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Season 1
Episode 7

David Foster Wallace on Ambition

April 17, 2013

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Blank on Blank - S1 - E7

"If your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you never do anything." - David Foster Wallace Interview by Leonard Lopate, WNYC March 4, 1996 Interview originally aired on the Leonard Lopate Show

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Blank on Blank: Season 1 - 57 Episode s

1x1 - Bono on His Dad's Final Days
May 9, 2012
"I'd go and usually have a pint of Guinness and a chaser to steady my nerves. Then I'd go to the hospital and I'd sleep beside my father." - Bono. Interview by Anthony Bozza. INTERVIEW NOTES - The Date: October 2001 - The Scene: By phone - The Source: Minidisc recorder - Anthony recorded this interview while writing for Rolling Stone Magazine Executive Producer: David Gerlach | Producer: Shawn Wen Video scribing: Truscribe Music Credits: U2 "Kite" | Scratch Massive "In the Dressing Room" & "For a Departure"
1x2 - Surfer Kelly Slater on Problems in his Perfect Life
July 13, 2012
"My life was getting worse, not better, and it should have been getting better, because I've accomplished all the things I wanted to accomplish." ~Kelly Slater Kelly Slater is a world champion surfer. He's arguably the best of all time. The Michael Jordan of surfing. He has it all. Or does he? During an interview with Josh Baron of Relix magazine, Slater let down his guard and told the real story. He talked about his failings out of the water in his personal life. You'll enjoy the personal conversation. One note: all the music you're about to hear is Kelly Slater playing the guitar and singing songs he wrote. It's not something you always hear during an interview. Interview by Josh Baron, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine Nov. 17, 2008 // The Bowery Hotel, New York // Digital recorder
1x3 - Muhammad Ali On Going To Mars
September 17, 2012
It was the summer of 1966 when a persistent 17-year-old with a high school radio show near Chicago got the interview of lifetime: Muhammad Ali. But only a handful of people ever got to hear this time capsule. Until now. Ali epically riffs about fighting on Mars, traveling through time, and explaining why big talk and boasting got him a shot at a title fight faster than other challengers. "Some of them thought I was crazy," Ali said. "They were frightened of me." Interview by Michael Aisner // Muhammad Ali Fan Club, Chicago 1966 // reel-to-reel tape recorder
1x4 - Dave Brubeck on Fighting Communism with Jazz
January 10, 2013
"If I told you all the stories about what happened to people if they were caught listening to jazz." - Dave Brubeck in 2008 Interviewer: John Dankosky WNPR Music: Dave Brubeck Quartet live at the 2008 Litchfield Jazz Festival
1x5 - Larry King on Getting Seduced
March 19, 2013
"I'm playing these records. The phone rings and I pick it up: 'WAHR'. And this lady's voice--I can still hear her voice--she goes: 'I want you.'" - Larry King Interview by Cal Fussman Esquire writer-at-large Los Angeles, 2001
1x6 - Jim Morrison on Why Fat is Beautiful
April 2, 2013
"What's wrong with being fat? That's what I want to know." - Jim Morrison Interview by Howard Smith TheSmithTapes.com / Villagevoice.com Los Angeles, 1969
1x7 - David Foster Wallace on Ambition
April 17, 2013
"If your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you never do anything." - David Foster Wallace Interview by Leonard Lopate, WNYC March 4, 1996 Interview originally aired on the Leonard Lopate Show
1x8 - Beastie Boys on Being Stupid
April 30, 2013
"There's a way we talk and it includes profanity. We never figured we'd be arrested for it." - Mike "Mike D" Diamond Interview by Rocci Fisch for ABC News Radio 1985, Washington, D.C. Cassette Tape
1x9 - Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales
May 14, 2013
"I think a lot of ladies found me so attractive because I was different." - Wilt Chamberlain Original interview aired in 1992 on "Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori"
1x10 - James Brown on Conviction, Respect & Reagan
May 28, 2013
"Black is not a color; it's an attitude. It's the attitude of independence, respect and dignity." - James Brown Interview by Rocci Fisch 1984. Washington, D.C. Convention Center Originally recorded for ABC News Radio
1x11 - Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid
June 10, 2013
"I still think the same way I thought as a child. I still worry. I'm still frightened... Nothing changes." - Maurice Sendak Interview by Andrew Romano and Ramin Seetodeh 2009. Sendak's home in Connecticut
1x12 - Louis Armstrong on His Chops
June 25, 2013
"You've got to be good or as bad as the devil. ... Even if we had two, three days off I still had to blow that horn a few hours to keep up the chops." - Louis Armstrong Interview by Michael Aisner and James R. Stein 1964. Ravinia near Chicago Originally aired on WNTH - Winnetka, Illinois
1x13 - Farrah Fawcett on Stiletto Power
July 9, 2013
"I've got on these stiletto heels aimed for his face." - Farrah Fawcett Interview by Lawrence Grobel 1994, Hollywood
1x14 - Fidel Castro: The Lost Interview
July 23, 2013
"If this Revolution falls, what we will have here in Cuba is a hell. Hell itself." - Fidel Castro Clark Hewitt Galloway interviewed Fidel Castro in Havana in 1959 in the midst of the Cuban revolution. His story ran in U.S. News & World Report. Galloway’s granddaughter, Laura Galloway, held on to her grandfather’s interview tape.
