Factually! with Adam Conover Susan Orlean Shares the Secrets of a Lifetime of Reporting
13 snips
Jan 21, 2026 
Susan Orlean, a celebrated nonfiction writer and contributor to The New Yorker, shares her insights into storytelling and her memoir, Joyride. She discusses the art of finding compelling narratives in everyday life, like the hidden world of taxidermy. Orlean emphasizes the importance of emotional depth in writing and why prose journalism allows for rich detail and intimacy. She reflects on the changing landscape of journalism, the serendipity that sparked The Orchid Thief, and offers advice for aspiring writers to craft unique story ideas.
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Find Why People Care
- She finds emotional themes—why people care—makes niche subjects resonate.
- That theme elevates odd hobbies into meaningful human stories.
Prose Buys You Time And Detail
- Prose allows slower, deeper immersion than documentary because language controls pacing.
- Writing can luxuriate in detail that film must show quickly or omit.
Take Notes By Hand
- Take handwritten notes to minimize artifice and keep conversations natural.
- Use a pen and notebook to stay present and avoid the 'now you're on record' effect.
