Jonathan Goldstein (author)

Last updated
Jonathan Goldstein
Jonathan Goldstein (cropped).jpg
Goldstein in 2014
Born (1969-08-22) August 22, 1969 (age 54)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, US
OccupationAuthor, radio producer
Nationality Canadian-American, dual citizen
Alma mater McGill University
Concordia University
Notable worksLenny Bruce Is Dead (2001); WireTap (2004-15); Heavyweight (2016-23)

Jonathan Goldstein (born August 22, 1969) [1] is an American-Canadian author, humorist and radio producer. Goldstein has worked on radio programs and podcasts such as Heavyweight , This American Life, and WireTap . Goldstein's work has been academically examined as representative of "the positioning of Jews and Canadians as potentially overlooked minorities in the late-twentieth- and early twenty-first-century United States". [2]

Contents

Early life

Goldstein was born to Buzz and Dina Goldstein in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, where he spent the first four years of his life before the family moved to Montreal, Quebec, his mother's hometown. [3] [4] The family settled in the suburb of Laval. [5] Goldstein attended McGill University [6] and later completed a master's program in creative writing at Concordia University. [7]

Career

After graduation, Goldstein supported himself by working in the telemarketing industry for ten years while continuing to write and attend readings. [8] He talked about this time on an episode of This American Life, 'Plan B'. [9]

Radio/audio

He hosted the CBC summer radio program Road Dot Trip [4] in 2000 and has contributed to shows like Dispatches and Outfront. [10] In 2000, his career received a boost after he was selected to work on Ira Glass' popular public radio program This American Life . Goldstein relocated to Chicago to work as a producer on the show. Many of Goldstein's pieces have been featured on This American Life where he is a contributing editor. From 2000 to 2002 he was also a producer of the show. [11]

In 2002, Goldstein returned to Montreal and started work on several projects for CBC Radio One. He hosted WireTap , which debuted in 2004 and ended in 2015. The program featured stories told over the phone. [11]

In May 2014, Goldstein played an "expert witness" in humorist John Hodgman's comedy/court show podcast Judge John Hodgman . [12]

In September 2016, Goldstein began a new podcast, Heavyweight, with podcast network Gimlet Media. [13] The podcast was discontinued in 2023 by Spotify, which had purchased Gimlet in the meantime. [14]

Goldstein is a member of the Public Radio Exchange editorial board.

Writing

In 2001, Goldstein's debut novel, Lenny Bruce Is Dead , was published by Coach House Books. [15] Goldstein also co-authored Schmelvis: In Search of Elvis Presley's Jewish Roots with Max Wallace, an account of a Hasidic Elvis impersonator and rabbi's quest to trace the Jewish roots of Elvis Presley. Goldstein has also been published in The New York Times Magazine , Saturday Night , The New York Times , The Walrus , GQ , the Journey Prize Anthology and the National Post . He has also self-produced a number of small publications, most notably carwash the size of a peach. [16]

Other

In September 2007, WireTap producer Mira Burt-Wintonick released "Superstar of the Netherlands," a short film featuring Goldstein and WireTap regular Gregor Ehrlich, on YouTube. [17] In February 2008, Goldstein debuted the internet project CBC Web 3.0 which features the short "The Future is Yesterday,” a comedic take on the impersonal nature of the Internet. [18]

Personal life

Goldstein has resided in Montreal, Chicago, [19] [20] and New York City, [4] and he now lives in Minneapolis. [21]

Goldstein was in a relationship with the author Heather O'Neill that ended in 2007. [19]

Goldstein married fellow radio producer Emily Condon in 2015, having been introduced by Sean Cole in 2013. [22]

Bibliography

Books

Essays and reporting

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ira Glass</span> American radio personality

Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation. His work in radio and television has won him awards, such as the Edward R. Murrow Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Radio and the George Polk Award in Radio Reporting.

