Fresh Air

Last month Samara Joy became the second jazz performer in Grammy history to win "Best New Artist." The 23-year-old also won for "Best Jazz Album." She joins us for a concert and conversation about growing up in a family of gospel singers and her musical influences.

Clint Smith's poems, which are addressed to his young children, describe what their ancestors endured and escaped. He also examines the joy and anxiety of parenthood, especially as a Black father. His book of poetry is called Above Ground. Also, Justin Chang reviews A Thousand and One.

Public health professor Arline Geronimus explains how marginalized people suffer nearly constant stress, which damages their bodies at the cellular level. Her new book is Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.Also Maureen Corrigan reviews Biography of X by Catherine Lacey.

Brett Goldstein is a writer for Ted Lasso and plays Roy Kent, a gruff but lovable retired footballer-turned-coach. He says "Sport is there so men can say 'I love you' without saying 'I love you.'" He spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado about getting the role of Roy, the series ending, and also co-creating the series Shrinking. Also, filmmaker Justin Chang reviews Tori and Lokita.

Ari Shapiro co-hosts NPR's All Things Considered, co-stars in a cabaret act with Alan Cumming, and sings with the band Pink Martini. Now, he's written a book, a memoir called The Best Strangers in the World.Billy Crudup stars as a fast-talking salesman — selling timeshares on the moon to frustrated earthlings — in the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! We also talk about going to rock star camp for his role in Almost Famous and his iconic Mastercard commercials.

The final season of the HBO series Succession begins Sunday. We listen back to our interviews with Brian Cox, who plays Logan Roy the patriarch in a family-owned business empire, Kieran Culkin, who plays Roman, the immature and jokey son, and Matthew Macfadyen, who plays the put-upon son-in-law Tom Wambsgans.

Linda Simpson performed in and chronicled the New York drag scene in the '80s and '90s, taking some 5,000 photos of performers. Her collection is called The Drag Explosion. She says Tennessee's anti-drag legislation is "ridiculous." Also, we remember late Episcopal Bishop Frank Griswold. He presided over the ordination of the church's first openly gay bishop. He died earlier this month. John Powers reviews the new Netflix thriller series The Night Agent.

Ari Shapiro co-hosts NPR's All Things Considered, co-stars in a cabaret act with Alan Cumming, and sings with the band Pink Martini. Now, he's written a book, a memoir called The Best Strangers in the World.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond says if the top 1% of Americans paid the taxes they owed, it would raise $175 billion each year: "That is just about enough to pull everyone out of poverty." His new book is Poverty, by America.Also Ken Tucker shares three songs: Iris DeMent's "Goin' Down to Sing in Texas," Sunny War's "Love's Death Bed," and Margo Price's "Radio."

Billy Crudup stars as a fast-talking salesman — selling timeshares on the moon to frustrated earthlings — in the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! We also talk about going to rock star camp for his role in Almost Famous, his iconic Mastercard commercials, and The Morning Show.

Memphis drag queen Bella DuBalle says the legislators behind a new Tennessee law criminalizing public drag shows don't understand the art. We talk with the native Tennessean about the law, performing for kids, and how her livelihood and safety are at risk.Maureen Corrigan reflects on 40 years of Nora Ephron's Heartburn and recommends a new comic novel. Actor Clancy Brown has been working since the 1980s and has played some memorable villains over the years in movies, including Shawshank Redemption, Highlander and, coming out later this month, John Wick: Chapter 4. But he may be best known as the voice of Mr. Krabs on the animated show Spongebob Squarepants.

Michelle Yeoh made history last week, becoming the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for best actress. We'll hear our interview with Yeoh about Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh has also starred in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and Crazy Rich Asians. We'll also hear our interview with Adam Sandler. He's this year's recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Sandler talks about playing a jewelry store owner in the film Uncut Gems, and his music comedy.David Bianculli reviews Lucky Hank starring Bob Odenkirk.

Bella DuBalle says the legislators behind a new Tennessee law criminalizing public drag shows don't understand the art: "They think that every drag performer is doing something hypersexual or obscene." We talk with the native Tennessean about the law, performing for kids, and how her livelihood and safety are at risk. Also, Maureen Corrigan celebrates the 40th anniversary of Nora Ephron's Heartburn and shares a new comic novel, Pineapple Street.

Many of Ricardo Nuila's patients at Houston's Ben Taub Hospital are dealing with serious illnesses as a result of not being able to access basic preventive care. His new book is The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine.

Actor Clancy Brown has been working since the 1980s and has played some memorable villains over the years in movies, including Shawshank Redemption, Highlander and, coming out later this month, John Wick 4. But he may be best known as the voice of Mr. Krabs on the animated show Spongebob Squarepants.Kevin Whitehead revies the new jazz recording by Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding, and John Powers reviews the new novel Birnam Wood by Booker Prize-winner Eleanor Catton.

Karen Fine talks about practicing Chinese medicine and acupuncture on sick pets, what "ADR" stands for, and the mental health issues many veterinarians face. Her new book is The Other Family Doctor. Also, Ken Tucker reviews Caroline Polachek's new album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.

Writer Thomas Mallon talks about his diaries that were recently published in the New Yorker, titled Finding My Way– and Staying Alive — During the Aids Crisis. Mallon's latest novel, Up With the Sun, is based on the life and murder of Dick Kallman, a closeted actor in the 1950s and '60s. Critic John Powers reviews the film Return to Seoul.Also, we hear from Dr. Farzon Nahvi. He has a new memoir about his experiences in the ER, and his frustrations with American healthcare during COVID. It's called Code Gray: Death, Life and Uncertainty in the ER.

We explore the subtle genius of a man often remembered for pratfalls and sight gags. Buster Keaton was a silent film star in the 1920s, but he was far more than an actor and stuntman. He conceived and directed his films, cited by some of America's leading filmmakers as inspirations. We speak with Slate film critic Dana Stevens, whose book examines Keaton's work and influence, and chronicles his colorful life. Her book, Camera Man, is now out in paperback. Justin Chang reviews the new film Palm Trees & Power Lines.

Mallon talks about his diaries that were recently published in the New Yorker, in a piece titled Finding My Way — and Staying Alive — During the AIDS Crisis: A Diary of 1980s Manhattan. He was in his thirties then. His latest novel, Up With the Sun, is based on the life and murder of Dick Kallman, a closeted actor in the 1950s and '60s.

Science writer Sally Adee says scientists are experimenting with ways to manipulate the body's natural electrical fields to try and treat wounds, depression, paralysis, and cancer. Her new book is We Are Electric.Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has an appreciation of Wayne Shorter, who died March 2. John Powers reviews the film Return to Seoul.

We look back on the life of Jimmy Carter. He is spending his remaining time at home, under hospice care. Carter was elected president in 1976, and lost his re-election campaign to Ronald Reagan. He was later praised for redefining the meaning and purpose of the post-presidency. He talked with Terry Gross about why he entered politics, his presidency, his work negotiating with tyrants, his faith, and his reflections on aging.

UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz talks about the legal protections — including qualified immunity and no-knock warrants — that have protected officers from the repercussions of abuse. Her book is Shielded.Also, David Bianculli reviews Mel Brooks' History of the World Part II on Hulu.

In Tár, Cate Blanchett plays a charismatic orchestra conductor who uses her power to take sexual advantage of young women she's mentoring. Tár is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director.Maureen Corrigan reviews I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. Ke Huy Quan starred in the '80s films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies as a kid, before quitting acting. Now he's up for an Oscar for the first major acting job he's had in decades for the role of Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

We pay tribute to Doc Watson on the centennial of his birth. The pioneering bluegrass, country and folk guitarist and singer changed the way people around the world think about mountain music. In his prime, he was considered the greatest guitar flat picker. We'll listen back to our 1988 interview, and his 1989 performance on our show.Also, John Powers reviews the new season of Perry Mason.

Journalist Will Sommer went to road shows and spoke to believers and their families while investigating QAnon. His book, Trust the Plan, makes the case that there are more conspiracy theories to come.

In Tár, Cate Blanchett plays a charismatic orchestra conductor who uses her power to take sexual advantage of young women she's mentoring. "For me, it was never really about classical music," director Todd Field says. "And it was about ... how do you look at power and why does power exist? And it's not a uni-directional situation. Nobody holds power alone. There's a complicity in it." Tár is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the literary thriller I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai.

We talk about a small group of unelected officials who make important decisions that affect our lives, all the time. New York Times reporter Jeanna Smialek covers the Federal Reserve, which manages the nation's money supply, and is currently struggling to get inflation down by raising interest rates. Smialek says the Fed wields enormous influence, and is growing more powerful as it responds to national crises, including the financial meltdown and the pandemic. Her new book is Limitless.Podcast critic Nick Quah reviews the new season from Serial called The Coldest Case in Laramie.

Quan starred in the '80s films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies as a kid, before quitting acting. Now he's up for an Oscar for the first major acting job he's had in decades for the role of Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Justin Chang reviews the Irish film The Quiet Girl.

We'll talk with New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman about his new book, Oscar Wars. It's about the ongoing conflicts surrounding race, gender, and representation in Hollywood, as well as earlier conflicts dating back to the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Also, we'll hear from comic and podcaster Marc Maron. In his new HBO comedy special, From Bleak to Dark, he talks about climate change, anti-Semitism, and processing the sudden death of his girlfriend, Lynn Shelton.John Powers reviews the documentary, All That Breathes, about two brothers devoted to rescuing birds in Delhi, India.

We remember two accomplished performers from different fields: Sharp-witted comedian Richard Belzer, probably best-known for playing the dramatic role of Detective John Munch on Law & Order, and major-league catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver.Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Hello Tomorrow! starring Billy Crudup.

Guardian journalist Shaun Walker talks about Yevgeny Prigozhin, the tough-talking convict-turned-businessman who recruits soldiers from Russian prisons to fight in Ukraine. "It's just so out of the realms of fantasy that this former convict is going to fly around prisons in his helicopter and offer people salvation for fighting for him at the front, and then lead these battalions of prisoners to their almost certain death," He says. "It's so dystopian that it's really hard to believe. But yet it has happened."

From relentless campaigning to snubs and speeches, the Academy Awards have often reflected a cultural conflict zone. Michael Schulman sifts through the controversies in his new book, Oscar Wars. Also, Kevin Whitehead shares a remembrance of Burt Bacharach.

Dr. Farzon Nahvi spent the early months of the pandemic as an emergency room physician in Manhattan. He talks about trying to improvise treatments during that time. His new book is Code Gray.Also, David Bianculli reflects on 10 years of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

For President's Day, we speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Robert Caro about the life of Lyndon Johnson. To understand his subject, Caro moved to the Texas Hill country to meet friends and associates of Johnson from his early years. At age 87, Caro is still working on the last volume of his Johnson biography.

What do great conductors listen to when they're not on the podium? Philadelphia Orchestra/Met Opera conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin made a playlist, specifically for Fresh Air, of music that inspires him. It includes a surprising mix of pop, hip-hop and classical music — and includes a song that his cats love.In the last 30 years, Ruth E. Carter has produced some of the most iconic looks in the Black film canon and beyond. She won an Academy Award for Black Panther and is now nominated for Wakanda Forever. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about these projects as well as her decades-long collaboration with Spike Lee.

We remember David Jolicoeur, otherwise known as Trugoy the Dove, of the hip-hop group De La Soul. The influential group that emerged in the late 1980s brought a sense of fun and wit to the genre, as well as a middle-class suburban sensibility. We'll listen back to our 2000 interview with him.Also, science writer Ed Yong tells us about how animals perceive the world differently than humans, through hearing, sight, vibrations, echoes and magnetic fields. It's the subject of his book An Immense World.Justin Chang reviews the new film Emily, about the novelist Emily Brontë in the years before she wrote Wuthering Heights.

After the sudden death of his girlfriend Lynn Shelton in 2020, comedian and podcaster Marc Maron was forced to grieve in isolation. He talks about finding humor amidst his grief in his new HBO special, From Bleak to Dark.Also, Ken Tucker reviews a new release of Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind.

What do great conductors listen to when they're not on the podium? Philadelphia Orchestra/Met Opera conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin made a playlist, specifically for Fresh Air, of music that inspires him. It includes a surprising mix of pop, hip-hop and classical music — and includes a song that his cats love. Find the playlist on our website or on Spotify.

In the last 30 years, Ruth E. Carter has produced some of the most iconic looks in the Black film canon and beyond. She won an Academy Award for Black Panther and is now nominated for Wakanda Forever. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about these projects as well as her decades-long collaboration with Spike Lee. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews On Writing and Failure by Stephen Marche.

