Helm, the longtime drummer of The Band who backed Bob Dylan and sang with Van Morrison, died Thursday. He was 71. Fresh Air remembers Helm with excerpts from his two appearances on the show in 1993 and 2007.
Filmmaker Alastair Fothergill spent three years in Western Africa, following a group of wild chimps. His Disneynature film Chimpanzee showcases a baby chimp named Oscar and the relationships he develops within his clan.
During the last 20 years, bachata has risen from the back country of the Dominican Republic to take its place next to salsa in concert halls. Milo Miles considers bachata's humble beginnings and the continuing appeal of its simpler side.
The Farrelly brothers' new film reimagines Moe, Curly and Larry in the present day, but retains the Stooges' trademark slapstick humor and sound effects. "We tried to keep it looking exactly like the Stooges did it," says Peter Farrelly.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the New York City Police Department transformed itself into an aggressive domestic intelligence unit and monitored hundreds of Muslims in their mosques, workplaces and schools. Journalist Matt Apuzzo, who helped uncover the story, just won a Pulitzer Prize.
The French Canadian film was one of five nominees for last year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It's now opening in theaters around the country. It's about a sixth-grade teacher who struggles to connect with students in a Montreal school following a terrible event. (Recommended)
Researchers want to create a widely effective drug that targets viruses much in the same way that penicillin kills a wide range of bacteria. Science writer Carl Zimmer profiles the scientists who are developing these antiviral drugs, and the technology behind it, in his latest piece for Wired magazine.
Han Bennink hears sonic possibilities in many objects beyond the typical drum set. The Dutch drum maestro, one of the leaders in European free jazz and free improvisation, joined Fresh Air for an in-studio interview and concert. Before he left, he drummed on virtually everything in the office.
Over the past four decades, the singer has chronicled his relationships with his ex-wife, the late Kate McGarrigle, and his children, the singers Rufus and Martha Wainwright. His new album, Older Than My Old Man Now, addresses his relationship with yet another family member: his father.
In his new book, Heaven on Earth, English barrister Sadakat Kadri describes how early Islamic scholars codified — and then modified — the Shariah laws that would govern how Muslim people lead their daily lives. He then reflects on the present day, describing how today's religious scholars interpret the Shariah.
This Sunday, HBO premieres Girls, a new comedy series written and directed by 25-year-old Lena Dunham, who first grabbed the media spotlight with her film Tiny Furniture in 2010. David Bianculli says the series is a cross between Sex and the City and Louie.
Director Fernando Trueba talks about his Oscar-nominated animated film Chico and Rita, which follows a pair of lovers who leave Havana's music scene in the 1940s to head to New York City.
New York Times reporter Jason DeParle recently traveled to Arizona, where many people have been dropped from the welfare program. Republican leaders now want to apply the changes made to the welfare program to other aspects of the social safety net, such as Medicaid and food stamps.
Nadine Gordimer has always incorporated political themes into her novels, but her latest work turns its sights toward the domestic sphere. In No Time Like the Present, a South African activist couple struggles to find happiness in a world of their own making.
Carole King wrote songs for others before becoming a performer and writing for herself. In her new memoir, A Natural Woman, she details the stories behind some of her most famous songs and her relationships with songwriters like James Taylor, Gerry Goffin and Paul Simon.
New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey is currently the only knuckleball pitcher in the major leagues. His new memoir, Wherever I Wind Up, explains how his life — and career — have mimicked the unpredictable trajectory of the difficult pitch he throws game after game.
Slipstream is Raitt's first album since 2005's Souls Alike, and she's produced most of the tracks herself. Rock critic Ken Tucker says that this return to recording and her renewed control over her music has resulted in one of Raitt's finest albums.
Anthropologist T.M. Luhrmann studies the personal relationships evangelicals develop with God. In her book When God Talks Back, she explains how relationships with God are often cemented through the power of prayer.
The CBS News correspondent who became famous for his two-fisted interview style and hard-hitting interviews with politicians, celebrities and newsmakers died Saturday. He was 93. Fresh Air remembers Wallace with excerpts from a 2005 interview.
