Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Fantasy writer Leigh Bardugo on magic, miracles and her version of hell
by Sam Briger
Bardugo is best known for her YA Shadow and Bone series. Her adult novel, The Familiar, centers on a young woman in 16th century Spain who must hide her identity as a Jew who converted to Catholicism.
Opinion: Migrant Girl's Death Reveals A Need For More Interpreters Along The Border
by Geoff Nunberg
Seven-year-old Jakelin Caal died in U.S. custody in December. Linguist Geoff Nunberg says her death might have been prevented had border agents spoken the Mayan language Q'eqchi'.
'Punishment Without Crime' Highlights The Injustice Of America's Misdemeanor System
by Terry Gross
Former federal public defender Alexandra Natapoff says 13 million misdemeanors are filed each year in the U.S., trapping the innocent, punishing the poor and making society more unequal.
Pink Floyd's Roger Waters Offers A Seductive Take On A Stravinsky Classic
by Lloyd Schwartz
The legendary frontman plays all the characters in a new recording of Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. Critic Lloyd Schwartz calls it a seriously enjoyable addition to the Stravinsky catalogue.
'You Better Own This': How Rami Malek Came To Embody Freddie Mercury
by Terry Gross
Malek sang at the top of his lungs while playing Queen's lead singer in the new biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Still, he says, "No one can sing like Freddie Mercury." Originally broadcast Nov. 21, 2018.
'In The Moment, You Just Fly': Jon Batiste Lets Loose At The Piano
by Terry Gross
Batiste, the band leader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, sits at the piano and demonstrates his "everything in the pot" style of playing. Originally broadcast Sept. 26, 2018.
'A Distinctive Voice': Tracey Thorn Goes On 'Record'
by Terry Gross
The Everything but the Girl singer uses music to explore feminist themes. She sings about the different stages of women's lives on her recent solo album, Record. Originally broadcast May 3, 2018.
Director Bo Burnham On Growing Up With Anxiety — And An Audience
by Terry Gross
The former YouTube star says he wanted his film, Eighth Grade, to take an "emotional inventory" of what today's adolescents are experiencing. Originally broadcast July 18, 2018.
Celebrating The Lives Of 6 Jazz Greats Who Died In 2018
by Kevin Whitehead
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead remembers the musical contributions of Hugh Masekela, Jerry González, Roy Hargrove, Buell Neidlinger, Randy Weston and Vancouver Jazz Festival founder Ken Pickering.
'Reluctant Psychonaut' Michael Pollan Embraces 'New Science' Of Psychedelics
by Terry Gross
Author Michael Pollan experimented with mushrooms, LSD and other psychedelics while researching his latest book, How to Change Your Mind. Originally broadcast May 15, 2018.
A Roots And Rockabilly Holiday Concert With JD McPherson And His Band
by Terry Gross
McPherson never thought he'd make a Christmas album. Then, he says, "I got a bug in my ear." He and his band perform live in studio from Socks. Originally broadcast Dec. 11, 2018.
How Rodgers And Hammerstein Revolutionized Broadway
by Terry Gross
Todd Purdum's book, Something Wonderful, is about the creative partnership and strained personal relationship behind hit shows like Carousel and The Sound of Music. Originally broadcast April 9, 2018.