Voices Of Empty Nesters
NPR listeners tell us what it's like when they've sent their last or only child off to college and they become empty nesters.
Arts
In The 'Everything Is Alive' Podcast, It's The Guests That Set It Apart
Everything Is Alive is straightforward interview podcast with one tiny twist: the guests are inanimate objects. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with the program's host, Ian Chillag.
Saving The World, One Science Fair At A Time: 'Inventing Tomorrow'
This documentary "makes for riveting viewing" as it follows four teams of brilliant young people with ideas for combating environmental threats as they compete in an international science fair.
Mourning From The Ground Up: Aretha's Funeral Is Part Of A Joyful American Tradition
While it's not wrong to observe decorum and sombre reflection in the wake of such a loss, there's no reason that honoring a life as monumental as Aretha's can't be joyful — and yes, entertaining.
Generous Giving Or Phony Philanthropy? A Critique Of Well-Meaning 'Winners'
Anand Giridharadas spent time with tech entrepreneurs and affluent elites who want to change the world. But in a new book, he writes that their market-based mantras only maintain inequalities.
'Godless' Creator Was Determined To Put His Own Spin On The Classic Western
Scott Frank packed his Emmy-nominated Netflix miniseries with train robberies and shootouts — but challenged Western norms by putting women in charge of the town. Originally broadcast Dec. 11, 2017.
Allison Janney On Sex, Sorkin And Being The Tallest Woman In The Room
Allison Janney has been nominated for an Emmy for her role on Mom. She told Fresh Air in 2014 that her relationships with her mother and her brother, who was an addict, help inform her character.
'She Was Our Queen': Fans Pay Their Final Respects To Aretha Franklin
Fans gather in Detroit to remember how Franklin's music marked milestones in the nation's history and in their own lives.
'The Shadow President' A Missed Opportunity To Better Understand Mike Pence
The Shadow President looks like a book, but belongs firmly in the world of partisan TV. There is plenty to uncover about the "real" Mike Pence, but readers won't find it here.
Understated And Over-Frank, 'French Exit' Is Just The Right Amount Of Funny
Patrick DeWitt's new novel is a sparkling dark comedy about an Upper East Side society matron and her large adult son (and their cat) who take off for Paris to escape financial and social ruin.