Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
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.
'Schmigadoon!' Is A Star-Studded Parody That's Worth Singing About
by David Bianculli
Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong play a couple who wander into a magical town where everyone seems to break into song. You don't have to be a fan of musical theater to enjoy this Apple TV+ series.
Anthony Bourdain: The 'Fresh Air' Interview
by Dave Davies
We listen back to our 2016 interview with the late food writer and TV host, who killed himself in 2018 while in France to film Parts Unknown. Bourdain is the subject of a new documentary, Roadrunner.
US Faces Crossroads On Renewable Energy Future — Go Big or Go Local
by Dave Davies
NY Times reporter Ivan Penn unpacks the debate over infrastructure: Do we fund huge wind and solar farms with new transmission lines, or go local, with rooftop solar panels, batteries and micro-grids?
'Women Of Brewster Place' Reissue Brims With Inventiveness — And Relevance
by Maureen Corrigan
MLB Pitcher C.C. Sabathia Shares Stories From The Mound — And Of Sobriety
by Dave Davies
The six-time All Star pitched for the Yankees and the Indians during his 19-year career. He also struggled with alcoholism. Sabathia reflects on baseball and sobriety in the memoir, Till the End.
Marking The Centennial Of 2 Early Electric Guitarists: George Barnes And Mary Osborne
by Kevin Whitehead
Barnes and Osborne would both be 100 on July 17. Barnes grew up in Chicago and went on to play on Bob Dylan's first single. Osborne turned up on records by Mel Tormé , Wynonie Harris and others.
Documentaries 'Summer Of Soul' And 'McCartney 3-2-1' Celebrate The Sound Of The '60s
by David Bianculli
Summer of Soul reveals never-before-seen film from a '69 Harlem concert series known as the Black Woodstock. McCartney 3-2-1 is a six-part series in which Paul McCartney talks to producer Rick Rubin.
Mindy Kaling Brings A New Nerd To TV, And Finds She 'Was Not Alone' As A Teen
by Terry Gross
"It ended up being very cathartic," Kaling says of creating the show Never Have I Ever. The series follows an Indian American teen who's on the hunt for a boyfriend. Originally broadcast April 2020.
An Innocent Man Walks Free From A 60-Year Sentence With Help From A Journalist
by Terry Gross
Seven years into his 60-year sentence, Yutico Briley wrote a letter to Emily Bazelon, who writes about the criminal justice system. They both reflect on Briley's long path to exoneration.