Gwen Macsai

Gwen Macsai is an award-winning radio producer, writer, and host.

Her reporting and humorous essays have been heard on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, 99% Invisible, and other public radio shows and podcasts. Most recently, she hosted Re:sound from the Third Coast International Audio Festival for its entire fifteen-year run. She was the creator of the television show What About Joan on ABC-TV and is the author of Lipshtick, a book of essays, from HarperCollins. She is also a black belt in Shotokan karate and a living kidney donor.

producer

Dental Deja Vu

Producer Gwen Macsai was 31 when, for the second time in her life, she was subjected to that ubiquitous teenage torture device . . . the dental retainer.

This hour audio air conditioning — we’re turning down the thermostat and ushering in stories that give us the chills.

This hour: a very personal take on a rare subculture, a young man forced to confront his obesity, a dinner with unabashed nudists, and more.

This hour: tongue twisters, brain teasers, cheaters, and one of the worst high school football teams of all time.

This hour: decoding female language, an intimate dinner, and a tour of bathroom stall graffiti.

This hour: the strange world of competitive model horse collecting and an investigation of an old classmate's death.

Ruffian

Some animals might run faster, but none run more beautifully.

Purple Reign

Gwen Macsai comes clean with a very colorful secret... about her dad.

presenter

No one likes to make mistakes, but the difference between you (brilliant producer) and the guy next to you (average producer) is in learning how to use those mistakes to your advantage.

Trust Me, I'm an Editor

Producers come to editors with their tape, a vision, and a piece in various stages of completion. Editors bring their skills, a fresh set of ears, a fat red pen, and often the mandate of an established show format.

So, you've got your assignment. You've done your research, you've collected your tape, and now it's time (oh god) to write. In this panel discussion, moderated by Robert Krulwich, we examine the Everest and K-2 of story telling: How to Begin and (assuming you can get past that one) How to End.

judge
participant