Ana Marie Cox

The transition from pandemic living to whatever we’re in now has made all of us recognize that our people skills are a little rusty. Water cooler conversations? Small talk? Cocktail party chatter? How do you even do that any more? Ana Marie Cox is here to help. In her twenty-plus years as a journalist, Ana has interviewed Hollywood stars and presidential candidates; she’s talked to former white nationalists and disability rights activists. Along the way, she’s learned the tricks and habits that make it easy to talk to anyone. What makes a discussion interesting, it turns out, isn’t what the interviewee has to say — it’s all about what the interviewer asks. Whether it’s overcoming your own shyness or coaxing a story out of someone determined to bore you to death, this talk will give you concrete tips for unlocking the interesting person in all of us.