
Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

A new documentary checks out the many ways libraries are a 'Free For All'
By examining the value of libraries in the distant and recent past, this PBS film makes a compelling case for the importance of the American public library system today.
In 'Heaven, My Home' Attica Locke Shows A Part Of Texas We Don't Usually See
by Sam Briger
Locke says her new novel "was about place before it was about a character." The story follows a black ranger who patrols East Texas searching for the missing son of an Aryan Brotherhood leader.
Documentary Reveals The Depth And Complexity Of Opera Star Maria Callas
by Lloyd Schwartz
Maria by Callas weaves together performance clips, home movies, interviews and poignant diary excepts to present an intimate portrait of the singer in her own words.
Aaron Paul Didn't Think His 'Breaking Bad' Character Would Live This Long
by Terry Gross
The Emmy Award-winning actor returns as drug dealer Jesse Pinkman in El Camino, a movie sequel to Breaking Bad. In 2011, Paul said his character was supposed to die in the TV show's first season.
'Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan Reflects On Meth And Morals
by Terry Gross
Gilligan's AMC show centered on a chemistry teacher who created a meth empire. In 2011, Gilligan told Fresh Air that he pitched the series by saying, "You take Mr. Chips and turn him into Scarface."
6 Years Later, 'El Camino' Proves Just As Exciting And Original As 'Breaking Bad'
by David Bianculli
The Netflix film picks up right where Breaking Bad left off, with Jesse (Aaron Paul) speeding off after escaping from his captors. From there, El Camino is a wild and spellbinding ride.
Taylor Ho Bynum's 'Ambiguity Manifesto' Is A Playground For Jazz Improvisers
by Kevin Whitehead
Bynum's album features nine musicians, including guitarist Mary Halvorson, a newly minted MacArthur fellow. Each improviser sings the tune — or sings around it — in their own way, in their own time.
How A Political Hit Job Backfired, And Led To Trump's Impeachment Peril
by Dave Davies
Bloomberg Businessweek columnist Joshua Green says Trump fell for a media campaign on Ukraine designed to help him: "The irony is that the target was supposed to be the Bidens, not the president."