Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
Why anti-fascist vigilantes are infiltrating far-right white nationalist groups
by Terry Gross
New Yorker writer David Kirkpatrick says anti-fascists are using extra judicial methods to do what the FBI can't, by infiltrating white nationalist groups to expose them and planned attacks.
Remembering San Antonio's Horn-Infused Doo-Wop Scene
by Ed Ward
From the early '60s until the mid '70s, a multi-cultural music scene thrived on the west side of San Antonio, Texas. Ed Ward looks at two releases on Numero that open a small window on this music.
Patti Smith Looks Back On Life Before She Became The Godmother Of Punk
The singer joins Fresh Air for a conversation about her career and her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Smith's new memoir is M Train. Originally broadcast in 1996 and 2010.
'Portrait of an American Singer' Revives The Memory Of Tennessee Ernie Ford
by Ken Tucker
Tennessee Ernie Ford was a hugely popular singer in the 1950s and 60s. Now, a new 5-disc boxed set attempts to reintroduce Ford to a new audience. Rock critic Ken Tucker has a review.
Flights Of Fancy: Exploring The Songs And Pathways Of 'The Living Bird'
Wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and essayist Scott Weidensaul share bird calls and discuss some of the remarkable abilities of birds. Both men contributed to a new book about North American birds.
Poetic And Expansive, 'City On Fire' Ultimately Falls Short Of Its Reach
by Maureen Corrigan
Garth Risk Hallberg's 900-page debut novel is an intricately-plotted story set in chaotic 1970s New York. Critic Maureen Corrigan says City On Fire has much to admire, even if its ending falls flat.