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Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
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Rachel Kushner's new espionage thriller may be her coolest book yet
In Creation Lake, a hard-drinking American spy infiltrates a radical farming collective in a remote region of France. Kushner challenges readers to keep up with her and not to flinch.
Novelist Revisits The Assassination And Conspiracies That Fueled Colombia's Civil War
by Sam Briger
Juan Gabriel Vásquez's novel, The Shape Of The Ruins, centers on the 1948 assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, the years of violence that followed and the conspiracy theories surrounding his death.
Did Law Enforcement Overlook The Threat Of Far-Right Extremism?
by Terry Gross
Janet Reitman of The New York Times Magazine says counter-terrorism strategists failed to adequately address right-wing domestic extremism — which enabled the movement to become even more dangerous.
Inside This Deceptively Simple Story Lurks A 'Burning' Psychological Thriller
by Justin Chang
Director Lee Chang-dong's film centers on two young men and the woman who brings them together. Critic Justin Chang calls Burning the most absorbing — and enigmatic — new movie he's seen all year.
How The Fugitive Slave Act Ignited A 'Struggle For America's Soul'
by Terry Gross
Author Andrew Delbanco says the 1850 law paved the way for the Civil War by endangering the lives of both escaped slaves and free black men and women in the North. His book is The War Before The War.
An Intimate Pontormo Show Outshines The Met's Big Delacroix Retrospective
by Lloyd Schwartz
In the age of blockbuster art exhibitions, a small show sometimes makes just as big an impression as a large one. That's what happened to critic Lloyd Schwartz on a recent trip to New York.
'Why Religion?' Asks 'How Hearts Can Heal' After Tragedy
by Terry Gross
Religion scholar Elaine Pagels lost her young son to terminal illness and her husband a year later in an accident. Her new book combines memoir and biblical scholarship to reflect on loss and faith.
Mystery Thriller 'Homecoming' Delivers A Healthy Dose Of Suspicion And Paranoia
by David Bianculli
Amazon Prime Video's new drama series stars Julia Roberts as a therapist who's working with a soldier returning from Afghanistan. Critic David Bianculli binged all 10 engrossing episodes.
Comic Hasan Minhaj On Roasting Trump And Growing Up A 'Third Culture Kid'
by Terry Gross
"I'm an Indian-American-Muslim kid, but am I more Indian or am I more American?" Minhaj asks. His weekly political comedy series on Neflix is called Patriot Act. Originally broadcast May 18, 2017.
Orson Welles' Long Anticipated 'Other Side Of The Wind' Is Finally Finished
by David Edelstein
Critic David Edelstein says the story behind the The Other Side Of The Wind — how Welles made it and what happened to it after his death in 1985 — is more fun than the completed film itself.
Is The Supreme Court The 'Most Dangerous Branch' Of Government?
by Terry Gross
Author David A. Kaplan warns that the court is becoming increasingly polarized — and influential: "Why should nine unelected, unaccountable judges dictate so much policy in the country?"
Kurt Vile Stretches In An Adventurous New Direction On 'Bottle It In'
by Ken Tucker
A laid-back, generous spirit pervades many of the songs on Vile's latest album. Critic Ken Tucker says the singer/songwriter "sounds like one of the most well-adjusted pop musicians around."