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.
-
Former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron says he thinks Trump is "salivating for the opportunity to prosecute and imprison journalists." New Yorker editor David Remnick agrees. -
Allison, who died Nov. 6, based her critically acclaimed novel on her own experience of being physically and sexually abused by her stepfather. Originally broadcast in 1992.
-
In Price's novel, a Harlem apartment building collapses, upending the lives of its residents, including a photographer, a funeral director and a 42-year-old man who feels he has little to live for.
-
Journalist Annie Lowrey has a rare disease that causes a near-constant itch that doesn't respond to most treatments. She likens the itchiness to a car alarm: "You can't stop thinking about it." -
The comic can pick up on the "micro bad mood" of whoever she's talking to. She writes about pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood in a new book of essays, Lifeform. Originally broadcast March 12, 2024.
-
The renowned arranger, composer and producer worked with countless artists, including Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson. Jones died Nov. 3. Originally broadcast in 2001.
-
Pacino says the initial script for the Godfather sequel was so bad he nearly passed on the project — until it was rewritten. The Oscar-winning actor looks back on his life in the memoir Sonny Boy.
-
Garr, who died Oct. 29, started out as a dancer in Elvis films, and was later nominated for an Oscar for Tootsie. David Bianculli offers an appreciation, and we listen back to a 2005 interview.
-
New Yorker journalist David Kirkpatrick says a government command hub has been tasked with tracking and protecting U.S. elections from foreign adversaries who seek to sow discord and foment violence.
-
Journalist Eliza Griswold says complaints about homophobia, white privilege and diversity are splintering progressive organizations — including one particular church. Her book is Circle of Hope.
