University of North Carolina Chancellor Emeritus William "Bill" Friday and Diane
I should be saying something erudite about my meeting and interview with University of North Carolina Chancellor Emeritus Bill Friday. Instead, this is my summary: A thrill and a half!
I got the call on a Monday asking if I could come in on a Wednesday a couple weeks ago to tape his long-running show on UNC-TV, “North Carolina People with William Friday,” taped at UNC Chapel Hill. The show will air on Friday, April 22, at 9 p.m. (More airing times below.)
Are you kidding me? Sure, I had other appointments, which I quickly switched around. I joked that they must have had a VIP cancel at the last minute, but they swore that wasn’t the case.
Mr. Friday and Diane during the interview
Mr. Friday, not surprisingly, was a terrific interviewer, even at the age of 90. Yes, 90. (Everyone calls him Mr. Friday, and so shall I.) His staff was really standout, too. After I got a lovely makeup job and looked suitable for public television, my affable host started his questioning. He honed in on some parts of the book I’m proudest of and which no one ever asks about — the sidebars that tackle serious issues in NC’s agrarian history, including migrant worker rights, African American farmers rights, organics, and even the State Farmers’ Markets (how they don’t label what’s local and what’s not.)
The show, btw, just turned 40, and Yonat Shimron recently wrote this great piece on the program and on Mr. Friday for the News and Observer. She mentioned how every guest wants to have their photo taken with the host after the show. That would be me!
Thank you, Mr. Friday, for the great honor and privilege of meeting you and being on your show, and especially for the truly insightful interview. I can’t wait to see it!
For those of you who want to tune in to my segment, my schedule is below (it also will be streamed on UNC-TV’s website starting April 25 here):
On UNC-TV, this Friday, April 22, at 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m. And on UNC-MX, one of their digital channels, on Saturday, April 23, at 3 a.m. (I’ll pass!), Tuesday, April 26, at 11 a.m., and Tuesday, May 3, at 11:30 a.m.
Very cool! Congrats, Diane! I’ll stream it on the web and will be cheering you on from Chicago.
Diane,
What a wonderful opportunity for both you and Mr. Friday and for all the farms in your book. You are doing a great job of lifting all of us up with you and I really appreciate it!
Best of luck to you in this and all future endeavors!
Well my mom and dad have been in that for a few years now. My mom is Tammy Jones My dad Ricky Jones as. and my cousin TImothy Jacobs. They are very fimaliar up there. We all are hoping to see you in 2011. Hope to see you there!!!!!!