Never gonna give you up

5 question for podcast producer Golda Arthur

Poor Golda Arthur can’t get rid of me. For a long time, I was walking through the world with a little ache to get into podcasting. I loved asking people questions. Wasn’t it an ideal medium for me? Yes! Some people that I told about this little ache said, “Just make it yourself! Podcasts are DIY!” But I knew better. I knew my gift at asking questions was not a gift for painstakingly putting together audio in a way that actually sounds good. For that, I would need an expert, someone with shared values (humility, humor, truth-telling) but very different skills.

Enter Golda Arthur — experienced audio producer. When the Skoll Foundation and the Aspen Institute teamed up to make a podcast and asked me to co-host it, I was thrilled. Finally a chance to learn the medium! When they brought Golda on, I had no idea the gift I was being given.

She is smart as hell, no bullshit, accountable, and perhaps best of all, discerning and delightable (a rare and wonderful combination). When the first podcast we made together was over, we had a hunch we might want to work together again. And today, the trailer launches! It’s called The Wise Unknown, and it’s all about disturbing our ideas about who the wisest are among us. Take a listen! Subscribe!

And then read this Q&A with my collaborator, my friend, my favorite person to have the call after the call with, Golda Arthur…

Courtney Martin: When did you know you wanted to go into audio storytelling? 

Golda Arthur: I started out about 25 years ago at the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) and got a really solid grounding in audio there - the kind that stays with you 25 years later. I was primarily a news producer there but I got a chance to work on a couple of audio documentaries and worked with some deeply experienced editors who helped me understand the craft of audio storytelling. It was not easy, and I liked that. And once you train yourself to think in sound, a beautiful world opens up. I’m very, very lucky to still be able to create audio stories, and now I’m the proverbial old guy training the youngs.

Were you always an auditory kid - like what did you love listening to as a little girl? 

Rick Astley, on repeat. 

No but seriously, I wasn’t an auditory kid, though I grew up in a house full of music and musicians (I can’t hold a tune myself and play no instruments but wish I could).

What do you think most people don't understand about making podcasts? 

That it takes more time, money and effort than you think! 

Why did you decide to work on The Wise Unknown with me and what has your biggest surprise been of the process? 

I remember the day we met in real life for the first time, at a cafe in Manhattan last fall. We had worked together on a show before but it was during the pandemic and everything was remote. And when we met, we were chatting about podcast ideas and what would work - and then on the subway, on the way home, the idea for what has now become Wise Unknown was still in my head. And I found myself imagining its sound and tone and thought - ok, if I’m here already this idea has something to it. 

Also, there was a click - the right idea, with the right host, at the right time. In my experience, all of these are important elements to making a good show. So I was excited to see if we could make something from it. 

It appealed to me because I knew it was something that could surprise, that could present listeners with something unvarnished and powerful. 

Surprises: I had a sense that you and I would work together well, but I didn’t expect to have so much fun making it. Thank you for being such a blast to work with, Courtney.

And, the Wise Unknowns are even more moving than I imagined! 

If you were a guest on the pod, who would your Wise Unknown person be and why?  

My parents. Shout out to Robin and Teresa, yo.

When I go home to visit, I put my baggage - all of it - down when I walk through their door, and immediately feel lighter and safer and cared for, and … home, I guess. And my parent’s ability to be compassionate is astonishing - it is a super power, I think. Even when they are kicking my butt, it’s because they know something about me that I have conveniently cast aside perhaps, or just plain forgotten, and I need to be reminded of what is truly best for me. They do this magic thing of keeping me grounded but also keeping me reaching, somehow. They have just always had my back. 

---

Robin and Teresa! Shout out to you both! Thanks for making Golda. She’s such a gift.

It would be a gift to both me and Golda if you would listen to the trailer of our new podcast, The Wise Unknown, and spread the word on social media or however you like telling your friends about cool stuff they shouldn’t miss out on. Most importantly, subscribe. Thank you thank you thank you.