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Terry Gross on 50 Years of "Fresh Air," Joan Didion, and the Future of Public Radio Talk Easy
This week marks one decade of Talk Easy. To celebrate, we're revisiting our conversation with Fresh Air host Terry Gross.
What began in 1975 as a local experiment at WHYY in Philadelphia has since grown into a national institution—one that not only transformed public radio but laid the groundwork for the world of podcasting.
Terry joined us last fall, around her 50th anniversary with the program, for a rare turn in the interview seat. We discuss her Brooklyn upbringing, her early love of writing, and her improbable road to public radio. Terry also walks us through the formative years of Fresh Air and its seminal conversations with Kurt Vonnegut, John Updike, Monica Lewinsky, Joan Didion, and more.
On the back-half, Gross reflects on forty-seven years of partnership with her late husband, jazz writer Francis Davis, their shared affinity for reading and music, the future of public media, and why she continues to have faith in (and love for) the long-form interview.
As always, our email: talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Original air date: September 14, 2025
What began in 1975 as a local experiment at WHYY in Philadelphia has since grown into a national institution—one that not only transformed public radio but laid the groundwork for the world of podcasting.
Terry joined us last fall, around her 50th anniversary with the program, for a rare turn in the interview seat. We discuss her Brooklyn upbringing, her early love of writing, and her improbable road to public radio. Terry also walks us through the formative years of Fresh Air and its seminal conversations with Kurt Vonnegut, John Updike, Monica Lewinsky, Joan Didion, and more.
On the back-half, Gross reflects on forty-seven years of partnership with her late husband, jazz writer Francis Davis, their shared affinity for reading and music, the future of public media, and why she continues to have faith in (and love for) the long-form interview.
As always, our email: talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Original air date: September 14, 2025