NPR Programs: Fresh Air Podcast

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, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.

Podcast, English, Washington, USA
Genres: Society

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Episodes

Listen now Audra McDonald: Shaping 'Bess' On Broadway The actress is nominated for her fifth Tony Award for the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. "There's very few quiet moments for Bess," she says. "They're all very big, very emotional. ... And to commit to that night after night after night is very... Wednesday, 16-May-12 01:32 BST
Listen now Johnny Carson Gets The 'Masters' Treatment Monday night on PBS, American Masters presents a two-hour biography of Johnny Carson. Carson retired 20 years ago this month, and vacated a throne that TV critic David Bianculli says no one has managed to claim since. Tuesday, 15-May-12 01:47 BST
Listen now Shooting Vietnam: Remembering Horst Faas Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Horst Faas, who captured iconic moments during the Vietnam War, has died. In 1997, he talked to Terry Gross about covering the conflict. "Being in Vietnam and being around a major story of the time was always a... Tuesday, 15-May-12 01:47 BST
Listen now Pounding Away At America's Obesity Epidemic One-third of Americans today are obese, and another third are overweight. A new HBO documentary series, The Weight of the Nation, explores how our country got this way and what can be done to tackle the growing national health crisis. Tuesday, 15-May-12 01:47 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Weekend: Lena Dunham, Gretchen Reynolds The creator and star of HBO's new series Girls addresses the growing backlash against the show. And New York Times "Phys Ed" columnist Gretchen Reynolds shares some simple advice for staying healthy. Sunday, 13-May-12 01:36 BST
Listen now Fresh Air At 25: A Live Musical Tribute Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the day Fresh Air became a daily national NPR program. To celebrate, hear two delightful medleys of impromptu musical performances, culled from Fresh Air's archives. Saturday, 12-May-12 01:38 BST
Listen now 'Dark Shadows': A Vampire Returns, Without His Bite Johnny Depp stars in Tim Burton's feature-film adaptation of the cult Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, about an 18th-century vampire transplanted to the 1970s. Critic and longtime Dark Shadows fan David Edelstein says the camp sendup of the show is... Friday, 11-May-12 01:54 BST
Listen now Horse Racing: America's Most Dangerous Game? Two reporters for The New York Times detail their monthslong investigation of America's racetracks. Since 2009, more than 6,600 horses have broken down or showed signs of injury at U.S. racetracks, a rate much higher than in other countries. Friday, 11-May-12 01:54 BST
Listen now Stand Up, Walk Around, Even Just For '20 Minutes' New York Times "Phys Ed" columnist Gretchen Reynolds has some simple advice for staying healthy: Stand up. Move around. In her new book, The First 20 Minutes, she explains the hazards of a sedentary lifestyle, and details some of the surprisingly... Thursday, 10-May-12 01:36 BST
Listen now Creating A New Vision Of Islam In America Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf was once the lead cleric associated with the proposed Islamic community center some critics called the "ground zero mosque." In his new book, Moving the Mountain, Rauf calls for moderate Muslims to step up and marginalize the... Thursday, 10-May-12 01:36 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Remembers Author Maurice Sendak Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, whose classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are became a perennial and award-winning favorite for generations of children, died Tuesday. He was 83. Fresh Air remembers Sendak with excerpts from several... Wednesday, 09-May-12 01:42 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Remembers Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Adam "MCA" Yauch, one of the group's founding members, died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 47. Fresh Air remembers the raspy-voiced rapper with excerpts from a 2006 interview. Tuesday, 08-May-12 02:23 BST