<i>This American Life</i> Short stories radio program and podcast

This American Life (TAL) is an American weekly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays, memoirs, field recordings, short fiction, and found footage. The first episode aired on November 17, 1995, under the show's original title, Your Radio Playhouse. The series was distributed by Public Radio International until June 2014, when the program became self-distributed with Public Radio Exchange delivering new episodes to public radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John K. Samson</span> Musical artist

John Kristjan Samson is a Canadian musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is a singer-songwriter and best known as the frontman of the Canadian indie folk/rock band The Weakerthans. He also played bass in the punk band Propagandhi during the mid-1990s. Today, Samson is making music under his own name, John K. Samson. His latest solo album, Winter Wheat, was released in 2016.

<i>Elvis</i> (1968 TV program) 1968 American television special

Singer Presents ... Elvis, commonly referred to as the '68 Comeback Special, is an Elvis Presley concert special that aired on NBC on December 3, 1968. It marked Presley's return to live performance after a seven-year period during which he focused on his film appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hodgman</span> American author, actor, and humorist

John Kellogg Hodgman is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All, he is known for his personification of a PC in contrast to Justin Long's personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" advertising campaign, and for his work as a contributor on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Evan Beloff is a Canadian film writer, producer, director and production company executive. He is known for Bigfoot's Reflection (2007), Daughters of the Voice (2018) and A People's Soundtrack (2019).

WireTap is a half-hour-long radio show which aired on CBC Radio One from 2004 until 2015. An hour-long version of WireTap was distributed in the United States by Public Radio International. The show was hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, former producer of This American Life, and featured stories that were told as if over the phone with Goldstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starlee Kine</span> American radio producer

Starlee Kine is an American public radio producer and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather O'Neill</span> Canadian writer (b. 1973)

Heather O'Neill is a Canadian novelist, poet, short story writer, screenwriter and journalist, who published her debut novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals, in 2006. The novel was subsequently selected for the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by singer-songwriter John K. Samson. Lullabies won the competition. The book also won the Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and was shortlisted for eight other major awards, including the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Governor General's Award and was longlisted for International Dublin Literary Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Frank</span> Radio performer

Joe Frank was a French-born American writer, teacher, and radio performer best known for his often philosophical, humorous, surrealist, and sometimes absurd monologues and radio dramas he recorded often in collaboration with friends, actors, and family members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mira Burt-Wintonick</span> Canadian filmmaker

Mira Burt-Wintonick is a Canadian radio and film producer best known for her audio pieces and work on the CBC radio program WireTap. Trained as a classical musician, Burt-Wintonick pursued a Communications degree from Concordia University in Montreal where she currently resides. Notably, in 2006 Burt-Wintonick was chosen Best New Artist at the Third Coast Festival for her radio essay Muriel's Message. Daughter of Canadian documentary film maker Peter Wintonick, Burt-Wintonick co-produced the road-trip documentary PilgrIMAGE with her father which was a selection at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2008.

Howard Chackowicz is a Montreal-based Canadian artist and musician well known for his contributions to the independent comic book scene. In addition to exhibiting his work internationally, Chackowicz has taught illustration at the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts and presently runs a Comix and Cartooning workshop for Drawn & Quarterly. In 2000, Chackowicz was named one of the top 5 local cartoonists of the year by The Montreal Mirror.

Connie Walker is a Pulitzer-prize winning Cree journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Scott</span>

Julia Scott is a noted Canadian-American writer and journalist, known primarily for her work in print and audio. She is a contributor to both The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine, as well as National Public Radio, American Public Media, Salon, Nautilus, and Maclean's.

<i>Judge John Hodgman</i> American comedic court show podcast

Judge John Hodgman is a weekly, comedic court show podcast hosted by John Hodgman and Jesse Thorn. The show is distributed online by Maximum Fun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Blumberg</span> American radio journalist

Alex Blumberg is an American entrepreneur, radio journalist, former producer for public radio and television, best known for his work with This American Life, Planet Money, and How to Save a Planet. He was the co-founder and CEO of the podcast network Gimlet Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gimlet Media</span> Digital media company

Gimlet Media LLC is a digital media company and podcast network, focused on producing narrative podcasts and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company was founded in 2014 by Alex Blumberg and Matthew Lieber, who served as the company's CEO and president respectively until Lieber stepped down in 2022. In February 2019, Spotify announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Gimlet for $230 million. In 2023, Spotify announced that they were to merge Gimlet and Parcast into Spotify Studios.

