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 woman invented the rape kit. So why was a man given credit for it?
Rape kits were widely known as "Vitullo Kits" after a Chicago police sergeant. But a new book tells the story of Marty Goddard, a community activist who worked with runaway teenagers in the 1970s.
The PBS Version Of 'Wolf Hall' Unfolds Like A Real-Life House Of Cards
by John Powers
The show, based on Hilary Mantel's acclaimed novel, stars Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister. Critic John Powers says it's darkly lit, finely acted and thoroughly compelling.
'New Yorker' Cartoonist And TV Producer Writes 'Honest Portrait' Of His Parents
Bruce Eric Kaplan's illustrated memoir I Was A Child describes his life in Maplewood, N.J., in the '60s and '70s. He says it's a way of keeping his parents alive, "not just for me, but for the world."
New Frank Sinatra Documentary Charts His Professional Ups And Downs
by David Bianculli
Alex Gibney intersperses recently unearthed concert footage from 1971 with vintage and newly recorded interviews to make Sinatra: All or Nothing At All. It's illuminating and by no means a puff piece.
Rare Latin Grooves Excavated In Anthology
by Milo Miles
The mostly instrumental cuts draw on salsa, funk, soul and rock from vintage and new performers.
Alabama Judge Says Raising Money To Be Elected Is 'Tawdry'
Mixing judges with campaign contributions can lead to conflicts of interest. Fresh Air talks to retired Judge Sue Bell Cobb and the Center for American Progress' Billy Corriher.
No Hits, No Problem: Captain Beefheart's Major Label Run
by Ed Ward
In 1970, Warner Bros. Records had an unusual philosophy: they'd sign artists and, instead of wanting a hit single immediately, they'd develop them over several albums. Hence, Captain Beefheart.
Art Pepper's Startling Intensity Captured On Live Recordings
by Kevin Whitehead
Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says that Art Pepper played like he was making up for lost time.