Blank on Blank

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Blank on Blank turns lost audio interviews with cultural icons into a regular podcast and an animated series on YouTube with PBS Digital Studios. Created by Quoted Studios.

Quoted Studios


    • Mar 6, 2017 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 8m AVG DURATION
    • 61 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Blank on Blank

    Innocence, Innovation and Future Shock

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2017 16:08


    Alvin Toffler and Margaret Mead, an author and an anthropologist who endeavored to understand the impact of scientific invention. In this episode of our series, The Experimenters, we hear from two visionaries who believed that while we’ve started a technological revolution, we don’t quite know where it’s going to take us. But maybe most interesting of all […] Blank on Blank

    Peanuts, Atlantis, and Colorblindness

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2017 20:44


    Oliver Sacks, Jacques Cousteau, and George Washington Carver. Our podcast returns with lost interviews featuring this trio on self, sight, and deep-sea diving. The three icons had the imaginations and daring to go where none had gone before. They overcame indifference and bigotry, exploring the darkest depths of the ocean, and even challenging their own deepest assumptions. These […] Blank on Blank

    Carl Sagan on Extraterrestrials *

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2016 12:53


    “The evolutionary record is clear that extraterrestrials would be very different from us” – Carl Sagan in 1985, as told to Studs Terkel.   The incomprehensible vastness of the universe, the wonder of our own place in it all… Carl Sagan was able to explain the science of space in a way everyone could understand. As part of […] Blank on Blank

    Dame Stephanie Shirley on Survival Code *

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2016 16:34


    “I have to make my life worth saving, and each day you spend as if it would be your last” – Dame Steve Shirley in 2010 Dame Stephanie Shirley might be the most successful tech entrepreneur you have never heard of. In the early 1960s, Shirley started a barrier-breaking, all-woman software company that would eventually be valued at $3 billion. From […] Blank on Blank

    Temple Grandin on Search Engines *

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2016 11:46


    “Everything in my mind works like a search engine set for the image function.” – Temple Grandin in 2008 This rarely heard oral history with the autism activist, author, and professor of animal science, was uncovered at Colorado State University. In this conversation, Temple Grandin is at her best, explaining for the rest of us what it’s […] Blank on Blank

    Frank Lloyd Wright on Arrogance *

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2016 11:11


    “Any man who really has faith in himself will be dubbed arrogant by his fellows” – Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957, as told to Mike Wallace Architect Frank Lloyd Wright did something new when he made buildings that somehow became one with the landscape. Long, low lines, and interiors that brought the light and space […] Blank on Blank

    Sally Ride on Dumb Questions *

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2016 11:59


    “I wish that there had been another woman on my flight. I think it would have been a lot easier.” – Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, shortly after her historic launch in 1983. Interviewed by Gloria Steinem. At the time of this interview, as far as the public – and it turns out […] Blank on Blank

    Garrison Keillor on Humor *

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2015 8:25


    “My family was shocked when I came home with a volume of Hemingway … There was a price to be paid for being interested in fiction.” – Garrison Keillor in 1994 In this new episode we have a conversation with a true storyteller, the humorist, Garrison Keillor. This interview was recorded in front a live […] Blank on Blank

    Nina Simone on Shock *

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2015 8:52


    “It’s a good time for black people to be alive. It’s a lot of hell. A lot of violence, but I feel more alive now than I ever have in my life. I have a chance to live, as I’ve dreamed.”  – Nina Simone in 1968, from a rare interview that’s never been heard before. […] Blank on Blank

    Kurt Vonnegut on Man-Eating Lampreys *

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2015 9:08


    “Nothing means anything — except the artist makes his living by pretending, by putting it in a meaningful hole, though no such holes exist.” – Kurt Vonnegut in 1970 Kurt Vonnegut walked into a class room at NYU in November 1970. He was a guest speaker that day. He’d prepared some handwritten notes on what he […] Blank on Blank

    Bill Murray on Being Obnoxious *

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2015 9:04


    “I‘m just an obnoxious guy who can make it appear charming, that’s what they pay me to do.” – Bill Murray in 1988 as told to T.J. English This previously unheard interview was recorded at Bill Murray’s house in New Jersey. T.J. was writing a profile for Irish America magazine. Bill’s dog was there and had […] Blank on Blank

    Patty Hearst on Reasonable Doubt *

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2015 11:28


    “I‘m a coward, I didn’t want to die” – Patty Hearst in 1982, as told to Larry Grobel. Larry Grobel told us the story about a time back in the early 80s when he borrowed a swimsuit at the Playboy mansion. It seems that back then, Hugh Hefner kept spare trunks at the ready whenever his guests […] Blank on Blank

    Tom Waits on Everything and Nothing *

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2015 9:05


    “I don’t know what the ‘big time’ is” – Tom Waits in 1988 as told to Chris Roberts Imagine what would happen if you sat down on a couch next to Tom Waits? Here’s the tape. Watch the animated version of this episode from our series with PBS Digital Studios: blankonblank.org/tom-waits Blank on Blank

    Hunter S. Thompson on Outlaws *

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2015 9:57


    “I keep my mouth shut now. I’ve turned into a professional coward.” – Hunter S. Thompson in 1967 with Studs Terkel. The interview was recorded shortly after the release of Thompson’s book, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. He spent more than a year living, drinking and riding with the Hells Angels up and down the […] Blank on Blank

