Standup Comic Paula Poundstone

Fans of NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” know Paula Poundstone as a panelist who offers spontaneous and offbeat reactions to the week’s news.

That same spirit of the unexpected shows up in her standup performances, as she spends part of each show questioning members of the audience and improvising around their responses.

This week she talked with NHPR’s Brady Carlson about her background in New England, what it takes to be a “Wait Wait” panelist and how the unscripted moments are often the highlights of her shows.