Podcasts · Arts · TV & Film

Fresh Air

NPR

300 episodes

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews from Fresh Air. And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Los Javis filmmakers fight fascism and homophobia with ‘La Bola Negra’

    · 44 min

    Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi — known as "Los Javis" — have turned four pages of an unfinished play by Federico García Lorca into a sweeping epic about three generations of gay men in Spain. They spoke with Tonya…

  2. 'New Yorker' cartoonists confess to nightmare kitchens

    · 45 min

    New Yorker cartoonists Roz Chast and Jason Adam Katzenstein confess to the horrors lurking behind their kitchen cabinets and refrigerator doors – and the comedy they find in their anxiety. They spoke with Terry Gross…

  3. Best Of: Meshell Ndegeocello / Betty Gilpin

    · 47 min

    Singer, songwriter, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello helped define the sound of neo-soul, blending funk, jazz, and R&B into music that was unmistakably her own. Now, on her new album, Synonym, she's taking familiar…

  4. Platinum songwriter Jimmy Webb

    · 44 min

    Hall of Fame songwriter Jimmy Webb talks about writing some of the 1960s songs he’s best known for: “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “MacArthur Park.” Now 80, he’s got a new album of unreleased…

  5. Betty Gilpin is seeking anti-algorithm, weird roles – and it's working

    · 44 min

    "There's an understandable pull in my industry to make things that are kind of like a gleaming vanilla car commercial, like super safe, super familiar, appeal to the masses. And [then there are] people that are out…

  6. Election experts share concerns about the midterms

    · 45 min

    Ahead of the midterms, we talk with two election experts about President Trump’s efforts to interfere with voting. Richard Hasen, director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, and Pennsylvania’s lead election…

  7. David Treuer traces America's relationship with violence back to the frontier

    · 45 min

    Ojibwe writer David Treuer’s new book, The Savage Mind: An American Legacy, is written as a letter to his three children. It examines how the violence that shaped America's founding still influences who we are today.…

  8. Meshell Ndegeocello turns familiar songs inside out

    · 45 min

    Grammy-winning singer, bassist, and composer Meshell Ndegeocello helped shape the sound that became known as "neo-soul," but she's spent more than three decades resisting the labels placed on her and her music. Now, on…

  9. Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li

    · 48 min

    In his new film, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali plays a devout Muslim father and hit man whose life is upended when he suddenly has to care for his children on his own. The role…

  10. Remembering Eva Marie Saint / 'Interview with the Vampire' turns 50

    · 46 min

    The actor Eva Marie Saint died last week at age 102. She won an academy award for her first film role in On the Waterfront opposite Marlon Brando, and in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest she co-starred with Cary…

  11. Inside the Musk/Bezos space race

    · 43 min

    Atlantic staff writer Josh Tyrangiel says Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos each want to colonize the moon, mine its resources and launch thousands more satellites -- but their only real competition is each other. “Ordinarily,…

  12. Why the Arctic is a new source of global tension

    · 45 min

    As polar ice melts in the Arctic, shipping lanes are opening up, making the region a new zone of super-power competition. Writer Rana Foroohar spoke with Dave Davies about the stakes. Her book is in Sea Change. Also,…

  13. After losing her sons, Yiyun Li learned to ‘suffer better’

    · 44 min

    If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Li’s teenage sons both died by suicide six years apart, Vincent in 2017 at age 16, and…

  14. Mahershala Ali

    · 46 min

    In his new action thriller, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Mahershala Ali plays a devout Muslim father and hit man whose life is upended when he suddenly has to care for his children on his own. The role brings…

  15. A John Prine Appreciation

    · 45 min

    Prine, who died in 2020, would’ve turned 80 this weekend. A five-day event in and around his native Chicago is underway, including a tribute concert. The beloved folk singer-songwriter spoke with Terry Gross in 2018…

  16. Veteran White House reporter April Ryan’s ‘Blacklash’

    · 44 min

    Ryan has spent decades pressing presidents for answers. She talks about access, power, race and how asking questions put her in President Trump's crosshairs. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her book, Notes on a…

