Fresh Air

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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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Mary Tyler Moore

05.26.2023

Moore is the subject of a new HBO (MAX) documentary that explores her rise in Hollywood — from her 1970s hit The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which inspired a generation of single professional women, to her 1960s breakout role on ...

Fresh Air episodes:

05.26.2023 Mary Tyler Moore Moore is the subject of a new HBO (MAX) documentary that explores her rise in Hollywood — from her 1970s hit The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which inspired a generation of single professional women, to her 1960s breakout role on ...
05.25.2023 The Hollywood Writers Strike & The Future Of TV New York Times media reporter John Koblin discusses the Hollywood writers' strike — and how streaming has upended every element of TV and film production, leading to deteriorating working conditions.
05.24.2023 Chef Lidia Bastianich James Beard Award-winning chef Lidia Bastianich fled the Italian peninsula of Istria, as a child, after it was handed over to Communist Yugoslavia following WWII. She spoke with Terry Gross about her family's journey to America, her first TV dinner, ...
05.23.2023 Julia Louis-Dreyfus Louis-Dreyfus stars in the new film You Hurt My Feelings. She spoke with Dave Davies about her first big laugh as a kid, receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and her new podcast, Wiser Than Me. Also, John ...
05.22.2023 Wanda Sykes Returns Legendary comic Wanda Sykes spoke with Tonya Mosley about the WGA strike, portraying Moms Mabley in the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and raising white kids as a Black mom. Her new Netflix special is I Am an Entertainer. Also, David Bianculli ...
05.20.2023 Best Of: Joel Edgerton / Samantha Irby Joel Edgerton stars as a horticulturist with a secret past as a white nationalist in Paul Schrader's Master Gardener. He spoke with Terry Gross about the film and how his small role in Star Wars changed his career. TV critic ...
05.19.2023 Donna Summer The Queen of Disco's hits of the 1970s and early '80s included "Hot Stuff," "Last Dance," "Heaven Knows," "On the Radio," "Bad Girls," and "She Works Hard for the Money." She had three consecutive No. 1 platinum albums, and 11 ...
05.18.2023 Sara Bareilles When Sara Bareilles got the role of the Baker's Wife in Sondheim's Into the Woods, she thought she was signing up for a two-week limited run. But the show became a sensation, and is now a Grammy award-winning Broadway musical ...
05.17.2023 How a Secretive, Extremist Group Radicalized The American Right Matthew Dallek says the John Birch Society, which was active from the late '50s through the early '70s, propelled today's extremist takeover of the American right. His new book is Birchers. John Powers reviews the award-winning French crime drama The ...
05.16.2023 Humorist Samantha Irby Humorist and TV writer Samantha Irby is not afraid to tell you about her bowel movements, her mental health struggles or about the "glamorous hoarding" in her house. She's made a career out of writing about these things, and spinning ...
05.15.2023 Actor Joel Edgerton Edgerton stars as a horticulturist with a secret past as a white nationalist in Master Gardener. We talk about what he learned from director Paul Schrader, his small role in Star Wars: Revenge of the Clones, and working with his ...
05.13.2023 Best Of: Living With Long COVID / How Parking Explains The World Long COVID leaves millions of people with impaired brain function, and yet the medical establishment has a shortage of answers. Neuropsychologist James Jackson says many people with long COVID find they struggle to remember things, perform basic tasks and solve ...
05.12.2023 Everything But The Girl Singer-Songwriter Tracey Thorn The married British duo Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt — aka Everything but the Girl — have their first album in 24 years. Ken Tucker reviews Fuse, then we listen back to a 2018 interview with Thorn. Also, Justin Chang ...
05.11.2023 The Significance Of Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy Convictions New York Times journalist Alan Feuer talks about the conviction of the leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, and what that means for ongoing Jan. 6th-related inquiries.
05.10.2023 A 'Practical Guide' For People With Long COVID An estimated 200 million people worldwide have long COVID. Dave Davies interviews neuro-psychologist James Jackson about the cognitive impairment, social isolation, and mental health issues that the long COVID patient population experiences. His book is Clearing the Fog. Maureen Corrigan ...
05.09.2023 How Parking Explains The World Author Henry Grabar says parking codes, parking lots and garages have shaped the landscape of cities and suburbs, and limited the creation of affordable housing. His book is Paved Paradise. TV critic David Bianculli reviews Pete Davidson's semi-autobiographical series on ...
