Fresh Air

Daily Magazine of contemporary arts and issues known for captivating interviews with guests from literature, science, music, film, and more, hosted by Terry Gross.

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Monday – Thursday, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. – 9 p.m., Friday, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
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FA | Environment

The Colorado River water shortage is forcing tough choices in 7 states

September 29, 2022

Forty million people rely on the river. ProPublica's Abrahm Lustgarten says that water scarcity in the West hasn't been recognized as the national emergency that it is.

FA | Music Reviews

'Searching in Grenoble' showcases the unique style of jazz pianist Mal Waldron

September 29, 2022

Nobody sounds like Waldron, a fact proved by a new 2-CD recording the artist made during a 1978 solo concert. Searching in Grenoble is a good introduction to the pianist's compelling sound.

FA | Author Interviews

Remembering Hilary Mantel, Booker Prize-winning author of the 'Wolf Hall' saga

September 28, 2022

The British writer, who died Sept. 22, wrote a trilogy of critically acclaimed historical novels on the life of Thomas Cromwell, one of Henry VIII's most trusted advisors. Originally broadcast in '12.

FA | Music Reviews

'Words & Music' offers 15 demos Lou Reed recorded as a fledgling artist

September 28, 2022

Reed died in 2013. A new collection, recorded in 1965, captures the earliest-known versions of some of the Velvet Underground's best known songs, including "Heroin" and "Pale Blue Eyes."

FA | Race

Law professor unearths cases of racial violence from the Jim Crow era

September 27, 2022

In her new book, By Hands Now Known, Margaret Burnham reports on little-known cases of racial violence in the Jim Crow era, including crimes that went unreported and murderers who were never punished.

FA | TV Reviews

Las Vegas mass shooting survivors tell their own story in '11 minutes' documentary

September 27, 2022

The new four-hour Paramount+ documentary is told mostly through cellphone videos and police body cams. It is surprisingly not gruesome — the visuals are selected and edited very judiciously.

FA | Author Interviews

A novelist's time in the MMA cage informed his book on memory loss and identity

September 26, 2022

John Vercher trained in mixed martial arts as a young man. His novel, After the Lights Go Out, is about a veteran MMA fighter struggling to remember everyday things. Originally broadcast June 2022.

FA | Book Reviews

'Less' offers more in Andrew Sean Greer's follow-up to his Pulitzer-winning novel

September 26, 2022

Greer's new comic novel, Less is Lost, is as funny and poignant as its predecessor. But comedy also arises out of pain and Greer smoothly transitions into the profound.

FA | Fresh Air Weekend

Fresh Air Weekend: 'Reservation Dogs' co-creator Sterlin Harjo; Author Buzz Bissinger

September 24, 2022

Harjo says his show, which is set on on Indian reservation, gives audiences permission to laugh. Ken Tucker reviews Lou Reeds' Words & Music. Bissinger's new book is about a WWII football match-up.

FA | Animals

Monkey thieves, drunk elephants — Mary Roach reveals a weird world of animal 'crime'

September 23, 2022

Roach researched animal misbehaviors for her book, Fuzz. She says animals tend to ignore the rules we try to impose on them — and they often have the last laugh. Originally broadcast Sept. 14, 2021.