Showing results by author "Terry Gross" in All Categories

Writer David Sedaris and actor Alan Cumming, on this edition of Fresh Air. Sedaris is best known for his contributing work with public radio's This American Life. He's written three books of essays, Barrel Fever, Naked, and his newest Me Talk Pretty One Day which was just released in paperback. Scottish actor Alan Cumming co-wrote, co-directed, and is co-starring in the new film The Anniversary Party, along with Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Actress Jodie Foster on this edition of Fresh Air. Jodie Foster produced and acts in the new film The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. Foster has won two Oscars for performances in The Silence of the Lambs and The Accused. She was also nominated for her work in Taxi Driver and Nell. She's also served as producer or director on numerous films. (Broadcast Date: June 17, 2002)

British film director Michael Winterbottom and science writer David Quammen on this edition of Fresh Air. Michael Winterbottom's films include Welcome to Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People, and Wonderland.

Fresh Air continues its Holiday Week of Songs from Broadway and Hollywood with an interview with singer-songwriter Randy Newman and comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks. Randy Newman is best known for his hit songs "Short People," and "I Love L-A." He's written for a number of films including, Ragtime, Avalon, The Natural, Toy Story, Babe and Seabiscuit. He's received fourteen Oscar nominations and was given the Academy Award in 2002.

Religion scholar Bart D. Ehrman on this edition of Fresh Air. He's the Bowman and Gordon Gray Professor of Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. His new book, Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew, chronicles the period before Christianity as we know it came to be, when conflicting ideas about the religion were fighting for prominence in the second and third centuries.

Film critic and historian David Thomson and sleight of hand expert and actor Ricky Jay on this edition of Fresh Air. David Thomson's latest book is The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. It is an updated version of his Biographical Dictionary of Film, which was first published in 1975. Some of the entries from the Dictionary have been revised and new entries have been added.

Comic book artist and writer Frank Miller and keyboard player and record producer Ray Manzarek on this edition of Fresh Air. Frank Miller transformed Batman into a brooding, tortured vigilante in his remakes of the classic Batman comic: The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

Writer Andrew Solomon on this archive edition of Fresh Air. His book on depression, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, won a 2001 National Book Award. The work came out of a 1998 New Yorker magazine article. He drew on personal experience as well as interviews with patients, physicians, philosophers and drug designers. (Original Broadcast Date: June 11, 2001)

Fresh Air rebroadcasts interviews with film editor and sound designer Walter Murch and inventor Robert Moog. Murch re-edited Orson Well's 1958 film Touch of Evil. At the time of the film's initial release the studio remixed the film to Well's displeasure. He fired off a letter with suggested changes. With those notes as their guide, Murch and Rick Schmidlin reconstructed the film to Well's intentions.

Singapore's first Prime Minister and its current Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and journalist Stan Sesser on this edition of Fresh Air. A very controversial figure, Lee Kuan Yew formed the People's Action Party and won the first Singapore general election in 1959. Since it was granted independence in 1965, Singapore has gone from British colony to Asian economic powerhouse.

Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain and music legend Johnny Cash on this edition of Fresh Air. Her first novel, My Dream of You.

Novelist Tim LaHaye and journalist Gershon Gorenberg on this edition of Fresh Air. Tim LeHaye is the co-author of the phenomenally popular Left Behind series. The books are apocalyptic Christian thrillers. The tenth and latest book is The Remnant, which debuted at the top of the New York Times best seller list. LeHaye is also the former co-chairman of Jack Kemp's presidential campaign, was on the original board of directors of the Moral Majority and an organizer of the Council for National Policy which has been called "the most powerful conservative organization in...

British comedian, stand-up performer, and actor Eddie Izzard on this edition of Fresh Air. Izzard is currently selling out venues in the U.S. and Canada with his new stand-up show Circle. He has won over fans with his quirky comedy and his cross-dressing. The Chicago Tribune says, "Izzard lives up to his billing. He's very bright, very fast, and very hip."

Singer songwriter John Fogerty, TV critic Tom Shales and author James Andrew Miller on this edition of Fresh Air. John Fogerty's new album is a double CD concert album Premonition. Featured on the recording is many of his biggest hits with Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Down on the Corner," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Proud Mary." Fogerty won a Grammy Award in 1997 for his album Blue Moon, Swamp. Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller are the authors of the new book, Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. The book is a history of...

Actress Christine Baranski and garbage expert Benjamin Miller on this edition of Fresh Air. Baranski is probably best known for her work on the TV series Cybill, in which she played Maryann, the best friend of Cybill Shepherd. She's currently starring in the TV sitcom Welcome to New York. She also plays Martha May Whovier in the new film Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Professor of Religion Elaine Pagels and film writer and director Rusty Cundieff on this archive edition of Fresh Air. Pagels has written four books, including The Gnostic Gospels (which won both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award). She has a new book called The Origin of Satan. Cundieff has a new horror flick called Tales from the Hood.

Writer/producer Judd Apatow and novelist, screenwriter and biographer, A.E. Hotchner on this edition of Fresh Air. Judd Apatow's new series for FOX is called Undeclared. He's billed as the creator/executive producer. It's about a group of geeky college freshmen. Apatow also worked on the Emmy award winners Freaks and Geeks and The Ben Stiller Show.

Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and actor Peter Gallagher on this archival edition of Fresh Air. McNamara is the author of In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam which contains the long awaited admission that McNamara felt the U.S. policy in Vietnam was wrong and the war was unwinnable.

Writer and producer Chris Albertson and performance artist and writer Rhodessa Jones on this edition of Fresh Air. Chris Albertson is considered an authority on blues singer Bessie Smith. His 1971 biography of Smith has been reissued in a new revised and expanded edition. It's called Bessie and it contains new details on Smith's early years, new interview material, and a chapter devoted to responses to the original publication.

Journalist Gary Cohen and attorney Cass Sunstein on this edition of Fresh Air. Gary Cohen's article in this month's Atlantic Monthly is about the World War II case that the Bush administration says sets the precedent for use of military tribunals. Cohen studied 3,000 pages of trial transcripts at the National Archives and the Roosevelt Presidential Library, in Hyde Park, New York, for the article. Cohen is a former member of the investigative unit at U.S. News & World Report.