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.
Hank Azaria On 'Brockmire' And Why He No Longer Performs Apu On 'The Simpsons'
by Dave Davies
Azaria has voiced dozens of Simpsons' characters, starting with Mo the bartender. In the IFC comedy series Brockmire he plays a troubled baseball announcer who always speaks in his broadcaster voice.
K-Pop Band BTS Proves Its Skill And Influence On 'Map Of The Soul: 7'
by Ken Tucker
BTS' new record features songs that vary from grandly dramatic to impishly playful. The album's been a near-instant hit, selling over 2 million copies in its first two hours of release in South Korea.
'The Plot Against America' Asks: What If The U.S. Had Sided With The Nazis?
David Bianculli reviews HBO's new miniseries, which imagines that Charles Lindbergh became president in 1940. And we listen back to a 2004 with Philip Roth, who wrote the novel the series is based on.
White House Knew Coronavirus Would Be A 'Major Threat' — But Response Fell Short
by Terry Gross
Politico reporter Dan Diamond says infighting at the Department of Health and Human Services and the need to flatter Trump impeded the response to the coronavirus.
'Writers & Lovers' Captures The Cost Of Following A Dream That May Not Pay Off
by Maureen Corrigan
Lily King's new novel centers on a woman who's spent six years working on her own novel. It's a story of ambition — and what happens when the markers of adult achievement are slow to materialize.
'MBS' Traces The Rise Of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman
by Dave Davies
New York Times reporter Ben Hubbard says Saudi Arabia's leader is full of contradictions: He ended a ban on women driving, but his agents also carried out the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Remembering McCoy Tyner, A Jazz Legend Who Created His Own Style
by Kevin Whitehead
Tyner, who died on March 6, placed thundering piano chords under fast, right-hand melodies. He led his own groups for decades, but was frequently associated with one early employer, John Coltrane.
Best Coast Achieves A New, More Poignant Power On 'Almost Tomorrow'
by Ken Tucker
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bethany Cosentino opens up about sobriety on a propulsive new album with musical partner Bobb Bruno. Almost Tomorrow is Best Coast's first record in five years.