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WP Distinguished Lecturer Series presents An Evening with Terry Gross, Host of National Public Radio’s Fresh Air

Thursday, March 13, 2025 @ 7:30pm



William Paterson University - Shea Center for Performing Arts
300 Pompton Rd, Wayne, NJ 07470

Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you’re bound to get an interesting conversation. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. “A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence,” says the San Francisco Chronicle. Gross, who has been host of Fresh Air since 1975, when it was broadcast only in Greater Philadelphia, isn’t afraid to ask tough questions. Fresh Air not only covers popular culture, it’s become part of it. The program and Gross have been name-checked on Saturday Night Live, Girls, HBO’s Eastbound and Down, and How I Met Your Mother. Gross played herself on an episode of The Simpsons and has been a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Gross began her radio career in 1973 at public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, New York, where she hosted and produced several arts, women’s and public affairs programs, including This Is Radio, a live, three-hour magazine program that aired daily. Two years later, she joined the staff of WHYY-FM in Philadelphia as producer and host of Fresh Air, then a local, daily interview and music program. In 1985, WHYY-FM launched a weekly half-hour edition of Fresh Air with Terry Gross, which was distributed nationally by NPR. Since 1987, a daily, one- hour national edition of Fresh Air has been produced by WHYY-FM. The program is broadcast on nearly 600 stations and became the first non-drivetime show in public radio history to reach more than 5 million listeners a week.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross received the Peabody Award in 1993 for its “probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insight.” In 2022 the show was awarded the Peabody Institutional Award “for their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.” Terry Gross has received a Gracie Award in the category of Outstanding Radio Personality from American Women in Radio and Television; the Edward R. Murrow Award for her “outstanding contributions to public radio;” the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for outstanding service to the American literary community; the 2008 Columbia Journalism Award given in recognition of exceptional journalistic performance; the Modern Language Association’s Phyllis Franklin Award for Public Advocacy of the Humanities; the Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community; the National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the Audio Vanguard Award. In 2015, Gross was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2023 she was named the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion, an award presented by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation; this commendation is presented in recognition of devoted literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers. Gross is the author of All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists, published by Hyperion in 2004.




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Béla

Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez Trio

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 @ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
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MAC

MAC Jazz Orchestra

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 @ 3:30pm
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36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: music

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MICHAELINA

MICHAELINA PETTI and COYOTE JACK RECORD RELEASE CELEBRATION

Thursday, May 15, 2025 @ 7:30pm
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217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music

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Donna

Donna McKechnie: Take Me to the World The Songs of Stephen Sondheim

Friday, May 16, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Bell Theater
101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
category: music

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Jeffrey

Jeffrey Gaines

Friday, May 16, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
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EVENT PREVIEWS

From

From Good Homes to Perform Benefit Show for The Growing Stage

(NETCONG, NJ) -- From Good Homes, the beloved NJ band known for their unique blend of rock, folk, and jam-band vibes, is appearing for a one-night-only event on Friday, June 27, 2025 at The Historic Palace Theatre in Netcong. The benefit is to support the mission of The Growing Stage – The Children's Theatre of New Jersey to bring the magic of the arts to young audiences. Showtime is 8:00pm



Bell

Bell Theater at Bell Works presents Bowie & Beyond on Saturday

(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- Bell Theater at Bell Works presents Bowie & Beyond on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 8:00pm. Formed and led by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and ex-Meat Loaf band member, Ray Andersen in 2018, this show is a must for fans of David Bowie.



The

The Music Box at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa presents The Allman Betts Band with special guest Mattie Schell

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The Music Box at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa presents The Allman Betts Band with special guest Mattie Schell on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Showtime is 8:00pm.



North

North to Shore Festival presents Third Eye Blind and Stars at NJPAC

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The Prudential North to Shore Festival is set to present an incredible night of alternative rock featuring Third Eye Blind at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 8:00pm. Canadian indie rock band Stars will open the night.



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Glen Burtnik Talks About Revisiting the Music of Styx at The Basie

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Glen Burtnik has lined up a great group of musicians to play songs by Styx at the Count Basie Center for the Arts on Friday, May 30, 2025. It's a show I've got to admit I didn't see coming, but one that long-time fans of Glen should get a ticket for.




 

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