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 conversation about MLK's legacy, and a second Trump administration
by Tonya Mosley
Monday marks both the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. day and the inauguration of Donald Trump as our 47th President. We reflect on this with scholars Tressie McMillan Cottom and Eddie Glaude.
The Mind-Boggling Story Of Our Arcane And Convoluted 'Primary Politics'
Author Elaine Kamarck explains superdelegates, the difference between caucuses and primaries, what happens in a brokered convention and how the rules of primaries can sometimes change.
'Hollywood Hoofbeats' Chronicles The Horses That Captured Moviegoers' Hearts
Author Petrine Day Mitchum tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies that show business horses have been known to develop an actor's affection for the camera, often coming to life when the director says "action."
For Actress Regina King, A Childhood Gig Launched A Career In Hollywood
King began acting professionally as a teen on the TV show 227. Now she co-stars in ABC's American Crime and HBO's The Leftovers. She also directs for television, but says "I absolutely love acting."
'No Orpheus' Revisits The Dreams And Passions Of An Aging Mother
by Lloyd Schwartz
When his mother was turning 90, music critic Lloyd Schwartz wrote poems that put her memories into verse. Composer Mohammed Fairouz set three of the poems to music on the new recording, No Orpheus.
Fresh Air Weekend: Pen-Pal Passion Is Revived In Broadway's 'She Loves Me'
A revival of the musical She Loves Me recently opened on Broadway. Director Scott Ellis and lyricist Sheldon Harnick (of Fiddler on the Roof fame) join Fresh Air. Originally published March 15, 2016.
Fresh Air Weekend: Why Fewer American Women Are Married Than Ever Before
Rebecca Traister, author of All the Single Ladies, says the declining marriage rates among adult women reflect expanded choices available to women today. Originally broadcast March 1, 2016.
'Krisha' Offers A Vivid, Unique Portrait Of Family Dysfunction
by David Edelstein
Writer-director Trey Edward Shults cast his own family in his home-for-Thanksgiving psychodrama. Reviewer David Edelstein says Krisha "marks the arrival of a truly adventurous, humanist filmmaker."
'Roots' Drummer Questlove On His Late Father Lee Andrews
Fifties doo-wop singer Lee Andrews died Wednesday. His son, musician Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, spoke about Andrews in this archival Fresh Air interview. Originally broadcast June 23, 2013.
At 83, 'Songwriter-Singer' Loretta Lynn Comes 'Full Circle'
by Ken Tucker
The country music legend's new album mixes original material with interpretations of country classics. Reviewer Ken Tucker says the record shows a vulnerability that is somewhat new to Lynn's music.