We remember composer and arranger Burt Bacharach, who died last week at 94. Bacharach, along with lyricist Hal David, created dozens of pop hits of the '60s and early '70s. He was known for his rhythmically sophisticated and catchy pop songs, like The Look of Love, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Walk on By, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Don't Make Me Over, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, I Say a Little Prayer, and Alfie. We'll listen back to two of our interviews. One with Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The other with Bacharach and Elvis Costello. They wrote many songs together.

The new Oscar-nominated documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, focuses on world-famous photographer Nan Goldin, her life, her work, and the protests she led at museums that accepted funding from the Sackler family. Their company, Purdue Pharma, manufactured and unscrupulously marketed OxyContin. We'll talk with Goldin and director Laura Poitras.Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Up With the Sun, by Thomas Mallon.One of the most acclaimed jazz pianists of his generation, Brad Mehldau sits down at the piano, for music and conversation. His album, Your Mother Should Know, interprets songs by The Beatles.

It's been 50 years since Schoolhouse Rock appeared on Saturday morning TV to teach kids about math, grammar and history. We're listening back to portions of our interviews with some of the people behind those songs: Composer, pianist and singer Bob Dorough, songwriter and pianist Dave Frishberg, and trumpeter and singer Jack Sheldon.Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Magic Mike's Last Dance, the third and final Magic Mike film starring Channing Tatum.

The new Oscar-nominated documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, focuses on world-famous photographer Nan Goldin, her life, her work, and the protests she led at museums that accepted funding from the Sackler family. Their company, Purdue Pharma, manufactured and unscrupulously marketed OxyContin. We'll talk with Goldin and director Laura Poitras.Also, John Powers reviews the documentary (also Oscar-nominated) All That Breathes.

Journalist Mark Whitaker says that much of what's happening American race relations today traces back to 1966, the year when the Black Panthers were founded and the Black Power movement took full form. It's also the year when when Stokely Carmichael replaced John Lewis as chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and challenged the tactic of non-violence. Whitaker examines the pivotal year in his new book, Saying It Loud: 1966 — The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement.

Prosecutor Mark Pomerantz worked on the Manhattan District Attorney's office probe into Donald Trump's finances, then resigned after a new DA decided not to file charges. His book is People vs. Donald Trump.Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Up With the Sun by Thomas Mallon.

One of the most acclaimed jazz pianists of his generation, Mehldau sits down at the piano, for music and conversation. His album, Your Mother Should Know, interprets songs by The Beatles.

After working as a neurosurgeon for over 40 years, Dr. Henry Marsh was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The cancer led him to reflect on doctor/patient relationships, his own mortality, and why he'd consider the possibility of hastening the end through medically-assisted death. His new book is And Finally.Also, we'll hear from actor Lizzy Caplan. In the series Fleishman Is in Trouble, she plays a character who's having questions about her marriage, motherhood, and what happened to her youth and potential. And David Bianculli will review the new series Shrinking, starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel.

After losing much of her memory to dementia, one of the things the main character in the novel The Swimmers remembers is being forced into an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. Author Julie Otsuka talks about the novel and her own family's experience in Japanese incarceration camps. Also, we remember Victor Navasky, the longtime editor and eventual publisher of The Nation. He also wrote the book Naming Names, now considered a classic, about the Hollywood 10 and the House Un-American Activities Committee.David Bianculli reviews the new Netflix mockumentary series Cunk on Earth.

Journalist Jere Van Dyk has spent years in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he got to know leaders of the Haqqani network, responsible for many suicide bombings and kidnappings. His new book is Without Borders.Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead a new anthology of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Shirley Scott Cookbook sessions.

Phone and electric car batteries are made with cobalt mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt Red author Siddharth Kara describes the conditions as a "horror show." Justin Chang reviews the Belgian film Close.

The series Fleishman Is in Trouble is about marriage, parenthood, and middle age. Lizzy Caplan plays Libby, a mom and journalist who is struggling with identity since moving to the suburbs. Caplan's other films and TV shows include Mean Girls, Party Down, and Freaks and Geeks. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work in the series Masters of Sex. She spoke with Fresh Air's Ann Marie Baldonado.Also, David Bianculli reviews the series Shrinking, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Marsh describes how his own cancer diagnoses led him to reflect on the doctor-patient relationship, his own mortality and medically-assisted death. He'll talk about his memoir, And Finally, and about his trips to Ukraine performing surgery and working to improve the country's medical system.

F. Murray Abraham won the 1985 Best Actor Oscar for Amadeus. Now he co-stars in The White Lotus as Bert, a chauvinistic patriarch on vacation in Italy with his son and grandson. We talk about his career and life, and the lessons he learned along the way.David Bianculli reviews Rian Johnson's new series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne.Author Jeff Guinn has written about cult leaders Charles Manson and Jim Jones. In the book, Waco, he draws on new interviews with federal agents and surviving Branch Davidians to revisit the 1993 confrontation, which left scores of people dead, including more than 20 children.

This month marks the centennial of the birth of Sam Phillips, the record producer who discovered Elvis and produced his first records. We're listening back to our interview with Phillips, who founded Sun Records in Memphis and also launched the careers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison.Also David Crosby and Graham Nash tell the story of how they met and started making music together as Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Crosby died last week.John Powers reviews the new HBO series The Last of Us.

Washington Post technology reporter Drew Harwell says the unpublished report shows that tech companies didn't respond to employees' warnings about violent rhetoric on their platforms.

Author Jeff Guinn has written about cult leaders Charles Manson and Jim Jones. In the book, Waco, he draws on new interviews with federal agents and surviving Branch Davidians to revisit the 1993 confrontation, which left scores of people dead, including more than 20 children.Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new Peacock series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne.

F. Murray Abraham won the 1985 Best Actor Oscar for Amadeus. Now he co-stars in The White Lotus as Bert, a chauvinistic patriarch on vacation in Italy with his son and grandson. We talk about his career and life, and the lessons he learned along the way.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2006, hundreds of workers from India were promised jobs and green cards in what labor organizer Saket Soni calls "one of the largest cases of forced labor in modern U.S. history." He tells their story in The Great Escape.

We'll talk about the latest developments and strategies in the fight over abortion rights with Mary Ziegler, who has written several books on the law, history and politics of abortion. Her new book, Roe: The History of a National Obsession, is about how abortion has remained at the center of America's culture wars and political battles.Also, we'll hear from writer Jonathan Escoffery. His semi-autobiographical collection of stories, If I Survive You, is on our book critic Maureen Corrigan's list of the best books of 2022. The main character, like Escoffery, is the American-born son of Jamaican immigrants, trying to figure out how race and racism work in America, and where he's supposed to fit. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new solo album from pianist and composer Kenny Baron.

Rachael & Vilray's new album, I Love a Love Song, features them with a jazz ensemble. Most of their songs sound like something you would have heard on the radio in the '30s and '40s. Rachael is also the lead singer of the group Lake Street Dive. They spoke with Sam Briger in 2020. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel This Other Eden, by Paul Harding, and Justin Chang reviews the new film Women Talking.

Historian Matthew Connelly says government records are marked as "classified" three times every second — and many of them will never be declassified. We talk about what that means for the public and how this might change. His new book is The Declassification Engine.Also, John Powers reviews the French courtroom drama film Saint Omer by Alice Diop.

New York Times congressional correspondent Catie Edmondson says the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will likely leverage their subpoena power to enact vengeance on the Biden administration. "The next two years is not going to be defined by governing and legislating. It is going to be defined by obstruction and clashes of personalities and investigation," she says.

Legal historian Mary Ziegler has chronicled the legal, political and cultural battles around abortion, and says the debate is far from over: "We're at a moment of almost unprecedented uncertainty in the United States when it comes to abortion," Zielger says. Her book is Roe: The History of a National Obsession.

Princeton African American Studies professor Imani Perry says the South can be seen as an "origin point" for the way the nation operates. Her book, South to America, reflects on the region's history and traces the steps of an enslaved ancestor. "The South in some ways becomes the repository for the nation's sins, right?" she says. "And then it allows the rest of the country to conceive of itself as relatively pristine." South to America won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 2022. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews pianist Kenny Barron's album The Source.

Equal sports opportunities for women was mandated 50 years ago by title IX legislation. Champion runner Lauren Fleshman explains why getting access to a sports world built by men, for men and boys isn't working for girls and women. Her book, Good For a Girl, is a feminist critique of the sports world and a memoir about her own running career. Also, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, creator, writer and showrunner of FX's series Fleishman Is In Trouble on Hulu talks about divorce, middle age, and dating apps. Justin Chang reviews the critically acclaimed film No Bears by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. Not long after the film was completed, Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison.

We remember novelist Russell Banks, whose working-class background inspired much of his work. His best known novels were adapted into films, including Affliction, The Sweet Hereafter, and Continental Drift. We'll listen back to portions of our interviews with him. Also, we're revisiting our interview with photographer Larry Sultan, whose photographic memoir of growing up in California in the '50s and '60s is the basis of a new Broadway show starring Nathan Lane. Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel Sam by Allegra Goodman. And Justin Chang reviews No Bears, the Iranian film that's been on his year-end best list.

Journalist Anshel Pfeffer says the Israeli prime minister has a "strange detachment" when it comes to social issues — which opens the door for conservative members of his coalition to make changes.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner says the start of middle age hit her "like a truck." As her friends got divorced and began dating again, she was inspired to write a novel — which she's adapted for the screen. Fleishman is in Trouble is on FX/Hulu.Also, Raw Deal author Chloe Sorvino talks about the state of the meat industry.

Champion distance runner Lauren Fleshman says 50 years after Title IX legislation, the sports world is still built for mens' bodies. She's now an activist seeking to change that by addressing important sex-based differences. We'll talk about her famous "Objectify Me" Nike campaign, inclusivity for transgender athletes, and how breasts, hips and menstruation shouldn't be treated as an impediment to athletic performance. Her book is Good for a Girl.

Jonathan Escoffery grew up in Miami, the son of Jamaican immigrants. In a world where identity was linked to race, he says it was often confusing to figure out where he fit in. His new book of stories is If I Survive You.Also, Ken Tucker reviews SZA's new album, SOS.

We talk about the January 6th Committee's work with Luke Broadwater, who covers Congress for the New York Times. He was in the Capitol the day of the assault, and has reported on the Committee's work from the beginning.John Powers reviews Noah Baumbach's film adaptation of Don DeLillo's White Noise.The list of authors Robert Gottlieb has edited include Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Katharine Graham, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron and Michael Crichton. The documentary Turn Every Page, by his daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, examines his decades-long editing relationship with Power Broker author Robert Caro.

We remember one of the creators of the Philly Sound: songwriter, arranger and producer Thom Bell. He died late last month, at the age of 79. He was a classically trained pianist whose inventive R&B arrangements included horns, strings, oboe, timpani, and more. Among the songs he arranged were "Drowning in the Sea of Love" by Joe Simon, and "Backs Stabbers" by the O'Jays. He also wrote and arranged for the Stylistics, the Spinners, and the Delfonics. John Powers reviews the new film White Noise, directed by Noah Baumbach, now on Netflix.

NYT journalist Luke Broadwater says the committee hired a former news producer to hit Trump where it hurt: "His whole career was built on television, and they were able to use that very medium against him."

In 1977, gunmen led by a charismatic Muslim leader stormed three locations in Washington, D.C., taking more than 100 people hostage. Journalist Shahan Mufti examines the incident in his book American Caliph.

Robert Gottlieb has been working in publishing since 1955. The list of authors he's edited include Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Katharine Graham, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron and Michael Crichton. The documentary Turn Every Page, by his daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, examines his decades-long editing relationship with Power Broker author Robert Caro. Terry Gross spoke with both Lizzie and Robert Gottlieb. Also, John Powers reviews the British drama Living, adapted by Kazuo Ishiguro from Akira Kurosawa's classic 1952 film Ikiru.

Our best of 2022 series concludes with actor Rosie Perez. Raised in a convent for abandoned kids, Perez used to dream of stability and a loving home. Now that she has it, Perez says, "It's priceless." We talk with Perez about overcoming the trauma of her childhood, how a fight with Spike Lee helped land her breakthrough role in Do the Right Thing, and her brief — but impactful — time dancing on Soul Train. She co-stars on HBO Max's The Flight Attendant.

We continue our series of some of our favorite interviews of the year with Seth Meyers, the host of NBC's Late Night. Also, we hear from comedian, writer, director and actor Stephen Merchant. He co-created the British comedy series The Office with Ricky Gervais. His most recent series is called The Outlaws. And critic Ken Tucker shares his picks for the best music of 2022.

The hit parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic talks about what made him weird, the legal gray area of parody, and bringing "the sexy back" to accordion. The new movie Weird, inspired by the story of his life, is a parody of music biopics.

