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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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12:27

How Men and Women Experience Aggression Differently.

After researching and writing about girl gangs, psychologist and criminologist Anne Campbell decided to tackle the question of why men commit the majority of violent crimes. In her book "Men, Women and Aggression" (Basic Books), Campbell says the key lies in what men and women think their own aggression means: control, or loss of control?

Interview
44:11

Writer Edward Bunker Discusses his Life and Work.

Writer Edward Bunker. Bunker wrote the crime fiction classic "No Beast So Fierce," which first came out in 1973, about a former criminal trying to go straight. The book has been out of print since 1986, and has just been reissued. It was the basis of the film Straight Time, which starred Dustin Hoffman. Bunker spent almost 20 years in jail himself, and used his experiences as the basis of his book. He's also written 2 other novels, many essays, and screenplays for Straight Time and The Runaway Train.

Interview
13:51

Jim Bouton Destroys Illusions about Baseball.

A 1986 interview with former Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton. In 1970, Bouton's memoir "Ball Four" was published. Those who wanted to maintain major league baseball's image as the home of heroes were scandalized by the book; others thought it was about time someone revealed that baseball is full of real people and real problems. "Ball Four" made an enemy for Bouton of baseball legend Mickey Mantle by reminiscing about Mantle's on and off-field drunkenness. (Rebroadcast of 12/8/1986)

Interview
18:57

Baseball Great Joe Morgan.

There are fewer second basemen in the Baseball Hall of Fame than players in any of the other positions. Joe Morgan is one of the few. Today we rebroadcast an interview with the former Houston Astro and Cincinnati Red. Morgan was with the Reds in the 70's, along with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Perez, when the team was so successful it was known as the Big Red Machine. In 1975 and 76 Morgan was named most valuable player, leading the Reds to the world series championships both times. Altogether, Morgan spent 22 years in the major leagues. (REBROADCAST FROM 4/21/93)

Interview
07:30

Getting to Know "The Mick."

Baseball legend Mickey Mantle. We'll hear a 1985 interview with the Yankees slugger, whose father had his career in pro baseball planned before he was born. Mantle played his entire 17-year career with one team, the New York Yankees. (Rebroadcast of 10/08/1985)

Interview
17:03

Boxing and War with Thom Jones.

Writer Thom Jones was a boxer in the Marines in the mid-1960s. He was supposed to ship out to Vietnam, but he suffered an epileptic seizure, which he believes was caused by too many punches to the head. So instead of shipping out, he was thrown out. The rest of his unit did go to Vietnam, where they were ambushed and killed. Jones turned to writing, but couldn't get anything published, so he became a high school janitor. He is finally experiencing literary success this year with the publication of his collection of short stories "The Pugilist At Rest" (Little, Brown).

Interview
22:08

Musician and Record Producer Ron Levy.

Musician and record producer, Ron Levy. He was asked to played in B.B. King's band, when he was just out of high school. He went on to form "Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom, and recorded with the "luminaries" of the late seventies blue wave revival: Kim Wilson and Jimmie Vaughan and others. He started producing for Rounder Records and ended up working with old blues legends on Rounder's Blues label. Levy has long championed the Hammond B-3 organ which has come back into vogue. And he has a new Wild Kingdom release, "B-3, Blues and Grooves." (Rounder).

Interview
22:44

Anna Deavere Smith Discusses "Twilight."

Actress and Stanford Theater Professor, Anna Deavere Smith. She performs solo, multi-casted pieces, the scripts of which are transcripts of interviews with real participants of events. "Fires in the Mirrors" (aired on PBS) gave voice to the many facets of the Crown Heights riots.

Interview
22:55

Alexander Sanger Carries on His Grandmother's Work.

President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City, Alexander Sanger. Terry will talk with him about his work there, and about carrying on the work that his grandmother, Margaret Sanger pioneered. One of the projects they are involved in is training doctors in abortion practices. This is in response to a drop in training programs in OB/GYN residency programs, where it's fallen 50 percent since 1985.

Interview

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