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Fresh Air (NPR) (Interviews)

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  • Host: Terry Gross
  • Fresh Air opens the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics. Terry Gross hosts this multi-award-winning daily interview and features program.
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Songs Of Survival And Reflection: 'At The Cut'

Tue, Dec 1
Vic Chesnutt was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 18, but he's still a massively productive songwriter. Chesnutt has fifteen albums under his belt and his songs have been covered by Madonna, Smashing Pumpkins, and R.E.M. His new album, At The Cut, is a collaboration with Guy Picciotto of the band Fugazi.

The Smothers Brothers: A 'Dangerously Funny' Pair

Mon, Nov 30
In the late 1960s, Tommy and Dick Smothers challenged those who tried to tame their wildly popular show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. TV critic David Bianculli joins host Terry Gross to talk about the legendary comedy duo who tackled political issues and censorship.

Hal Holbrook, Basking In 'That Evening Sun'

Mon, Nov 30
After a lifetime of acting, the 84-year-old Hal Holbrook is still racking up new accomplishments. Last year, he received his first Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his performance in Into The Wild. This year, he stars in a new film, That Evening Sun.

A Messenger For The Marines: Steve Beck's Story

Fri, Nov 27
The Messenger tells the story of a man assigned to one of the toughest jobs in the military: notifying the families of the fallen. Col. Steve Beck does that job for the U.S. Marine Corps, and his story is at the center of Final Salute, a book by Jim Sheeler. Sheeler (pictured) and Beck join Fresh Air to talk about a duty that's both an honor and a burden.

An Animated Chat With 'Up' Director Pete Docter

Fri, Nov 27
Up, the smash-hit animated adventure about a grouchy elderly man, a chubby scout, a 13-foot bird and a house borne aloft by balloons, is now out on DVD. Director and screenwriter Pete Docter talks about the joys of researching and creating animated films.

Loudon Wainwright Looks 'High' For Inspiration

Thu, Nov 26
Loudon Wainwright's new double album, High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, is a tribute to the old-time country banjo player who died in 1931. The singer-songwriter explains the motivations behind the project and why Poole was such an influential country pioneer.

'40/40' Celebrates The Carpenters' 1969 Debut

Wed, Nov 25
Forty years after siblings Richard and Karen Carpenter signed with A&M Records, Richard Carpenter is releasing a 40th-anniversary compilation CD, Carpenters: 40/40. The two-disc set includes 40 tracks with hits including "Top of the World" and "We've Only Just Begun."

At The End Of The World, Another 'Road' To Trudge

Wed, Nov 25
In an apocalyptic-movie age, The Road is the doomiest. A close translation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, the film tracks a father and son as they fight to survive in an ash-gray world haunted by death and global destruction. Critic David Edelstein says that in its depiction of unbearable extremity, John Hillcoat's film achieves a kind of sublimity. (Recommended)

Sam Fuller, Embodying The Best Of Pulp Fiction

Tue, Nov 24
Martin Scorsese said of Sam Fuller's work, "If you don't like the films of Sam Fuller, then you just don't like cinema." The maverick screenwriter and director died in 1997, but a new 7-disc selection of his work embodies what's most enjoyable and enduring about pulp fiction.

The Secret Political Reach Of 'The Family'

Tue, Nov 24
A secretive fellowship of powerful Christian politicians includes some names that have recently been prominent in the headlines: Sen. John Ensign, Rep. Bart Stupak and Rep. Joe Pitts. Writer Jeff Sharlet describes the men's involvement with the Family, and discusses recent developments within the group.

Larry David's Dysfunctional Family Reunion

Mon, Nov 23
The seventh season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm capped a year-long storyline about Larry finally agreeing to a produce a reunion episode of Seinfeld which he co-created with Jerry Seinfeld. TV critic David Bianculli explains how both programs the show and the show within the show were a comedic coup and a perfect end to the season.

Wes Anderson Covers New Ground With 'Mr. Fox'

Mon, Nov 23
Director Wes Anderson has worked on a lot of film projects, but with his latest film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, he ventured into new territory: animation. Anderson says that making a stop-motion picture is the most involved filmmaking he's ever done, but he also says that the process has "a sort of magic."

A 'New Moon' Destined For A Quick Eclipse

Fri, Nov 20
Stephenie Meyers' four-novel Twilight saga set off a rage for lovelorn teen vampires -one that only escalated after the release of the first hit movie. The second film, New Moon, set box-office records for advance sales, but critic David Edelstein says it's too turgid for the excitement to last.

Judd Apatow On The Alchemy Of 'Funny People'

Fri, Nov 20
Judd Apatow, known for films like The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, was the guiding force behind the comedy Funny People, out now on DVD. The movie focuses on a comedian (Adam Sandler) who reassesses his life after a dire medical diagnosis. Apatow, a former comic himself, talks about why he made the movie and what he finds funny.

