Chris Offutt Reveals A Family Secret In 'My Father, The Pornographer' Offutt's late father went from running a small insurance agency to writing more than 400 books, mostly pornography. Originally broadcast March 2, 2015.
Author Richard Ford Says 'Let Me Be Frank' About Aging And Dying The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's most recent book centers on a 68-year-old man dealing with his aging body, a dying friend and his ex-wife, who has Parkinson's. Originally broadcast Nov. 12, 2014.
Patti Smith Looks Back On Life Before She Became The Godmother Of Punk The singer joins Fresh Air for a conversation about her career and her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Smith's new memoir is M Train. Originally broadcast in 1996 and 2010.
Flights Of Fancy: Exploring The Songs And Pathways Of 'The Living Bird' Wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and essayist Scott Weidensaul share bird calls and discuss some of the remarkable abilities of birds. Both men contributed to a new book about North American birds.
Poetic And Expansive, 'City On Fire' Ultimately Falls Short Of Its Reach Garth Risk Hallberg's 900-page debut novel is an intricately-plotted story set in chaotic 1970s New York. Critic Maureen Corrigan says City On Fire has much to admire, even if its ending falls flat.
'Dope' Director On Geekdom, The N-Word And Confronting Racism With Comedy Rick Famuyiwa's film, Dope, is about a black high-school student who's into 90s hip-hop and Japanese comic books. Originally broadcast July 1, 2015.
As One Of 'The Leftovers,' Actor Justin Theroux Explores Loss And Spirituality In the HBO series, Theroux is a man trying to make sense of the disappearance of 2 percent of the world's population. He describes Season 2 as moving into "spiritual territory."
'Fargo' Returns, With An Oddball Style Reminiscent Of 'Twin Peaks' The FX-drama series Fargo begins its second season Monday with a new story and cast. TV critic David Bianculli says the new season is full of charm, and "ridiculously loaded" with great performances.
'Bloom County' And Opus The Penguin Return After A 25-Year Hiatus Comic strip creator Berkeley Breathed tells Fresh Air's Sam Briger that a 2008 letter from author Harper Lee inspired him to re-launch his famous strip on Facebook. It's now called Bloom County 2015.
Donna Karan On Motherhood, Fashion And Designing The Perfect Pair Of Jeans When Donna Karan started her brand in 1984, she thought it would be "a little company." Four decades later, she looks back on her life, her legacy and leaving her company. Her memoir is My Journey.