Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
'The Penguin' is a darkly engrossing entry into the Batman cannon
by David Bianculli
With no costumes, no superpowers and no Batman, HBO's The Penguin is less like a comic book series than a crime drama — closer to The Sopranos than to the Batman movie from which it came.
Celebrating 30 Years Of Fresh Air: Oscar-Winning Actress Patty Duke
Duke grew up in the public eye, playing Helen Keller in the stage and screen versions of The Miracle Worker. Later she starred in her own TV sitcom, The Patty Duke Show. Originally broadcast in 1988.
Celebrating 30 Years Of Fresh Air: The Carl Reiner Interview
Reiner spoke to Terry Gross in 1988 about how his experiences working backstage in Hollywood inspired him to create the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Celebrating 30 Years Of Fresh Air: Brazilian Composer Antônio Carlos Jobim
In 1988, Terry Gross spoke with Jobim, who wrote "The Girl from Ipanema," one of the songs that started the Bossa nova craze in the United States. Jobim died in 1994.
A Coney Island Teen Struggles To Come To Terms With His Sexuality In 'Beach Rats'
by David Edelstein
Eliza Hittman's second film focuses on a repressed gay teenager living in a culture of intense sexual exhibitionism. Critic David Edelstein calls Beach Rats "feverish and gripping."
Armed Militias Face Off With The 'Antifa' In The New Landscape Of Political Protest
Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League says the militia movement has created a conspiracy theory about the anti-fascist protesters, saying they're domestic terrorists backed by George Soros.
Pianist Vijay Iyer Combines Complicated Rhythms With Modern Style On 'Far From Over'
by Kevin Whitehead
Iyer studied physics and mathematics before becoming a professional musician in the 1990s. He composes music for an ensemble of interdisciplinary composers and jazz academics on his new album.
If You Want Groundbreaking Noir, Try Looking 'In A Lonely Place'
by John Powers
The 1950 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame was adapted from a lesser-known 1947 novel by Dorothy B. Hughes, who belongs in the crime-writing pantheon. The novel's just been re-released.
Jerry Lewis On His Borscht Belt Childhood And The Lonely Work Of Comedy
by Terry Gross
In 2005, Lewis told Fresh Air about his partnership with singer Dean Martin and how he honed his comic skills while working as a busboy. The comedian, actor and director died Sunday at the age of 91.
Haunting 'Marjorie Prime' Is Suffused With Forgiveness And Despair
by David Edelstein
The new film is set in the near future, when people can purchase holographic versions of their dead loved ones. This drama isn't about technology — it's sci-fi as a means of exploring our inner lives.
Daniel Romano's 'Modern Pressure' Is The Work Of A Confident Pop Craftsman
by Ken Tucker
The singer-songwriter mostly recorded this album in a cabin in Sweden. You can hear that intensity and obsessiveness in his attractive, eccentric pieces, which sometimes sound like works-in-progress.