All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists

by Terry Gross

A fascinating collection of revealing and entertaining interviews by the award-winning host of National Public Radio's premier interview program Fresh Air.

Over the last twenty years, Terry Gross has interviewed many of our most celebrated writers, actors, musicians, comics, and visual artists. Her show, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, a weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues produced by WHYY in Philadelphia, is one of National Public Radio's most popular programs. More than four million people tune in to the show, which is broadcast on over 400 NPR stations across the country.

Gross is known for her thoughtful, probing interviewing style. In her trusted company, even the most reticent guest relaxes and opens up. But Gross doesn't shy away from controversy, and her questions can be tough--too tough, apparently, for Bill O'Reilly, who abruptly terminated his conversation with her. Her interview with Gene Simmons of Kiss, which is included in the book, prompted Entertainment Weekly to name Simmons its male "Crackpot of the Year."

For All I Did Was Ask, Gross has selected more than three dozen of her best interviews--ones of lasting relevance that are as lively on the page as they were on the air. Each is preceded by a personal introduction in which she reveals why a particular guest was on the show and the thinking behind some of her questions. And in an introductory chapter, the normally self-effacing Gross does something you're unlikely ever to hear her do on Fresh Air--she discusses her approach to interviewing, revealing a thing or two about herself in the bargain.

The collection focuses on luminaries from the art and entertainment world, including actors, comedians, writers, visual artists, and musicians, such as:

Conan O'Brien
Chris Rock
Michael Caine
Dennis Hopper
Dustin Hoffman
Jodie Foster
John Updike
Mary Karr
Mario Puzo
Nick Hornby
Chuck Close
Eric Clapton
George Clinton
Sonny Rollins
Samuel L. Jackson
Johnny Cash
Isabella Rossellini
Divine
Uta Hagen
Carol Shields

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Essays, Music, Art, Journalism

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Gross received a bachelor's degree in English and M.Ed. in communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Gross was recognized with the Columbia Journalism Award from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 2008 and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Princeton University in 2002. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993 and Doctor of Humane Letters in 2007, both from SUNY–Buffalo. She also received a Doctor of Letters from Haverford College in 1998 and Honorary Doctor of Letters from Drexel University in 1989.

Gross, who has been host of Fresh Air since 1975, when it was broadcast only in greater Philadelphia, isn't afraid to ask tough questions. But Gross sets an atmosphere in which her guests volunteer the answers rather than surrendering 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," Gross says. "But the line can shift, depending on who is asking the questions. What puts someone on guard isn't necessarily the fear of being 'found out.' It sometimes is just the fear of being misunderstood."

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. The program is broadcast on 566 stations and became the first non-drive time show in public radio history to reach more than five million listeners each week in fall 2008, a presidential election season. In fall 2011, Fresh Air reached 4.4 million listeners a week.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross has received a number of awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award in 1994 for its "probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insight." America Women in Radio and Television presented Gross 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." In 2007, Gross received the Literarian Award. In 2011, she received the Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community.

Gross is the author of All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists, published by Hyperion in 2004.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

"My name is Laszlo* and I'm a liberal who can't stand listening to NPR."

"Hi, Laszlo. Aren't liberals supposed to listen to NPR in their Prius?"

"I'm not much of a car guy but the Prius just isn't me. So I don't drive one, no."

"You might not be a liberal. Do you eat at Whole Foods?"

"I do my grocery shopping at Trader Joe's."

"Never mind, you do sound like a liberal. Let's get back to your liberal listening habits. Don't you get all your news from NPR?"

"I follow current events and enjoy having my intelligence leveraged with deeper reporting on a wide range of issues, but listening to NPR is like listening to my assistant principal in 8th grade. Smug, self-satisfied, square."

"What about Fresh Air with Terry Gross?"

"Terry Gross is like Marcy from the Peanuts gang, which is all right, but not if Marcy thought she could relate to Schroeder because she's read about Schroeder's childhood or Schroeder's musical influences. Smug."

