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Out on the Wire

the Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio
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Mar 17, 2016JCLChrisK rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A documentary graphic novel about the making of documentary radio stories. And it is a story about storytelling. Abel spent two years conducting interviews and shadowing behind-the-scenes events with the producers of This American Life, The Moth, Radiolab, Planet Money, Snap Judgment, Serial, Invisibilia, and other narrative radio shows. Then she figured out how to weave all of that material into a compelling, personal narrative she could illustrate. She, Ira Glass, and her other subjects talk to her, to each other, and to readers in turn. They talk about who they are as artists and the processes they follow to create their art. The material is woven into themes that speak to anyone interested in stories and storytelling. Abel's subtitle may call these things "secrets," though simply listing them isn't particularly revealing. The journey through them, however, as presented in Abel's book, certainly is. This is a fascinating, engaging, informative meditation on story creation helpful for all types of storytellers.