Not long ago, I was given the opportunity to interview the podcasters of The 4th Age Podcast. Due to busy lives, the podcast team hasn't had new episodes recently, but they agreed to sit down and answer some questions. I was able to interview four members of the team. There may be a few spoilers for those who haven't finished the series through Towers of Midnight.

Jayson Tremmel

Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?

I am Jay Tremmel and I came up with the idea of a Wheel of Time Podcast because I was simply looking for a good one and found out there weren't any at all. I really wanted to listen to and/or discuss the Wheel of Time with people since I am the only person besides one that I know that enjoys the books as much as I do. I live in North Carolina but I'm originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania. I moved here 7 years ago for a better job opportunity. I have a ten-year-old daughter and a beautiful fiancée that I will be marrying on August 20th! A lot of my time has been spent over the past few months getting ready for the wedding. I think I understand now that it's a much bigger task than I had thought.

Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?

I approached Jason of Dragonmount.com about starting a podcast and he was also thinking of doing something along those lines. He knew of Carrie, who also had the idea, and we got together through Skype I believe and discussed details on how we could begin and structure the podcast. It went extraordinarily well and Carrie and I had a good rapport but decided to bring some other podcasters in to help out. By then we had a good group of folks that listened and we added Ben and Andrew shortly after. SInce then we've been fortunate to have lots of people that help both producing, editing, and podcasting for the 4th Age.

Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?

It's wonderful working with people from all over. Not only have we discussed WoT but we discuss every day things too and we've all pretty much made life long friends through our work on the podcast.

The challenge of course is getting everyone together at the same time in order to record the podcasts. We've tried lots of different things to get the podcast up to par that the WoT fans should expect. It's always a challenge but the reward for me is more than worth the effort.

Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?

I started reading WoT about ten years ago when I was at my mother-in-law's. I had literally JUST finished reading a book that day (don't remember which, probably Lord of the Rings again!) and was looking through my father-in-law's books. I saw The Eye of the World on his bookshelf and the cover really got me interested. I gave it a shot and loved every word of it.

Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?

I am still partial to the first book in the series. That's not to say that the rest aren't amazing as well; I just love to see the characters and the beginning of the series. It's great to go back and see how things got started.

Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?

I hate to take the high road on this but I don't really have a least favorite book. I can say though that the damane really are my least favorite part of the books but I understand why, of course. There's something about taking a person's will and power that is ugly and disturbing. I know it's supposed to be that way but it makes me uncomfortable reading those sections of the books.

Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?

I've been to Dragon*Con twice and attended many of the tracks for WoT. I even did a live podcast from Dragon*Con.

Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?

I have. When I was attending Dragon*Con I met many of the people that listen to the podcast. It was great just meeting other people that read and love WoT as much as I do. It was a few years ago so I don't remember too many of the details but I'm planning my trip to Dragon*Con next year (this year I'm booked) and I hope to meet many new people.

Andrew Gelos

Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?

Hello, I'm Andrew Gelos, senior podcaster for the 4th Age. I'm currently a serial student. I have Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and English Literature, and I am working on completing my MFA in Acting. With any luck, you'll see me on stage and television and in movies in the next few years. That or I'll end up running/managing a non-profit theatre program somewhere. I am a fount of (sometimes useless) trivia, and when on a subject I know well, I truly have the gift for talking. I am a giant Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan, which is partially how I came to find the Wheel of Time series.

Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?

I had been listening to the 4th Age since the beginning. I probably came into listening to it a few weeks following the pilot show. I was huge fan of the series, and as a result I was one of the show's early critical voices in the forums, though I used a different name back then. I would nitpick the team's pronunciations, and grab upon any little bit of evidence that ran contrary to things that were said in the early episodes. I think I was a real pain, but that never seems to be brought up by anyone but myself, so maybe I'm just inflating my own image a bit. One day I was listening to the show while working at a box office for a local theatre, and heard that the show was looking for a third host. I was beginning a second attempt to return to the performing world at that point in my life, and I felt that with my natural charisma and what I felt was a commendable knowledge of the series, I'd make a perfect edition to the cast. I missed that first call deadline by two days, because I was going out of town and didn't have reliable recording equipment where I was headed. I sent in a submission anyway, and was told the part had been filled. A short while later, Jayson, Carrie, and Ben sent out another notice. This time they were interviewing for someone who could stand in when one of the three was going to be absent. I hopped on that call the very next day, and was asked to join the crew for their next show. This was either episode 17, 18, or 19 I believe *Do we have someone who can look that up?* and the show went pretty well. We talked through the various subjects, and when the recording was done Jayson, who was the de facto head of the show then, said something to the effect of, "I think you should just stay on as a permanent member of the show." This announcement didn't get released to the listening audience for another show or two, but from the start I was part of the team. Since then I've been disabused of some of my early notions considering the show, including a few key pronunciation issues, and how in depth my knowledge of the series extends.

Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this kind of setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?

It is a different experience from what I'm used to finding. Normally when I'm working closely with people on a show or shoot, I'm seeing those people 4 to 6 days a week in person and developing a chemistry between characters that translates to a performance for an audience. While working with the 4th Age hasn't changed the development of chemistry, the mechanics are completely different. While the audience members, by and large, have told us that they like the free form show better than our early scripted attempts, it is difficult to get together on air once a week with little pre-show discussion and bang out a finished product that the audience will (we hope) enjoy. We try to have a topic available in advance so we at least have a general idea of what we are doing, but sometimes it is rough figuring out where the other podcasters are coming from with their ideas and thoughts. That isn't saying that the others aren't all brilliant people. They are and at times I feel a bit like a relic when one of the newer members breaks out with something I had never seen or considered. I'm used to visual cues from others, and since we are spread all over the continent there is no way outside of a video conference to pick up on those with a call in show. We've toyed with the idea of making at least one video podcast show a few times, and who can say, maybe for the final release party we can work something out. Who knows? Another hurdle we face is timing. For me personally, before I began my MFA, my time was pretty open. Now that I'm in shows that available time has dwindled. The show can't be recorded without at least two podcasters, and finding time for even two to get together can sometimes be difficult. For a while, the majority of us were all in the same time zone, so it wasn't an issue, but when you have team members on both coasts finding time for a two to four hour discussion, it can be dicey. Real life gets in the way of the hobby no matter how much we love it. In a way, though, our being responsible for our own call in to the show is a blessing as well. If we were reliant on getting two to three of us into a single space every week, the show probably wouldn't happen even as often as it does, and as technology improves, we're able to do more. I was able to join the Towers of Midnight book tour and podcast live with a listening audience, which was a lot of fun, seeing as how we continued our discussion as I drove to my home town following the store's closing.

Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?

The summer of 2001. My fiancee at the time had been pressing me to read the series forever, and I wanted to wait until I finished the degree I was working on. When I graduated, I fell into the series with a rabid hunger. I finished the whole series as it stood at that time (I believe it was 9 books then) in the course of two to three months. Then began the long wait for book 10.

Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?

I don't actually have a favorite book. I have favorite moments through the whole series. Some of the high emotion moments will choke me up as I read them (it is no secret by now that I read the series aloud with my wife so we can share the experience), and to this day I still have a hard time getting through the sequence with Perrin, Faile, Hopper, and the hedgehog. The forging of Mah'alleinir and Egwene's defense of the White Tower during the Seanchan attack seemed like iconic moments. Even things like Rand and Ingtar's final discussion and Rand's blessing to him. And Mat. What list of favorite things is complete without Mat? There are few things involving Mat that I haven't been a fan of, and those few things are barely worth mentioning.

Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?

Again, I can't claim a least favorite book. I can't even claim to have moments I particularly disliked. I wasn't a huge fan of what we on the podcast call "Emo-Perrin and Emo-Gawyn." "The Shaido took my wife. They took Faile. What will I do without her? They took my wife." Then get up off your burly butt and do something about it already. "Uugh...al'Thor killed my mom. Egwene says he didn't but I'll believe hearsay over the woman I love any day. Elayne says he didn't, but she's pregnant, what does she know?" Open your ears to the people you should be trusting. And while we are on the topic of opening your ears and trusting each other, I can't count the number of times I've wanted to smack the entirety of the "good team" in their heads for not finding a way to talk to each other more, or take it on faith that they know what they are doing.

Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?

Sadly, never. I'm hoping to remedy that very soon, but it always seems like the major Wheel of Time cons are scheduled against other life events that take precedence. I do have some friends in the film/theatre industry who try to do Dragon*Con almost annually, and I may see if I can join them to help mitigate expenses the next time they go.

Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?

