Ari Shapiro is a host on NPR's afternoon magazine show "All Things Considered."
Courtesy of NPR
Following his time as NPR's London-based international correspondent, former Portlander Ari Shapiro will move into the host seat for "All Things Considered" starting in September, joined by Kelly McEvers, Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel.
Shapiro had just landed in Virgina, where he'll perform with Portland-based band Pink Martini over the weekend when OPB caught up with him about the new gig. The longtime NPR reporter said he's looking forward to working with the esteemed ATC team while continuing to "illuminate untold stories."
Q&A with Ari Shapiro of NPR's "All Things Considered"
Lizzy Duffy: What was the thing that interested you most about taking this position?
Ari Shapiro: I grew up listening to "All Things Considered." I have a very vivid memory as a young kid sitting in front of a speaker that was probably as tall as I was, with the "All Things Considered" theme music playing as my mother made dinner every night. So, this is a show that's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
The opportunity to be a part of the team that puts this show on the air every day is just an incredible privilege. Especially today when there are fewer and fewer newscasts that really have deep, substantial reporting from all over the country and all over the world. To play a pivotal role in one of those programs, especially one of those programs that mean so much to me personally, is an extraordinary opportunity.
Duffy: Was it a goal to eventually host ATC?
Shapiro: The word "goal" makes it sounds like a thing that you imagine being able to attain. And for most of my life, even being at NPR didn't really seem plausible, and hosting "All Things Considered" was not the sort of thing that I could even envision myself doing because it seemed so extraordinary. To be honest, other people have said, "Oh, I thought for a long time that you would end up here one day," and my reaction is (laughing), "I didn't — you thought that? I didn't think that."
It just still seems sort of incredible to me, almost like I have been given the care of this heirloom, and asked along with this incredible team of people who put on the show every day to keep it intact, and relevant and valuable and shiny.
Duffy: Each of the hosts bring something different to the show, so I'm interested in how your personalities mesh.
Shaprio: Audie is the only person who I've shared a studio with before. I love Kelly and Robert as people, and as a listener, I love listening to them on the radio. I'm excited to find out what it will be likely sharing a studio with them.
Sharing a studio with Audie is an experience that is occasionally more fun than it seems like hosting public radio ought to be. Part of that may come from the fact that Audie and I have known each other for years, really since we were both interns ... In a way, we've professionally grown up together. As a colleague and a listener who loves and admires Robert and Kelly, I have every expectation that sharing a studio with them will be delightful in their own unique ways.
Duffy: Which region of the United States are you interested in, and will you be bringing the show to Oregon or the West in general?
Shapiro: As an Oregonian, I cannot claim to be unbiased. I get home at least once a year, and it still feels like home to me. As of now, I cannot say that the show is going one place or another. I've not had any conversations about it. But in terms of my favorite cities in America? Portland, hands down. And (laughing) I'm not just saying that because this is an interview with OPB.
Duffy: What's the one thing that you have to do when you come back to Portland?
Shapiro: There's no one thing, to be honest. I mean, I love the coffee. I love the food carts. I love hiking in Forest Park, going to the Columbia Gorge, skiing on Mount Hood, seeing the Oregon Coast, even in the winter when the enormous waves crash. The thing I most have to do most when I go back is see my friends. They're fantastic people, and I just don't see them enough.
Duffy: Now that you're stateside, will you be able to perform with Pink Martini more than when you were in London?
Shapiro: I hope so. I actually still performed with them quite a bit even when I was in London. It was just a different kind of performing. Instead of doing a weekend here, a weekend there ... it would be a two-week stretch of a European tour. I did fewer American shows, but I still did a lot of shows abroad.