by Adam West & Daniel Covington
Ira Glass and Jad Abumrad came to the Norton Center for the Arts on the 21st of February, 2026.
Before the convocation, Glass and Abumrad had a talk back with students from an interview class and students from a variety of English based classes, including Dr. Peebles’ Cormac McCarthy class and Dr. Osanloo’s Screenwriting class. The twelve guests who attended, including Dr. Shenton, were able to ask Glass and Abumrad questions about whatever they wanted to. This incredible opportunity allowed students to talk to these celebrities and this group talked with the dynamic duo about how to interview people better, how they got into reporting, and how to get interesting stories from people.
Once Ira and Jad took the stage for the convo, the chemistry between them was like that of old friends. They shared stories with each other of past interviews they had published, of everything from funny testosterone stories to brutal images of war to the polarization of the country. Ira and Jad had been bringing the people whose stories weren’t typically told to the forefront, and now all of their behind the scenes work was brought to the forefront for all to see. The pair have storied careers, spanning over half a decade combined, and that showed throughout their conversations. Even the people who worked backstage for the convo said that the pair acted like professionals, who knew what they were doing.
Ira Glass was born in 1959, and grew up expecting to go into medicine, which his parents wanted him to do. This, however, was not where he would end up, as he got at NPR when he was young and stayed with them. His greatest achievement was This American Life, a radio program that tells the story of people who wouldn’t be in the news, people that aren’t famous with stories you’ve never heard before. Glass continues to host This American Life. Jad Abumrad, on the other hand, born in 1973, tried his hand at film scores, trying out his passions in music and creative writing before ending up in radio. Jad ended up working at WNYC, and created Radiolab, which focuses on science, philosophy, and politics, giving these topics a light-hearted and accessible spin.