3/6/07, 4:39 pm EST

Live Chat With Contribuing Editor Jenny Eliscu: The Complete Transcript

Rolling_Stone: Welcome to the chat with contributing editor Jenny Eliscu.

Pat: What made you want to become a journalist? What did you have to go through to get where you are now?
Jenny: I didn’t really know I wanted to be a journalist until I already was one. I started interning at a small publication called CMJ New Music Monthly when I was still in college, and I sort of just never stopped from there. After about five years, while I was looking to leave CMJ, I made a connection with a former editor at rollingstone.com. I didn’t even know that he used to work there, but when he heard a job had opened up at the site, he recommended me for it. I wrote for RS.com for six or seven months and then someone left the magazine and they offered me the job.

Donald: What was your first big assignment at Rolling Stone and how have your writing/journalism skills evolved since then?
Jenny: I started getting assignments while I was still at RS.com. The first one — within two weeks of starting there — was to cover the dreaded Woodstock ‘99. It was literally trial by fire. As for how my skills have evolved . . . It’s hard to be objective about that kind of thing, I suppose. The main thing is that, like most things, writing and interviewing both get easier with practice. The rigors of writing for Rolling Stone every two weeks definitely kicked my game up a notch. And you just get better at figuring out how to get people talking, how to put them at ease, and how to describe what it’s like to be around them. I definitely think I’m a better writer and reporter now than I was when I started, but I’d attribute much of that improvement to an increase in confidence and experience.

Monica_C: How does it feel to be one of the top editors in the male dominated profession of journalism?
Jenny: Honestly, I don’t think about that kind of thing very often. I mean, limiting my comments to music journalism in particular, I will agree that it’s a shame there are so few prominent female rock scribes. But it doesn’t have much impact on how I view myself or my job. I think being a woman can have advantages as well as disadvantages in this profession. Sometimes artists — and interview subjects of any stripe — seem to feel less intimidated by a girl than they would by a dude. Maybe it gives them license to be a bit more emotional when they talk to me. On the other hand, there have been occasions where I felt like the subject might have taken me more seriously — as a music fan/expert — if I wasn’t a woman.

Alison: What has been your best/most-rewarding interview experience?
Jenny: There have been lots. Let me give you a small sampling: First and foremost, I got to interview George Harrison on the phone shortly before he died. I was writing a piece about his final album, Brainwashed, and we spoke for maybe fifteen minutes. George has always been my favorite Beatle, and I was nervous as shit about talking to him. I work from home most days, and that morning I actually had to drink a shot of tequila to calm myself before the interview. He was amazing and gracious and charming. My mind was blown. Also, I’ve had numerous chances over the years to interview Pete Townshend, who is brilliant and always gives amazing quotes. Building a relationship with him during the past eight years has been phenomenal and also unreal. But I’ve certainly had amazing experiences with less grandiose subjects, including John Mayer, My Chemical Romance and many others. I tend to prefer writing about young bands, though. So getting the chance to talk with the Strokes and the Kings of Leon and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has been really rewarding, and has yielded some great friendships over the years, too.

Casualc: What is the best advice you can give someone starting out in writing on music and pop culture?
Jenny: If I were trying to break into writing about pop culture right now, I would definitely start by setting up a blog. I mean, it gives you the chance to write about whatever you want, to track your progress, to have a place you can send people when you wanna show them your stuff, and it also kind of forces you to PRACTICE. Seriously, the only way to get better as a writer is to keep writing. Blogs are great, too, because there’s the possibility of being totally anonymous. So you don’t have to tell anyone you’re doing it if you don’t want to. After awhile, when you stop sucking at it, you can start sending people to your blog to read your stuff. And… If you’re able to do really good work, there’s the chance you’ll gain attention and credibility that way, without having to humble yourself by taking an assistant job that has you fetching coffee and answering phones.

Monica_C: Honest to God now, how did you cope with the beast of all burdens, Russell, and still kept your composure?
Jenny: Russell was definitely a challenge. He tested my patience and sanity numerous times. However, what you don’t really get to see on the show is how ridiculously talented he is. The kid is brilliant. And I found that really inspiring. I had the sense that if he could just get his shit together, he could do some phenomenal work. But, you know, it’s television. So they really zero in on everyone’s quirks and magnify them exponentially. Though Russell definitely acted out and screwed around quite a bit, he wasn’t always the goofball you see on the show. Mainly, though, I just had faith in him. I really believed he was capable of overcoming his own issues and getting the job, if he wanted it. Plus, we actually became very close friends and still are. He continues to be a great source of inspiration to me, in part because he has such an uncommon natural ability as a writer and reporter.

JD: Are you frustrated by readers who refuse to accept that musical styles change over time? You can’t cover Pearl Jam and Nirvana forever…
Jenny: As a writer, I remain more removed from readers’ beefs with the magazine than, say, Joe Levy or Jason Fine. They’re editors, and they’re primarily the ones who decide what we should include and what we shouldn’t, as well as determining how much we need to let readers’ expectations dictate our coverage. Me, I’m just glad anyone’s reading what I’m writing. I have a theory that most music fans kind of shut themselves off to new music right around their mid-twenties. That’s when everyone seems to start deciding that new music sucks. But it’s my job to keep my ears open to new music, and that’s actually one of my greatest joys as a writer for Rolling Stone. I’m required to give new artists a fair listen, and as a result I’m constantly finding new stuff I love almost as much as I love my all-time favorite acts. There’s so much great new music out there, if you’re receptive to hearing it.