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Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR., (1.) We rebroadcast an archive interview with inventor ROBERT MOOG (rhymes with 'vogue'). This weekend Moogfest, the festival of electronic and visionary music, is taking place Fri. Oct. 26 and Sat. Oct. 27 in Asheville, NC, the city MOOG called home. He was the inventor of the Moog synthesizer, an electronic keyboard that makes unworldly sounding electronic music. He invented it in 1965, and his product went on to usher in a new era of rock and electronic music. The Beatles used a Moog synthesizer on their 1969 Abbey Road album. Moog also had a lifelong interest in the Theremin, a Russian musical instrument that also makes eerie sounds. Moog died in 2005 at the age of 71. (REBROADCAST from 2.28.00) (2.) Jazz critic KEVIN WHITEHEAD reviews My Muse (Highnote) the new recording by pianist George Cables's trio. (3.) We rebroadcast a portion of our archive interview with composer JOHN CAGE. September marked the centennial of his birth, and celebrations are being held around the world. The New York Times wrote that Cage "started a revolution by proposing that composers could jettison the musical language that had evolved over the last seven centuries, and in doing so he opened the door to Minimalism, performance art and virtually every other branch of the musical avant-garde." His compositions include spoken texts, radios, toys and the sounds of vegetables being chopped. CAGE died in 1992. (REBROADCAST FROM 1982) (4.) Film critic DAVID EDELSTEIN reviews the new film Cloud Atlas.

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR., (1.) Choreographer MERCE(rhymes with nurse)CUNNINGHAM. He died at age 90 this week. According to his obituary in the New York Times, Cunningham was 'routinely hailed as the world's greatest living choreographer…who transformed the nature and status of dance theater.' Cunningham was also a dancer, and even at age 80, unsteady on his feet, Cunningham danced a duet with Mikhail Baryshnikov (REBROADCAST. ORIGINAL AIRDATE 1985). (2.) Composer JOHN CAGE. He was Merce Cunningham's life partner and longtime collaborator. Cage, who died in 1992, was a pioneer of electronic music, and compositions involving chance and randomness. One of Cage's best known pieces is 4'33', during which not a single note is played. Cage did not think of the piece as silence, but rather as a way to call attention to the sounds of the surrounding environment. Cage was also a poet, artist and philosopher. (REBROADCAST. ORIGINAL AIRDATE 1982) (3.) JOHN POWERS critiques films featuring career women, including the new comedy The Ugly Truth, starring Kathryn Heigl.

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR., INT. 1: MICHAEL DUFFY, a white house correspondent for Time magazine. He's just co-written the book "Marching in Place: The Status Quo Presidency of George Bush." It's the first critical assessment of the Bush presidency. He says that "on the one hand, George Bush brought a great deal of energy and enjoyment to the White House, with all his travel, sports, speeches and parties. On the other hand, this blur of activity wasn't directed toward accomplishing anything in particular." (Simon & Schuster; co-written with Dan Goodgame) INT. 2: Composer JOHN CAGE died yesterday at the age of 79. The New York Times wrote that Cage "started a revolution by proposing that composers could jettison the musical language that had evolved over the last seven centuries, and in doing so he opened the door to Minimalism, performance art and virtually every other branch of the musical avant-garde." His compositions include spoken texts, radios, toys and the sounds of vegetables being chopped. In honor of his passing, we present highlights of his 1982 interview with Terry Gross. REV. : Critic MAUREEN CORRIGAN reviews "American Mythologies" by Marshall Blonsky.

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR., (1.) Avante-garde composer and philosopher JOHN CAGE explains he's committed his life to challenging our preconceptions about music.

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR., INT. 1: A double interview: Terry talks with musicians John Cage and David Del Tredici. John Cage is one of the leading figures in 20th century music. Cage pioneered the use of chance processes in music. David Del Tredici is at the forefront of what's been called "the new tonality," music that is less dependent on the harsh dissonances and complex rhythms of the avant-garde, in favor of lusher arrangements and melodies. Del Tredici won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his composition, "In Memory of a Summer Day," based on the kid's story, "Through The Looking Glass." The Cage interview originally aired 9/10/82, Del Tredici ran 11/10/87). REV. 1: ******EXTENDED INTERVIEW TWO SEGMENT***** INT. 2: Character actor and screenwriter WALLACE SHAWN. Shawn was an obscure playwright until 1981, when his movie, "My Dinner With Andre" appeared. That movie opened things up for Shawn, he's since continued to write, and he's appeared in the movies "Manhattan," "All That Jazz," "The Hotel New Hampshire," and "The Princes Bride." (Originally broadcast nationally as part of the Weekly half hour "Fresh Air" series on 11/05/1985). REV. 2: Language commentator GEOFFREY NUNBERG discusses choosing children's names.