'The Shrouds' introduces a new stage of grief: Watching your loved one decompose
David Cronenberg's thriller centers on an unusual technology that allows people to watch their loved ones decompose in real time. The Shrouds is both deeply morbid and disarmingly funny.
Horace Tapscott's Giant Re-Awakened In A Reissue
Horace Tapscott led a big band in 1969, but his debut was for a quintet drawn from its ranks. Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a reissue of The Giant is Awakened.
At The Peak Of Her Powers: Barbara Lynn's 'Complete Atlantic Recordings'
Fresh Air rock historian Ed Ward has a look in to a vital part of Lynn's career.
For Working Moms, Key To Balance May Lie In Elusive Leisure Time
If waiting for help when your car breaks down doesn't strike you as a leisurely activity, it may be time to reconsider. A new book looks at time management challenges of being a working parent.
'Life Itself': An Unflinching Documentary Of Roger Ebert's Life And Death
In late 2012, filmmaker Steve James and Roger Ebert began talking about filming a documentary based on Ebert's memoir. Ebert's wife, Chaz, agreed. They didn't know that he would die within months.
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.
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?