Listen now Lena Dunham Addresses Criticism Aimed At 'Girls' The creator and star of HBO's new series Girls addresses the growing backlash against the show, which follows four 20-somethings as they navigate the ups and downs of life in New York City. Tuesday, 08-May-12 02:22 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Weekend: Sissy Spacek, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Sissy Spacek recounts some of her favorite memories from the sets of movies such as Coal Miner's Daughter, Badlands and Carrie in a new memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life. Also, Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks about her roles in Seinfeld and Veep. Sunday, 06-May-12 01:34 BST
Listen now A Gershwin Biopic That Ain't Necessarily So True Rhapsody in Blue, a 1945 film version of the life of George Gershwin, is out for the first time on DVD. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says it's a fascinating mixture of real facts, pure invention and memorable musical moments. Saturday, 05-May-12 01:50 BST
Listen now The U.S. Ambassador Inside Hitler's Berlin William Dodd served for four years as the ambassador to Germany before resigning — after repeated clashes with both Nazi Party officials and the State Department. Erik Larson chronicles Dodd's time in Berlin in his new book, In the Garden of Beasts. Saturday, 05-May-12 01:49 BST
Listen now 'The Avengers': A Marvel-Ous Whedonesque Ride In Joss Whedon's The Avengers, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and Captain America unite in what, on the basis of advance ticket sales, promises to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer. Critic David Edelstein says the movie's a blast — and one... Friday, 04-May-12 01:58 BST
Listen now The Man Who Revitalized 'Doctor Who' And 'Sherlock' TV writer and producer Steven Moffat specializes in injecting new life into old, familiar characters and stories. He first worked his magic on the revived edition of Doctor Who. Now, he's responsible for bringing to life the critically acclaimed... Friday, 04-May-12 01:58 BST
Listen now Julia Louis-Dreyfus: From 'Seinfeld' To 'Veep' The actress will forever be known to millions as Elaine Benes, the character she played for nine seasons on Seinfeld. But she was also an early cast member of SNL, won an Emmy for The New Adventures of Old Christine and now stars in a new HBO comedy... Friday, 04-May-12 01:58 BST
Listen now Sherlock: A Character Who's More Than Elementary What can explain the enduring popularity of Sherlock Holmes? Critic John Powers says it's that Sherlock "embodies an archetypal aspect of the human psyche" — and appeals to the part of us that loves a good mystery. Thursday, 03-May-12 01:41 BST
Listen now ExxonMobil: A 'Private Empire' On The World Stage In Private Empire, investigative journalist Steve Coll explains how ExxonMobil has used its money and power to wield significant influence in Washington, D.C., concerning issues like climate change. Thursday, 03-May-12 01:40 BST
Listen now 'The Newlyweds': A Match Made Online As accusations of sexism ricochet through the book industry, Nell Freudenberger continues to craft wonderful literary fiction, writes Maureen Corrigan. Freudenberger's latest novel, The Newlyweds, tells the story of an Internet-arranged,... Wednesday, 02-May-12 02:10 BST
Listen now The 'Manhunt' To Capture Osama Bin Laden Journalist Peter Bergen outlines the decade-long search for the al-Qaida leader in his new book Manhunt. Bergen is the only journalist to gain access to bin Laden's Abbottabad compound before it was razed by the Pakistani government. Wednesday, 02-May-12 02:10 BST
Listen now Sissy Spacek's 'Extraordinary Ordinary Life' The actress's film career has spanned more than four decades. She recounts some of her favorite memories from the sets of movies such as Coal Miner's Daughter, Badlands and Carrie in a new memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life. Tuesday, 01-May-12 01:44 BST
Listen now Sissy Spacek's 'Extraordinary Ordinary Life' The actress's film career has spanned more than four decades. She recounts some of her favorite memories from the sets of movies such as Coal Miner's Daughter, Badlands and Carrie in a new memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life. Tuesday, 01-May-12 01:44 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Weekend: Jack Black, Hugh Laurie Actor Jack Black plays a kindly, small-town funeral director who murders a wealthy millionaire in the new film Bernie. Black is also one-half of the comedy folk-rock group Tenacious D. Also, actor Hugh Laurie talks about playing Dr. House and critic... Sunday, 29-Apr-12 01:35 BST
