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Sometimes Nitpicking Is the Highest Political Duty

Linguist Geoff Nunberg takes issue with the use and misuse of loaded terms like holocaust, genocide, and terrorism in political discourse. He says that a person's reluctance to use such inflated terms doesn't mean they take an issue any less seriously.

03:32
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Other segments from the episode on April 5, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, April 5, 1989: Interview with Tim Cahill; Review of an album of Russell Sherman performing the music of Liszt; Interview with Juliet Taylor; Commentary on the use of the…
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27:32

Exploring the Extremes of the Natural World

Tim Cahill writes for Outside and Rolling Stone about his adventure traveling. His humorous columns have been collected in a new book called A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg. Cahill joins Fresh Air to talk about some of his more memorable trips.

Interview
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06:50

Russell Sherman Takes Liszt Seriously

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz that many performers have overlooked Liszt's music, in part because of the composer's flamboyant reputation. But a new album by pianist Russell Sherman reveals the craft and innovations of Liszt's work.

Review

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33:40

Christiane Amanpour: Reporting On Genocide

CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour has covered every major international and humanitarian crisis since the Gulf War. Her new documentary, Scream Bloody Murder, is about genocide — and the people who are working to end mass killing worldwide.

Interview

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52:30

Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

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43:04

This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

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08:26

This Romanian film about immigration and vanishing jobs hits close to home

R.M.N. is based on an actual 2020 event in Ditrău, Romania, where 1,800 villagers voted to expel three Sri Lankans who worked at their local bakery.

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