Sir Elton John spoke with Terry Gross in 2019 after the publication of his memoir, 'Me.' The book was pretty forthcoming about family, addiction and sexuality, and so was the conversation. A new CD box set collects rarities, demos, B-sides and fan favorites from his long career.

Also, Justin Chang reviews 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' starring Chadwick Boseman in his last film before he died this year at age 43.

Elton John On Music, Addiction & Family

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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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Best Of: Salman Rushdie's Survival / A New Kind Of Whodunit

Longtime PBS news anchor Robert MacNeil died last week at 93. He spoke with Terry Gross a few times over the course of his journalism career. We revisit those conversations. 

Also, we listen back to Eleanor Coppola's 1992 interview about her documentary, Hearts of Darkness. It chronicles the chaotic filming of Francis Ford Coppola's movie Apocalypse Now. She also died last week, at age 87.

David Bianculli reviews HBO's The Jinx — Part Two, which picks up where The Jinx left off: With Robert Durst admitting to murder.

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Remembering PBS Anchor Robert MacNeil

Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser says mergers and acquisitions have created food oligopolies that are inefficient, barely regulated and sometimes dangerous. His new documentary with Michael Pollan is Food, Inc. 2. 

Also, Justin Chang reviews the film The Beast. 

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Elton John On Music, Addiction & Family

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