Our best of 2022 series continues with Michael Imperioli, who played a sex-addicted Hollywood producer on vacation in Sicily in HBO's The White Lotus. He's best known for his role as Tony Soprano's hot-headed protégé, Christopher Moltisanti. He talked about both of these roles with Fresh Air producer Sam Briger. Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead remembers musicians who died this year.

DJ Questlove has put together a playlist of some of his favorite Christmas recordings. We'll talk about his picks. And film critic Justin Chang shares his best of 2022 list. You can find Questlove's Spotify playlist here: https://spoti.fi/3WeZhfd

Our best of 2022 series continues. In his HBO comedy special, Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael opens up about his real name, his family tree, and his sexual orientation. We'll go deeper into these issues — and talk about how being honest about them changed his comedy and his life. Carmichael is hosting the Golden Globes in January. Podcast critic Nick Quah shares his picks for best podcasts of 2022.

Our best of 2022 series continues. The FX/Hulu series Reservation Dogs follows four teens on an Oklahoma Indian reservation who are frustrated and alienated, caught between what's left of traditional Native culture on the reservation and the broader pop culture. We talk with co-creator and showrunner Sterlin Harjo about his own upbringing in Indian Territory and how he was inspired by the storytellers in his family. Also, rock critic Ken Tucker shares his picks for best of 2022.

Our best of 2022 series continues. Spielberg's latest project, The Fabelmans, is semi-autobiographical — focused on his childhood and teen years and his parents' divorce. He jokingly refers to the film as "$40 million of therapy." He speaks with Terry Gross about the first movie he saw in theaters, filming the iconic D-Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan, and growing up around Holocaust survivors.

Our best of 2022 series continues. John McEnroe is remembered as one of the most talented — and hot-headed — tennis players of all time. Over the course of his career, he won 155 combined titles — more than any man in the game's modern era. We talk about wins, losses and notorious moments on the court.

Our series of favorite interviews from 2022 kicks off with Sheryl Lee Ralph. She won an Emmy for her role as the veteran teacher Barbara Howard on the hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, about an under-resourced Philly school. We talk about her long career in showbiz — from Dreamgirls on Broadway to Moesha, and how she made her own way in an industry that didn't offer many parts to Black women. Also, film critic Justin Chang shares his list of the top 11 movies of the year.

Questlove has put together a playlist for us of some of his favorite Christmas recordings. Questlove is co-founder of the The Roots, which is among other things, is the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He won an Oscar this year for his documentary Summer of Soul.You can find Questlove's Spotify playlist here: https://spoti.fi/3WeZhfd

Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide among adolescents have risen sharply in recent years. We'll speak with the New York Times' Matt Richtel, who spent nearly two years reporting on the crisis — speaking with troubled teens and their parents, psychiatrists, primary care physicians, therapists and researchers. His series of articles on the issue is titled The Inner Pandemic.

American Sirens author Kevin Hazzard tells the story of a community group in a Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh who helped spark a revolution in emergency medicine. As recently as the 1960s, anyone suffering a heart attack or serious injury who called for help might get a response from the police or funeral home employees in a hearse. They could get the patient to a hospital, but couldn't perform CPR or other treatment on the scene. Freedom House trained some of the nation's first paramedics. Critic at-large John Powers shares a list of things he wish he had reviewed in 2022.

Kumail Nanjiani plays Somen "Steve" Banerjee, founder of the male strip club Chippendales, in a new Hulu series. Banerjee was ultimately undone by his own corrupt business practices. We talk about the challenge of playing an un-funny person and how his childhood in Pakistan informs his comedy.Justin Chang reviews new iterations of Matilda and Pinnochio on Netflix. Glass Onion, Rian Johnson's sequel to Knives Out, centers on a billionaire who's invited an assortment of so-called "disrupters" to his private island for a long weekend getaway to play out a murder mystery game. The writer/director talks about satirizing tech moguls and influencers and the murder mysteries that inspired him.

We consider the classic 1952 western High Noon written and released 70 years ago — during an era of paranoia and persecution in America over the threat of communism — in which the President, congress, the courts and the press all played a part. We talk with journalist Glenn Frankel, author of the book High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic. The film was written as a parable about the blacklist.Also, Justin Chang reviews Avatar: The Way of Water.

Rachel Maddow's new podcast, Ultra, is about ultra-right wing groups that sided with Hitler's Germany, and plotted to overthrow the U. S. government before World War II. It led to the largest sedition trial in American history. Ultra is also about sitting members of the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives who colluded with a German agent to spread Nazi propaganda to millions of Americans with the help of American taxpayers money.

Octavia Butler's 1979 book, Kindred, is now a series for FX on Hulu. In 1993, the pioneering author, who died in 2006, told Fresh Air she made up her own stories so that she could see herself — a Black woman — in them. Kindred is about a writer who involuntarily time travels to the Antebellum South.Also we remember lesbian pulp fiction writer Marijane Meaker who died last month. Critic David Bianculli reflects on the best of 2022 television.

Historian Adam Hochschild says Woodrow Wilson used the first World War as an excuse to spy on Americans, censor the press and plan for the mass deportation of immigrants. His new book is American Midnight.Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews pianist Ahmad Jamal's Emerald City Nights.

Glass Onion, Rian Johnson's sequel to Knives Out, centers on a billionaire who's invited an assortment of so-called "disrupters" to his private island for a long weekend getaway to play out a murder mystery game. The writer/director talks about satirizing tech moguls and influencers and the murder mysteries that inspired him.Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews two mystery novels: A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley, and Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures.

As the second season of HBO's The White Lotus comes to a close, creator Mike White reflects on how it examines the dark side of sex, and how at its heart is a mix of Laverne & Shirley, Fantasy Island and Survivor.Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has worked in several high-end New York City restaurants — adrenaline-fueled workplaces where booze and drugs are plentiful and the health inspector will ruin your day. His memoir about his career as a maître d' is Your Table Is Ready.

The scenes in the new documentary Harvest Time show footage taken when Neil Young was making the album Harvest. We listen back to two interviews with Young, from 1992 and 2004.George Clooney was among the recipients of the 45th Kennedy Center Honors last week. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2005, after he directed, co-wrote and co-starred in Good Night, and Good Luck.Justin Chang reviews two new films on Netflix — the musical Matilda and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.

Tech journalist Casey Newton says Elon Musk did not inherit a company in crisis — but after massive layoffs and upheaval the social media giant is losing money and Musk is warning of bankruptcy.

Kumail Nanjiani plays Somen "Steve" Banerjee, founder of the male strip club Chippendales, in a new Hulu series. Banerjee was ultimately undone by his own corrupt business practices. "He was the king of a world that wouldn't have him as a member," Nanjiani says. We talk about the challenge of playing an un-funny person, his physical transformation for Marvel: Eternals, and how his childhood in Pakistan informs his comedy.

Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has worked in several high-end New York City restaurants — adrenaline-fueled workplaces where booze and drugs are plentiful and the health inspector will ruin your day. His memoir is Your Table Is Ready.

As the second season of HBO's The White Lotus comes to a close, creator Mike White reflects on how it examines the dark side of sex, and how at its heart is a mix of Laverne & Shirley, Fantasy Island and Survivor. Also, Ken Tucker shares three songs that grapple with romance.

James Gray's new film, Armageddon Time, was inspired by his childhood in Queens in the 1980s. Though his grandparents had fled antisemitism in Ukraine, his family didn't recognize their own biases against Black people. He talks about his life and the film.Book critic Maureen Corrigan shares her list for the best books of the year. Physician Siddhartha Mukherjee writes about cellular science could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer, HIV, Type 1 diabetes and sickle cell anemia. His new book is The Song of the Cell.

Trevor Noah is stepping down as host of The Daily Show after seven years. We'll listen back to portions of two 2016 interviews with Noah, whose newest standup comedy special just premiered on Netflix.Also, Justin Chang reviews The Eternal Daughter starring Tilda Swinton.

In How the Word Is Passed, author Clint Smith explored U.S. sites that deal with the legacy of slavery. Now, in The Atlantic, he writes about German memorials to the Holocaust.

Nobel Peace Prize-winning Filipina journalist Maria Ressa faced criminal charges in the Philippines after her news organization's reporting angered government officials. She has a new memoir called How to Stand Up to a Dictator.Critic Maureen Corrigan shares her list of the best books of the year.

Guardian journalist Luke Harding shares his experience reporting from Ukraine. "It's almost impossible to process," he says. "You can see a flourishing city of half a million people with ports, with restaurants, with live music, with culture, coffee — and now it's a ghostly ruin." We talk about how the war might end — and why the West needs to pay attention. Harding's book is Invasion.

James Gray's new film was inspired by his childhood in Queens in the 1980s. Though his grandparents had fled antisemitism in Ukraine, his family didn't recognize their own biases against Black people. He talks about his life and the film.

The hit parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic talks about what made him weird — and bringing "the sexy back" to accordion. The new movie Weird, inspired by the story of his life, is a parody of music biopics.TV critic David Bianculli reviews Wednesday, an Addams Familiy spin-off. LA Times columnist Steve Lopez turned the issue of retirement into a reporting project, speaking to geriatric experts, a psychiatrist, a rabbi, plus people who had retired and some who refuse. His book is Independence Day.

The Grammy winner got her start onstage as a kid, singing backup for an Elvis impersonator. Her memoir, 'Broken Horses,' is about her early life and the family of misfits she's built. "I think I'm starting to really feel sort of solid and loved in my world. Like maybe I've kind of finally found my place," Carlile says. John Powers reviews the Polish film EO about a wandering donkey.

This week marks the centennial of the birth of Charles Schulz, the creator of Charlie Brown and the beloved Peanuts comic strip. We'll listen back to our 1990 interview with him. Plus, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead talks about pianist Vince Guaraldi, who created the music for A Charlie Brown Christmas.Also, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck have recently been revived in the podcast, "Bugs and Daffy's Thanksgiving Adventure." We mark the occasion by listening to our 1989 interview with Jones, who died this year.

Brooks wrote countless edgy jokes over the years, but he doesn't regret any of them. In fact, his only regret is the jokes he didn't tell. Brooks calls comedy his "delicious refuge" from the world. His memoir is All About Me! is now out in paperback. David Bianculli reviews Wednesday, the new Addams Family spin-off.

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez turned the issue of retirement into a reporting project, speaking to geriatric experts, a psychiatrist, a rabbi, plus people who had retired and some who refuse. His book is Independence Day.Maureen Corrigan reviews Claire Keegan's Foster.

Physician Siddhartha Mukherjee explains how cellular science could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer, HIV, Type 1 diabetes and sickle cell anemia. His new book is The Song of the Cell.

Misty Copeland was the first Black principal ballerina for the American Ballet Theatre. We talk about the pressure of being first, touring with Prince, and experiencing homelessness as a child. Her memoir is The Wind at My Back.Michael Imperioli plays a sex-addicted Hollywood producer on vacation in Sicily in HBO's The White Lotus. He's best known for his role as Tony Soprano's hot-headed protégé, Christopher Moltisanti. He talks about both roles with us.

We'll talk about the Yiddish language production of Fiddler on the Roof that's just returned to off Broadway. Our guests will be Joel Grey, who directed it, and Steven Skybell who stars as Tevye. And we'll hear songs from the Yiddish cast recording.Also, Justin Chang reviews She Said, a new film about the New York Times reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein story.

New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins says war games staged by U.S. commanders suggest a conflict over Taiwan could lead to U.S. attacks on China's mainland — and Chinese attacks on Alaska and Hawaii.

The hit parody artist Weird Al Yankovic talks about what made him weird, the legal gray area of parody, and bringing "the sexy back" to accordion. The new movie Weird, inspired by the story of his life, is a parody of music biopics.

Imperioli plays a sex-addicted Hollywood producer on vacation in Sicily in HBO's The White Lotus. He's best known for his role as Tony Soprano's hot-headed protégé, Christopher Moltisanti. In 2021, Imperioli published Woke Up This Morning, an oral history of the series based on his podcast, Talking Sopranos.Podcast critic Nick Quah talks about white noise streams.

Copeland was the first Black principal ballerina for the American Ballet Theatre. We talk about the pressure of being first, the injury that nearly ended her career, and her mentor, pioneering Black ballerina Raven Wilkinson. Her memoir is The Wind at My Back.

For Veterans Day, we feature archival interviews with two men who fought in World War II: Robert Kotlowitz was one of three soldiers in his platoon to survive an ill-advised assault on the Germans. For 12 hours, he lay in a foxhole without moving. Also, we hear from Robert Williams, one of the elite Tuskegee Airmen. The primarily Black group of military pilots faced scorn from the bomber pilots they flew to protect — until it became clear how good they were at their job. Justin Chang reviews Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Steven Spielberg's latest project, The Fabelmans, is semi-autobiographical — focused on his childhood and teen years and his parents' divorce. He jokingly refers to the film as "$40 million of therapy." He speaks with Terry Gross about the first movie he saw in theaters and growing up around Holocaust survivors.Maureen Corrigan reviews Foster by Claire Keegan.Historian Matthew Delmont talks about the more than one million Black people who served in the military in WWII, the contributions they made and discrimination they faced, and those who struggled for equality in civilian life. Delmont's book is Half American.