05.08.2023 One Senator's Crusade To Expose CIA/FBI Crimes And Cover-Ups Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Risen tells the story of Senator Frank Church, who exposed crimes and cover-ups of the CIA and the FBI nearly 50 years ago. Risen says the Church hearings, which revealed CIA assassination plots, led to congressional ...
05.06.2023 Best Of: Alex Auder's Bohemian Childhood / James Marsden On 'Jury Duty' Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Auder's memoir, Don't Call Me Home, describes her early life in the Chelsea Hotel, in a world of underground artists. We talk about her unconventional childhood and parenting her own ...
05.05.2023 New York Dolls Frontman David Johansen Johansen was a founding member and frontman for the early '70s glam band The New York Dolls – the band that helped set the stage for the punk movement. Later, Johansen created the lounge-lizard persona Buster Poindexter. He's the subject ...
05.04.2023 The Child Labor Crisis In America A series of investigative reports over the last year has revealed that underage children, most of them migrants from Central America, are working some of the most dangerous jobs in our country — from construction sites to slaughterhouses to factories ...
05.03.2023 Alexandra Auder, Daughter Of Warhol Muse Viva Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Auder's memoir, Don't Call Me Home, describes her early life in the Chelsea Hotel, in a world of underground artists. We talk about her unconventional childhood and parenting her own ...
05.02.2023 James Marsden On 'Jury Duty' In the experimental show 'Jury Duty' on Amazon Freevee, actors play oddballs doing their civic duty. The twist? One juror, Ronald, is a real guy who doesn't know it's all fake. Actor James Marsden plays a satirical version of himself. ...
05.01.2023 How South Africa Narrowly Avoided Civil War Journalist Justice Malala explains how Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk kept the country on a path to peace after the 1993 assassination of Chris Hani. His book is The Plot to Save South Africa. Also, David Bianculli reviews ...
04.29.2023 Best Of: Judy Blume / Dismantling Anti-Fat Bias Beloved YA author Judy Blume talks with Terry Gross about her books being banned, motherhood, and feminism. The first film adaptation of her breakthrough novel, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, is now out in theaters. And journalist and ...
04.28.2023 Comedian Roy Wood Jr. 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 ...
04.27.2023 Remembering Harry Belafonte / "Full-Spectrum" Doula On Birth & Abortion Singer Harry Belafonte starred in films and helped popularize calypso music in the U.S. in the 1950s. In the '60s he became a civil rights activist. He died April 25. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1993. Also, we hear ...
04.26.2023 How Private Equity Firms Widen The Income Gap Financial journalist Gretchen Morgenson explains how private equity firms buy out companies, then lay off employees and cut costs in order to expand profits. Her new book is These are the Plunderers. Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead remembers pianist Ahmad ...
04.25.2023 Dismantling Anti-Fat Bias Journalist Virginia Sole-Smith says efforts to fight childhood obesity have caused kids to absorb an onslaught of body-shaming messages. We talk about thin privilege, how to neutralize food and the word "fat," and how diet culture hurts everyone. Her new ...
04.24.2023 Judy Blume Known for her books about adolescence and all that comes with it, Judy Blume is widely beloved and widely banned. Her 1970 novel, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has been adapted for the screen for the first time. ...
04.22.2023 Best Of: Keri Russell / Author David Grann Russell played a fictional Soviet spy in The Americans. Now she stars as a career foreign service officer who reluctantly becomes the U.S. ambassador in London in the Netflix series The Diplomat. Then, Maureen Corrigan reviews There Will Be Fire, ...
04.21.2023 Remembering crime writer Anne Perry and LGBTQ editor Michael Denneny For decades, Anne Perry, who died April 10, kept secret the fact that she was one of the teenage girls involved in the murder depicted in the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures. Originally broadcast in 1994. One of the first openly ...
04.20.2023 How the AR-15 became the bestselling rifle in the U.S. Washington Post reporter Todd Frankel explains how the AR-15 was adapted from the M16 military combat automatic rifle, and how it became an icon of gun culture and a favored weapon for mass shooters. John Powers reviews the Apple TV+ ...
04.19.2023 A tribute to the music of John Kander and Fred Ebb The new Broadway musical New York, New York includes Kander and Ebb's songs from Scorsese's 1977 film. We listen back to an '83 interview with Kander and Ebb, plus '91 and '15 interviews with Kander. David Bianculli reviews the new ...
