Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Remembering novelist, screenwriter and memoirist Paul Auster
by Terry Gross
Auster, who died April 30, rose to fame in the 1980s with The New York Trilogy novels. His memoir, Winter Journal, focused on the history of his body. Originally broadcast in 1997, 2004 and 2012.
'Portrait of an American Singer' Revives The Memory Of Tennessee Ernie Ford
by Ken Tucker
Tennessee Ernie Ford was a hugely popular singer in the 1950s and 60s. Now, a new 5-disc boxed set attempts to reintroduce Ford to a new audience. Rock critic Ken Tucker has a review.
Flights Of Fancy: Exploring The Songs And Pathways Of 'The Living Bird'
Wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and essayist Scott Weidensaul share bird calls and discuss some of the remarkable abilities of birds. Both men contributed to a new book about North American birds.
Poetic And Expansive, 'City On Fire' Ultimately Falls Short Of Its Reach
by Maureen Corrigan
Garth Risk Hallberg's 900-page debut novel is an intricately-plotted story set in chaotic 1970s New York. Critic Maureen Corrigan says City On Fire has much to admire, even if its ending falls flat.
'Becoming Nicole' Recounts One Family's Acceptance Of Their Transgender Child
When Kelly and Wayne Maines adopted identical twin boys in 1997, they didn't anticipate raising one of their sons as a daughter. They tell their story, with author Amy Ellis Nutt, in Becoming Nicole.
'Bridge Of Spies' Offers A Fresh, Measured Take On The Cold War
by John Powers
Tom Hanks plays an American attorney charged with defending a captured Soviet spy in Steven Spielberg's latest film. Critic John Powers calls Bridge of Spies a "highly entertaining new thriller."
Poetry Is Set To Melody In Iris DeMent's 'The Trackless Woods'
by Ken Tucker
Poems by the Russian writer Anna Akhmatova form the basis of singer Iris DeMent's new album. Critic Ken Tucker says Akhmatova and DeMent share an urge to articulate "sorrow, sacrifice and gratitude."
'Dope' Director On Geekdom, The N-Word And Confronting Racism With Comedy
Rick Famuyiwa's film, Dope, is about a black high-school student who's into 90s hip-hop and Japanese comic books. Originally broadcast July 1, 2015.
'Room' Transforms A Lurid Crime Story Into A Fairy Tale With A Boy Hero
by David Edelstein
In Lenny Abrahamson's new film, a 5-year-old boy lives with his mother in a prison fashioned by a psychopath. Critic David Edelstein calls Room an amazing and "heart-stopping" survival story.