New York Times science writer David Wallace-Wells brings us some new thinking on global warming — and it isn't all bad. He's been called an alarmist in the past for his warnings about the consequences of dumping carbon into the atmosphere. But in a new article, Wallace-Wells writes that the cost of solar and wind energy has fallen dramatically, and scientists now say the pace of global warming in coming decades will be slower than previously forecast. Wallace-Wells says we're still in for painful, long-lasting changes to the world we inhabit, and nations will have to decide how to adapt to the new climate reality.TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new series Tulsa King starring Sylvester Stallone, and the new season of Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner.

Spielberg's latest project, The Fabelmans, is semi-autobiographical — focused on his childhood and teen years and his parents' divorce. He jokingly refers to the film as "$40 million of therapy." He speaks with Terry Gross about the first movie he saw in theaters, filming the iconic D-Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan, and growing up around Holocaust survivors.

We mark the life of the rock 'n' roll pioneer, who died Oct. 28, by listening to archival interviews with his sister, pianist/singer Linda Gail Lewis, and with Myra Lewis Williams, who married Jerry Lee when she was 13. And Ken Tucker reflects on Lewis' 1968 country album.

Historian Matthew Delmont talks about the more than one million Black people who served in the military in WWII, the contributions they made and discrimination they faced, and those who struggled for equality in civilian life. Delmont's book is Half American.Justin Chang reviews Steven Spielberg's new semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans.

Till tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose decision to hold an open-casket funeral for her murdered son Emmett served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement. We talk with director Chinonye Chukwu. Ken Tucker reviews Taylor Swift's Midnights. Ramona Emerson's novel, Shutter, is about a police department photographer, who, like Emerson, grew up in the Navajo Nation. The protagonist is haunted by the ghosts of victims from scenes she's photographed. We talk with Emerson about her own experience in forensic photography and how it informed the book.

Porter won an Emmy for Pose, and a Tony for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. In addition to performing, he's also a star on the red carpet. His memoir, Unprotected, is now out in paperback.

New York Times reporter Alexandra Berzon says election deniers are joining the electoral process at the precinct level. Their hope is to remake the machinery of American elections. She spoke with guest interviewer Arun Venugopal. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album from the trio Thumbscrew. And David Bianculli reviews the Weird Al Yankovic biopic, Weird, starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Ramona Emerson's novel, Shutter, is about a police department photographer, who, like Emerson, grew up in the Navajo Nation. The protagonist is haunted by the ghosts of victims from scenes she's photographed. We talk with Emerson about her own experience in forensic photography and how it informed the book.John Powers reviews two foreign crime films: Decision to Leave and Argentina, 1985.

Till tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose decision to hold an open-casket funeral for her murdered son served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement. "Without Mamie Till-Mobley, the world wouldn't know who Emmett Till was," director Chinonye Chukwu says. "She wanted the world to witness what happened to her child so then this can stop happening to other Black children and Black people."Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews a new biography of Samuel Adams.

This Halloween, we're venturing into the crypt (our archives). We'll hear from Anthony Hopkins on playing Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, Sissy Spacek on Carrie, George Romero, director of Night of the Living Dead, Kathy Bates on Misery, and Mercedes McCambridge, who voiced the demon in The Exorcist. Listen if you dare!

New Yorker writer Evan Osnos traces the path of Guo Wengui, a billionaire who fled China and insinuated himself into the MAGA inner circle. But his true allegiances are suspect.Maureen Corrigan reviews The Year of the Puppy, by Alexandra Horowitz.Former co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter, Jemele Hill, faced criticism in 2017 for calling Trump a white supremacist. In her memoir, Uphill, she talks about her career and her life growing up in Detroit. She spoke with contributor Tonya Mosley.

We're dipping in the archive and finding our spookiest tape. Stephen King talks about what terrified him as a child — and what frightens him as an adult. Director Jordan Peele talks about the scares that inspire his filmmaking. Justin Chang reviews Armageddon Time.

Scott Franzke has been calling MLB games in Philadelphia since 2006. He sizes up the teams headed into the World Series and reflects on upcoming changes designed to put more action in the game. Ken Tucker reviews Taylor Swift's new album, Midnights.

David Rothkopf explains how veteran U.S. government officials, sometimes scorned as the so-called Deep State, repeatedly intervened in the Trump administration to undermine presidential orders they thought were illegal, immoral, unworkable, or against America's interests. His book is American Resistance. Justin Chang reviews the Martin McDonagh film The Banshees of Inisherin.

The former co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter faced criticism in 2017 for calling Trump a white supremacist. In her memoir, Uphill, she talks about her career and her life growing up in Detroit. She spoke with contributor Tonya Mosley. Also, David Bianculli reviews Guillermo del Toro's horror anthology series on Netflix.

You won't find wheat flour, dairy or sugar at Sean Sherman's award-winning Minneapolis restaurant, Owamni. The menu has been "decolonized," but that doesn't mean it feels antiquated. "We look at showcasing the amazing diversity and flavor profiles of all the different tribes across North America, all the different regions, and really celebrating that and cutting away colonial ingredients," Sherman says. Maureen Corrigan reviews The Year of the Puppy, by Alexandra Horowitz.

The legend of stage and screen died Oct. 11 at age 96. She starred in the TV series Murder, She Wrote and won Tony Awards for her performances as Mama Rose in Gypsy and the pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. We'll hear excerpts from Terry Gross's interviews with Lansbury from 2000 and 1980.Justin Chang reviews The Banshees of Inisherin starring Colin Farrell. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu defined himself as a teen by the music he loved. The murder of a close friend when he was in college changed the course of his life. His memoir is Stay True.

The legend of stage and screen died Oct. 11 at age 96. She starred in the TV series Murder, She Wrote, and in such films as The Manchurian Candidate and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She won Tony Awards for her performances as Mama Rose in Gypsy and the pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Earlier this year, she received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. We'll hear Terry Gross's interviews with Lansbury from 2000 and 1980.

New Yorker writer Evan Osnos traces the path of Guo Wengui, a billionaire who fled China and insinuated himself into the MAGA inner circle. But who is he really working for?

Journalist Robert Draper says the GOP's embrace of extremism opened the door to fringe actors, who've become among the party's most influential leaders. His new book is Weapons of Mass Delusion.Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews an album from saxophonist Bobby Watson.

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu defined himself as a teen by the music he loved. The murder of a close friend when he was in college changed the course of his life. His memoir is Stay True.David Bianculli reviews the new season of Documentary Now!

The former military analyst has been called both a whistleblower hero and a traitor for leaking classified information about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In a new memoir, READ ME.txt, she talks about why she did it. We also talk about her childhood and gender dysphoria, her time in Iraq, and her experience in solitary confinement.

NYT Cooking food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark says she's always looking for shortcuts in the kitchen — including ways to use fewer pans. Her latest cookbook is Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals.John Powers reviews the Indian film RRR.Author and podcaster Jacob Goldstein says we don't think of money as a technology, but we should. He traces the first paper currency to China's Sichuan province, and talks about the early days of dollar bills in the U.S. His book is Money: The True Story of a Made Up Thing.

Ronstadt's career spanned rock, pop, country and everything in between. Her most famous recordings include "Heart Like a Wheel," "Desperado," "Faithless Love," and many more. In 2013, Ronstadt revealed that she has Parkinson's disease and can no longer sing. Ronstadt has a new memoir called Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands. It's an exploration of her Mexican roots, with recipes of some of the dishes she grew up with. We listen back to her 2013 interview with Terry Gross. Also, Justin Chang reviews Till, a new film about the lynching of Emmett Till.

There's a vast world around us that animals can perceive — but humans can't. Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong talks about some of the sights, smells, sounds and vibrations that other living creatures experience. His book is An Immense World. John Powers reviews the new Masterpiece Mystery! series on PBS, The Magpie Murders.

Author and podcaster Jacob Goldstein says we don't think of money as a technology, but we should. He traces the first paper currency to China's Sichuan province, and ponders the Fed's next move. His book is Money: The True Story of a Made Up Thing. Also, Ken Tucker reviews Ashley McBryde's concept album Lindeville.

NYT Cooking food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark says she's always looking for shortcuts in the kitchen — including ways to use fewer pans. Her latest cookbook is Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals.John Powers reviews the new epic Indian action film RRR.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman talks about Trump's tactics for dealing with the media and explains why he's more concerned about the Mar-a-Lago documents than the Jan. 6 hearings. Her new book is Confidence Man.

Country music star Loretta Lynn died Oct. 4 at the age of 90. Her life story was made famous in the film Coal Miner's Daughter. She had 16 No. 1 hits, some controversial in their day because they were about drinking, divorce, wayward husbands, and birth control. She spoke with Terry Gross in 2010.Justin Chang reviews Bros, the new gay rom-com starring Billy Eichner. Actor, comedian and songwriter Rachel Bloom talks about writing songs for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and her new Hulu series Reboot. She plays a writer who wants to reboot an old family sitcom from the early 2000s — but make it darker and edgier.

Waits' two lyrical concept albums, Blood Money and Alice, are being reissued on vinyl for their 20th Anniversary. He wrote the music with his wife, Kathleen Brennan. The interviews were originally recorded in 2002 and 2011.Film critic Justin Chang reviews Tár, the new film by Todd Field, starring Cate Blanchett.

22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in Tehran police custody after being detained for wearing her hijab loosely. Her death sparked a movement. We talk with Iranian American scholar Pardis Mahdavi about the morality police and Iran's cultural resistance. Mahdavi herself was once arrested in Tehran for lecturing about Iran's sexual revolution. She wonders if the country's current wave of protests might result in regime change.

Country music star Loretta Lynn died Oct. 4 at the age of 90. Her life story was made famous in the film Coal Miner's Daughter. She had 16 No. 1 hits, some controversial in their day because they were about drinking, divorce, wayward husbands, and birth control. She spoke with Terry Gross in 2010. Also, we remember Sue Graham Mingus, who died Sept. 24 at the age of 92. After the death of her husband, composer and bassist Charles Mingus in 1979, she devoted her life to keeping his legacy alive.

Bloom talks about writing songs for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and losing her musical collaborator Adam Schlesinger, who died from COVID-19 complications in March 2020. She now stars in the Hulu series Reboot as a writer who wants to reboot an old family sitcom from the early 2000s — but make it darker and edgier. She spoke with contributor Ann Marie Baldonado. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Celeste Ng's new novel Our Missing Hearts.

When McKinsey Comes to Town authors Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe say the consulting firm helped companies boost tobacco and opioid sales — while at the same time working for the FDA. "McKinsey's working for the companies and also the regulators that regulate them," Forsythe says. "I think most reasonable people would look at that and say, 'I think that's a problem.'"John Powers reviews the latest season of Ramy on Hulu.

We remember British author Hilary Mantel who died Sept. 22. Mantel was best known for her trilogy of novels about Thomas Cromwell, the political fixer for Henry VIII. In 2012 she spoke with Terry Gross about her love of history. "Instead of thinking there was a wall between the living and the dead, I thought there was a very thin veil. It was almost as if they'd just gone into the next room."Also, we'll talk with Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, about bringing diversity into the fashion industry. As a child, Enninful emigrated from Ghana to England. Early in his career, he was told Black women don't sell magazines. He proved that was false.Maureen Corrigan reviews Less is Lost, the follow up to Andrew Sean Greer's Pulitzer Prize-winning satirical novel Less.

Historian Jeff Shesol recalls the early days of the U.S. space program, when rockets often blew up in test launchings, and no one was sure John Glenn would make it through America's first orbital flight alive. In his book Mercury Rising, he describes how Soviet success in space forced a reluctant President Kennedy to embrace the program.And film critic Justin Chang reviews Bros, the new gay rom-com starring Billy Eichner.

40 million people rely on water from the Colorado River, but overuse and global warming have combined to create a water emergency. Tough choices must be made soon, or farms and cities will face critical shortages. We talk with ProPublica investigative reporter Abrahm Lustgarten.millionJazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a recording by pianist Mal Waldron.

The British writer, who died Sept. 22, wrote a trilogy of critically acclaimed historical novels on the life of Thomas Cromwell, one of Henry VIII's most trusted advisors. Mantel was the first woman to win the Man Booker Prize twice. She spoke with Terry Gross in 2012.Also, Ken Tucker reviews a new collection of unreleased demos by Lou Reed recorded when he was a fledgling singer songwriter, before he led the Velvet Underground.

