Fresh Air
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Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
This collection may be the closest we'll ever come to a Dickinson autobiography
by Maureen Corrigan
The Letters of Emily Dickinson collects 1,304 letters, starting with one she wrote at age 11. Her singular voice comes into its own in the letters of the 1860s, which often blur into poems.
Kidnapping Is A Lucrative Business For Al-Qaida, Documents Show
Last year, journalist Rukmini Callimachi found thousands of al-Qaida documents in Timbuktu in Mali. She tells Fresh Air about al-Qaida's strategy of kidnapping Europeans and demanding ransoms.
'Ride Around Shining' Reimagines Gatsby's Nouveau-Riche Excess
by Maureen Corrigan
Chris Leslie-Hynan's debut novel follows a white grad student who's a chauffeur to a black basketball player. It references The Great Gatsby often with fresh takes on race, manhood and meritocracy.
In 'Blue Eyed Boy,' Author Reveals Long Recovery From Facial Burns
Robert Timberg, who was disfigured by a land mine as a Marine in Vietnam, went on to become a successful journalist. His new memoir Blue Eyed Boy charts his struggle to recover from his wounds.
Jenny Lewis' 'The Voyager' Is An Album To Spend Time With
by Ken Tucker
Jenny Lewis achieved musical fame as part of the indie band Rilo Kiley, which broke up in 2011. Her third solo album announces a new chapter in her career — and perhaps her life.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Leaves Indelible Bond In 'Most Wanted Man'
by David Edelstein
The late actor hit his peak in the adaptation of John le Carre's 2008 novel. The movie isn't a clean piece of storytelling, but Hoffman connects with viewers on a level most actors never approach.
Tim Gunn: On And Off The Runway, 'Life Is A Big Collaboration'
"Make it work," the fashion guru tells designers on Project Runway. But life hasn't always "worked" for Gunn. Originally broadcast on Feb. 5, 2014.
Human Rights Watch Researcher Reports ISIS Abuses In Iraq
Letta Tayler recently returned from Iraq, where she documented stories about the militant Islamist group ISIS and abuses by the Iraqi government. She tells Fresh Air what she learned.