Fresh Air

Remembering Eva Marie Saint / 'Interview with the Vampire' turns 50

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:00:32 +0000

The actor Eva Marie Saint died last week at age 102. She won an academy award for her first film role in On the Waterfront opposite Marlon Brando, and in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest she co-starred with Cary Grant. She said Hitchcock didn't give her much direction. “Things like lower your voice, don't use your hands… and look directly into Cary Grant's eyes at all times – which was not difficult.” She told Terry Gross in 2000.

Also Anne Rice's debut novel Interview with the Vampire turns 50 this year. Terry spoke with Rice in 1990. “I think if a vampire were to come to me and say, 'I can make you immortal, we do exist,' I think I might find the offer irresistible,” she said.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews Nathan Fielder’s highly-anticipated documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, You Can See Everything.

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Inside the Musk/Bezos space race

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:51:44 +0000

Atlantic staff writer Josh Tyrangiel says Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos each want to colonize the moon, mine its resources and launch thousands more satellites -- but their only real competition is each other. “Ordinarily, we have entrusted the future of our civilizations to people we elect to office,” Tyrangiel tells Terry Gross. “We now have folks with a tremendous amount of power over our future, particularly if you view the future as being partially in space, and we have to reckon with it.”

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Why the Arctic is a new source of global tension

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 18:24:36 +0000

As polar ice melts in the Arctic, shipping lanes are opening up, making the region a new zone of super-power competition. Writer Rana Foroohar spoke with Dave Davies about the stakes. Her book is in Sea Change.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the new graphic book The Saddest Kitchens, by New Yorker cartoonists Roz Chast and Jason Adam Katzenstein.

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After losing her sons, Yiyun Li learned to ‘suffer better’

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:56:53 +0000

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Li’s teenage sons both died by suicide six years apart, Vincent in 2017 at age 16, and James in 2024 at age 19. Her Pulitzer-Prize winning 2025 memoir, Things in Nature Merely Grow, chronicled the loss of her sons and her effort to go on. Her new novel is about two piano prodigies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It’s called Music Against the Night. She spoke with Terry Gross about the “abyss” of sadness, finding comfort in piano and writing.

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Mahershala Ali

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:19:07 +0000

In his new action thriller, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Mahershala Ali plays a devout Muslim father and hit man whose life is upended when he suddenly has to care for his children on his own. The role brings together a lot of what has shaped Ali as an actor, including an attraction to characters who live in morally complicated places. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about why the script blew him away, filming Moonlight, and his childhood.

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A John Prine Appreciation

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:05:01 +0000

Prine, who died in 2020, would’ve turned 80 this weekend. A five-day event in and around his native Chicago is underway, including a tribute concert. The beloved folk singer-songwriter spoke with Terry Gross in 2018 about how throat and neck surgery affected his voice, getting discovered by Roger Ebert, and his songwriting process.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new film Fjord.

The audio version of this story incorrectly states that John Prine’s song "Sam Stone” is about a Korean War veteran. In fact, it is about a veteran of the Vietnam War.

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Veteran White House reporter April Ryan’s ‘Blacklash’

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:14:29 +0000

Ryan has spent decades pressing presidents for answers. She talks about access, power, race and how asking questions put her in President Trump's crosshairs. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her book, Notes on a Blacklash.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new CBS legal drama set in Silicon Valley, Cupertino.

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How Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought the culture wars to the military

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:59:42 +0000

New York Times military and Pentagon reporter Greg Jaffe says Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has disproportionately blocked promotions of Black and women senior officers, and he’s also been purging the military of transgender people. “Usually Secretaries of Defense do everything they can to protect the military from our divisive politics and those culture wars,” Jaffe tells Dave Davies. “Hegseth was really the first Secretary of Defense I've seen in my lifetime who invited that into the Pentagon, and made it a central plank of his identity and leadership.”

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‘Showbiz!’ entertainer Murray Hill became what he didn’t see

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:40:05 +0000

Murray Hill's character on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, Fred Rococo, is a soil scientist trans man who hosts a queer cabaret. “[He] is me dialed down to like a 2,” he tells Terry Gross. In real life, Murray has hosted drag king shows, queer cabarets, burlesque shows and performed his own act. He spoke with Terry Gross about finding and building his community, forgiveness, and how anti-trans rhetoric and policy has affected him. His new memoir is Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man.

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Michael Douglas

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:51:54 +0000

Michael Douglas is one of the most recognizable actors of our time, but in 1987, many still knew him as Kirk Douglas's son. That year, he starred in Fatal Attraction and Wall Street, and his role as Gordon Gekko won him the Oscar for Best Actor. "When I went up and received my Oscar for Wall Street, I thanked my father because I finally felt I was out of his shadow. And those two pictures in that year was when I finally felt I was my own man,” he tells Tonya Mosley. Behind the accolades, Douglas was struggling –- drinking heavily and using cocaine. In his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, Douglas looks back at what his success cost him, and what it finally took to change.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new Netflix adaptation of East of Eden.

The audio version of this story incorrectly states that the 1981 East of Eden miniseries featured Sam Bottoms as Cal. In fact, the actor playing Cal was Timothy Bottoms.

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Best Of: Kyle MacLachlan / Inside the ‘romance scam’

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Kyle MacLachlan was just 23 when he auditioned for Lynch's adaptation of Dune. The two would go on to work together on the cult classics Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. “The worlds that [Lynch] creates are real in his mind — they exist,” he tells Terry Gross. MacLachlan's new memoir is Fictional Selves.

Also, Wired reporter Andy Greenberg describes the story he broke about a cyber crime operation in Southeast Asia that entraps computer engineers into defrauding victims around the world of billions of dollars.

And book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Min Jin Lee’s new novel, American Hagwon.

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Celebrating minimalist composer Steve Reich

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:00:01 +0000

Often called one of the fathers of minimalist music, Reich created a vocabulary that has influenced nearly every form of music: Classical, electronic, jazz, and pop. To commemorate his 90th birthday, there are worldwide performances and festivals in his honor, including an upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall. Reich spoke with Terry Gross in 1989 and 1999. We’ll listen back to his compositions, and hear about the sounds that have influenced him – from the rhythms of speech, to African drumming, Jewish cantorial singing and the sound of trains.

Also, Justin Chang reviews the documentary NAZA.

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Sheryl Crow

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:38:07 +0000

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has a new album, Pick You Up, out Oct. 9. She spoke with Fresh Air guest interviewer Sam Fragoso (Talk Easy) about touring with Michael Jackson in her 20s as a back-up singer, depression, and Bob Dylan’s advice for writer’s block.

Also, John Powers reviews the Spanish language Netflix miniseries My Sad Dead.

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New drones, deadlier attacks: Dystopian reality in Ukraine

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:22:39 +0000

Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist, is just back from her fourth visit to Ukraine. She says Russia has ramped up production of missiles and deadly drones, while Ukraine is desperately short of interceptors to resist the onslaught. “[Kyiv] has been under really extraordinary bombardment from the Russians, and they are basically trying to make life unlivable in a city of several million people,” she tells Dave Davies. They also discuss the state of relations between Europe, Canada and the U.S. in the Trump era.

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Mahmoud Khalil’s 104 days in ICE Detention

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:04:54 +0000

Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and fled the country at 18. He had a green card to be in the United States, and had become one of the most visible faces of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, where he had been a graduate student and a negotiator between the protesters and the administration. In 2025, he was arrested by ICE and sent to a detention center in Louisiana. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the events, the pro-Palestine movement, and his hopes for the future. His memoir is No Land to Stand On.

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Kyle MacLachlan was David Lynch’s ‘submersible’ into dark places

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:43:25 +0000

MacLachlan was just 23 when he auditioned for Lynch's adaptation of Dune. The two would go on to work together on the cult classics Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. “The worlds that [Lynch] creates are real in his mind — they exist,” he tells Terry Gross. MacLachlan's new memoir is Fictional Selves.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel American Hagwon, by Min Jin Lee.

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Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Rhiannon Giddens doesn’t usually make pop music, but she wrote and played the banjo riff on Beyoncé’s country single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She comes from the Black string band tradition, is the artistic director of the Silk Road Ensemble, and studied opera in college. Giddens spoke with Terry Gross about channeling her ancestors through her instrument.

Also, Rolling Stone investigative reporter Cheyenne Roundtree talks with Tonya Mosley about her new book, Bad Boy for Life. It tells the story of Sean Combs across the names he gave himself: Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Love, and the systems that allowed his alleged abuse to go on for decades.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, starring Mahershala Ali.

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Bluegrass virtuoso Billy Strings

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 16:05:28 +0000

The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist has one foot in traditional bluegrass and another in improvisational jam music. He has a new album, So Much for Goodbyes, inspired by his late mother. He spoke with producer Sam Briger about healing himself through songwriting, performing the day his mom died, and how being a father has changed him as a musician. "I sing now from a place of freedom and joy in my belly," Strings says. He brought his guitar to the interview. Originally broadcast Sept. 8, 2025.

Ccritic at large John Powers reviews the new novel The Disappearers by Marlon James, which has been described as a masterpiece.

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Investigating the system that protected Sean “Diddy” Combs

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:48:21 +0000

Sean Combs founded Bad Boy Records and spent three decades as one of the most powerful men in hip hop. Now he's serving a federal prison sentence. Rolling Stone reporter Cheyenne Roundtree spent years talking to the people who worked for him, many of them trying to break into the music business. In her new book, Bad Boy for Life: The Rise and Fall of Sean Combs, she lays out what those jobs actually required. "This was supposed to be their jobs and careers... keeping their boss' domestic violence of his girlfriends a secret,” she tells Tonya Mosley.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the new action thriller Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

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Global power, rivalry, and A.I.; a preview of the U.S./China summit

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:35:24 +0000

As President Trump and China's President Xi prepare to meet tomorrow, Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations explains the current state of US-China relations and what to expect from this summit.

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Inside the 'modern slavery' where cyber scammers are victims themselves

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:19:51 +0000

WIRED’s Andy Greenberg explains how a cybercrime operation in Southeast Asia trapped computer engineers into defrauding victims of billions of dollars. Plus he discusses the scam involving Fresh Air.

Also, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reflects on John Coltrane for the centennial of his birth.

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Rhiannon Giddens traces the banjo from her ancestors to Beyoncé

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:15:01 +0000

A self-described "folkie to the bone," Giddens talks with Terry Gross about channeling her ancestors through her instrument, playing on Beyoncé’s country single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and a connection between Irish folk music and Dolly Parton. Giddens also sings and plays banjo and fiddle throughout the interview. Her latest album, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, takes its name from an Emily Dickinson poem.

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Best Of: Colin Kaepernick / Danielle Brooks

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

10 years ago, former 49ers NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police violence against Black people. After the season ended, he never played in the NFL again. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about his childhood, football career, and activism. His memoir is his The Perilous Fight.

Actor Danielle Brooks first became known as Taystee on Orange Is the New Black. She spoke with Terry Gross about that series, growing up singing in her parents’ church, and landing the role of Sofia in "The Color Purple," both on Broadway and the film adaptation.

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Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones / Remembering singer Cassandra Wilson

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:25:56 +0000

The new film Coyote vs. ACME is based on the classic Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. Today, we listen back to Terry’s 1989 interview with animator Chuck Jones. He created the characters, among others, and directed many Looney Tunes cartoons. He says they had specific rules for the characters: “The roadrunner can never harm the Coyote. The Coyote could only harm himself by buying these unfortunate things he gets from the ACME corporation.”

Also, we remember singer and composer Cassandra Wilson who defied category but became a bona fide jazz star. Kevin Whitehead has an appreciation and we hear some of her interview with Terry. She died Sept. 2 at age 70.

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The Roy Cohn Playbook, from McCarthyism to Trump

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:18:59 +0000

In a biography of Roy Cohn, Kai Bird looks at how the lawyer taught President Trump to deny, delay, attack, sue and countersue, never admit defeat, side step paying bills and avoid a paper trail. His book, with co-author Susan Goldmark, is American Scoundrel. He spoke with Terry Gross.

Also, Ken Tucker reflects on three of Dolly Parton’s performances that he says demonstrate her range and her unique takes on romance and heartbreak.

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Is Jared Kushner a 'walking conflict of interest'?

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:29:34 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins says while Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is a U.S. special envoy negotiating peace, he's also working on private business deals, raising billions in some of the same countries. “He's potentially a walking conflict of interest,” Filkins tells Tonya Mosley.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Our Noble Selves, by Kate Atkinson.

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Actor Danielle Brooks has blessings to count

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 17:58:18 +0000

Brooks grew up in a church where her mom was a minister and her dad a deacon. She went on to play Taystee in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Now she co-stars in the indie film If I Go Will They Miss Me? Brooks spoke with Terry Gross about singing in the church, playing gospel icon Mahalia Jackson, and why she hesitated to take her breakout role in Orange.

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Colin Kaepernick is still fighting – for justice and for his football career

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:51:03 +0000

It has been 10 years since former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, in protest of police brutality against Black people. Once the season ended, Kaepernick never played in the NFL again.

"The NFL tried to send a very clear message that if you protest police killing Black folks, if you fight for a better society and better community, we're going to try to take your career from you," he tells Tonya Mosley. "I don't accept that that is going to be the end outcome of this, and will do everything I can to make sure that I change that narrative." Kaepernick has written a memoir called The Perilous Fight. It begins long before the anthem, with his experience as a Black boy adopted by white parents, learning to keep early experiences of racism to himself. He explains why, after all this time, he still wants to play in the NFL, and why he would keep his kids from playing the game.

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Best Of: Life in the Mojave Desert / Director of ‘The Uprising’

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Author Claire Vaye Watkins lives in the Mojave Desert, just like the protagonist in her new novel, Yellow Pine. In the book, it’s an area being developed by an energy company, wreaking havoc on the environment. The locals protest, but the novel explores whether they actually have the power to defeat a corporate project already underway. Watkins spoke with Terry Gross.

Director Paul Greengrass’s new film, The Uprising, examines what happens when people reach their breaking point. It takes us to 1381 when the peasants of England revolted against the king. Greengrass spoke with Tonya Mosley about how he first noticed the parallels to today during the pandemic.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the class satire film Filipiñana.

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Stories of survival & loss at Ground Zero

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:18:56 +0000

For the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, we go into our archive for voices of those who were there. Deputy Fire Chief John “Jay” Jonas spoke with Terry Gross about being inside the North Tower when it collapsed. Firefighter Ken Haskell talks about losing his two brothers and his search at Ground Zero. Author (and former firefighter) Dennis Smith talks about the structure of the WTC itself, and how it contributed to deaths.

In the second half of the show, we hear from artists who processed the tragedy in poetry and music: Poets Sekou Sundiata and Robert Pinsky, saxophonist Sonny Rollins.

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How the WNBA became a political prop in the culture wars

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:58:33 +0000

Despite record viewership and attendance, and amazing talent across the league, the WNBA has been caught up in the national conversation about the culture wars. Sportswriter Sabreena Merchant says, “everything in the WNBA seems to take on a political lens far beyond what is actually happening on the court.” Merchant spoke with Fresh Air guest interviewer Sam Fragoso (host of Talk Easy) about the expansion of the WNBA, the race and gender politics consuming the narrative, and the departure of commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Merchant writes for The Athletic, from the New York Times.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Practical Magic 2.

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How Sept. 11 changed American life

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:50:52 +0000

In his book Homeland: The War on Terror in American Life, Richard Beck looks at how the Sept. 11 attacks led to the expansion of government surveillance and a sharp increase in hate crimes against Muslim Americans. Beck also argues the War on Terror laid the groundwork for Donald Trump to become president and “impunity culture in American politics.” He spoke with Tonya Mosley.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel Exit Party, by Emily St. John Mandel.

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Casey Gerald says ruining his reputation saved his life

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:50:26 +0000

A decade ago, Casey Gerald was running a celebrated nonprofit, giving TED talks, and on magazine covers as proof that the American dream still works. Then he shut it all down and disappeared from public life. Now, in a new book, The Great Refusal, he turns his leaving into an argument about the limits of the American dream.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews SCTV, which is now available to stream on Netflix.

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Rosanne Cash on the gift her father, Johnny Cash, gave her

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:00:01 +0000

For Labor Day, we’re listening back to our 2009 interview with Rosanne Cash. When she was 18, in 1973, her father Johnny Cash gave her a list of 100 essential country songs he thought she should know. At the time, she knew that it was an important document, “but it took me, I think until now, to realize that he was really giving me himself, a part of his heart and soul.” She made an album out of some of those songs called The List.

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Best Of: ‘Wonder Man’ actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II / John Coltrane centennial

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the Marvel series ‘Wonder Man,’ but two weeks after his nomination, Disney announced the series would not return for a second season. But getting laid off is how he found acting in the first place. “I keep on getting laid off and losing jobs. What up that? But you know, every time I do it, it turns into something better,” he tells Tonya Mosley.

Also, we’ll hear from saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, son of jazz great John Coltrane. This month marks the centennial of his father’s birth. He spoke with Terry Gross about this father's legacy.

Plus, Ken Tucker reviews a new album by the trio The Womack Sisters, granddaughters of Sam Cooke and nieces of Bobby Womack, and an album from Margaret Glaspy.

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Feminist Icon Gloria Steinem

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:13:56 +0000

Writer, activist and face of the women’s liberation movement Gloria Steinem died Wednesday at age 92. She spoke with Terry Gross several times over four decades, this remembrance pulls from three of those conversations: In 2015, Steinem talked about her unconventional childhood on the road with her parents, “My memory is that I learned how to read from ketchup bottles and labels and billboards along the highway,” she said. Steinem was a founding editor of Ms. magazine, the first feminist publication of its kind. In 1987, she spoke about the founding of the magazine and her early reporting. And in 1992, they discussed aging as she faced her golden years. You can find more Steinem tape in our archive.

Also, John Powers reviews the new film Coyote vs. Acme. which he calls a spoof of the classic legal thriller, like The Verdict or Erin Brockovich — but steeped in the surreal anarchy of Looney Tunes.

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Filmmaker Paul Greengrass on rage, rebellion and ‘The Uprising’

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:14:39 +0000

Paul Greengrass’ new film, The Uprising, stars Andrew Garfield as a 14th-century peasant who, in the wake of the Plague, leads a revolt against the king. It's a history Greengrass grew up learning, and now sees parallels with Covid and Jan 6th. “People were left numb, and then this gathering rage …defenseless, and then suddenly you had this enormous rebellion,” he tells Tonya Mosley. Greengrass also reflects on his movie United 93, 25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new drama Filipiñana.