"Sounds like a talk show host. Isn't that her job?"

"Give me Marc Maron any day of the week. Maron might not have the diction of Terry Gross, but he's creative. He knows how to place his guests at ease and let a natural conversation flow. Howard Stern too, by the way. These guys don't do ambush questions or pretend to relate to people. You can judge by the length of the answers how uncomfortable a lot of her guests are."

"All right, so you don't like her radio broadcast. You're a liberal and you read a lot of books. What about this Terry Gross book All I Did Was Ask: Conversations With Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists?"

"First of all, if I had to guess, I'd say it was published in 1998. Let me check. 2004, but a lot of the interviews were conducted in the '90s sometime. It's dated and feels like it."

"Who's interviewed?"

"Nicolas Cage. Chris Rock. John Updike. Johnny Cash. Charlie Haden (jazz bassist). Those are the first five interviews."

"I hate rap music and jazz but those others sound interesting."

"They're short interviews, in the book. Very pocketed. If you can't get Chris Rock to open up and give you something original, you're doing something wrong as a journalist."

"It could mean Gross wants to steer her show away from current events that might give the broadcast an expiration date."

"Or it could mean Chris Rock doesn't feel like talking to you."

"Was there anything you liked about this book?"

"Mary Karr had some interesting stories to tell about her childhood and emerging feminine sexuality. I'd never heard of her work but am interested in reading her memoirs now. A lot of the guests here are no longer with us: Johnny Cash, Dennis Hopper, Mario Puzo, Maurice Sendak, James Baldwin. Their wisdom is timeless, but the short, pocketed interviews undercut that."

"Sorry you didn't enjoy it, Laszlo. We can't make sense out of you liberals."

"Rachel Maddow. If she has a book out, I'll read it."

* Name changed protect anonymity of subject

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came along right around when I was talking to other people about wishing I was a better interviewer. I showed up at a booksale, and there it was, for $1. Terry Gross is a spectacular interviewer who I rarely listen to, but still her name has seeped into my brain. She asks insightful questions that are based on solid research and the ability to make connections others may not have made.

The book is almost entirely transcribed interviews from between 1976 and 2004. Anyone looking to learn more about interviewing will have to learn by observation rather than direct information. The introduction has a few tidbits in it, but almost all of it ended up repeated in the Marc Maron WTF Podcast interview with her. (I wonder if he knows she presented him with so little new material?)

The best moments, to me, are moments of resistance. An actress (Uta Hagen) who refuses to discuss her craft until Terry Gross can explain how it connects directly to her own. A musician who can't answer a question without sexual innuendo or dismissing her because she is female and can't understand the male psyche (Gene Simmons at his most obnoxious.) But what do you do when you lose control of an interview? This is more informative than everything going right.

Fresh Air is heavily, heavily edited. I sometimes chop chunks out of podcast episodes too, and knowing this about her reputable program made me feel better. As she says,

"I violate many rules of polite conversation in my interviews... You know what it's like when you're cornered by someone who can't stop talking? There's just no polite way of telling them to stop.... That kind of graceful getaway isn't an option for me in the studio - in addition to which, the problem isn't really that I'm bored, but that my listeners are going to be... I risk momentarily embarrassing someone I regard highly enough to have on the show, because I trust that this little bit of advice will help him or her keep the attention of our listeners."

Preach, Terry. I need to get better at knowing when to do this and when to just edit later. She had some other practical advice in that paragraph that I just cut for the sake of my readers. Ha!

One little tidbit I loved comes from an early interview with Jodie Foster:

"Everything that you do as an actor is about reading. Everything you do as a direction is about reading. It's about reading deeper, and reading between the lines, and perceiving more than just what's on the surface. The study of literature is just about looking deeper."

