Showing results by narrator "Terry Gross" in All Categories

African novelist and chemist Emmanuel Dongala on this edition of Fresh Air. He was born in the Congo Republic, was educated in the US, and left the Congo with the outbreak of civil war in 1997. Two of his novels have just been translated to English: Little Boys Come from the Stars and The Fires of Origins. With the help of writers Philip Roth and William Styron, Dongala now has a visiting professorship in chemistry at Simon's Rock of Bard College in Massachusetts.

Journalists Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck and veteran broadcaster and executive producer of 60 Minutes, Don Hewitt, on this edition of Fresh Air. Michel and Herbeck are staff writers for The Buffalo News. The two have collaborated on the new book American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh & the Oklahoma City Bombing. Michel lived 20 minutes away from McVeigh's father, and over time, he developed a relationship with the elder McVeigh, which in turn helped him gain access to his son.

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss on this archive edition of Fresh Air. His new book is called Reaching for Glory: The Secret Lyndon Johnson Tapes, 1964-1965. It is Beschloss's second volume on the LBJ tapes. Beschloss will talk about the tapes, and we will hear excerpts, including some recordings of conversations about Vietnam, Civil Rights, and with Jackie Kennedy. Beschloss has written five previous books on American presidents.

Neal Conan, host of NPR's Talk of the Nation, on this edition of Fresh Air. During the summer of 2000, Conan took a hiatus from his duties at NPR to follow the fortunes of the Aberdeen Arsenal, a minor league baseball team. He was pursuing a lifelong dream: to become a baseball announcer. He writes about it in his new book: Play by Play: Baseball, Radio and Life in the Last Chance League. (Broadcast Date: May 8, 2002)

The 10th anniversary of the use of ground forces during the Gulf War on this edition of Fresh Air. NPR's Neal Conan talks with two former lieutenants who were tank platoon leaders with the 24th Infantry Division: Alex Verdon and Greg Downey. The two were just out of college and leading platoons for the first time. They tell their story in the new book, The Eyes of Orion.

Journalist Anne Nivat is the Moscow correspondent for the French paper Liberation. Two years ago, after the Russians denied her press access to Chechnya, she disguised herself as a Chechen peasant woman and snuck across the border. For six months, she followed the war, traveling with the underground rebels and staying with families. Her reports were published in Liberation. Her new memoir is Chienne De Guerre: A Woman Reporter Behind the Lines of the War in Chechnya.

Director, co-writer Stacy Peralta on this edition of Fresh Air. Stacy Peralta directed the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. The film is about the community of skateboarders in California in the 1970s who originated extreme skateboarding. They did so in rundown urban beach neighborhood near Santa Monica and Venice called Dogtown. They became international stars. Peralta was one of the Z-boys and is considered one of the founding fathers of modern skateboarding.

Journalist John Burns and Mexican film director Alfonso Cuaron on this edition of Fresh Air. John Burns is the Islamabad Bureau Chief for the New York Times. He will talk about reporting on Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the past, Burns has been posted in China, Bosnia, South Africa, and Russia. He has won two Pulitzer Prizes, one of them in 1997, for his reporting on the Taliban.

Actor Jared Harris and writer James Sallis on this edition of Fresh Air. The son of actor Richard Harris, Jared has acted in theater and on the big screen. He's appeared in movies like I Shot Andy Warhol, Happiness, Sunday, Smoke, and VH1's Two of Us in which he plays Beatle John Lennon. He talks to us today about his newest movie called Shadow Magic, which is set in China. Harris plays the man that brought the motion picture projector to China.

Cookbook author and food writers Jack Bishop and Marie Simmons on this edition of Fresh Air. Jack Bishop's latest book is called Vegetables Everyday. Bishop writes about food for The New York Times, Cooks Illustrated, and Natural Health Magazines. His other cookbooks include Pasta e Verdura, The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, and Lasagna.

Actress Ellen Burstyn and Tejano musician Ruben Ramos on this edition of Fresh Air. Ellen Burstyn's up for an academy award for her portrayal of the mother of a drug addict who is also an addict herself in the film Requiem for a Dream. This is her fifth nomination and could be her second win.

Journalists Ken Herman and Joseph Hallinan on this edition of Fresh Air. Ken Herman writes for the Austin American Statesman. He's has been covering Texas politics for over 20 years and is currently in Washington, covering the first six months of President George W. Bush's administration. He'll talk about the differences between George W. Bush (the governor) and George W. Bush (the president).

Mark Malloch Brown of the UN Development Programme and poet Donald Hall on this edition of Fresh Air. Brown heads the United Nations Development Programme. He'll discuss their efforts in Afghanistan, the West Bank, and Gaza to help with reconstruction. Brown is from Britain. He is also the chair of the United Nations Development Group, a committee of the heads of all UN development funds, programmes and departments.

Actor Om Puri on this edition of Fresh Air. Om Puri is a star of Bombay's film industry, known as Bollywood. In his two decades of acting he's worked with every major Indian film director including Satjayit Ray. In western films, he had roles in Ghandi and City of Joy, and in the TV series The Jewel in the Crown. He's had starring parts in two British films My Son the Fanatic, and the film East Is East.

Former WWII P.O.W. Eric Lomax and Cajun musicians Luderin Darbone and Ben Sandmel on this archive edition of Fresh Air. Eric Lomax was captured by the Japanese during World War II. He was used as forced labor to help build the Burma-Siam railroad. He was also tortured by the Japanese. He has reconciled with the Japanese interpreter present during his beatings.

Looking at HBO's hit series The Sopranos as it enters its third season on this edition of Fresh Air. First, an interview with creator and executive producer David Chase. Actor Michael Imperioli, who stars as Christopher, has written some episodes. Imperioli also appeared in five Spike Lee films, and starred in, co-wrote, and executive produced Lee's film Summer of Sam. Imperioli also appeared in the films Goodfellas, Malcolm X, Clockers, and Household Saints.

Playwright and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan on this edition of Fresh Air. The writer behind five screenplays and several theater productions, his new play is called Lobby Hero and opens March 13 at Playwrights Horizons. He also wrote, directed, and acted in the Oscar nominated You Can Count on Me, which came out last year. The screenplay for that movie recently won Best Screenplay by the Writers Guild of America and is up for an Oscar in the same category.

On this archival edition of Fresh Air, playwright and satirist from South Africa Pieter Dirk-Uys, and writer and director Todd Haynes. Dirk-Uys has a television talk show in South Africa that has an unusual twist. Instead of hosting his show as himself, he dresses drag as an Afrikaner dowager named Evita. His guests include such leaders as Nelson Mandela. His show is said to be "a way of making the country's leaders seem more human."

Senior vice president and editorial director of VH1, Bill Flanagan on this archive edition of Fresh Air. He's the author of A&R, a satirical novel about the music industry. Prior to this, Flanagan wrote extensively about the business for Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Spy. He's also the author of Written in My Soul, a collection of conversations with songwriters.

Religion scholar Karen Armstrong on this edition of Fresh Air. The best-selling author of The History of God and The Battle for God, has a new book, Budda, about the life of Sidhatta Gotam. From North India, Sidhatta Gotama renounced normal life, leaving his wife and child to live alone and attain enlightenment.