Book Binder, who died March 3, was known for Southern blues and hillbilly music, and great story telling. He recorded with Fresh Air in 1987, playing music and reflecting on his career on the road.
Mardsen starred in the original Jury Duty, an experimental show about one man who becomes part of a staged fake jury. Now the series is back with a new setting. Originally broadcast May 2, 2023.
Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter and actor JILL SCOTT. She recently released her sixth studio album “To Whom This May Concern”--her first new music in a decade. SCOTT has been making music for more than 25 years. Her 2000 debut, “Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1” was well received with double platinum sales, three Grammy nominations and a sound that helped define neo-soul.
ward winning British author FRANCIS SPUFFORD. His books have won the Costa Book Award, The Ondaatje Prize and have been long listed for the Booker Prize.They include Cahokia Jazz - a 1920’s noir crime novel set in an alternate American history where a sovereign majority indigenous nation-state thrives in the middle of the United States, and Golden HIll a novel set in 18th century New York. Spufford’s new novel, called Nonesuch, takes place in London during the war as the city must try to survive the Blitz - the 8-month bombing campaign led by the Nazis that killed over 40,00 British.
TV critic DAVID BIANCULLI reviews the new movie “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man,” the sequel to the popular British TV series Peaky Blinders. It already opened in theaters, and will be available on Netflix Friday.
Three weeks into the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran, it remains unclear how or when the conflict might end. When asked by a reporter on Sunday if he was ready to declare victory, President Trump responded, "no, I don't want to do that. There's no reason to."
Biographer Daniel Okrent discusses Sondheim's approach to writing music and lyrics, his often toxic relationship with his mother and his work with mentors and collaborators.
Before the captivity narrative about a Mexican woman abducted by the Apache in the mid-1800s; before the storyline about Geronimo's surrender; before the torrent of details about the life and peoples on the borderlands between present-day Mexico and the U.S.; there's this first sentence:
In the beginning, things appear. Writing is a defiant gesture we’ve long since gotten used to: where there was nothing, somebody put something, and now everybody sees it. For example, the prairie.
One of del Toro's early acting teachers taught him to understand his character before learning lines. He's up for an Oscar for his role in One Battle After Another. Originally broadcast June 12, 2025.
David Bianculli reviewed Scarpetta the new eight-part mystery series now streaming in its entirety on Prime Video. Nicole Kidman is an executive producer of, as well as the main star.
Americans are betting on sports, elections, award shows and even military actions. The Atlantic writer McKay Coppins bet $10k from his employer in his investigation of this gambling world.
As a culture critic, Lemieux has spent years pushing back against the stereotypes and stigma that follow single mothers. Her new book blends her own memoir with the stories of 21 other Black women.
Kevin Kline stars in a new series now streaming on MGM+ called "American Classic." He plays a New York actor returning to the small town and theater where he got his start. TV critic David Bianculli has this review.
My guest is the author Rhae Lynn Barnes. In the late 1800s, as professional minstrel shows were becoming obsolete, amateur blackface shows became one of the most popular forms of entertainment, and that's where Barnes' focus is. The new book "Darkology" uncovers the hidden history of blackface.
Sedaka, who died Feb. 27, was a classical piano prodigy whose hits in the late '50s and early '60s included "Calendar Girl" and "Breaking up is Hard to Do." Originally broadcast in 2007.
Five albums into their career, the band exudes a cocky confidence in its ability to use rock songs as vehicles for both social commentary and personal angst.
Our film critic, Justin Chang, says the new animated film "Hoppers" is the strongest Pixar movie in years. It's a science-fiction comedy about a college student who wants to protect the local wildlife and stumbles on an extremely high-tech way to do it. The movie opens in theaters this week and features the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm. Here is Justin's review.
Delroy Lindo, an actor whose presence has shaped film and theater for more than 50 years. From West Indian Archie in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" to the charming and cruel drug kingpin in "Clockers" to a father guarding an unspeakable secret in "The Cider House Rules," for me, Delroy's characters often feel lived in, complicated and hard to shake. In Ryan Coogler's latest film "Sinners," Lindo plays Delta Slim, a hard-drinking, deeply knowing blues harmonica player in 1930s Mississippi.
