The Guardian’s Carter Sherman on Ocarina of Time terror and the royalties of ‘Happy Birthday’
In a recent interview with The Verge, Sherman reflected on her decade of reporting on reproductive health, her reliance on French press coffee, and the childhood fear induced by The Legend of Zelda.
Carter Sherman, co-host of The Guardian’s Stateside podcast and author of The Second Coming, recently spoke with The Verge about her career, personal preferences, and the work that has defined her reporting over the past decade. Sherman, who previously served as a senior reporter for Vice, has built a reputation covering reproductive health, gender, and sexuality, earning a Scripps Howard Award, a National Press Club Journalism Award, and four Emmy nominations along the way.
The discussion highlighted Sherman’s deep engagement with her craft and her personal rituals. She described a reliance on French press coffee, noting her Seattle roots as the origin of her coffee habits. When asked about her approach to writer’s block, Sherman revealed she maintains a list of evocative quotes in her Notes app for inspiration. Recent additions include phrases from Shirley Jackson, Carson McCullers, and Katie Kitamura, which she uses to remind herself that the process of clarifying one’s message is worthwhile.
Sherman expressed particular pride in The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future. The book examines how the internet and polarised political landscapes have reshaped sex and relationships, ranging from school board battles over sex education to abortion access. To compile the work, Sherman interviewed more than 100 people under the age of 30 about their experiences following #MeToo, the pandemic, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She described the project as the culmination of her decade-long reporting on these complex personal and national political issues.
Beyond her professional achievements, the interview touched on Sherman’s personal interests and pop culture consumption. She recalled being terrified as a child by the music in the Deku Tree dungeon of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. On a lighter note, she admitted to wishing she had created the “Happy Birthday” song to collect the associated royalties, and revealed she devoured the first eight seasons of Rick and Morty in approximately two weeks.
Sherman continues to contribute to The Guardian, where she co-hosts Stateside with Kai. Her work spans print and video reporting, with previous bylines in Elle, Ms. magazine, and Los Angeles magazine. The interview with The Verge provided a glimpse into the habits and influences that underpin her reporting on the evolving landscape of sex and relationships in the modern era.
