Fresh Air
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Fresh Air with Terry Gross, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs.
Episodes
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'How to Lose Your Mother' author Molly Jong-Fast reflects on life with mom Erica Jong
In her new memoir, Jong-Fast writes that her mother, Erica Jong — who penned the 1973 feminist novel Fear of Flying — had become addicted to fame and couldn't bear losing it.
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Growing up, comic Atsuko Okatsuka felt like 'a freak' -- now she's owning it
Okatsuka is known for her bowl haircut — and for finding humor in the dysfunction of her immigrant family. Her standup special Father is about her dad, who reappeared in her life after decades away.
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Fresh Air Weekend: Desi Arnaz's lasting impact on TV; Mark Hamill
Biographer Todd Purdum says Arnaz was more than just "second banana" to Lucy. David Bianculli reviews Pee-wee as Himself. Hamill's film, The Life of Chuck, is an adaptation of a Stephen King novella.
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'The Life of Chuck' might leave you brushing away tears -- or scratching your head
Mike Flanagan's new film, a maudlin mystery about a man dying of cancer, feels hobbled by its extreme faithfulness to the Stephen King novella on which its based.
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Remembering longtime 'The Simpsons' composer Alf Clausen
The Emmy-winning composer/arranger worked with a 35-piece orchestra for 27 years, creating music for The Simpsons. Clausen died May 29. Originally broadcast May 14, 1997.
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'Good Night, and Good Luck' brings its knock-out punch to CNN from Broadway
On Jun 7, CNN is presenting a live telecast of George Clooney starring on Broadway as the pioneering CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow. TV critic David Bianculli calls it the TV event of the season.
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When is forgetting normal — and when is it worrisome? A neuroscientist weighs in
Do you have trouble remembering names or where you put your keys? Neurologist Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember, talks about the science of memory. Originally broadcast Feb. 24, 2024.
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After his mother's death, Ocean Vuong wrote his way out of grief
Vuong's new novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is the first he's written, from start to finish, since his mother died in 2019. He says writing it was a way to honor her memory.
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Trump's billion-dollar war on Harvard, explained
Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman says the attack represents an erosion of democratic values: "Ultimately, this is about Trump trying to impose his view of the world on everybody else."
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'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life' doesn't live up to its namesake
Laura Piani's amiable new romance is weighed down by all its allusions and borrowings — and ultimately fails to deliver on Austen's wit.
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With 'I Love Lucy' and beyond, Desi Arnaz helped shaped TV as we know it
The success of I Love Lucy is often credited to Lucille Ball's comedic talent, but biographer Todd Purdum says Arnaz was more than just "second banana" to Lucy. He also helped shape the modern sitcom.
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Fresh Air Weekend: Sarah Silverman; Cole Escola
Silverman's parents died 9 days apart; the loss was a starting point for her comedy special. Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Willie Nelson and Ken Pomeroy. Escola explains the vision behind Oh, Mary!