Sound Judgment

Elaine Appleton Grant

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Classy's Jonathan Menjivar: The Fine, Awkward Art of the Personal Audio Documentary

9/28/2023 • 40 min

Did you ever have something that troubled you for years — something so intense that it affected your entire life? That describes the issue of class for host and senior producer Jonathan Menjivar of Audacy’s Pineapple St. Studios. Jonathan, the son of immigrants, grew up in a working-class home. His life today is extraordinarily different — and, as he says, that change in class caused him “to act in strange and funny ways.” Class causes most of us to behave strangely, he believes — and that’s the thesis of his wildly thought-provoking, moving and funny narrative series “Classy.” You’ll learn how to transform an issue that largely plays out inside our heads into an entertaining series with characters, scenes, tension and emotion. You’ll learn how Jonathan decides what parts of his life to share (cashmere socks play a role) and what to keep private. You’ll learn how he and his team “found their collective voice.” You’ll learn how Jonathan, who was a producer at Fresh Air and This American Life, had an epiphany about his own voice; why he defends the “This American Life” style of delivery; and why he now compares himself to the Hulk. (After listening, you might do the same.) Classy is binge-worthy, sure to prompt conversations about your own life, and most importantly, so good that studying its lessons could serve as the backbone of a semester-long narrative audio journalism curriculum.

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