Judith Fox Turns A Close-Up Lens On Alzheimer's

Thu, Nov 19

After Obama Visit, Assessing U.S.-China Relations

Thu, Nov 19
China expert Orville Schell explains to host Terry Gross how the fates of the United States and China are connected, and how the protectionist policies of the past are no longer viable.

Celebrating The Johnny Mercer Centennial

Wed, Nov 18
Lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer born Nov. 18, 1909 wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs, including American Songbook standards like "Skylark," "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." His Academy Awards tally includes a statue for what's possibly his most famous tune, "Moon River." Fresh Air marks the anniversary of his birth with an in-studio concert starring Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg.

Sacha Baron Cohen And Larry Charles Talk 'Bruno'

Tue, Nov 17
When Sacha Baron Cohen grants an interview, it's usually in character as Borat, the clueless faux-Kazakh journalist; or as Bruno, the outrageously shallow, ostentatiously gay Austrian fashionista at the center of Cohen's most recent film. Today, though, Cohen joins Fresh Air as himself, for a conversation with Terry Gross and Bruno director Larry Charles.

Geoffrey Nunberg: 'The I's Don't Have It'

Tue, Nov 17
Counting words has become a popular new device in assessing political speech. The number of first-person singular pronouns in a speech can turn a modest public figure into a pompous politician. Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg suggests that counting words isn't very revealing unless we consider their context as well.

Joshua Kosman, Predicting The Next Credit Crisis

Mon, Nov 16
In a new book, journalist Joshua Kosman predicts a coming credit crisis, and assigns blame to private equity firms. While such firms make a fast profit from buying companies, improving them and reselling them, the companies take on the debt incurred from the purchase, leaving them in danger of financial collapse.

Woody Harrelson, Part 2: When War Comes Home

Mon, Nov 16
This month Woody Harrelson stars plays Capt. Tony Stone in a new movie about the costs of war. His character notifies the families of fallen soldiers. Harrelson's performance is already generating Oscar chatter.

Cinematographer Gordon Willis, Setting the Scene

Fri, Nov 13
The Academy Awards aren't until February, but cinematographer Gordon Willis is receiving his honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement award this fall. Willis is the visual mastermind behind classic films like Annie Hall, The Godfather, and Pennies From Heaven. We tip the hat in his direction with a rebroadcast of a 2002 conversation about his life behind the lens.

With Its Limp Remake, AMC Breaks 'The Prisoner'

Fri, Nov 13
AMC's newest miniseries is an ill-advised attempt at a reboot of the cult-hit '60s spy series: A man known as Six (Jim Caviezel) finds himself trapped in a strange desert village, dogged by a mysterious watcher (Ian McKellen's elusive Two). Critic David Bianculli says that despite McKellen's captivating performance, the remake has none of the curious genius of the original.

Between Albums, Rivers Cuomo Digs Up Solo Work

Fri, Nov 13
Since Weezer's debut in 1994, the band has released six more albums, gone through a re-organization, and earned a devoted following. Their new album is called Raditude. Last year, Rivers Cuomo, Weezer's lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter, released two solo CDs of songs that didn't make it onto the band's albums.

The (Surprisingly) Real Feel of 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

Thu, Nov 12
Director Wes Anderson's first animated film is based on Roald Dahl's cheerfully wicked children's book about a wily fox who wages war on three farmers. Critic David Edelstein says the film with its stop-motion animation, big-name voice talent and quirky mannerisms achieves a degree of realism that isn't always apparent in the cult director's work.

How Safe Is It? Seymour Hersh On Pakistan's Arsenal

Thu, Nov 12
Pakistan has an estimated 80 to 100 nuclear warheads. How secure are they? Veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh talks with host Terry Gross about Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and what Pakistan and the U.S. are doing to keep it safe.

Tito x 2: Celebrating The Kings Of Mambo Again

Wed, Nov 11
Music critic Milo Miles reviews two new collections of tunes from the late Latin pioneers Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente. The two were rivals on the bandstand of the Palladium, the epicenter of the 1950s mambo craze.

A Tennis Star Who Hates Tennis?

Wed, Nov 11
Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi admits in a new autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion." Always has. He's here to talk with host Terry Gross about what he calls the "contradictions" at the core of his life.

An Open-Source Approach To Better Prosthetics

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
When Marine engineer Jonathan Kuniholm returned to his industrial-design shop after a tour of duty in Iraq, one of his first projects was personal: He wanted to improve on the design of the prosthetics he'd been using since he lost part of his right arm in an ambush. Kuniholm and his colleagues founded the Open Prosthetics Project, an open-source collaboration that shares its innovations freely.

Woody Harrelson Goes To War In 'The Messenger'

Tue, Nov 10 Listen
This month Woody Harrelson stars in a powerful new movie about the costs of war. He plays Capt. Tony Stone, a veteran of the Army's Casualty Notification service, charged with the task of notifying the families of fallen soldiers. The film opens Nov. 13, but Harrelson's performance is already generating Oscar chatter.

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