Fashion
Know Any Good Gossip?
On her podcast, “Normal Gossip,” the writer Kelsey McKinney relishes everyday drama. In a new book, she explores our cultural fascination with other people’s lives.
The writer Kelsey McKinney had been in the wine bar-cum-restaurant for only a few minutes when the host waved her over — to seat her at a banquette in the center of the room, but also to share some personal news.
As Ms. McKinney settled in, the host told her about an upcoming move to California for a big career opportunity but demurred on the specifics.
“I don’t want to talk about it until I leave here,” she said. “And if I start talking about a life coach and a guru, if I start taking ayahuasca, you have to come get me.”
Ms. McKinney nodded sagely.
“But I’ll be back,” the host said. “My hair person is still here. That’s a legally binding relationship.”
Ms. McKinney is used to hearing about the lives of strangers. For the last three years, Ms. McKinney, a tattooed redhead from Texas with an open face, has been the host of “Normal Gossip,” a podcast about the travails of everyday people. For each episode, Ms. McKinney and her producer, Alex Sujong Laughlin, bring on a different guest — often other writers and creative types — to discuss gossipy stories submitted by the show’s tens of thousands of listeners.
Think: someone who posts on social media about her status as a “marathon runner” but who has never actually finished a race. What may seem low stakes at first — like the internecine sagas of a queer kickball league — usually unfurls into something riveting.
