH, a couple of “Nova,” a special on John Updike, narration of Eric Sevareid’s “Enterprise,” but, most noticeably, the narration of “Vietnam: A Television History.” That 13 part series, which won multiple Emmies and the Columbia-DuPont Award, got me noticed. After that aired, “Frontline” was heading into its second season and the Executive Producer, David Fanning, was looking for a narrator to be the “voice of Frontline,” somebody who would be the recognizable voice of the series. They asked me and I said, “Sure, you kidding?”

My first job for WGBH came as a result of playing in a regular Friday night poker game with an editor and a producer who happened to be working together on a program for “Nova.”

How does it feel to be known as "The Voice of Frontline?"

I’m very proud of the program, and believe it is the best long-form news journalism on the air today. I take comfort in the fact that, when I feel like I haven’t done anything else of much importance in the last 12 months, I can always point to “Frontline” as a significant contribution.

After the jump, Lyman talks about what it's like to narrate Hollywood movies as well as how he preserves his valuable voice.


What are the differences between narrating a documentary and a feature film like Little Children? Do you find one to be more challenging than the other?

Mainly, I suppose, in a feature film, you have the leeway to inject a little more personality and personal viewpoint into the storytelling. In a documentary narration, there’s a certain line I try not to cross. It’s hard to define that line, but I think of it as the point at which the viewer is listening to the wash of words and suddenly says, “Hang on a second, who’s talking?” That will happen if the viewer hears what sounds like an opinion or a blatant point of view from someone who hasn’t been properly introduced. If the narrator has also done an on-camera standup at the beginning of the show, or introduces himself personally as the “person who made this film,” he or she can say whatever he likes. But, in the case of “Frontline,” I am not introduced and therefore am not allowed by the viewer to give anything but information: no opinions, personal feelings, questioning of motives etc. The trick, of course, is to come across, at the same time, as an involved and caring human being. After doing "Frontline" for 25 years now, I may have a little longer leash than I used to have and, in a recent program, actually referred to the filmmakers as "we." The producer and I were clearly betting that the audience had grown so accustomed to my voice that the use of the first person would be accepted. But it was a considered decision.

Is one harder than the other? I don’t think so: just different. In a feature film, you have to make sure that this unseen storyteller has a presence in the reality, has a real connection to what is going on onscreen, while at the same time allowing the action to take place in front of you. In most cases, you want to feel that the storyteller is involved in the action, but not manipulating the action.

Have you ever found yourself become emotionally involved with a specific topic in an episode of “Frontline?”

Sometimes the shows make me very sad. When you look back on events, it is easy to see the mistakes we make and the opportunities we let slip away from us. It’s sad to see the consequent suffering related to bad decisions or random choices. But we are reminded of the vigilance and concentration and attention it takes to be a world or community leader in this life. And mostly I would say that is vigilance, not against evil, but against hubris; concentration, not on ourselves, but on the needs of others; and attention, not on what we think we know, but on what is happening right in front of us.

Did you ever think that the job with "Frontline" would the job that you'd be most recognized for?

In 1983? No.

How do you prepare your voice prior to a narration?

Wake up early enough to get my blood moving and my body stretched out. Try to do a mental and maybe a physical check of the three parts of the voice: bellows, reed and resonator/soundbox.

Betty Grable's legs were famously insured by her movie studio for $1,000,000. PBS should insure your voice for at least that much. What do you do to care for your voice?

It’s a part of the body, so it doesn’t need anything more than the regular care you give to anything else: nutrition, exercise and rest. The greatest threat of injury comes from screaming at sporting events, when you can strain it without even being aware. It gets awful loud in the Garden.

Your resume reveals an incredibly busy life. What's next for you?

I have a full season this year, doing Joyce van Dyke’s new play “The Oil Thief” at Boston Playwright’s Theatre in November, Athol Fugard’s “Exits and Entrances” at New Rep Theatre in March and another premiere, “The Wrestling Patient,” a collaboration between BPT and Speakeasy Stage in April.

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The Soup Cans Interview: David Carr

New York Times columnist David Carr has always been open about his past drug addiction and subsequent recovery. Carr has gone ahead and chronicled the events (and lessons learned) from those dark times in his new fact-checked memoir, The Night of the Gun. Below he talks to Soup Cans about the book, addiction, Bright Eyes and a fear of the title of his own book. Sort of.

What has writing a memoir taught you about memories?

Memories are really stories, stories about stories. when you recall a memory, you are generally recalling the story you told about the event, not the event itself.

We tend to remember things in ways that keeps dissonance at remove and makes us look good and feel good about ourselves in the rear view mirror.

Did you twin daughters know about most of the details recounted in The Night of the Gun. What did they think of the end result?