In her new book, By Hands Now Known, civil rights lawyer and professor Margaret Burnham reports on little-known cases of racial violence in the Jim Crow era, including crimes that went unreported and murderers who were never punished. Over 15 years, the project's researchers have chronicled roughly 1,000 murders. David Bianculli reviews 11 Minutes, a documentary about the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Writer John Vercher trained in mixed martial arts as a young man. His novel, After the Lights Go Out, centers on a veteran MMA fighter who is experiencing memory loss, severe mood swings and tinnitus. The book is also about the fighter's biracial identity.Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Less is Lost by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer.

The FX/Hulu series Reservation Dogs follows four teens on an Oklahoma Indian reservation who are frustrated and alienated, caught between what's left of traditional Native culture on the reservation and the broader pop culture. We talk with co-creator and showrunner Sterlin Harjo about his own upbringing in Indian Territory and how he was inspired by the storytellers in his family.Ken Tucker reviews some previously unreleased early Lou Reed demos. Also, Buzz Bissinger, author of the classic high school football book, Friday Night Lights, tells the story of college football stars-turned Marines who endured some of the most savage fighting in World War II. Bissinger's new book is The Mosquito Bowl.

Science writer Mary Roach (Stiff, Gulp) explores scenarios where animals are the ones committing "crimes" — and how society deals with it. We talk about bear attacks, drunk elephants, and monkey thieves. Her book is Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law.Justin Chang reviews the Marilyn Monroe biopic, Blonde.

Washington Post reporter Brady Dennis warns our aging infrastructure systems weren't built to withstand the stresses of climate change: "There is a certain amount of suffering that we can't avoid."

Edward Enninful grew up in Ghana, assisting his seamstress mother in her dressmaking shop. "For me, fashion was always such an inclusive, beautiful thing," he says. We talk about making the fashion industry more diverse, the famous "all Black" issue of Vogue Italia, and modeling as a teen. Enninful's memoir is A Visible Man.And David Bianculli reviews Reboot on Hulu.

Geoffrey Berman served as U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. In his memoir, Holding the Line, he describes how the Dept. of Justice demanded he use his office to aid the Trump administration. "The Department of Justice has to remain independent of politics," Berman says. "It's supposed to be unbiased. And what happened was President Trump treated the Department of Justice like his own personal law firm, and he put people in charge there who did his bidding."

The FX/Hulu series Reservation Dogs follows four teens on an Oklahoma Indian reservation who are frustrated and alienated, caught between what's left of traditional Native culture on the reservation and the broader pop culture. We talk with co-creator and showrunner Sterlin Harjo about his own upbringing in Indian Territory and how he was inspired by the storytellers in his family.

NPR's longtime legal affairs correspondent, Nina Totenberg, talks about her long friendship with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which began years before Ginsburg became a Supreme Court Justice. Her book is Dinners with Ruth.Sheryl Lee Ralph just won her first Emmy for role as a no nonsense kindergarten teacher in the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary. Sidney Poitier gave Ralph her first screen role in his 1977 film A Piece of the Action. At the age of 24, Ralph starred in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls. But there were many difficult years when she was told there was nothing for her because she was Black.Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album by three notable veteran musicians combining free jazz and electric funk.

The British actor played the brooding Mr. Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Now he's won an Emmy for playing scheming Midwesterner Tom Wambsgans on Succession. Kevin Whitehead remembers jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, who had the 1965 crossover hit "The In Crowd."Justin Chang reviews The Woman King starring Viola Davis.

Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger tells the story of Marines in 1945 who, while waiting for the Battle of Okinawa to begin, staged a football game broadcast on Armed Services Radio throughout the Pacific. Bissinger's book is The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II. TV critic David Bianculli reviews Ken Burns' new documentary, The U.S. and the Holocaust.

The NPR legal affairs correspondent met the future SCOTUS justice in the early '70s, when Totenberg interviewed Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a story about a decision pertaining to women's rights. Her memoir about her life and friendship is Dinners with Ruth.Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Ling Ma's new collection of stories, Bliss Montage.

Servants of the Damned author David Enrich says lawyers for the firm of Jones Day were deeply embedded in the Trump White House — and helped create policy designed to limit the federal government.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is Emmy-nominated for her role as the veteran teacher Barbara Howard on the hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, about an under resourced Philly school. We talk about her long career in showbiz — from Dreamgirls on Broadway to Moesha, and how she made her own way in an industry that didn't offer many parts to Black women.

Tennis legend John McEnroe talks about his career, his outbursts on the court, and his new job as a TV tennis analyst and voice-over artist on the hit Netflix Series, Never Have I Ever. McEnroe is the subject of a new Showtime documentary. Also, songwriter and singer Amanda Shires performs a few songs and talks about her life. Her latest album, Take it Like a Man, has songs about a rocky period in her marriage to singer songwriter Jason Isbell. Shires also founded the Highwomen, a supergroup featuring country stars Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby.

NPR international correspondent Anne Garrels died Wednesday at 71. She was known for fearless reporting in conflict zones, empathy for the victims of war, and a host of prestigious awards. We'll hear about her experiences in Iraq in 2003, chronicled in her book, Naked in Baghdad.Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Book critic Maureen reviews If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery.

Like, Comment, Subscribe author Mark Bergen says YouTube has ushered in a world of abundant content and creativity, of influencers and hustlers, of information overload and endless culture wars. Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews The Funky Freqs' album Hymn of the Third Galaxy. And John Powers reviews the new sequel series American Gigolo.

Singer-songwriter and fiddle player Amanda Shires opens up about a rough time in her marriage and how she turned to songwriting to process her feelings. Her new solo album is Take it Like a Man. We talk about playing the songs for her husband, Jason Isbell, performing fiddle as a teen with the Texas Playboys, and founding the country supergroup The Highwomen. Shires plays some songs in-studio.

John McEnroe is remembered as one of the most talented — and hotheaded — tennis players of all time. Over the course of his career, he won 155 combined titles — more than any man in the game's modern era. We talk about wins, losses and notorious moments on the court. He's the subject of a new Showtime documentary called McENROE.

On this Labor Day, we feature Terry Gross's 1984 interview with folk singer Pete Seeger, who was famous for singing songs about workers, unions and social justice. And we'll hear her 2016 interview with Bruce Springsteen — recorded after the publication of his memoir Born to Run.

We continue our series of great music interviews from our archive with "The Godfather of Soul," "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother #1" — James Brown. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2005.Also, we hear Terry's 1986 interview with songwriter Ellie Greenwich. She collaborated on teenage pop hits from the early '60s like "Be My Baby," "Leader of the Pack" and "Da Doo Ron Ron."And, Justin Chang reviews the new film Three Thousand Years of Longing by director George Miller who made the Mad Max films. It stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton.

Our week of archival music interviews continues with Smokey Robinson, one of the greatest soul singers ever, and one of the most important figures in the development of Motown Records. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2006. The movie Shaft helped launch the blaxploitation genre of the '70s. The academy award-winning theme was composed and performed by Isaac Hayes. In the '60s, Hayes helped shape the sound of Memphis soul music, as a songwriter, arranger, producer and singer for Stax records. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1994.Also, David Bianculli reviews the new Lord of the Rings prequel, The Rings of Power.

We continue our weeklong series of great music interviews from the archive with singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash. When she was 18, her father, Johnny Cash, gave her a list of 100 essential country songs he thought she should know. After recording many great songs of her own, in 2009 she made an album in which she performed a dozen songs from that list. She spoke with Terry Gross about that record.

We continue our weeklong series of favorite music interviews from our archives with Jay-Z and Lizzo. Jay-Z grew up in a housing project in Brooklyn, and sold drugs before hitting it big as a rapper. He talks about his life and career.Lizzo grew up thinking she would become a professional, classical flute player. She talks about she how pivoted to pop and hip hop, how Prince helped her, growing up in the church, and making body positivity a theme in her work.

We're continuing our weeklong series of some of our favorite music interviews from our archive. We'll hear several interviews recorded with the late Charlie Haden, one of the greatest bass players in the history of jazz. Haden grew up singing in his family's country music radio shows but turned to the bass when polio damaged his vocal cords. He helped lead a musical revolution in the late 1950s and early '60s, performing in the Ornette Coleman Quartet. He formed his own jazz bands but also returned to traditional music when he recorded with his triplet daughters, wife and son.Also, David Bianculli reviews HBO's The Patient, starring Steve Carell.

We're kicking off a weeklong series of some of our favorite music interviews from our archive. We'll begin with Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who was our guest in 2010. He'll tell us about cofounding the band, writing songs with Mick Jagger, and how things changed when the Stones became famous.Later, we'll hear our 2010 interview with Brian May, a founding member of Queen, and their lead guitarist. May wrote one of the band's most famous songs, "We Will Rock You." He'll tell the stories behind that song and Freddie Mercury's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Comedian Mo Amer is of Palestinian descent, but he grew up in Kuwait and Houston. So besides his native Arabic, he learned to speak Spanish, and the kind of English that sets Texans at ease. Amer stars in a new Netflix comedy about his life, called Mo.Also, veteran cold case investigator Paul Holes talks about pursuing serial killers, and the emotional toll of obsessing over gruesome crime scenes. He played a key role in tracking down the Golden State Killer. He has a new memoir called Unmasked: My Life Solving Cold Cases. John Powers reviews the documentary Three Minutes: A Lengthening, which shows a jewish neighborhood in Poland before it was erased by the Holocaust.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist talks about Harlem, hooligans, race and class in the '60s. His novel Harlem Shuffle, now out in paperback, is about a furniture store owner in Harlem who's sideline is fencing stolen goods. Also Justin Chang reviews the new film Three Thousand Years of Longing by director George Miller, who made the Mad Max movies. It stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton.

Journalist Jesse Eisinger says a trove of IRS data acquired by ProPublica shows that many of America's billionaires avoid paying any taxes — sometimes by claiming big deductions from posh hobbies.Also, John Powers reviews the German series Kleo on Netflix, which he says is reminiscent of Killing Eve.

China scholar Michael Beckley says China is engaged in the largest military buildup since World War II, and is being increasingly aggressive with its Asian neighbors and with the U.S. Beckley's book is Danger Zone.Ken Tucker reviews a reissue by Roger Miller.

Amer stars in a new Netflix comedy about his life called Mo. His family is Palestinian, and fled the first Gulf War, so Amer grew up in Houston from age nine. "Palestinian culture is a folksy farmer kind of mentality and life," Amer says. "And when I came to Texas, one of the things that was really attractive to me was the country music, the folksy music, the storytelling tradition of that." Amer also has two Netflix comedy specials, and co-starred in the Hulu series Ramy. Also, Kevin Whitehead reviews the new album from jazz drummer Billy Drummond's quartet.

Tim Miller is a former Republican communications operative who held moderate views and backed moderate candidates for years. But he says in practicing the dark arts of opposition research and planting negative stories about rival candidates, he worked with increasingly extreme right-wing media outlets and fed populist outrage that would radicalize much of the Republican voter base. Miller examines his past work, and considers why so many Republicans who thought Trump unfit for office nonetheless backed him, in a new book, called Why We Did It.

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank examines how the GOP got to where it is today, with some elected leaders and candidates still endorsing the lie that Trump won. His book is The Destructionists.Film critic Justin Chang reviews Emily the Criminal starring Aubrey Plaza.Robin Thede's HBO series, A Black Lady Sketch Show, is the first sketch comedy show solely written, directed and starring Black women. She spoke with contributor Tonya Mosley.

We remember actor Anne Heche, who died Sunday at age 53. She starred in Donnie Brasco, Wag the Dog, Six Days, Seven Nights, and Walking and Talking. Early in her career, she made headlines when she had a relationship with Ellen Degeneres. She spoke with Terry Gross in 2000. Also, we listen back to our 2015 interview with actor Jonathan Banks, who co-starred as fixer and hitman Mike Ehrmantraut on Better Call Saul. Ken Tucker reviews the new album by Loudon Wainwright III about growing older, and John Powers reviews the new documentary Three Minutes: A Lengthening.

2020 election deniers won key races in the Arizona GOP primary. New York Times Magazine journalist Robert Draper says the swing state is a bellwether for the rest of the nation.

The CDC estimates over 1 million Americans have died of overdoses since Oxycontin went on the market in the mid '90s. Dopesick author Beth Macy and harm reduction specialist Michelle Mathis talk about grassroots and community efforts to address the opioid crisis. Macy's latest book is Raising Lazarus.TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the series finale of Better Call Saul.

Congressman Adam Schiff talks about the investigations of Donald Trump, and the significance of the top secret documents that the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago last week. Schiff was the lead manager of the first impeachment and senate trial of President Trump, and now serves on the House Committee investigating January 6th and attempts to overturn the election. We'll also talk about what it's been like to work with colleagues who amplify falsehoods and conspiracy theories, and to be the constant target of threats. Schiff's memoir is Midnight in Washington.