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terry Gross’s All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists is not as interesting as I thought it would be. In the Introduction, she discusses why none of the interviews she included in the book are political; she didn’t think the topics covered would still be current. The problem, of course, is that some of the artists are not current either. Maybe when the book was published in 2004, Grandmaster Flash and Divine were still hot topics but they certainly aren’t more than a decade later. That’s not Terry’s fault. But I think that some of her more dynamic interviews (Bill O’Reilly) could have still been interesting reading, even if she considered them “topical.” I also don’t think politics is topical at all; we’re still fighting over basic the same thing: one group of people wanting to disenfranchise and rule over another group. Dress it up all you like, but the wealthy are fighting to not only stay wealthy, but to become emperors, and they’ll do anything they need to to win.

I’ve been listening to Fresh Air for a decade or so. I’m not a loyal fan; I catch the interviews mostly when I’m in my car. I’m usually more interested in the interviewee, not Terry’s interviewing style. I guess if I had to interview people for a living I’d appreciate her skill more, but if I’m listening to an interview that bores me, I’m bored no matter how well she asks the questions. The problem I have with the transcripts of these interviews is that she’s edited them for content and length. So when you’re reading, the conversation doesn’t naturally flow from one idea to another and I’m guessing that’s where she took out a chunk of dialogue. I also found a number of the interviews boring because they did seem to be dated to me and I wasn’t interested. I don’t like jazz, so automatically any conversation about the technicalities of jazz lulls me to sleep.

The most dramatic interview is of course the famous Gene Simmons interview. Gene Simmons is, of course, the lead singer of the craptastic rock band Kiss. Listening to their music is like eating really shitty food because you’re hungry and it’s right there and it looks sorta good but later you want to throw up. That’s Kiss. Gene Simmons is a narcissist. Not on the scale of Trump, but comparisons can be made. What’s interesting about this interview (and Terry does say this to him) is that you don’t know if his sexism and rudeness are genuine or if he’s playing a role. I suspect with Gene Simmons that the two are very close. He’s also extremely defensive about being perceived as an uneducated idiot and sneers at NPR and Terry. Which of course just displays his own weaknesses. When Terry asks him if all he cares about is money (vs. creating music for artistic purposes, ha ha ha ha ha) he says that in order to survive we all need air and money. Then he says that Terry, as a woman, has the option of selling her body for money, an option he doesn’t have. Now, we can have a discussion that we all use our bodies to make money (writers’ hands type the words that create books that sell, Terry’s voice conducts interviews, etc.) but he says this just after describing all the makeup he wears, the weird costumes he puts on, the high-heeled boots he wears. Why does he do all this? Because his physical presence—his body—is a large part of the band’s appeal. Fans talking about the band don’t rhapsodize over the band harmonies—they discuss the costumes and the extraordinarily long tongue of Gene Simmons. He, much more than Terry, sells his body to make money. The correlations between Gene Simmons the narcissist and Donald Trump the narcissist are interesting: they are both extremely defensive, care about material goods and their image to the exclusion of everything else and claim not to drink, smoke or use drugs of any kind. That actually makes sense to me. If you’re a narcissist with psychopathic tendencies, why would you need to drink/use drugs? You have a limited inner life and don’t have the worries and anxieties of normal people. People imbibe in mind or mood-altering drugs to relax, to take their mind of their troubles, etc. I don’t think Gene Simmons or Donald Trump have the same doubts, anxieties, guilt, worries, concerns that normal people have so why would they need to drink? Perhaps Gene should drink so he could maybe find a sense of humor because he comes across as douche bag spouting crudeness just for the sake of being crude. He’s not witty and he’s not intriguing. He’s shallow and asinine (like his music).

I enjoyed some of the interviews much more than others but overall would recommend listening to them rather than reading. Something is lost in the translation.

[Todd N · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another birthday book from my mom. (I'm the kind of guy who gets books for his birthday.)

I've been aware of Fresh Air for a long time, though I've only been a fan relatively recently. At first I found it boring, then I denounced it (a la Chris White) for being so relentlessly middlebrow, then I happened to catch a few interviews about Iraq and Afghanistan and finally became a fan.

