Fresh Air

By NPRTV & Film Society & Culture Arts Books

Ranking
1st
on Books
Favorites
47,961
Followers
Typical duration
46 min
per episode
If it hooks
56%
finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Fresh Air episodes

August 14, 2023 Christopher Nolan On 'Oppenheimer'
Christopher Nolan talks about writing and directing the new film Oppenheimer, about the man who's known as the father of the atom bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Nolan also directed the WWII movie Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, and Inception. The film is about Oppenheimer's leading role in the race to develop the bomb before the Nazis. But after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he became an arms control advocate, opposed building the hydrogen bomb, and was targeted during the anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950s.

Later, Maureen Corrigan reviews the new novel by James McBride.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
47 min
August 12, 2023 Best Of: Pianist Jason Moran / Author Andre Dubus III
Pianist Jason Moran joins us at the piano to play his take on the WWI-era music of James Reese Europe. And we'll hear from writer Andre Dubus III. His new novel, Such Kindness, asks how a person gets on with life after an accident that leads to disability and flames of chronic pain.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
49 min
August 11, 2023 Looking Back On The U.S. Bombing Of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
78 years ago this week atomic bombs destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — and questions linger about the U.S. decision to use the weapons. For the anniversary, we're revisiting archival interviews about the bombings. Author and psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton says American justifications are based on a myth. Writer Evan Thomas concludes using the weapons likely saved countless lives — including Japanese soldiers and civilians. And Lesley M.M. Blume focuses on what U.S. military censors hid from the American public about the effects of the bombs.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
46 min
August 10, 2023 Uncovering The Story Of An Institutionalized Family Member
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior shares the pain of her family in a new piece for The Atlantic titled, "The Ones We Sent Away." In it, Senior tells the story of her Aunt Adele, who was institutionalized for her entire life because of her intellectual and developmental disability, beginning at 21 months old. Senior found out about her aunt when she herself was 12, believing up until then that her mother was an only child.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new season of Only Murders in the Building.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
47 min
August 09, 2023 A Memoir Of Kidnapping
When Shane McCrae was 3, his maternal grandparents, who were white supremacists, kidnapped him from his father, who is Black. His new memoir is Pulling the Chariot of the Sun.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews MeShell Ndegeocello's album The Omnichord Real Book.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
45 min
August 08, 2023 Reflecting On The End Of Sight
Andrew Leland started losing his sight 20 years ago. He's now legally blind, although he still has a narrow field of vision, which allows him to see about 6% of what a fully-sighted person sees. In his new memoir, The Country of the Blind, he explores different kinds of perception, and shares his experience adapting to his new reality.

Also, Justin Chang reviews the film Passages.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
46 min
August 07, 2023 Jason Moran At The Piano
Moran talks jazz and plays selections from his latest recording, which borrows from the music of James Reese Europe, the composer and musician who led the Harlem Hellfighters regiment band during WWI. Moran's new album is called 'From the Dancehall to the Battlefield,' and it features Moran's take on Europe's compositions and pop music of that time. It's available only on Bandcamp.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
45 min
August 05, 2023 Best Of: Actor Richard E. Grant / Comic Leanne Morgan
Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) was married to Joan Washington, an acclaimed dialect coach, for 35 years. He writes about their relationship and her death from cancer in the new memoir, A Pocketful of Happiness.

Also, podcast critic Nick Quah reviews Dreamtown.

Comic Leanne Morgan calls herself the "Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia." She says she's interested in speaking to an audience that she says gets forgotten — middle-aged women, mothers, and people in rural America. She has a new Netflix special called I'm Every Woman.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
48 min
August 04, 2023 Remembering Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens
Actor Paul Reubens, who created the character Pee-wee Herman, died July 30 at age 70. His joyful, odd and subversive CBS TV show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, was loved by children and adults alike. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2004. We'll also hear from Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson, who appeared on his show.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and what to watch while Hollywood production is halted.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
47 min
August 03, 2023 Novelist Andre Dubus III
How do you get on with life after an accident that leads to disability and chronic pain? That's the central question in Andre Dubus III's new novel, Such Kindness. He talks about the injuries he faced when he was a carpenter, and how his relationship changed with his father after the senior Dubus was struck by a car and never walked again. His previous books include Townie and House of Sand and Fog.

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

NPR Privacy Policy
46 min

About Fresh Air

From the publisher's feed

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 and Tonya Mosley, the show…

Best of Fresh Air

Ranked by our users in the last 21 days

Number 1: The Roy Cohn Playbook, from McCarthyism to Trump
Sep 1746 min
Number 2: Is Jared Kushner a 'walking conflict of interest'?
Sep 1647 min
Number 3: Investigating the system that protected Sean “Diddy” Combs
Sep 2446 min
Number 4: Inside the 'modern slavery' where cyber scammers are victims themselves
Sep 2246 min
Number 5: Colin Kaepernick is still fighting – for justice and for his football career
Sep 1446 min

FAQ about Fresh Air

What's this show about?
Fresh Air, hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, features intimate conversations with luminaries in contemporary arts and issues.
What's it like to listen to?
The show delivers in-depth interviews in a conversational format. Expect a focus on the guest's work and life, with thoughtful questions and a relaxed atmosphere.
What are recent episodes about?
Recent episodes feature Jessie Buckley discussing her role in the film *Hamnet*, Delroy Lindo reflecting on his career, and discussions about Paul McCartney's post-Beatles life and plans to restrict voting in the U.S..
Who's behind the mic?
Terry Gross has hosted Fresh Air since 1975, winning a Peabody Award and countless other honors for her insightful interviews. Tonya Mosley is a Peabody Award-winning journalist and co-host of Fresh Air.
How long is each episode?
Each episode is typically around 45 minutes to an hour.
When do new episodes drop?
The show releases new episodes regularly.
What are the main topics?
Arts, books, film, society, culture, interviews, music, politics
Who should listen to this?
Listeners interested in the arts, film, music, and society, as well as those who enjoy in-depth interviews with a wide range of notable figures.