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.
Delusions Of Grandeur Take Center Stage In James Franco's 'Disaster Artist'
by David Edelstein
Critic David Edlestein says Franco sends audiences into hysterics as the director and star of a new biopic about Tommy Wiseau, an oddball filmmaker with vision and drive — but very little talent.
LGBTQ Activist Cleve Jones: 'I'm Well Aware How Fragile Life Is'
Jones lost countless friends to the AIDS epidemic. He became an activist after Harvey Milk's assassination: "Meeting Harvey, seeing his death, it fixed my course." Originally broadcast Nov. 29, 2016.
Newly Reissued 'Astaire Story' Suffers From A Couple Of Missteps
by Kevin Whitehead
In 1952, record producer Norman Granz brought six jazz stars into the studio to back a singer from outside their circle: Hollywood song and dance man Fred Astaire.
Stars Of 'The President Show' Present An 'Off The Rails' Version Of Trump
by Terry Gross
Anthony Atamanuik and Peter Grosz's new Comedy Central series is set up like a late night talk show, hosted by President Trump with Vice President Pence as his sidekick.
Gorgeous And Lyrical 'Shape of Water' Doesn't Quite Hit Its Mark
by Justin Chang
Director Guillermo del Toro's new film is both a stylized vision of Cold War paranoia and an old-school monster movie. Reviewer Justin Chang says he wanted to love The Shape of Water more than he did.
For Anesthesiologist, Easing Pain And Erasing Memories Is All In A Day's Work
by Terry Gross
Dr. Henry Jay Przybylo specializes in pediatric anesthesiology and treats about 1,000 children a year, including premature babies. His new memoir is called Counting Backwards.
For Jesmyn Ward, Writing Means Telling The 'Truth About The Place That I Live In'
by Sam Briger
Ward's National Book Award-winning novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing, is set in a small town modeled after her own rural hometown. It centers on a biracial young boy confronting the South's racial legacy.
Loudon Wainwright III Opens Up About The 'Exes & Excess' That Inform His Music
Wainwright details his life as a husband, father, son, philanderer and musician in the memoir Liner Notes. Originally broadcast Sept. 6, 2017.
Jimmy Fallon On The School Of 'SNL' And His Tendency To Smile Too Much
As a kid, Fallon smiled even when he was in trouble: "There was a report card from kindergarten and the comment from the teacher was, 'Jimmy smiles too much.' " Originally broadcast Oct. 12, 2017.