KDB's Features Producer, Karen Pelland

Ellen: Tell me about your work on NPR's show "Here and Now."

Karen: Most of the production I did for "Here and Now" wasn't interviewing people, it was pre-interviewing people. And then the host would do the interviewing. And occasionally I would have the opportunity to go out into the field and do my own stories.

I left Boston in 2002 and moved to New York, and lived in NY for 7 years doing free-lance work and documentary filmmaking, and that's when I started to hit my stride doing my own interviews. The work I do for KDB, in terms of the sheer number of interviews and the concentration of them, is the most I've ever done, consistently. Prior to this, I would produce stories for other people. And I've really honed my skills too. I can feel myself getting better at it.

Ellen: Do you like it?

Karen: I really like it, very much so. Everyone has their own style.  I don't write down questions, before I go.  I just research and have a conversation.  When I do something in the studio on the phone, I usually prepare the script ahead of time and have questions laid out in front of me.  But if I talk to someone in person, then I'm really casual.  Over the phone I chitchat with them for a few minutes. I don't want to waste their time, and you know,

There are hordes of radio people out there, getting by, living off of just free-lancing. Very difficult. You work ungodly hours, it's almost impossible, they do it, but it's a hard life to just get by on free-lancing on the radio. It's nice because you're out in the field, and you set your own hours, you have a lot of autonomy, but at the same time you're constantly...it's just hard. Financially, it's very challenging. Public radio free-lancing doesn't pay very well, I'll just put it that way. So I've got the best of both worlds. I've got the stability of a full-time job but the life of a free-lancer.

Ellen: How do you find your material?

Karen: I read all the papers, and there are a lot of coffee shops in town that have a lot of flyers up all over the place.  Now as I'm almost a year into this, I'm getting soliciations; people have started to figure it out. And then I just have to investigate for myself.  I ask around; is something worthy? It's not hard to look around and see what's happening in the arts world. There are the major organizations that are right there in front of you and then there are little nuggets tucked away that you have to find, and they're just as valid.  There's no shortage; it's a very rich town in terms of the arts and other nonprofits.

Ellen: You can hear Karen's interviews anytime online.  Thank you, Karen!