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Back-to-school with Big Tech

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:46:56 +0000

Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have been competing for years to get their devices, software and AI into public schools, even offering free training programs for teachers and students. These brands are helping shape what and how children learn. NYT reporter Natasha Singer says, “Some teachers are using AI to generate their lesson plans and assignments and their quizzes, and then kids are using AI to do them and then teachers are using AI to grade them. So we just have bots talking to bots. Is that what we want education to look like?”

Singer is the author of Coding Kids: Big Tech’s Battle to Remake Public Schools. She spoke with Terry Gross.

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A centennial celebration of John Coltrane

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:32:55 +0000

Coltrane was one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz, from his beautiful ballads, to his more spiritual music, and his role in the forefront of free jazz. September 23 marks 100 years since his birth. We speak with his son Ravi Coltrane, who is a highly regarded tenor saxophonist—the same instrument his father played. Growing up, he was just known as Ravi, "But as soon as I picked up the saxophone I was suddenly John Coltrane's son,” he tells Terry Gross. Ravi edited a new book of photographs of his father.

Later we’ll hear drummer Elvin Jones describe performing and recording with John Coltrane, in a 1998 interview from our archive.

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How the government wastes our time

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:08:42 +0000

Atlantic journalist Annie Lowrey explores the administrative burdens people face applying for government benefits like unemployment and food assistance. It's not just about wasted time: "When the government treats us like this, we don't trust it," she says. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her book, The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time—and How to Fix It.

Ken Tucker reviews a new album by the trio The Womack Sisters, nieces of R&B great Bobby Womack.

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Best Of: Jason Segel / Lisa Kudrow

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Jason Segel returns to talk with Terry Gross about his Emmy-nominated series Shrinking, in which he plays a therapist who suffered a nervous breakdown in the wake of his wife’s death. Segel opens up about his own therapy and acting opposite Harrison Ford.

Also, Lisa Kudrow talks about her Emmy-nominated series The Comeback. She plays an actress who is delusional about her career and desperate to be onscreen. Kudrow spoke with Tonya Mosley about shifts in Hollywood, Friends, and what she was like when she was a young girl.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends three new suspense novels.

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Remembering Tim Curry

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:42:59 +0000

Actor Tim Curry, best-known for playing mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died this week at age 80. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2005 about finding the character’s look and voice.

Also, actor Rhea Seehorn has been nominated for an Emmy for her leading role in the sci-fi series Pluribus. She spoke with Terry about that series and Better Call Saul.

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Riz Ahmed takes on his inner critic

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:38:56 +0000

In his Prime Video series, Bait, Riz Ahmed plays an actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. Ahmed says Bond is a "symbol of aspiration, this unattainable kind of self" his character is pursuing. He’s nominated for an Emmy for his role in the series. Ahmed spoke with Tonya Mosley about being his own worst critic, why he connected to Hamlet, and his early days as an MC on pirate radio.

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Dolly Parton

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 17:58:34 +0000

The beloved country superstar died Tuesday at age 80. Parton spoke with Terry Gross in 2001 about growing up in rural poverty with 11 siblings, leaving for Nashville to become a star, and coming up with her signature look. "I've always believed that a part of my magic, if there was any, was the fact that I look so artificial — but I am so totally real," she said.

Also, jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant’s new album, With Every Breath I Take, which he calls her most daring yet. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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The story of the world's first super-terrorist

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:06:30 +0000

National security writer Joby Warrick tells the story of “Carlos the Jackal,” the world’s most notorious terrorist of the ‘70s and ‘80s. He became so famous for his brazen attacks and playboy lifestyle that, once, when he was releasing hostages from a hijacked airplane, several asked him for autographs. Warrick’s book is The Jackal. He spoke with Dave Davies.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews three suspense novels: The Intrigue, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Under the Falls, by Richard Russo, or The Blue Flame, by George Pelecanos.

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Lisa Kudrow

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:03:02 +0000

Lisa Kudrow is up for two Emmys for the final season of The Comeback, about an actress who will endure almost anything to keep working. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her character’s delusion and how the show has captured different eras of Hollywood. Kudrow also talks about a life-changing trip to Belarus, being a straight-laced girl, and watching Friends after her co-star Matthew Perry’s death.

Also, critic-at-large John Powers reviews the Paramount+ series Diarra from Detroit.

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Best Of: Colman Domingo / Writer Leïla Slimani

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Colman Domingo is nominated for two Emmy Awards this year, for two very different roles: in the Netflix comedy The Four Seasons and in the final season of HBO's Euphoria. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the transition from dramatic roles to comedy, and guest hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a week.

Award-winning writer Leïla Slimani grew up in Morocco, where women were second-class citizens, but inside her home and with her family, she was free to speak her mind. Her mother, a doctor, pushed her to go to France to study. Slimani spoke with Terry Gross about her trilogy of novels inspired by her own French-Moroccan roots.

Rock critic Ken Tucker looks back on the soundtrack of the 1976 film Sparkle, sung by Aretha Franklin.

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‘The Dog Stars’ novelist Peter Heller / Remembering rock critic Dave Marsh

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:54:30 +0000

The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Josh Brolin and Jacob Elordi, is about two men who become unlikely compatriots when a pandemic wipes out much of the country's population. Adventure writer Peter Heller spoke with Dave Davies in 2012 about the book, which draws on his own survival skills.

Also, we remember pioneering rock critic Dave Marsh. He was an early champion and biographer of Bruce Springsteen, and helped launch the rock magazine Creem before winding up at Rolling Stone. He died August 14 at age 79.

Justin Chang reviews the new film Dreams in Nightmares.

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‘Wonder Man’ star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on cancellation and confidence

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:40:35 +0000

Two weeks after being nominated for an Emmy for his leading role in Wonder Man, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II found out that the series had been cancelled. He says Marvel could do more to support Black-led projects. Abdul-Mateen spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about how he stumbled into acting, padding his early resumé, and working through his stutter.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Teenage Death and Sex at Camp Miasma.

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Challenges the U.S. military is facing in Iran

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:07:05 +0000

Defense analyst Stacie Pettyjohn says while the U.S. military is facing long-range missile shortages, prolonged deployments, and vacated regional bases, Iran is building cheaper weapons quickly. She tells Dave Davies the U.S. military is scrambling to adjust to innovations in modern warfare.

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Jason Segel is not afraid of the ‘dirty underneath’

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:03:13 +0000

Segel returns to talk with Terry Gross about his Emmy-nominated series Shrinking, in which he plays a therapist who suffered a nervous breakdown in the wake of his wife’s death. Segel opens up about his own therapy, acting opposite Harrison Ford, and overcoming writer's block. He thinks of his vulnerability as a super power. "I'm kind of devoid of pride or shame about the dirty underneath. I'll say the stuff that a lot of people are trying to hide." Segel wrote and starred in the hit comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and played David Foster Wallace in The End of the Tour.

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What evolution reveals about eating, dieting and fat

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:35:56 +0000

When you’re dieting to lose weight, human evolution is often working against you. We’ll talk about why with Daniel Lieberman, author of Fed Up and founder of Harvard’s Department of Evolutionary Biology. He spoke with Terry Gross about diets he’s tested, and the often contradictory information about what’s healthy to eat and what’s not.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Etna, a novel that looks at war through the narration of a dog.

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Best Of: 'Spider-Man' dir. Destin Daniel Cretton / Novelist Harriet Clark

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues to break box office records, after having the biggest U.S. opening weekend in history. Tonya Mosley talks with the film’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton. Long before Marvel, he worked in a group home for at-risk teens. He says it's an experience that shaped everything he's made since then, and became the movie Short Term 12.

Also, we hear from Harriet Clark. She was a baby when her mother was a getaway driver of a robbery of a Brink’s truck in 1981. The robbers were members of a radical offshoot of the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers. For 37 years, Clark spent Saturdays visiting her mother in prison. “She figured out how to mother me in some of the most difficult conditions possible,” Clark tells Terry Gross. Her novel, The Hill, draws on her experience visiting her mother in prison.

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Reckoning with America’s history of slavery

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:54:54 +0000

Poet and writer Clint Smith says we are taught to think of slavery as something that happened a long, long time ago. But then he learned that his grandfather's grandfather had been enslaved. “This person who was so central to my life and my own identity is someone who was only a generation or two removed from a family member who had been born into slavery," he tells Terry Gross. Smith is the author of the bestselling book How the Word Is Passed, about distortions in how the history of slavery was taught to him and other children -- and the ways many Americans deceive themselves about that history. He's also the author of the collection of poetry called Above Ground.

Also, critic at large John Powers reviews the new TV series Lanterns.

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Colman Domingo loves a challenge

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:01:43 +0000

Colman Domingo is nominated for two Emmy Awards for two very different performances — in the Netflix comedy The Four Seasons and in HBO's Euphoria. "I can go very deep with my characters," he tells co-host Tonya Mosley. He talks about doing comedy with masters like Tina Fey, filling in for Jimmy Kimmel, why he loves being in his 50s.

Also, Lloyd Schwartz reviews a remastered album of Handel arias by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.

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The race for tech supremacy: The U.S. vs. China

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:57:30 +0000

China produces at least 70% of the world’s drones, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. And with the U.S. stockpile of munitions diminished from the Iran war, would the U.S. have what it needs to defend Taiwan if China invaded? Terry Gross talks with New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos about his latest story, “The Future Made in China.” “The irony here is that we are in some ways beholden right now to the Chinese factory in order to produce the munitions that we need to defend American interests from China. That’s the exquisite problem that we've found ourselves in,” Osnos says.

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‘Spider-Man’ director Destin Daniel Cretton

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:49:00 +0000

Cretton grew up in Hawaii, and says movies expanded his perspective: “That is how I traveled. That is how I was exposed to other cultures. That's how I understand how kids grew up in high school on the mainland,” he tells co-host Tonya Mosley. He explains how his job at a group home for at-risk teens inspired his film Short Term 12, how he relates to Peter Parker’s loneliness, and how his difficult relationship with his father helps him with directing.

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Silicon Valley billionaires’ war on democracy

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:37:09 +0000

Journalist Gil Durán argues that a small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires and venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — and that they should be governing in its place. Durán traces their fringe ideologies from blogs, manifestos and private talks straight to the White House. “The weird stuff these guys say in their blogs or in their speeches is not just eccentric fluff. Because they have so much money, they can turn these weird ideas into policy and cause tremendous damage.” His book is The Nerd Reich.

Also, Ken Tucker has a 50th anniversary appreciation of the Sparkle soundtrack. Loosely based on the girl group The Supremes, the 1976 film starred Aretha Franklin and the music was written and produced by Curtis Mayfield.

In the audio of this story, we incorrectly say the theme music of the movie Shaft was by Curtis Mayfield. It was by Isaac Hayes.

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Best Of: Jia Tolentino on plastic surgery & AI / ‘Beef’ creator Lee Sun Jin

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Seven years ago, New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino coined the term “Instagram Face.” Now we talk about how current beauty standards are changing our relationship to reality. “It seems more explicitly anti-human right now than ever before,” she tells Tonya Mosley. “There seems to be something that’s dove-tailing with the age of AI.”

Also, we hear from Lee Sung Jin, creator of the Netflix series Beef. The second season is a story about class and blackmail at an exclusive country club. He talks about how he has pulled ideas from his own life, and his experience working in writers rooms as the only Asian person.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new erotic comedy I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde.

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Remembering ‘The Man Who Listens to Horses’

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:10:19 +0000

The internationally acclaimed horseman Monty Roberts defied the conventional method of breaking horses and developed his own gentler approach — based on horses' non-verbal language. He died on July 31st at 91. Roberts spoke with Terry Gross in 1997, at the time of his memoir.

Also, jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews Jason Moran’s record of Duke Ellington tracks, and John Powers reviews Tony, the Anthony Bourdain biopic that focuses on his first time working in a kitchen.

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Novelist Claire Vaye Watkins on the beauty & brutality of the desert

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:37:00 +0000

Claire Vaye Watkins' new novel, 'Yellow Pine,' is about a group of misfits and activists in the Mojave desert, fighting a corporate solar development. Living in the desert is "not for everybody," she tells Terry Gross. Her home, near Death Valley, is staggeringly beautiful and brutal. She talks about growing up around environmental activism, solitude, and her father's escape from the Manson Family.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new thriller series ‘Furious,’ starring Emmy Rossum, by ‘New Girl’ creator Elizabeth Meriwether.

In the audio version of this story, we incorrectly use she/her pronouns for the actor Lola Petticrew. Petticrew uses they/them pronouns.

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How Trump made an estimated $2.2 billion last year

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:03:28 +0000

New York Times reporter Eric Lipton discusses his Pulitzer Prize-winning investigations into Trump’s conflicts of interest and whether he’s exploiting the power of the presidency for self-enrichment. Lipton spoke with Terry Gross.

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Jean Smart bids farewell to ‘Hacks’

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:41:32 +0000

The fifth and final season of the HBO comedy series ‘Hacks’ is nominated for 24 Emmys, including one for Smart as best actress in a comedy series. The writers “raised the bar every single season," Smart tells guest interviewer Aarti Shahani. They talk about why the show is ending, Smart’s distant relative who narrowly escaped the Salem Witch Trials, and adopting a baby when she was in her 50s.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel ‘Country People,’ by Daniel Mason.

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Miss America ‘68, women’s lib, and the politics of beauty

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:37:12 +0000

Historian Micki McElya’s book, ‘Liberation Summer,’ revisits September 1968, when three groups of women converged on the Atlantic City boardwalk: feminists protesting the Miss America Pageant, contestants in the first-ever Miss Black America Pageant, and women defending Miss America herself. McElya argues the collision that day created a politics of beauty that runs through the rise of the religious right, the #MeToo era, all the way to today. She spoke with Tonya Mosley.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews HBO’s ‘Big Bang’ spin-off, ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.’

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Best Of: ‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson / Actor Jon Bernthal

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘The Odyssey’ is a box-office hit, but classics scholar Emily Wilson, who translated Homer’s poem from the original text, says the film’s script is abysmally written, lacking in emotional depth and character development. She talks about her translation and divisive criticism of the film.

Also, we hear from actor Jon Bernthal who plays Menelaus, King of Sparta in ‘The Odyssey’ and the Punisher in the new Spider-Man movie.

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Remembering Irish singer–songwriter Glen Hansard

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Irish musician Glen Hansard, best-known for his band The Frames and his part in the 2007 film ‘Once,’ died July 29 in a motorcycle crash. He was 56. Hansard got his start busking in the streets of Dublin. Ironically, it was his headmaster who urged him to drop out of school to pursue music. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2008, with his ‘Once’ co-star Markéta Irglová. Their song from the film, “Falling Slowly,” won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Also, Kevin Whitehead pays tribute to Tony Bennett, who would have been 100 next week, and film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘I Want Your Sex.’

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Actor Jon Bernthal on grit, dedication & the teacher who saved him

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:34:40 +0000

Bernthal often plays intense, violent, damaged characters, like Mikey from ‘The Bear’ and Shane from ‘The Walking Dead.’ When talking about himself and his characters, Bernthal says that it’s easy for someone who’s scared to turn into someone who’s scary. He currently stars in ‘The Odyssey’ and the new Spider-Man film, ‘A Brand New Day.’ He spoke with Tonya Mosley about how he went from being an angry young man to a disciplined, dedicated artist.

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‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson: Nolan should've hired a screenwriter

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:31:51 +0000

Renowned classics scholar Emily Wilson caused a stir when her critical review of Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey’ went viral. Wilson explains her reaction to the film and why she's translating the poem again. She spoke with Dave Davies about trolls, tattoos, and why she balks at her work being categorized as “feminist.”

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The forces that shape gun culture

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:52:03 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘New York Times’ reporter Mike McIntire says gun companies and the NRA are broadening the scope of the Second Amendment, socializing kids to appreciate guns and marketing a new brand of masculinity. McIntire spoke with Terry Gross about his book, ‘Ricochet: Guns, Greed, and the American Way of Violence.’

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French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani on feminism & freedom

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:05:20 +0000

Award-winning writer Leïla Slimani grew up in Morocco, where women were second-class citizens, but inside her home and with her family, she was free to speak her mind. Her mother, a doctor, pushed her to go to France to study. Slimani spoke with Terry Gross about her trilogy of novels inspired by her own French-Moroccan roots and her search for belonging. Her books include ‘I’ll Take the Fire’ and ‘The Perfect Nanny.’

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Best Of: Broadway legend André De Shields / Apache Chef Nephi Craig

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

At the age of 80, André De Shields is now on Broadway in “CATS: The Jellicle Ball.” He won a Tony in 2019 for his performance in “Hadestown” and co-stars in the new movie of the revival. He talks with Terry Gross about his Broadway debut in the original production of ‘The Wiz,’ living with HIV for almost 50 years, and why he walks like a king.

Also, White Mountain Apache Chef Nephi Craig explains how cooking and teaching about indigenous foods saved his life. His memoir is ‘Our Knives Will Save Us.’

John Powers reviews Will Ferrell’s new series ‘The Hawk.’

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A former nun on why she ran away from her 'Cloistered' life

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:00:03 +0000

Poverty, chastity, obedience, total devotion – and rebellion. Catherine Coldstream talks with Terry Gross about her years as a Carmelite nun and why she left the monastery. Her memoir is ‘Cloistered: My Years as a Nun.’

John Powers reviews the series ‘The Hawk,’ starring Will Ferrell.

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Lee Sung Jin on the breakthrough that led him to ‘BEEF’

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:32:55 +0000

The second season of Lee Sung Jin’s Netflix series ‘BEEF’ earned 16 Emmy nominations. Set at an exclusive country club, it stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan in a story about class struggles and generational differences. The storylines of both seasons were inspired by real events in Lee's life. Before ‘BEEF,’ he spent two decades in comedy writers' rooms, often feeling alienated as the only Asian person on staff. “That's what people first thought of me when I first started – I was the diversity hire." He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the years he spent masking to fit in, and the breaking point that changed how he writes.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new Apple TV series ‘Lucky.’

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Jia Tolentino on ‘Our Plastic Surgery Nightmare’

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:41:22 +0000

Botox, fillers, facelifts: Plastic surgery is becoming so normalized and undetectable, it's changing our relationship to reality. ‘New Yorker’ staff writer Jia Tolentino considers how beauty standards have dovetailed with AI.

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Broadway legend André De Shields doesn't walk, he floats

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:18:28 +0000

At the age of 80, Broadway legend André De Shields now starring in "CATS: The Jellicle Ball." He won a Tony in 2019 for his performance in "Hadestown," and co-stars in the new film of last year’s London revival. He made his Broadway debut in the title role of the 1975 original production of "The Wiz."

