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.  

Democracy's 'Forgotten Crisis'

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/freshair

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

TV & Film

Books

Growing up, when Diarra Kilpatrick watched murder mystery shows with her grandmother, she never saw Black women driving the narrative. Her new BET+ series seeks to change that. It's called Diarra From Detroit.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

A First Date Turns Into A Whodunit In 'Diarra From Detroit'

Andrew Scott stars as a con artist with no conscience in the new Netflix series Ripley. It's an adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. He spoke with Terry Gross about tapping into his darker side for the role — and playing the "hot priest" in Fleabag.

Also, we hear about how cars became our most gendered technology. Women used to be considered unqualified to drive, or just terrible drivers. Glamorous women were used to advertise cars. And yet cars have been designed for male bodies, in ways that put women drivers at risk. Journalist Nancy Nichols is the author of Women Behind the Wheel. 

Maureen Corrigan reviews Lionel Shriver's latest novel, Mania.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Best Of: Andrew Scott / Women Behind The Wheel

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is the latest film starring two of cinema's biggest monsters. Today we take a look at the first time they were introduced to audiences. Film  historian Rudy Behlmer tells us about the 1933 film King Kong. And Steve Ryfle wrote a book about the making of the 1954 Japanese film Godzilla.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Civil War.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The History Of King Kong & Godzilla

Atlantic journalist Stephanie McCrummen says foreign interests are acquiring Serengeti territory in Northern Tanzania, effectively displacing indigenous cattle-herders from their traditional grazing lands. McCrummen spoke with Dave Davies about the billionaires, conservation groups, and safari tourism in this story. 

Also, John Powers reviews the TV adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Sympathizer.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The 'Land Grab' Displacing The Maasai People

What happens to the body in the deep sea? You need oxygen to survive, but too much oxygen can be deadly.  Also, if you rise to the surface too quickly, nitrogen bubbles can form in your body and kill you. We'll talk with author and scientist Rachel Lance, who has conducted research for the military, using a hyperbaric chamber in which the air and the pressure can be controlled to mimic what divers and submarines are exposed to. Her new book is about the scientists whose dangerous experiments about underwater pressure and injury were critical to the success of D-Day. It's called Chamber Divers. 

David Bianculli reviews the new series Franklin, starring Michael Douglas as Ben Franklin.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Democracy's 'Forgotten Crisis'

Download our free app to listen on your phone