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.
Remembering baseball announcer and former all-star catcher Tim McCarver
McCarver, who died Feb. 16, played in the major leagues from 1959 until 1980. After retirement, he shifted to color commentary from the broadcast booth. Originally broadcast in 1987.
Remembering comic and 'Law & Order' actor Richard Belzer
The sharp-witted standup comic, who died Feb. 19, got his start in comedy clubs in the 1970s, but was perhaps best known for playing Det. Munch on Law & Order: SVU. Originally broadcast in 1987.
Remembering Burt Bacharach, master of the melodic hook
No '60s pop composer wrote more sophisticated songs than Bacharach, who died Feb. 8. Dozens of his best songs endure for all the right reasons; they're inventive, challenging and linger in your ear.
Now in its 10th season, John Oliver's 'Last Week' is still as fresh and funny as ever
Oliver rarely has guests, so the HBO show relies on him to sell both the jokes and the facts — which he does, always counter-punching with a punchline whenever things start getting too serious.
An ER doc reflects on life, death and uncertainty in the early days of COVID-19
Dr. Farzon Nahvi spent the first few months of the pandemic as an emergency room physician in Manhattan. He talks about trying to improvise treatments during that time. His new book is Code Gray.
LBJ biographer Robert Caro reflects on fame, power and the presidency
Caro isn't solely interested in telling the stories of famous men. Instead, he says, "I wanted to use their lives to show how political power worked." Originally broadcast in 2013 and 2019.
The human sensory experience is limited. Journey into the world that animals know
Science writer Ed Yong recently won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence for An Immense World, his book about the diversity of perception in the animal world. Originally broadcast June 22, 2022.
Remembering De La Soul co-founder David Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy the Dove
Jolicoeur, who died Feb. 12, co-founded the hip-hop group De La Soul in the 1980s, while still in high school. The group brought a sense of fun and wit to the genre. Originally broadcast in 2000.