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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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16:23

The Link Between Saddam Hussein and the Israeli Peace Process

Janet Aviad of "Peace Now," an organization dedicated to finding peaceful solutions to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, speaks with Terry about her group's position on Saddam Hussein's linking the invasion of Kuwait with the Palestinian question. Terry also talks with David McReynolds, co-secretary of the War Resistors League. The group is advising military men and women who don't want to fight in the Gulf, and co-ordinating the peace movement.

22:38

A Retired Admiral's Pessimistic Projections of American Casualties

Retired Admiral Gene LaRocque, founder of the Center for Defense Information, gives his scenario for war in the Gulf, which is more pessimistic than those of the Bush administration and the House Armed Services Committee. The Center for Defense Information is an independent monitor of the military and is made up of retired military officers as well as civilians with training and experience in military analysis.

03:45

A Jingoistic Film's Curious Timing

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new movie, "Not Without My Daughter." It stars Sally Field and Alfred Molina and is based on the true story of an American woman and her daughter who are trapped in Iran after the Iranian revolution. Among the movie's many problems is its demonization of Muslims -- which, in light of the Gulf crisis, couldn't have come at a worse time.

21:55

The Roots and Current State of the Gulf Crisis

In this two-part interview, Terry speaks first with Trudy Rubin, a Mideast expert on the editorial board at the "Philadelphia Inquirer." Rubin's just left Baghdad. We speak to her from Amman, Jordan. Next, Terry is joined by David Fromkin. They talk about the colonial interventions in the Middle East around World War I, and how those actions resonate today.

16:40

Protecting the Rights and Safety of Arab Americans

Terry talks with Albert Mokhiber, President of the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, about the FBI's recent questioning of prominent members of the Arab American community. She also speaks with Bill Baker, the Assistant Director of FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, who defends the practice, which many find invasive or discriminatory, claiming it's intended to protect Arab Americans from hate crimes.

17:33

Actor Harvey Keitel Discusses his Early Career.

Actor Harvey Keitel. He plays gangster Mickey Cohen in the new movie "Bugsy." Last year, he played the sympathetic police officer in "Thelma And Louise." He's also known for his roles in the Martin Scorsese films "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver."

Interview
22:58

Science Writer Timothy Ferris.

Science writer Timothy Ferris. In his new book, "The Mind's Sky," Ferris explores the relationship between the universe and how our brains' see the universe. Ferris's earlier books include the best-seller, "Coming Of Age In The Milky Way."

Interview
10:15

Author Madison Smartt Bell on Altered Consciousness

Bell's new novel, "Doctor Sleep," follows a hypnotist and part-time criminologist through three days and nights as he deals with his domestic life and with tracking down a serial killer. Bell is interested in the altered states of mind that come from hypnotism, insomnia, and stress.

24:06

Journalist Artem Borovik on the Perils of Desert Warfare

Soviet journalist Artem Borovik Borovik covered the Soviet war in Afghanistan. His first hand account of that war has given him insight into the difficulties associated with combat in harsh climates -- conditions American soldiers may face during any intervention in the Gulf crisis.

Interview
23:26

Film Composer Elmer Bernstein

Bernstein has composed the scores for around 80 films, including "The Man With the Golden Arm," "The Magnificent Seven," and "The Ten Commandments. He's done the scores for 2 new films -- "The Field" and "The Grifters." He joins Fresh Air to talk about how he works with directors to write his music.

Interview

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