Comic Roy Wood Jr. will host the White House Correspondents Dinner this weekend. Recently Wood guest hosted The Daily Show, as Comedy Central decides who will replace Trevor Noah. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2018.

It's been 50 years since Al Green released his album Call Me. Critic Ken Tucker reminds us why it's widely considered the singer's greatest. And Justin Chang reviews the new film based on the popular 1970 Judy Blume book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

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Comedian Roy Wood Jr.

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.

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Nearly a year after the Hollywood writers' strike started, the entertainment industry remains in flux. Harpers journalist Daniel Bessner says TV and film writers are feeling the brunt of the changes.

Maureen Corrigan reviews a collection of Emily Dickinson letters. 

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Why Writers Are Losing Out In Hollywood

Journalist Susan Page talks about Barbara Walters's groundbreaking career as a newswoman and her signature interview specials, which blended news and entertainment. Page was interested in understanding Walters' inner life – the source of her drive, how she navigated hostile work environments, and being teased for her speech impediment. Page's book is The Rulebreaker.

Also, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

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The Life & Legacy Of 'Rulebreaker' Barbara Walters

The songwriter, guitarist and singer known as St. Vincent took her stage name from St. Vincent's Hospital in New York, where the poet Dylan Thomas died. Her seventh album, All Born Screaming, is out April 26. She spoke with Terry Gross about visiting her dad in prison, touring with her aunt and uncle as a teen, and the inspiration for her hit song "New York." 

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St. Vincent

Journalist Ari Berman says the founding fathers created a system that concentrated power in the hands of an elite minority — and that their decisions continue to impact American democracy today. Berman's book is Minority Rule.

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How Minority Rule Threatens Democracy

Writer Salman Rushdie talks about the knife attack that nearly killed him — and his life since then. In 2022, he was onstage at a literary event when the assailant ran up from the audience, and stabbed him 14 times. His new book is called Knife. 

Also, Diarra Kilpatrick talks about writing and starring in the new series, Diarra From Detroit, a dark comedy about a public school teacher who is ghosted by a Tinder date and, in her quest to find out why, investigates a decades-old mystery that takes her into the underbelly of Detroit. 

Ken Tucker reviews Tierra Whack's new album World Wide Whack.

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Comedian Roy Wood Jr.

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