The Paula Gordon Show



The Paula Gordon Show was a radio talk show hosted by Paula Gordon and her husband Bill Russell, produced in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jeff Moss appeared on the show in 1997 while promoting his book Bone Poems to discuss his work on Sesame Street. He was interviewed from his home in New York City while finishing a demo for "Happy to Meet You" with his sister-in-law.

paulagordon.com hosts an audio excerpt from the program and describes six separate conversations:

"Jeff Moss tells Paula Gordon and Bill Russell stories from the days when he helped co-create "Sesame Street." Jeff recalls the excitement of working with the talented group of young people -- most of whom did not have children, with the notable exception of the "Muppets'" Jim Henson -- who came together with curriculum experts to create something brand new. Moss describes what he and Henson had in common."

"Jeff talks about the explosion of inputs to which our children are exposed, using his own 6 year old son as an example. He describes the obstacles "Sesame Street" did NOT have at the beginning and draws parallels to his own considerable success writing songs and books and theater that appeals to everyone, including children. He describes his work in the context of what he thinks of as having the freedom to fail. He describes the responsibilities many people had for the creation and success of "Sesame Street," talks about his own roots in "Captain Kangaroo," and brings us up into the present and the challenges of "licensing.""

"Jeff describes the birth of Rubber Duckie, whom he thinks of as the Mick Jagger of children's television. He describes the three elements key to creating the now-famous Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover, Oscar, Miss Piggy and Fozzy Bear (sic). Jeff makes the comparison between his own "obsessed" characters and those Joe Esterhaus creates.

Jeff is convinced children would always rather be with their parents, grandparents, siblings or a good teacher than with television. He assigns responsibility for our children's ever-shrinking attention spans. He relates what he tells his son about television in general and commercials featuring his songs in particular."

"Jeff describes his whole audience, which he thinks of as having kids in the center of the target. He uses his newest book of poems about dinosaurs as an example of his wide appeal, including parents, librarians and teachers and orthopedists! He talks about the appeal of rhyme and how classical forms of poetry find their way into his work. He reads from Bone Poems, which was created with the cooperation of the American Museum of Natural History. He tells stories and reads poems from other children's classics he's written, six of which are currently in print. He tells what he's learned in writing them and why he has been so successful."

"Dinosaurs are the topic of conversation, safe at a distance of 65,000,000 years. Jeff tells about the impact dinosaurs have had on him and what we might all learn from the 150,000,000 years they ruled the earth. He reads us more dinosaur poems.

Jeff tells about his love of, adventures in and sadness about today's theater, suggesting that sporting events have replaced much of the communal experience once found in the theater. He talks about the economics of books, the theater, movies and sports."

"Jeff demonstrates how vastly different poems and the lyrics of songs are. He tells us about how the characters he helped create on "Sesame Street" make visible life's fundamentals. Characters like Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster take on lives totally independent of their creators, in part because they embody emotions shared by adults and children of all ages. Jeff reiterates his great respect for our children, who will carry us into the future."