See a photo of Eric his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, and Part 2.

Q&A with Eric James Wolf, Question 3:

Q: In your list of questions for me*, you asked what characteristics attract me to the story practitioners I interview in my Q&As. Let me turn that question around and ask the same of you: What do you look for in the storytellers you interview in your podcasts?

[*Eric interviewed me here.]

A: Passion and expertise is key. I am continually surprised by America’s willingness to listen to people who are not experts in their field. I think we are continually in love with that idea of western — that somehow that myth has affected or shut off that part of our brain that goes — “How long have you been doing this?”

I mean, I have guests who have been telling stories for 50 years — 50 years! — and then I have people who come up to me and say - I should be on your show! I am doing this cool thing. So I say; “How long have you been doing this cool thing — whatever?” — They say; “A year.” A year! Like that’s a long time. Again I think it’s the myth of the frontier. But the thing about the western motif is it writes out a whole group of people who were there first — in fact who spent 6,000 years there first. Those are the people I really what to have on my show. You know the natives….