My wife has always been a fan of Fresh Air, and I even took her to see Terry Gross give a talk at De Anza College. I think the seeds of liking her were planted that night when she played a tape of an abortive interview with Lou Reed. Afterwards we stood in line to have her sign some Fresh Air cassettes. She rolled her eyes at me when I asked her to sign both of them. (I said please, Terry. I wasn't trying to oppress the sisterhood. Honest.)

But like I was saying, I am a fan now. I always have Fresh Air podcasts on my iPhone to listen to in the car when I'm not in the mood for the beeps and clicks from my local college radio stations.

Most of the interviews in this book are with pop culture figures, which are usually my least favorite interviews of hers. But each interview was riveting and helped me gain more insight into the subject as an artist. Her ability to get straight answers out of George Clinton and her interview with a surprisingly down to earth Bootsy Collins is worth the price of the book alone. The Conan O'Brien interview made me laugh out loud and sent me to YouTube to rewatch Triumph the Insult Comic Dog interview people in line for Star Wars.

The infamous interview with Gene Simmons is also included. I first heard it as a podcast on my iPhone last year (though I had heard that rebroadcast rights weren't granted by Mr. Simmons). I don't know if this interview was edited or broadcast raw, but it gives a lot of insight into how well Terry Gross thinks on her feet and what her hot buttons are. As obnoxious as Mr. Simmons was the whole interview, I think he really set her off by (hilariously) caricaturizing her as sitting in a quiet room counting motes of dust.

Another great aspect of this book is the introduction in which she gives an overview of the show and shares some insight into why she seems so uncomfortable talking about herself. The fact that she seems vaguely ashamed of her behavior reveals a lot about how hard she is on herself and why the interviews in the book are so excellent.

[Dean Moberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transcripts from several of Terry Gross' interviews on NPR's Fresh Air. Books like this are great for short attention spans, in that one can go to bed with Nicolas Cage and Chris Rock, then read Gross' talks with Mario Puzo and Bootsy Collins while waiting for the bathroom to open up the next morning (the queue to the shower backs up fast in our house). As an added bonus, Gross and Gene Simmons from KISS get all screwed up in verbal fisticuffs right off the bat. For the record: if it weren't for the KISS Alive album that my parents purchased for me when I was six, I would not be who I am today... there's a whiff of shame involved, but I accept that. Gene Simmons, however, is the biggest ass alive, and I don't believe for one moment that he is capapable of shame. That one interview alone is worth the price of the book (or in this case, the sixty-cents I owe the library for returning it late).

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past few years I've come to think of Terry Gross as a kind of companion…someone I hear from regularly, whose voice has become as familiar as a good friend's. I love hearing her say "This is Fresh Air" with the same relish each time; I admire how well-prepared she is for every interview, and how incisive her questions tend to be. This book is mainly transcripts of previously-aired interviews with people involved in the arts-- many of which I enjoyed, writers like Carol Shields being highlights for me--with a bit of extra insight and commentary mixed in. Gene Simmons is intolerably obnoxious to her in his interview, for example, and we get TG's comments about that and the rationale behind the decision to air what could have just been buried. Enjoyable if you are a fan of this intelligent lady, her show, or the arts in general.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic collection.

I listen to Public Radio. I'm not addicted to it, I contribute financially only occassionally, but I do listen if I'm in the car. When I happen to be listening and Terry Gross' 'Fresh Aire' comes on, I am usually interested. Now that I have had the chance to read through these interviews, I can understand why. Terry Gross asks intelligent questions.

Not a lot of inteviewers ask intelligent questions. Usually it's only leading questions about a new movie or a new book of or a new political campaign. Gross asks questions that we all want to ask.

Perhaps it's because this collection is with people who are artists (musicians, actors, writers, etc) -- people with whom I am familiar, interested, and can relate -- but I truly enjoyed the insight offered in these brief interviews.

