Fresh Air
NPR
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 features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.
Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair
And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Description:
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 features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair
Twitter:
@nprfreshair
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English
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635 Massachusetts Av. NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 513-2300
Email:
freshair@freshair.com
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Episodes
'Seinfeld' Writer & 'Borat' Director Larry Charles
6/17/2025
In his new memoir, Comedy Samurai, Larry Charles reflects on his career in comedy — from writing for Seinfeld to directing Sacha Baron Cohen's films Borat and Brüno — and a recent near-death experience.
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Duration:00:45:22
Witnessing Executions In America's Prisons
6/16/2025
The Atlantic staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig talks about her decision to serve as a witness to state-sanctioned executions, and what she's learned about mercy, faith and the possibility of redemption.
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Duration:00:44:49
Best Of: Writer Ocean Vuong / Comic Atsuko Okatsuka
6/14/2025
Poet and novelist Ocean Vuong talks with Tonya Mosley about his new novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Set in a fictional small town in Connecticut, it follows a 19 year old grappling with addiction and despair, who forms an unexpected bond with an 82-year-old widow living with dementia. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan has a review of the book.
And, we hear from comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. She's known for finding humor in the dysfunction of her immigrant family, and the daily responsibilities of being an adult. Her new standup special is about her father, who reappeared in her life after decades away.
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Duration:00:47:16
Remembering Brian Wilson, Leader Of The Beach Boys
6/13/2025
Wilson, who has died at the age of 82, was the creative force behind The Beach Boys. He wrote and produced many of their hits, including "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," and "God Only Knows." Wilson spoke to Terry Gross in 1988 and 1998 about creating the distinctive Beach Boys sound and his decision to leave the Beach Boys to pursue a solo career. Plus, Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Willie Nelson and Ken Pomeroy.
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Duration:00:46:09
Benicio del Toro On Living In Wes Anderson's World
6/12/2025
Benicio del Toro talks about his leading role in Wes Anderson's new film, The Phoenician Scheme. He'll look back on his acting career, and tell us about moving from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania in his teens. His other movies include The Usual Suspects, Traffic and Sicario.
Film critic Justin Chang reviews Materialists.
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Duration:00:43:30
Inside DOGE, Post Elon Musk
6/11/2025
Washington Post Reporter Hannah Natanson says DOGE's mass firings made the government more inefficient. She also explains the risks of DOGE creating a massive database for the Trump administration. "There's a great deal of concern over how basically the Trump administration has taken every tool at their disposal and weaponized a lot of the federal government," she tells Terry Gross.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews The Very Heart of It, by Thomas Mallon. It's a new collection of his diaries from 1983 to '94, which includes when he came out, and the years of the AIDS crisis and how it decimated the gay community.
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Duration:00:45:11
Molly Jong-Fast Grew Up With A Mother Addicted To Fame
6/10/2025
MSNBC political analyst Molly Jong-Fast's mother Erica Jong became famous from her 1973 novel Fear of Flying, which was considered a groundbreaking work of feminist literature. But Molly's mom became addicted to the fame and couldn't bear to lose it. She talks about her childhood and a year of great loss in her new memoir, How to Lose Your Mother.
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Duration:00:44:12
Comic Atsuko Okatsuka Is Owning Her 'Freak'
6/9/2025
Okatsuka is known for her bowl haircut — and for finding humor in the dysfunction of her immigrant family. Her new standup special, Father, is about her dad, who reappeared in her life after decades away. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about being a caretaker, her signature style, and following in the footsteps of Margaret Cho.
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Duration:00:44:33
Best Of: The Innovation Of 'I Love Lucy' / Mark Hamill
6/7/2025
Playing Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy, made Desi Arnaz a star. Behind the scenes, he created what became standard procedures for producing, shooting, lighting and broadcasting TV sitcoms. Author Todd Purdum talks about his new book Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television.
Also, we hear from Mark Hamill. He's in the new movie The Life of Chuck and is known for playing the iconic hero Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies. He talks about auditioning for the film and acting with puppets.
Plus, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new HBO documentary, Pee-Wee as Himself.
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Duration:00:49:21
Why We Remember / 'Simpsons' Composer Alf Clausen
6/6/2025
Do you have trouble remembering names and faces, or where you put your keys? Neurologist Dr. Charan Ranganath talks about the latest research into memory. His book is called Why We Remember.
Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer, arranger and orchestrator behind the music and song parodies on The Simpsons, died at 84. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1997.
