Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Beetlejuice is back, in a supernatural screwball sequel
Director Tim Burton seems more interested in updating than duplicating his 1988 hit. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice demonstrates affection for the characters and genuine curiosity in how they’re doing now.
Bernice Johnson Reagon On Leading Freedom Songs During The Civil Rights Movement
by Terry Gross
In the 1960s, Reagon was a founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee's Freedom Singers. In 1988, she spoke to Fresh Air about the songs she sang as an activist.
Rhiannon Giddens Sings Slave Narratives
by Terry Gross
Giddens' Freedom Highway is an exploration of African American experiences, accompanied by an instrument with its own uniquely African American story: the banjo. Originally broadcast May 11, 2017.
A Mother Reflects On Privilege, Adoption And Parenting 'Without Perfection'
by Terry Gross
Blogger Kristen Howerton talks about how raising two white biological daughters and two black adopted sons helped her understand white privilege. Her new memoir is Rage Against the Minivan.
'Perry Mason' Reboot Reimagines The Original Aggressively — And Effectively
by David Bianculli
HBO's new 8-part miniseries stars Matthew Rhys in the title role. The show is full of delightful surprises, including its portrayal of Mason as a gumshoe — not an iconic defense attorney.
In Defense Of Jazz Biopics: Melodramas And Morality Tales, Set To Music
by Kevin Whitehead
Many jazz fans hate biopic films, but critic Kevin Whitehead likes noticing which true elements get in — or get left out — as messy lives are squeezed into stock-story formulas.
Reissue Of 'The End of Me' Helps Cement Alfred Hayes' Status As A Great Novelist
by John Powers
A poet, novelist and screenwriter, Hayes' name largely fell from view following his death in 1985. Now, with the re-issue of three of his novels, his reputation has been making a comeback.
Poet Eve Ewing Connects 1919 Chicago To Today's Racial Unrest
by Terry Gross
Ewing's 1919 looks back on a century-old riot in Chicago, set off after a black teen drowned while being stoned by white people. She says the systemic racism that plagued the U.S. then still exists.
How Taking A Stand For Justice Can Threaten The Careers Of Black Athletes
by Dave Davies
Howard Bryant, author of The Heritage, discusses the history of social protest among African American athletes, including Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Originally broadcast Jan. 13, 2018.
'Fresh Air' Listens Back To James Baldwin And Documentary Filmmaker Raoul Peck
by Terry Gross
In 1986, Terry Gross interviewed Baldwin, one of the most influential black writers of the civil rights era. Then, in 2017, she spoke to Peck, director of I Am Not Your Negro, about Baldwin.