De Shields describes himself as Afro Queer, a longtime HIV survivor, and unreformed hippie, who grew up in inner city Baltimore. He’s always gone his own way in how he thinks, speaks, dresses and moves. "I don’t rush anywhere. I walk slowly. My reputation is that Andre DeShields doesn’t walk, he floats." He spoke with Terry Gross.

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Harriet Clark spent 37 years visiting her mom in prison

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:58:10 +0000

In 1981, members of radical offshoots of the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers robbed a Brinks truck carrying over $1.5 million. It ended in a shootout, killing two police officers and a security guard. Judith Clark was driving a getaway car. She was sentenced to a minimum of 75 years. Her 11-month-old daughter was left to be raised by Judith’s collective and later by Judith’s parents. Terry Gross talks with her daughter, Harriet Clark, whose new acclaimed novel is drawn from childhood experiences visiting her mother in prison. “I think she figured out how to mother me in some of the most difficult conditions possible,” she says.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews two albums that draw on rock's past: The Dirty Knobs’ ‘Mission of Mercy’ and Low Cut Connie's ‘Livin in the USA.’

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Best Of: ‘The Invite’ screenwriters / Guitarist Lenny Kaye

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack are the screenwriting duo behind ‘The Invite.’ It takes on the realities of marriage in middle age, told over the course of one dinner party that spirals out of control. They’ve been mining stories like this together for decades, finding the funny inside the painful. “We are never above a laugh. There's nothing that's grave enough for us not to laugh about, because that's how we release. That's how we process our pain,” Jones tells Tonya Mosley.

Also, Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith’s longtime guitarist, has his first solo album at age 79. It’s called ‘Goin’ Local.’ He spoke with Terry Gross about his decades-long collaboration with Smith and evolving with age and experience.

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Ebon Moss-Bachrach on ‘The Bear’

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:33:29 +0000

As ‘The Bear’ wraps its final season, TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the show’s run. Also, we listen back to our interview with Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Cousin Richie, the abrasive and ornery cook/maître d'. The show is known for kitchen chaos, but he says the set is calm. He spoke with 'Fresh Air' producer Ann Marie Baldonado.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews Christopher Nolan’s epic ‘The Odyssey.’

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Apache Chef Nephi Craig says cooking saved his life

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:16:58 +0000

White Mountain Apache chef Nephi Craig had an unconventional culinary path: from a reservation to a fine dining restaurant to cooking for 7,800 inmates while in county jail. Now he's the executive chef at Café Gozhóó. He spoke with Terry Gross about Native cuisine, getting sober, and bringing nutrition education and addiction treatment to his community on the reservation. His memoir is ‘Our Knives Will Save Us.’

Also, John Powers reviews the big tech heist novel ‘Cloudthief’ by Nathaniel Rich.

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Gold, secrets, never-ending meetings: Inside the Trump White House

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:51:35 +0000

Journalist Jonathan Swan’s book, ‘Regime Change,’ co-written with fellow ‘New York Times’ reporter Maggie Haberman, is a portrait of President Trump’s second term – which Swan calls "unrecognizable" from term one. The reporting duo interviewed over 1,000 sources for the book, including the president himself. Their work adds rich detail to developments that were generally known, and explores stories that had somehow slipped under the radar. Swan spoke with Fresh Air contributor and former politics reporter Dave Davies.

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Uncovering abuse inside America's largest ICE detention center

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:46:17 +0000

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Jonathan Blitzer says thousands of people are being held in tents in the El Paso, Texas, desert, where inhumane conditions have become a tool to pressure people to accept deportation. There have been 52 deaths in detention centers since President Trump took office, and a significant number of them are suicides. Blitzer spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley.

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'The Invite' screenwriters Rashida Jones & Will McCormack

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:07:18 +0000

The new film, ‘The Invite,’ directed by Olivia Wilde, offers a portrait of a marriage in middle age, told over the course of one dinner party that spirals out of control. Screenwriters Rashida Jones and Will McCormack have been mining this territory together for decades, while finding the funny inside the painful. “We are never above a laugh,” Jones says. “There's nothing that's grave enough for us not to laugh about, because that's how we release. That's how we process our pain.” They spoke with Tonya Mosley about their creative process and their other films, ‘Celeste & Jesse Forever,’ ‘Quincy,’ and ‘If Anything Happens I Love You.’

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Best Of: Record producer Peter Asher / Romance writer Kennedy Ryan

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Record producer and manager Peter Asher discovered James Taylor and launched Carole King’s career. Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in his family’s basement. He spoke with Terry Gross about having a front-row seat to some of the biggest moments in recording history.

Also, romance novelist Kennedy Ryan talks about how she fell for the genre in middle school, even though her mother, a preacher, didn't approve. Ryan’s best-selling books center on people who are usually at the margins – Black women, queer women, and women with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

TV critic David Bianculli has a review of the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ remake.

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Remembering musical theater historian Robert Kimball

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:56:06 +0000

Kimball, who died July 2, was artistic advisor to Ira Gershwin. He wrote books about the Gershwins, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, and helped unearth unknown songs and manuscripts by them and other early 20th-century songwriters. Kimball also rescued and rediscovered the music of the Black Broadway team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1994.

David Bianculli reviews the remake of ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ and John Powers reviews the second season of ‘Sugar,’ starring Colin Farrell.

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Guitarist Lenny Kaye on Patti Smith, Nuggets, and his solo debut

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:58:54 +0000

Kaye's collaboration with Patti Smith began in 1971 and continues to this day. He says she taught him to trust his musical sensibilities — and to always keep evolving. Now 79, he has his first solo album, called ‘Goin’ Local.’ He spoke with Terry Gross.

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A look at new barriers at the ballot box

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:01:12 +0000

The rules of the midterms are being rewritten, from redistricting to campaign money. Mother Jones journalist Ari Berman explains why President Trump seems "obsessed with the mechanics of voting." He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the SCOTUS decision that he calls the "final blow" to the Voting Rights Act, how the SAVE Act could disenfranchise thousands, and what keeps him up at night.

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Legendary record producer & manager Peter Asher

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:03:55 +0000

Asher remembers when Paul McCartney and John Lennon played “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for him for the first time. “I thought, am I losing my mind, or is this one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life?” McCartney, who was dating Asher’s sister at the time, was living with his family. A new documentary, ‘Peter Asher: Everywhere Man,’ chronicles Asher’s life in the record industry. He spoke with Terry Gross about his own band in the British Invasion (Peter and Gordon), discovering James Taylor and launching Linda Ronstadt.

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Writer Rachel Aviv explores the complexity of the mother-daughter bond

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:46:28 +0000

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Rachel Aviv spent years reporting stories about mothers and daughters searching for each other. When she became a mom, she saw everything she wrote differently. Her book is ‘You Won’t Get Free of It.’ She spoke with Tonya Mosley.

Also, John Powers reviews ‘Alice and Steve,’ starring Jemaine Clement.

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Best Of: Tennis stars Chris Evert & Martina Navratilova / American Culture Wars

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 09:05:00 +0000

The two most famous women’s tennis champions of their generation, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, talk about being friends and rivals. After they had retired, they were both diagnosed with cancer. A new Netflix documentary follows their careers and friendship as they navigate their lives on and off the court.

Also, we talk about religious and political attacks on the arts with cultural historian Isaac Butler. His book is ‘The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars.’

Critic John Powers reviews ‘Alice and Steve,’ a British comedy series about a 50-something man who starts dating his best friend’s much younger daughter.

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Steven Spielberg

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:00:01 +0000

After making ‘ET’ and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Steven Spielberg returns to the theme of extraterrestrials in his new film, ‘Disclosure Day.’ He spoke with Terry Gross in 2022 about how he fell in love with movies, became a filmmaker, and about growing up Jewish in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews ‘Two Ships,’ a new book about two conflicting versions of American identity.

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Writer Kennedy Ryan uses romance novels as a vehicle for discourse

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:27:36 +0000

The romance books Kennedy Ryan read growing up rarely included characters who looked like her. Now she deliberately centers people the genre has left out – like women of color and women with chronic illness and disabilities. The award-winning novelist spoke with Tonya Mosley about her “Trojan horse” storylines, the value of the sex scene, and giving people happily-ever-afters.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Craig Ferguson’s new CNN series ‘American On Purpose.’

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The “bullies of the tick world” are on the hunt

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:41:47 +0000

The lone star tick seeks out its blood meal and transmits a potentially dangerous allergy to red meat. ‘New Yorker’ staff writer Burkhard Bilger talks with Terry Gross about his reporting on the tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome, and how doctors, scientists and pest control experts are responding.

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Banned books, shocking art & the birth of the culture wars

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:43:31 +0000

“The culture wars have completely eaten America,” says author Isaac Butler. His new book, ‘The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars,’ looks at how the religious right made a template for expressing grievance over art, and how that is used to this day to defund the National Endowment of the Arts. Butler spoke with Terry Gross.

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Tennis rivals Chris Evert & Martina Navratilova team up against cancer

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:55:46 +0000

Once the most successful women’s tennis champions of their generation, Evert and Navratilova open up about friendship, cancer and retirement in the Netflix documentary ‘Chris & Martina: The Final Set.’ They spoke with Terry Gross.

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Best Of: Laverne Cox /Comic Ali Siddiq

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

For over a decade, Laverne Cox has been one of the most visible trans women in America. In her new memoir, ‘Transcendent,’ she writes about growing up in Mobile, Ala., and the bullying and harassment she faced. She says she survived it by going somewhere else in her mind, often through music and dance.

Also, we hear from comic Ali Siddiq. He served six years in a Texas prison and turned his life into some of the most-watched storytelling in comedy.

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Remembering master of the TV sitcom, James Burrows

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:55:00 +0000

We remember one of the most sought-after directors in television, James Burrows. He died June 19 at age 85. Burrows worked on many classic sitcoms including ‘Taxi,’ ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Will and Grace’ and ‘Cheers.' He was known for his comedic instincts, his visual style, and for insisting the comedy be believable. Burrows spoke with Terry Gross in 2006. Also, we hear an appreciation from TV critic and historian David Bianculli.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘The Invite,’ starring Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde.

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Playwright Anna Deavere Smith turns to her family’s history for inspiration

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:50:12 +0000

For more than 50 years, Anna Deavere Smith has pioneered a type of theater built from real people's words, interviewing hundreds of Americans and then performing their words verbatim. Now she's telling a story from her own family with ‘Basil Biggs.’ It’s about her great-great-grandfather, a free Black man, who reburied the Union dead at Gettysburg and prepared the ground for Lincoln's most famous speech. Smith spoke with Tonya Mosley about how ‘Finding Your Roots’ led her to this story and why she sees herself as an Americanist.

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"Masculinsim" goes mainstream: a movement to fight feminism

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:40:52 +0000

Masculinism is a belief that feminism emasculates men, and men should be in control while women stay at home raising children. Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis says the movement is becoming mainstream. She spoke with Terry Gross about her reporting.

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Wendell Pierce is a proud journeyman actor

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:36:51 +0000

Wendell Pierce is working as hard as ever. He says he's motivated by the "ticking clock of mortality" — and the desire to challenge himself as an actor. He's currently starring in the Shakespeare Theatre Company production of “Othello.” He spoke with Tonya Mosley about aiming for a trifecta of TV, film and theater roles, why he almost left ‘The Wire,’ and caring for his late father.

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Laverne Cox

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:40:01 +0000

For more than a decade, actor Laverne Cox has been one of the most visible trans women in America. But the ‘Orange Is the New Black’ star says she spent most of childhood keeping herself hidden. Cox spoke with Tonya Mosley about the bullying she endured, pursuing a dance career before acting, and the anti-trans culture shift of the last few years. Her memoir is ‘Transcendent.’

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Best Of: A family split by race / Eddie Glaude Jr. on America at 250

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 04:10:00 +0000

Pope Leo XIV’s Creole family roots inspired New Orleanian journalist Susan Saulny to research her Creole great-uncle who moved to Chicago, identified himself as white and never returned. She describes her journey to reunite her family. Her piece in the New York Times is called "A Family Secret No More."

As the United States turns 250, scholar Eddie Glaude Jr. has blunt advice: “America has to grow up.” In ‘America, U.S.A.,’ the Princeton African American Studies professor looks at the country through the lens of its previous anniversaries and centennials. "The divided soul of the nation is in full view," he says.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan shares three book recommendations: ‘The Family Man,’ by James Lasdun, ‘The Hill,’ by Harriet Clark and ‘A Beautiful Loan,’ by Mary Costello.

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The collapse of Freedman’s Bank / Remembering Abdullah Ibrahim

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000

‘In Savings and Trust,’ historian Justene Hill Edwards tells the story of the Freedman's Bank. Created for formerly enslaved people following the Civil War, its collapse cost depositors millions. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about how this part of history reverberates today.

Also, we remember South African pianist, composer and bandleader Abdullah Ibrahim. He died Monday, at age 91. His song “Mannenberg” was an anthem during the fight to end apartheid. Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead shares an appreciation, and we listen back to Terry Gross’s 1989 interview with him.

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Comic Ali Siddiq on fatherhood, prison, and his biggest regret

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 19:42:32 +0000

Siddiq grew up in Houston with a largely absent father. In his new stand-up special, he paints a picture of the flawed man he admired – and reflects on his own experience as a parent. Siddiq spoke with Tonya Mosley about his upbringing, his time selling drugs, and making the leap from prison to comedy.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Toy Story 5.’

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An inside look at President Trump's campaign to acquire Greenland

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:42:14 +0000

New Yorker writer Ben Taub tells Dave Davies that while the idea of acquiring Greenland is out of the headlines, it hasn’t been dropped by Trump. Taub describes how his ongoing efforts have broken the trust of our allies. "People are just completely exhausted and worn down. ... That trust cannot be rebuilt," Taub says.

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Remembering the nation's 'Lost Founder'

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 19:08:27 +0000

Jesse Wegman talks to Dave Davies about James Wilson. A brilliant lawyer who helped craft the U.S. Constitution, Wilson lived a colorful life and died as a Supreme Court justice on the run from the law and creditors. Also, David Bianculli reviews the Prime Video series 'Spider-Noir.'

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Scholar Eddie Glaude Jr. reflects on America at 250

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:16:42 +0000

Glaude's book, 'America, U.S.A.,' looks at the country through the lens of its previous anniversaries and centennials. Today, as in the past, he tells Tonya Mosley, "the divided soul of the nation is in full view." As the 250th anniversary approaches, he says it's time for the U.S. to acknowledge the ways it has failed to deliver on its founding principles. "America has to grow up. It can no longer hide in its adolescence," he says.
Also, Maureen Corrigan recommends three books to help you jump into summer reading.

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Best Of: 'Book of Mormon' turns 15 / Actor Clarke Peters

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Fifteen years after ‘The Book of Mormon’ made its Broadway debut, original cast members Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad once again took the stage as Mormon missionaries — this time at the 2026 Tony Awards. The musical is a satirical — sometimes affectionate, sometimes offensive — look at Mormonism and youthful naïveté. Rannells and Gad spoke with Terry Gross about their first impressions of the show, how their voices have changed, and how the songs in 'The Book of Mormon' are a tribute to musical theater.

Also, Clarke Peters played Det. Lester Freamon in ‘The Wire’ and now plays a retiree in the supernatural thriller ‘The Boroughs.’ He spoke to Terry Gross about both series, and about his continued work as an actor. “I picked this profession so that I would have longevity, so that I could still be acting at 100, if it comes to it,” he says.

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Andrew Scott/Remembering author Marjane Satrapi

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:03:10 +0000

In the new film 'Pressure,' Scott plays an Army meteorologist advising military officials on the date for the D-Day invasion. He spoke to Terry Gross in 2024 about playing a killer conman in ‘Ripley’ and the “hot priest” in ‘Fleabag.' Plus, we listen back to Terry Gross’ 2003 interview with French-Iranian artist and writer Marjane Satrapi, who died June 4. Satrapi's groundbreaking graphic novel ‘Persepolis’ introduced readers to life in Iran during the Islamic revolution and the Iran/Iraq war. And Justin Chang reviews ‘Disclosure Day.'

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'Daily Show' comic Josh Johnson

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:06:15 +0000

Johnson says he’s not shy about sharing his insecurities on stage. "One of the most connected attributes of the human condition ... is just being flawed," he tells Terry Grosss. "We really connect with people on their faults." Johnson’s new comedy special is Symphony.

Also, Martin Johnson reviews ELEPHANT, a new album by jazz trumpeter Adam O'Farrill.

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Josh O'Connor takes the lead in 'Disclosure Day'

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:21:21 +0000

O'Connor stars as a cybersecurity expert who decides the world deserves to know the truth about alien life in the Steven Spielberg film Disclosure Day. He speaks with Tonya Mosley about preparing in secret to star in the summer Blockbuster, why he initially had no interest in playing Prince Charles in The Crown, and why he gets sick after completing almost every role.

David Bianculli reviews new documentaries about Martin Short and Lorne Michaels.

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How sky-high ticket prices, war & politics could impact the World Cup

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:34:48 +0000

The biggest World Cup ever starts this week. Laura Williamson, editor in chief of The Athletic, describes how sky-high prices, travel restrictions, politics and the Ebola outbreak are impacting fans. Williamson also discusses President Trump’s UFC event on the White House lawn.

Ken Tucker reviews Kacey Musgraves’ album ‘Middle of Nowhere,’ which he says pairs well with the music biography ‘Gary Stewart: I Am From the Honky-Tonks.’

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Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad look back on 15 years of ‘Book of Mormon’

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:17:13 +0000

Fifteen years after ‘The Book of Mormon’ made its Broadway debut, original cast members Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad once again took the stage as Mormon missionaries — this time at the 2026 Tony Awards. Created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the duo behind ‘South Park’), along with veteran Broadway composer Robert Lopez, ‘The Book of Mormon’ follows two young missionaries sent to try and bring Mormonism to a Ugandan village. The musical is a satirical — sometimes affectionate, sometimes offensive — look at Mormonism and youthful naïveté. Rannells and Gad spoke with Terry Gross about their first impressions of the show, mishaps onstage, and regretting their decision to leave when they did.

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Best Of: Novelist Maggie O’Farrell / A personal history of the N-Word

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Maggie O’Farrell wrote the novel ‘Hamnet’ and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. She has a new book called ‘Land,’ about a father and son mapping 19th-century Ireland after the devastation of the Great Famine.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the latest by classics scholar Mary Beard.

Also, we hear from historian Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor. She has spent much of her career tracing the N-word through slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, and hip hop. For a long time she kept it a secret that her father was Richard Pryor, the man who put the word at the center of American comedy. "I was a scholar of the N-word — and so, obviously, is he." Her new book is ‘Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me.’