The girls lived it and knew all of it. They had their own version of events which is now in the narrative, but in general, in the course of raising them, first by myself, and then with my wife Jill, they learned in fits and starts about how they came into the world and how I came to end up being their parent. one of the happier circumstances of the book is that their mom, Anna, had felt that the girls would judge her harshly, but it has had precisely the opposite effect. They now have a context for the bad choices that were made by both their mother and I and have a place to put it.

Both of them like the book and are proud of it, but each felt that the end was far too pat and oversimplified. They are close, careful readers, young women who have lots of opinion, so the fact that they felt the book was a worthy exercise is a huge deal to me.

Erin was mad that I didn't pay for the rights to use a Bright Eyes song near the end of the book and I share her regret. When she and I have her final interview, we are in the Adirondacks and we go for a drive. And she cues up "At the Bottom of Everything," which includes this lyric ...

We must hang up in the belfry where the bats in moonlight laugh
We must stare into a crystal ball and only see the past
And (in)to the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our love
We must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge.

Love that song, that moment. Wish it was in the book. If there is a paperback, it will be in there.

What similarities do you see between addiction and journalism?

Each is an obsessive act performed daily and each produces a kind of endorphin charge, although for very different reasons. in the main, they are profoundly different activities though. Addiction, because of its chronicity and base nature, is really boring. I find journalism endlessly exciting.

Leon Neyfakh from the The New York Observer says this about The Night of the Gun: "After years of abuse, the memoir has found its white knight, galloping in to show how a personal story can be engrossing, shocking and true." He also calls the book "important." How do you feel about the pressure to redeem the controversial memoir genre?

The memoir is one of the most durable motifs in western literature and it has limped along for a couple of centuries without my assistance. I was beside myself with joy when Mr. Neyfakh wrote that because every hack in the world wants to think what he or she does is important. And to the extent that some people believe the book kicked the can down the road in some small way -- it is certainly not the first one that contains reporting -- I am really gratified. and I felt no pressure beyond trying to tell a true story in a way that would land on others with some literary and cultural impact.

Which actor would you want to see portray you in the inevitable movie adaptation of NOTG?

Don Knotts. Is he still alive?

You wear (understandably so) your prestigious gig at the New York Times, which you refer to as "the job that impresses," as a badge of honor. Has there ever been a time when you haven't been so proud of the "Gray Lady?"

I am not the kind of guy who brandishes his employment or his employer, or at least I would hate to be that guy. I was 45 years old when I got to the Times, so I like to think that I knew who I was and what i could do before I ended up with an NYT on my business card. And anybody who works there can tell you that no one person is necessary for the apparatus to function and function well.

And i have an immigrant's love of the place. It's not like it can do no wrong, but I work at a place where everyone is trying hard to make it better. we might head down a path that is unproductive on occasion, but it is a self-cleaning oven, one that takes it reputation for efficacy and excellence to heart and course corrects every day. it is not a posture, it is a daily task that each person there takes as a kind of covenant. I happen to believe it particularly well led right now -- Bill Keller's casual emails are better crafted than something I could do in a month -- but even when the place had problems, I was always proud to work there. Not in a hey, look at me, I got a good job, but more as part of something that is cultural good. as you can see, I've drank deeply of the Kool-aid, but how can you not argue for well-funded, ferociously prosecuted journalism at a time when reporters are being slid off into the river all over the country?

What do you most look forward to about the Carpetbagger blog once it picks up again at the end of the year?

My betters tell me a version of it may show up at this year's political conventions, so we will see how elastic the franchise is. There is something glorious and horrendous about a blog, at least the way I do it. It is there every minute, wagging its tail and wanting more. I usually say yes. And I love movies. The book has totally messed up my movie schedule but the number of great big franchise movies that turned out well -- Iron Man got it all started this summer -- has really amazed me. And my favorite moment of the summer was watching Dark Knight on the hood of my car with my 11-year-old at the Glen Falls drive-inn. A glorious (k)night with great popcorn to boot. How can you beat that?

After all you've gone through, what are you now most afraid of? Do you have a fear of death?

Even when I was a complete knucklehead, I didn't think about death much and I don't now. I had cancer before and was afraid I would die like anybody else, but it did not preoccupy my thoughts. I am afraid of lots of things. Bats scare the shit out of me. And old fashioned wooden roller coasters. And I am, ironically enough, terrified of guns of all kinds.

When can we expect the follow-up book?

I'd like to write a book again. the activity of it was surprisingly satisfying for someone who has the attention span of a gnat. The next book I write will hopefully have the word "I" in the acknowledgements and nowhere else. I'm pretty tapped out on the subject in the mirror.

