I've been a fan of Terry Gross for years and have spent many hours enjoying her interviews, but I would not call what she does conversation. For me, conversatio

I've been a fan of Terry Gross for years and have spent many hours enjoying her interviews, but I would not call what she does conversation. For me, conversation is a mutual thing in which two parties gradually share more of themselves. Terry's interviews are strictly one-way, and she always bristles when someone tries to make the conversation mutual. If you've listened much, you know how uncomfortable she gets when a guest asks her a question. That's just fine on the show, that's how it works, but one gets the sense that the interviewer role is her way of avoiding real connection. She's brilliant at it, and presumably it's secure for her, but there's no real relating going on, only a simulacrum. I feel like that is the secret tragedy behind the show and part of what makes it fascinating.