Film offers 'Hard Truths' about why some people are happy — and others are miserable
Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a phenomenal performance as a profoundly unhappy woman. There isn't a lot of plot, but director Mike Leigh builds his stories from the details and detritus of daily life.
From Meditation Music To Whaling Songs, 2 New Records Showcase Berendt's Mashups
German producer and musicologist Joachim-Ernst Berendt was an early champion of so-called world music. Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two cross-cultural rarities Berendt produced in the late 1960s.
'Fiddler' Songwriters Discuss Putting Themselves In The 'Soul Of The Characters'
Together Sheldon Harnick and the late Jerry Bock wrote the songs for the Broadway show Fiddler on the Roof. Both men spoke to Fresh Air in 2004; Harnick spoke to Fresh Air again in 2014.
The Failed Coup That Led To Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'
Adolf Hitler wrote his famous manifesto while serving time for an attempted coup that started in a German beer hall. Author Peter Ross Range says, "There was an obvious need to get his message out."
The Fog Of War Collides With The Fog Of Michael Bay In '13 Hours'
Bay's new film presents the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya from the perspective of military contractors. Critic David Edelstein says 13 Hours is a "ham-handed but ... generally effective portrait."
'My Ears Are Open': Novelist Elizabeth Strout Finds Inspiration In Everyday Life
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge says she was a "bad lawyer" before turning her energies to writing. Her latest novel, My Name is Lucy Barton, is about an aspiring writer.
Saxophonist Scott Hamilton Harmonizes With The Jeff Hamilton Trio On 'Live In Bern'
For years, Scott Hamilton toured as a soloist. Recently he recorded a new album with drummer Jeff Hamilton's band. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the record showcases Scott Hamilton's ageless style.
