All I Did Was Ask

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.


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'BrienChris RockMichael CaineDennis HopperDustin HoffmanJodie FosterJohn UpdikeMary KarrMario PuzoNick HornbyChuck CloseEric ClaptonGeorge ClintonSonny RollinsSamuel L. JacksonJohnny CashIsabella RosselliniDivineUta HagenCarol Shields
"If interviewing people is like picking locks, Terry Gross . . . holds a master key." —Los Angeles Times