Some of those that I enjoyed surprised me. I never would have expected to enjoy the Steven Tyler interview -- especially considering how blunt he was regarding his drug use -- but I did enjoy it.

Nicolas Cage is not one of my more favored actors, but I enjoyed his interview as well. In fact, hardly a bad one in the bunch.

Highly recommended.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing a full review on my blog, but my notes:
* She does a lot of research and asks really specific questions rather than broad ones. Googling the interviewee isn't enough; you need to find interesting personal tidbits about his/her life to make the interview more personal.

* She asks about ideas and connections, what motivated the interviewee, did he/she understand, how did XXX event affect/inform him/her

* She brings up controversy while acknowledging that it is controversial

* "Do you think your experience/background as XXX contributed to your being YYY now?"

* She finds writers' themes, not just the history and asks about what they like to explore

* She's not afraid to comment instead of question, to add her own insights to the conversation

* "Do people misinterpret you"--what a great question!

* Instead of asking "how" or "what," she'll ask "Would you speak about... ?"

There is more, but these are some first notes.

[Élizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid start. Became quite boring halfway through the book. That said, I did read some fascinating conversations.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book suggested to me that I'd be able to learn a bit about Terry Gross, the unflappable host of "Fresh Air" said in that unique voice that suggested that the interview would indeed, welcome in a breathe of scent-laden, spring-fresh air. However, the book tells very little about her and is instead an edited version of highly curated interviews. We can't really blame her for NOT creating a memoir, but many of the reviews suggest that we'd really be interested in more information about her, and less revisiting of prior interviews, no matter how interesting they might be. Hint, hint publishers.

My other challenge with this book is that I simply could not shake hearing her voice as I read it. This is not an issue, but her voice is so unique, and is so perfectly nonplussed and interested at the same time that you simply can't shake it, even when you are reading. Thus, if I wanted to "hear" Terry Gross I'd go and listen to any of her podcasts that are floating out there.

On the positive side, many of the interviews are interesting as she teases out facts that are little known. I enjoyed reading several interviews where people pushed back at her. The Gene Simmons interview continues his 15 minutes of debauched fame while casting all men as boors. The snippets about her personally provide color commentary (although very little). The book is super easy to read as you can simply pick a person you like and ignore the ones you are not interested in.

It seems wrong somehow to vote a book down because I preferred to read something else, which she chose not to write, and where plenty of information was available to show that the book is not a memoir. But, there is a reason that her radio show has continued for decades upon decades. No, Mr. Mean spirited reviewer back in 2005 who used his review as a chance to bash liberals, dump on NPR and take a swing at the Prius all at the same time. It is because she is dang good at what she does. Therefore if she wants to jump channels over to print she has to be prepared for the rest of us to simply ask "and why did you decide to do this when you had experienced such success interviewing on the radio"?

[Christine Kenney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I turned to this because several others suggested that a good way to improve interview skills was to observe great interviewers, like Gross. Typically, a few sentences later they would emphasize the importance of asking open-ended non-leading questions. I was surprised that the many of the questions included were not open ended, sometimes not even questions but statements. They showed that Gross's team had done a lot of research about the guest, but I wasn't sure how much of this would transfer to developing skills in a day to day situation where you want to establish rapport, put someone at ease, or draw someone out who doesn't have an extensive publicly available backstory or you don't have the time to research it upon meeting. I don't know, maybe listening to the show might offer more insight than heavily edited, often combined interviews. But my reasons for reading this were possibly unusual and if the interviewees themselves intrigue you, you may enjoy this more.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interviewing is my favorite part of my job, so I enjoy exploring technique and what makes for a really great conversation. Terry Gross is a pro - calm, prepared, compassionate, insightful. I mostly enjoyed the intro of this book where she details her interview process. Many of the subsequent interview transcripts seem dated to me, yet you can still glean interviewing lessons from how she asks about tough subjects and moves the conversation along at an organic pace.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Terry Gross and it’s nice to see her remarks about the interviews, but the interviews themselves are now better enjoyed from the Fresh Air archive online.