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Alan Cumming / Angela Lansbury

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:59:47 +0000

The Tony Awards are this Sunday. To celebrate, we’re listening back to two award-winners from our archive: Alan Cumming, who played the emcee in ‘Cabaret’ in three different productions, and Angela Lansbury, who starred in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sweeny Todd,’ as Mrs. Lovett who baked Sweeney’s victims into pies.

Also, Justin Chang reviews two new horror films: ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms.’

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Clarke Peters: From ‘The Wire’ to ‘The Boroughs’

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:53:13 +0000

Peters’ credits include police Detective Lester Freamon in ‘The Wire,’ a Vietnam veteran in Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods,’ and now a retiree in the supernatural thriller ‘The Boroughs’ on Netflix. Peters spoke with Terry Gross about his long career on stage and screen, his singing voice, and why he relocated to London in the ‘70s. “I picked this profession so that I would have longevity, so that I could still be acting at 100, if it comes to it,” he says.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the Apple 10-part miniseries ‘Cape Fear.’

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How a single decision made a century ago split a family by race

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

'Hamnet' novelist Maggie O'Farrell maps her Irish roots in 'Land'

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:44:41 +0000

O’Farrell’s 2020 novel ‘Hamnet’ was adapted into an award-winning film last year. She co-wrote the screenplay. It’s about the grief Shakespeare and his wife Agnes struggle with after their son, Hamnet, dies of the plague, and how that grief leads him to write the play Hamlet. O’Farrell’s new novel, ‘Land,’ is about the lives of an Irish family living in the aftermath of the Great Famine. Even though she writes historical novels, she tries not to lean too much into history: “I find there’s nothing that makes me put a book down faster than if somebody is trying to show me that they’ve done all their homework,” she says. ‘Land’ is in part based on her family.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Classicist Mary Beard’s new book ‘Talking Classics.’

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Richard Pryor’s daughter Elizabeth is a scholar of the N-word

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:42:40 +0000

Historian Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor has spent her career tracing the racial slur, the N-word, through slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, and hip hop. But what she didn't tell most of her students, even some of her colleagues, was that her father was the comedian who put the word at the center of American comedy – Richard Pryor. "I was a scholar of the N-word — and so was he,” she tells Tonya Mosley. Her new book, ‘Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me,’ is part memoir, part history of a word her father, late in his career, decided to never use again.

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Best Of: ‘Boroughs’ Actor Alfre Woodard / Rose Byrne

Sat, 30 May 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Alfre Woodard stars in a new Netflix sci-fi mystery series ‘The Boroughs,’ from the creators of ‘Stranger Things.’ She plays a retired journalist living in a senior community where the residents are being preyed on by something otherworldly. She spoke with Tonya Molsey.

Rose Byrne is now on Broadway in the comedy play ‘Fallen Angels.’ She spoke with Fresh Air producer Ann Marie Baldonado about her Tony-nominated performance, as well as her starring role in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’ In it she plays a woman trying to care for her sick daughter, while her life is unraveling. Byrne says the movie taps into the fear and horror of being a parent.

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Remembering jazz giant Sonny Rollins

Fri, 29 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

The great jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins died Monday at the age of 95. He was known for his improvisation and technique, his full bodied sound that could erupt into grunts and brays, and his love of songs. Rollins said of improvising: “When I'm actually on the stage and performing, the optimum condition is not to think. I just want the music to play itself. I didn't want to have to think about it.” We listen back to Terry Gross’s 1994 interview with Rollins. Also, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead pays tribute.

Finally, critic Justin Chang tells us about the highlights from the Cannes Film Festival.

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‘Boroughs’ actor Alfre Woodard reminds us to look to our elders

Thu, 28 May 2026 18:21:28 +0000

Alfre Woodard stars in the new Netflix series ‘The Boroughs,’ a supernatural mystery from the producers of ‘Stranger Things.’ In it, she leads an ensemble of folks in a retirement community who band together to stop an otherworldly threat. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about the new show, her Emmy-winning performance on ‘Hill Street Blues,’ where she played a mother whose child was killed by a police officer, and her network of Black actresses in Hollywood.

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Obama staffer Ben Rhodes on Iran negotiations and the battle for American identity

Wed, 27 May 2026 18:01:57 +0000

Ben Rhodes was a speechwriter and Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama. He spoke with Terry Gross about his experience negotiating with Iran during his time in the White House, and his read of the current conflict. His new book, ‘All We Say,’ is a collection of 15 speeches — from Ben Franklin to President Trump — about what it means to be American. He also reflects on collaborating with President Obama on one of his most impactful speeches, like the so-called "race speech."

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David Sedaris wants to be better (at everything)

Tue, 26 May 2026 17:57:24 +0000

Humorist David Sedaris says the best part of reading his work to an audience is earning the laughs — or the groans. "A collective groan is fine with me," he says. Sedaris reflects on his Duolingo obsession, AI, and why he’ll continue writing and touring as long as he possibly can. His new book of essays is ‘The Land and Its People.’ He spoke with guest interviewer Sam Fragoso, host of the podcast ‘Talk Easy.’

Also, John Powers reviews two new mystery novels: ‘The End of the Sahara,’ by the Algerian writer Saïd Khatibi, and ‘An Enigma by the Sea,’ by Italian authors Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini.

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Billie Eilish & Finneas

Mon, 25 May 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Popstar Billie Eilish has a new 3D concert film that she co-directed with James Cameron. She and her brother and co-producer Finneas spoke with Terry Gross in 2024 about the album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft.’

Also, for Memorial Day, book critic Maureen Corrigan reflects on the history of pocket-size books that soldiers were given in WWII.

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Stephen Colbert / Remembering MA Rep. Barney Frank

Sat, 23 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ ended last night after 11 years. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2016 shortly after he took over from David Letterman. Before that, Colbert played a conservative persona in the vein of Bill O'Reilly on ‘The Colbert Report.’ When he started ‘The Late Show,’ out of character, he said, “I knew it would be a little bit of a public discovery. It's somebody else's joke, but life is like learning to play the violin in public. You don't know what you're doing until you do it.”

Also we remember Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, who died this week at age 86. The influential Democrat helped normalize being openly gay in public office. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2015.

Also, John Powers reviews the horror-comedy Apple TV series ‘Widow’s Bay.’

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Best Of: Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s childhood on the run / Writer Jesmyn Ward

Sat, 23 May 2026 04:10:00 +0000

Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s mother, Bernardine Dohrn, was a leader of SDS, a student group protesting the Vietnam War. She also led a faction that broke away and became the Weather Underground, advocating armed resistance against the government. His father, Bill Ayers, was also an activist-turned-revolutionary. In a new memoir, Zayd wrestles with questions he had growing up, like if his parents were living underground and on the run from the FBI, why did they have kids? He spoke with Terry Gross.

Also, two-time National Book Award winning writer Jesmyn Ward (‘Salvage the Bones,’ ‘Sing, Unburied, Sing’) has a new essay collection on grief, motherhood, and survival. It’s called ‘On Witness and Respair.’ She spoke with Tonya Mosley.

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Rose Byrne

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:48:19 +0000

Rose Byrne starred in big box office comedies like ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Neighbors,’ and, more recently, the indie film ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ which kind of defies genre. It’s about a woman trying to care of her sick daughter while her life is unraveling. “In many ways, it tapped into the monster within and the fear of being a parent and the horror of being a parent – and some of the joy, too.” Her raw performance won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination this year. Now Byrne is nominated for a Tony for her performance in a revival of Noël Coward’s play ‘Fallen Angels.’ She spoke with producer Ann Marie Baldonado.

Later, TV critic Davie Bianculli reflects on the end of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.’ The final episode airs tonight.

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The Justice Department gives Trump an unprecedented settlement

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:12:17 +0000

D.O.J. gave President Trump and his family immunity from tax audits and set up a $1.8 billion fund for victims of "government weaponization." Former government lawyer Andrew Weissmann explains the settlement. His book is 'Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump's Deceit and Save America'

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Through loss, Jesmyn Ward will always return to the word

Tue, 19 May 2026 18:51:17 +0000

Jesmyn Ward learned the term "respair" — the recovery of hope after despair — in 2020, shortly after her partner died suddenly. Her new book, ‘On Witness and Respair,’ is an essay collection on grief, motherhood and survival. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about writing through painful things and why she returned to her native Mississippi. Her previous National Book Award-winning novels are ‘Sing, Unburied, Sing’ and ‘Salvage the Bones.’

Also, jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews an album from Tomeka Reid.

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Son of radicals, Zayd Ayers Dohrn grew up underground & on the run

Mon, 18 May 2026 18:24:47 +0000

"From my very first memories, I knew that the FBI was chasing us," Zayd Ayers Dohrn says. "My parents tried to explain it in terms [like] we were like Robin Hood or we were like the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars. So I knew in the way a kid knows that our lives were precarious."

His mother, Bernardine Dohrn, was a leader of the '60s radical student group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which opposed the war in Vietnam and racism. Along with his father, Bill Ayers, she helped found the Weather Underground, a group committed to armed resistance against the government.

Dohrn spoke with Terry Gross about his radical childhood on the run, visiting his mom in prison, and the questions he needed to ask his parents. His book is ‘Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young: A Fugitive Family in the Revolutionary Underground.’

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Best Of: Boots Riley / Will Sharpe

Sat, 16 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Boots Riley talks about his new film, ‘I Love Boosters.' It stars Keke Palmer as the leader of a crew of women shoplifters who steal from luxury stores and sell the goods cheap to people who can't afford retail. Riley says he thinks of his work labor organizing, filmmaking and writing hip-hop music as the same project.

Also, we’ll hear from actor Will Sharpe. He starred in season two of ‘The White Lotus,’ Lena Dunham’s series ‘Too Much,’ and the movie ‘A Real Pain.’ Now he plays Mozart in a new adaptation of ‘Amadeus.’

TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new special by David Attenborough.

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Remembering Philip Caputo, who wrote an unflinching Vietnam War memoir

Fri, 15 May 2026 18:15:33 +0000

Philip Caputo wrote the 1977 acclaimed and unflinching memoir ‘A Rumor of War,’ about leading a Marine platoon during the Vietnam War. It taught him a painful truth. “I had discovered that I had a capacity to be violent and dark in my actions in a way that totally shocked me,” he told Terry Gross in 2005. He went on to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Caputo died May 7 at 84.

Also, celebrated naturalist and nature documentarian Sir David Attenborough turned 100 this month. We listen back to his 1995 interview with Terry Gross about working in the field.

John Powers reviews the new film ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin.’

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How Trump increased China's global power

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:37:18 +0000

Former national security official Rush Doshi says President Trump’s 2025 sky-high tariffs on Chinese goods sparked a clash in which China prevailed. Doshi spoke with Dave Davies about the current state of U.S.-China relations and President Trump’s meeting with President Xi in Beijing.

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Boots Riley wants to 'compel and repel' you

Wed, 13 May 2026 18:30:02 +0000

Boots Riley’s new film is called ‘I Love Boosters,’ and it stars Keke Palmer as the leader of a crew of women shoplifters in the Bay Area who steal from luxury stores and sell the goods cheap to people who can't afford retail. 20 years before the movie, Riley wrote a song by the same name with his hip-hop group The Coup. The song is a love letter to shoplifters, or boosters, as they're called. Riley talks with Tonya Mosley about why his music, shows, and films -- including the 2018 movie ‘Sorry To Bother You’ -- continue to explore the contradictions that capitalism produces. Riley was a labor organizer in his teens.

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Inside a journalist’s year of using AI for (almost) everything

Tue, 12 May 2026 17:31:40 +0000

Tech writer Joanna Stern used AI to read medical results, respond to texts and serve as her therapist. She says her emotional connection to it was unsettling. Her new book is ‘I Am Not a Robot.’ She spoke with Terry Gross.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new PBS special marking David Attenborough’s 100th birthday.

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Will Sharpe imagines Mozart's day-to-day in 'Amadeus'

Mon, 11 May 2026 18:25:30 +0000

Sharpe played a newly rich tech bro on vacation in Italy the second season of ‘The White Lotus.’ Now he's starring as Mozart, a musical genius who struggles to "read the room" in the new STARZ limited TV series ‘Amadeus.’ He spoke with Fresh Air producer Ann Marie Baldonado about studying piano, acting opposite Kieran Culkin in ‘A Real Pain,’ and feeling like an outsider as a kid.

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Best Of: Novelist Douglas Stuart / ‘Half Man’ Actor Richard Gadd

Sat, 09 May 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Like the main character in his Booker Prize-winning novel 'Shuggie Bain,' writer Douglas Stuart grew up in Glasgow, working class, queer, and with a mother addicted to alcohol. His first career was in fashion, designing underwear for Calvin Klein. “Sometimes when I’m in an audience now and I feel a little nervous, I have a joke to myself and think, how many people in this audience have worn the underwear that you designed?” He spoke with Terry Gross about his new novel, ‘John of John.’

Later, Richard Gadd, creator and star of the Netflix show ‘Baby Reindeer' talks with Tonya Mosley about his new series, ‘Half Man.' It's about two boys who become brothers when their mothers fall in love. They spend the next 30 years trying to survive each other.

David Bianculli reviews the latest adaptation of ‘Lord of the Flies.’

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Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller, from ‘RENT’ to ‘Hamilton’

Fri, 08 May 2026 20:37:45 +0000

Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller played a key role in the production of RENT, Hamilton, In the Heights, Avenue Q, and the revival of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd that starred Josh Groban. His memoir traced his path from ‘Theater Kid’ to producer of Broadway mega-hits.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Silent Friend.’

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Nathan Lane is being tested (and he loves it)

Thu, 07 May 2026 17:51:33 +0000

Nathan Lane just received a Tony nomination for his starring role as Willy Loman in ‘Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.’ He’s a veteran of the stage – often in comedic and musical roles. But in the role of Loman, which he does eight times a week, he’s noticed something different in the audience. “There’s an old joke – my job is just to keep 1600 people from coughing. It's kind of true, but when you hear what we hear during ‘Salesman,’ you hear people weeping in the dark.” At the age of 70, Lane says this production of ‘Salesman’ is the thing he’s most proud of. He spoke with ‘Fresh Air’ guest interviewer Sam Fragoso, host of the podcast ‘Talk Easy.’

Later, Ken Tucker reviews new songs by Ella Langley, Robyn, and Allison Russell.

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How Silicon Valley has profited by aligning with MAGA

Wed, 06 May 2026 18:05:29 +0000

Atlantic writer George Packer discusses how tech venture capitalists, who are heavily invested in AI and cryptocurrency, aligned with Trump and influenced policies related to their own investments.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the new Netflix/BBC miniseries adaptation of ‘Lord of the Flies.’

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Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s path from ‘Backtalker’ to legal scholar

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:35:19 +0000

Crenshaw named two of the most contested ideas in American politics: intersectionality and critical race theory. Her new book is called ‘Backtalker: An American Memoir.’ It takes us to her childhood in Canton, Ohio, and along her path through Cornell, Harvard Law, and the University of Wisconsin, where, in 1988, as a graduate student, she sketched a diagram of an intersection to explain how race, class, and gender overlap. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about these moments in her career, and how she’s thinking about America’s 250th anniversary.

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Scottish novelist Douglas Stuart on the isolation of secret-keeping

Mon, 04 May 2026 17:43:34 +0000

Like a number of his characters, Booker Prize-winning novelist Douglas Stuart grew up working class and queer in Glasgow. He went on to have a career in fashion, which plays into his latest novel, John of John. “It's hard to tell people about grief. It’s hard to talk to people about poverty... and so I’d got very used to the silence in my own life, and my writing is the only thing that allows me to connect with myself,” Stuart told Terry Gross.

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Best Of: Flea / Nick Offerman

Sat, 02 May 2026 04:05:01 +0000

Flea co-founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1982. The bass/trumpet player spoke with Terry Gross about how his music and his life have changed. “Thank God I've changed. I was a lunatic. I was 19 going on 10.” He has a new solo jazz album called ‘Honora.’

Also, we’ll hear from Nick Offerman. He stars in the new series ‘Margo's Got Money Troubles,' about a bright college freshman who gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. Offerman plays her estranged father, a former pro wrestler who comes back into her life to help. The ‘Parks and Rec’ actor spoke with producer Ann Marie Baldonado about transforming for the role.

TV critic David Bianculli will review Zach Galifianakis’ new gardening show.

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Remembering symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas

Fri, 01 May 2026 16:30:01 +0000

We remember conductor, composer and musician Michael Tilson Thomas, who died April 22 at age 81. He was a longtime music director of The San Francisco Symphony, known for his innovation, his ability to translate classical music for the general public, and for fostering contemporary music. He founded the New World Symphony for young players. He got his musical inheritance from his grandparents, who were stars of the Yiddish theatre. When he was a kid, his grandmother took him on stage and pointed up to the last row in the balcony, telling him: “Up there are the cheapest seats and in those seats are the people who love the show the most. Whatever you’re doing you must remember that it must reach those people.” He spoke with Terry Gross in 1994 and 2012.

John Powers reviews ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2.’

Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly said that both Anne Frank and Audrey Hepburn were born in Holland. Anne Frank was born in Germany, and Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium.

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Richard Gadd is looking at the ‘dangers of repression’

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:23:31 +0000

‘Baby Reindeer’ was an unexpected hit on Netflix in 2024. Now its creator and star is back with ‘Half Man,’ an HBO series about two boys who become brothers after their mothers fall in love in 1980s Scotland. Gadd spoke with Tonya Mosley about exploring toxic masculinity, becoming famous overnight, and bombing stand-up sets.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends three playful novels: ‘Yesteryear,’ ‘American Fantasy,’ and ‘Enormous Wings.’

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How Trump's EPA head has transformed the agency — and sided with polluters

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:28:16 +0000

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert says EPA chief Lee Zeldin has rescinded regulations, cut or eliminated departments and terminated the jobs of many scientists. Trump calls Zeldin "our secret weapon." The Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist spoke with Terry Gross.

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Flea’s wild path from childhood to Chili Peppers

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:03:13 +0000

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold tens of millions of albums and taken home multiple Grammy Awards. Now in his 60s, more than four decades after that band formed, Flea is releasing his first solo album. ‘Honora’ is a jazz album that connects back to his childhood. The legendary bassist spoke with NPR’s Terry Gross about some of his wild antics, his “blood bond” with his band, and finding beauty in the world.

