A conversation with R. Crumb, the king of underground comics
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.
Former FBI Agent Addresses Post-Sept. 11 Torture In Newly Declassified Book
Ali Soufan investigated terrorism cases and opposed the CIA's use of torture following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. After a legal battle, the redacted material in his 2011 memoir, Black Banners, has been restored.
'I Always, Always Fight': Octavia Spencer On Demanding More From Hollywood
Spencer is nominated for an Emmy for playing Madam C.J. Walker, an enterprising Black businesswoman, in a the Netflix series Self Made. Originally broadcast March 16, 2020.
'Fresh Air' Celebrates The 90th Birthday Of Jazz Improviser Sonny Rollins
Rollins recorded his first sessions in 1949, and played his last live shows in 2012. Kevin Whitehead offers an appreciation, then we listen back to a 1994 interview with the tenor saxophonist.
RuPaul's Recipe For Success? Love Yourself And Stay Flexible
In a March 2020 interview, the Emmy-nominated host of RuPaul's Drag Race said his drag look was "one-part Cher, two-parts David Bowie, one-part Diana Ross and two heaping spoonfuls of Dolly Parton."
Padma Lakshmi, Model, Actor And TV Host, Says Above All, She's A Writer
The former model/actress is nominated for an Emmy Award for hosting Top Chef. Her new show, Taste the Nation, explores immigrant cooking. Originally broadcast July 6, 2020.
3 Beautiful Songs Offer Comfort In The Face Of Cruelty
Looking for music that's soothing without being sentimental? Listen to "Guilty," by Courtney Marie Andrews; "Sleeping Without You Is a Dragg," by Swamp Dogg; and "End of My Rope," by Pokey LaFarge.
Comic Ramy Youssef On Being An 'Allah Carte' Muslim: 'You Sit In Contradictions'
Youssef is up for two Emmys for the second season of his comedy series, Ramy, about a practicing Muslim who's torn between his faith and his desire to fit in. Originally broadcast June 25, 2019.
'She Wrote Her Own Rules': Kerry Washington's 'Little Fires' Role Reminds Her Of Mom
Washington is nominated two Emmys for producing and starring in the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere, about an enigmatic artist adjusting to life in the suburbs. Originally broadcast April 6, 2020.
'The Quiet Americans' Examines Tragic Miscalculations In The CIA's Formative Years
In a new book, author Scott Anderson chronicles the formative years of America's spy agency by focusing on four soldiers who became intelligence agents after World War II.