Showing results by author "Terry Gross" in All Categories

Hear the late writer and editor William Maxwell, classical-music critic Lloyd Schwartz, and film critic David Edelstein on this edition of Fresh Air. In honor of the centennial of William Maxwell's birth, and his contribution to American writing, the Library of America is publishing a two-volume collection of his novels and short stories. The first, which collects his early work, is out now.

Hear investigative reporter for The New York Times Philip Shenon and the first director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, John DiIulio, Jr. In his new book, Philip Shenon looks into the missed evidence and the ignored clues as well as the political considerations that interfered with the 9/11 Commission's work. His book is The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation.

Audible presents a special collection of recent Fresh Air interviews with actors Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Nicolas Cage, and Cherry Jones, as well as Navajo code talker Rev. Roy Hawthorne, screenwriter John Ridley, directors Paul and Chris Weitz, and cartoonist Stan Lee.

Hear music-comedy duo Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of the group Flight of the Conchords, writer Reynolds Price, and film critic David Edelstein, on this edition of Fresh Air. Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie hail from New Zealand and were named Best Alternative comedy Act at the 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Hear professor Randall Balmer, rock critic Ken Tucker, and TV critic David Bianculli on this edition of Fresh Air. Randall Balmer is professor of American religious history at Barnard College, Columbia University, and a visiting professor at Yale University Divinity School. He is also the editor-at-large for Christianity Today. His new book is God in the White House: A History: How Faith Shaped the Presidency, from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush.

Hear authors Stephen Walt and Abraham Foxman, and beer expert Michael Jackson, on this edition of Fresh Air. Stephen Walt is the co-author (along with John Mearsheimer) of the book The Israel Lobby. The book grew out of their controversial article, which was published in the London Review of Books in March 2006. The two examine the impact of the Israel lobby on U.S. foreign policy and argue that support for Israel cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds.

Actor, director, screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton on this archive edition of Fresh Air. The 1996 film Sling Blade which he wrote, directed and starred in put him on the map and earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted screenplay. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the 1998 film A Simple Plan. Last year he directed the film All the Pretty Horses.

Film director Barry Sonnenfeld on this edition of Fresh Air. His latest movie is Men in Black 2, the sequel to his film Men in Black. Both films star Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Sonnenfeld's other films include Wild Wild West, Get Shorty, and The Addams Family. Before directing, he worked as a cinematographer.

Fresh Air guest host Barbara Bogaev talks with actor Michael C. Hall from HBO's Six Feet Under. He plays David Fisher, the gay brother who co-runs a funeral home on the show. He's currently starring as Billy Flynn, an oily attorney in the Broadway revival of Chicago. James Earl Jones, of the astounding voice, talks about his memoir. And you'll hear a review of the foreign film Mostly Martha.

Hear investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, Pushing Daisies producers Barry Sonnenfeld and Bryan Fuller, and book critic Maureen Corrigan on this edition of Fresh Air. Seymour Hersh is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine. He has written in depth about the Bush administration, and his article in this week's edition ("Shifting Targets") is about the administration's shift in position on Iran - a redefining of the war in Iraq as a strategic battle between the US and Iran.

Hear writers Michael Chabon and Jon Savage on this edition of Fresh Air. Michael Chabon won a Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. His new novel is The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel. His other books include The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and a collection of stories entitled Werewolves in Their Youth. He has also written for many publications, including The New Yorker, Harpers,, and Esquire.

Kirk Varnedoe on this archive edition of Fresh Air. Ed Harris is starring as Jackson Pollack in a new movie about the artist's life. We'll feature an interview from our archives about Pollock. Varnedoe was the chief curator for a major Jackson Pollock exhibit that ran last year at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Pollock is widely considered the most challenging and influential American painter of the twentieth century and one of the primary creators in modern art since 1945.

Once Were Warriors director Lee Tamahori and star Rena Owen, and Dr. Jody Heyman on this archival edition of Fresh Air. Once Were Warriors is a critically acclaimed film that takes a front-line look at an urban Maori family plagued by poverty, violence and alcoholism. The movie was the top grossing film in New Zealand history.

Listen to singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka and book critic Maureen Corrigan on this edition of Fresh Air. This year marks Neil Sedaka's 50th in the music business. He was part of the original creators of the "Brill Building sound" of the late 50s and early 60s. His early songs "Stupid Cupid" and "Where the Boys Are" were hits by Connie Francis.

Novelist Philip Roth on this archive edition of Fresh Air. His book The Human Stain is about a classics professor accused of racism who has a secret about his own ethnic identity. It's just been adapted into a new film starring Anthony Hopkins and Nichole Kidman. The Human Stain won the PENN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Singer/songwriters Barry Manilow and Tom Waits on this edition of Fresh Air. Barry Manilow made the pop charts in the 1970s and early 80s with love ballads such as "Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)." Before becoming a singer he was Bette Midler's accompanist and arranger.

Hear singer Frankie Valli and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt on this edition of Fresh Air. There's a new four-CD box set of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons called Jersey Boys. Valli helped bridge 50s doo-wop and 60s rock-and-roll with two dozen top 40 hits, including "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Sherry", and "Walk Like a Man". Jersey Boys is also the name of a Tony award winning Broadway musical based on the lives of the Four Seasons.

Author Glyn Moody, animator Mike Judge, and critic Milo Miles on this edition of Fresh Air. Moody's new book is called Rebel Code.

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Norman Mailer and the stars of the Emmy Award-winning T.V. series Cagney and Lacey, Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly on this edition of Fresh Air. Mailer talks about his 1995 book Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery. The book profiles Lee Harvey Oswald's life. Mailer says we must ask "Who was Oswald?" as a prelude to asking "Who killed JFK?". This is Mailer's 28th book. Gless and Daly played New York City Police detectives in their series which aired on CBS from 1982 to 1988.

Hear actor, comedian, producer, and writer Denis Leary, and recording artist Michael Hearst, on this edition of Fresh Air. Leary's show Rescue Me on FX begins its fourth season next week. He plays the highly dysfunctional yet macho firefighter Tommy Gavin. Leary also starred in the short-lived but critically acclaimed ABC comedy series, The Job. And he's known for his work in films such as The Thomas Crown Affair and The Ref.