Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Plants can communicate and respond to touch. Does that mean they're intelligent?
by Tonya Mosley
Climate journalist Zoë Schlanger says research suggests that plants are indeed "intelligent" in complex ways that challenge our understanding of agency and consciousness. Her book is The Light Eaters.
Remembering 'Schoolhouse Rock!' Jazz Musician Bob Dorough
by Terry Gross
Dorough, who died Monday, spoke with Terry Gross in 1982 and 1996. The kids who learned from his fun, educational songs probably didn't know what a great jazz pianist, singer and songwriter he was.
'Pops Is Tops' Showcases Louis Armstrong's Rough Voice, Perfect Timing And Wit
by Kevin Whitehead
A new four-disc compilation presents recordings Armstrong made for Verve in 1957. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the album includes a wealth of alternate takes, warm-ups and rehearsal sequences.
From BlocBoy JB And Drake To Post Malone, A Roundup Of Catchy Hip-Hop
by Ken Tucker
Rock critic Ken Tucker shares some hits he's listening to, including BlocBoy JB and Drake's upbeat "Look Alive" and the moody sound of Post Malone's "Walk It Talk It."
How America's White Power Movement Coalesced After The Vietnam War
by Terry Gross
Author Kathleen Belew says that as America's disparate racist groups came together in the 1970s and '80s, the movement's goal shifted from one of "vigilante activism" to something more wide-reaching.
Why Pius IX Might Be The 'Most Important Pope' In Modern Church History
by Terry Gross
Pius IX became head of the Catholic church in 1846 and instituted the doctrine of Papal infallibility. Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Kertzer says his exile led to the emergence of modern Italy.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Reflects On 'Ambition And Manhood In America'
by Terry Gross
Gregory Pardlo's new memoir, Air Traffic, chronicles his complicated relationship with his father, a labor organizer who lost his job following the air traffic controllers' 1981 strike.
Before He Became The 'Night Court' Judge, Harry Anderson Was A Con-Man Magician
by Terry Gross
Anderson, who died April 16, began his career as a street performer specializing in elaborate pranks. He spoke to Fresh Air in 1989 about an illusion in which he pretended to chop off his own hand.