    Dustin Hoffman on Duplicity and Famosity *

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2015 9:31


    “I carried a knife taped to my leg. I never used it but it was there.” – Dustin Hoffman in 1971. Listening to this interview tape from the Pacifica Radio Archives, we were drawn to this idea of the struggles that pop up between different generations and the internal questions one confronts as he or […] Blank on Blank

    Ayn Rand on Love and Happiness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2015 7:18


    “I have no faith at all. I only hold convictions.” Blank on Blank

    Joni Mitchell on Illusions

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2015 8:16


    “I was young for my age. Not as naïve as they expected. I don't know why I seem to bring that out in people.“ Blank on Blank

    John Coltrane on Giant Steps

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2015 6:24


    “I want to be the force which is truly for good.” Blank on Blank

    Ray Bradbury on Madmen

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2015 6:34


    “If you have to ask yourself whether or not you love a girl or you love a boy, forget it. You don't.” Blank on Blank

    Dolly Parton on Getting Dirty

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2015 6:51


    “Mama just always said, 'you be what you are and you don’t have to worry about nothing.'” Blank on Blank

    Richard Feynman on What It Means

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2015 9:03


    "The key was somehow to know what was important because I can’t learn everything." Blank on Blank

    Jane Goodall on Instinct

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2015 8:33


    ”When I was about 10, 11, I fell in love with Tarzan.“ Blank on Blank

    Buckminster Fuller on The Geodesic Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2015 9:23


    “I was sure things were just not being done in logical ways.” Blank on Blank

    Lou Reed on Guns and Ammo

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2015 6:31


    “I write a song called 'Heroin', you would have thought that I murdered the Pope” Blank on Blank

    B.B. King on The Blues

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2015 7:50


    “I like to feel that I pay my own way, no free lunch.” Blank on Blank

    Elliott Smith on Freaks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2015 6:34


    “A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.” Blank on Blank

    Tom Robbins on Jitterbugs

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2014 7:01


    ”If I knew how it was going to end, I probably wouldn't write it.” Blank on Blank

    Robin Williams on Masks

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2014 7:07


    “Comedy is there to show us we fart, we laugh, to make us realize we still are part animal.” Blank on Blank

    Wayne Coyne on Living with Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2014 6:09


    “I‘m pouring my guts out so they can feel like your guts at the same time.” Blank on Blank

    Maya Angelou on Con Men

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2014 7:01


    “The only way you can be a mark is if you want something for nothing.” Blank on Blank

    Liberace on Peacocking

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2014 7:24


    “Anyone that dares begrudge what I have today, just better get off their duff.” Blank on Blank

    Bette Davis on The Sexes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2014 7:27


    “I think men have got to change an awful lot. They still prefer the little woman.” Blank on Blank

    Michael Jackson on Godliness

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2014 7:45


    “My singing… I’ll just say it simple as possible: It’s just godly.” Blank on Blank

    Meryl Streep on Beauty

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2014 6:24


    “The thing that was relentless for me was how you look... It just drove me crazy.” Blank on Blank

    Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2014 7:07


    “Learning how to die is therefore learning how to live” Blank on Blank

    David Bowie on Ziggy Stardust

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2014 6:35


    "If it’s wearing a pink hat and a red nose, and it plays a guitar upside down, I will go and look at it." Blank on Blank

    Gene Wilder on The Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2014 6:22


    “When you please your mother, it gives you confidence you can please other people” Blank on Blank

    John Lennon on Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2014 6:58


    “It’s no good being with people you can dominate all the time” Blank on Blank

    Johnny Cash on The Gospel

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2014 7:03


    “I just hope and pray I can die with my boots on” Blank on Blank

    Heath Ledger on Role Playing

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2014 6:42


    “My nervous energy is usually the easiest form of energy to tap into.” Blank on Blank

    Stan Getz on Wasted Years

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2014 6:43


    “I’ve done some dastardly things but what can I do except make amends and apologize?” Blank on Blank

    Jimi Hendrix on The Experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2014 7:12


    “When things get too heavy just call me helium--the lightest known gas to man.” Blank on Blank

    Barry White on Making Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2014 6:18


    “When a man’s making love, the last thing he thinks about is war.” Blank on Blank

    John Updike on Family Affairs

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2013 6:06


    “There is the fear you somehow neglected to say what was really yours to say.” Blank on Blank

    Tupac Shakur on Life and Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2013 6:26


    “I feel like a tragic hero in a Shakespeare play.” Blank on Blank

    Grace Kelly on JFK

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2013 6:40


    “The President turned to me and asked: ‘Is that a Givenchy you‘re wearing?‘” Blank on Blank

    Jerry Garcia on The Acid Tests

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2013 7:07


    “When we fell in with the acid tests we a started having the most fun we had ever had.” Blank on Blank

    Kurt Cobain on Identity

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2013 6:19


    “I even thought that I was gay. I thought that might be the solution to my problem.” Blank on Blank

    Ray Charles on Singing True

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2013 6:30


    “If somebody don’t like something that I do, that’s his or her prerogative. Just like it’s mine.” Blank on Blank

    Janis Joplin on Rejection

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2013 5:21


    “In my insides, it really hurts if someone doesn't like me. It's silly.” Blank on Blank

    Fidel Castro 1959: The Lost Interview

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2013 9:33


    “If this revolution falls, what we will have here in Cuba is a hell. Hell itself.” Blank on Blank

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