One of the things about the Ira Glass interviews that stood out to me most was the emphasis on being picky and the true rarity of good stories. I think this is a theme that can be observed throughout the informational segments of the previous modules as well, being an explicit tip in the photography module and a more implicit theme in the Vagnelli Canon. I think this pattern is indicative of the importance of being picky when making art. If you are not willing to go as far as possible to identify the best base what you build upon it will be degraded by its quality. Much as the leaning tower of Pisa leans because of its less than stable foundation a work based on a less than ideal starting point will suffer its bases flaws.
The second takeaway from the interviews I had was the importance of not talking about yourself. This is a tip that is commonly given on how to be a better conversationalist so it is fitting that it would apply to the interview format. I think that the section about this serves not only to facilitate better interviews but also teach you better interpersonal communication skills which are of course essential to being an entertainer.
The third takeaway I had was the emphasis on endurance. I really liked what Ira said about having to just keep pushing until you make something great. I think it is very easy to get discouraged seeing so many brilliant pieces of art out there and trying to measure yourself by their standard. I really liked what he said about how you don’t see the many failures that were endured to create those gems. Despite the tone throughout many of the interviews being rather terse I think the underlying message was one of perseverance and encouragement.