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.
What's It Like To Be Neil Patrick Harris? He Gives You Options
The actor says he's been able to do a lot of different things in his life. So when he sat down to write a memoir, he made it a "Choose Your Own Adventure." Originally broadcast October 13.
John Oliver Is No One's Friend On His New HBO Show
The comedian who was a correspondent on The Daily Show for 7 1/2 years now pokes fun on Last Week Tonight. Oliver talks about tasing his leg, temping for a thief and remaining an outsider.
For Comic Hari Kondabolu, Explaining The Joke IS The Joke
Many comedians think that explaining jokes ruins jokes, but Hari Kondabolu doesn't mind. Especially when it comes to jokes about race and ethnicity, he's willing to explain until everyone gets it.
A Cartoonist's Funny, Heartbreaking Take On Caring For Aging Parents
In Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast combines text, cartoons, sketches and photos to describe her interactions with her parents during the last years of their lives.
Louis C.K. On His 'Louie' Hiatus: 'I Wanted The Show To Feel New Again'
The comic tells Fresh Air that after Season 3, he "aggressively forgot the show existed for a few months." Then he got back to work — for Louie's fourth season. Originally broadcast May 19.
Meryl Streep: The Fresh Air Interview
Meryl Streep won a Golden Globe for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She talks about preparing for that role and how her perceptions of herself have changed over the years.
New Yorker Cartoon Editor Explores What Makes Us Get It
Humor is both a creative and a cognitive process, says Bob Mankoff, who has contributed cartoons to The New Yorker since 1977. His memoir is called How About Never — Is Never Good For You?
At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story
"Any successful lyricist has to be part playwright and has to be able to put himself into the minds and the hearts and the souls of the characters," Sheldon Harnick tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.
Sam Baker: Finding Grace In The Wake Of Destruction
In 1986, a bomb planted by the Peruvian terrorist group Shining Path exploded in the luggage rack above Sam Baker. Somehow, during his long recovery, songs focused on empathy started coming to him.
Naive, Yet Revolutionary: Ray Davies On 50 Years Of The Kinks
"I think if I had been an accomplished songwriter I wouldn't have written 'You Really Got Me,' " Davies tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. Originally broadcast Nov. 26.