[Tara Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to interview someone and write an article this week, so I was excited to immerse myself in "Fresh Air" interviews. A little peek into Terry Gross's mind about the interviews, how she preps for them, and what she's trying to tease out of someone stuck me as a helpful--and pleasurable--undertaking in advance of my own guest interview.

I was not disappointed.

I agree with other reviewers who point out how dated much of this book is. It contains interviews over a 20-year period, though, it's not surprising that it feels much more past tense than the 13 years since it was published.

The bigger letdown for me was that many of the interviews I was most looking forward to reading--Jodie Foster, Aerosmith, James Baldwin--were hugely disappointing.

Alternatively, there were surprising delights in insights taken from authors and artists I'd never even heard of.

And there were plenty of timeless, fascinating nuggets tucked inside many of the interviews, along with some fascinating trivia about celebrities and informative revelations about artists, musicians, writers, actors, DJs, and comedians.

There were several laugh-out-loud moments and even a few discoveries that I mused over for days on end and which will, I think, stick with me forever.

[Dariane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Terry Gross's work on Fresh Air. I was surprised at how different hearing an interview is from reading one; you gain insight both ways. What keeps this book from a five whole stars is that although I found the compilation of interviews interesting, I wished the book had more on the process of the interview. How are guests chosen on the show? How do you prepare for the interview? How is the research conducted? How do you decide what kinds of questions to ask?

I guess I was hoping for the book to be more about Terry Gross.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this 3.5 stars. It was interesting but I wish there would have been more conversations with authors. It was a very easy read, I would read one chapter a night right before going to sleep. I learned some things about Jodie Foster and her education, Dennis Hopper and his interest in art, Isabella Rossellini and the illness she had as a child. The conversations were exactly that, conversations not deep reveals which was refreshing.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh Air is my go-to podcast while walking my dog. No matter who Terry Gross interviews the result is always enlightening and entertaining. This collection of interviews dives way back into the archives, providing conversations with celebrated individuals rarely heard from in this way. A few of my favorites: John Updike, James Baldwin, Sonny Rollins, Mary Karr. A great book to dip into.

[Lynnstan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terri gross is an amazing interviewer and her interviews are great. The book is older so some of the interviews didn’t age well or seem outdated now. I would love to see another edition of her interviews.

[Nav · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an uncorrected proof. The interviews are pretty short. Her introduction makes a good case for her choices of interviewees and the streamlined nature of those talks, but I can't shake the feeling that Fresh Air makes for more interesting listening than it does reading. I did like the interesting cross-section of creative types (artists/writers/actors/etc) that included Grandmaster Flash and Nick Cage and John Updike.
I know it’s because it is kinda famous but one inclusion I did find a little strange, as these interviews had the common theme of how the interviewee approached their craft (or what motivated them to do so), was the one from given by Gene Simmons. He honestly seemed like he was approaching the interview as an attempt to annoy Terry rather than as a chance to talk about himself. Like his opener is the suggestion she should open her legs for him which is just a weird way to hit on someone to begin with - not even I can show up a good time, but I'll let you show me a good time? I mean, I know an ego is supposed to be healthy for someone constantly in the public eye but you’re only a guy, dude. There are whole categories of people who are never going to be interested in you: lesbians, straight guys, asexual people, etc. Plus later he tells Terry that she's lucky because as a woman she has the option of selling her body for money and I never thought I'd describe someone with his stage persona as a "sweet summer child", but apparently letting him know about male strippers/porn stars/etc would blow his mind. So if you want to read something going so awful its almost hilarious check out that interview. If you’re interested in any of the other people she talked to? All the other interviews managed to include an interesting tidbit or two without inspiring eye-rolling on my part (though there was one actor who believed that explaining her art to a layperson was a waste of time).

