Off Mike: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Literary Life

by Michael Krasny

KQED Radio's Michael Krasny is one of the country's leading interviewers of literary luminaries, a maestro for educated listeners who prefer their discourse high and civil. He is a writer's interviewer. But it didn't start out that way. In Off Mike , Krasny, host of one of public radio's most popular and intellectually compelling programs, talks of his strong desire to become a novelist in the footsteps of Bellow and Philip Roth, and then discovering his real talent as a communicator―a deft ability to draw others out as an interlocutor. In a mix of memoir and reportage, Krasny takes readers inside his world. He gives an account of the polarizing transformation of talk radio, from his early days at KGO commercial radio, through to his current role at NPR, where he manages to keep the flow of talk in his San Francisco based show animated and politically balanced. Forum fans and lovers of literature will be riveted by the insightful and amusing vignettes and behind the scenes accounts. They will get a taste of the sharp commentary from his encounters with panels of experts, and interviews with cultural and political personalities as well as writers.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

344 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2007

Reviews

[John Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this memoir because I love Michael Krasny as a radio host. For the decade and a half that I lived in the Bay Area, Forum on KQED was a drive-time (or late-rising) staple of my media diet. Naturally I wanted to learn more about what led to this important cultural creation.

Krasny does deliver a good origin story and enough juicy tales from behind the scenes of his interviews. However, this felt exhausting to read. It rambles. He mentions about 7,000 times how he really wanted to be a novelist, but just wasn't that good at it. His tendency is to explain or, over-explain. This autobiography skews much more in the direction of reflection, explanation, and at times rationalization that came off as defensive. It is long-winded.

I do feel that i know this radio personality and what makes him tick much better. But it was effortful.

[Phoebe]

Oh, Michael Krasny. I am a devoted Forum listener and I've heard him refer to this memoir many times, often using the phrase "frustrated novelist". Frustrated indeed. His self-conscious, needy writing style drove me away after only one chapter.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read all of it. The TOC is arranged with the names of the people about whom MK writes, so I picked and chose (reading about his experiences w/authors and others I liked such as Barbara Kingsolver and Khaled Hosseini and skipping many).

I loved Michael Krasny on the radio and in that medium I often stuck with an interview with someone I didn't care about and ended up learning. I should have done that with this book but have a big stack of stuff that is calling to me to read...

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

EVE-I think you might like this one...he tells about gazillions of interviews with contemporary authors he's done. His story is wordy, but his descriptions of how famous writers interact with him are interesting.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Michael Kransy so it is no wonder that I found his memoir a delight to read. After each chapter he reflects on individual authors. A must read for open-minded liberals and literary folk.

[Diane Dreher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Michael Krasny's memoir, Off Mike. I love his Forum interviews on KQED and enjoyed reading about his interviews with other authors and life behind the scenes.