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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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16:01

From the Archives: Composer Gerry Mulligan Mixes Classical and Jazz Music.

The late jazz saxophonist, Gerry Mulligan. This week, which marks what would have been his 72nd birthday, The Library of Congress opened a permanent exhibit celebrating his life and work. Mulligan died in 1996. The exhibit includes his favorite saxophone, photographs, and musical manuscripts. He's been an innovator in modern jazz orchestration. Early in his career he was staff arranger for Gene Krupa's big band. In 1949 he collaborated with Gil Evans and Miles Davis in the Nonet. The nine-piece band shook up jazz arrangers and launched the era of so-called cool jazz.

Interview
20:33

From the Archives: Jazz Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

Jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli (Pitz-uh-RELL-ee). On his newest album "Contrasts" (Arbors) he teams up with his son John Pizzarelli. Bucky Pizzarelli has been a fixture in jazz and the studios since the early '50s. Self-taught, Pizzarelli has long been a master of the seven-string guitar. In 1952 Pizzarelli joined the staff of NBC and 12 years later he switched to ABC; in addition he worked with the Three Sounds (1956-57) and had several tours with Benny Goodman.

Interview
16:18

The CIA's Public Affairs Director William Harlow Discusses His New Novel.

The CIA's Public Affairs Director William Harlow. The retired Navy Captain has written a new novel, a political-military thriller. It's called "Circle William" (Scribner) and has as one of its heroes a White House press secretary. Harlow was also a public affairs officer in the Navy Secretary's office and was former White House national security aid under Reagan and Bush.

Interview
14:23

Brooklyn Institution "Junior's" Restaurant.

From "Junior's" Restaurant in Brooklyn, Marvin and Alan Rosen. Marvin has collaborated on a new book about his family's Brooklyn restaurant renowned for its rich and creamy cheesecake. Marvin inherited the restaurant from his father who opened it in 1950. Alan is Marvin's nephew. The book is called "Welcome to Junior's: Remembering Brooklyn with Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant" (William Morrow).

37:12

Television Writer Peter Mehlman.

Former writer and producer for "Seinfeld," Peter Mehlman. Thanks to him, the terms "shrinkage" and "Yada-Yada" as used on "Seinfeld" became a part of popular culture. Now Mehlman has created the new sitcom "It's Like, You Know" about a transplanted New Yorker in L.A., and the clash of East and West culture

Interview
48:46

The Humanitarian Catastrophe in Serbia and Macedonia.

Our first Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, David Scheffer. As such, he looks into violations of international humanitarian law anywhere in the world. He's just returned from Macedonia where his mission was to see what conditions the Kosovo refugees were exposed to, and to determine the nature of the crimes committed against them. Scheffer is a senior aide to U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Interview
18:40

The American Occupation of Japan.

Historian John Dower is the author of "Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II" (W.W. Norton) about the aftermath of the war on Japan, and the American military occupation. Dower says he wanted to capture a sense of what it meant to start over in a "ruined world" for people at all levels of society and how that time became a "touchstone for affirming a commitment to 'peace and democracy.'" Dower is the Elting E. Morrison Professor of History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Interview
21:34

Russia's Relationship with Serbia.

Journalist Fred Hiatt is a member of the Editorial page staff for the Washington Post. He's also the paper's former Russia correspondent. He'll discuss Russia's position on the Serbs, and the NATO bombings.

Interview
44:36

From the Archives: The World's Wisdom Traditions.

Professor of Religion, and distinguished scholar Huston Smith. His book "The World's Religions" (formerly "The Religions of Man") has been the most widely-used textbook for courses in world religion for thirty years. There's now a new version of his book, "The Illustrated World's Religions: a Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions." (Harper, in paperback). (REBROADCAST from 2/19/96)

Interview

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