
Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

A conversation with R. Crumb, the king of underground comics
by Terry Gross
Crumb's comics were staples of 1960s counterculture. He's now the subject of a new biography. Crumb spoke to Fresh Air in 2005, and again, with his wife, fellow comic Aline Kominsky Crumb, in 2007.
Leslie Odom Jr. Finds Sam Cooke's Voice In 'One Night In Miami'
by Ann Marie Baldonado
Odom Jr. landed his first Broadway role at 16, and later starred as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. Now he's up for two Oscars, one for his role as Cooke in One Night in Miami.
Filmmaker Finds An Unlikely Underwater Friend In 'My Octopus Teacher'
by Sam Briger
Craig Foster spent a year diving — without oxygen or a wetsuit — into the frigid sea near Cape Town, South Africa. His documentary is now nominated for an Oscar. Originally broadcast Oct. 20, 2020.
No Longer '20 Feet From Stardom': Singer Merry Clayton Steps Out Of The Background
by Terry Gross
Clayton sang backup with Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Carole King and many others. Now she has a new album — where she's front and center — called Beautiful Scars. Originally broadcast in 2013.
Plots, Subplots And Wildly Fascinating Villains Abound In 'The Nevers'
by David Bianculli
HBO's new series, which was initially created by Joss Whedon, is a superhero story set at the very end of the Victorian era. It features a team of outcast women with paranormal abilities.
Newly Unearthed 1965 Album Represents Hasaan Ibn Ali's Posthumous Vindication
by Kevin Whitehead
The jazz pianist only recorded two albums, the second of which was long believed to be lost. Now, the rediscovery of Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Session is cause for renewed celebration.
Poet Hanif Abdurraqib On The Intersection Of Black Excellence, Joy And Pain
by Arun Venugopal
What do Soul Train and Whitney Houston tell us about race in America? In his book, A Little Devil in America, the culture critic traces the history of Black performance through moments in pop culture.