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Writer David Rakoff, 'Comic Saint'

Rakoff is a regular contributor to Outside, the New York Times Magazine and public radio's This American Life. One of his peers, writer Paul Rudnick, calls him "a comic saint... an ideal mix of the crabby and the debonair." Rakoff has a collection of essays, Fraud, and he's appearing in an off-Broadway show by Amy and David Sedaris. (Rebroadcast from May 14, 2001.)

10:30
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Other segments from the episode on August 27, 2004

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, August 27, 2004: Interview with John Waters; Interview with David Rakoff; Interview with Robert Smigel.
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21:09

Trash Talking: Director John Waters

He was once crowned "The Pope of Trash" by William Burroughs. Waters started photographing video stills off his television screen that became the raw material for his artwork. Many of those are collected in his book John Waters: Change of Life. His 1988 film Hairspray was made into a Tony award-winning Broadway musical. Waters' new film, A Dirty Shame, opens next month. (Rebroadcast from Feb. 25, 2004)

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15:51

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

The comedic creation of Robert Smigel, the puppet with a cigar and an acerbic wit appears on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Triumph has also appeared on Hollywood Squares and on the MTV Video Music Awards, where one year he almost came to blows with Eminem. (Rebroadcast from Nov. 20, 2003.)

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20:06

'First World Problems' with David Rakoff

Writer David Rakoff has a new collection of essays, Now, Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems. Rakoff is a regular contributor to public radio's This American Life.

Interview
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43:23

Writer David Rakoff

Writer David Rakoff is a regular contributor to Outside, the New York Times Magazine, and public radios This American Life. One of his peers, writer Paul Rudnick says of him, –Rakoff is a comic saint... an ideal mix of the crabby and the debonair.— Rakoff has a new collection of essays, Fraud. He's also appearing in Amy & David Sedaris new off-broadway show.

Interview

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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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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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