  17. How Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought the culture wars to the military

    · 45 min

    New York Times military and Pentagon reporter Greg Jaffe says Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has disproportionately blocked promotions of Black and women senior officers, and he’s also been purging the military of…

  18. ‘Showbiz!’ entertainer Murray Hill became what he didn’t see

    · 44 min

    Murray Hill's character on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, Fred Rococo, is a soil scientist trans man who hosts a queer cabaret. “[He] is me dialed down to like a 2,” he tells Terry Gross. In real life, Murray has hosted…

  19. Michael Douglas

    · 45 min

    Michael Douglas is one of the most recognizable actors of our time, but in 1987, many still knew him as Kirk Douglas's son. That year, he starred in Fatal Attraction and Wall Street, and his role as Gordon Gekko won…

  20. Best Of: Kyle MacLachlan / Inside the ‘romance scam’

    · 49 min

    Kyle MacLachlan was just 23 when he auditioned for Lynch's adaptation of Dune. The two would go on to work together on the cult classics Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. “The worlds that [Lynch] creates are real in his mind…

  21. Celebrating minimalist composer Steve Reich

    · 46 min

    Often called one of the fathers of minimalist music, Reich created a vocabulary that has influenced nearly every form of music: Classical, electronic, jazz, and pop. To commemorate his 90th birthday, there are…

  22. Sheryl Crow

    · 46 min

    The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has a new album, Pick You Up, out Oct. 9. She spoke with Fresh Air guest interviewer Sam Fragoso (Talk Easy) about touring with Michael Jackson in her 20s as a back-up singer,…

  23. New drones, deadlier attacks: Dystopian reality in Ukraine

    · 46 min

    Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist, is just back from her fourth visit to Ukraine. She says Russia has ramped up production of missiles and deadly drones, while Ukraine is desperately short of…

  24. Mahmoud Khalil’s 104 days in ICE Detention

    · 45 min

    Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and fled the country at 18. He had a green card to be in the United States, and had become one of the most visible faces of the pro-Palestinian protests at…

  25. Kyle MacLachlan was David Lynch’s ‘submersible’ into dark places

    · 46 min

    MacLachlan was just 23 when he auditioned for Lynch's adaptation of Dune. The two would go on to work together on the cult classics Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. “The worlds that [Lynch] creates are real in his mind —…

  26. Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall

    · 48 min

    Rhiannon Giddens doesn’t usually make pop music, but she wrote and played the banjo riff on Beyoncé’s country single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She comes from the Black string band tradition, is the artistic director of the…

  27. Bluegrass virtuoso Billy Strings

    · 47 min

    The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist has one foot in traditional bluegrass and another in improvisational jam music. He has a new album, So Much for Goodbyes, inspired by his late mother. He spoke with…

  28. Investigating the system that protected Sean “Diddy” Combs

    · 46 min

    Sean Combs founded Bad Boy Records and spent three decades as one of the most powerful men in hip hop. Now he's serving a federal prison sentence. Rolling Stone reporter Cheyenne Roundtree spent years talking to the…

  29. Global power, rivalry, and A.I.; a preview of the U.S./China summit

    · 46 min

    As President Trump and China's President Xi prepare to meet tomorrow, Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations explains the current state of US-China relations and what to expect from this summit. Subscribe to…

  30. Inside the 'modern slavery' where cyber scammers are victims themselves

    · 46 min

    WIRED’s Andy Greenberg explains how a cybercrime operation in Southeast Asia trapped computer engineers into defrauding victims of billions of dollars. Plus he discusses the scam involving Fresh Air. Also, jazz…

  31. Rhiannon Giddens traces the banjo from her ancestors to Beyoncé

    · 47 min

    A self-described "folkie to the bone," Giddens talks with Terry Gross about channeling her ancestors through her instrument, playing on Beyoncé’s country single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and a connection between Irish folk…

  32. Best Of: Colin Kaepernick / Danielle Brooks

    · 49 min

    10 years ago, former 49ers NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police violence against Black people. After the season ended, he never played in the NFL again. He spoke…

  33. Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones / Remembering singer Cassandra Wilson

    · 47 min

    The new film Coyote vs. ACME is based on the classic Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. Today, we listen back to Terry’s 1989 interview with animator Chuck Jones. He created the…

