Sie stellen mir Fragen, die ich mir nie gestellt habe

More than clever questions. In 20 exciting interviews, F.A.Z. editor Timo Frasch engages intellectually, profoundly, and always sensitively with his conversation partners. What moves them, how do they deal with show business, vanity, vices, faith, irony, politics, and humor? He masters the art of asking good questions in interviews like few others. His guiding principle is: "I only ask what truly interests me." Timo Frasch conducts interviews that read like good conversations with surprising moments: with artists, cabaret performers, and musicians such as Wolfgang Joop, Harald Schmidt, Campino, Farin Urlaub, Bruno Jonas, and Helge Schneider; with publicists, writers, and politicians like Fritz J. Raddatz, Wolf Wondratschek, Peter Gauweiler, and Michael Glos.

The art of conducting an interview. The interview is the most underestimated form of writing in journalism. While numerous awards are given for reports, investigative research, and essays, one must search for recognition in the case of interviews. The journalist's contribution to a successful interview, which remains worth reading beyond current events, is immense. In his introductory essay "The Art of Interviewing," Timo Frasch explains how he prepares for interviews with celebrities and politicians, the questioning techniques he uses to elicit genuine news from his conversation partners, and the role press spokespeople play in this process. The 20 interviews in "Männergespräche" demonstrate that good interviews are too valuable to be forgotten with yesterday's newspaper – they illuminate society and current events in a way that transcends daily politics.