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The Iowa Idea: Ophira Eisenberg
“Go towards the people that are saying yes.”
In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Ophira Eisenberg. Ophira is a standup comedian, writer, and host of NPR’s national syndicated comedy-trivia show and podcast Ask Me Another. She is a regular host and teller on The Moth Radio Hour. Ophira’s comedic memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a feature film and her comedy special Inside Joke is available on Amazon and iTunes.
Ophira and I explore her journey as a comedian, writer, and storyteller – from Calgary to Montreal, to New York City. Our conversation looked at how she approaches her craft and shifts her style based on the audience and venue. We dig into how our kids can be our toughest critics; nerd out on what constitutes proper poutine – spoiler: if it’s not from Quebec it’s not poutine. Ophira shares the importance of spending time with supportive collaborators who help you stretch and grow. I appreciated the opportunity to get her first-person account of Calgary’s Stanley Cup victory in the ‘80s and the strength of Lanny McDonald’s mustache game.
It was an honor having Ophira join me on the show. You can find out more about Ophira on her website and catch Ask Me Another on NPR (links below in the episode description). Thank you Ophira for your time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.
About Ophira
Ophira Eisenberg is a standup comedian, writer, and host of NPR’s national syndicated comedy trivia radio show and podcast Ask Me Another where she interviews, jokes around with, and plays silly games with Sir Patrick Harris, Rosie Perez, Awkwafina, Roxanne Gay, Bob The Drag Queen, Jessica Walter, Bowen Yang, Debra Messing, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Handler and more. She is also a regular panelist on Hulu’s Up Early Tonight. She’s appeared on Comedy Central, This Week At The Comedy Cellar, The New Yorker Festival, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, HBO’s Girls, Gotham Live, The Late Late Show, and The Today Show. She is regular host and teller on The Moth Radio Hour. Her stories have also been included in two of The Moth’s best-selling collections, including the most recent: Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible. Ophira’s own comedic memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a feature film. Her comedy special Inside Joke is available on Amazon and iTunes.
Links:
https://www.npr.org/programs/ask-me-another/
@ophirae on social media
Credits
Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).
The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).