Renowned radio host Diane Rehm found herself on the other side of the interviewing mike last week at the National Cathedral’s Sunday Forum. Rehm, an Episcopalian, related that her faith grew stronger and deeper while she was undergoing treatment for spasmodic dysphonia, the condition which makes it difficult for her to speak. In spite of her condition, Rehm has hosted a call-in radio show at Washington’s talk-oriented public radio station, WAMU, for more than a quarter century.
During her conversation with Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III, she described how a good interview is nothing without good listening, and how listening is a multi-sense process that one must finely tune:
“My focus is on listening, and watching, interpreting, being led by how the conversation goes, being led by callers, being led by the spirit in the room, being led by body language of that individual, and learning to listen to each and every aspect of that,” she says. “Someday—someday—I hope to write a book on what it is to listen.”
“Listening is really about hospitality, isn’t it?” Lloyd asks. “It’s creating a space into which someone else steps.” Rehm tells of the emotional hardships of her childhood and youth, and then says:
“One of the ways I learned to listen—I was punished a great deal, and my bedroom was upstairs above the living room. We had constant visitors, because my dad’s family was always here. And when I was by myself, up in my room, I would get down on the floor and put my ear to the floor so I could hear everything. I knew exactly what was going on in that room, and I think that was part of learning to listen.”
An MP3 and a downloadable video of the event are both here.