
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 culture critic reflects on the limits of language -- and the magic of silence
by Tonya Mosley
Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker writer Hilton Als says we "don't actually have much silence left" in our world. His latest exhibition challenges the way we see art, identity and storytelling.
50 years ago, 'Country Life' solidified Roxy Music's reputation as art-rockers
by Ken Tucker
The British band Roxy Music, led by singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry, released their fourth album in 1974. It would go on to crack the Billboard top 40 — and it remains thrilling today.
'Omnivore' offers a fresh take on the history of the food on your plate
by David Bianculli
From tuna to chili peppers to salt, each episode of this new Apple TV+ docuseries focuses on a unique ingredient. But there’s an additional element that runs throughout the show: passion.
Remembering famed sex therapist Ruth Westheimer, aka 'Dr. Ruth'
by Terry Gross
Westheimer's matter-of-fact sex advice, along with her funny lively personality, made her a national media celebrity. She was born in Germany in 1928 and died July 12. Originally broadcast in 1996.
Remembering actor and producer Shelley Duvall
by Terry Gross
Duvall, who died July 11, starred in The Shining, Popeye and numerous Robert Altman films. She also produced the award-winning Faerie Tale Theatre. Originally broadcast in 1992.
Writer Shalom Auslander catalogs his lifelong battle with self-contempt in 'Feh'
by Tonya Mosley
Auslander has written for decades about growing up in a dysfunctional household within an ultra-orthodox Jewish community. The title of his latest memoir comes from the Yiddish word for "yuck."
Filmmakers profile America's economically lost generation in 'Two American Families'
by Tonya Mosley
FRONTLINE documentarians Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes spent decades following two working-class families who lost well-paying manufacturing jobs and then struggled to regain their way of life.
'Janet Planet' star Julianne Nicholson is proud to be a character actor
by Dave Davies
Nicholson says when strangers recognize her on the street, they're never quite sure how they know her: "They might think I sold them kittens, or I work in the ice cream shop."
Why the weapon of choice matters in the Trump assassination attempt
by Terry Gross
The shooter who tried to assassinate the former president used an AR-15. Pulitzer-winning Washington Post reporter Todd Frankel explains why this rifle is the weapon of choice for mass shooters.
50 years later, Stevie Wonder's 'First Finale' remains ripe for rediscovery
by Ken Tucker
Fulfillingness’ First Finale won the Grammy for Best Album in 1975, yet today it feels underrated — perhaps because its overall tone was more meditative than the albums immediately preceding it.