Over the past four years, Anna Martin ’16 has interviewed writers, actors and political figures. With her guests, including actor Andrew Garfield, activist Malala Yousafzai, WNBA star Natasha Cloud and author Jennette McCurdy, she discusses the same topic: love.
Martin hosts the ‘Modern Love’ podcast for the New York Times, which examines real-life love stories. But her passion for storytelling began when she was an undergraduate student at Brown.
After Martin saw “a really cute guy” at the table for the Brown University Storytellers during the club fair, she signed up. At the group’s meetings, Martin was struck by the “very intentional” way club members spoke.
“All these people seemed cool and self-possessed” and “there was a real purpose to what they were saying,” she said. “I was like, ‘I want to speak like that, too,’” she added.
By her sophomore year, she was helping to run the club. She remembers the “totally electric” experience of running auditions for shows and workshopping stories.
“I remember just being endlessly fascinated with how a story started and how it ended up on stage,” she said.
In her junior year, Martin emailed the artistic director at The Moth, a professional storytelling organization. The director agreed to speak with her, which Martin still considers “one of the biggest breaks ever.” Martin ended up helping The Moth bring their workshop programming to Brown, and she was hired at the company after she graduated.
After working at The Moth and briefly working with news podcasts, she was hired at Pop-Up Magazine, which produces live storytelling shows with visuals and music. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is it. I’ve come back to the thing I love the most, which is live storytelling,’” Martin said.
Eventually, she was suggested to “throw (her) hat in the ring to be the host” of the Modern Love podcast, created by Lisa Tobin. “I had never hosted a single thing before,” Martin said. “And then I got it.”
When preparing for an episode, Martin’s “amazing” team with producers and editors provides her with background information on her upcoming guest. Then, she immerses herself in the guest’s work, reading their book or watching their filmography.
Sometimes, “you have to watch, for example, all of a season of Love Island in a weekend,” she said.
Martin said that many of her conversations are centered around real-life scenarios and what those stories can teach her guests about love.
“We call them love stories, (but) I think really what we’re telling are stories about what it means to be human, which sounds very grand, and maybe it is,” she said. “Love is a totally broad umbrella, and for that, I’m very grateful.”
For Martin, the best part of the job is speaking “with people who are choosing to be open and vulnerable.” She finds herself “consistently humbled” being a “witness to that bravery.”
Martin remained in touch with Professor of English James Egan after taking his class ENGL 0100F: “Devils, Demons and Do Gooders.” Egan stayed as a mentor for Martin throughout her experience at Brown, she added.
Egan remembers her as “creative, smart, very engaging” and a “really good writer.” Now, he listens to her podcast.
Martin gives credit to her time at Brown for her career. “I really do think that if I had gone anywhere else, I wouldn’t be doing this job,” she said.
“Our show is very earnest,” she added. “You can approach being earnest with humor — to me, that means being open hearted. So my message (to Brown) would be, just remain open. Remain open to one another, to yourselves.”
“It started with a cute boy and ended up with a real love for the craft,” Martin said. “I think that that’s a love story in and of itself.”
Rebecca Goodman is a university news senior staff writer covering career and alumni. She is a junior from Cambridge, MA, studying English. Outside of writing, you can find her at the Avon or in the basement of the Rock.