Listen now A 'Five-Year Engagement' Leaves A Bitter Taste The romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement reunites writer-director Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel, who made Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Muppets together. This time, Segel and Emily Blunt play a couple whose relationship is tested by a major... Saturday, 28-Apr-12 01:31 BST
Listen now Tracing The Divides In The War 'To End All Wars' Historian Adam Hochschild traces the patriotic fervor that catapulted Great Britain into war during the summer of 1914 — as well as the small, but determined British pacifist movement — in his historical narrative To End All Wars: A Story of... Saturday, 28-Apr-12 01:30 BST
Listen now Lillian Hellman: A 'Difficult,' Vilified Woman A fierce playwright, a fiery socialist and a pioneering feminist, Lillian Hellman lived unapologetically. But today she's remembered as a fabulist and a rabble-rouser — if she's remembered at all. A new Hellman biography, A Difficult Woman, hopes to... Friday, 27-Apr-12 01:38 BST
Listen now Howlin' Wolf: A Blues Legend With An Earthy Sound Sam Phillips once referred to Howlin' Wolf's voice as "where the soul of man never dies." Phillips, who worked with dozens of great Memphis musicians, never changed his mind. Rock historian Ed Ward examines the evolution of Wolf's singular talent. Friday, 27-Apr-12 01:38 BST
Listen now Following Garbage's Long Journey Around The Earth Americans generate more trash than anyone else on the planet: more than 7 pounds per person each day. Journalist Edward Humes explores how that happened in his new book Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash. Friday, 27-Apr-12 01:37 BST
Listen now I, David Bianculli, Highly Recommend 'I, Claudius' I, Claudius is loaded with bloody violence, graphic sex, tales of epic battles and intrigue and characters who are in danger of being killed at any time. The British miniseries has now been remastered and is available in a 35th anniversary edition DVD. Thursday, 26-Apr-12 02:14 BST
Listen now Hugh Laurie's 'House': No Pain, No Gain For the past eight seasons, the English actor has played Dr. Gregory House on the Fox medical series. During that time, Laurie's character has diagnosed dozens of patients suffering from rare ailments, while maintaining a serious addiction to Vicodin. Thursday, 26-Apr-12 02:14 BST
Listen now 'Death And The Penguin' Captures Post-Soviet Reality Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov writes short, surrealistic stories full of dark comedic surprises. His latest is The Case of the General's Thumb, but critic John Powers suggests starting with his 1996 novel, Death and the Penguin. It's a fast-paced,... Wednesday, 25-Apr-12 01:47 BST
Listen now Anna Quindlen: Over 50, And Having 'Plenty Of Cake' The Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times columnist's new memoir explores her past, present and future — her relationships with her parents and children, her faith, her career and her feelings about herself over the past five decades. Wednesday, 25-Apr-12 01:47 BST
Listen now Todd Snider: 'Stoner Fables' With A Layered Worldview Snider is a singer-songwriter with a sharp sense of humor, as evidenced by the title of his new album, Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables. Rock critic Ken Tucker says that even Snider's most pessimistic songs have a sense of humor and energy that gives... Tuesday, 24-Apr-12 01:36 BST
Listen now Jack Black: On Music, Mayhem And Murder Actor Jack Black plays a kindly, small-town funeral director who murders a wealthy millionaire in the new film Bernie. Black is also one-half of the comedy folk-rock group Tenacious D. They've just released a new album in the style of heavy metal... Tuesday, 24-Apr-12 01:35 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Weekend: Carl Zimmer, The Three Stooges Science writer Carl Zimmer profiles the scientists who are developing new antiviral drugs. Also, a conversation with the Farrelly Brothers about the new Three Stooges movie and Ken Tucker reviews a new album from Loudon Wainwright. Sunday, 22-Apr-12 01:34 BST