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The Soup Cans Interview: Jackie Johnson

Regular readers of Soup Cans are familiar with one of our most popular features: "Jackie Johnson Fashion Watch." We're absolutely stoked because our fav LA news personality, fashion and weather extraordinaire Jackie Johnson herself, recently took the time to answer some of our questions. The KCAL 9/CBS 2 weathercaster spoke to us about her desire to chase tornadoes, her trendy wardrobe, and (sorry to disappoint all of you single guys out there) her upcoming wedding.

You've said that you're "fascinated by weather." When did this fascination begin? Was it sparked by something specific?

Yes! I have been fascinated by the weather since I was a little girl! Science was always my favorite subject. When I was in Elementary School I did my 5th grade science project on the weather. I used my own weather instruments and logged the weather for an entire month.

I think growing up in Michigan had a lot to do with my interest in the weather...we had severe storms every spring and summer, and extremely harsh winters. I loved the excitement and bit of fear I felt when my parents got us up and took us into the basement in the middle of the night when the tornado alarms went off. And I would have to say, like most kids, I took extreme interest during the school year hoping for just enough snow to warrant a "snow day!"

People complain about the lack of actual weather in Southern California. How do you feel about reporting the weather in Los Angeles?

Although I do miss the intensity of tracking the tropics during hurricane season, Southern California weather actually keeps me quite busy! Here we have so many different microclimates that we actually give forecasts for many different locations. For example, yesterday it was cloudy and in the 60's along the coast, but we were also dealing with record heat in the triple digits and excessive heat warnings in the valleys and thundershowers in our mountains!

We're obsessed with the outfits you wear each night during your broadcasts, mostly your impressive collection of belts. Where do you like to shop in LA?

Thank you very much! I am very flattered! I have seen your "Jackie Johnson Fashion Watch" and have to admit a few times before getting ready for work I thought to myself "What would Soup Cans say?"

The wonderful thing about LA is there are so many places to shop! I wish I had one particular store, that would make it much easier. I enjoy being outdoors so my favorite shopping is walking down Melrose/Robertson and in Santa Monica. Oh, and my friend also sells clothes so I am able to get great deals, thank goodness!

And yes, I do wear a lot of belts...my mom always told me they make the outfit look "finished."

Have you ever experienced any frightening personal moments involving weather?

I would say they have been a little more "exciting" than "frightening." But this is coming from someone who would love to chase tornadoes! One moment that comes to mind is when I worked in Miami, I was driving to work at 3am to cover a tropical storm that was moving in. To get to work I had to drive over the Key Biscayne bridge and the wind was blowing so hard I thought my car was going to blow off the bridge. About an hour later the police wouldn't let anyone drive on the bridge...

Have you ever had someone complain to you about an imprecise weather forecast you had made the day before?

Yes, we do get that every so often. But more often I seem to get "Jackie, can't you do something about this weather we're having?!"

Linus of Hollywood wrote a song about you titled "Jackie Johnson." Did you find that flattering or a bit creepy?

I found it very flattering and I like the song!

You live in tremor-prone LA. Do you buy into the theory of "earthquake weather?"

In my meteorology classes in college, we did not cover that theory. I do find it interesting when Californians tell me about their "earthquake weather" theories and how their personal experiences can attest to the theories.

Finally, we hear that you've recently become engaged. Congratulations! Who's the lucky guy and have you set a date?

Yes, thank you! I am very happy. His name is John Kidd and we will be married sometime next June. He is a former NFL player and now runs his own telecom company.

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The Soup Cans Interview: Dan Harris

Each Sunday, we make sure to check out the first-rate Dan Harris anchor, in our opinion, one of the only weekend news programs worth watching: ABC's "World News Sunday." Here Harris tells Soup Cans, in an exclusive interview, about his stage fright, how he copes with criticism (constructive or not) and who he has to thank for helping him match his suits and ties.

What have been some of the most rewarding and challenging parts about anchoring "World News Sunday" over the last year and a half?

It's incredibly thrilling -- and also terrifying -- to have my hands on the steering wheel once a week. I still find it very challenging on many Sundays to figure out what the lead story should be. I also enjoy the challenge of trying to cajole the senior producers into stacking the show my way (even though I usually lose).

What did it feel like to return to your Alma mater, Colby College, in 2005 to deliver the Commencement?

It made me incredibly anxious. This may sound counterintuitive for a television reporter, but I have really bad stage fright. So speaking in front of a couple thousand people (some of whom were my former French professors) was daunting.

I was also a little bit sheepish. I mean, I can't imagine those kids wouldn't have rather had a cooler speaker than me.

That said, it was a huge honor. My parents were psyched.

You've done numerous reports on controversial subject matters, such as religion. How do you respond to those who are critical of you and your stories?

