Terry Gross

Novelist and playwright Dan Fante writes about alcoholism, drug addiction and failed attempts at literary success — all of which he has experienced himself. He discusses his novel, 86'd, battling his own emotional demons, and the process of reliving his past on paper.

The story was first broadcast September 29, 2009.

Adam Shankman has one of the coolest, most stressful jobs around: He's producing the Oscars. The Hairspray director, who is also a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, joins Fresh Air to dish about seating arrangements and speeches.

Last week, Taliban military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured in a joint raid by the CIA and Pakistani intelligence forces. Journalist Ahmed Rashid explains how Baradar's recent capture will affect the Taliban's strategy in the coming months and what the capture means for the new US military offensive in Afghanistan.

Ten years after President Clinton's impeachment, law professor Ken Gormley reviews the entire scandal in his new 800-page book The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr. Gormley joins Fresh Air to discuss the independent counsel investigation — and why it continues to resonate today.

Journalist David E. Hoffman reflects on the high-stakes maneuverings of the Cold War arms race and tells Fresh Air about the urgent search for the nuclear and biological hazards left behind after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also details the inner workings of the Soviet nuclear program in his book The Dead Hand.

This story was first broadcast October 8, 2009.

Comedian Carol Leifer has written for Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, The Ellen Show, and Saturday Night Live. She talks to Fresh Air about her career in comedy, her coming out story, and her memoir, When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win.

This interview was first broadcast on April 23, 2009.

Singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III won a Grammy in January for his recent album paying tribute to an old-time country banjo player who died in 1931. Called High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, the double album features nine new songs, plus a raft of tunes made popular by Poole, a country-music pioneer.

This interview was first broadcast on Aug. 19, 2009.

The cyber attack at Google's Chinese headquarters in December highlighted vulnerabilities in US network security. James Lewis, author of Securing Cyberspace in the 44th Presidency explains why terrorists see the Internet as the next frontier and how the Obama administration is responding.

Attorney General Eric Holder has come under fire, mostly from the Republican side of the aisle, for the decision to try Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a civilian court — and for the handling of "underwear bomber" Umar Abdulmutallab after his arrest. New Yorker journalist Jane Mayer looks at growing partisan differences about national security.