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Episodes from Fresh Air
Best Of: John Lithgow / Sondheim’s tumultuous life
We talk with John Lithgow, veteran of hundreds of performances on stage, screen and television. He’s currently starring in the play ‘Giant’ on Broadway. He plays renowned children’s book author Roald Dahl, caught in a public controversy after he wrote an article laced with antisemitic statements. Also, we’ll talk about Stephen Sondheim’s life and music with Daniel Okrent, author of a new book ‘Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn't Easy.’ To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship an...
Julio Torres spins immigrant stress into satire
As a gay, atheist teenager in El Salvador, Julio Torres felt like an alien. He was legally labeled “alien” when he came to the U.S. on a student visa, and then tried to get a work visa. The comic/filmmaker drew on those experiences to write, direct, and star in the satirical film, ‘Problemista.’ He spoke with Terry Gross in 2024 about immigrant stress, his odd form of comedy, and why he's attracted to difficult people. “I don't see difficult people as nightmares to escape. I'm really drawn to them like a moth to a flame,” he says. His new comedy specia...
John Lithgow
Lithgow, 80, plays an intelligence agent in the FX action series 'The Old Man,' and he's currently starring in the Broadway production of 'Giant,' about a dark side of children's book author Roald Dahl. He spoke with Dave Davies. Also, John Powers reviews 'Stay Alive' by Ian Buruma, about daily life in Nazi Berlin. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
An exposé of the plastic industry
In award-winning journalist Beth Gardiner’s new book, ‘Plastic Inc.,’ she traces how plastic went from a wartime miracle to the survival strategy of the fossil fuel industry. What Gardiner found after years of reporting is that while millions of us were recycling and using less fuel, the companies that make plastic are producing more to make up for it. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about recycling, microplastics in the human body, and the environmental impact. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album from Megan Moroney, ‘Cloud 9.’To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:<...
Inside the training camps for “alpha males”
The Trump era has brought a resurgence of the “alpha male.” ‘New Yorker’ writer Charles Bethea reports on camps where men crawl through mud and sit in ice baths, in an effort to reclaim masculinity. Bethea says what he found underneath all the warrior posturing surprised him: men in genuine pain who felt lonely and desperate for connection. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about his reporting. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new novel by Tana French, ‘The Keeper.’To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...
Former Infowars employee on Alex Jones' conspiracy machine
Josh Owens spent four years as a video editor and field producer for Jones' Infowars media company. "It was all about making things look cinematic," he says. Owens' memoir is ‘The Madness of Believing.’ He spoke with Dave Davies about how he got into Infowars, the “nonsense” and “lies” the company sold, and how he got out.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Best Of: Jill Scott / Riz Ahmed
R&B artist Jill Scott shares some of the lessons she learned from the legends who came before her, including the moment she first met Aretha Franklin. Scott’s new album is ‘To Whom This May Concern.’ Also, actor Riz Ahmed talks about his Prime Video series, ‘Bait.’ He plays a British Pakistani actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. He talks about drawing from moments in his own life, battling self-criticism and chasing acceptance. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...
Remembering Action Hero Chuck Norris
We remember martial arts champion turned Hollywood action hero Chuck Norris, who died last week at age 86. In addition to his many kung fu and action films, he was the star of the long-running TV show, ‘Walker, Texas Ranger.’ He spoke with Terry Gross in 1988 about the karate he learned while stationed in Korea. Also, we remember Tex-Mex musician Augie Meyers of the Texas Tornadoes, who died March 7 at age 85. His signature sound was created on the vox organ, an instrument made in Britain. When he went to England in the ‘60s he got a call at his hotel. “...
America's first AI-fueled war is unfolding. How'd we get here?
‘Project Maven’ is the story of how the U.S. spent a decade building an AI warfare system that's now being used in the war in Iran. Author and Bloomberg journalist Katrina Manson reveals the people behind that mission, and their belief that AI could make war more precise and save lives. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about the ethics of this technology. A troubling research study found AI models placed in simulated nuclear crisis scenarios chose the nuclear option 95% of the time. Also, Carolina Miranda reviews a Los Angeles art installation that harkens to the old days of cinema....
Bryan Stevenson says facing our racist past is a path, not punishment
In his second term, President Trump has ordered the removal of monuments, plaques and exhibitions related to slavery, and the history of racial injustice in the U.S. Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson has been working to ensure evidence of America's painful past is not erased. His organization, the Equal Justice Initiative, founded the Legacy Museum to show us the truth of our history. “You can't get the beautiful ‘R’ words, like redemption and reconciliation and restoration and repair, unless you first tell the truth,” he tells Terry Gross.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:<b...
Will President Trump act on his threat to take Cuba?
New Yorker writer Jon Lee Anderson describes conditions in Cuba, why it's vulnerable now — and what regime change would mean — considering the Castro family's entrenchment in the Cuban government.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Riz Ahmed is chasing acceptance in 'Bait'
In his new Prime Video series, ‘Bait,’ Riz Ahmed plays an actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. Ahmed says Bond is a "symbol of aspiration, this unattainable kind of self" his character is pursuing. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about being his own worst critic, why he connected to Hamlet, and his early days as an MC on pirate radio. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.N...