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Nick Offerman gets an emotional arc

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:40:41 +0000

Best known for his role as Ron Swanson on ‘Parks and Recreation,’ Nick Offerman plays a former professional wrestler reconnecting with his estranged daughter in ‘Margo's Got Money Troubles.’ He spoke with producer Ann Marie Baldonado about transforming into a wrestler, his ‘Parks’ group chat, and advice for young woodworkers.

Also, John Powers reviews ‘Big Mistakes,’ starring Dan Levy on Netflix.

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Best Of: Malala Yousafzai / Oscar Isaac

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Malala Yousafzai was 15 when a Taliban gunman shot her for advocating for girls' education in her native Pakistan. She understood that she was a target. “I had pictured it many times that this could happen. I had pictured it at school. I had pictured it in my school bus. I knew that the Taliban could do anything,” she told Terry Gross. Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize when she was just 17 years old. In an interview from a live event onstage, she talks about her childhood before the incident and finding herself after being in the public eye for so long.

Also, we hear from actor Oscar Isaac. He’s currently starring in the Netflix series ‘Beef' and recently played Dr. Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of ‘Frankenstein.’

Book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends three books for the spring: ‘Yesteryear,’ by Caro Claire Burke; ‘American Fantasy,’ by Emma Straub; and ‘Enormous Wings,’ by Laurie Frankel.

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‘Schmigadoon!’ co-creator Cinco Paul satirizes Broadway

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:14:53 +0000

‘Schmigadoon!’ is now on Broadway. Adapted from the Apple TV series that lovingly satirized musicals of the ‘40s and ‘50s, we’ll hear from the co-creator, co-writer and songwriter of the series, Cinco Paul, who also wrote the book and songs for the Broadway show. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2021.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Blue Heron.’

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The spy network that took on America's Nazi groups

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:13:35 +0000

In ‘The Secret War Against Hate,’ historian Steven J. Ross details the racist, anti-Semitic groups that sprung up after WWII, in the later half of the 20th century — and the spy network that worked to bring them to justice. He spoke with Terry Gross about that, and how it connects to the Dept. of Justice’s recent indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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Inside Linda McMahon's effort to dismantle the Dept. of Education

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:53:52 +0000

A former pro-wrestling executive, Linda McMahon is now the Education Secretary Trump tasked with abolishing her agency. ‘New Yorker’ staff writer Zach Helfand explains how her WWE experience led her to this role.

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Actor Oscar Isaac is ‘a vulture’ of his own life

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:00:56 +0000

Oscar Isaac stars in season 2 of the Emmy-winning Netflix series ‘Beef,’ which is an anthology about the unexpected consequences of everyday conflict. Isaac plays Josh, the manager of an upscale Los Angeles country club, whose life is unraveling. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the series, his friendship with ‘Frankenstein’ filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, and being a “‘vulture” of his own life.

Also, David Bianculli reviews ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles,’ starring Elle Fanning on Apple TV.

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Malala Yousafzai

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:01:26 +0000

Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai spoke with Terry Gross about bravery, marriage, and defying cultural norms. She was 15 when a Taliban gunman shot her, in response to her advocacy for girls’ education. “When I look back, I'm like, yes, that was a crazy thing that I did. I put my life at risk. But, at the time, what scared me more was a life without an education as a girl. It terrified me.”

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Best Of: Actor Amanda Peet / Re-examining Toni Morrison

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:05:01 +0000

Amanda Peet is in the new film ‘Fantasy Life’ and the series ‘Your Friends & Neighbors.’ In a recent piece in ‘The New Yorker,’ she wrote about being diagnosed with breast cancer while both of her parents were in hospice. “I didn’t really have that ‘why me?’ thing. Maybe because I am Jewish and am always waiting for that other shoe to drop. In this case it was three shoes,” she told Terry Gross.

Also, we’ll talk about Toni Morrison with Harvard professor Namwali Serpell. She says no matter how many times she returns to Morrison’s work, she finds something new. She’s still haunted by the last sentence of the novel ‘Sula.’ “When that sentence comes into my life, whether I'm reading it to teach, whether I'm rereading it to write, whether I'm reading it out loud, even just now, tears always spring to my eyes," Serpell says. She spoke with Tonya Mosley.

David Bianculli reviews the new Apple TV series ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles.’

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John Waters, 'Pope of Trash,' turns 80!

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:37:16 +0000

We celebrate the 80th birthday of the filmmaker known as ‘The Pope of Trash’ and ‘The Prince of Puke,’ John Waters. He's spent a career violating taboos and pushing boundaries. His films include the cult classic ‘Pink Flamingos’ and the relatively mainstream ‘Hairspray,’ which was adapted into a hit Broadway musical. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2014 and 2019.

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Palestinian & Israeli activists share a vision of peace

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:04:01 +0000

Israeli Maoz Inon's parents were killed by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks. Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah's brother died after being tortured in an Israeli military prison. Their new book, ‘The Future Is Peace,’ chronicles their eight day drive across Israel and Palestine, through checkpoints, holy sites, refugee camps, and separation walls.

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Amanda Peet

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:01:52 +0000

Amanda Peet is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Except last year there seemed to be three different shoes, as she faced her parents' deaths and a breast cancer diagnosis. Peet spoke with Terry Gross about her “Season of Ativan,” navigating middle age in Hollywood, and her memories of Diane Keaton from the set of ‘Something’s Gotta Give.’ Peet stars in the new film ‘Fantasy Life’ and in the Apple TV series ‘Your Friends & Neighbors,’ now in its second season.

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A veteran diplomat breaks down the Iran war

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:53:01 +0000

The war entered a new phase when President Trump began a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains what this means.

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Have we been reading Toni Morrison all wrong?

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:10:36 +0000

In a new book, Harvard professor Namwali Serpell makes the case that we have been reading one of the most celebrated writers in American history all wrong. ‘On Morrison’ is a deep dive into the Nobel Laureate’s complete body of work — her 11 novels, plays, and criticism. Serpell has been teaching Morrison for nearly two decades, and she says no matter how many times she returns to the work, she still finds something new.

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reviews two new biographies of composers and pianists born 40 years apart.

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Best Of: Arsenio Hall / Jeff Ross

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Arsenio Hall grew up in Cleveland dreaming of being the next Johnny Carson – kind of. “I wanted to do this show that didn't exist when I was a kid, and I knew the talent was out there.” Hall spoke with Tonya Mosley about his groundbreaking talk show, ‘The Arsenio Hall Show,’ and why he decided to end it, despite its massive success.

Before he was a comic, producer and the “roastmaster,” Jeff Ross was a kid growing up in his family's kosher catering hall in New Jersey, serving weddings and bar mitzvahs. “My bar mitzvah was like something between a Super Bowl halftime show and like something Saddam Hussein would throw for one of his kids,” he tells Terry Gross. Ross shows his more vulnerable, introspective side in his new Netflix comedy special, ‘Take a Banana for the Ride.’

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St. Vincent

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:23:56 +0000

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist St. Vincent is known for her powerful guitar riffs and dark, poetic songs. Her early influences were Nirvana and David Bowie. “I've always felt like gender and identity were a performance. I've been aware of that since I was a young child and learning how to code switch growing up in Texas,” she told Terry Gross in 2024. She's backed by an orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall on her new live album.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Nancy Foley's debut novel ‘I am Agatha,' and TV critic David Bianculli reviews the brief return of the TV sitcom ‘Malcolm in the Middle.’

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Inside a mobile OB/GYN clinic

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:26:22 +0000

Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari's book, ‘Labor,’ is a portrait of reproductive healthcare in post-Dobbs America, serving a community in Oregon with an RV clinic. She also talks about her Iranian heritage and her grandmother's death from an illegal abortion.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews ‘After the Flood,’ by Robert Polito, a book about Bob Dylan’s past 30 years.

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Humorist Annabelle Gurwitch faces stage 4 cancer, finds ‘unexpected joys’

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:35:47 +0000

In 2020, writer Annabelle Gurwitch went to urgent care for a COVID-19 test and learned she had stage 4 lung cancer. She writes about life as a "cancer slacker" in her memoir, ‘The End of My Life is Killing Me.’ The humorist spoke with Terry Gross about facing her mortality, divorce, and going on a tour with her boyfriend and a young heavy metal band.

Also, John Powers reviews the Nordic noir series ‘Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole’ on Netflix.

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Comic Jeff Ross on roasting, loss and his epic bar mitzvah

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:09:17 +0000

Known for his ruthless celebrity roasts, Ross turns inward in his Netflix special, ‘Take a Banana for the Ride,’ which details the loss of his parents and grandfather. The comic spoke with Terry Gross about working at his family’s catering business, his breakthrough ‘Letterman’ set, and living with alopecia. And, upon Terry’s request, he roasts her.

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Arsenio Hall

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:25:05 +0000

Hall grew up in Cleveland dreaming of being the next Johnny Carson. He got close – closer than anyone expected – and then he walked away. Thirty years later, he's finally telling the full story in a new memoir. “I wanted to do this show that didn't exist when I was a kid and I knew the talent was out there,” he tells Tonya Mosley. I found Bruno Mars and put him on the show when he was two feet tall. I wanted those things that Johnny didn't do.” He talks about some of the iconic moments of 'The Arsenio Hall Show,' his decision to end it, and his friendships with Jay Leno and Richard Pryor.

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead marks the 100th birthday of the composer Randy Weston.

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Best Of: John Lithgow / Sondheim’s tumultuous life

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:05:01 +0000

We talk with John Lithgow, veteran of hundreds of performances on stage, screen and television. He’s currently starring in the play ‘Giant’ on Broadway. He plays renowned children’s book author Roald Dahl, caught in a public controversy after he wrote an article laced with antisemitic statements. Also, we’ll talk about Stephen Sondheim’s life and music with Daniel Okrent, author of a new book ‘Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn't Easy.’

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Julio Torres spins immigrant stress into satire

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:05:00 +0000

As a gay, atheist teenager in El Salvador, Julio Torres felt like an alien. He was legally labeled “alien” when he came to the U.S. on a student visa, and then tried to get a work visa. The comic/filmmaker drew on those experiences to write, direct, and star in the satirical film, ‘Problemista.’ He spoke with Terry Gross in 2024 about immigrant stress, his odd form of comedy, and why he's attracted to difficult people. “I don't see difficult people as nightmares to escape. I'm really drawn to them like a moth to a flame,” he says. His new comedy special on HBO is called ‘Color Theories.’

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘The Drama.’

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John Lithgow

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:16:00 +0000

Lithgow, 80, plays an intelligence agent in the FX action series 'The Old Man,' and he's currently starring in the Broadway production of 'Giant,' about a dark side of children's book author Roald Dahl. He spoke with Dave Davies.

Also, John Powers reviews 'Stay Alive' by Ian Buruma, about daily life in Nazi Berlin.

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An exposé of the plastic industry

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:28:01 +0000

In award-winning journalist Beth Gardiner’s new book, ‘Plastic Inc.,’ she traces how plastic went from a wartime miracle to the survival strategy of the fossil fuel industry. What Gardiner found after years of reporting is that while millions of us were recycling and using less fuel, the companies that make plastic are producing more to make up for it. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about recycling, microplastics in the human body, and the environmental impact.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album from Megan Moroney, ‘Cloud 9.’

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Inside the training camps for “alpha males”

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:49:01 +0000

The Trump era has brought a resurgence of the “alpha male.” ‘New Yorker’ writer Charles Bethea reports on camps where men crawl through mud and sit in ice baths, in an effort to reclaim masculinity. Bethea says what he found underneath all the warrior posturing surprised him: men in genuine pain who felt lonely and desperate for connection. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about his reporting.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new novel by Tana French, ‘The Keeper.’

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Former Infowars employee on Alex Jones' conspiracy machine

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:38:55 +0000

Josh Owens spent four years as a video editor and field producer for Jones' Infowars media company. "It was all about making things look cinematic," he says. Owens' memoir is ‘The Madness of Believing.’ He spoke with Dave Davies about how he got into Infowars, the “nonsense” and “lies” the company sold, and how he got out.

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Best Of: Jill Scott / Riz Ahmed

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:05:00 +0000

R&B artist Jill Scott shares some of the lessons she learned from the legends who came before her, including the moment she first met Aretha Franklin. Scott’s new album is ‘To Whom This May Concern.’

Also, actor Riz Ahmed talks about his Prime Video series, ‘Bait.’ He plays a British Pakistani actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. He talks about drawing from moments in his own life, battling self-criticism and chasing acceptance.

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Remembering Action Hero Chuck Norris

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:56:42 +0000

We remember martial arts champion turned Hollywood action hero Chuck Norris, who died last week at age 86. In addition to his many kung fu and action films, he was the star of the long-running TV show, ‘Walker, Texas Ranger.’ He spoke with Terry Gross in 1988 about the karate he learned while stationed in Korea.

Also, we remember Tex-Mex musician Augie Meyers of the Texas Tornadoes, who died March 7 at age 85. His signature sound was created on the vox organ, an instrument made in Britain. When he went to England in the ‘60s he got a call at his hotel. “George Harrison and John Lennon called the hotel and wanted me to come to the studio because they wanted to see how they had a vox organ but they couldn't get the sound I had out of mine,” he told Terry Gross in 1990.

Justin Chang reviews the film ‘Miroirs No. 3’ and David Bianculli reviews ‘Marshals’ and ‘The Madison.’

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America's first AI-fueled war is unfolding. How'd we get here?

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:42:23 +0000

‘Project Maven’ is the story of how the U.S. spent a decade building an AI warfare system that's now being used in the war in Iran. Author and Bloomberg journalist Katrina Manson reveals the people behind that mission, and their belief that AI could make war more precise and save lives. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about the ethics of this technology. A troubling research study found AI models placed in simulated nuclear crisis scenarios chose the nuclear option 95% of the time. Also, Carolina Miranda reviews a Los Angeles art installation that harkens to the old days of cinema.

Also, Carolina Miranda reviews a Los Angeles art installation that harkens to the old days of cinema.

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Bryan Stevenson says facing our racist past is a path, not punishment

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:10:39 +0000

In his second term, President Trump has ordered the removal of monuments, plaques and exhibitions related to slavery, and the history of racial injustice in the U.S. Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson has been working to ensure evidence of America's painful past is not erased. His organization, the Equal Justice Initiative, founded the Legacy Museum to show us the truth of our history. “You can't get the beautiful ‘R’ words, like redemption and reconciliation and restoration and repair, unless you first tell the truth,” he tells Terry Gross.

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Will President Trump act on his threat to take Cuba?

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:45:34 +0000

New Yorker writer Jon Lee Anderson describes conditions in Cuba, why it's vulnerable now — and what regime change would mean — considering the Castro family's entrenchment in the Cuban government.

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Riz Ahmed is chasing acceptance in 'Bait'

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:26:59 +0000

In his new Prime Video series, ‘Bait,’ Riz Ahmed plays an actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. Ahmed says Bond is a "symbol of aspiration, this unattainable kind of self" his character is pursuing. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about being his own worst critic, why he connected to Hamlet, and his early days as an MC on pirate radio.

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Best Of: Harrison Ford / Novelist Francis Spufford

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Harrison Ford spoke with Terry Gross about his role in the Apple TV series ‘Shrinking,’ as a therapist who has Parkinson's Disease. He also talks about how he landed the role of Han Solo in ‘Star Wars.’

Also, we’ll hear from British novelist Francis Spufford. His new book, ‘Nonesuch,’ follows a young woman in WWII London trying to survive the Blitz, navigate romance, and fight time-traveling fascists. He spoke with Executive Producer Sam Briger.

Critic David Bianculli reviews the new film ‘Peaky Blinders,’ which is a follow up to the hit British TV series starring Cillian Murphy.

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‘Jury Duty’ star James Marden / Remembering Roy Book Binder

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:13:25 +0000

‘Jury Duty’ is the Prime Video series about one unwitting regular guy who becomes part of a staged fake jury, not knowing that everyone around him is an actor. Season two is now streaming, with a new setting. It’s called ‘Company Retreat.’ We’re listening back to our interview with James Marsden, who played a satirical version of himself in the first season.

Also, we remember raconteur Roy Book Binder, known for playing southern blues and hillbilly music. He died March 3rd at age 82.

Justin Chang reviews the new Ryan Gosling space epic, ‘Project Hail Mary.’

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Jill Scott is in her ‘auntie’ era

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:19:58 +0000

The Grammy-winning R&B star spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about making her new album, ‘To Whom This May Concern,’ finding inspiration in the poetry of Nikki Giovanni, and growing up in a multigenerational household.

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The Blitz, romance, and time-traveling fascists

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:48:18 +0000

In Francis Spufford’s new novel, ‘Nonesuch,’ magical, time-traveling fascists want to go back in time and murder Winston Churchill before he shores up Britain's will to fight the Nazis. The book’s hero, a young woman named Iris, is trying to survive the Blitz while navigating her love life and sexism in ‘40s London. The author spoke with Fresh Air Executive Producer Sam Briger.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new movie adaptation of the TV series ‘Peaky Blinders.’

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Could the Iran war lead to WWIII?

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:08:10 +0000

With the Strait of Hormuz blocked, policy expert Karim Sadjadpour says the war in Iran is becoming increasingly complicated: "I don't think President Trump ... understood what he was getting into." Sadjadpour spoke with Terry Gross about the historical context of the conflict, the four priorities for the U.S. government, and the likelihood of escalation to WWIII.

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The tumultuous life of Stephen Sondheim

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:46:05 +0000

Daniel Okrent’s new biography, ‘Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy,’ offers new insights into the renowned Broadway composer and lyricist. Okrent talks with Terry Gross about Sondheim’s often toxic relationship to his mother, his drinking and substance use, and finding himself through his art. “There are two major arcs to [Stephen Sondheim’s] life. One is from absolute alienation to finally, near the end of his life, connection,” he says. “The other is from an ambivalence that could be crippling at times, to resolution, to knowing who he was and what he was capable of doing.”

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel ‘Now I Surrender.’

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Best Of: Delroy Lindo / Tayari Jones on ‘Kin’

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Delroy Lindo stars as Delta Slim, a gifted and haunted blues musician, in ‘Sinners.’ It's a performance that has earned Lindo his first Academy Award nomination. He wants to win, but he says he won't let it define him either way. “I have never taken my marbles and gone home as a result of whatever disappointments, the vicissitudes of the industry.”

Also, we hear from novelist Tayari Jones. Her new book ‘Kin’ is a story of two motherless girls in 1950s Louisiana who became each other’s chosen family. The idea for the book came from her own experience of losing a friend. “When you're friends with someone, you know your name will not be listed in any obituary. But it breaks your heart to lose your friends,” she tells Tonya Mosley.