Listen now Levon Helm: The 2007 Fresh Air Interview Helm, the longtime drummer of The Band who backed Bob Dylan and sang with Van Morrison, died Thursday. He was 71. Fresh Air remembers Helm with excerpts from his two appearances on the show in 1993 and 2007. Saturday, 21-Apr-12 02:02 BST
Listen now From Dominican Roots, Bachata Is Here To Stay During the last 20 years, bachata has risen from the back country of the Dominican Republic to take its place next to salsa in concert halls. Milo Miles considers bachata's humble beginnings and the continuing appeal of its simpler side. Friday, 20-Apr-12 01:56 BST
Listen now Following The Lives Of Chimpanzees On Screen Filmmaker Alastair Fothergill spent three years in Western Africa, following a group of wild chimps. His Disney nature film Chimpanzee showcases a baby chimp named Oscar and the relationships he develops within his clan. Friday, 20-Apr-12 01:55 BST
Listen now The Stooges Are Back, And Nyukking Things Up Again The Farrelly brothers' new film reimagines Moe, Curly and Larry in the present day, but retains the Stooges' trademark slapstick humor and sound effects. "We tried to keep it looking exactly like the Stooges did it," says Peter Farrelly. Friday, 20-Apr-12 01:55 BST
Listen now In 'Monsieur Lazhar,' Grief Lingers In The Classroom The French Canadian film was one of five nominees for last year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It's now opening in theaters around the country. It's about a sixth-grade teacher who struggles to connect with students in a Montreal... Thursday, 19-Apr-12 01:50 BST
Listen now Jenny Scheinman's 'Mayhem' Hard To Pin Down Scheinman's quartet features players raised on and accustomed to performing all kinds of music. Thursday, 19-Apr-12 01:50 BST
Listen now Stories Put Spotlight On NYPD Surveillance Program After the Sept. 11 attacks, the New York City Police Department transformed itself into an aggressive domestic intelligence unit and monitored hundreds of Muslims in their mosques, workplaces and schools. Journalist Matt Apuzzo, who helped uncover the... Thursday, 19-Apr-12 01:49 BST
Listen now The Jazz Drummer Who Makes Music Out Of Everything Han Bennink hears sonic possibilities in many objects beyond the typical drum set. The Dutch drum maestro, one of the leaders in European free jazz and free improvisation, joined Fresh Air for an in-studio interview and concert. Before he left, he... Wednesday, 18-Apr-12 01:44 BST
Listen now The Race To Create The Best Antiviral Drugs Researchers want to create a widely effective drug that targets viruses much in the same way that penicillin kills a wide range of bacteria. Science writer Carl Zimmer profiles the scientists who are developing these antiviral drugs, and the... Wednesday, 18-Apr-12 01:43 BST
Listen now Loudon Wainwright III Looks Back At His 'Old Man' Over the past four decades, the singer has chronicled his relationships with his ex-wife, the late Kate McGarrigle, and his children, the singers Rufus and Martha Wainwright. His new album, Older Than My Old Man Now, addresses his relationship with... Tuesday, 17-Apr-12 01:32 BST
Listen now Interpreting Shariah Law Across The Centuries In his new book, Heaven on Earth, English barrister Sadakat Kadri describes how early Islamic scholars codified — and then modified — the Shariah laws that would govern how Muslim people lead their daily lives. He then reflects on the present day,... Tuesday, 17-Apr-12 01:31 BST
Listen now Fresh Air Weekend: R.A. Dickey, Carole King In her new memoir, A Natural Woman, Carol King details the stories behind some of her most famous songs and her relationships with songwriters like James Taylor, Gerry Goffin and Paul Simon. Also, New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey talks about being... Sunday, 15-Apr-12 01:34 BST
Listen now Lena Dunham's 'Girls' Navigate New York City Life This Sunday, HBO premieres Girls, a new comedy series written and directed by 25-year-old Lena Dunham, who first grabbed the media spotlight with her film Tiny Furniture in 2010. David Bianculli says the series is a cross between Sex and the City and... Saturday, 14-Apr-12 01:52 BST