<i>Heavyweight</i> (podcast) Non-fiction short stories podcast

Heavyweight is a podcast created and hosted by American-Canadian humorist Jonathan Goldstein where he helps people try to resolve a moment from their past that they wish they could change. The show was produced by Gimlet Media, which was absorbed into Spotify Studios.

Colin Escott is a British music historian and author specializing in early U.S. rock and roll and country music. His works include a biography of Hank Williams, histories of Sun Records and The Grand Ole Opry, liner notes for more than 500 albums and compilations, and major contributions to stage and television productions. Honors include multiple Grammy Awards and a Tony Award nomination.

References

  1. Hays, Matthew (August 27, 2008). "Play it again, Sam—if only to placate the alien hordes". The National Post .
  2. Lambert, Josh (2016), "The Sound of "New Jews": David Rakoff and Jonathan Goldstein", Studies in American Jewish Literature, 35 (2), Penn State University Press: 233–256, doi:10.5325/studamerjewilite.35.2.0233, S2CID   163284680
  3. Soloman, Heather. "Goldstein taps into neuroses for radio show". CJNews.com. The Canadian Jewish News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 Goldstein, Jonathan (May 15, 2015). "Jonathan Goldstein, The Art of Podcasting No. 17 (Interviewed by Devon Taylor)". TheTimbre.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  5. Grant, Alyson (November 16, 2005). "Almost eavesdropping". The Montreal Gazette . p. D.1.
  6. Goldstein, Jonathan (July 7, 2000). "We Never Got Along: A letter from Jonathan Goldstein, on an old flame". openletters.net. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
  7. Hays, Matthew (January 8, 2002). "A devotee of life's Zamboni moments". The Globe and Mail . p. R.3.
  8. Lewis, Sydney. "Jonathan Goldstein". The Transom Review; transom.org. Archived from the original on January 24, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  9. "Plan B". This American Life. February 2002.
  10. "RoadDotTrip seeks the heart of Canada: CBC radio show sets up Goldstein as one-man crew;". The Edmonton Journal . July 1, 2000. p. C.5.
  11. 1 2 Whyte, Murray (December 18, 2005). "Tapping into radio's creative potential; Wiretap Reality, fiction mix en route to a higher purpose Wiretap;". The Toronto Star. p. C.13.
  12. Smith, Julia (15 May 2014). "Judge John Hodgman Episode 160: The French Correction". MaximumFun.org . Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  13. "About Heavyweight". GimletMedia.com. Gimlet Media.
  14. Eduardo, Medina (5 December 2023). "Spotify Cancels Two Acclaimed Podcasts: 'Heavyweight' and 'Stolen'". New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  15. "ReLit Award winners named". The St. John's Telegram . June 16, 2002. p. A.4.
  16. KS (Summer 1998). "Zine Review: a car wash the size of a peach". BrokenPencil.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  17. Burt-Wintonick, Mira (25 September 2007). "Superstar of the Netherlands". YouTube. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
  18. "CBC Web 3.0". cbcweb3point0.wordpress.com. February 22, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
  19. 1 2 Stoffman, Judy (December 13, 2006). "Lyrical Lullabies; Heather O'Neill's first novel, inspired by her hardscrabble childhood, draws raves". The Toronto Star . p. D.4.
  20. Q&Q Staff (November 2006). "Bringing up Baby: Heather O'Neill's debut novel brings magic to a grim inner-city childhood" . Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  21. Raihala, Ross (26 March 2020). "Here are nearly 50 podcasts to stream, both local and national, recommended by Twin Cities podcast fans". TwinCities.com. St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  22. Kalish, Jon (24 October 2016). "Producer Sean Cole relishes the 'beautiful feeling' of performing weddings". Current. Retrieved 2021-12-25.