#sparkchamber 052223 — Allyson McCabe
A chance listen to the You’re Wrong About podcast — hosted by two journalists obsessed with the past, reconsidering an event, person or phenomenon that’s been miscast in the public imagination — introduced #sparkchamber to journalist Allyson McCabe. “Miscast in the public imagination” here is one of the most influential artists and activists of our time, Sinéad O’Connor, and Allyson wrote the book on that topic. More about that in a bit.
Allyson grew up in blue-collar Philadelphia, and while working as a data-entry operator, discovered Hampshire College in Amherst MA. The original disrupter of higher education, the school scrapped generic models of learning in favor of students designing their own majors and writing papers instead of taking exams. Students are unbounded in their studies, more entrepreneurial in the academic journey. “Going there changed my world.” She went on to get a Ph.D. in cultural theory, then taught at Yale. There she co-developed a program with The Moth — a live storytelling organization based in New York. The first-ever college pilot program, The Moth at Yale offered undergraduates the opportunity to tell personal stories to a community of their peers, while learning skills of oral narration through workshops with established storytellers.
Though teaching was satisfying work in many ways, Allyson found that “what I really wanted to do was talk with everyday people — not just specialized scholars,” and she found her way to journalism. “Now I make stories about music, arts, and culture for NPR, the New York Times, New York Magazine’s Vulture, BBC Culture, Bandcamp, and more.”
And … she also wrote the book about Sinéad O’Connor — a stirring defense of O’Connor’s music and activism, and an indictment of the culture that cancelled her. Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters will be released tomorrow. Still time to pre-order! Allyson is not on any social media, but you can see her in person as her book tour rolls across the country starting May 25 in Chicago.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
In arts and culture journalism the “peg” is the industry term for “why now” as in “this book/album/film is coming out now.” But my best ideas are inspired by going deeper and considering what’s at stake in a potential story, and how it can put us in touch with our own attitudes, values, beliefs, and feelings.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I’m especially drawn to stories that spotlight significant change-makers who have been overlooked, under-recognized, or forgotten — my goal isn't merely to fill in historical blind spots but to expose and blast apart the biases that created them. I’m motivated by the hope and belief that what I do can and does make a difference.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I’m an early riser and probably the most productive before 9:00 AM when my inbox starts exploding. I usually have a few short- and long-term projects going all at once, so it’s more about juggling deadlines on any given day or week than maintaining official times on and off the clock. I am notoriously on time or early — a rarity in my field — but it helps me to manage workflow.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
In a literal sense I know I'm done when the deadline has been met and the story is set to air or go to print. But in another sense, my stories become a part of me, each a chapter of my own biography in progress. I’m never not writing.