04.18.2023 A tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder Author David Grann tells the story of an 18th-century British warship that wrecked along the coast of Patagonia. The survivors sailed thousands of miles to safety, and later faced charges of mutiny. His new book is The Wager.
04.17.2023 Keri Russell embraces her new role as 'The Diplomat' After starring in Felicity from 1998 until 2002, Russell took a break from acting. "That step back is the only way I'm still in this business," She says. She went on to star (with her real-life partner Matthew Rhys) in ...
04.15.2023 Best Of: NPR's Mary Louise Kelly / Josh Groban Mary Louise Kelly, a host of NPR's All Things Considered, and former national security correspondent, talks about the difficulties juggling her career and being a mother. Her memoir is It. Goes. So. Fast. Then Justin Chang reviews the new film ...
04.14.2023 Remembering Food Critic Mimi Sheraton & Actor Michael Lerner Mimi Sheraton was a food writer and restaurant critic for The New York Times. So she wouldn't get preferential treatment at a restaurant, she had a collection of wigs to disguise herself. She died earlier this month at age 97. ...
04.13.2023 Will Fox News Pay For Spreading Lies About Voter Fraud? 'New York Times' journalist Jeremy Peters explains Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News. Dominion claims that Fox's hosts and commentators falsely stated that Dominion was part of a conspiracy to steal votes from Donald Trump with the ...
04.12.2023 A Doctor Cares For A Parent With Alzheimer's Dr. Sandeep Jauhar talks about his father's decline, and about his own quest to understand what happens in a brain afflicted with Alzheimer's. Jauhar's new memoir is called "My Father's Brain." Also, John Powers reviews the political thriller "How to ...
04.11.2023 NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on Motherhood & Chasing The News Mary Louise Kelly, a host of NPR's All Things Considered, and former national security correspondent, talks about the difficulties juggling her career and being a mother. At work, the breaking news stories and deadlines are non-stop. She's reported from around ...
04.10.2023 Josh Groban On 'Sweeney Todd' The Grammy-Award winning baritone first auditioned to play the Demon Barber of Fleet Street back in high school. He didn't get the part then; now he's starring in the Broadway revival. He spoke with Fresh Air's Ann Marie Baldonado about ...
04.08.2023 Best Of: Jazz Singer Samara Joy / Brooke Shields This year Samara Joy became the second jazz performer in Grammy history to win "Best New Artist." The 23-year-old also won for "Best Jazz Album." She joins us for a concert and conversation about growing up in a family of ...
04.07.2023 Legendary Record Exec. Seymour Stein / Joni Mitchell Record biz giant Seymour Stein died last Sunday at age 80. He was the co-founder of Sire Records, which he ran from 1966 until he stepped down in 2018. We're have two archival interviews with Stein. Over his long career, ...
04.06.2023 Inside The Sports Betting Boom Five years ago, a Supreme Court ruling lifted a ban on betting on sports. New York Times reporter Eric Lipton uncovers the lobbying, favorable deals, partnerships and human impact that's come from that decision. He and a team of investigative ...
04.05.2023 Living With Suicidal Ideation Philosophy professor Clancy Martin lives with two incompatible ideas in his head: "I wish I were dead – and I'm glad my suicide [attempts] failed." He says he wrote his book, How Not to Kill Yourself, especially for people struggling ...
04.04.2023 Brooke Shields Brooke Shields looks back on her childhood career with guest interviewer Tonya Mosley. When she was 11 months old, she was in soap commercials and print ads. At the age of 12, she starred as a child prostitute in the ...
04.03.2023 What We Get Wrong About Armageddon In The Bible Bible scholar Bart Ehrman says interpretations of the Book of Revelation have created disastrous problems — from personal psychological damage to consequences for foreign policy and the environment. His book is Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says about the End. ...
04.03.2023 Best Of: Poet Clint Smith / 'Ted Lasso' Actor Brett Goldstein Clint Smith's poems, which are addressed to his young children, describe what their ancestors endured and escaped. He also examines the joy and anxiety of parenthood, especially as a Black father. His book of poetry is called Above Ground. Justin ...
03.31.2023 'Yellowjackets' Star Melanie Lynskey / 'Schmigadoon!' Co-Creator Cinco Paul Two popular TV series are beginning their second seasons: Yellowjackets on Showtime, and Schmigadoon! on Apple TV+. Ann Marie Baldonado spoke with Melanie Lynskey, one of the stars of Yellowjackets. It's the story of the members of a high school ...
03.30.2023 Jazz Singer Samara Joy Last month Samara Joy became the second jazz performer in Grammy history to win "Best New Artist." The 23-year-old also won for "Best Jazz Album." She joins us for a concert and conversation about growing up in a family of ...