[Bradley Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 2004, nearly thirty years after her radio show “Fresh Air” debuted on the Philadelphia airwaves in 1975 before becoming one of National Public Radio’s signature programs, Gross compiles excerpts from nearly 40 interviews that not only showcase her craft as a masterful interviewer, but also her keen insight when it comes to culture, with the book’s curation revealing Gross’s penchant for the arts and her role in uncovering how they speak to our collective humanity. With sensitivity and grace, as well as her skillful fearlessness and clever questioning, Gross probes into the life and work of some of our most prominent and celebrated cultural luminaries. Grouping the interviews collected here by theme or medium, Gross’s book exhibits a flow within her interviewing talents in ways that create a seamless experience for the reader, a necessary direction given that these interviews have to be as thrilling on the page as they are coming out of speakers; featuring an array of creatives such as writers (James Baldwin, Ann Bannon, Walter Mosley), actors (Uta Hagen, Jodie Foster, Divine), musicians (Johnny Cash, Grandmaster Flash, Gene Simmons), comics (Chris Rock, Conan O’Brien), visual artists (Chuck Close, Frank Stella), filmmakers (Dennis Hopper, Paul Schrader, Albert Brooks), and more. As “Fresh Air” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, some of these interviews have become important moments that helped shape the show’s legacy, while others are forgotten gems, but they all exemplify just a small portion of what makes Gross and her life’s work truly a national treasure. Gross is an inspiration to me as an interviewer, so when I found this book at the Last Bookstore in Los Angeles in September, it was an experience I wanted to take my time with as I savored each interview over the last year.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I prepared for a local library's virtual visit with Terry Gross (host of NPR's Fresh Air) by reading her book, and it was fascinating. I don't get to listen to as many of her interviews on Fresh Air as I would like, so this was a nice way to catch up on a few dozen from the past 20-odd years. It was like reading a collective biography with short sketches from the lives of 39 artists, authors, actors and musicians, just dipping in to their lives for a brief glimpse. I enjoyed the introduction too, wherein Terry explains how she had to edit her audio interviews to make them better reading in book form (she updates us when a subject has passed away since she talked to them), and she tells the reader how she goes about preparing for her interviews, how she comes up with her questions and tries not to be a "voyeur" into her subject's life--unless they're a politician, she lets them dictate what topics are offlimits. She also talks a bit about some controversy-causing interviews she did, specifically with Bill O'Reilly and Gene Simmons of the band Kiss. (Simmons' interview is included in the book and I just have to say, wow, what a jerk!) I "met" a few people in this book whom I'd never heard of before, and that was quite nifty (I love it when a book leads me to go Google something for more info)--from artists Frank Stella and Larry Rivers to musician Hal David to writers Carol Shields, Ann Bannon, and Joyce Johnson. All of them, and the more well-known celebrities too, have fascinating lives and insights into their work. Sadly, a couple of her interview subjects have since passed away--this book came out in 2004 after all.

[Valeria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a long-time fan of Terry Gross and Fresh Air, and a copy of this book came into my hands just as I needed a selection for my book club slot. It's within the length requirement, it's a series of interviews that are self-contained, most of the interviewees are well-known to the women in the club (ages 77-84) and the few that aren't were interesting enough to send us seeking more information, and discussion topics are pretty obvious (What makes Terry Gross a successful interviewer? Which was your favorite interview? Did you go to the Fresh Air Archive to listen to any of the interviews; which one(s)?)