And Justin Chang reviews the new film The Life of Chuck, based on a novella by Stephen King. TV critic David Bianculli recommends an upcoming live TV production of George Clooney's Broadway hit, Good Night, and Good Luck.
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Duration:00:46:51
Ocean Vuong Sees Himself More As A Teacher Than A Writer
6/6/2025
Poet and novelist Ocean Vuong joins us to discuss his new novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Set in a fictional small town in Connecticut, it follows a 19-year-old grappling with addiction and despair, who forms an unexpected bond with an 82-year-old widow living with dementia. Together, they navigate memory and survival. He also talks about teaching and why he's put an end date on the number of books he'll write in his lifetime.
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Duration:00:44:20
The Face-Off Between Harvard & The Trump Administration
6/4/2025
The Trump administration has frozen around 3 billion dollars in Harvard grants and contracts, and is trying to stop the university's ability to enroll foreign students. In response, Harvard is suing. Terry Gross talks with Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman.
TV critic David Banculli previews CNN's live telecast of the broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney as TV journalist Edward R. Murrow.
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Duration:00:45:15
To Shed Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill Turned To Voiceover Work
6/3/2025
Mark Hamill played Luke Skywalker, one of the most iconic heroes in movie history. His latest film, The Life of Chuck, is an adaptation of a Stephen King novella. He spoke to Fresh Air about auditioning for Star Wars, voiceover work, and the advice Carrie Fisher gave him.
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Duration:00:46:09
With 'I Love Lucy,' Desi Arnaz Changed TV Forever
6/2/2025
The success of I Love Lucy is often credited to Lucille Ball's comedic talent, but biographer Todd Purdum says Desi Arnaz was more than just "second banana" to Lucy. He also helped shape the modern sitcom.
Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews a documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
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Duration:00:45:00
Best Of: Sarah Silverman / Cole Escola
5/31/2025
Comic Sarah Silverman talks about her new Netflix special, PostMortem, about the death of her father and stepmother, 9 days apart. She talks with Terry Gross about how the special came to be.
Also, we hear from Cole Escola, creator and star of the hit Broadway comedy Oh Mary! It's an intentionally ridiculous reimagining of first lady Mary Todd Lincoln. It portrays her as having become addicted to alcohol, not because of the Civil War, but because she's desperately yearning for her only true love, cabaret.
Plus, Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Willie Nelson and Ken Pomeroy.
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Duration:00:48:19
A Veteran Stunt Performer Shares Tricks Of The Trade
5/30/2025
Filmmaker and stunt coordinator David Leitch says it's easier to do stunts himself than direct his stunt performer friends. "You are responsible for their safety," he explains. "Your heart goes through your chest." His film The Fall Guy is about the unknown performers who put their lives on the line. He spoke with Terry Gross about barrel rolling cars, being lit on fire, and doing another take when everything hurts.
Also, Justin Chang reviews the new Wes Anderson film, The Phoenician Scheme.
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Duration:00:44:16
Sarah Silverman Finds The Funny In Grief
5/29/2025
Silverman's father and stepmother are buried under one tombstone that reads: "Janice and Donald, who loved to laugh." The loss was a starting point for Silverman's "cathartic" Netflix comedy special, PostMortem. She spoke with Terry Gross about their final days, finding the joy in grief, and she reflects on the boys' club of the comedy scene when she was starting out.
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Duration:00:44:37
The Talented Mr. Vance
5/28/2025
The Atlantic writer George Packer calls JD Vance the most interesting figure in the Trump administration: "He's capable of complex thought, and I also think he may be the future of the MAGA movement."
Also, David Bianculli reviews the HBO movie Mountainhead, written by Succession writer/creator Jesse Armstrong.
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Duration:00:45:10
Author James Patterson On The Art Of Collaboration
5/27/2025
James Patterson's books have sold over 400 million copies worldwide. He says he often gets ideas for them late at night. His latest, The #1 Dad Book, offers advice for fathers. He spoke with Terry Gross at a WHYY live event for the "Lifelong Learning Award."
Also, Martin Johnson reviews a new album from accordionist Will Holshouser, and we listen back to Terry's interview with him when he brought his instrument to the studio.
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Duration:00:46:35
Questlove On Sly Stone And The Burden Of Black Genius
5/26/2025
For the holiday weekend, we're revisiting our recent interview with Questlove. His documentary, SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), examines Sly Stone's enormous impact on music — and the price he paid for it. "Sly will invent the alphabet for which most of pop and R&B or Black music will write from for the next 60 years," Questlove says. "We're still writing from his dictionary to this day."
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Duration:00:45:47