Thede's HBO series, A Black Lady Sketch Show, is the first sketch comedy show solely written, directed and starring Black women. "It is a nonstop job," she says of the various hats she wears. Thede spoke with guest interviewer Tonya Mosley. Also, Justin Chang reviews the noir thriller Emily the Criminal, starring Aubrey Plaza. And Lloyd Schwartz a reissue of Judy Garland films.

Over this past year, the Taliban have broken their promises to allow girls to continue their schooling and women to keep their jobs. Many girls and women are disappearing — arrested for violating the morality code, or abducted and forced to marry one of the Taliban. We talk with British/Iranian journalist Ramita Navai, who went undercover to speak to women who were victimized by the Taliban, and women working underground to help women escape brutality. Her new PBS Frontline documentary is called Afghanistan Undercover. Also, we talk with Will Bunch, author of After the Ivory Tower Falls, about how college tuition became so expensive, driving students and parents into debt. Justin Chang reviews the film Ali & Ava.

Lamont Dozier was one third of the Motown songwriting team Holland Dozier Holland. He died Monday at the age of 81. Along with brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, he helped define the Motown sound, writing 10 Number One top hits for The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, and Marvin Gaye — songs like "You Can't Hurry Love," "Baby Love," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Can't Help Myself," "Heatwave," and "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch." They spoke with Terry Gross in 2003.Justin Chang reviews The British romantic drama Ali & Ava.

Atlantic journalist Caitlin Dickerson spent 18 months filing lawsuits for documents to put together the story of the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant families at the border.

Investigator Paul Holes spent his career cracking cold cases. His work led to the arrest of the so-called Golden State Killer in 2018. He spoke with us about the case the the impact the work has had on his mental health. His memoir is Unmasked.Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Mohsin Hamid's latest novel, The Last White Man.

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank examines how the GOP got to where it is today, with some elected leaders and candidates still endorsing the lie that Trump won. His book is The Destructionists.

Melanie Lynskey spoke with Fresh Air producer Ann Marie Baldonado about coming up as an actress in the '90s and 2000s, when she was typecast as the best friend. Now she's the lead in the Showtime series Yellowjackets. John Powers reviews the second season of Reservation Dogs.

The first time women's soccer was included in the Olympics, in 1996, the U.S. team won the gold, and Briana Scurry was the team's goalie. She went on to win a second gold medal and a World Cup. Her soccer career was ended by a severe concussion, in a collision on the field. Unable to work, broke and in despair, she pawned her gold medals. She got them back–and got the surgery she needed– with the help of the woman who became her wife.Also, we'll talk with Washington Post reporter Scott Higham about how America's opioid industry resembled a drug cartel. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead will review a new album by the Tyshawn Sorey Trio.

Russell, who led the Boston Celtics to 11 NBA titles, died Sunday at the age of 88. He was also the first Black head coach in the NBA and a civil rights activist. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2001. Also, we remember a champion of traditional Irish music, Mick Moloney. He died last week at 77. He was a musician and a musicologist who revived forgotten Irish songs. His passion was finding connections between Irish, African and American roots music. And Ken Tucker reviews Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE.

Journalist Ramita Navai went undercover in Afghanistan to film her new PBS Frontline documentary and found that girls and women are being arrested for violating the morality code. Also many girls are abducted and forced to marry Talibs.

Journalist Will Bunch says instead of opening the door to a better life, college leaves many students deep in debt and unable to find well-paying jobs. His new book is After the Ivory Tower Falls.Podcast critic Nick Quah reviews two podcasts about counterculture, Mother Country Radicals and I Was Never There.Also, we remember radio pioneer Larry Josephson.

It's estimated that more than 107,000 people in the United States died due to opioid overdoses in 2021. Washington Post journalist Scott Higham says it's "the equivalent of a 737 Boeing crashing and burning and killing everybody on board every single day." In the new book, American Cartel, Higham and co-author Sari Horwitz make the case that the pharmaceutical industry operated like a drug cartel, with manufacturers at the top; wholesalers in the middle; and pharmacies at the level of "street dealers."

Kirk Wallace Johnson tells the story of a bitter conflict that arose along the Gulf Coast of Texas when Vietnam War refugees began trawling for shrimp in the area. His book is The Fishermen and the Dragon.

Better Call Saul, the prequel and spin-off to Breaking Bad, has only a few episodes left. We talk with the show's star, Bob Odenkirk, and showrunner/co-creator Peter Gould. While filming Better Call Saul, one scene was interrupted for the worst imaginable reason: Odenkirk had a heart attack that was nearly fatal. He'll tell us about returning to life–and to that scene.Cory Silverberg's new book, You Know, Sex, touches only briefly on reproduction. Instead, it centers on young people and the questions they might have about pleasure, power and identity.

The actor is Emmy nominated for his co-starring role in Scenes from a Marriage. We talk about his latest projects, grief and fatherhood, and his evangelical Christian upbringing. "We grew up with a very, very real sense of the impending doom of the apocalypse," he says. Also, John Powers reviews Darren Star's new bingeable show starring Neil Patrick Harris, Uncoupled.

New York Times journalist Charles Homans says scores of groups at the state and local levels, with the help of right wing media figures and activists, are taking aim at the electoral system.Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Tyshawn Sorey's album Mesmerism. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

After a traumatic brain injury left her in terrible pain and unable to work, the legendary goalkeeper had to pawn her Olympic gold medals. Scurry charts her pioneering soccer career and her road to recovery in My Greatest Save.

Cory Silverberg's new book, You Know, Sex, touches only briefly on reproduction. Instead, it centers on young people and the questions they might have about pleasure, power and identity. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the Jan. 6 committee hearings as if they were a drama series.

A great chapter in the history of TV is about to end. Better Call Saul, the prequel and spin-off to Breaking Bad, has only 4 episodes left. We talk with the show's star, Bob Odenkirk. In Breaking Bad, he was the sleazy, fast-talking lawyer Saul Goodman, known for his slip-and-fall cases and frivolous lawsuits. Secretly, he represented drug lords. In the prequel, we learn Saul's origin story. We'll also talk with Peter Gould, the writer who created the character Saul on Breaking Bad, and went on to co-create Better Call Saul and become the showrunner. While filming Better Call Saul, one scene was interrupted for the worst imaginable reason: Odenkirk had a heart attack that was nearly fatal. He'll tell us about returning to life–and to that scene.

The Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop is about a Black gay man working as an usher on Broadway. Michael R. Jackson talks about writing the book, music and lyrics and how his time working as an usher at The Lion King on Broadway inspired it.Maureen Corrigan reviews The Poet's House.Ms. Marvel is the first show or film in the Marvel universe to feature a Muslim hero. Creator and heat writer Bisha K. Ali drew on her own experiences growing up in England as the child of Pakistani parents.

The HBO dark comedy series Barry is about a Marine vet-turned-hit man who starts taking acting classes, but is conflicted between the desire to open up emotionally and the need to hide the truth. We hear from Bill Hader who stars as the hitman, and co-created, co-writes, and directs many episodes. And we hear from Henry Winkler, who co-stars as Barry's narcissistic acting coach. Both actors have won Emmys for their roles, and are nominated again this year. Film critic Justin Chang reviews Nope, the new sci-fi epic from director Jordan Peele.

Journalist Maggie Severns explains how the Conservative Partnership Institute helped push the Republican party further to the right and became what she calls a "clubhouse" for insurrectionists.Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Ethan Hawke's 6-part documentary series about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, The Last Movie Stars.

An estimated 280,000 soldiers suffered facial trauma in WWI. Medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris tells the story of Harold Gillies, the surgeon who pioneered reconstructive surgery, trying to restore function and help the men return to society. Her book is The Facemaker.Also, John Powers reviews The Bear on FX/Hulu.

Ms. Marvel is the first show or film in the Marvel universe to feature a Muslim hero. Creator and heat writer Bisha K. Ali drew on her own experiences growing up in England as the child of Pakistani-born parents. Maureen Corrigan shares some books that are good for getting through the chaos of summer air travel. Also, we remember artist Claes Oldenburg, known for his monumental sculptures of everyday objects. He died July 18 at 93.

The Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is about a Black gay man working as an usher on Broadway. Michael R. Jackson talks about writing the book, music and lyrics and how his time working as an usher at The Lion King on Broadway inspired it.

Chrysta Bilton's mother was a lesbian who asked a man she'd just met to be her sperm donor. It was only much later that Bilton learned the same man had donated sperm to countless other women. Bilton tells the story of connecting with her 35 siblings and her unusual childhood in her memoir Normal Family.Ken Tucker reviews Bartees Strange's new album, Farm to Table.Rafael Agustin's parents were physicians in Ecuador, but when they came to the U.S. they worked at a car wash and Kmart to get by. It wasn't until he was a teen that he learned they were undocumented. Agustin tells his story in his new memoir, Illegally Yours. He wrote for the TV series Jane the Virgin and is the CEO of the Latino Film Institute.

The singer, composer and guitarist has had a lifelong passion for the jazz and blues of the '20s and '30s. In the '60s and '70s, he made a series of influential recordings with the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Paul Butterfield's Better Days, and Maria Muldaur. His new double CD, titled His Last Letter, traces the musical influences of his life, and is arranged for, and performed with, Dutch chamber musicians. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2009. Justin Chang reviews the new thriller The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling.

Chrysta Bilton's mother was a lesbian who asked a man she'd just met to be her sperm donor. It was only much later that Bilton learned the same man had donated sperm to countless other women. Bilton tells the story of uncovering her 35 siblings and her unusual childhood in her memoir Normal Family. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new HBO reality series The Rehearsal, where participants practice real-life scenarios.

New Yorker journalist Andrew Marantz says Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's administration has rewritten Hungary's constitution to consolidate his power. U.S. conservatives are taking note.

Rafael Agustin's parents were physicians in Ecuador, but when they came to the U.S. they worked at a car wash and Kmart to get by. It wasn't until he was a teen that he learned they were undocumented. Agustin tells his story in his new memoir, Illegally Yours. He wrote for the TV series Jane the Virgin and is the CEO of the Latino Film Institute. Also, Ken Tucker reviews the album Beatopia from the artist beabadoobee, out July 15.

The British Empire covered 24% of the Earth's land mass by 1920. Harvard historian Caroline Elkins says British rulers portrayed themselves as benevolent, but used systematic violence to maintain control. Her book is Legacy of Violence.Later, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Better Call Saul, whose final handful of episodes begin tonight and Kevin Whitehead reviews trombonist Jacob Garchik's latest album.

Dr. Jay Wellons regularly feels the exhilaration of saving a child from near certain death — and sometimes the anguish of failing to prevent it. He shares stories from the operating room, and talks about how the overturning of Roe v. Wade will impact pregnant women whose fetuses have neurological defects. His new memoir is All That Moves Us.Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the science fiction movie Apples, set during a pandemic of sudden memory loss.Finally, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell grew up in Jamaica, and helped launch the careers of reggae stars like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, as well as rock bands like U2. His memoir is The Islander.

Washington and Rapinoe are among this year's recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Washington's films include "Malcolm X," "Philadelphia," "Glory," and "Training Day." Rapinoe is a soccer champion and LGBTQ activist. She fought for, and helped win, equal pay in women's soccer. Also, Justin Chang reviews the new French film Both Sides of the Blade, starring Juliette Binoche and directed by Claire Denis.

The court's super majority of conservative judges has already passed down rulings about abortion and the 2nd Amendment. New York Times journalist Adam Liptak says more legal upheavals are likely. "[It's] a court that seems to be in an exceptional hurry," he says.

Dr. Jay Wellons regularly feels the exhilaration of saving a child from near certain death — and sometimes the anguish of failing to prevent it. He's operated on various parts of the pediatric central nervous system, including performing spine surgery on an in-utero fetus to correct spina bifida. He says he has a big book of photos and mementos from his patients that he pulls out whenever he needs to be lifted up or grounded. "I will always pull that file out and just flip through it and just think, 'This is why we do what we do,'" he says. He also talks about how the overturning of Roe v. Wade will impact pregnant women whose fetuses have neurological defects. His new memoir is All That Moves Us.Also, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album from Bartees Strange.

Historian Kelly Lytle Hernández tells the story of the rebels who fled Mexico to the United States, and helped incite the 1910 Mexican Revolution that overthrew dictator Porfirio Díaz. Hernández spoke with guest interviewer Tonya Mosley about her new book, Bad Mexicans. "People who were being disparaged at that time as 'bad Mexicans' in the United States were those who organized, those who protested against the conditions of what was then known as Juan Crow, a similar form of social marginalization as Jim Crow," Hernández says.Also, Maureen Corrigan recommends the new novel The Poet's House, which she describes as a wry and vivid story about class, competition, and the magic of art. And Lloyd Schwartz reviews early recordings by the late violinist Joseph Szigeti.