1x15 - Janis Joplin on Rejection
September 23, 2013
"In my insides, it really hurts if someone doesn't like me. It's silly." - Janis Joplin Howard Smith interviewed Janis Joplin by phone on September 30, 1970. This turned out to be the last interview Janis ever did. She died on October 4, 1970. Howard was writing for the Village Voice.
1x16 - Ray Charles on Singing True
October 8, 2013
"If somebody don't like something that I do, that's his or her prerogative. Just like it's mine." - Ray Charles. Joe Smith interviewed Ray Charles on June 3, 1987 during the writing of Off the Record–his oral history of rock and roll.
1x17 - Kurt Cobain on Identity
October 22, 2013
"I even thought that I was gay. I thought that might be the solution to my problem." - Kurt Cobain Interview by Jon Savage July 22, 1993. Cassette Tape
1x18 - Jerry Garcia on The Acid Tests
November 5, 2013
"When we fell in with the Acid Tests we a started having the most fun we had ever had." - Jerry Garcia Interview by Joe Smith May 23, 1988 Cassette Tape
1x19 - Grace Kelly on JFK
November 19, 2013
"He turned to me suddenly and asked: 'Is that a Givenchy you're wearing?' And I said, 'why how clever of you, Mr. President. However did you know?'" - Grace Kelly Interview by Paul Gallico / JFK Archives June 19, 1965 Palace of the Principality, Monaco Reel-to-reel
1x20 - Tupac Shakur on Life and Death
December 3, 2013
"If I was white I would have been like John Wayne... I feel like a tragic hero in a Shakespeare play" - Tupac Shakur Interview by Benjamin Svetkey March 1994 Microcassette recorder Related profile appeared in Entertainment Weekly
1x21 - John Updike on Family Affairs
December 17, 2013
"There is the fear that you somehow neglected to say what was really yours to say" - John Updike Interview by John Freeman Spring 2002 Microcassette recorder
1x22 - Barry White on Making Love
January 7, 2014
"When a man is making love, the last thing he thinks about is war" - Barry White Interview by Joe Smith April 3, 1987, Los Angeles Tape recorder
1x23 - Carol Burnett on Finding Home
January 21, 2014
"When I looked in his eyes, he was there. He was home... I had a dad." - Carol Burnett Interview by Leonard Lopate August 19, 2003, WNYC Studios Original interview aired on the Leonard Lopate Show
1x24 - Stan Getz on Wasted Years
February 18, 2014
"I've done some dastardly things, but what can I do except make amends and apologize?" - Stan Getz Interview by Joe Smith August 7, 1987, Los Angeles Tape recorder
1x25 - Heath Ledger on Role Playing
March 4, 2014
"My nervous energy is usually the easiest form of energy to tap into" - Heath Ledger Interview by Christine Spines Fall 2005, Cassette Tape Her profile ran in Entertainment Weekly
1x26 - Johnny Cash on The Gospel
April 8, 2014
"I just hope and pray I can die with my boots on" - Johnny Cash, 1996 Interview by Barney Hoskyns
1x27 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Love
April 22, 2014
"It's all true, folks: all you need is love." - John Lennon, 1969 Interviews by Howard Smith
1x28 - Gene Wilder on The Truth
May 6, 2014
"On stage or in the movies I could do whatever I wanted to. I was free." - Gene Wilder, March 2007 Conversation with Ms. magazine founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin
1x29 - David Bowie on Stardust
May 20, 2014
"I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star. I always felt a little bit out of my element" - David Bowie Interview by Joe Smith
1x30 - Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness
June 3, 2014
"Learning how to die is therefore learning how to live" - Philip Seymour Hoffman Conversation with Simon Critchley recorded live at the Rubin Museum of Art on Dec 22, 2012
1x31 - Meryl Streep on Beauty
June 24, 2014
"It's very humbling to imagine somebody else's really life and their pain ... It's my drug" - Meryl Streep Interview by Christine Spines, 2008
1x32 - Jimi Hendrix on The Experience
August 26, 2014
"When things get too heavy just call me helium--the lightest known gas to man." - Jimi Hendrix in his final interview
1x33 - Michael Jackson on Godliness
September 16, 2014
"My singing… i'll just say it simple as possible: it's just godly." - Michael Jackson in January 1980
1x34 - Bette Davis on The Sexes
September 30, 2014
"I think men have got to change an awful lot. They still prefer the little woman." - Bette Davis in 1963
1x35 - Liberace on Peacocking
October 14, 2014
"Anyone that dares begrudge what I have today, just better get off their duff and do something about it" - Liberace in 1968 as told to Jay Kent Hackleman
1x36 - Maya Angelou on Con Men
October 28, 2014
"The only way you can be a mark is if you want something for nothing. If you're greedy, you're set up." - Maya Angelou, as told to Studs Terkel in 1970
1x37 - Wayne Coyne on Living With Death
November 11, 2014
"I'm pouring my guts out so they can feel like your guts at the same time." - Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips in 2002
1x38 - Robin Williams on Masks
December 2, 2014
"Comedy is there to basically show us we fart, we laugh. To make us realize we still are part animal.... So you don't take yourself seriously and destroy the species." - Robin Williams in 1991, as told to Lawrence Grobel
1x39 - Tom Robbins on Jitterbugs
December 16, 2014
"If I knew how it was going to end, I probably wouldn't write it." - Tom Robbins in 1994, as told to Tod Mesirow
