
Fresh Air
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Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

'Hamilton' producer Jeffrey Seller traces his journey from 'Theater Kid' to Broadway
Seller has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for some of Broadway's biggest hits including, Hamilton and Rent, but he got his start on a much smaller scale. He looks back in a new memoir.
The 'Fresh Air' interview with 'Looney Tunes' animator Chuck Jones
by Terry Gross
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck have recently been revived in the podcast, "Bugs and Daffy's Thanksgiving Adventure." We mark the occasion by listening to our 1989 interview with Jones, who died in 2022.
'Fresh Air' marks the centennial of Charles Schulz, creator of Charlie Brown
Schulz, who died in 2000, spoke in 1990 about his iconic Peanuts comic strip. Plus, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead talks about pianist Vince Guaraldi, who created the music for A Charlie Brown Christmas.
All eyes on are 'Wednesday' in this playfully droll 'Addams Family' spinoff
by David Bianculli
The look and tone are perfect — and the characters, settings and subplots are just what you hoped they'd be — in this new Netflix series starring former Disney Channel star Jenna Ortega.
Mel Brooks says his only regret as a comedian is the jokes he didn't tell
by Terry Gross
Brooks wrote countless edgy jokes over the years, but he doesn't regret any of them. He calls comedy his "delicious refuge" from the world. His memoir is All About Me! Originally broadcast in 2021.
To retire, or not to retire? A journalist goes on quest to figure out what's next
by Dave Davies
Independence Day author Steve Lopez turned the issue of retirement into a reporting project, speaking to geriatric experts, a psychiatrist, a rabbi, plus people who have retired and some who refuse.
Small in scope, Claire Keegan's 'Foster' packs an emotional wallop
by Maureen Corrigan
Keegan is a writer who revels in the suspense of the unspoken, the held breath. Her new novella centers on a nameless young girl whose parents leave her in the care of relatives for the summer.
Yiddish 'Fiddler On The Roof' is a dream come true for its lead actor
by Terry Gross
The Yiddish language production of the musical is back. Steven Skybell, who plays Tevye, and Joel Grey, who directed the original, explain the musical's resonance. Originally broadcast July 10, 2019.
Journalist says Taiwan is a sophisticated democracy that's under threat
by Dave Davies
New Yorker writer Dexter Filkins says China has made it increasingly clear that it doesn't recognize Taiwanese sovereignty — leading to increased tensions between China and the U.S.