Older episodes

Fresh Air

What's Fresh Air about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Fresh Air episodes:

Mary Tyler Moore

The Hollywood Writers Strike & The Future Of TV

Chef Lidia Bastianich

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Wanda Sykes Returns

Best Of: Joel Edgerton / Samantha Irby

Donna Summer

Sara Bareilles

How a Secretive, Extremist Group Radicalized The American Right

Humorist Samantha Irby

Actor Joel Edgerton

Best Of: Living With Long COVID / How Parking Explains The World

Everything But The Girl Singer-Songwriter Tracey Thorn

The Significance Of Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy Convictions

A 'Practical Guide' For People With Long COVID

How Parking Explains The World

One Senator's Crusade To Expose CIA/FBI Crimes And Cover-Ups

Best Of: Alex Auder's Bohemian Childhood / James Marsden On 'Jury Duty'

New York Dolls Frontman David Johansen

The Child Labor Crisis In America

Alexandra Auder, Daughter Of Warhol Muse Viva

James Marsden On 'Jury Duty'

How South Africa Narrowly Avoided Civil War

Best Of: Judy Blume / Dismantling Anti-Fat Bias

Comedian Roy Wood Jr.

Remembering Harry Belafonte / "Full-Spectrum" Doula On Birth & Abortion

How Private Equity Firms Widen The Income Gap

Dismantling Anti-Fat Bias

Judy Blume

Best Of: Keri Russell / Author David Grann

Remembering crime writer Anne Perry and LGBTQ editor Michael Denneny

How the AR-15 became the bestselling rifle in the U.S.

A tribute to the music of John Kander and Fred Ebb

A tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder

Keri Russell embraces her new role as 'The Diplomat'

Best Of: NPR's Mary Louise Kelly / Josh Groban

Remembering Food Critic Mimi Sheraton & Actor Michael Lerner

Will Fox News Pay For Spreading Lies About Voter Fraud?

A Doctor Cares For A Parent With Alzheimer's

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on Motherhood & Chasing The News

Josh Groban On 'Sweeney Todd'

Best Of: Jazz Singer Samara Joy / Brooke Shields

Legendary Record Exec. Seymour Stein / Joni Mitchell

Inside The Sports Betting Boom

Living With Suicidal Ideation

Brooke Shields

What We Get Wrong About Armageddon In The Bible

Best Of: Poet Clint Smith / 'Ted Lasso' Actor Brett Goldstein

'Yellowjackets' Star Melanie Lynskey / 'Schmigadoon!' Co-Creator Cinco Paul

Jazz Singer Samara Joy

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