1x40 - Elliott Smith on Freaks
January 20, 2015
"A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not." - Elliott Smith in 1998, as told to Barney Hoskyns
1x41 - B.B. King on The Blues
February 3, 2015
"I don't like to feel that I owe anything. I like to feel that I pay my own way, no free lunch." - B.B. King on September 5, 1986, as told to Joe Smith
1x42 - Lou Reed on Guns & Ammo
February 17, 2015
"I write a song called 'Heroin', you would have thought that I murdered the Pope or something" - Lou Reed on March 20, 1987, as told to Joe Smith
1x43 - Dolly Parton on Getting Dirty
April 14, 2015
"Mama just always said, 'you be what you are and you don't have to worry about nothing'" - Dolly Parton as told to Lawrence Grobel on March 13, 1978
1x44 - Ray Bradbury on Madmen
April 28, 2015
"Nobody else is going to give a damn what you're doing, so you need a few other people like yourself" - Ray Bradbury as told to two college kids on road trip in 1972
1x45 - John Coltrane on Giant Steps
May 12, 2015
"I want to be the force which is truly for good." - John Coltrane in 1966, as told Frank Kofsky
1x46 - Joni Mitchell on Illusions
May 26, 2015
"I didn’t like the sound of people gasping at the mere mention of my name. It horrified me." - Joni Mitchell in 1986, as told to Joe Smith
1x47 - Ayn Rand on Love and Happiness
June 9, 2015
" I have no faith at all. I only hold convictions." - Ayn Rand on February 25, 1959, as told to Mike Wallace
1x48 - Roger Ebert on Ego
June 23, 2015
"I have innate confidence that I am right. Partially out of conviction and partially as a pose." - Roger Ebert in 1990
1x49 - Dustin Hoffman in 1971 on Duplicity and Famosity
July 14, 2015
"I did as much as I could do at that time in my life ... I tried as hard as I could and I couldn't do better" - Dustin Hoffman in 1971
1x50 - Hunter S. Thompson on Outlaws
July 28, 2015
“I keep my mouth shut now. I’ve turned into a professional coward.” - Hunter S. Thompson in 1967
1x51 - Tom Waits on Everything and Nothing
September 29, 2015
"I don’t know what the ‘big time’ is" - Tom Waits in 1988. Tom Waits had just released the concert film, Big Time, when he was interviewed by Chris Roberts in September 1988. The interview was recorded on cassette tape at a recording studio; you can hear various tunes playing in the background. We found the interview in the Rock’s Backpages archive.
1x52 - Patty Hearst on Reasonable Doubt
October 13, 2015
"I'm sorry, I‘m a coward. I didn’t want to die." - Patty Hearst in 1982 in the first interview she gave after getting out of prison
1x53 - Bill Murray on Being Obnoxious
October 27, 2015
"I‘m just an obnoxious guy who can make it appear charming, that’s what they pay me to do" - Bill Murray in October 1988
1x54 - Kurt Vonnegut on Man-Eating Lampreys
November 10, 2015
"Nothing means anything" - Kurt Vonnegut on November 8, 1970
1x55 - Nina Simone on Shock
December 1, 2015
"I feel more alive now than I ever have in my life. I have a chance to live, as I've dreamed." - Nina Simone in July, 1968
1x56 - Garrison Keillor on Humor
December 15, 2015
“My family was shocked when I came home with a volume of Hemingway … There was a price to be paid for being interested in fiction.” - Garrison Keillor in 1994. In this new episode we have a conversation with a true storyteller, the humorist, Garrison Keillor. This interview was recorded in front a live audience back in November of 1994 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. On stage that night was Keillor, the host of A Praire Home Companion, and George Plimpton, the famed editor of the Paris Review. The thread of their conversation that night was: the qualities of humor. It’s been awhile since we dug into the archives of talks recorded at the 92Y over the years. What we loved about this conversation was something we hadn’t really thought about before: What is the obligation of humor? Enjoy
1x57 - Sally Ride on Dumb Questions
February 2, 2016
“I wish that there had been another woman on my flight. I think it would have been a lot easier.” - Sally Ride in 1983. Interviewed by Gloria Steinem. Hear more outtakes from the interview @ http://blankonblank.org/sally-ride This episode marks the return of our special series, The Experimenters. We’re uncovering lost interviews with the icons of science, technology, and innovation - people who helped make the world we live in today. And some guest animators are bringing these conversations to life. One of those people is Sally Ride. These days, just about every space mission has women on it. It’s just not a big deal. But in 1983, it was very much a big deal - that’s the year Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Back in 1963, Russia sent Valentina Tereshkova as the first woman to fly to outer space. But it took two more decades for the Americans to follow suit. At the time, journalist and icon of the feminist movement Gloria Steinem had an ABC interview series, called ‘In Conversation with…” As part of that program she interviewed Sally Ride - and we found the tape in Smith College’s archive dedicated to the life and work of Steinem - The Gloria Steinem Papers, part of the Sophia Smith Collection. Now at the time of this interview, as far as the public - and it turns out the press - were concerned, space was for clean-cut alpha males with names like Buzz. Then Sally Ride came along. Additional support from PRX and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Blank on Blank: All seasons

