Fresh Air

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Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshairAnd subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

  • 43 minutes 39 seconds
    A Dominatrix/Writer Takes Readers Into A Dungeon
    After publishing her first novel when she was 21, Brittany Newell started working as a dominatrix. The job gave her time to write — and plenty of material to draw from. "I always like to say that what makes a good writer is also what makes a good dominatrix, which is empathy and curiosity and bravery," she says. Newell's new novel is Soft Core.

    Also, David Bianculli reviews the comedy TV series Clean Slate starring Laverne Cox. And Maureen Corrigan reviews two quintessential New York books.

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    6 February 2025, 7:47 pm
  • 45 minutes 39 seconds
    Trump's Plan For Gaza / The U.S. Military's Recruiting Crisis
    Last night, President Trump proposed a plan to displace all the Palestinians from Gaza, and get Jordan and Egypt to take them in, while the U.S. takes ownership of Gaza and rebuilds it into a Middle East Riviera. We'll talk with New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins about the impact of this proposal. We'll also talk with him about the recruitment crisis in the U.S. military, which has led military leaders to ask: can our country defend itself if not enough people are willing or able to fight? It's the subject of his latest article in the New Yorker.

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    5 February 2025, 7:24 pm
  • 44 minutes 35 seconds
    Ariana Grande Loves Being In A 'Beautiful Coven'
    As a kid, Ariana Grande loved singing karaoke with her family. "I looked up to Whitney and Mariah and Celine endlessly," she says. "I think that's a large part of the reason why I learned to sing." She spoke with Tonya Mosley about auditioning for and landing the role of Glinda in Wicked, her signature whistle register, and how she quiets the voice of self-doubt.

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    4 February 2025, 10:34 pm
  • 44 minutes 9 seconds
    Parenting A Child With Terminal Cancer
    Sarah Wildman's daughter Orli died from cancer when she was 14. "She would sometimes ask me, 'What do you think I did to deserve this?' And of course, that's not an answerable question," Wildman says. The NYT Opinion writer spoke with Terry Gross about her daughter's treatment and death and living with grief.

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    3 February 2025, 7:59 pm
  • 48 minutes 36 seconds
    Best Of: 50 Years Of SNL Musical Guests / Black History Through Blues
    Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is the co-director of a new documentary about the music of Saturday Night Live over the last 50 years. It's called Ladies & Gentlemen and it's streaming on Peacock.

    We'll also hear from author and scholar Imani Perry. Her new book Black In Blues explores the significance of the color blue in Black life, from the indigo trade to the birth of blues music.

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    1 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 48 seconds
    For 'Severance' Star Adam Scott, Work & Life Can't Be Separated
    The Apple TV+ drama series Severance is back for its second season. It's a dystopian take on work-life balance — where characters have their personal and professional lives surgically separated. He spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado in 2022 about the making of the series.

    Also, Justin Chang reviews one of this year's most talked-about Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Feature, No Other Land. It was directed by a collective of two Palestinian filmmakers and two Israeli filmmakers. Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett.

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    31 January 2025, 4:57 pm
  • 45 minutes 43 seconds
    How Louis Armstrong Became The First Black Pop Star
    Author Ricky Riccardi says Louis Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist helped set the entire soundtrack of the 20th century. His new book about Armstrong's early life is Stomp Off, Let's Go.

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    30 January 2025, 7:24 pm
  • 44 minutes 54 seconds
    This Anti-Social American Life
    Research shows we're spending more time alone than ever before. Atlantic writer Derek Thompson says all this "me time" has a profound impact on our relationships and politics.

    Also, David Bianculli reviews the documentary Without Arrows.

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    29 January 2025, 6:53 pm
  • 44 minutes 48 seconds
    What The Color Blue Tells About Black History
    Award-winning author and scholar Imani Perry traces the history and symbolism of the color blue, from the indigo of the slave trade, to Coretta Scott King's wedding dress, to present day cobalt mining. Her new book is Black in Blues.

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    28 January 2025, 6:59 pm
  • 45 minutes 49 seconds
    Questlove Digs Into 50 years Of 'SNL' Musical Hits (And Misses)
    Questlove's documentary, Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music, airs tonight on NBC. It highlights some of the show's most iconic musical performances and comedy sketches — from break-out stars to lip-syncing controversy. Our TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the documentary, and then Questlove joins Terry Gross to talk about some of the highlights.

    Also, Ken Tucker reviews Ringo Starr's new country album, Look Up.

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    27 January 2025, 7:14 pm
  • 48 minutes 45 seconds
    Best Of: Jesse Eisenberg / Pamela Anderson
    Jesse Eisenberg talks about writing, directing and starring in the film A Real Pain. Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play cousins who go to Poland on a Jewish Heritage Tour. One of the stops is the Majdanek death camp. He spoke with Terry Gross about questions the film raises. Also, we hear from Pamela Anderson. In the new film, The Last Showgirl, she stars as a veteran Vegas dancer who must face the end of her legendary show. She talked with Tonya Mosley about her big career comeback.

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    25 January 2025, 8:00 am
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