A Curious Career

June 15, 2014
The veteran celebrity journalist looks back on her legendary ability for asking questions others wouldn't dare.Barber (An Education, 2010, etc.) believes being "exceptionally nosy" is part of what has made her so successful as a journalist. "I want to understand other people," she writes, "I want to know what they think, what they do when I'm not there, how they interact, especially with their families, and how they got to be how they are." The author's astringent manner and desire to cut through the typical PR fluff and draw her subjects out have made her many celebrity profiles-as well as her memoir-worth reading. Barber is equally frank discussing her working-class upbringing (that and her bookish nature made her stand apart from her well-heeled schoolmates) and seven-year apprenticeship at Penthouse magazine, after which she moved on to Vanity Fair, Observer, Sunday Times and others. Rather than common folk, she has interviewed celebrities and artists whom she admires "for their talent, but even more for the courage it takes to become a star, to leave the cosy camaraderie of the herd." The author complains that actors are the most difficult to interview and that athletes "never seem to have anything interesting to say." For example, she regards her 2011 interview with tennis champion Rafael Nadal (reprinted here, along with several others)-during which his handler told him what to say-as making "a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Footnotes are definitely in order, as Barber's British references will puzzle American readers who won't have a clue what "I don't want to sound pi about it" means or think making coffee in a "Smeg-filled kitchen" sounds unsanitary.Barber's "automatic bullshit detector" has served her well and makes for a winning book.

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September 15, 2014

British journalist Barber (An Education) attributes her successful career as an interviewer to her childhood "hobby" of nosiness, a rather endearing characteristic that is clearly evident throughout her book. From the first chapter, "The Value of Nosiness," the author offers stories of her life along with a tantalizing selection of celebrity interviews that reflect her style, voice, and humor. Barber's career began with Penthouse magazine, and her first celebrity interview was with Salvador Dali in 1969. After a break for marriage and motherhood, Barber returned to journalism and has had a long career, both writing books and conducting conversations with the infamous. Contained in this volume are a number of fascinating discussions with the likes of tennis star Rafael Nadal and artist Tracey Emin, each preceded by accounts of Barber's own experience. In her estimation, the most notorious encounter was with Marianne Faithfull, whom she called "The Fabulous Beast." After reading the entry, the reader will agree. Among the most poignant exchanges is a March 2011 interview with Christopher Hitchens, who died in December of that year and who clearly knew he was dying. The interview is as revealing and insightful as any ever done. VERDICT Recommended for those interested in journalism, celebrities, or personal memoirs.--Susan L. Peters, Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

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