Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
A woman invented the rape kit. So why was a man given credit for it?
Rape kits were widely known as "Vitullo Kits" after a Chicago police sergeant. But a new book tells the story of Marty Goddard, a community activist who worked with runaway teenagers in the 1970s.
New TV series revisit Watergate and the original 'Godfather'
by David Bianculli
Gaslit tells the story of Watergate, focusing on Martha Mitchell, the outspoken wife President Nixon's attorney general. The Offer focuses on the making of the first Godfather movie.
CNN anchor Zain Asher looks back on the tragedy that helped drive her success
by Dave Davies
Asher's father died in a car crash in Nigeria when she was 5. Afterward, her mom raised four children on her own in a crime-ridden London neighborhood. Asher's memoir is Where the Children Take Us.
'The Northman' is a brutal revenge story marked by violence, vengeance and vastness
by Justin Chang
Mostly set in 10th-century Iceland, The Northman tells the story of a Viking prince who sets out to avenge his father's death at the hands of his uncle — a legend that inspired Shakespeare's Hamlet.
'Fresh Air' marks the centennial of jazz great Charles Mingus
by Kevin Whitehead
Critic Kevin Whitehead reflects on the legacy of the musician who would have been 100 on April 22, 2022. Mingus died in 1979, leaving behind a catalog of music that reflected his outsized personality.
For classical pianist Jeremy Denk, life is like a series of music lessons
by Terry Gross
Denk talks about what he learned from his teachers, and his failures, frustrations and pivotal moments as an artist. His new memoir is Every Good Boy Does Fine. Originally broadcast March 21, 2022.
'Navalny' documentary spotlights the Russian who dared to take on Putin
by John Powers
Daniel Roher's film about Russian dissident Alexei Navalny offers intimate, sometimes amazing access to the bravery — and human cost — of opposing a despot.
Fairport Convention band cofounder Richard Thompson looks back on his life in music
by Terry Gross
The British singer/guitarist talks about his formative years, and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles. Thompson's new memoir is Beeswing.
Comic Jerrod Carmichael bares his secrets in 'Rothaniel'
by Terry Gross
The comic, actor and writer opens up about his name, his family tree and his sexual orientation in a new HBO special. "The more honest I am, the freer I am," Carmichael says.