Fresh Air Weekend: Jon Stewart, Peter Mendelsund And A Review Of Bob Dylan

Rosewater is Jon Stewart's directorial debut. He filmed much of the movie in Jordan, and he says he grew a beard because after wearing a suit and shaving for most of his career, he wanted to let his "freak flag fly."
Rosewater is Jon Stewart's directorial debut. He filmed much of the movie in Jordan, and he says he grew a beard because after wearing a suit and shaving for most of his career, he wanted to let his "freak flag fly." Laith Majali / Courtesy of Open Road Films

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Jon Stewart's Debut Film Shows 'Humor Survives' In The Bleakest Conditions: Rosewater is based on Maziar Bahari's experience of being tortured in an Iranian prison. "His humor sustained him," the Daily Show host says. "And I found that incredibly empowering."

The Jacket Designer's Challenge: To Capture A Book By Its Cover: Peter Mendelsund has designed hundreds of book covers, including two new ones of his own: Cover and What We See When We Read. He talks about his process and why "dead authors get the best" covers.

Bob Dylan's 'Basement Tapes' Formed A Legend: During a hiatus, some tapes surfaced of new songs Bob Dylan been writing: the infamous Basement Tapes. These songs have been collected in a box set.You can listen to the original interviews here:

Jon Stewart's Debut Film Shows 'Humor Survives' In The Bleakest Conditions

The Jacket Designer's Challenge: To Capture A Book By Its Cover

Bob Dylan's 'Basement Tapes' Formed A Legend

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