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Benicio del Toro

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:06:56 +0000

Benicio del Toro is nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘One Battle After Another,’ where he plays a karate sensei who runs what he calls a "Latino Harriet Tubman" operation. He was also in Wes Anderson’s latest film, ‘The Phoenician Scheme.’ He spoke with Tonya Mosley last year.

David Bianculli reviews ‘Scarpetta,’ the new Prime Video series starring Nicole Kidman, based on a series of books by Patricia Cornwell, and John Powers reviews the new Netflix series ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast,’ by the creator of ‘Derry Girls.’

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Inside the explosive growth of sports betting

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:54:03 +0000

As part of his investigation into sports betting, Atlantic journalist McKay Coppins gambled $10,000 during last NFL season. He spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about his experiment, what he learned, and what the explosion of betting is doing to society. “It’s turning all of American life into a Las Vegas table game. There’s always this kind of glittering mirage of profit that you’re chasing, when, in reality, it’s designed to sort of demoralize and crush every regular person who plays.” They also talk about how betting has expanded to politics and international conflict.

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Harrison Ford

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:46:26 +0000

After playing some of the most recognizable and beloved characters in cinematic history, Harrison Ford is not interested in retiring. "I really do love the work,” he tells Terry Gross. “It constantly changes, and the people change, and the mission and the opportunity change, and it just makes for an interesting way to live your life." The 83 year-old looks back on his big break with ‘Star Wars,’ the challenges of playing a therapist in the Apple TV series ‘Shrinking’ and the infamous 2015 plane crash.

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Jamilah Lemieux on the complicated beauty of being a ‘Black. Single. Mother.’

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:00:38 +0000

As a culture critic, Lemieux has spent years pushing back against the stereotypes and stigma that follow single mothers. Her new book blends her own memoir with the stories of 21 other Black women.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews ‘American Classic.’

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The hidden history of blackface in America

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:37:24 +0000

In 2013, historian Rhae Lynn Barnes was researching blackface in America at the Library of Congress when she encountered something strange: Various primary sources on the subject were listed as "missing on shelf." It turns out that a librarian had purposely hid the materials to keep it from the KKK, which had a resurgence in the ‘80s. Barnes’s new book, ‘Darkology,’ looks at the proliferation of racist minstrel shows, and how amateur blackface became one of the most popular forms of entertainment in America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Barnes also explains how blackface fell out of fashion and then ultimately became taboo. “It is our patriotic duty as American citizens [to] help make sure that the American public has access to our history in all of its complexity,” she says.

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Best Of: ‘Hamnet’ star Jessie Buckley / Documentarian Morgan Neville

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Irish actor Jessie Buckley is nominated for an Oscar for her starring role as Shakespeare’s wife in ‘Hamnet.’ She talks about the film and how motherhood has changed her. “The thing this story offered me that brought me into this next chapter of my life as a mother was tenderness.”

Also, documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville tells us about his new documentary, ‘Man on the Run,’ which focuses on Paul McCartney’s life and music after the break-up of The Beatles.

John Powers reviews ‘Kokuho,’ a Japanese film about a gangster’s son who dreams of being a star in Kabuki theater.

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Remembering pop songwriter Neil Sedaka

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:06:11 +0000

Sedaka, who died last week at 86, wrote and recorded hits in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s – songs like “Calendar Girl” and “Breaking up is Hard to Do.” He was nine years old when he began studying piano at Juilliard. Sedaka told Terry Gross in 2007, “To the shock of my family, after studying at Juilliard I sold 40 million records in five years.” The British invasion derailed his career until years later when Elton John helped revive it, by signing Sedaka to his label.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album by The Paranoid Style, led by composer-singer Elizabeth Nelson. And Justin Chang reviews the new Pixar film, ‘Hoppers.’

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Delroy Lindo is claiming victory

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:37:36 +0000

Delroy Lindo is Oscar-nominated for his role as Delta Slim in Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners.’ In a wide-ranging conversation with co-host Tonya Mosley, he talks about preparing for the role, growing up in the U.K. as the son of a Jamaican immigrant, and a special phone call from Spike Lee. He also shares what was going through his mind when he was onstage at the BAFTAs when a man shouted a racial slur.

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From Beatles break-up to John’s murder, a look at Paul’s transformation

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:26:16 +0000

Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville tells us about his new film, ‘Man on The Run.’It begins when the Beatles end, with Paul McCartney trying to figure out who he is as a musician and as a person— without John Lennon and the band that defined him since he was a teenager. Neville got access to previously unseen archival footage of McCartney with his young family and forming his new band, Wings. He spoke with Fresh Air contributor/producer Ann Marie Baldonado.

Also, jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews an Art Blakey concert album, ‘Strasbourg 82.’

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A look at Trump's plans to restrict voting

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:44:14 +0000

President Trump is promoting tighter restrictions on mail-in ballots as well as passage of the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote. UCLA professor Richard Hasen unpacks the ramifications.

John Powers reviews the Oscar-nominated Japanese film ‘Kokuho.’

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Jessie Buckley loves the ‘shadowy bits’ of her characters

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:14:30 +0000

Jessie Buckley spoke with Terry Gross about her role as Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, in ‘Hamnet,’ directed by Chloé Zhao. She’s nominated for an Oscar and already won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her performance. The Irish actor talks about motherhood, the singing competition show she did in her teens, and the infamous crying scene in ‘Hamnet.’

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Best Of: Kate Hudson / Stellan Skarsgård

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:05:00 +0000

Kate Hudson is up for an Oscar for her role as Claire in the film ‘Song Sung Blue,’ starring opposite Hugh Jackman as one half of Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute band. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about pursuing singing late in her career. We also hear from Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard. He’s earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film ‘Sentimental Value.’ He’ll talk with Dave Davies about his many roles over the years -- from 'Dune' to 'Good Will Hunting,' and 'Mamma Mia!' and recovering from a stroke that impaired his ability to memorize lines.

David Bianculli reviews a new documentary about Paul McCartney in his decade after the Beatles.

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The voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 17:05:00 +0000

We take a trip to Bikini Bottom and revisit our interview with Tom Kenny, who plays SpongeBob on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series, and in the new ‘Spongebob SquarePants’ film. Kenny’s been voicing the character since the show began in 1999. In 2004 he talked about creating the voice, including experimenting with inhaling helium.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews ‘Man on the Run,’ the new documentary about Sir Paul McCartney in the decade after the Beatles split up, and Justin Chang reviews the new erotic drama ‘Dreams,’ starring Jessica Chastain.

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Is the U.S. headed toward military conflict with Iran?

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:46:15 +0000

New York Times journalist David Sanger discusses how we got here, the state of Iran's nuclear weapons program, the likelihood of U.S. military force against Iran and if Trump's goal is regime change.

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Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t believe in bad guys

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:59:06 +0000

Aside from the evil Baron Harkonnen in ‘Dune,’ actor Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t really believe in bad guys. He looks for nuance in every role. He’s Oscar-nominated for his performance in ‘Sentimental Value,’ as a successful filmmaker who is estranged from his grown daughters. Skarsgård spoke with Dave Davies about improvising with Robin Williams in ‘Good Will Hunting,’ raising actor children, and how a stroke impacted his acting.

Also, critic Maureen Corrigan reviews ‘This is Not About Us,’ by Allegra Goodman.

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Tayari Jones on friendship, writing, and choosing your ‘Kin’

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 20:11:07 +0000

Eight years after her bestseller 'An American Marriage,' Tayari Jones has written a new novel, 'Kin,' set in the Jim Crow South. It follows two girls, Vernice and Annie, who grow up next door to each other without their mothers. That shared wound binds them and carries them through adulthood and across class lines. Jones says the idea for the book came from her own experience of losing a friend — and the particular kind of grief that the world doesn't always recognize. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about female friendship, growing up with civil rights activist parents, and the writing class that changed her life.'Kin' was just selected by Oprah’s Book Club.

Also, critic David Bianculli gives his take on the latest TV shows.

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Kate Hudson

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:11:55 +0000

Kate Hudson has had a hugely successful career as an actor and entrepreneur, but knew she'd always regret it if she didn't try her hand at music. Finally in 2024 she released her debut album, 'Glorious,' and got to share a whole other side of herself with the world. “I'm very happy with myself as a mother. Like I feel like I've made all the right mistakes and all the wrong mistakes,” she says. “But I couldn't say that about my art. And that would be my own personal sadness and regret, is that I didn't share my writings as a musician.” She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about taking the leap, her Oscar-nominated performance in 'Song Sung Blue,' and what she remembers from the set of 'Almost Famous.'

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Best Of: The life and legacy of Fela Kuti / Michael Pollan on consciousness

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The Nigerian musician Fela Kuti used his music in the ‘70s as a weapon against colonial values and his country’s brutal dictatorship. The danceable music and political lyrics inspired a youth movement. Award-winning podcaster Jad Abumrad talks with Terry about his podcast series, ‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.’

Also, we hear from best-selling science journalist Michael Pollan. His new book ‘A World Appears’ asks how technology is changing our consciousness. “Consciousness is under siege,” he says. “I think that it’s the last frontier for these companies that want to sell our time and, of course, our time is our mind time.” Pollan also questions whether A.I. is capable of achieving consciousness.

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Remembering actor Robert Duvall & filmmaker Frederick Wiseman

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:35:50 +0000

The great actor Robert Duvall made his mark starring in epic movies and intimate dramas including ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Tender Mercies,’ ‘The Great Santini,’ and, of course, ‘Apocalypse Now.’ He died Sunday at age 95. We listen back to archival interviews from 1996 and 2010.

Also, the documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, whose approach was to choose a subject and capture it at great, revealing length, died Monday at age 96. His films include 'Titicut Follies,' 'Central Park,' 'Juvenile Court,' 'High School,' and 'Hospital.' He spoke with Terry Gross in 1986 about why he chose documentary as his medium.

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Michael Pollan’s journey to understand consciousness

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 19:21:28 +0000

Science journalist Michael Pollan has written extensively about the therapeutic benefits of mind-altering psychedelics. His new book, ‘A World Appears,’ asks, what is consciousness? “Consciousness has kind of become the secular substitute for the soul,” he tells Terry Gross. Pollan also talks about current studies on consciousness and whether plants and artificial intelligence have consciousness.

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A look at the ethical implications of AI

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:31:00 +0000

The AI chatbot Claude can help you write an email, challenge a hospital bill, or publish a novel. It was also reportedly used by the U.S. military in the operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Now the Pentagon is threatening to cut ties with Anthropic, the company that built it, because it insists on keeping restrictions around autonomous weapons and mass surveillance. Journalist Gideon Lewis-Kraus spent months inside Anthropic, one of the world's most secretive AI companies, for a new piece in ‘The New Yorker,’ where he asks: What happens when the people who built the machine can't fully explain what it's doing? He spoke with Tonya Mosley.

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A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:34:29 +0000

Photojournalist Loubna Mrie grew up in Syria in a wealthy and abusive home. Her father was part of the regime, allegedly an assassin for Bashar al-Assad’s father. Loubna joined the Syrian revolution first as a protester and then as a photojournalist. She talks with guest interviewer Aarti Shahani about how her family and country fell apart, and lessons she brought to her new home in the U.S.. Her book is ‘Defiance: A Memoir of Awakening, Rebellion, and Survival in Syria.’

Later, John Powers reviews ‘Crime 101,’ a thriller starring Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry.

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The American Presidency, Redefined

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham talks with Dave Davies about Trump's impact on democracy. Meacham's latest book, ‘American Struggle,’ is a collection of speeches, letters and other original texts from 1619 to the present.

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Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 05:10:00 +0000

Dorothy Roberts’ father was a white anthropologist who studied interracial marriages and her mother was a Black woman from Jamaica. She always assumed her parents' relationship inspired her father’s scholarly focus, but that changed after he died, and she found boxes of interviews he conducted with interracial couples, dating back to the 1930s, decades before he met her mother. Robert's memoir is ‘The Mixed Marriage Project.’

We also hear from historian Heather McGhee. Her book, ‘The Sum of Us,’ examines a question at the heart of American life: Why do so many Americans believe that progress for one group means loss for another?

Also, David Bianculli talks about some TV shows he’s been catching up on.

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‘Sinners’ Songwriter Raphael Saadiq

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:12:08 +0000

Singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq is known for his work as a member of Tony! Toni! Toné!, as a solo artist, and for his work producing and writing for artists like Solange, D’Angelo, Beyoncé, John Legend, and more. “I Lied to You,” the song he co-wrote for the film ‘Sinners,’ has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. He spoke with Tonya Mosley.

Also, we remember jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski. His playing was influenced by classical techniques, swing and traditional jazz.

Justin Chang reviews Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights.’

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Fela Kuti and the music of political resistance

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:45:09 +0000

Considered the father of Afrobeat, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti used his music in the 1970s to combat colonial values and brutal dictatorship. Former Radiolab host Jad Abumrad tells his story in the podcast series, ‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.’ He spoke with Terry Gross.

Also, Fresh Air’s longtime executive producer Danny Miller is retiring. We close out the show with an appreciation and send-off from the staff.

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Excavating the Epstein files

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:55:18 +0000

British journalist Vicky Ward first profiled sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 for Vanity Fair. The experience was so alarming and stressful that she went into labor with her twins at 30 weeks, two months early. More than 20 years later, Ward, still following the case, talks with Tonya Mosley about the fallout from the millions of publicly released documents, and why this story took so long to come out.

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Love, Race & the ‘Mixed Marriage Project’

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:28:34 +0000

Almost a decade after her father's death, legal scholar Dorothy Roberts had to confront the 25 boxes of his research collecting dust in her office. Roberts' parents, a white anthropologist and a Black woman from Jamaica, spent years doing research on interracial marriage and intimacy in Chicago. Her new memoir, ‘The Mixed Marriage Project,’ draws from their records. She says the project permeated every corner of her upbringing, and now, as a scholar herself, she’s reflecting on her life and racial identity with a new lens.

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The Ruby Ridge siege & conspiracy-laced politics in America

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:14:03 +0000

We look back at the 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge in Idaho, where gunfire left two civilians and a deputy U.S. Marshal dead. Chris Jennings’ new book explores the apocalyptic religious beliefs that led Randy Weaver and his family to move to a remote cabin, armed to resist government intrusion. He traces the impact of Ruby Ridge on the spread of conspiratorial anti-government and white-supremacist movements. His book is ‘End of Days.’

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the memoir 'Dizzy,’ by Rachel Weaver.

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Best Of: Fighting for free press in Russia / ‘Fear and Fury’

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 05:05:00 +0000

Julia Loktev’s latest documentary, ‘My Undesirable Friends - Part 1: Last Air in Moscow,’ follows independent Russian journalists in the months leading up to, and just after, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The film has arrived in the U.S. at a moment when questions about press freedom feel newly present. “Every day it feels like there is something to bring the story home for Americans, where it almost feels like there’s Easter eggs in the film that become more and more relevant.” she says.

Also, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Heather Ann Thompson revisits a 1984 New York City subway shooting, when Bernhard Goetz, a white man, shot four Black teenagers. In the days that followed, Goetz became a hometown hero. “We are watching someone tell us exactly who they are, exactly what they did, and it will not matter. Up will become down, down will become up. And that also felt very, very familiar to where we are today.” Her book is ‘Fear and Fury.’

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A 50th anniversary celebration of ‘Taxi Driver’

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:41:42 +0000

Martin Scorsese's masterpiece about loneliness, urban decay, and vigilantism is 50 years old this month. We’re revisiting archival interviews about ‘Taxi Driver’ with Scorsese, screenwriter Paul Schrader and actors Harvey Keitel, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster, and Al Brooks.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews 'Pillion.'

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Following independent journalists fighting for free press in Russia

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:42:49 +0000

Julia Loktev's acclaimed documentary, ‘My Undesirable Friends,’ follows young Russian journalists in the months before and after Putin's invasion of Ukraine — and the impossible choices they face when dissent means prison or exile.

Also, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead revisits a two-night set Miles Davis did in Chicago in 1965.

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Is America headed toward dictatorship?

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:51:33 +0000

Atlantic writer Robert Kagan says as President Trump violates norms, laws and the Constitution, including his call to nationalize elections, we’re on the edge of the consolidation of dictatorship. “I think we're already well into a dictatorship. It's just a question of whether [Trump] will go ahead and basically disrupt the '26 elections, which I think he's made it clear he has every intention of doing now,” Kagan tells Terry Gross. “So I think that this should be a five-alarm fire for everybody.”

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How Rupert Murdoch built an empire and broke his family

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:29:50 +0000

We go inside the real succession story within the Murdoch family media empire. It includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. In 2023 Rupert Murdoch chose his eldest son and most conservative child, Lachlan, as his successor – buying out three of his other children from the family trust and estranging them in the process. “His dream was to build a family business. And what he built was a business that destroyed his family,” journalist Gabriel Sherman says. His book, ‘Bonfire of the Murdochs,’ also examines how the Murdochs changed politics on three continents over half a century. He spoke with guest interviewer Sam Fragoso.

Later, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the return of ‘The Muppets.’

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Ethan Hawke

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:41:21 +0000

"Every now and then you bump up against a part that presses you to the wall of your ability," Hawke says of playing lyricist Lorenz Hart in ‘Blue Moon.’ He’s nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Hawke spoke with Terry Gross about collaborating with Richard Linklater, losing his friend River Phoenix, and his thoughts on aging.

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Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 05:10:00 +0000

Liz Moore’s bestselling book, ‘Long Bright River,’ was set in a troubled Philadelphia neighborhood where she’d worked on a photo essay. “My own family has a long history of addiction. I was kind of emotionally drawn back to the neighborhood over and over again because of that,” she tells Dave Davies. The resulting thriller about a policewoman searching for her missing sister was made into a series on Peacock. Moore’s latest book, ‘The God of the Woods,’ where a child goes missing from a remote children’s camp, will be adapted to a Netflix series.

Also, we hear from one of England’s most acclaimed writers, Julian Barnes. He has a new book, which he says will be his last. It’s called ‘Departures.’ He spoke with Terry Gross.

Maureen Corrigan reviews George Saunders’ new novel, ‘Vigil.’

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Guillermo Del Toro would ‘rather die’ than use generative AI

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:58:00 +0000

When Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a kid growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, he would draw monsters all day. His deeply Catholic grandmother even had him exorcised because of it. But when del Toro saw the 1931 film ‘Frankenstein,’ his life changed. "I realized I understood my faith or my dogmas better through Frankenstein than through Sunday mass." His adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic book is nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Del Toro spoke with Terry Gross about getting over his fear of death, the design of Frankenstein's creature, and his opinion on generative AI.

