Interviews

Nicholas Heyward Jr. the year before he was killed. "I would give my life today if I could, you know, just have him back," his dad said during a recent visit to StoryCorps.

Dad Aches For Son Killed By Policeman 20 Years Ago

12:51pm May 15, 2015

by NPR Staff

Thirteen-year-old Nicholas Heyward Jr. was playing with a toy gun in the stairwell of the housing complex where he lived in Brooklyn when a police officer shot and killed him in 1994.

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Don Draper (Jon Hamm) faces personal and professional upheaval in the final season of Mad Men.

Fresh Air Weekend: Inside 'Mad Men'; British Pulp Fiction; Youth Sports

2:09pm May 11, 2015

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner talks about the end of the road for Don Draper; John Powers reviews Ted Lewis' GBH; Baseball's Mike Matheny talks about his career and the pressures of youth sports.

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President Barack Obama participates in a "My Brother's Keeper" StoryCorps interview with Noah McQueen in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Feb. 20.

Obama To Ambitious Teen: 'You've Got This Strength Inside Yourself'

11:26am May 11, 2015

by NPR Staff

The president interviews 18-year-old, Noah McQueen, who's participating in a White House mentoring program for young men of color. "It's hard to always make the right decision," McQueen tells Obama.

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'Fresh Air' Remembers Soul Singer Ben E. King

1:56pm May 08, 2015

The crooner sang lead for the Drifters and became famous for the classic hit "Stand By Me." King died April 30th. Fresh Air remembers him with this interview. Originally broadcast in 1988.

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Books
Arts

'Fresh Air' Remembers Mystery Novelist Ruth Rendell

1:56pm May 08, 2015

The British author wrote crime novels for 50 years, many featuring Chief Inspector "Reg" Wexford. Rendell died May 2. Originally broadcast in 1989 and 2005.

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Arts

'Mad Men' Creator On Don Draper's Losses And The End Of The Road

5:08pm May 07, 2015

With just two episodes to go until the AMC series wraps for good, showrunner Matthew Weiner talks about the state of his main character's career and family life — and what the show is all about.

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Ken Robinson proposes a more creative system of education.

How Do Schools Kill Creativity?

10:56am May 06, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Sir Ken Robinson makes a case for creating an education system that nurtures — rather than stifles — creativity.

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As China continues its massive economic growth, especially in cities, the government continues to severely limit people's rights. Is that system sustainable?

From Horses To High-Rises: An Insider 'Unmasks' China's Economic Rise

8:26pm May 03, 2015

by NPR Staff

Over the past 25 years, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson watched China turn into the world's second largest economy. He explains what could halt the country's massive growth.

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Louis C.K. remembers getting "really big laughs" during his third try at stand-up. "I was so excited that I had a little foot in the door," C.K. says. He's pictured above in his FX series Louie.

Fresh Air Weekend: Louis C.K, A Memoirist's 'Struggle', Pokey LaFarge

11:22am May 02, 2015

Comic C.K. talks about the pain of his first-ever open mic experience; John Powers reviews Karl Ove Knausgaard's 'My Struggle'; LeFarge performs new songs and some favorites from the 1920s and '30s.

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Timothy Spall Takes On Painter J.M.W. Turner, A 'Master Of The Sublime'

3:12pm May 01, 2015

Spall had to "dig deep" to play the title role in Mr. Turner, which is now out on DVD. The 19th century painter was a "man of massive contradictions," he says. Originally broadcast Dec. 15, 2014.

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