Terry Gross
Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you're bound to get an interesting conversation. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. "A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence," says the San Francisco Chronicle.
Gross, who has been host of Fresh Air since 1975, when it was broadcast only in greater Philadelphia, isn't afraid to ask tough questions. But Gross sets an atmosphere in which her guests volunteer the answers rather than surrendering them. What often puts those guests at ease is Gross' understanding of their work. "Anyone who agrees to be interviewed must decide where to draw the line between what is public and what is private," Gross says. "But the line can shift, depending on who is asking the questions. What puts someone on guard isn't necessarily the fear of being 'found out.' It sometimes is just the fear of being misunderstood."
Gross began her radio career in 1973 at public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, New York. There she hosted and produced several arts, women's and public affairs programs, including This Is Radio, a live, three-hour magazine program that aired daily. Two years later, she joined the staff of WHYY-FM in Philadelphia as producer and host of Fresh Air, then a local, daily interview and music program. In 1985, WHYY-FM launched a weekly half-hour edition of Fresh Air with Terry Gross, which was distributed nationally by NPR. Since 1987, a daily, one-hour national edition of Fresh Air has been produced by WHYY-FM. The program is broadcast on 566 stations and became the first non-drive time show in public radio history to reach more than five million listeners each week in fall 2008, a presidential election season. In fall 2011, Fresh Air reached 4.4 million listeners a week.
Fresh Air with Terry Gross has received a number of awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award in 1994 for its "probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insight." America Women in Radio and Television presented Gross with a Gracie Award in 1999 in the category of National Network Radio Personality. In 2003, she received the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Edward R. Murrow Award for her "outstanding contributions to public radio" and for advancing the "growth, quality and positive image of radio." In 2007, Gross received the Literarian Award. In 2011, she received the Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community.
Gross is the author of All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists, published by Hyperion in 2004.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Gross received a bachelor's degree in English and M.Ed. in communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Gross was recognized with the Columbia Journalism Award from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 2008 and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Princeton University in 2002. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993 and Doctor of Humane Letters in 2007, both from SUNY–Buffalo. She also received a Doctor of Letters from Haverford College in 1998 and Honorary Doctor of Letters from Drexel University in 1989.
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The Emmy-winning actor, who died in 2017, is the subject of a new MAX documentary, Being Mary Tyler Moore. She spoke to Terry Gross in 1995 about the ups and downs of her career and personal life.
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The James Beard Award-winning chef fled the Italian peninsula of Istria after it was handed over to Communist Yugoslavia following WWII. Her new PBS show is Lidia Celebrates America.
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Strachwitz, who died May 5, devoted his life to tracking down regional musicians — and recording them in their homes, front porches and beer joints. Originally broadcast in 1990.
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Summer, who died in 2012, is the subject of a new HBO documentary, Love to Love You. In 2003, she spoke to Fresh Air about the origins of the hit song from which the documentary takes its name.
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Matthew Dallek says the John Birch Society, which was active from the late '50s through the early '70s, propelled today's extremist takeover of the American right. His new book is Birchers.
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Edgerton stars as a horticulturist with a secret past as a white nationalist in Master Gardener. He says director Paul Schrader challenged him be "less of an actor" in the role. -
The married British duo Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt — aka Everything but the Girl — have their first album in 24 years. Ken Tucker reviews Fuse, then we listen back to a 2018 interview with Thorn.
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New York Times journalist Alan Feuer talks about the conviction of the leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, and what that means for ongoing Jan. 6th-related inquiries.
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Author Henry Grabar says parking codes, parking lots and garages have shaped the landscape of cities and suburbs, and limited the creation of affordable housing.
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Johansen, who went on to perform under the persona of the lounge singer Buster Poindexter, is the subject of a new Showtime documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese. Originally broadcast in 2004.
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Based in Los Angeles, Mosley previously served as a correspondent and host of Here & Now, and as a host and Silicon Valley bureau chief at KQED in San Francisco. She hosts the podcast Truth Be Told.
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Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Auder's memoir, Don't Call Me Home, describes her early life in the Chelsea Hotel, in a world of underground artists and "weirdos."