Also, John Powers reviews the noirish drama ‘Islands.’

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Former NBC producer on silence, shame and finding words after #MeToo

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:30:07 +0000

Brooke Nevils was a young NBC producer working the 2014 Sochi Olympics when, she says, ‘Today Show’ host Matt Lauer sexually assaulted her. Lauer has denied her account, calling their relationship consensual. Now, in her new memoir, ‘Unspeakable Things,’ Nevils doesn't just revisit what happened – she interrogates why it took years to understand it. She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews George Saunders’ new novel, ‘Vigil,’ and Ken Tucker reviews music from country artist Stephen Wilson Jr.

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Inside the U.S. reversal on climate change action

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:51:13 +0000

President Trump calls global warming "a hoax." As the U.S. faces more severe storms and extreme weather events, New York Times climate reporter David Gelles describes what this means for climate change policy and shares what global leaders were saying at Davos.

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How Tucker Carlson Became Right-Wing Media’s Most Significant Voice

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:02:39 +0000

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Jason Zengerle says after Tucker Carlson was let go from CNN and MSNBC, and joined Fox News, Trump’s 2016 presidential candidacy revived his career. “Those more prestigious Fox shows… they could not find camera-ready, intelligent human beings to go on their programs and make a sensible case for Donald Trump -- and Tucker was someone who could,” he tells Terry Gross. After Fox fired Carlson in 2023, he started his own streaming show and moved further to the right. Zengerle writes that Carlson’s story shows how conservative media has changed. His book is ‘Hated By All The Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind.’

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The Rebirth Of White Rage

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 19:18:46 +0000

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Heather Ann Thompson talks about the 1984 New York City subway shooting, when Bernhard Goetz, a white man, shot four Black teenagers. "We are watching someone tell us exactly who they are, exactly what they did, and it will not matter. Up will become down, down will become up. And that also felt very, very familiar to where we are today," she tells Tonya Mosley. Thompson argues reactions to the Goetz case helped fuel a politics of racial resentment that reshaped criminal justice, national policy and media narratives. Her book is 'Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage.'

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Best Of: Writers Rachel Eliza Griffiths & Quiara Alegría Hudes

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 05:10:00 +0000

When writer Rachel Eliza Griffiths married Salman Rushdie in 2021, she expected her wedding day to be joyful. But the joy was invaded by tragedy, when she got the news her best friend had died. Eleven months later, Rushdie was stabbed and nearly killed onstage. Griffiths describes that year in her new memoir, ‘The Flower Bearers.'

Also, we hear from Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, writer of ‘In the Heights,’ ‘Water by the Spoonful,’ and the memoir ‘My Broken Language.’ Her new novel, ‘The White Hot,’ tells the story of a young mother who buys a one-way bus ticket and leaves her 10 year-old daughter behind.

Plus, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Sound of Falling,’ which is shortlisted for an Oscar for Best International Feature.

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A Mel Brooks Appreciation!

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:15:02 +0000

He’s the subject of a new two-part HBO documentary by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio called ‘Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!’ It looks at his origins in Brooklyn, his service in WWII, his EGOT-winning comedy career and lifelong friendship with Carl Reiner. We’re returning to our 1991 and 2001 interviews with Brooks. He told Terry Gross about why he loves mixing bad taste and high production value.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the Oscar-nominated German film ‘Sound of Falling.’

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Writer Quiara Alegría Hudes On ‘White Hot’ Rage

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:05:40 +0000

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright has written a debut novel that asks a provocative question: What if a woman claimed the right to a spiritual quest like men have done for centuries in literature? 'The White Hot' follows a young mother from Philadelphia who walks away from everything to find herself. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her antihero April, her collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda on 'In The Heights,' and her mother’s spiritual gifts.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the mystery novel ‘Even the Dead,’ by John Banville.

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Are ICE Agents In Minneapolis Breaking The Law?

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:27:39 +0000

As protestors clash with some 3,000 federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities, we look at the legal issues with law professor Emmanuel Mauleón and Brennan Center for Justice's Elizabeth Goitein. "The principle that the military should not act as a domestic police force goes back centuries, all the way to the Magna Carta," Goitein says. "I think the reason for it is obvious: If a leader can turn the army inward against the people, that can be a very powerful instrument of tyranny and oppression."

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Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths On Love, Tragedy & ‘Survivor Mode’

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 19:48:37 +0000

On the day Griffiths married author Salman Rushdie, her long time best friend died unexpectedly. Eleven months later, Rushdie was stabbed multiple times while being interviewed on stage. In her new memoir, ‘The Flower Bearers,’ Griffiths examines her grief, healing, and living with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She spoke with Terry Gross.

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How Racism Costs Everyone

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Four years ago, Heather McGhee examined a question at the heart of American life: Why do so many Americans believe that progress for one group means loss for another? She traveled the country talking to factory workers, homeowners who'd lost everything, organizers, and scholars, trying to understand where that belief comes from, and what it costs us. This MLK Day, McGhee spoke with Tonya Mosley about this and how it comes on the heels of President Trump's comments that civil rights protections resulted in white people being “very badly treated.” McGhee’s book is ‘The Sum of Us.’

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Best Of: Jodie Foster / Tessa Thompson

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 05:05:01 +0000

Jodie Foster has been acting since she was 3. At 12 she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver.’ This year marks the 50th anniversary of that film. Foster spoke with Terry Gross about her early acting career, including getting mauled by a lion on set. Her new film is ‘A Private Life.’

Tessa Thompson stars in the new Netflix murder mystery limited series ‘His & Hers’ and in Nia DaCosta’s adaptation of Ibsen’s ‘Hedda.’ She spoke with Tonya Mosley about navigating her biracial identity and why she has both “yes” and “no” tattooed.

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Remembering Grateful Dead Founding Member Bob Weir

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:40:36 +0000

We remember Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, who died last week at 78. The guitarist spoke with Fresh Air Executive Producer Sam Briger in 2016 about working on a ranch, learning to ride, and getting to know cowboys. Also, we remember jazz singer Rebecca Kilgore, who was known for her interpretations of the Great American Songbook. She died at age 76. Kilgore often performed and recorded with pianist Dave Frishberg. We listen to excerpts of their in-studio concerts with Terry Gross.

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Novelist Julian Barnes Faces Mortality Without Fear

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:34:52 +0000

The Man Booker Prize-winning writer says his new book, ‘Departure(s),’ will be his last. He spoke with Terry Gross about blending genres, moving through grief after his wife died, and the fallibility of memory.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new series ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.’

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Marco Rubio’s Shift From Trump Critic To Champion

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:01:11 +0000

Marco Rubio once called Trump a "con artist." He’s now among his most loyal defenders. New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins describes Secretary of State Rubio's character, political transformation and ambition. Filkins also spoke with Tonya Mosley about Venezuela and what he thinks will happen next.

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Jodie Foster

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:30:22 +0000

Foster was just 12 years old when she starred in Scorsese’s 1976 film ‘Taxi Driver.’ "What luck to have been part of that, our golden age of cinema in the '70s," she says. She talks with Terry Gross about the 50th anniversary of that movie, getting mauled by a lion on a set, and why she kept her sexuality private for most of her career. Foster’s latest film, ‘Vie Privée’ (‘A Private Life’), is in French, which she speaks fluently.

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‘The God of the Woods’ Author Liz Moore

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:41:35 +0000

Moore says writing is mostly labor, but "2% of the time, usually at the very beginning of a book and the very end of a book, it feels like flying." She's also the author of ‘Long Bright River,’ which was adapted into a series on Peacock starring Amanda Seyfried. Her latest bestseller, ‘The God of the Woods’ centers on a missing girl at a summer camp in the Adirondacks. Moore spoke with contributor Dave Davies about her writing process and adapting her work for TV.

Also, John Powers reviews the thriller series ‘Hijack’ and ‘The Night Manager,’ both of which are returning for their second seasons.

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Best Of: Will Arnett / ‘Song Sung Blue’ Director Craig Brewer

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 06:05:00 +0000

Will Arnett stars in the new film ‘Is This Thing On?’ about a man going through a divorce, who finds himself onstage doing stand-up. He spoke with Terry Gross about trying out stand-up under a fake name, and his voiceover work.

Also, director Craig Brewer talks about his film, ‘Song Sung Blue.’ It’s based on the true story of a Milwaukee couple who became local legends performing as a Neil Diamond tribute band.

Plus, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the roadtrip novel ‘The Rest of Our Lives,’ by Benjamin Markovits.

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Neil Diamond / Noah Wyle On ‘The Pitt’

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 18:48:21 +0000

The new film ‘Song Sung Blue’ is about a Neil Diamond tribute band and stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Before Diamond began recording his own hits like “Solitary Man,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “America,” and “Sweet Caroline,” he wrote songs for other musicians, including The Monkees. Diamond spoke with Terry Gross in 2005.

Also, the hit HBO medical drama ‘The Pitt’ is back for season two. Noah Wyle plays the veteran attending physician in a Pittsburgh emergency room. The actor/producer spoke with Dave Davies about his tenure on ‘ER’ and putting scrubs back on for ‘The Pitt.’

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Tessa Thompson

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:52:14 +0000

Thompson is nominated for a Golden Globe for her starring role in ‘Hedda.’ She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about her collaboration with director Nia DaCosta, navigating her biracial identity, and why she almost quit acting before ‘Dear White People.’ She stars as a news anchor investigating a suspicious death in the new Netflix limited series ‘His & Hers.’

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The Growing Power & Influence Of White Supremacy In America

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:54:11 +0000

Journalist Eric Lichtblau says President Trump's incendiary rhetoric has stoked a "new age of hate." His book, ‘American Reich,’ centers on a murder committed by a young neo-Nazi in Orange County, Calif. He spoke with Dave Davies.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Marty Supreme.’

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Marjorie Taylor Greene's Puzzling Political Turn, Explained

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:43:22 +0000

Once a fierce advocate for Trump and his MAGA base, Marjorie Taylor Greene has broken with the president and resigned from Congress. ‘New Yorker’ staff writer Charles Bethea discusses Greene's past — and what may lie ahead. He spoke with Fresh Air contributor Dave Davies.

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Investigating The Great Los Angeles Fires

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:02:13 +0000

MS NOW journalist (and Palisades native) Jacob Soboroff says covering the 2025 wildfires was the most important assignment he's ever undertaken. His new book, ‘Firestorm,’ offers a minute-by-minute account of the catastrophe. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the systems that failed during the disaster and the effort to rebuild.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the roadtrip novel ‘The Rest of Our Lives,’ by Ben Markovits.

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Ben Stiller / Pedro Pascal

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 06:10:00 +0000

Ben Stiller talks about his new Apple TV+ documentary about his actor/comedian parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, they were famous as the comedy duo, Stiller and Meara. Ben talks about growing up in a showbiz family, where there was no separation between work and personal lives.

Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal has faced countless on-screen challenges, including cosmic battles and cartel kingpins. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about getting fired from restaurant jobs, his dance training, and his parents' exile from Chile.

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 17:05:00 +0000

The WWE superstar considered pursuing a career in mixed martial arts before realizing, "I don't like getting punched in the face." Johnson plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie's ‘The Smashing Machine.’ He spoke with Terry Gross about his many injuries, his relationship with his late father, and his wrestling personas.

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Jeff Hiller’s Big Break Came In His 40s

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:05:00 +0000

Hiller spent years scraping by in Hollywood by taking on various small roles and commercials. Then he landed the role of Joel on HBO's ‘Somebody Somewhere’ and everything changed. His memoir is ‘Actress of a Certain Age.’

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Richard Kind Is Glad He’s Not Super Famous

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:05:00 +0000

Kind is the announcer and host sidekick on the Netflix show ‘Everybody's Live with John Mulaney.’ "I don't know what the hell I'm doing. You must understand — it's anarchy," he says of the show. He spoke with Terry Gross about having ego but no confidence, working with Sondheim, and working in his father's jewelry store as a teen.

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead has as remembrance of musicians we lost this year.

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Malala Finds Her Way

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:55:11 +0000

After surviving the Taliban's 2012 attempted assassination, activist Malala Yousafzai didn't back down. She continued to advocate for girls' education across the globe. In 2014, Yousafzai became the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize, an honor that weighed on her when she went off to college. In ‘Finding My Way,’ she writes about her life at Oxford and beyond. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about reliving childhood, PTSD, and her decision to get married.

Also, critic at large John Powers highlights some things he wish he had reviewed this year.

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Comic Cristela Alonzo

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 21:08:35 +0000

For the first seven years of her life, Cristela Alonzo lived in an abandoned diner in a South Texas border town. She spoke with Terry Gross about ICE raids, being mentored by labor activist Dolores Huerta, and the culture shock of having money after growing up so poor. Her recent Netflix stand-up special is called ‘Upper Classy.’

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Bluegrass Star Billy Strings / Laufey

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:05:00 +0000

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Billy Strings has one foot in traditional bluegrass and another in improvisational jam music. He has a new album, ‘Live at the Legion,’ and he brought his guitar to our studio. He spoke with Sam Briger about healing himself through songwriting.

Also, Icelandic jazz-pop star Laufey spoke with Terry Gross about her classical training in cello, breaking out online during COVID, and her first arena tour. Her recent album is ‘A Matter of Time.’

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Jane Fonda

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Early this year, Fonda made headlines for delivering a fiery critique of the Trump administration during a SAG-AFTRA award acceptance speech. "This is not the time to go inward," Fonda says. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her career onscreen and off, as an activist.

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The Making Of ‘Born To Run’

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:01 +0000

Bruce Springsteen's groundbreaking album, ‘Born to Run,’ came out 50 years ago this year, marking a turning point for rock and roll — and for "The Boss." Before he made that record, Springsteen's label, Columbia, was on the verge of dropping him because his first two albums, though critically acclaimed, had sold poorly. Biographer Peter Ames Carlin describes the creation of ‘Born to Run’ as an "existential moment" for Springsteen. His book is ‘Tonight in Jungleland.’

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‘Morrie’ Writer Mitch Albom On Second Chances

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:05:00 +0000

Albom's 2025 novel, ‘Twice,’ asks a question most of us have daydreamed about: what if you could go back and relive any moment of your life? In the book, a man is born with that exact power, but every second chance comes with a cost. Albom talks with Tonya Mosley about his new book, and the lasting influence of Morrie Schwartz, his old college professor who died in 1995 of ALS. Nearly 30 years ago, Albom chronicled their weekly visits in his bestselling book ‘Tuesdays With Morrie.’

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Will Arnett

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 19:15:18 +0000

Arnett stars in Bradley Cooper’s new film, ‘Is This Thing On?’ as a man who turns to the New York comedy scene as he grapples with his divorce. The ‘SmartLess’ podcast co-host talked with Terry Gross about voicework, how ‘Arrested Development’ changed his life, and being a troublemaker in school.

Also, critic David Bianculli shares his picks for best TV of 2025.

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Dir. Craig Brewer Is Chasing ‘Purple Rain’ Magic

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:28:11 +0000

Director Craig Brewer has made a career of telling stories about dreamers and misfits chasing something bigger than themselves, from ‘Hustle & Flow’ to ‘Dolemite Is My Name.’ Now he's back with ‘Song Sung Blue,’ a film based on the true story of a Milwaukee couple who became local legends performing as a Neil Diamond tribute band. He spoke with Tonya Mosley.

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The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Songs

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:00:01 +0000

To celebrate the holidays, we’re looking back at four archive Fresh Air interviews discussing popular Christmas songs: First, jazz singer Mel Torme tells Terry Gross about co-writing “The Christmas Song” on a hot summer day, in an interview from 1977. Then we hear from songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane in 1989 about making “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and then Martin drops in again in 2006 to discuss the song’s long impact. Finally, musician Jon Batiste sits at the piano with Terry in 2024 to play some other favorite holiday tunes live.

Listen to an episode of NPR's All Songs Considered podcast on the origin and impact of “The Christmas Song.”

Listen to 40+ years of Fresh Air's archives at FreshAirArchive.org. To access bonus episodes, sponsor-free listening and to support public radio, become a Fresh Air+ supporter at plus.npr.org/freshair.

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Best Of: Lucy Liu / Zadie Smith

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Lucy Liu joins Tonya Mosley to talk about her new film ‘Rosemead,’ where she stars as a terminally ill woman grappling with her teenage son’s escalating mental health crisis and the impossible choices she faces to protect him. It’s based on a true story.

Also, writer Zadie Smith talks with Terry Gross about her new collection of essays, ‘Dead and Alive.’ She reflects on aging and generational discourse.

Film critic Justin Chang shares his list of the best films of the year.

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John Le Carré’s Son Revives His Late Dad's Spy

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 17:09:46 +0000

Writer Nick Harkaway grew up hearing his dad read drafts of his George Smiley novels. He picks up le Carré's beloved spymaster character in the novel ‘Karla's Choice,’ now out in paperback. He spoke with Sam Briger about choosing his own pen name, channeling his dad's writing style, and his stint writing copy for a lingerie catalogue.

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Lucy Liu

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:04:13 +0000

The child of Chinese immigrants, Liu grew up in Queens where she spoke Mandarin at home and didn't learn English until she was 5. She returns to the language in her new film, ‘Rosemead.’ It’s about a terminally ill mother grappling with her teenage son’s escalating mental health crisis and the impossible choices she faces to help him. Liu spoke with Tonya Mosley about rejection, representation, and the first time she heard her name in OutKast’s hit “Hey Ya.”

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A Revealing Profile Of Trump Chief Of Staff Susie Wiles

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:45:57 +0000

'Vanity Fair' writer Chris Whipple interviewed Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles 11 times, getting her view on cabinet members, Trump's revenge tour, Venezuela policy, and why she says Trump has an "alcoholic's personality."

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Remembering Rob Reiner

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:55:11 +0000

The great filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed in their home Sunday. Their son Nick has been arrested on suspicion of murder. It’s a shocking and tragic end to a life that brought joy to so many. Reiner’s contributions to American film include canonical movies such as ‘The Princess Bride,’ ‘Stand By Me,’ ‘When Harry Met Sally’ and ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ He spoke with Terry Gross this past September about his reunion with the ‘Spinal Tap’ guys, growing up among comedy legends, and collaborating with his son Nick on a film inspired by Nick’s struggle with addiction.

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Zadie Smith Asks, What Makes Us Feel Alive?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:00:14 +0000

Zadie Smith returns to talk with Terry Gross about her new collection of essays, 'Dead and Alive.' She reflects on the "nonsense" of generational discourse, being raised by TV, and her obsession with time.

Also, Martin Johnson has an appreciation of drummer and composer Jack deJohnette, who died in October.