Green's string of hits in the '70s include "Let's Stay Together" and "Love and Happiness." He later became an ordained minister, and bought a church in Memphis. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1991 and 2000.Also, Justin Chang reviews the Greek film Apples.

Mat Johnson's new satirical novel, Invisible Things, is set in the future, on a moon of Jupiter, in an artificial ecosystem designed to replicate life on Earth. We talk about writing satire in our current political climate, mass denialism in America, and being a caretaker of his late mother.Nick Quah reviews new podcasts that are directly inspired by reality TV's mechanics and style.Comic Joel Kim Booster speaks with guest interviewer Sam Sanders about his new film Fire Island (which he wrote and stars in). Inspired by Pride and Prejudice, it's a rom-com about a group of gay friends and explores racism and classism in their community.

Eddie Muller hosts the TCM series Noir Alley. An expanded edition of his book, Dark City, chronicles film noir from the '40s and '50s. We talk about the femme fatale, the sexiness of the genre, and why film noir flourished in the post-WWII era.Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the album Nuna by pianist David Virelles.

New York Times journalist Alan Feuer says some members of Trump's inner circle have close ties to the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, whose leaders have been charged with seditious conspiracy.

Mat Johnson's new satirical novel, Invisible Things, is set in the future, on a moon of Jupiter, in an artificial ecosystem designed to replicate life on Earth. We talk about writing satire in our current political climate, mass denialism in America, and being a caretaker of his late mother.

Writer John Vercher trained in mixed martial arts as a young man. His novel, After the Lights Go Out, centers on a veteran MMA fighter who is experiencing memory loss, severe mood swings and tinnitus. The book is also about the fighter's biracial identity. Also, Nick Quah reviews new podcasts that are directly inspired by reality TV's mechanics and style.

Comic Joel Kim Booster speaks with guest interviewer Sam Sanders about his new film Fire Island (which he wrote and stars in). Inspired by Pride and Prejudice, it's a rom-com about a group of gay friends and explores racism and classism in their community. Booster also talks about his Netflix stand-up special Psychosexual and growing up Asian with white, evangelical Christian parents. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh.

We explore the hidden world around us — the sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and vibrations that are imperceptible to humans, but are perceived by various animals and insects. We talk with science writer Ed Yong about his new book An Immense World.Justin Chang reviews two films from the Sundance Film festival — now streaming — about relationships between a younger man and an older woman, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.Also, we hear from Angela Garbes, author of the new book Essential Labor. She wrote it after having to give up work during the pandemic lockdown, when she no longer had daycare. She says, raising children shouldn't be as lonely, bankrupting and exhausting as it is.

T.J. Newman's book, Falling, is a thriller about a hijacking on a commercial flight. The pilot is told he must crash the plane or his family on the ground will be killed. We talk with Newman about her book and about her 10 years in the skies — from pet peeves to scary situations. Justin Chang reviews Elvis, the latest spectacle from Baz Luhrmann.

How did we get to the point where Roe v. Wade is likely to be overturned, just as we approach its 50 anniversary? We talk with law professor Mary Ziegler. She's written several books about the abortion wars. Her new one, Dollars for Life, is about how the anti-abortion movement helped push the courts to the right, and upended the GOP establishment.

There's a vast world around us that animals can perceive — but humans can't. Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong talks about some of the sights, smells, sounds and vibrations that other living creatures experience. His book is An Immense World.

In her book, author Angela Garbes makes the case that the work of raising children has always been undervalued and undercompensated in the U.S. Then came the pandemic, and everything got harder. We talk about how parents​ in the U.S.​ are often isolated, and left without a social safety net, and we contrast that to how domestic labor is handled in the Philippines.

Giddens' album Freedom Highway is an exploration of Black experiences, accompanied by an instrument with its own uniquely African American story: the banjo. Originally broadcast May 11, 2017.Ken Tucker reviews three new country songs.

Katy Tur's parents ran a helicopter news service in LA in the '80s and '90s. While she loved the rush of flight, her family dynamic was a volatile one. We talk about her unusual childhood and her early career in journalism. She's now an anchor for MSNBC and a correspondent for NBC News. Tur's memoir is Rough Draft.1619 Project journalist Linda Villarosa says bias in the healthcare system and the "weathering" affect of living in a racist society are taking a serious toll on Black people in America. Her new book is Under the Skin.

Juneteenth, formerly Emancipation Day or Jubilee, celebrates the day slavery ended in Texas, June 19, 1865. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed studies the early American republic and the legacy of slavery. "It was a very, very tense time — hope and at the same time, hostility," Gordon-Reed says. Her book is On Juneteenth.Also, we remember actor Philip Baker Hall, who died June 12. He appeared in the Paul Thomas Anderson films Boogie Nights and Magnolia. He also played a cop on the trail of overdue library books on Seinfeld. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2006. Justin Chang reviews two films streaming now: Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and Cha Cha Real Smooth.

Washington Post tech writer Geoffrey Fowler says that apps are collecting data on kids on a massive scale — despite a law that was designed to prevent that. Fowler explains the loophole in the law that apps are using, and ways that the system can and should be changed. We'll also talk about medical data collection, terms of service, and what "ask app not to track" really means.

Writer Candice Millard chronicles the arduous journey of two 19th century explorers through East Africa, where they battled heat, insects, and diseases that at times rendered one or the other deaf, blind or paralyzed. After discovering the sprawling lake that feeds the world's longest river, the two fell into a bitter public dispute over their discoveries. Too little credit went to the formerly-enslaved African who guided them and other explorers of the age. Millard's new book is River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile.David Bianculli reviews The Old Man, a new FX series starring Jeff Bridges.

1619 Project journalist Linda Villarosa says bias in the healthcare system and the "weathering" affect of living in a racist society are taking a serious toll on Black people in America. Her new book is Under the Skin.Maureen Corrigan reviews Greenland, a debut novel by David Santos Donaldson.

Tur's parents ran a helicopter news service in LA in the '80s and '90s. While she loved the rush of flight, her family dynamic was a volatile one. We talk about her unusual childhood and her early career in journalism. Tur's memoir is Rough Draft.

On her HBO show, PAUSE with Sam Jay, SNL alum Sam Jay talks with with friends and fellow comics about topics like queer culture, relationships, and racism in America. She came out in her 20s and much of her comedy is about her relationship with her fiancé, and the life she had prior to coming out. Justin Chang will review the new David Cronenberg thriller, Crimes of the Future. Dawn Staley has won Olympic gold medals as a player and as a head coach. She played in the WNBA, and is now head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. In April, she led her team to its second NCAA championship.

Julie Andrews is this year's recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. The star of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music says because of those roles, many of her fans have a certain image of her. "They think I am this very squeaky clean, upper class lady that came from such a family — and it's so far from the truth." She'll tell us about growing up part of a vaudeville family, surviving the blitz during WWII, and we'll hear about why she's no longer physically capable of singing.Also David Bianculli reviews Evil, the latest series by the creators of The Good Wife and The Good Fight on Paramount +.

New York Times Congressional reporter Luke Broadwater says the effort to overturn the 2020 election results was a "sprawling and diffuse" one that involved local governments as well as White House insiders. We'll talk about the investigations by the House Select Committee and the Justice Department, and connect some of the events leading up to the attack.

Blackwell grew up in Jamaica, and, as the head of Island Records, helped launch the careers of reggae stars like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, as well as rock bands like U2. His memoir is The Islander. Maureen Corrigan reviews The Facemaker, a nonfiction book by medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris about the plastic surgeon who reconstructed disfigured soldiers in WWI.

On her HBO show, PAUSE with Sam Jay, the SNL alum talks with with friends and fellow comics about topics like queer culture, relationships, and racism in America. Sam Jay came out in her 20s and much of her comedy is about her relationship with her fiancé, and the life she had prior to coming out. We talk about the show, writing "Black Jeopardy" sketches for SNL, and losing her mother when she was a teen.John Powers reviews a new collection of work by the writer Maxine Hong Kingston.

Dawn Staley has won Olympic gold medals as a player and as a head coach. She played in the WNBA, and is now head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. In April, she led her team to its second NCAA championship. We'll talk about how she's seen women's basketball change and grow, and about how she got her start playing basketball with the boys in the projects of North Philly.Later, we'll hear from journalist Neda Toloui-Samnani, author of They Said They Wanted a Revolution: A Memoir of My Parents.And TV critic David Bianculli will review the new HBO series Irma Vep.

Humorist David Sedaris talks about his new collection of personal essays, called Happy-Go-Lucky. This book has some pretty serious writing about his late father, who died a year ago at the age of 98. Throughout Sedaris' life, his father bullied him, and belittled him and his accomplishments. "My father was not a good person, but he was a great character," he says.Ken Tucker reviews Kendrick Lamar's new album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Also, we'll speak with New York Times religion correspondent Ruth Graham about how the issues dividing the Republican party are creating tensions within white evangelical churches across the country. Graham says many pastors are being pressured to resist vaccines and mask mandates, embrace Trump's claims about election fraud and adopt QAnon-based conspiracy theories.

Actor Ray Liotta died last week at 67. We'll listen back to Terry's 2016 interview with him. He got his start playing a nice guy on a soap opera. Then came his tough-guy role in Something Wild – and his starring role in Goodfellas. He also played Shoeless Joe Jackson in the film Field of Dreams. Justin Chang reviews the new David Cronenberg thriller Crimes of the Future.

A new report commissioned by the Southern Baptist Convention found that "survivors and others who reported abuse were ignored, disbelieved, or discredited." Even some convicted molesters continued as ministers, without the SBC informing their congregations. The report's bombshell is that the SBC had compiled its own secret list of alleged abusers – and still took no action. This report was commissioned in response to a series of newspaper articles investigating sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Church. Published in 2019, the series was a team effort by reporters from the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News. We'll talk with one of the lead reporters, Robert Downen.John Powers will review the new British medical series This is Going to Hurt.

The legendary GE CEO wowed investors and mingled with celebrities. But New York Times correspondent David Gelles says Welch's aggressive tactics also caused irreparable harm to American industry. His book is The Man Who Broke Capitalism. David Bianculli reviews a Netflix comedy special by the late Norm Macdonald.

"My father was not a good person, but he was a great character," Sedaris says. The humorist writes about his efforts to make peace with his memories of his late father in Happy-Go-Lucky.Also, Ken Tucker reviews Kendrick Lamar's new album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Country music singers McGraw and Faith Hill star in the Paramount+ series 1883. The show tells the story of a group of Eastern European immigrants trying to make their way in covered wagons from Texas to Oregon. Before they filmed, they attended "cowboy camp," to learn the basics of riding horses and driving wagons. Dave Davies spoke with McGraw about the series, falling in love with Faith Hill, and learning about his birth father, MLB pitcher Tug McGraw.

As a kid, Sarah Silverman says, the fact that she wet the bed was her "deepest, darkest shame." Decades later, she wrote about the humiliation in her 2010 memoir The Bedwetter — now adapted into a musical. The comic talks with Terry Gross about the songs, cringing at some of her old jokes, and satirizing the Left in I Love You, America.Book critic Maureen Corrigan shares four books for early summer reading. Diana Goetsch grew up in a time when she didn't have the language to help her understand what it meant to be trans. The poet chronicles her later-in-life transition in the memoir This Body I Wore.

In June, Lansbury will receive the Tony Award for lifetime achievement. The Murder, She Wrote star previously won Tonys for her performances in Gypsy and Sweeney Todd. She spoke with Terry Gross in 2000.Also, David Bianculli reviews the PBS Great Performances documentary about Stephen Sondheim's Company.

Nina Jankowicz was tapped to head the Biden administration's new Disinformation Governance Board but resigned after being deluged with online threats. Her new book is How to Be a Woman Online.

Diana Goetsch grew up in a time when she didn't have the language to help her understand what it meant to be trans. The poet chronicles her later-in-life transition in the memoir This Body I Wore. "I felt that the universe owed me 50 years as a female living this way," she explains. "That's crazy, but it's this sense that I wanted more life."

As a kid, Silverman says, the fact that she wet the bed was her "deepest, darkest shame." Decades later, she wrote about the humiliation in her 2010 memoir The Bedwetter — now adapted into a musical. The comic talks with Terry Gross about the songs, cringing at some of her old jokes, and satirizing the Left in I Love You, America.