When I was at the Towers of Midnight book signing at Joseph-Beth booksellers in Cincinnati, Ohio, I was able to meet a few who had heard the show. A couple of my fellow Tower Guard had heard the show before and it was neat to sort of talk about how doing the show worked and share in our respect and admiration of the book series. But the most memorable audience member I've ever met came during the signing itself. While my recording device was parked between Brandon and Harriet, I took a turn at collecting people's numbers as they came through the line. I was chatting with people as they waited to get to the table and generally enjoying the atmosphere. At one point I was talking with a couple and the man coming up the stairs behind them suddenly says, "Waait...You sound familiar...Are you with the 4th Age podcast?" It was like getting celebrity cred based only on the sound of my voice. Since then I've been told that one of my former employers has a daughter whose boyfriend is a fan of the show, and didn't realize that I use a stage name when I record. And I've run into people who know of the show even though they aren't avid listeners. It is a bit odd realizing that my voice has been heard world wide, but hopefully it is just training for my future success.

If you have any follow-ups just let me know.

Otherwise, for myself Andrew Gelos, and everyone here at The 4th Age,

Suravye ninto manshima taishite.

Spencer Powell

Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?

My name is Spencer Powell. At 21, I'm the youngest member of The 4th Age Podcast team. Unfortunately, being in college has hindered my ability to be involved recently.

Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?

I responded to several of the calls for help put out by the podcast. Once the need was great enough, Virginia got in touch with me to help with editing. And then, in an unexpected yet exciting turn of events, she invited me to join her and Andrew for a recording session. I think the first episode I was in on is still hiding somewhere in the backlog.

Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?

I've never done a "studio" style podcast, so for myself this is what podcasting is. We all sit at our computers, connect to whatever service we're using at the time, and go. Relying so heavily on the internet does provide some interesting experiences - I don't think the three of us will ever forget the "Virginia's Massive Ping" episode - but we've found more solutions than problems along the way.

Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?

During an otherwise boring summer, shortly after my parents had moved us into the middle of nowhere. The "community" library was simply the school library (K-12, all in the same building) that the librarian would open up three days a week over the break. This was very upsetting on the occasions where I would finish a book in one night and have to wait for her to come back in two days.

In terms of actual time frame, this was right before Knife of Dreams came out. That was the first book I had to wait for. So while I don't have the full experience of waiting twenty years for the conclusion, I've still joined with all the fans in the emotional roller-coaster of these last few years. The worry when we heard Robert Jordan was sick, the pain and loss of his passing, the trepidation when Brandon took up the pen, the joy when he did a wonderful job, but still the waiting, always the waiting.

Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?

I don't know that I have a true favorite. I guess Winter's Heart would come closest. It's the one I would haul to school and re-read sections of during boring classes. Always the same two scenes, though. Most obvious is the cleansing of the taint. The imagery of Shadar Logoth and the battle going on around it are amazing. The other scene is less obvious, though it's the first that comes to mind when I think of Winter's Heart, and that's the emotional scene between Rand and his three loves. The more subtle yet powerful writing of the emotions flying around that room before and as they bond him astounds me.

Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?

This answer may surprise some. I really don't like Lord of Chaos. So much so that I haven't re-read the series. I keep getting hung up on it. Not because of the pacing or characters, but because of Dumai's Wells. Not so much the battle at the Wells itself, but more the scenes leading up to it. I am a very empathetic reader. I put myself squarely into the shoes of those characters I connect with. And I have no wish to be put into a box only to be taken out, tortured, and shoved back in. And so I avoid it.

Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?

I wish I had the ability to go to any of these conventions. But, poor college student. What can I do?

I was able to attend the release parties for both The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, which are like smaller doses of the fan spirit that is found at JordanCon.

Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?

I met many fans of The Wheel of Time during the release parties. However, with my memory being a wet sieve, I don't recall if any of them stood out as listeners of the show. If you did, and I don't recall, I sincerely apologize.

Interacting with the listeners online has been a great experience, though. It's always a positive experience, even when they're giving critical feedback because it's always constructive, rather than degenerating into a flame war.

Virginia O'Connor

Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?