Follow Fresh Air on instagram @nprfreshair, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for gems from the Fresh Air archive, staff recommendations, and a peek behind the scenes.

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Best Of: Michael Shannon / ‘Pluribus’ Star Rhea Seehorn

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 06:05:00 +0000

Michael Shannon understands he’s associated with some intense, menacing characters he’s played, like Agent Nelson Van Alden in ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ “I’m a big fella, and I got this giant head, and it’s not too difficult for me to seem intimidating I suppose, but it couldn’t be further from what I’m actually like,” he tells Dave Davies. In two new projects, though, Shannon plays good guys. He’s President James Garfield in the new series ‘Death by Lightning’ and he’s a prosecutor trying Nazi leaders for war crimes in the new film ‘Nuremberg.’

Also, we hear from Rhea Seehorn, star of Apple TV’s ‘Pluribus.’ The series has a sci-fi premise, but the themes of the show are more existential. Like, what is happiness? What is the importance of individuality? She spoke with Terry Gross.

Maureen Corrigan shares her list of the best books of the year.

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Remembering Architect Frank Gehry

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:39:37 +0000

Frank Gehry, whose steel and titanium curved structures seemed more like sculptures than buildings, died last week at age 96. His masterpiece was the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2004 about finding his design voice.

Also, we remember Raul Malo, the lead singer and songwriter of The Mavericks, the country band with rock and roll roots.

Justin Chang reviews ‘Wake Up Dead Man,’ the newest ‘Knives Out’ mystery movie starring Daniel Craig.

A Courtside Look At NBA Legends, From Jordan To Kobe

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:17:42 +0000

Legendary NBA head coach Phil Jackson and sports journalist Sam Smith talk about the stars who helped define the sport, including Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq. They spoke with Tonya Mosley about their new book, 'Masters of the Game.'

Also, Justin Chang shares his picks for the 10 best films of 2025.

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Can The Lessons Of 1929 Prevent Another Crash?

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:25:09 +0000

New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, a student of past financial calamities, talks about the likelihood the U.S. economy could be headed toward another crisis. He says there are concerns about the impact of AI, crypto currencies and shadowy investment firms operating outside the regulated banking system. How the nation fares, he says, depends much on the judgement, and perhaps financial interests of Donald Trump. “The entire business world now runs through one address – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – and to some degree through the prism of the whim of one individual,” Sorkin says. His new book, 1929, is about the financial panic that led to the Great Depression.

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Star Of ‘Pluribus’ Rhea Seehorn

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:34:20 +0000

The new Apple TV+ series was created by Vince Gilligan, who also created ‘Breaking Bad’ and co-created ‘Better Call Saul.’ He liked her work in ‘Saul’ so much, he wrote the lead in ‘Pluribus’ for her. The story has a sci-fi premise, but the themes of the show are more existential – like what is happiness? What is the importance of individuality? Seehorn spoke with Terry Gross about the show, her secretive father who worked in counter intelligence, and her memories of Bob Odenkirk’s nearly fatal heart attack on set.

Also, critic Ken Tucker shares Christmas music from Brad Paisley, Mickey Guyton, Leon Bridges, and Old Crow Medicine Show.

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Homelessness In The New Gilded Age

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:18:57 +0000

In New York City, 100,000 people sleep in shelters every night. Patrick Markee has spent decades fighting for them with the Coalition for the Homeless. He’s written a new book that gives an on-the-ground view of what he’s learned. It’s called ‘Placeless: Homelessness in the New Gilded Age.’ He asks, what if homelessness isn't a personal failing, but the result of policy choices?

Also, Maureen Corrigan shares her picks for the 10 best books of the year. You can see her list here.

Best Of: George Clooney / Costume Designer Paul Tazewell

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 06:05:00 +0000

George Clooney stars in ‘Jay Kelly’ as a famous actor at a crossroads. He talks about his own relationship to fame and what drew him to the role. Also, Oscar-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell talks about his road to ‘Wicked.’ He’s spent more than three decades shaping looks for the stage and screen.

And rock critic Ken Tucker has a round up of some of this year’s new Christmas songs.

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Remembering Steve Cropper / Playwright Tom Stoppard

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:02:05 +0000

We remember guitarist, songwriter, and producer Steve Cropper, who helped create the Memphis soul sound of the ‘60s and ‘70s. He died this week at age 84. Stax Records produced soul hits by Booker T. & the M.G.s, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes, and more. Cropper spoke with Terry Gross in 1990 about how he became part of the house rhythm section, and went on to help write hits for Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett.

Also, we remember the celebrated English playwright Tom Stoppard, who was considered a giant of theatre. He died at age 88. Stoppard wrote ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ and ‘The Real Thing,’ and the screenplays for ‘Empire of the Sun’ and ‘Shakespeare in Love.’

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead pays tribute to jazz organist Jimmy Smith, and John Powers reviews the new Brazilian film ‘The Secret Agent.'

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George Clooney

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:18:17 +0000

Clooney stars as an aging movie star who has neglected his family life in favor of his career in Noah Baumbach’s new film ‘Jay Kelly. ' He spoke with Tonya Mosley about his own journey with fame, his Broadway rendition of “Good Night, and Good Luck,” and his op-ed calling for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

Was The U.S. Attack On A Venezuelan Boat A War Crime?

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:50:15 +0000

Washington Post reporter Alex Horton talks about the Sept. 2 US military strike on a boat with alleged "narco terrorists," in which a second strike was ordered to kill two survivors in the water.

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War Photographer Lynsey Addario Still Has Hope

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:51:39 +0000

For 25 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has covered conflicts and humanitarian crises across the globe, from Sudan to Syria. She’s been kidnapped twice, thrown from a car, and shelled in war zones more times than she can count. A new Nat Geo/Disney+ documentary called 'Love+War' follows Addario as she is torn in two directions – her all-consuming reporting in Ukraine and her life at home as a wife and mother of two young kids. Addario spoke with Fresh Air contributor, host of Talk Easy, Sam Fragoso.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews 'Some Bright Nowhere,' by Ann Packer.

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‘Wicked’ Costume Designer Paul Tazewell

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:47:34 +0000

Tazewell made history as the first Black man to win the Oscar for costume design for the first installment of Wicked. He talks with Tonya Mosley about Wicked: For Good, the movies that inspired him, and learning to sew as a child. “I made the decision that I would devote myself to costume design and live vicariously through other characters,” he says. “Where I might not be cast in certain roles because of how I looked, as a designer, I could be anyone.

Best Of: Nutritionist Marion Nestle / Science Writer Mary Roach

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 06:10:00 +0000

Food policy expert and nutritionist Marion Nestle's 2006 book, ‘What to Eat,’ became a consumer bible of sorts when it came out, guiding readers through the supermarket while exposing how industry marketing and policy steer our food choices. Now, two decades later, she's back with ‘What to Eat Now,’ a revised field guide for the supermarket of 2025.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the new film Hamnet.

Science writer Mary Roach’s latest book, ‘Replaceable You,’ is about innovations in transplant medicine thanks to promising research and breakthroughs. She tells us about organs transplanted from pigs and attempts to replace bald spots on the scalp with hair from other parts of our bodies.

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Grand Ole Opry At 100: Earl Scruggs & Loretta Lynn

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 17:05:00 +0000

We mark the 100th anniversary of The Grand Ole Opry, country music’s biggest stage, and feature interviews with two of its members. First up, bluegrass banjo player Earl Scruggs. He and guitarist Lester Flatt had a hit with “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” Scruggs told Terry Gross how he developed his famous three-finger picking style while absent-mindedly playing the banjo one day. Also, we listen back to Terry’s interview with country music star, “Honky Tonk Girl” Loretta Lynn.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews a new documentary about Russia's crackdown on independent journalists. It’s called ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow.’

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‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ From Flop To Hit

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000

A filmed version of the live Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ will open in theaters on Dec. 5. We listen back to a 2024 interview with revival director Maria Friedman and actor Jonathan Groff.

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Michael Shannon Gets A Turn Playing Good Guys

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 19:37:49 +0000

Shannon's known for playing intense, menacing characters, like Agent Nelson Van Alden in ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ In two new projects, though, he plays good guys – historical figures pursuing justice and political reform. He’s President James Garfield in the new Netflix series ‘Death by Lightning.’ And he’s a prosecutor trying Nazi leaders for war crimes in the new film ‘Nuremberg.’ Shannon spoke with Dave Davies.

Also, David Bianculli reviews a revived and expanded TV documentary series about the Beatles.Follow Fresh Air on instagram @nprfreshair, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for gems from the Fresh Air archive, staff recommendations, and a peek behind the scenes.

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A Manual For Keeping A Democracy

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:59:36 +0000

MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance discusses recent impactful decisions by courts and the Justice Department, and how her son helped her understand Gen Z’s view of defending democracy. Her new book is ‘Giving Up is Unforgivable.’

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Brendan Fraser Has Everything & Nothing To Prove

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 19:11:20 +0000

In his new film, 'Rental Family,' Brendan Fraser plays an actor in Tokyo who takes a job with a rental family service. It's based on a real phenomenon in Japan: companies where you can hire someone to fill a gap in your life. Fraser spoke with Tonya Mosley about shooting in Japan, working with Scorsese on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ and his struggle with confidence.

Also, Ken Tucker shares three songs dominating the charts: Neko Case's "Oh, Neglect...," Valerie June's "Runnin' and Searchin'" and Olivia Dean's "Man I Need"

Best Of: Ben Stiller / Cynthia Erivo

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 06:05:00 +0000

Also, we hear from Cynthia Erivo. She stars in ‘Wicked: For Good,’ reprising her role as Elphaba.

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A Look Back At Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:54:19 +0000

Sixty-five years ago, Alfred Hitchcock shocked audiences with his film ‘Psycho.’ It broke Hollywood conventions about what a film should and should not do, ushered in a new era of horror/thriller, and became one of the most studied movies in cinema history. We listen back to Terry’s interview with star Janet Leigh, who talks about filming the famous shower scene. And we hear from screenwriter Evan Hunter about working with Hitchcock on his next film, ‘The Birds.’

Also, Justin Chang reviews the new film ‘Hamnet,’ about Shakespeare as a young playwright, husband and father.

A Sleep Scientist Excavates The World Of Dreams

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:17:57 +0000

Michelle Carr has spent years researching what goes on in the brain while we dream. She explains dream engineering, including how sensory inputs like light, sound and vibration can influence the subconscious. Her book is ‘Nightmare Obscura.’

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new season of ‘A Man on the Inside.’
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How Kash Patel Is Changing The FBI’s Mission

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:22:39 +0000

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Marc Fisher says Kash Patel became FBI director without senior law enforcement experience because of his loyalty to Trump and willingness to seek retribution for his perceived enemies. “There are some ways in which many FBI agents like the fact that Patel has steered the agency back towards what they see as basic crime fighting,” Fisher says. “But the overwhelming sentiment, I think, is that he has more than shaken up the Bureau—he has gutted it.”

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Ben Stiller On His Parents’ Showbiz Marriage

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 19:19:43 +0000

After the deaths of his parents, comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Ben found a stash of their audio recordings. Those tapes are at the center of a new documentary, ‘Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost.’ He spoke with Terry Gross about growing up in the spotlight, his father’s life-changing role on ‘Seinfeld,’ and the connection between his family life and ‘Severance.’
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Cynthia Erivo's Road To 'Wicked'

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:53:19 +0000

Erivo speaks with Tonya Mosley about the parallels between her life and the experience of her ‘Wicked’ character, Elphaba. She also talks about singing as a child, using perfume to get into character, and why she shaved her head. Erivo's new memoir is called ‘Simply More: A Book for Anyone who Has Been Told They're Too Much.’

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Best Of: Ethan Hawke / Tim Robbins

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 18:10:00 +0000

Ethan Hawke stars in the new movie ‘Blue Moon,’ about lyricist Lorenz Hart, half of the Broadway duo Rodgers and Hart. It’s his ninth collaboration with director Richard Linklater. He’s also in the new noir-inspired streaming series ‘The Lowdown.’ He tells Terry Gross while playing Hart pushed him to the edge of his ability, he totally related to his character in ‘The Lowdown.’

Also, we hear from actor and director Tim Robbins. He reflects on 30 years of making films and why he believes live theater can sometimes speak to us in more profound ways than film can. He spoke with Tonya Mosley.

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The High Pressure Experiments That Made D-Day

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:54:11 +0000

What happens to the body in the deep sea? You need oxygen to survive, but too much oxygen can be deadly. If you rise to the surface too quickly, nitrogen bubbles can form in your body and kill you. Terry Gross spoke with author and scientist Rachel Lance last year about her research for the military. She used a hyperbaric chamber that mimics what divers and submarines are exposed to. Her book, ‘Chamber Divers,’ is about the scientists whose dangerous experiments about underwater pressure and injury were critical to the success of D-Day.

Also, Justin Chang reviews ‘Sirat,’ which he calls one of the most gripping movies of the year.
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Ethan Hawke On The Role That Pushed Him To His Limit

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:22:40 +0000

"Every now and then you bump up against a part that presses you to the wall of your ability," Hawke says of playing lyricist Lorenz Hart in ‘Blue Moon.’ Hawke spoke with Terry Gross about collaborating with Richard Linklater, 'The Lowdown,' and his thoughts on aging.

Who Is Laura Loomer, Trump's 'Loyalty Enforcer'?

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:43:38 +0000

'New Yorker’ staff writer Antonia Hitchens describes how Laura Loomer went from a conspiracy theorist to a close ally of Trump who’s gotten government officials she claims are disloyal to the president fired. Hitchens has a new profile of Loomer in the magazine.

Also, David Bianculli reviews Ken Burns’ new six-part PBS docuseries on the American Revolution.

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Nutrition, SNAP & Why We Need A Food Revolution

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 20:07:53 +0000

Food policy expert and nutritionist Marion Nestle's 2006 book, ‘What to Eat,’ became a consumer bible of sorts when it came out, guiding readers through the supermarket while exposing how industry marketing and policy steer our food choices. Now, two decades later, she's back with ‘What to Eat Now,’ a revised field guide for the supermarket of 2025.

Also, Justin Chang reviews Joachim Trier’s new film, Sentimental Value.’

Tim Robbins Believes In The Power Of Theater

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:17:55 +0000

The Oscar-winning actor/director has a new play, “Topsy Turvy,” about a chorus that loses its ability to sing together after COVID isolation."Things that I had held sacred or had held as truths were challenged," Robbins says of the pandemic. He talks with Tonya Mosley about ‘Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘Dead Man Walking,’ and how working with Robert Altman changed the trajectory of his career.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the new Netflix miniseries, ‘Death by Lightning.’

Best Of: Judd Apatow / Misty Copeland

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 06:10:00 +0000

Before he was directing box office hits or launching the careers of comedy superstars, Judd Apatow was a kid writing fan letters to his heroes, collecting autographs, and obsessively documenting everything. He’s now opened his personal archive for a new book of photographs, letters, scripts, and journals that shaped movies like ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin,’ ‘Knocked Up,’ and ‘Trainwreck.’

Also, we hear from Misty Copeland, who captivated audiences as the first Black woman to become a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She also performed with Prince, who helped change her perception of herself. “He was my biggest supporter. He showed what it was the be one of a kind, to be unique and to use that as a power.”

Ken Tucker celebrates 50 years of Patti Smith’s album ‘Horses.’

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Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ Turns 50

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:14:59 +0000

50 years ago next week, Patti Smith released her debut album, ‘Horses,’ ushering in a new era of rock and roll. We’re listening back to portions of our interviews with Smith, from 1996 and 2010. She talks about her early days in New York City, when she was trying to find her way as a poet, performer and later songwriter. When it came to ‘Horses,’ she says, “I thought I would do this record and then go back to my writing and my drawing and return to my somewhat abnormal normal life. But ‘Horses’ took me on a whole different path.” And Ken Tucker reviews the new anniversary edition of the album.

Also, we remember actress Diane Ladd in an excerpt of an interview with her daughter, Laura Dern. And David Bianculli reviews ‘Pluribus,’ the new series from ‘Breaking Bad’ creator Vince Gilligan.

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Trump's Options To Subvert The 2026 Midterms

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:34:05 +0000

'Atlantic' journalist David Graham describes how President Trump could potentially use troops near polling places, pressure local election workers and have federal agents seize voting machines.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Patti Smith’s ‘Bread of Angels,’ a prequel/sequel to ‘Just Kids.’

Misty Copeland Begins A New Chapter

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:15:04 +0000

Copeland says her final performance with American Ballet Theatre was a thank you to the communities that had supported her. "What I represented is something far bigger than me," she says. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her final bow, her relationship to pain, and the legacy of Black ballet dancers.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the new Peacock thriller series ‘All Her Fault,’ starring Sarah Snook.

The Undoing Of The Department Of Justice

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 18:41:25 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis talk about why the U.S. Justice Department’s cases against Donald Trump for alleged interference in the 2020 election and his retention of government documents never made it before a jury. They find both FBI officials and government prosecutors were at times reluctant to pursue leads out of concern for preserving the department’s commitment to fairness and independence from politics. Leonnig and Davis also detail many cases of Trump as president pressuring the DOJ to protect his friends and punish his perceived enemies. Their book is ‘Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department.’ They spoke with Fresh Air’s Dave Davies.

Richard Linklater: 'Filmmaking Is Problem Solving'

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:53:58 +0000

Filmmaker Richard Linklater doesn't speak French, but that didn't stop him from directing a movie that's almost entirely in French. ‘Nouvelle Vague’ focuses on the beginning of the New Wave of cinema, specifically Jean-Luc Godard and his landmark 1960 movie ‘Breathless.’ "I know that sounds insane," Linklater says, "but me not having the language wasn't even in my top 10 concerns about if I could pull off the movie." Linklater spoke with Terry Gross about the impact of the French New Wave, and his other new film, ‘Blue Moon.’ It’s about Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart, the former creative partner of Richard Rodgers.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel Heart the Lover by Lily King.

Best Of: Guillermo Del Toro / Cameron Crowe

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:05:00 +0000

The great filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro has a new adaptation of Frankenstein. He saw the 1931 film when he was 7. “I realized I understood my faith better through Frankenstein than through Sunday Mass,” he tells Terry Gross. “And I decided at age seven that the creature of Frankenstein was gonna be my personal avatar and my personal messiah.” His other films include Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.

Also, we hear from Cameron Crowe, who wrote and directed Jerry Maguire, Say Anything and the semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous, about writing for Rolling Stone starting at age 15. His new memoir is about being a naive teen, exposed to the excesses of rock musicians.

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