John Powers

John Powers, Fresh Air's critic-at-large and the movie critic for Vogue, returns from this year's Cannes Film Festival. Though he says it wasn't the festival's strongest year, the experience once again left him feeling rejuvenated about the movies.

What can explain the enduring popularity of Sherlock Holmes? Critic John Powers says it's that Sherlock "embodies an archetypal aspect of the human psyche" -- and appeals to the part of us that loves a good mystery.

Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov writes short, surrealistic stories full of dark comedic surprises. His latest is The Case of the General's Thumb, but critic John Powers suggests starting with his 1996 novel, Death and the Penguin. It's a fast-paced, witty read and what Powers calls "an almost perfect novel."