Years ago, writer Pico Iyer lost everything in a wildfire. This is what he learned
After a 1990 wildfire destroyed his home and possessions, Iyer started over. The loss led him to a Benedictine monastery, where he found comfort and compassion in solitude. His new memoir is Aflame.
Lennie Tristano: Cool Reputation, Hot Jazz
Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a newly released 1951 live recording by the pianist's sextet at Chicago's Blue Note club.
New Meds Block Heroin Craving, But Reporter Finds Treatment Centers Don't Use Them
The Huffington Post's Jason Cherkis investigated the heroin epidemic in Kentucky, and found that the abstinence-based approach used in most treatment centers was leading to many fatal relapses.
Bob Dylan Looks To The Ageless American Songbook
Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker says Dylan both infuses the songs with his personality, while also allowing them to be heard anew.
Fresh Air Weekend: Benedict Cumberbatch, 'American Sniper' Review And 'Teenage Brain'
Cumberbatch portrays the eccentric mathematician Alan Turing in The Imitation Game; John Powers reviews American Sniper; neuroscientist Frances Jensen discusses why teens should protect their brains.
Are We Having Fun Yet? New Book Explores The Paradox Of Parenting
Kids can be magical and maddening. The title of Jennifer Senior's book — All Joy and No Fun — contrasts the strains of day-to-day parenting with the transcendent experience of raising a child.
Fresh Air Remembers Long-Time New York TV And Radio Personality Joe Franklin
Franklin was a talk-show host for more than 40 years. Guests ranged from Elvis Presley, Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand. He died Jan. 24 at 88 years old. In 1988, Franklin talked with Terry Gross.
In 'Outline,' A Series Of Conversations Are Autobiographies In Miniature
Rachel Cusk's novel centers on a writer and mother recovering from divorce who teaches a summer course in Athens, Greece. The narrator has 10 conversations filled with holes, lies and self-deceptions.
At The BBC, The Beatles Shocked An Institution
Between 1962 and 1965, The Beatles were featured on 53 BBC radio programs. For The Beatles: The BBC Archives, Kevin Howlett had to search for many of these recordings, and they weren't easy to find.