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
Revolutionary fervor and personal grief define the experiences of two authors reflecting on their lives and legacies. Zayd Ayers Dohrn examines his childhood as the son of Weather Underground leaders, grappling with the inherent contradictions of parents who prioritized militant anti-racist and anti-war activism over t...
Actor Rose Byrne details her transition from screen to stage in the Noel Coward revival Fallen Angels, emphasizing the technical precision required for comedic timing, physical performance, and linguistic delivery. She also reflects on her role in the film If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You, exploring the visceral, claustroph...
Politicians face minimal legal accountability for knowingly lying to the public, a stark contrast to corporate executives who are prosecuted for deceiving shareholders. This systemic gap threatens democratic integrity, as evidenced by the recent, highly questionable settlement between Donald Trump and the IRS regarding...
Jesmyn Ward’s essay collection, On Witness and Respair, examines the intersection of personal grief and systemic injustice. Ward defines "respair"—the recovery of hope after despair—as a vital framework for enduring the loss of her brother and partner while navigating the trauma of the pandemic and the 2020 racial just...
Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s memoir, Dangerous, Dirty, Violent and Young, examines the profound contradictions of growing up as the son of Weather Underground leaders Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers. The narrative centers on the tension between his parents' commitment to revolutionary change and their responsibilities as parents...
Filmmaker and rapper Boots Riley explores the intersection of art and systemic critique through his new film I Love Boosters, which examines the role of shoplifters in providing essential goods to marginalized communities. Riley maintains that art serves as a tool to expose the contradictions inherent in capitalism. Ac...
War and nature documentary filmmaking define the human experience through vastly different lenses. Philip Caputo reflects on the psychological toll of combat in Vietnam and his subsequent work as a journalist in Beirut, noting how the loss of idealism and the confrontation with personal darkness shaped his writing. Dav...
The U.S.-China relationship has reached a critical juncture defined by a shift in geopolitical leverage and structural economic competition. China’s 2025 restriction on rare earth minerals effectively forced a U.S. retreat from aggressive tariff policies, signaling China’s emergence as a true geopolitical peer. This po...
Filmmaker and rapper Boots Riley discusses his latest film, I Love Boosters, a satirical exploration of women shoplifters in the Bay Area who redistribute luxury goods to underserved communities. Riley argues that capitalism creates inherent contradictions, and his work aims to make these visible by focusing on the phy...
Tech reporter Joanna Stern chronicles a year-long experiment testing the limits of artificial intelligence by integrating it into nearly every facet of her daily life, from medical diagnostics to professional tasks. AI tools successfully assisted in research and administrative duties, though they failed to replace huma...
Actor, writer, and director Will Sharpe discusses his creative process and recent projects, including his portrayal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the limited series Amadeus. Sharpe details the physical and mental preparation required for the role, emphasizing his use of music as a meditative tool to embody Mozart’s com...
Douglas Stuart’s new novel, John of John, examines the intersection of faith, isolation, and secret queer identities within a conservative Scottish island community, drawing on his own experiences growing up in Glasgow. Cal and his father navigate hidden desires while struggling with the decline of the traditional text...
Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller reflects on his career, detailing the creative evolution of mega-hits RENT and Hamilton. Seller emphasizes the necessity of rigorous editing, such as trimming rap battles and reprises to maintain narrative pacing, and highlights the collaborative environment required to foster groundbre...
Nathan Lane reflects on his evolution from a comedic stage performer to a dramatic actor, anchored by his recent Tony-nominated portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. This performance marks a significant shift in his career, mirroring his earlier pivot in The Iceman Cometh to challenge audience perceptions. L...
Silicon Valley’s political shift toward Donald Trump and the MAGA movement stems from a desire to dismantle federal regulatory oversight, particularly regarding cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. Venture capitalist David Sachs serves as a central figure in this alliance, leveraging his influence to secure favo...
Legal scholar Kimberly Williams Crenshaw examines the interplay between personal history and the evolution of American civil rights law. Drawing from her memoir Backtalker, she traces the origins of "intersectionality," a framework developed to address how legal systems fail to recognize the overlapping discrimination ...
Douglas Stuart, author of the Booker Prize-winning Shuggie Bain, explores the intersection of faith, secrecy, and identity in his latest novel, John of John. Set in a conservative Hebridean community, the story follows a father and son who remain closeted to one another while navigating the stifling pressures of their ...
Artistic evolution and personal transformation drive the creative journeys of musician Flea and actor Nick Offerman. Flea reflects on his transition from the aggressive, punk-inspired energy of the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the introspective, jazz-inflected compositions of his solo album Honora, illustrating how he tran...
Michael Tilson Thomas, the renowned conductor and composer who led the San Francisco Symphony for 25 years, left a profound legacy that extended from classical music to the preservation of Yiddish theatre. His career was deeply influenced by his grandparents, Boris and Bessie Tomaszewski, whose pioneering work on the Y...
Richard Gadd, the creator of the Netflix phenomenon Baby Reindeer, examines the complexities of male identity, vulnerability, and the dangers of emotional repression. His work, including the upcoming HBO series Half Man, challenges traditional archetypes by deconstructing the performance of masculinity and the often-bl...
Follow this podcast in Podwise
Sign in to get AI summaries, transcripts and mind maps for any episode, including new ones.
