Jason Isbell confronts the pain of divorce, and the possibility of new love
Jason Isbell sings about his split from musician Amanda Shires on his latest album Foxes in the Snow. "What I was attempting to do is document a very specific time where I was going through a lot of changes," he says.
Tracing The Origin Of The Campaign Promise To 'Tell It Like It Is'
It's a common pledge of candor for a roster of presidential hopefuls. As linguist Geoff Nunberg explains, the promise to "tell it like it is" has its roots in black speech from the '40s and '50s.
Jason Isbell's 'Something More Than Free' Rings With The Promise of Joy
The former member of the Drive-by Truckers unleashes his storytelling skills in his new album, Something More Than Free. Rock critic Ken Tucker says Isbell's lyrics reward a close listen.
Fresh Air Weekend: Weighing In On What It Means To 'Sound Gay'
In Do I Sound Gay?, director David Thorpe discusses the so-called "gay voice" and reveals his own attempt (with speech pathologist Susan Sankin) to sound "less gay." Originally broadcast July 7, 2015.
The Man Behind Wonder Woman Was Inspired By Both Suffragists And Centerfolds
Wonder Woman's creator had a few secrets of his own. Historian Jill Lepore describes William Moulton Marstothe's unusual life in The Secret History of Wonder Woman. Originally broadcast Oct. 27, 2014.
Duke Ellington's 'Plank Session' Offers Snapshots Of A Jazz Master At Work
In July 1970, Duke Ellington recorded two tunes engineered by Conny Plank. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says The Conny Plank Session, which is now on CD, is a window onto Ellington's working method.
'Tangerine', A Teeny-Budget Comedy That Packs An Emotional Wallop
Sean Baker's bleak, boisterous farce follows two transgender sex workers on Christmas Eve in Los Angeles. David Edelstein says Tangerine is "brilliantly shaped, edited, scored and performed."