Straub's new novel, This Time Tomorrow, is a time-travel fantasy about a 40-year-old woman who's tending to her ailing father — until, that is, the day she's transported to her childhood home on her 16th birthday. Straub owns the independent bookstore Books Are Magic in Brooklyn. She spoke with contributor Tonya Mosley about pre-grieving, rejection, and what she'd tell her 16-year-old self. Also, Justin Chang reviews Top Gun: Maverick.

We remember George Floyd as we approach the second anniversary of his murder. We'll speak with Washington Post reporters Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa. They argue that George Floyd's struggles in life reflect the challenges and pressures of institutional racism in the country. Their new book is His Name is George Floyd.Also, we'll hear about the Women's House of Detention, the forgotten women's prison in Greenwich Village that played a role in the gay rights movement of the '60s, including the Stonewall Uprising. Angela Davis and Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, were incarcerated there. We'll talk with Hugh Ryan, whose new book is about what this prison tells us about queer history.David Bianculli will review the new HBO documentary George Carlin's American Dream.

Carlin was one of the most famous comics to emerge from the '60s counterculture. After it was broadcast on radio, his comic monologue Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on Television became the focus of an obscenity case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Carlin is the subject of a new two-part HBO documentary by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. Carlin spoke with Terry Gross in 1990 and 2004. Our TV critic, David Bianculli also reviews the documentary. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the reissue of Max Roach's classic 1960 album We Insist! Freedom Now Suite. Last month, it was named to the National Recording Registry.

New York Times journalist Ruth Graham says many pastors are being pressured to resist vaccines and mask mandates, embrace Trump's claims about election fraud and adopt QANON-based conspiracy theories.Maureen Corrigan shares four terrific novels perfect for your early summer reading: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub, Search by Michelle Huneven, One-Shot Harry by Gary Phillips, and Knock Off the Hat by Richard Stevenson.

As we approach the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, two journalists report on the life of the man whose death sparked a massive protest movement and a national conversation about race. Washington Post reporters Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa drew on hundreds of interviews and countless public and private records to reconstruct the course of Floyd's often-troubled life. A gentle man who sometimes worried that his size intimidated people, George Floyd grew up in poverty, and had big aspirations. But the authors argue his opportunities were limited time and again by the effects of systemic racism. Their new book is His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life, and the Struggle for Racial Justice.

After experiencing a rare kind of stroke, NYT writer Frank Bruni suddenly became blind in his right eye. Doctors told him there was a decent chance the same could happen to his other eye. It forced him to make a decision: He could focus on what had been lost or on what remained. He chose the latter. Bruni's new memoir is The Beauty of Dusk.

In New York City, in the 20th century, tens of thousands of women and transmasculine people were incarcerated at the so-called "House of D." Author Hugh Ryan says that in many cases, the prisoners were charged with crimes related to gender non-conforming behavior. "Drunkenness, waywardism, disobedience to their parents, being out at night by themselves, wearing pants, accepting a date from a man, accepting a ride from a man," Ryan says. "All of these things could have gotten you arrested if you were perceived as the 'wrong kind of woman.'" In his new book, The Women's House of Detention, Ryan writes about the prison, and about the role it played in the gay rights movement of the '60s, including the Stonewall Uprising of 1969.

Rosie Perez was a dancer on Soul Train, the choreographer for "the Fly Girls," the dancers on the sketch comedy show In Living Color, and she did the now-famous dance in the opening credit sequence of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. She's now co-starring in the HBO max series The Flight Attendant. We'll talk about her career and how she managed to become so successful after having been raised as a ward of the state in St. Joseph's Catholic Home for Children in New York, and later in foster care.Maureen Corrigan reviews Hernan Diaz's new novel, Trust. Also, we speak with comedian, writer, director and actor Stephen Merchant. With Ricky Gervais, he co-created the British comedy The Office. He has a new comedy thriller series called The Outlaws.

A decade ago, Costanzo had surgery that threatened to destroy his singing voice. Now he stars as a gender-fluid Egyptian pharaoh in the Met Opera's production of Philip Glass' Akhnaten. He's a countertenor, meaning he sings in a high range that's associated with women's voices. He knows all about the history of countertenors and their predecessors, castrati.Justin Chang reviews the new film Memoria, starring Tilda Swinton, which he calls a "sonic detective story."

The New York Times did an exhaustive survey of the Fox News hosts' broadcasts. Reporter Nicholas Confessore says Carlson's show is based on ideas that were once "caged in a dark corner of American life." Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Trust by Hernan Diaz.

Holder was America's first Black attorney general when he served in the Obama administration. He has a new book called Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote.

Merchant co-created the British Office and Extras with Ricky Gervais. His new show, The Outlaws, is about people court-ordered to do community service for low-level crimes. He spoke with producer Sam Briger about what inspired the new series, his best writing advice, and how being very tall (6'7") has informed his personality. Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album from The Clarinet Trio.

Raised in a convent for abandoned kids, The Flight Attendant co-star used to dream of stability and a loving home. Now that she has it, Perez says, "It's priceless." We talk with Perez about overcoming the trauma of her childhood, how a fight with Spike Lee helped land her breakthrough role in Do the Right Thing, and her brief — but impactful — time dancing on Soul Train.

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård describes himself as "quite a mellow guy." Playing a Viking warrior in the film The Northman gave Skarsgård a chance to tap into his animalistic nature. We talk about being a child actor in Sweden, growing up in a bohemian family, and his roles in Big Little Lies and Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" music video.Ken Tucker reviews Bonnie Raitt's new album, Just Like That... Jessi Klein was the head writer of Inside Amy Schumer and is one of the lead voices in the animated Netflix series Big Mouth. She has a new book of essays about motherhood called I'll Show Myself Out. Klein talks about how having a baby made her feel like a stranger in her own body and life. "There's just no way to comprehend how completely your old identity vanishes," Klein says.

Adlon is the co-creator, director and star of the FX comedy series Better Things, which ended its fifth and final season last month. The Peabody award-winning series has been heralded as a "masterpiece of unreal realism." Her character, like Adlon herself, is the single mother of three girls, who is also helping her aging mother, and trying to keep her acting career alive. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Justin Chang reviews the French film Happening.

We talk with journalist Oliver Bullough about how Russian oligarchs have stashed their wealth and laundered their money in Britain, and how that's helped Putin – and the Russian state – launch its war in Ukraine. There's so much oligarch money in London, it's been nicknamed "Londongrad." Bullough says the UK has developed a system of bankers, lawyers, accountants and PR managers who work to help Russian kleptocrats hide their wealth.

The Swedish actor describes himself as "quite a mellow guy." Playing a Viking warrior in the film The Northman gave Skarsgård a chance to tap into his animalistic nature. We talk about being a child actor in Sweden, growing up in a bohemian family, and his roles in Big Little Lies, Succession, and Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" music video. Also, John Powers reviews HBO Max's new drama series The Staircase, inspired by the true crime story and documentary series about the 2001 suspicious death of Kathleen Peterson.

In their book, This Will Not Pass, NYT journalists Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns reveal that GOP leaders, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Mitch McConnell privately discussed removing Trump from office.

Mother Jones national affairs editor Mark Follman has studied mass shootings in America for much of the past decade. He says a growing number of mental health experts, educators and law enforcement leaders are engaged in the emerging field of behavioral threat assessment. They study the psychology and behavior of past mass shooters, interviewing many in prison. They then train local personnel to look for those patterns at schools or workplaces, and intervene to get troubled people help before they turn to violence. The approach raises privacy questions, but its advocates believe it's already been effective in preventing tragedies. Follman's new book is Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America.Ken Tucker reviews Bonnie Raitt's new album, Just Like That...

Country music singers McGraw and Faith Hill star in the Paramount+ series 1883. The show tells the story of a group of Eastern European immigrants trying to make their way in covered wagons from Texas to Oregon. We talk with McGraw about the series and learning about his birth father, MLB pitcher Tug McGraw.When CNN international anchor Zain Asher was 5, her father died in a car accident in Nigeria. Asher's new memoir, Where the Children Take Us, is largely about her mother's remarkable life – surviving poverty, genocide and civil war in Nigeria, then raising four children in a struggling neighborhood in London, and giving them the skills, resilience and determination to be successful in life.

We talk with 'New Yorker' writer John Colapinto, author of This Is the Voice, about how voices work, how they evolved in our prehistoric ancestors, how babies learn to vocalize words of their parents' languages so quickly, and what makes voices sexy or authoritative. Colapinto's own vocal injury led him to explore this subject.Film critic Justin Chang reviews Petite Maman, a new film by Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma.

Florida officials recently rejected a slew of math textbooks, claiming they included "prohibited topics." NYT journalist Dana Goldstein theorizes the objections related to social-emotional learning. The goal of social-emotional learning is to provide kids with a set of skills that they can draw on when they face challenges later in life, Goldstein explains. But some conservatives see it as something that opens the door to larger discussions about race, gender and sexuality.

Klein was the head writer of Inside Amy Schumer and is one of the lead voices in the animated Netflix series Big Mouth. She has a new book of essays about motherhood called I'll Show Myself Out. Klein talks about how having a baby made her feel like a stranger in her own body and life. "There's just no way to comprehend how completely your old identity vanishes," Klein says. TV critic David Bianculli reviews two new shows: Gaslit, about Watergate, and The Offer, about the making of The Godfather.

When Asher was five, living with her family in London, her mother got a call informing her that her husband and son, who were on a road trip in Nigeria, their ancestral home, had been in a terrible accident. She was told her husband or her son had survived, but the caller didn't know which. That story opens Asher's new memoir, Where the Children Take Us, which is largely about her mother's remarkable life – surviving poverty, genocide and civil war in Nigeria, then raising four children in a struggling neighborhood in London, and giving them the skills, resilience and determination to be successful in life. Asher made it in TV news. Her brother, Chiwetel Ejiofor, is an award-winning actor.Maureen Corrigan reviews Tasha, novelist Brian Morris's memoir about his smart, difficult and funny mother.

When Yeoh first read the script for Everything Everywhere All at Once, she gave a big sigh of relief: Finally, here was a film that put a middle-aged mother in the role of action hero. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her path from dancer to martial artist to leading lady, as well as joining the boys' club of stunt work. Also, Justin Chang reviews The Northman.

Comic, actor and writer Jerrod Carmichael goes deeper into the secrets he reveals in his new HBO comedy special, Rothaniel — secrets about his real name, his family tree, and his sexual orientation. Carmichael's new special is directed by Bo Burnham. A previous one was directed by Spike Lee.Also, songwriter, singer and guitarist Richard Thompson, talks about his formative years. He co-founded the band Fairport Convention, which created a new genre – a hybrid of traditional music of the British isles and rock. His memoir, Beeswing, is out in paperback.

Acclaimed classical pianist Jeremy Denk's new memoir begins with his first piano lessons and ends with his last formal lesson when he was 26. He'll talk about the obsessive practicing and repetition that's essential to reach his level of proficiency, and what he's learned about technique and conveying emotion. We'll also hear music from his new album.John Powers reviews the new CNN documentary Navalny, about the Russian dissident who survived a murder attempt and is now in prison. And jazz critic Kevin Whitehead pays tribute to bassist Charles Mingus on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The new CNN+ docuseries The Murdochs looks inside the Fox media empire and the family's behind-the-scenes in-fighting. Journalist Jim Rutenberg says the real-life drama rivals HBO's Succession. "I ... have always suspected that the Succession writers have some mole in the family because it's just too many things they seem to know," Rutenberg says. "It's just got all the drama you want in television, but democracy hinges on its future."

The British singer, songwriter and guitarist talks about his formative years, and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles. Thompson's new memoir is Beeswing.

Country music singers McGraw and Faith Hill are starring in the Paramount+ series 1883. The show tells the story of a group of Eastern European immigrants trying to make their way in covered wagons from Texas to Oregon. Before they filmed, they attended "cowboy camp," to learn the basics of riding horses and driving wagons. We talk with McGraw about the series, falling in love with Faith Hill, and learning about his birth father, MLB pitcher Tug McGraw.

In his new HBO comedy special, Rothaniel, Carmichael opens up about his real name, his family tree, and his sexual orientation. We'll go deeper into these issues — and talk about how being honest about them changed his comedy and his life. "The more honest I am, the freer I am," he says.

In addition to SNL, Molly Shannon has co-starred in the comedy series The Other Two and The White Lotus, and will soon appear in the Showtime comedy series I Love That for You. We talk with Shannon about the tragic event of her childhood that changed her life, and how she found comedy. Her memoir is Hello, Molly! Ken Tucker reviews a debut album from Wet Leg. Delia Ephron, who co-wrote the '90s film You've Got Mail with her sister Nora, found herself in the plotline of a romantic comedy. In her new memoir Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life, Delia Ephron writes about finding new love at age 72, in the face of grief and cancer.

Williams was a dazzling player and a favorite at Fresh Air. She died March 10 at 73. We'll listen back to her 1997 performance and interview.