Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Fantasy writer Leigh Bardugo on magic, miracles and her version of hell
by Sam Briger
Bardugo is best known for her YA Shadow and Bone series. Her adult novel, The Familiar, centers on a young woman in 16th century Spain who must hide her identity as a Jew who converted to Catholicism.
Remembering Richard Lewis, a veteran stand-up comedian with a caustic wit
by Terry Gross
The Brooklyn-born comic made his standup debut in 1971. His routines were full of biting takes on love, life, and physical and mental health. Lewis died Feb. 27. Originally broadcast in '88 and 2000.
Paul Giamatti's own high school years came in handy in 'The Holdovers'
by Sam Briger
Giamatti is nominated for an Oscar for his role as a pompous boarding school teacher who's assigned to supervise a student who has nowhere to go over winter break. Originally broadcast Jan. 10, 2024.
Tracing the rise of Christian nationalism, from Trump to the Ala. Supreme Court
by Terry Gross
Bradley Onishi is a former Christian nationalist who's now a professor of religion and the author of Preparing for War, a critique of the movement and its impact on American democracy.
'Untame the Tiger' represents a high point of Mary Timony's adventurous career
by Ken Tucker
The indie rocker's guitar playing conveys a confidence in making music — even when the songs themselves detail doubt and vulnerability. Untame the Tiger is her first solo album in 15 years.