Hi, this is Virginia and of course I'm a huge fan of this series. My other favorite authors and books are Colleen McCullogh for her Masters of Rome series, Barbara Hambly's Darwarth, Dragonsbane, and other series, Lord of the Rings, of course. Anything Star Trek as I've been a Trekker since Day One, most Star Wars, Harry Potter, Transformers are a new favorite and pretty much any movie Marvel cares to put out (after The Avengers I can now forgive them for poor Hulk!). I love most sci-fi and fantasy books and movies (except I am not a fan of George RR Martin's work, sorry, though I seem to be standing alone in that line). Otherwise, I'm a compulsive reader on the order of Hermione Granger. I love movies. I tell my friends that if it's a movie a 12-year-old boy is dying to see, Virginia will probably be at the midnight opening! Apart from books and movies, I'm an artist (oils, watercolors and bronze sculpture, and my 30+ year hobby is breeding and showing Smooth Fox Terriers under the Laurelton prefix. I'm probably best known for my dogs - I have dogs from my lines all over the world, and nearly everything in the show ring in the US has one or more of my breeding behind it. Apart from being great pets and my friends, like the podcast, they have opened many doors to travel and meet people and new friends that otherwise I would never had the opportunity to enjoy.

Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?

I was a fan of the podcast for some time, listening to it on my iPod every day at one of my jobs. I saw a call for host auditions from Andrew Miller, and decided to send in an mp3. I never really thought I'd get in, but what a thrill to find out I'd made it! It's been great fun and very rewarding. My fellow podcasters are awesome people with incredible knowledge and skills!

Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this kind of setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?

It's great having people from all over, though as we are all fans we share much of the same outlook towards the books. Not a lot of cultural differences, no Illianer vs. Tairen dynamics!

The biggest challenge is logistics. We are all on different time zones, so while on the West Coast I may need to race home from work, the guys in the Midwest are dealing with late hours by the time we finish a recording. We often record for three hours or so! (Some of that might possibly be visiting or unrelated topics, of course.) :-) All the podcasters and editors (indeed everyone associated with Dragonmount) have been incredibly great, and I'm proud to call them friends.

I've never worked in a studio setting, but it seems like it would be almost too easy. We always have challenges making connection and getting decent sound quality; at various times one or more of us have been in rural settings with limited bandwidth and/or phone connectivity. I joke that before I moved I lived in a town more isolated and rural than the Two Rivers, and we didn't even have an inn or a green!

Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?

I started rather late with The Shadow Rising hardcover in 1992. A nice young man at a Borders tipped me off to this great series, and I will be forever grateful to him. Two of the most profound influences in my long (and sadly rather comprehensively misspent) life have been Star Trek and the Wheel of Time. I look forward to A Memory of Light, but it will be hard to see it end. So many years of impatient waiting and anticipatory delight! It had better not be like Perrin's toy wooden horse!

Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?

That's a tough call! I've read and reread them all. They seem like old friends or even family members, and we tend to forgive any little defects or foibles. I'd have to say The Dragon Reborn might be my favorite, with The Shadow Rising, Lord of Chaos, and Knife of Dreams tied for a close second. But then there's The Great Hunt, and Eye of the World, and New Spring...Hmmm. Still, The Dragon Reborn saw so many profound changes in the characters and their lives, and it was that book that made me realize we were in this for the long haul.

Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?

Wellll, New Spring, but only because Robert Jordan stopped the main sequence to do it, and maybe he would have finished the main series if he hadn't. But then we might not have had the prequel, and otherwise I really like it. Least favorite was always Winter's Heart, but after Leigh Butler's reread and insights, certain of the scenes I liked least (Far Madding, for one) are now viewed in a more favorable light, especially Rand's total bad-assery with the renegade Asha'man, so that now Crossroads of Twilight might be my least favored. But really, I love them all!

Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?

In my heart, every one of them! In the so-called Real World, I've been to a number of book signings, with Robert Jordan and with Brandon Sanderson, but sadly I haven't yet made it to either JordanCon or Dragon*Con. Not for lack of desire, I assure you! As a longtime veteran of many Star Trek conventions until recent circumstances have restricted those activities, it absolutely appalls me not to do conventions on something I hold so dear as WoT. I still hold out some small hope for the Memory of Light festivities, if my health will allow!

Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?

Several times! It's funny, like meeting old friends - we have such a lot in common right off the bat. Best was a fellow at the WoT section of the bookstore. He seemed unsure which book to get so, being me with an Aes Sedai's conviction that OF COURSE anyone would want and need my opinion, I butted right in with advice, lol! He had read a few and drifted away, then found the podcast and decided to get back in it again! I was able to point him to the next one he needed. That was fun, we had a lovely chat.

If I could somehow meet Robert Jordan again, I'd tell him again what I said at the Knife of Dreams signing: Thank you for such and amazing and life-changing series of books! Thank you yet again, dear Brandon, for bringing them to completion. Thank you to Jason and Team Jordan and everyone else who has made this such a great community of friends! May the Light ever shine on you!