To state the obvious, being criticized is never fun. We correspondents have delicate constitutions; we like our inboxes to see a regular flow of "attaboy" notes. So the reverse can smart. However, once the sting subsides, criticism is often pretty useful. A few months back, the father of one of my fellow correspondents (who's a scientist) sent a very thoughtful critique of my coverage of a story on evolution. It changed my way of thinking about science stories.

You've described yourself as "fashion-dyslexic." Has this changed much?

There is no cure for this condition. However, my fiancée, Bianca, is very vigilant. She monitors my tie choices regularly. (This is embarrassing, but I also have some pictures in my closet of which ties go with which shirts.)

You've been to some of the most dangerous places in the world like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, and Iraq. What's been the most worrisome situation you've ever found yourself involved in?

My personal favorite correspondent-in-danger story is from Torah Bora, back in 2002. I was shooting a standup, when some bullets started whistling overhead. Naturally, I got really scared and hit the ground. In the frame behind me, however, you could see that none of the Afghans were ducking. My crew gave me a lot of crap for that.

David Muir has told Soup Cans that he never wears his Red Sox cap in Yankee stadium. As a Boston native, do you?

David's a huge wimp.

Kidding. (The guy's like twice my size; he could kick my butt.)

I've never even actually been to a Yankees game.

Which of your stories are you most proud of?

I've got a story coming up next week (7/8, to be exact) that I think could be strong. "How To Buy A Child In Ten Hours." It's a Nightline investigation. We went to Haiti and negotiated to buy (but did not actually buy, of course) child slaves. Using hidden cameras, we found traffickers who were willing to sell us children -- any age, either sex -- for as little as $150. We also went out and met child slaves and their owners. Haiti has a huge child slavery problem; there are an estimated 300-thousand kids in servitude there. I had no idea about this -- or about the enormous problem of modern day slavery generally -- until I read a new book called "A Crime So Monstrous", by E. Benjamin Skinner. I recommend it.

The story I'd like to start covering more aggressively, however, is global warming. In my opinion, it's the most important problem in the world, and we (the media, the country, etc) are not talking about it enough.

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The Soup Cans Interview: David Muir

ABC “World News Saturday” anchor David Muir took the time out of his busy travel schedule to answer some questions from Soup Cans. Keep reading our very own exclusive to find out what it took for Muir to get where he is today, how the media helped save New Orleans, and what a Boston Red Sox fan should do in order to survive a trip to Yankee stadium.

What has been the most frightening journalistic moment for you?

One of the moments that stands out in my mind is a story we did during the Israeli war with Hezbollah. We were traveling through a northern Israeli town when we spotted a father outside on a patio playing checkers with his children. This wouldn't have been out of the ordinary had there not been katyusha rockets coming over the Lebanon border almost hourly. We stopped to ask why the father would take that chance with his children outside. He explained to us how his children's ears were trained to hear the sound of an incoming rocket before it landed and that they knew what to do. Moments later, we heard that piercing sound. The children raced for their bunker and moments later came the blast. The rocket had landed on a nearby home. It was a revealing picture of what it is like to be a child in a war zone.

After we emerged from the bunker, we visited that nearby home only to find a tearful and frightened elderly couple huddled together in the corner of their bedroom. Their home had been sliced by the rocket. They were terrified and rightly so.

Name a story you've done that you are most proud of and why.

To this day, I am still proud of our reporting in New Orleans. I remember sleeping on the floor of the Superdome as Hurricane Katrina was tearing through the city and ripping the roof off of the building, but we had no idea the real destruction was yet to come. Our visit to the Convention Center after the levees broke was so heartbreaking. I will never forget the woman who collapsed while talking to me. She was suffering from diabetic shock. A woman in the crowd of evacuees who happened to be a nurse came running to her aid. It was devastating to witness hundreds of evacuees with no food, no water and no medicine. I believe had the media not been there to expose such dire need, the help would not have arrived when it did.

What advice do you have for young people looking to follow in your footsteps?

I was the 13 year old carrying the cameraman's tripod, ripping scripts in the newsroom and fetching the anchorman his cokes from the vending machine at the local station in Syracuse New York.

I'm sure it was a ridiculous sight particularly given the growth chart on the newsroom wall where they would measure my height when I would return each summer. A decade later, I was sharing the anchorman's chair at the anchor desk. I don't suggest giving up your summer vacation at 13 years old, but I do encourage all aspiring journalists to intern as much as possible and to leave a mark by offering to do even the most menial of tasks. It will not go unnoticed.

You've now worked in both Boston and New York City. Are you a Yankees or Red Sox fan?

Sox. But I don't wear my cap to Yankee Stadium. Never a good idea.

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