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Fresh Air (NPR) (Interviews)

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  • Host: Terry Gross
  • Fresh Air opens the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics. Terry Gross hosts this multi-award-winning daily interview and features program.
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Judith Fox Turns A Close-Up Lens On Alzheimer's

Thu, Nov 19

After Obama Visit, Assessing U.S.-China Relations

Thu, Nov 19
China expert Orville Schell explains to host Terry Gross how the fates of the United States and China are connected, and how the protectionist policies of the past are no longer viable.

Celebrating The Johnny Mercer Centennial

Wed, Nov 18
Lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer born Nov. 18, 1909 wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs, including American Songbook standards like "Skylark," "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." His Academy Awards tally includes a statue for what's possibly his most famous tune, "Moon River." Fresh Air marks the anniversary of his birth with an in-studio concert starring Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg.

Sacha Baron Cohen And Larry Charles Talk 'Bruno'

Tue, Nov 17
When Sacha Baron Cohen grants an interview, it's usually in character as Borat, the clueless faux-Kazakh journalist; or as Bruno, the outrageously shallow, ostentatiously gay Austrian fashionista at the center of Cohen's most recent film. Today, though, Cohen joins Fresh Air as himself, for a conversation with Terry Gross and Bruno director Larry Charles.

Geoffrey Nunberg: 'The I's Don't Have It'

Tue, Nov 17
Counting words has become a popular new device in assessing political speech. The number of first-person singular pronouns in a speech can turn a modest public figure into a pompous politician. Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg suggests that counting words isn't very revealing unless we consider their context as well.

Joshua Kosman, Predicting The Next Credit Crisis

Mon, Nov 16
In a new book, journalist Joshua Kosman predicts a coming credit crisis, and assigns blame to private equity firms. While such firms make a fast profit from buying companies, improving them and reselling them, the companies take on the debt incurred from the purchase, leaving them in danger of financial collapse.

Woody Harrelson, Part 2: When War Comes Home

Mon, Nov 16
This month Woody Harrelson stars plays Capt. Tony Stone in a new movie about the costs of war. His character notifies the families of fallen soldiers. Harrelson's performance is already generating Oscar chatter.

Cinematographer Gordon Willis, Setting the Scene

Fri, Nov 13
The Academy Awards aren't until February, but cinematographer Gordon Willis is receiving his honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement award this fall. Willis is the visual mastermind behind classic films like Annie Hall, The Godfather, and Pennies From Heaven. We tip the hat in his direction with a rebroadcast of a 2002 conversation about his life behind the lens.

With Its Limp Remake, AMC Breaks 'The Prisoner'

Fri, Nov 13
AMC's newest miniseries is an ill-advised attempt at a reboot of the cult-hit '60s spy series: A man known as Six (Jim Caviezel) finds himself trapped in a strange desert village, dogged by a mysterious watcher (Ian McKellen's elusive Two). Critic David Bianculli says that despite McKellen's captivating performance, the remake has none of the curious genius of the original.

Between Albums, Rivers Cuomo Digs Up Solo Work

Fri, Nov 13
Since Weezer's debut in 1994, the band has released six more albums, gone through a re-organization, and earned a devoted following. Their new album is called Raditude. Last year, Rivers Cuomo, Weezer's lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter, released two solo CDs of songs that didn't make it onto the band's albums.

The (Surprisingly) Real Feel of 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

Thu, Nov 12
Director Wes Anderson's first animated film is based on Roald Dahl's cheerfully wicked children's book about a wily fox who wages war on three farmers. Critic David Edelstein says the film with its stop-motion animation, big-name voice talent and quirky mannerisms achieves a degree of realism that isn't always apparent in the cult director's work.

How Safe Is It? Seymour Hersh On Pakistan's Arsenal

Thu, Nov 12
Pakistan has an estimated 80 to 100 nuclear warheads. How secure are they? Veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh talks with host Terry Gross about Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and what Pakistan and the U.S. are doing to keep it safe.

Tito x 2: Celebrating The Kings Of Mambo Again

Wed, Nov 11
Music critic Milo Miles reviews two new collections of tunes from the late Latin pioneers Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente. The two were rivals on the bandstand of the Palladium, the epicenter of the 1950s mambo craze.

A Tennis Star Who Hates Tennis?

Wed, Nov 11
Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi admits in a new autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion." Always has. He's here to talk with host Terry Gross about what he calls the "contradictions" at the core of his life.

An Open-Source Approach To Better Prosthetics

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
When Marine engineer Jonathan Kuniholm returned to his industrial-design shop after a tour of duty in Iraq, one of his first projects was personal: He wanted to improve on the design of the prosthetics he'd been using since he lost part of his right arm in an ambush. Kuniholm and his colleagues founded the Open Prosthetics Project, an open-source collaboration that shares its innovations freely.

