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.
Fresh Air Weekend: John Krasinski; Lydia Loveless' 'Real'; The Aging Electrical Grid
Actor John Krasinski discusses The Office and his "lottery-ticket life." Ken Tucker reviews Lydia Loveless' latest solo album. Gretchen Bakke says America's current power grid is aging and unstable.
When Barack Met Michelle: 'Southside With You' Recreates The Obamas' First Date
by David Edelstein
Richard Tanne's new film is a dramatization of Barack and Michelle Obama's first date in 1989. Critic David Edelstein says the movie's mix of politics and romance has a "naive kind of charm."
Feminist Gloria Steinem Finds Herself Free Of The 'Demands Of Gender'
As she approached 60, the co-founder of Ms. magazine says, she entered a new phase in life, one in which "you can do what you want." Originally broadcast Oct. 26, 2015.
New Releases Capture 'Inimitable' Tenor Saxophonist In His Neglected '70s Prime
by Kevin Whitehead
As one of the very first bebop tenor saxophonists, Teddy Edwards mixed awesome technique with irresistibly slinky phrases. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two reissues, Inimitable and Feelin's.
Investigation Into Private Prisons Reveals Crowding, Under-Staffing And Inmate Deaths
Seth Freed Wessler reported on substandard medical care in privately-run prisons in the federal corrections system for The Nation, which may have led the Justice Department to phase out their use.
'King of Highlife Anthology' Finally Does Justice To African Bandleader Mensah
by Milo Miles
E. T. Mensah, who died 20 years ago, played highlife, an offshoot of jazz that for years was the most popular style of music in southern Africa. Milo Miles reviews a new anthology of Mensah's music.
Lydia Loveless Mixes Desire With Distraction In 'Real'
by Ken Tucker
The singer-songwriter began performing at age 14 in a band with her sisters and her father. Critic Ken Tucker says the songs on Loveless' latest solo album, Real, have a "tough edge."
Stunned Silence, Then A Standing Ovation For 'Let Me Tell You'
by Lloyd Schwartz
Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen explores questions of time, memory, nature and human isolation. His recent collaboration with soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan has garnered worldwide attention.
Aging And Unstable, The Nation's Electrical Grid Is 'The Weakest Link'
In her new book, The Grid, Gretchen Bakke argues that the under-funded power grid is incapable of taking the U.S. into a new energy future. She explains the challenges to Fresh Air's Dave Davies.