  34. The Roy Cohn Playbook, from McCarthyism to Trump

    · 46 min

    In a biography of Roy Cohn, Kai Bird looks at how the lawyer taught President Trump to deny, delay, attack, sue and countersue, never admit defeat, side step paying bills and avoid a paper trail. His book, with…

  35. Is Jared Kushner a 'walking conflict of interest'?

    · 46 min

    Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins says while Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is a U.S. special envoy negotiating peace, he's also working on private business deals, raising billions in some…

  36. Actor Danielle Brooks has blessings to count

    · 45 min

    Brooks grew up in a church where her mom was a minister and her dad a deacon. She went on to play Taystee in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Now she co-stars in the indie film If I Go Will They Miss Me?…

  37. Colin Kaepernick is still fighting – for justice and for his football career

    · 46 min

    It has been 10 years since former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, in protest of police brutality against Black people. Once the season ended, Kaepernick never played in the…

  38. Best Of: Life in the Mojave Desert / Director of ‘The Uprising’

    · 49 min

    Author Claire Vaye Watkins lives in the Mojave Desert, just like the protagonist in her new novel, Yellow Pine. In the book, it’s an area being developed by an energy company, wreaking havoc on the environment. The…

  39. Stories of survival & loss at Ground Zero

    · 46 min

    For the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, we go into our archive for voices of those who were there. Deputy Fire Chief John “Jay” Jonas spoke with Terry Gross about being inside the North Tower when it…

  40. How the WNBA became a political prop in the culture wars

    · 47 min

    Despite record viewership and attendance, and amazing talent across the league, the WNBA has been caught up in the national conversation about the culture wars. Sportswriter Sabreena Merchant says, “everything in the…

  41. How Sept. 11 changed American life

    · 46 min

    In his book Homeland: The War on Terror in American Life, Richard Beck looks at how the Sept. 11 attacks led to the expansion of government surveillance and a sharp increase in hate crimes against Muslim Americans.…

  42. Casey Gerald says ruining his reputation saved his life

    · 46 min

    A decade ago, Casey Gerald was running a celebrated nonprofit, giving TED talks, and on magazine covers as proof that the American dream still works. Then he shut it all down and disappeared from public life. Now, in a…

  43. Rosanne Cash on the gift her father, Johnny Cash, gave her

    · 47 min

    For Labor Day, we’re listening back to our 2009 interview with Rosanne Cash. When she was 18, in 1973, her father Johnny Cash gave her a list of 100 essential country songs he thought she should know. At the time, she…

  44. Best Of: ‘Wonder Man’ actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II / John Coltrane centennial

    · 49 min

    Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the Marvel series ‘Wonder Man,’ but two weeks after his nomination, Disney announced the series would not return for a second season. But getting…

  45. Feminist Icon Gloria Steinem

    · 47 min

    Writer, activist and face of the women’s liberation movement Gloria Steinem died Wednesday at age 92. She spoke with Terry Gross several times over four decades, this remembrance pulls from three of those…

  46. Filmmaker Paul Greengrass on rage, rebellion and ‘The Uprising’

    · 45 min

    Paul Greengrass’ new film, The Uprising, stars Andrew Garfield as a 14th-century peasant who, in the wake of the Plague, leads a revolt against the king. It's a history Greengrass grew up learning, and now sees…

  47. Back-to-school with Big Tech

    · 46 min

    Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have been competing for years to get their devices, software and AI into public schools, even offering free training programs for teachers and students. These brands are helping…

  48. A centennial celebration of John Coltrane

    · 47 min

    Coltrane was one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz, from his beautiful ballads, to his more spiritual music, and his role in the forefront of free jazz. September 23 marks 100 years since his…

  49. How the government wastes our time

    · 46 min

    Atlantic journalist Annie Lowrey explores the administrative burdens people face applying for government benefits like unemployment and food assistance. It's not just about wasted time: "When the government treats us…

  50. Best Of: Jason Segel / Lisa Kudrow

    · 49 min

    Jason Segel returns to talk with Terry Gross about his Emmy-nominated series Shrinking, in which he plays a therapist who suffered a nervous breakdown in the wake of his wife’s death. Segel opens up about his own…

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