Film offers 'Hard Truths' about why some people are happy — and others are miserable
Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a phenomenal performance as a profoundly unhappy woman. There isn't a lot of plot, but director Mike Leigh builds his stories from the details and detritus of daily life.
Banjo Player Béla Fleck Returns To His Bluegrass Roots On A New Album
Perhaps the most famous banjo player in the world, Fleck dedicates his new album, My Bluegrass Heart, to his late musical heroes, Tony Rice and Chick Corea.
Actor Karen Black Shines As A Singer/Songwriter On 'Dreaming of You'
Best known for her roles in films like Five Easy Pieces and Easy Rider, Black, who died in 2013, also recorded music in the 1970s. A new album highlights some of her strongest work.
Biographer Traces Osama Bin Laden's 'Rise And Fall'
Journalist Peter Bergen talks about bin Laden's path to mass murder and reflects on the consequences of the recent U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Originally broadcast Aug. 4, 2021.
'Beautiful World' Is Sally Rooney's Toughest, Most Sweeping Novel To Date
Beautiful World, Where Are You is a cerebral novel that traces the relationships between four characters, and shifts between themes of sex, friendship and life's dark uncertainty.
SCOTUS Ruling On Texas Abortion Law Could Foreshadow The End Of Roe V. Wade
Ian Millhiser covers the Supreme Court for Vox. He says the Court's decision to uphold the law was a generational victory for abortion opponents: "They've spent many decades working for this moment."
'Fresh Air' Remembers 'Wire' And 'Boardwalk Empire' Actor Michael K. Williams
In 2008, Williams told Terry Gross the story behind the scar on his face. In 2016, he reflected on his troubled past and his lucky breaks. Williams was found dead in his apartment Sept. 6.
'Doogie' Is Back. This Time, She's In Facing Down Sexism And Racism
A new Disney+ remake of Doogie Howser, MD stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee as the teenage medical prodigy. Lee is instantly endearing, with an energetic mixture of confidence and insecurities.
How A Cotton Sack, Passed Down Over Generations, Tells A Larger Story About Slavery
In her new book, All That She Carried, historian Tiya Miles tells the story of an enslaved woman who, upon hearing her child was to be sold off, hastily packed her a bag with a few personal items.
'Summer Of Soul': Singer Mavis Staples
Staples began singing with her family as a teenager. The Staple Singers started out in gospel, but moved over to pop, eventually playing the '69 Harlem Cultural Festival. Originally broadcast in 1989.
'Summer Of Soul': Gladys Knight
While with Motown, Knight & The Pips turned out a slew of hits, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which they performed at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Originally broadcast in 1996.