Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Death doula says life is more meaningful if you 'get real' about the end
by Tonya Mosley
Alua Arthur helps people plan for death. A big part of her work is helping them reconcile the lives they lived with the lives they might have wanted. Her memoir is called Briefly Perfectly Human.
Dwight Yoakam Says New Album Was Inspired By Coal Mining And Mountain Music
The country star plays songs and talks with Fresh Air about his grandfather's work in the coal mines. Yoakam's latest album, Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars ... features bluegrass versions of his hits.
6 Jazz Virtuosos Share The Stage In 'The Concert Of The Century'
by Kevin Whitehead
Kevin Whitehead reviews a newly released recording of the '80 Montreal concert in which Dizzy Gillespie is joined by jazz legends Milt Jackson, Hank Jones, Ray Brown, James Moody and Philly Joe Jones.
'Today Will Be Different' Tackles Parenting Fatigue And Middle-Aged Marriage
Maria Semple's new comic novel is about a stressed-out wife and mother who starts every day with a mantra. She tells Fresh Air's Sam Briger that the book was inspired by her own experiences as a mom.
Miranda Lambert Mixes Assertiveness With Vulnerability On Her New Record
by Ken Tucker
Lambert's new release features 24 songs on 2 CDs. Critic Ken Tucker calls The Weight of These Wings a collection that "keeps on giving the deeper you get into it."
Fresh Air Weekend: Carrie Fisher; Michael Chabon's 'Moonglow'; Activist Cleve Jones
Fisher, who played Princess Leia in Star Wars, talks about the affair she had with her older, married co-star. Maureen Corrigan reviews Chabon's Moonglow. Jones discusses the gay rights movement.
Fresh Air Remembers Country Superstar Charlie Rich
Rich, who died in 1995, was known for "countrypolitan" music, which featured orchestral arrangements and backup singers. A new Rich tribute album has just been released. Originally broadcast in 1992.
Fresh Air Remembers Artist William Christenberry, Chronicler Of The Rural South
Christenberry, who died on Monday, drew on his childhood experiences in Alabama. One of his pieces was inspired by an encounter he had with a Klansman. Originally broadcast in 1997.
'Jackie' Captures The Brittle Sadness Of A First Lady In Mourning
by David Edelstein
A new biopic takes audiences into the White House in the days following JFK's assassination in Dallas. Critic David Edelstein says Jackie conveys both the shyness and slyness of Jacqueline Kennedy.
Mary Halvorson Leaves Some Room For Weirdness In 'Away With You'
by Kevin Whitehead
Halvorson, a prolific jazz guitarist, plays with harmonies and melodies as she leads an eight-piece band on her new album. Critic Kevin Whitehead calls Away With You "richer than ever."