Episode 48

In this episode of Full Expression, journalist and biographer Jon Lee Anderson reflects on the experiences that shaped one of the most extraordinary reporting careers of our time. Raised across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, Anderson developed an early fascination with people living at the center of political upheaval and cultural transformation—a curiosity that would eventually take him to the front lines of revolutions, wars, and some of the defining events of the past half century.

A staff writer for The New Yorker for more than 25 years, Anderson has written landmark biographies of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro and reported from dozens of countries, always seeking to understand the human stories beneath history’s biggest headlines.

In this conversation, we explore the adventurous childhood that shaped his worldview, the craft of immersive long-form journalism, the challenge of inhabiting another person’s life as a biographer, and why empathy remains one of the most essential tools of a great writer.

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