'Ida': A Coming-Of-Age Story With An Eerie Luster
Polish-born director Pawel Pawlikowski's new film centers on an orphan who learns the secret of her past when she's on the brink of becoming a nun.
Arts & Life
The Making Of 'Godzilla,' Japan's Favorite 'Mon-Star'
Steve Ryfle is the author of a book about the making of the film and its many sequels. He spoke to Fresh Air in 2004, on the film's 50th anniversary.
'Mad Men' Creator Matthew Weiner On The End Of Don Draper's Journey
Weiner is currently writing and shooting the show's final episodes. He tells Fresh Air, "I'm going to be leaving these characters in a place where they belong."
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.
Netflix Built Its Microgenres By Staring Into The American Soul
Fresh Air tech contributor Alexis Madrigal counted 76,897 microgenres on the online streaming and DVD rental service, many of which are bizarrely personalized (Violent Action Thrillers Starring Bruce Willis, Tearjerkers From The 1970s). He says the company "knows you."
For Alan Cumming, Life Is (Once Again) A Cabaret
This is the third time Cumming has starred in the musical. He talks about the new production — everything from his costume (which he calls a "Wonder Bra" for men) to the darker themes of the show.
Fair Or Not, Getting Kids To Eat Their Vegetables
Pediatric nutritionist Dr. Deb Kennedy, author of The Picky Eating Solution, talks with NPR's Eric Westervelt about catering to kids who put up fights at the dinner table.
How An Army Officer And Diplomat Wrote His Way Through Trauma
After a decade of witnessing death and bloodshed in five different wars, Ron Capps developed post-traumatic stress disorder. His memoir, Seriously Not All Right, chronicles his battles.
A Fire Sparks Rivalry And Suspicion In 'The Art Of Secrets'
The Art of Secrets is the young-adult story of an investigation centered on a suspected hate crime in Chicago. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with the book's author, high school librarian James Klise.
Justice Stevens: Six Little Ways To Change The Constitution
In a new book, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens says we should rewrite the Second Amendment, abolish the death penalty and restrict political campaign spending.