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Terry Gross at her microphone in 2018

Terry Gross

Terry Gross is the host and an executive producer of Fresh Air, the daily program of interviews and reviews. It is produced at WHYY in Philadelphia, where Gross began hosting the show in 1975, when it was broadcast only locally. She was awarded a National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2016. Fresh Air with Terry Gross received a Peabody Award in 1994 for its “probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insight.” America Women in Radio and Television presented her 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.” Gross is the author of All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists, published by Hyperion in 2004. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and received a bachelor’s degree in English and M.Ed. in communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She began her radio career in 1973 at public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, NY.

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14:35

The Unsolved Mystery of a Kennedy Mistress' Death

Biographer Nina Burleigh talks about Mary Pinochet Meyer who it is believed was a mistress of President John F. Kennedy. She was found shot and murdered a year after Kennedy's assassination. Burleigh has written about Meyer's life in "A Very Private Woman: The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer. (Bantam)

Interview
36:27

After Reporting on Conflicts, a Journalist Changes His Mind on War

War correspondent Scott Anderson talks about the many wars he has witnessed. He has reported from Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Rwanda and Beirut. He has just written his first novel "Triage" (Scribner) which is about a the toll war has on a war photographer. He is also the co-author of War Zones and is a contributing editor to Harper's magazine. His stories have also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and the Boston Globe.

Interview
44:47

Newlyweds Survive a Severe Stroke

Robert McCrum suffered a stroke in 1995 at the young age of 42. He has written in detail about his experience and his recovery. Terry Gross talks with McCrum and his wife Sarah Lyall who was key in his recovery. His new book is "My Year Off: Recovering Life After a Stroke."

21:26

Three of the Four-Man Comedy Troupe The Firesign Theatre

The Firesigns created satire out of the political and civil upsets of the late 1960's, drawing big underground radio and college campus audiences. Members Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin, and David Ossman got their start doing a late night radio talk show, "Radio Free Oz," with the host in the persona of the Wizard of Oz. Since then, the Firesigns have done 13 comedy albums. Their new album, their first studio album in 20 years is "Give Me Immortality or Give me Death" (Atlantic/Rhino) (REBROADCAST from 11/6/93)

06:42

Brad Douriff on Playing the Psycho

Douriff reprises his role of Chucky in the film "Bride of Chucky." We talked to him when the first installment of the horror franchise, "Child's Play," was released (REBROADCAST from 11/18/88)

Interview
15:52

Irish Author Sebastian Barry on the History of His Hometown

Barry is best known for his play, "The Steward of Christendom," as well as for his commentaries on the troubles in Ireland for the The New York Times. He's written a new novel, "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty" (Viking). It's about a naive Irishman who joins the British Merchant Navy during World War I, and then is blacklisted from his beloved hometown by the Royal Irish Constabulatory. A review from Kirkus Reviews says the book is "one of the best novels out of Ireland in many a year."

Interview
21:50

Examining the Logic of Terrorism

Director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, Bruce Hoffman. He's been studying terrorism for 20 years, and advises governments and businesses around the world about it. He has a new book about the history of terrorism is, "Inside Terrorism" (Columbia University Press).

Interview
17:11

William Weld Tells the Truth of Dirty Politics in Fiction

Former governor of Massachusetts (1991-1997) William Weld. As a Republican, he's been criticized by many of his fellow party members for his un-Republican-like stances. He's pro-gay, pro-choice on abortion, and he endorses condom distribution in public schools. He'll talk with Terry about breaking rank with other Republicans, especially in light of today's partisan politics. Weld is also the author of a novel, "Mackerel by Moonlight" (Simon & Schuster)

Interview
34:48

A New Book About the Aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide

Journalist Philip Gourevitch is a staff writer for "The New Yorker" and is author of the new book, "We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: stories from Rwanda" (Farrar Straus and Giroux). It's about the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and it's aftermath. That spring and summer at least 800,000 people were killed in just one hundred days when the Hutu led government implemented a policy of murder against the minority Tutsis

Interview

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