
Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
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.
'American Dream' documentary examines George Carlin's triumphs and demons
Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" act ignited an obscenity case in the '70s. We listen back to two archival interviews with the late comedian, and David Bianculli reviews a new HBO documentary about him.
Max Roach's 1960 landmark 'We Insist!' proves timeless in a reissue
by Kevin Whitehead
Roach's album was recently named to the National Recording Registry, a roster of works deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant; We Insist! scores in all three categories.
A divide between the pulpit and the pew is roiling the evangelical church
by Dave Davies
New York Times journalist Ruth Graham says many pastors are being pressured to resist vaccines and mask mandates, embrace Trump's claims about election fraud and adopt QANON-based conspiracy theories.
Biography examines how systemic racism shaped the troubled life of George Floyd
by Dave Davies
Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020. Washington Post reporters Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa reconstruct the course of his life in His Name is George Floyd.
After a stroke blinded one eye, Frank Bruni focused on the future
by Terry Gross
The New York Times columnist says the stroke forced him to choose: He could focus on what had been lost, or on what remained. His memoir is The Beauty of Dusk. Originally broadcast March 22, 2022.
Anthony Roth Costanzo nearly lost his voice to cancer. Now he's back as 'Akhnaten'
by Terry Gross
A decade ago, Costanzo had surgery that threatened to destroy his singing voice. Now he stars as a gender-fluid Egyptian pharaoh in the Met Opera's production. Originally broadcast Oct. 7, 2019.
Has Tucker Carlson created the most racist show in the history of cable news?
by Dave Davies
The NY Times did an exhaustive survey of the Fox News host's broadcasts. Reporter Nicholas Confessore says Carlson's show is based on ideas that were once "caged in a dark corner of American life."