NPR's "Fresh Air" Host Terry Gross to Speak Nov. 15 at UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present Terry Gross at 8 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. WBFO 88.7-FM and WGRZ-TV will sponsor the performance.

Gross has been called "arguably one of the most thought-provoking interviewers working in media today -- a working rival of Ted Koppel and Larry King," by The Los Angeles Times, and "certainly the best cultural interviewer in America, and one of the best all-around interviewers, period. Her smart, thoughtful questioning pushes her guests in unlikely directions," by The Boston Phoenix.

An interviewer with a gift for revealing what makes someone tick, Gross is the host of National Public Radio's daily program, "Fresh Air," and has interviewed prominent figures such as John Updike, Arthur Miller, Spalding Gray, Sonny Rollins, Diane Keaton and Elvis Costello. Engaging her guests with an unusual mixture of confidence, genuine interest and just a touch of vulnerability, she brings listeners into an intimate place where the "celebrity" becomes more understandable -- more human.

In her speaking engagements, Gross talks about her techniques for good interviews and tells a bit about who she is and why she does what she does.

Terry Gross attended the UB in the early 1970s, and worked on the WBFO programs "Woman Power" and "This Is Radio." After graduating from the university, she moved to Philadelphia, and in 1975 began working at NPR member station WHYY. There, she began hosting "Fresh Air," a local interview and music program. By 1985, she could be heard from coast to coast when a half-hour weekly version of "Fresh Air" began to be distributed nationally by National Public Radio. In 1987, "Fresh Air" became a daily hour-long national program carried by more than 280 radio stations.

Over the years, "Fresh Air" has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award for Best Live Radio Program. In 1999, American Women in Radio and Television named Gross a winner of the Gracie Award in the category National Network Radio Personality. The award recognizes an individual who "fosters the development of accurate and realistic portrayal of women radio programming."

Tickets for Terry Gross are $18 for the general public, and $15 for UB students. Tickets are available from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center Box Office and at all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location.