Fresh Air: Writers Speak: Terry Gross Interviews 13 Acclaimed Writers

by Terry Gross

Conducted by Fresh Air host Terry Gross in her signature, award-winning style, this is a collection of thought-provoking interviews with writers. Includes David Sedaris, Stephen King, Maurice Sendak,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Audio CD
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565119185
• ISBN13: 9781565119185
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: HighBridge Audio
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

What a thrill to hear from Stephen King and others!

What makes writers "tick" has always amazed me and so when I came across FRESH AIR WRITERS SPEAK WITH TERRY GROSS--an audiobook--I was hooked from just the title. What a thrill it was to hear interviews conducted by Gross with such notables as Stephen King, Maurice Sendak, James Baldwin, Allen Ginsberg, and nine others . . . I loved hearing Norman Mailer describe himself as having "an ego like a battleship" . . . and I was moved by John Updike's account of how psoriasis affected his life. Gross apparently based this compilation on brief parts of longer interviews she had conducted on her Peabody Award-winning program on public radio, FRESH AIR . . . she is a talented interviewer, and I liked the fact that the interviews all appeared as if they had been conducted live; i.e., there were some brief pauses, as well as breaks for unedited laughter. Best of all, many of the authors read from their works . . . Philip Roth had me marveling at how well he writes; it even sounded better than when I've read it . . . and Billy Collins, an American poet who served two terms as 44th Poet Laureate of the United States, had me smiling when he recited "Victoria's Secret," a poem about reading a lingerie catalog.

worth a listen

This collection of Terry Gross interviews is great listening. She does pretty quality interviews, an oasis in the NPR desert of matte monotone. This collection showcases some of her more interesting interviews. In particular, the authors on display here are beyond the ordinary, and it is in this situation that Terry Gross excels. It should come as no surprise, I suppose, that the appeal of the individual interviews mirrors the value of the writings of the authors. Philip Roth, for example, is hilarious but with a deeper level of thought-provoking observations underneath the surface. Allen Ginsberg is idiosyncratic and eccentric in a way that can be both compelling and strangely unsettling. Norman Mailer is reflective but more interested in displaying his inflated, grandiose ego. John Updike speaks with polished style and has absolutely nothing of interest to say. The Davids, Sedaris and Rakoff, amuse with impious wit. Fran Lebowitz amuses with lonely, cheerless wit. But a good interview, which Terry Gross for the most part provides, draws out a little extra from the writer. There is no revising, no editing. No opportunity to perfect the rhythm of the speech. So you get a little extra. With any luck, there is a touch of candor, a little insight into the self-obsessive world of the artist.

Great collection of interviews with writers!

**PLEASE NOTE: Several of the customer reviews for this item are actually reviews for another Fresh Air collection, "Fresh Air Laughs." This collection is called Writers Speak, and features 13 interviews with famous authors, not comedians.** This is a great collection of Terry Gross interviews with a broad range of famous authors. Terry Gross is well-known as a great interviewer. Personally, I think she's a little overrated, as she seems to stumble over her questions sometimes, and leaves little bits of dead air here and there, which is awkward to listen to. But the CD isn't really about her, it's about the great writers she interviews. Disc One: 75:18 STEPHEN KING, the famous novelist, is best known for stories like Carrie and The Dark Tower series. In this 2000 interview, he talks extensively about his horrific 1999 car accident. He discusses his reaction to Brian Smith's sentence for reckless driving, his painful recovery, as well as his spirituality. MAURICE SENDAK, in a 1993 interview, talks about his children's book We Are All In The Dumps With Jack & Guy. (He's perhaps best known for Where The Wild Things Are.) He discusses the development of the story and the illustrations from two nursery rhymes. He also discusses his difficult childhood, the controversy over In the Night Kitchen, and why he doesn't do many book signings for children anymore. RICHARD PRICE, whose first novel The Wanderers brought him early fame, has also written a number of screenplays, perhaps most notably The Color of Money. Here, in a 1986 interview, he talks about being Jewish when everyone assumes he's as tough and Italian as the characters he writes about. There's part of a 1992 interview as well, discussing his novel Clockers. He does a brief reading, and then talks about his research process and the real-world relationship between cops and drug dealers. PHILIP ROTH spoke with Gross in 2001 about his trilogy that includes The Human Stain, a novel that examines political correctness and impotence. He also discusses growing up in a prominently Jewish neighborhood and the relationship between a writer and the people around him. Disc Two: 69:03 JAMES BALDWIN was a well-known civil rights writer, best known for books like Go Tell it On The Mountain. In this 1986 interview, he talks about growing up in Harlem as the son of a preacher, and his own brief career following in his footsteps. He also discusses his status as a "controversial" writer in both the black and white communities, nd his views on the gay movement and being labeled. NORMAN MAILER, best known for his war novels like The Naked and The Dead and Armies of the Night, in a 1991 interview, talks about being a "two-fisted" intellectual. He discusses the difference between being in the Army and being at Harvard, and how this changed his self-image. ALLEN GINSBERG, the Beat poet who wrote the infamous "Howl," talked with Terry in 1994 about his relationship with his mother and her mental illness, and h

Great - and it *is* comedians, not writers

Contrary to what another reviewer wrote, I thought this CD had quite a few laughs. For the mostpart, I liked it as much as, and in some ways, more than, a standard comedy CD. It is interesting to hear these comedians be interviewed by someone as talented as Terri Gross. She brings out the laughs and shows them on a more personal level than you would ever get on a standard comedy CD. I did find the interview with Richard Pryor inappropriate for inclusion on this CD. It was done after he was stricken by MS. He had a lot of trouble remembering what he was saying and even speaking at all. It was sad, but not really an insight into his life. It could have been an interview with anyone who had been stricken by MS and who isn't able to express themselves well anymore. It might be appropriate on a CD that contained bits from Pryor throughout his career, but for this to be his "entry" on a CD about comedians seemed almost cruel.

Writing Clinic in a Box

Wow, what a great collection of interviews with the best writers in America. I think the previous review applies to another Terry Gross CD set, I don't believe that reviewer even listened to this CD set, these are writers and not comedians. I actually listened to this CD and realized that this is just like a writers workshop. Terry Gross' questions bring out the real personalities of the people behind the famous names, too. The unexpected drama and irony, especially from Stephen King's interview about the traffic accident and his physical recovery is riveting. What an intimate and personal treatment for a celebrity interview. I feel greater respect and want to reach for a higher level of admiration for these people after hearing their interviews with Terry Gross. Terry's ability to share her conversations and leave us feeling as if we actually know each of these iconic writers is such a wonderful part of her interview show. It's better than listening to a talk by any one of them at a book reading or event because you get answers to those questions you wanted to ask.