
Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

Jason Isbell confronts the pain of divorce, and the possibility of new love
Jason Isbell sings about his split from musician Amanda Shires on his latest album Foxes in the Snow. "What I was attempting to do is document a very specific time where I was going through a lot of changes," he says.
'In Treatment' meets 'Dexter' in Hulu's psychological thriller 'The Patient'
by David Bianculli
Steve Carell stars as a therapist who is abducted by a murderer. By the time The Patient is over, nearly everyone in this drama series reflects upon past actions and decisions — or dies trying.
Fresh Air's summer music interviews: Jazz great Charlie Haden
by Terry Gross
Haden grew up singing in his family's country music radio shows but turned to the bass when polio damaged his vocal cords. He died in 2014. Originally broadcast between 1983 and 2008.
Fresh Air's summer music interviews: Queen guitarist Brian May
by Terry Gross
Terry Gross spoke with Queen lead guitarist Brian May in 2010 about recording the many vocals in "Bohemian Rhapsody," writing the anthem "We Will Rock You" and getting a PhD in astrophysics.
Fresh Air's summer music interviews: Keith Richards
by Terry Gross
In 2010, Richards recounted how he woke up just long enough to record the famous opening riff of "Satisfaction" on a cassette player he'd placed next to his bed: "I actually dreamt the damned thing."
Colson Whitehead returns to his home turf with 'Harlem Shuffle'
by Terry Gross
Whitehead says his novel was inspired by his love of heist movies. The story centers on a furniture store owner who has a side hustle trafficking in stolen goods. Originally broadcast Sept. 15, 2021.
How the ultrawealthy devise ways to not pay their share of taxes
by Dave Davies
Journalist Jesse Eisinger says a trove of IRS data acquired by ProPublica shows that many of America's billionaires avoid paying any taxes — sometimes by claiming big deductions from posh hobbies.
This reissue proves Roger Miller was more than just a novelty act
by Ken Tucker
Best known for novelty songs like "King of the Road," Miller was also a serious songwriter who wrote ballads for artists such as Ray Price. Miller's '70 album A Trip in the Country is newly available.
'Danger Zone' author warns of growing tension between China and the U.S.
by Dave Davies
China scholar Michael Beckley says China is engaged in the largest military buildup since World War II, and is being increasingly aggressive with its Asian neighbors and with the U.S.
Comic Mo Amer draws on his Palestinian and Texan roots in a new Netflix series
by Dave Davies
Amer grew up in Kuwait, where he enjoyed a comfortable life — until he was 9, and the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the U.S. in 1991. His new series is Mo.
New quartet album by jazz drummer Billy Drummond is a treat
by Kevin Whitehead
On Valse Sinistre, Drummond's ride-cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms — the sound of a musician fully engaged and in the habit of attentive listening.