Garrison Keillor: Philadelphia, the home of the public radio show, "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," -- the name "Fresh Air" comes from the fact the show started out as a Woman on the Street interview show, Terry Gross outdoors on a street corner with a microphone...(TRAFFIC PASSING, TRUCKS, HORNS) She was a little unsteady at first. It took time to get the hang of it.


Terry Gross: Hi. How are you doing?


Sue Scott: Not bad. Sorta sorry I got this big tattoo of a German Shepherd on my face, but other than that, okay.


TG: Yeah, I noticed that...Your name tag says, Jolene. Is that your name?


SS: No.


TG: Oh. Okay.


SS: I got it from a friend of mine.


TG: Okay. Where'd you get that shirt you're wearing now? (STREET ROBBERY, OFF, STARTS, GUNSHOTS, RUNNING FEET, SHOUTS)


SS: This is her shirt, too. The name tag was on the shirt.


TG: Okay. It looks like it's made from cocktail napkins.


SS: It is. It's warm though. For paper it's pretty warm.


TG: I see. There seems to be some sort of heist or mugging going on in the background.


SS: Yeah, it would appear so.


TG: Would you mind telling me about the worst thing you've ever done in your life?


SS: I don't think I'd feel comfortable answering that.


TG: Okay. Well, thanks for talking with us.


SS: No problem.

(BRIDGE)


GK: "Fresh Air" was done on the street until that unfortunate interview with the late Lyle Hanover-- (TRAFFIC)


TG: Your career in dance has taken off in so many truly amazing ways, Lyle-- you seem to be taking risks that you never took before (PASSING TRUCK) -- there's a sort of spontaneity, a true improvisatory style to what you do--


Tim Russell: Well, thanks -- what I've discovered I think is a whole new vocabulary of lateral movement-- (PASSING TRUCK)


TG: People love your newest work, "Against The Current" -- for its bravery, it's sheer audacity--


TR: Yes, that's the work where I turn and I -- (HORN, BRAKES)


TG: Look out!!!! (TRUCK PASSING) -- Oh Dear.


GK: "Fresh Air" moved into the studios of WHYY and Terry Gross mastered the art of interviewing, which is to establish rapport.


TG: You've been enormously successful in financial services, Mr. Angelico, and now you've decided to donate millions of dollars to the orchestra -- what made you decide to do that?


TR (MOBSTER): Well, because I've been cheating on my income taxes for the past forty-seven years, Terry. Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, but if you go into my bedroom, and pry up the floorboards under the bed, you'll find shoe boxes full of bogus receipts-for taxis and dinners and whatnot, going back to 1960. I'm expecting an indictment any day now, and when it comes I need some public support. You get me?


GK: Another key to interviewing is doing your homework.


TG: As I read your book on the space-time continuum, Dr. Flexner --


SS: You've read my book?


TG: Yes, of course. And if I remember my vector calculus, your calculations --I'm looking at page 13 -- the velocimetric equidistribution of schematic variables as coefficients of fluid flow phenomena in the oscillation of the orthogonality of the heat transfer grid in harnessing the energy of the melting polar icecap --I'm sorry, but it just doesn't add up.


(PAUSE)


SS: (SOBBING) You're right. It's all a hoax. I've been living a lie for years.


TG: I'm really sorry to be the one to blow the whistle, but--


SS: (SOBBING) I'll give the Nobel Prize back -- and all the money -- I'll resign from Berkeley--


TG: I am really sorry--


SS (SOBBING): No, it's a big relief. Finally. The truth is out. Thank you, thank you, thank you.


GK: And that's how most guests on "Fresh Air" feel -- grateful -- even as this unassuming, polite, apparently harmless woman gets them to say things they've never said before, they're grateful.


TG: Now if there's anything you'd rather not talk about, Mr. President, just tell me and we won't go there. Such as that whole Weapons of Mass Destruction business -- if it's painful, I don't have to ask you about that.


TR (BUSH): Terry, I've got to tell you. It was one lie after the other. All of that stuff about Saddam supporting terrorists and him trying to get nucular weapons and maybe providing nucular weapons to terrorists to attack our country --. We were out to invade Iraq and we cooked the intelligence to support that and one lie just led to another. O what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.


TG: Okay but if you'd rather we edited this out of the broadcast, just tell me, okay?


TR (BUSH): Terry, I just want to come clean. Please don't let me lie again.


TG: Okay but if you'd rather talk about something else--


TR (BUSH): I want to talk about the Texas Air National Guard, Terry. I think it's time I said this...


GK: "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" -- she makes people talk through sheer good manners.