APB’s Kelly Corrigan Is a Life-Long Learner and She Makes You Want to Be One, Too
21 Jun 2022
APB speaker Kelly Corrigan, host of PBS’ hit series Tell Me More With Kelly Corrigan was recently featured in USA Today. The article focuses on Corrigan’s views on vulnerability to talking to Melinda French Gates about everything but her divorce to Corrigan’s complete and total love of learning.
In addition to her show, Corrigan is the author of four New York Times bestselling memoirs, including Tell Me More, Glitter and Glue, The Middle Place and Lift. Her writings earned her the title of “The Poet Laureate of the Ordinary” from Huffington Post and the “Voice of a Generation” from O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine.
Corrigan is also the author of a children’s book, Hello World, and the host of a twice-weekly podcast, “Kelly Corrigan Wonders,” which she describes as a “place for people who like to laugh while they think.”
USA Today’s Laura Trujillo describes Corrigan’s work on the podcast as nearly indispensable during the last few years. “It was perhaps during the pandemic that her voice became even more important, more elevated, more necessary by offering levity and optimism,” Trujillo writes.
Corrigan says one of the reasons for her success is her willingness to be vulnerable. “You lead with your insecurities, you know people will join you,” she says.
What also makes her interviews different is that Corrigan is not interested in controversy, she told the paper. "I'm interested in humanity,” she says. “And I'm interested in world-positive people.” That includes Gates, whose divorce from Microsoft’s Bill Gates was announced just weeks before they talked. Corrigan refused to discuss the breakup with her. And instead, focused on Gates’ transformative work to becoming an empty-nester.
For the future, Corrigan says she’ll continue doing what she does best: talking to people and learning about everything. “I love being the student,” she told Trujillo. “If I had to choose between student and teacher, I'd choose student.”