The Ladies of the Club had a lively discussion of the topics and the interviews and the people interviewed. One of the wishes we each had was actually *hearing* the voices of the subjects in certain of the interviews. If you're familiar with the book, you know that Gross included her famous interview with Gene Simmons of Kiss. That's the single interview that was mentioned by every member of the book club as being on the "audio wish list." The good news is that one can go to the Fresh Air Archives (https://freshairarchive.org) and listen to the originals.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Terry Gross. She has an ability to ask the questions that break through the exterior, causing the interviewee to go beyond their comfort zone and unmask. I particularly liked the interviews with Paul Shrader and Jodie Foster as they reveal memories and insights into a favorite film, Taxi Driver. Paul Shrader grew up in a strict Calvinist home and was never allowed to see films. It is astounding that he has written the screenplay for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, another favorite of mine. Jodie Foster reveals what it was like to be a 12-year old playing a prostitute in Taxi Driver. She seemed self-assured and surprisingly unfazed. My favorite interview, however, was the one with Gene Simmons where they sniped and insulted one another. I suppose it could be considered an epic failure, but I loved it.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've know Terry Gross on NPR for years & only recently have made it the highlight of my day set aside to listen. The resubmission of the interview with Thom Bell (he had died in Dec 2022) was such a treat. Now this book which I so enjoyed in laughter, in agreement with many comments and knowing more about the person interviewed. I especially liked how Ms Gross has described the way the program is put together.

Ms. Gross was featured with Dr. Louis Henry Gates so I have no trouble visualizing her writing & especially her wonderful voice. Michael Caine commented that he may not be recognized but once he speaks you know who it is. The same with Ms. Gross. I wish she'd record more books.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chronicling 20 years (1983-2003) of NPR's Fresh Air interviews hosted by Terry Gross, some of the leading actors, writers, musicians, comics and visual artists of the time open up about their careers. Gross' interviewing style is thoughtful and probing and the results make for good reading - for the most part. I did not finish a few that didn't captivate me. Over 30 interviews were curated for this book with guests including Nicolas Cage, Mary Karr, Mickey Spillane, Mario Puzo, Jodie Foster, Divine, Dennis Hopper, Steven Tyler, Gene Simmons and Samuel L. Jackson. There were surprises along the way and it was I always enjoy learning something about a celebrity that may change my perspective of them.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this book since it showed up in the new books section at the local library more than twenty years ago. It did not disappoint. These edited transcripts of Gross’s interviews with famous people for NPR’s “Fresh Air” radio show are interesting, inspiring, irritating, and always entertaining. She pulls no punches about who was a pleasure and who made her want to kick him off the air (Hello, Gene Simmons). Because the book is twenty-two years old and covers interviews back into the 1980s, some of the interviewees were people I didn’t know and many of them have since died. I would love to see a new edition with interviews from more recent years. But this book is a valuable record of our culture as it was not so long ago.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it. I like Fresh Air. At least, I like it when it's someone I've heard of or they are a fascinating person. So much of why Fresh Air is successful is Terry's ability to tactfully state a tough question and get a heartfelt response from whomever she's interviewing. This doesn't come across via text. Normally, I prefer reading text over hearing audio, due to terrible hearing (I'm a very visual learner, as a result) but this just doesn't come across without Terry's lullaby-esque voice. Couldn't maintain enough attention span to stick with it.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Terry Cross runs a high level radio program that goes into the ideas of the men and women who read high level books. The program, Fresh Air, ran on the national radio programs that don’t run on commercials. Each program has two people talking to each other. It’s Cross and the writers of the books Cross wants to give to the listeners.

Readers get 39 shots at books and writers from a very wide of topics. Yes, the books were published in 2000. But, the this book might help you decide the books you will like before 2000.

[Dennis Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists by Terry Gross published in 2005. Terry Gross is the award winning host of National Public Radio’s Fresh Air. Terry Gross is one of the best interviewers of all time and a personal favorite. This book is excerpts from selected interviews including her infamous interview of Gene Simmons of Kiss, one of the biggest jack asses of all time. Her questions are insightful and you feel like she is asking the questions you might ask. Great book.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have TG in my head her voice

I enjoyed these interviews because I had not heard many of them or if I had I didn’t remember the details. The reading experience was so much better bc I am a loyal TG /FA fan I could hear Terrys voice in my head and I could imagine most of the guest voices almost like radio but I could take my time, listen in my head not in a traffic jam. Cannot wait for the sequel so many more interviews !! Thank u NPR I’m a sustaining member ....