Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 8, 1998: Interview with Bruce Hoffman; Review of Joni Mitchell's album 'Taming the Tiger'; Interview with Sebastian Barry; Review of the television show 'Columbo.'

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: Director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, BRUCE HOFFMAN. He's been studying terrorism for 20 years, and advises governments and businesses around the world about it. He has a new book about the history of terrorism is, "Inside Terrorism" (Columbia University Press). REV. : Rock critic KEN TUCKER reviews the new release by Joni Mitchell, "Taming the Tiger" (Reprise). INT. 2: Irish author, poet, and playwright SEBASTIAN BARRY. He's best known for his play, "The Steward of Christendom," as well as for his commentaries on the troubles in Ireland for the The New York Times. He's written a new novel, "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty" (Viking). It's about a naive Irishman who joins the British Merchant Navy during World War 1, and then is blacklisted from his beloved hometown by the Royal Irish Constabulatory. A review from Kirkus Reviews says the book is "one of the best novels out of Ireland in many a year." REV. : TV critic DAVID BIANCULLI previews the ABC telemovie "Columbo: Ashes to Ashes" starring Peter Falk. It airs tonight at 9:00.