We remember film director John Singleton who died Monday at the age of 51. He made his debut in 1991 with the semi-autobiographical movie 'Boyz n the Hood,' about a group of kids growing up surrounded by drug addiction and gang violence in South Central L.A. 

Critic Soraya Nadia McDonald reviews the new memoir 'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker' by Damon Young. 

Then we remember singer Jo Sullivan Loesser who starred in Frank Loesser's Broadway show 'The Most Happy Fella' and then married him. Frank Loesser's other musicals were 'Guys & Dolls' and 'How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.' After he died she helped preserve his legacy. She died Sunday. 

And Maureen Corrigan reviews two novels, 'The Guest Book' by Sarah Blake and 'The Last' by Hanna Jameson.

Remembering 'Boyz N The Hood' Dir.  John Singleton

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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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. 

Keep up with Fresh Air, learn what's coming next week, and get staff recommendations by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. 

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Our Fragile Food System

Alua Arthur works with families, caretakers, and people close to death who want to be intentional about the end of life. She's learned through her work and her own experiences with loss that facing the inevitable can help lessen the anxiety and fear so many of us have around death. Her new book is called, Briefly Perfectly Human. 

Also, we remember painter Faith Ringgold, who died Saturday at the age of 93.

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A Death Doula Says 'Get Real' About The End

Rushdie was onstage at a literary event in 2022 when he was attacked by a man in the audience: "Dying in the company of strangers — that was what was going through my mind." His new book is Knife.

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Salman Rushdie On Surviving Attempted Murder

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.

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Remembering 'Boyz N The Hood' Dir. John Singleton

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