Last modified: Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Award-winning NPR host Terry Gross at IU Auditorium
WHAT: Appearance by Terry Gross,host of NPR's "Fresh Air"
WHERE: IU Auditorium, 1211 E. Seventh St.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 8, 8 p.m.
TICKETS: $25-35 for the general public and $12-20 for IU Bloomington students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Terry Gross, host of National Public Radio's "Fresh Air," will share her greatest and most memorable interviews April 8 at IU Auditorium in Bloomington.
To illustrate the techniques she has honed in more than three decades on the air, the multiple award-winning radio host will first play sound bites from interviews that went well -- and then those that didn't go so well. Gross also will allow fans to interview her.
Gross isn't afraid to ask tough questions, but she creates an atmosphere in which her guests volunteer the answers rather than surrender them. What often puts those guests at ease is Gross' understanding of their work.
"Anyone who agrees to be interviewed must decide where to draw the line between what is public and what is private. But the line can shift, depending on who is asking the questions," Gross has said. "What puts someone on guard isn't necessarily the fear of being 'found out.' It sometimes is just the fear of being misunderstood."
"Terry Gross is a national treasure. She's certainly one of the greatest interviewers of all time," said Doug Booher, director of IU Auditorium. "Her style thoughtful, intelligent interview style often leads to unexpected insights. We are fortunate to have someone of her caliber speak at Indiana University."
Terry Gross
Gross began her radio career in 1973 at public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, New York. There she hosted and produced several arts, women's and public affairs programs, including "This Is Radio," a live, three-hour magazine program that aired daily. Two years later, she joined the staff of WHYY-FM in Philadelphia as producer and host of "Fresh Air," then a local, daily interview and music program. In 1985, WHYY-FM launched a weekly half-hour edition of "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," which was distributed nationally by NPR. Since 1987, a daily, one-hour national edition of "Fresh Air" has been produced by WHYY-FM; it now airs on more than 450 stations.
Gross's book All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists was published by Hyperion in 2004. In addition to her work on "Fresh Air, "Gross has served as guest host for the weekday and weekend editions of NPR's "All Things Considered." Her appearances include a spot as co-anchor of the PBS show "The Great Comet Crash," produced by WHYY-TV, a short series of interviews for WGBH-TV/Boston and an appearance as guest-host for "CBS Nightwatch."
In 1994, "Fresh Air" received a Peabody Award, which cited Gross for her "probing questions and unusual insights." In 1999, America Women in Radio and Television gave Gross a Gracie Award in the category of National Network Radio Personality. In 2003, Gross received the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, for advancing the "growth, quality and positive image of radio."
She has received honorary degrees from Princeton University, Haverford College and Drexel University. She received a bachelor's degree in English and an M.Ed. in communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her alma mater awarded her an honorary degree in 2007 and a 1993 Distinguished Alumni Award. Gross was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.
For more information, visit IUauditorium.com.
