Showing results by author "Terry Gross" in All Categories

Former U.S. ambassador to Croatia Peter W. Galbraith and professor of psychiatry and psychology Robert Jay Lifton on this edition of Fesh Air. Peter W. Galbraith is now professor of national-security studies at the National War College in Washington D.C. Since the late 1980s he's been tracking Iraqi war crimes. He has also worked closely with the Kurds - who govern a small territory in Iraq. He'll talk with Terry about what a post-Saddam Iraq might look like.

Mosquito expert Andrew Spielman and actor Jonathan Pryce on this edition of Fresh Air. Spielman is one of the world's leading experts on mosquitoes. He's just co-written a book, Mosquito: A Natural History of Our Most Persistent and Deadly Foe. He answers why mosquito bites itch and how the mosquito transmits deadly diseases. Spielman is a professor at Harvard University. Stage and screen actor Jonathan Pryce plays Gustav Mahler in the new film Bride of the Wind.

Spanish and Portuguese professor Maria Rose Menocal and writer, musician, and broadcaster Jamie Bernstein Thomas on this edition of Fresh Air. Maria Rose Menocal is a R. Selden Rose Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Director of the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale University. She is also the author of the new book: The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a culture of tolerance in Medieval Spain.

Joey Ramone, the lead singer of the punk band the Ramones, died earlier this month. He had lymphoma. From their start in 1974, the Ramones combined fast, deafening guitar with precise drumming to create a hurricane of sound. Their songs had titles like "Beat on the Brat," "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" and "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." This edition of Fresh Air features an archive interview with Ramone from 1988.

Writer and radio host Garrison Keillor and writer Jhumpa Lahiri on this edition of Fresh Air. Garrison Keillor's new book is Love Me: A Novel. It's about the ambitions of a frustrated writer who publishes a piece in the New Yorker, writes a disappointing debut novel, and ends up penning an advice column in the local newspaper.

Journalist and author Walter Isaacson and Ted Conover, a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine on this edition of Fresh Air. Isaacson has written the new biography Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Reviewer and fellow Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. writes of the book, "Both an absorbing narrative biography and an acute assessment of the man and his impact on his time and on posterity."

Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain and music legend Johnny Cash on this archive edition of Fresh Air. Her first novel, My Dream of You, has just come out in paperback. Her critically acclaimed 1998 memoir, Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman was on The New York Times best seller list.

Singer Tom Jones on this edition of Fresh Air. The pop icon first gained fame with the 1960s hits "It's Not Unusual", "Delilah", and "What's New Pussycat". In the last 40 years of his career, he has released over 30 hit singles and several gold and multi-platinum records.

Writer Andre Dubus III and actor Sir Ian McKellen on this edition of Fresh Air. Dubus wrote the novel, House of Sand And Fog. It's now a movie starring Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly. The critically acclaimed book was a runaway best seller after being chosen for Oprah's book club.

Film director Rob Marshall and conductor Paul Bogaev on this edition of Fresh Air. Rob Marshall directed and choreographed the new film adaptation of Chicago. It stars Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Queen Latifah. Previously, Marshall won an Emmy for Best Choreography for his work on the movie musical Annie.

Actor Matt Damon and writer John Ridley on this edition of Fresh Air. Matt Damon's film The Bourne Identity is being released on DVD next week. The Bourne Identity is a thriller about a man with amnesia flushed out of the Mediterranean Sea, riddled with bullet holes. Damon has been in many hit films, including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Saving Private Ryan and Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with close friend Ben Affleck.

Singer and Hollywood legend Rosemary Clooney on this archive edition of Fresh Air. Clooney starred in the 1954 film White Christmas. She talks about her life as a singer and performer, and you can listen to songs from throughout her career. Her 1999 autobiography, Girl Singer, reads like a who's who from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She also released a CD companion to the book. Its called Songs from the Girl Singer.

Actress Lisa Kudrow on this edition of Fresh Air. She stars in the new film Wonderland. Set in 1980s Hollywood, it's about a mysterious mass murder that took place on Wonderland Avenue. Porn Star John Holmes was involved somehow, but the crime was never solved.

Actress Jodie Foster and radio personality Garrison Keillor on this edition of Fresh Air. Jodie Foster's film Panic Room is now on video and DVD. Recently she produced and acted in the 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.

Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and RUN-DMC vocalist Darryl McDaniels are on this edition of Fresh Air. Whedon is the executive producer of Buffy and co-executive producer of the Buffy Spin-off Angel. Whedon also writes for both shows. Before working on Buffy, Whedon wrote for the TV series Roseanne. He also writes screenplays.

Film director Wes Anderson and producer Robert Evans on this edition of Fresh Air. Wes Anderson co-wrote and produced the critically-acclaimed and popular film The Royal Tenenbaums, which has just been released on video and DVD. The film stars Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Billy Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller. Anderson also co-wrote and directed Bottle Rocket and Rushmore.

Actress and model Isabella Rossellini on this archive edition of Fresh Air. Rosellini talks about her famous parents, actress Ingrid Bergman and filmmaker Roberto Rossellini, and her own career. She stars in the new film Left Luggage with Maximillian Schell. It opens this weekend. She has acted in numerous T-V shows, and her film credits include Blue Velvet, The Impostors, and Big Night. She is also the spokesmodel for Lancome cosmetics.

Chris Carter, creator of the popular Fox TV series, The X-Files, and novelist Alan Furst on this archive edition of Fresh Air. The X-Files - a series about a team of FBI agents investigating paranormal activity like alien abductions, telepathy, and the occult - has a cult following. This was its eighth and final season. Carter also created the series, The Lone Gunman, a spinoff of The X-Files featuring three computer-savvy conspiracy geeks.

Comic book creator Stan Lee on this edition of Fresh Air. Stan Lee was the leading creative force behind the rise of Marvel Comics and is responsible for many of the best-known comic book heroes. Forty years ago, he co-created the character Spider-Man. He also helped create The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, and The Incredible Hulk. He is now chairman emeritus of Marvel Enterprises, and is executive producer of the new movie, Spider-Man.

Actor Matt Damon on this edition of Fresh Air. He's touring the country promoting his new film, The Bourne Identity, a thriller about a man with amnesia flushed out of the Mediterranean Sea, riddled with bullet holes. Damon has been in many hit films, including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Saving Private Ryan and Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with close friend Ben Affleck.