Woody Harrelson Goes To War In 'The Messenger'

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
This month Woody Harrelson stars in a powerful new movie about the costs of war. He plays Capt. Tony Stone, a veteran of the Army's Casualty Notification service, charged with the task of notifying the families of fallen soldiers. The film opens Nov. 13, but Harrelson's performance is already generating Oscar chatter.

Strong And Simple As A 'Shadow On The Ground'

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
You may not recognize the name James Hand, but that's just because you've never heard anything like him. The 57-year-old Texan has been in hidden away in country music scene for years, and if his third album Shadow of the Ground shows his age, critic Ken Tucker says it's just that Hand doesn't care what you think.

For Wounded Soldiers, Prosthetic Help At Home

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
Advances in military medicine mean that more soldiers are surviving on the battlefield, but many are coming home with missing limbs. When they come home, those soldiers turn to Colonel Paul Pasquina, medical director of the amputee program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the latest in prosthetics.

Losing Jazz's Preconceptions With 'Historicity'

Mon, Nov 9 Listen
In the last few years, some enterprising younger players have reinvented the piano-bass-drums jazz combo. It's not just that these trios play contemporary pop; it's also a shift in attitude. Vijay Iyer's trio doesn't worry about swinging all the time, although the buoyancy of swing inflects its rhythms as much as hip-hop does.

An American In Japan, Investigating The 'Tokyo Vice'

Mon, Nov 9 Listen
Working for Japan's Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper, reporter Jake Adelstein uncovered a world unknown to many of the Japanese public, let alone to foreigners: the world of organized crime. He details its landscape and the dangers of covering it in a new memoir.

Come And Play: 'Sesame Street' Celebrates 40 Years

Fri, Nov 6 Listen
Four decades after its premiere, Sesame Street is the same happy neighborhood it always was. TV critic David Bianculli takes a look at the newest episode which features special guest Michelle Obama and assesses the show's enduring legacy.

The Man Behind Miss Piggy

Fri, Nov 6 Listen
Film director Frank Oz was one of the defining creative forces behind the Muppets. He joined The Muppet Show creator Jim Henson in 1963 and went on to provide the voices of Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster, Fozzie Bear and Bert.

Composing Silly Songs For 'Sesame Street'

Fri, Nov 6 Listen
Writer and humorist Christopher Cerf has been associated with the Children's Television Workshop since 1970, developing products, producing music albums and writing parodies of rock-and-roll songs for Sesame Street.

A Stroll Among The Memories On 'Sesame Street'

Fri, Nov 6 Listen
The venerable children's TV show celebrates its 40th anniversary on Nov. 10, with a demonstration from First Lady Michelle Obama on how to plant your own vegetable garden. The late Jeff Moss, one of the program's co-creators, talked to Terry Gross in 1998; we'll listen back to excerpts from that conversation.

La Roux: Full-Throated Ardor, Calibrated To Please

Thu, Nov 5 Listen
La Roux is a British pop duo 21-year-old singer Elly Jackson and synth player-producer Ben Langmaid with a style that blends passionate vocals with strict mechanical beats. The pair's self-titled debut album went No. 1 in England and Europe this year, and now it's out stateside. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews.

'Gentlemen Broncos': A Psychedelic Sci-Fi Comedy

Thu, Nov 5 Listen
David Edelstein reviews the quirky new comedy from Jared Hess, who co-wrote and directed Napoleon Dynamite.

'The Audacity To Win' The Presidency

Wed, Nov 4
As Barack Obama's presidential campaign manager, David Plouffe was responsible for constructing an unprecedented grass-roots campaign. In his new book, The Audacity To Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, Plouffe presents a behind-the-scenes look at a historic campaign.

The Many Roles Of 'Glee' Meanie Jane Lynch

Wed, Nov 4 Listen
Jane Lynch may be most well-known for her recent roles as Sue Sylvester on Glee and as Julia Child's sister in Julie & Julia, but she's a movie and TV veteran, with a long list of delicious character parts under her belt.

'The Lacuna,' Kingsolver's Vacant Return

Tue, Nov 3 Listen
It's been nine years since Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible, has released a new novel but is The Lacuna worth the wait? Critic Maureen Corrigan says this personalized perspective on the Red Scare in Mexico reflects the hidden meaning of the book's title: vacancy.

Mary Karr, Remembering The Years She Spent 'Lit'

Tue, Nov 3 Listen
The Liar's Club, Mary Karr's memoir about her hardscrabble childhood in Texas, was named one of the best books of 1995. In her new book, Lit, Karr details her early adult years and her struggles with alcohol, depression and motherhood.

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