© 2026 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KCUR's offices are moving. You may experience broadcast hiccups while we get settled.

Gay Talese's Comments On Women Writers Spark Controversy

At a writing conference in Boston on Saturday, renowned journalist Gay Talese said women writers of his generation seldom took on tough subjects, because they did not like to talk to strangers.

The remarks were in response to a question about female writers who inspired him (“Nora Ephron … Mary McCarthy … none”) and set off a social media firestorm.

The 84-year-old writer told The Associated Press on Sunday that he misunderstood the question.

Do you have favorite women non-fiction writers who were Talese’s contemporaries? Leave your suggestions here or tweet us @hereandnow.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Congress just eliminated federal funding for KCUR, but public radio is for the people.

Your support has always made KCUR's work possible — from reporting that keeps officials accountable, to storytelling to connects our community. Help ensure the future of local journalism.