Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Fresh Air Weekend: St. Vincent; Kids and mental health
St. Vincent offers tension, release and sonic "jump scares" on All Born Screaming. Child psychiatrist Harold Koplewicz says kids are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression.
'Hap And Leonard' Creator Needed To 'Burn Bridges' To Make It As A Writer
Joe R. Lansdale grew up poor in east Texas and worked as a janitor and in a potato field before finding success as a writer. Honky Tonk Samurai is the latest book in his mystery series.
Maggie Smith On The Pressures Of Acting: 'You Want So Much To Get It Right'
Known for her recent work in Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter films, the Oscar-winning actress now stars in The Lady in the Van, a film about an elderly woman who lived in a van for 15 years.
Bonnie Raitt Explores Her Roots In 'Dig In Deep'
by Ken Tucker
Raitt's new album is dominated by uptempo songs, R&B sounds and complex emotions. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the singer's distinctive style gives Dig In Deep a "vital glow."
'Doubter's Almanac' Is A Family Saga, Plus Algebraic Equations
by Maureen Corrigan
Ethan Canin traces the complicated lives of two generations of mathematical geniuses in his new novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls it an "elegant and devastating novel."
Long-Term Devastation Springs From A Hasty Judgment Call In 'A War'
by David Edelstein
Tobias Lindholm's Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a Danish commander's error in judgment during the war in Afghanistan. Critic David Edelstein says A War will "leave you in pieces."
Frame-By-Frame, Filmmakers Make The Mundane Miraculous In 'Anomalisa'
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson discuss their Oscar-nominated film. Anomalisa's stop-motion "communicates fragility and humanity and brokenness," Kaufman says. Originally broadcast Dec. 22, 2015.
It's All In Your Head: Director Pete Docter Gets Emotional In 'Inside Out'
The director's Oscar-nominated film illustrates the inner workings of an 11-year-old's mind, and includes the characters Sadness, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Joy. Originally broadcast June 10, 2015.
'Strange Gods' Chronicles The History Of Secularism And Conversion
Journalist Susan Jacoby tells Fresh Air that more than half of Americans will change religion at least once in their adult life time. Her new book is Strange Gods: A Secular History of Conversion.
New Recording Revives Ravel's 'L'Enfant Et Les Sortileges'
by Lloyd Schwartz
The opera, by the late composer Maurice Ravel, spins a modern fairy tale about a naughty child at bedtime. Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of it by conductor Seiji Ozawa.