S0: Specials
1 Episode
S1: Season 1
80 Episode s

1x1 - Bono on His Dad's Final Days

1x2 - Surfer Kelly Slater on Problems in his Perfect Life

1x3 - Muhammad Ali On Going To Mars

1x4 - Dave Brubeck on Fighting Communism with Jazz

1x5 - Larry King on Getting Seduced

1x6 - Jim Morrison on Why Fat is Beautiful

1x7 - David Foster Wallace on Ambition

1x8 - Beastie Boys on Being Stupid

1x9 - Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales

1x10 - James Brown on Conviction, Respect & Reagan

1x11 - Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid

1x12 - Louis Armstrong on His Chops

1x13 - Farrah Fawcett on Stiletto Power

1x14 - Fidel Castro: The Lost Interview

1x15 - Janis Joplin on Rejection

1x16 - Ray Charles on Singing True

1x17 - Kurt Cobain on Identity

1x18 - Jerry Garcia on The Acid Tests

1x19 - Grace Kelly on JFK

1x20 - Tupac Shakur on Life and Death

1x21 - John Updike on Family Affairs

1x22 - Barry White on Making Love

1x23 - Carol Burnett on Finding Home

1x24 - Stan Getz on Wasted Years

1x25 - Heath Ledger on Role Playing

1x26 - Johnny Cash on The Gospel

1x27 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Love

1x28 - Gene Wilder on The Truth

1x29 - David Bowie on Stardust

1x30 - Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness

1x31 - Meryl Streep on Beauty

1x32 - Jimi Hendrix on The Experience

1x33 - Michael Jackson on Godliness

1x34 - Bette Davis on The Sexes

1x35 - Liberace on Peacocking

1x36 - Maya Angelou on Con Men

1x37 - Wayne Coyne on Living With Death

1x38 - Robin Williams on Masks

1x39 - Tom Robbins on Jitterbugs

1x40 - Elliott Smith on Freaks

1x41 - B.B. King on The Blues

1x42 - Lou Reed on Guns & Ammo

1x43 - Dolly Parton on Getting Dirty

1x44 - Ray Bradbury on Madmen

1x45 - John Coltrane on Giant Steps

1x46 - Joni Mitchell on Illusions

1x47 - Ayn Rand on Love and Happiness

1x48 - Roger Ebert on Ego

1x49 - Dustin Hoffman in 1971 on Duplicity and Famosity

1x50 - Hunter S. Thompson on Outlaws

1x51 - Tom Waits on Everything and Nothing

1x52 - Patty Hearst on Reasonable Doubt

1x53 - Bill Murray on Being Obnoxious

1x54 - Kurt Vonnegut on Man-Eating Lampreys

1x55 - Nina Simone on Shock

1x56 - Garrison Keillor on Humor

1x57 - Sally Ride on Dumb Questions

S0: Specials

S1: Season 1