Celeste Headlee
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Celeste Headlee (born December 30, 1969) is an American radio journalist, author, public speaker, and co-host of the weekly series ''Retro Report on PBS.'' In her 20-year career in public radio, Headlee has served as the host of the
Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the Geo ...
program "On Second Thought" and co-host of the national morning news show ''
The Takeaway ''The Takeaway'' is a morning radio news program co-created and co-produced by Public Radio International and WNYC. Its editorial partner is WGBH-FM; at launch the BBC World Service and ''The New York Times'' were also editorial partners. In ad ...
''. Before 2009, she was the Midwest Correspondent for NPR's ''
Day to Day ''Day to Day'' (''D2D'') was a one-hour weekday American radio newsmagazine distributed by National Public Radio (NPR), and produced by NPR in collaboration with ''Slate''. Madeleine Brand, Alex Chadwick, and Alex Cohen served as hosts. Topics ...
'' and the host of a weekly show on Detroit Public Radio. Headlee is the author of ''We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter'' (Harper Wave, September 19, 2017).


Early life

Celeste Headlee was born December 30, 1969, in
Whittier, California Whittier () is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 United States ...
, the daughter of Judith Anne Still, a writer, and Larry Headlee, a
marine geologist Marine geology or geological oceanography is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor. It involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal zone. Marine geology ...
. Her father is of European descent. Her maternal grandparents were composer
William Grant Still William Grant Still Jr. (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an American composer of nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works fo ...
and pianist
Verna Arvey Verna Arvey (February 16, 1910 – November 22, 1987) was an American librettist, pianist and writer who is best known for her musical collaborations with her husband William Grant Still, a musician and composer. Early life and education Vern ...
. Her maternal grandfather was African-American and her maternal grandmother was of Russian Jewish descent. Headlee graduated from
Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. ...
(NAU) and then received a masters degree in vocal performance from the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
.


Journalism career

Headlee began her career as a journalist as an anchor and writer with Arizona Public Radio station
KNAU Knau is a village and a former municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany. The former municipality Bucha was merged into Knau in January 2019. Since December 2019, it is part of the town Neustadt an der Orla Neustadt a ...
in Flagstaff in 1999 and as an on-air personality with Flagstaff station KVNA. In 2001, she became a reporter and anchor for
WDET-FM WDET-FM (101.9 MHz) is a public radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Broadcasting from Wayne State University in the city's Cass Corridor neighborhood, about a mile south of the New Center neighborhood, WDET broadcasts original programming and ...
, Detroit Public Radio, hosting a weekly one-hour program called ''Front Row Center''. In 2006 she began working for
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, developing stories, covering breaking news, and producing long-form features. Headlee was the Midwest Correspondent for NPR's ''
Day to Day ''Day to Day'' (''D2D'') was a one-hour weekday American radio newsmagazine distributed by National Public Radio (NPR), and produced by NPR in collaboration with ''Slate''. Madeleine Brand, Alex Chadwick, and Alex Cohen served as hosts. Topics ...
'' and her news reports have aired on
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
,
Public Radio International Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States. PRI was one of the main providers of programm ...
, the Pacifica Network, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, and National Native News. From 2009 to August 2012, Headlee was the host (along with
John Hockenberry John Charles Hockenberry (born June 4, 1956) is an American journalist and author. He has reported from all over the world, on a wide variety of stories in several mediums for more than three decades. He has written dozens of magazine and newsp ...
) of ''
The Takeaway ''The Takeaway'' is a morning radio news program co-created and co-produced by Public Radio International and WNYC. Its editorial partner is WGBH-FM; at launch the BBC World Service and ''The New York Times'' were also editorial partners. In ad ...
'', a live national morning news program produced by
Public Radio International Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States. PRI was one of the main providers of programm ...
and
WNYC WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that di ...
New York. In December 2017, it was revealed that she was one of many female former ''Takeaway'' cohosts who had left the program as a result of having allegedly been subjected to bullying and disrespect by Hockenberry. Other women associated with the program also came forward with similar accounts, as well as allegations of sexual harassment. In late 2012, she started acting as an occasional guest host on NPR's ''
Tell Me More ''Tell Me More'' was a National Public Radio interview show that was hosted by journalist Michel Martin. ''Tell Me More'' was first introduced online in December 2006 through an "open piloting" program called "Rough Cuts." Martin and the show's ...
'', and a guest host in the absence of the late
Neal Conan Neal Joseph Conan III (November 26, 1949August 10, 2021) was an American radio journalist, producer, editor, and correspondent. He worked for National Public Radio for over 36 years and was the senior host of its talk show ''Talk of the Nation'' ...
on ''
Talk of the Nation ''Talk of the Nation'' (''TOTN'') is an American talk radio program based in Washington D.C., produced by National Public Radio (NPR) that was broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. It focused on current events and controversial issu ...
''. Both shows are no longer on the air. In 2014, she launched ''On Second Thought'' on
Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the Geo ...
.and The hour-long public radio show focuses on local and national news as it relates to Georgia and the South. Headlee is currently the cohost of ''
Retro Report Retro Report is a non-profit news organization that produces short-form documentaries for historical context of current news stories. The organization describes itself as a counterweight to the 24-hour news cycle. They have covered topics includi ...
'' on PBS. In 2021, Headlee began substitute co-hosting on NPR and WBUR's Here and Now.


