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.
Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto'
"My early '70s New York is dingy and grimy," the Pulitzer Prize-winning author says. Whitehead's sequel to Harlem Shuffle centers on crime at every level, from small-time crooks to Harlem's elite.
Two books capture the comedic genius of TV legends George Schlatter and Ernie Kovacs
Schlatter's autobiography Still Laughing is a compendium of stories about entertainers he's known and worked with. Ernie in Kovacsland is a treasure chest of memorabilia from Kovacs' shows.
Remembering classical pianist and musical prodigy André Watts
Watts, who died July 12, was born in Germany to a Hungarian mother and an African American father. He became famous at age 16 after performing with Leonard Bernstein. Originally broadcast in 1985.
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe says patriotism means demanding better of ourselves
Rapinoe has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights, pay equity and the BLM movement. She recently announced that she will retire after the 2023 Women's World Cup. Originally broadcast in 2020.
Is the TV/film industry collapsing, or just reshaping itself for the future?
The entertainment industry is in upheaval. Writers and actors are on strike, and streamers are reckoning with not being profitable. Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw talks about what viewers can expect.
Newly unearthed 1974 session by Clifford Jordan is a striking, one-of-a-kind album
The tenor sax player came up in Chicago and toured in the '60s with Charles Mingus, Max Roach and Randy Weston. Jordan's forgotten album, Drink Plenty of Water, mixes singers with a small ensemble.
Is 'Toxic Fashion' making us sick? A look at the chemicals lurking in our clothes
In 2018, Delta airlines unveiled new uniforms made of a synthetic-blend fabric. Soon after, flight attendants began to get sick. Alden Wicker explains how toxic chemicals get in clothes in To Dye For.
Timothy Olyphant on 'Justified,' 'Deadwood' and marshals who interpret the law
Olyphant is best known for portraying lawmen in cowboy hats. He reprises the role of deputy U.S. marshal Raylan Givens in the sequel Justified: City Primeval, based on Elmore Leonard's novel.
Two new books take an unusual approach to music history and blues appreciation
Ken Tucker reviews Robert McCormick's Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey, and Robert Mugge's Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey Through American Music.