Journalism awards

Headlee has won awards from the Michigan AP, the
Michigan Association of Broadcasters The Michigan Association of Broadcasters represents radio and television broadcasters across the U.S. state of Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern ...
, and the Metro Detroit Society of Professional Journalists. Headlee serves as a mentor and managing editor for NPR's Next Generation Project, which is aimed at training young broadcast journalists. While living in Arizona, she was a member of the Artists' Roster for the Arizona Commission on the Arts. In 2011 she was named a Getty Arts Journalism Fellow by
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
's Annenberg School of Journalism.


Writing

Headlee's 2017, book, ''We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter'' is based on a May 2015
TEDx talk TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
that she gave in
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
, and covers ways for people to improve their communication skills. She also covers relevant research in the book and helps people create strategies for their conversations. Her book ''Do Nothing'' (2020) discusses ways that software is designed to keep people anxious that they are not productive enough in their own lives. In the book, Headlee asserts the importance of
leisure time Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leisure a ...
and connecting genuinely with other people.


Musical education and career

A classically trained
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
, Headlee graduated from the Idyllwild Arts Academy (part of the
Idyllwild Arts Foundation Idyllwild Arts Foundation encompasses two institutions in Idyllwild, California for training in the arts: Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. The institution was formerly known as Idyllwild School of Music and the ...
) in 1987 and received a B.A. in Vocal Performance at
Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. ...
in 1993, graduating with honors. Headlee received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in 1998, studying with Freda Herseth, Leslie Guinn, and George Shirley, and has studied song interpretation with Martin Katz. Headlee has performed at the National Gallery of Art, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, the Distinguished Artist Series at the Church of the Red Rocks,
Colorado College Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its campus. The college offer ...
, the
Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the list of largest art museums, largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation a ...
,
Yavapai College Yavapai College is a public community college in Yavapai County, Arizona. The main campus is in Prescott, with locations in Clarkdale, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Sedona. History Yavapai College was established in 1965 by means of a c ...
, Wagner College and
Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
, among other venues. She also performed with such companies as the
Michigan Opera Theater Detroit Opera is the principal opera company in Michigan, USA. The company is based in Detroit, where it performs in the Detroit Opera House. Prior to February 28, 2022, the company was named the Michigan Opera Theatre. Each year it presents an ope ...
, the
Sedona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...
Repertory Company, the Harlequin Players (in Olympia, Washington), the Sedona Arts Center, and the Great Lakes Lyric Opera.


Personal life

Headlee has two children. Headlee is the granddaughter of composer
William Grant Still William Grant Still Jr. (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an American composer of nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works fo ...
. Headlee frequently performs Still's music in concerts and recitals and sang Still's composition "Levee Land" on the CD produced by the Northern Arizona University Wind Symphony. She has given many lectures about Still's music at high schools and universities and was the editor of the second edition of the book, ''William Grant Still and the Fusion of Cultures in American Music'', for which she compiled the first complete thematic catalog of Still's works.


References


External links


"The Takeaway''
on PRI
"Public Radio International"
PRI - Biography (Archived) *
"New York Women in Communications"
NYWICI - Biography (Archived)
"The Civil War: Celeste Headlee's Story"
radio broadcast.
"TED talk 2016"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Headlee, Celeste 1969 births American radio reporters and correspondents Public Radio International personalities African-American women journalists African-American journalists People from Whittier, California University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni American sopranos Living people Journalists from California Journalists from New York City American women radio journalists 20th-century American journalists 21st-century American journalists 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American women non-fiction writers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers American people of Russian-Jewish descent 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers