Kayla Williams is a former U.S. Army soldier who served in the Middle East as an Arabic interpreter. She recounts her decision to enlist and her experiences during the Iraq war in a new memoir, Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army. Williams was a sergeant in a military intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division.
Critic-at-large John Powers comments on the history of roles for offbeat women in Hollywood. Powers recently saw the hit film The 40-Year-Old Virgin and got to thinking about the actress Catherine Keener, who co-stars.
TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new DVD box set of The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons. It's a compilation of interviews and performances on the late-night talk show by some of the leading musicians of the 1960s and '70s, including Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin and Stevie Wonder.
Sen. Trent Lott, the Republican from Mississippi, has a new memoir called Herding Cats: A Life in Politics. Lott was the Senate majority leader from June 1996 to January 2001. He resigned from his position in 2002 after making racially divisive remarks.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Song X: Twentieth Anniversary, a reissue and remix of a 1985 collaboration between guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman.
In 1965, Robert Moog invented the Moog synthesizer, an electronic keyboard that creates otherworldly sounding electronic music. His instrument went on to usher in a new era of rock and electronic music. The Beatles used a Moog synthesizer on their 1969 Abbey Road album.
Six Feet Under, rest in peace. The HBO series, which aired its final episode Sunday, followed the Fisher family and its funeral home business for five seasons. It received two Golden Globe awards and six Emmys. Alan Ball, creator and executive producer, reflects on his show about death.
Marc Phelan, automotive critic for the Detroit Free Press, tells us what's in store for future car models, including hybrids. Also, he tells us the best time to buy a new car and that the market for SUVs may be drying up.
Peter Maass, a New York Times Magazine contributing writer, traveled to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, to examine its oil reserves and Saudi government claims it can keep up with demand for 30 to 50 years. Maass discusses the political, financial and environmental implications.
Film critic David Edelstein reviews this weekend's new releases: thriller Red Eye and the comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, starring Steve Carell of The Office.
Television critic David Bianculli reviews the HBO series Six Feet Under. The series finale will air Sunday. Bianculli will talk about the show, which premiered on the cable network in 2001.
For some, the summer is a time to indulge in frothy beach reading: the latest chick lit or globetrotting, highly unbelievable thriller. But book critic Maureen Corrigan has taken a different tack this year: She's catching up on more substantial reading that she hasn't had time for yet.
Singer Scott Yoho's band the Auto Body Experience has a new album, Forgotten Lots. One particular song jumped out at us here at Fresh Air; it's called "Terry Gross."
It might surprise you to learn that a Los Angeles rabbi, Yaacov Deyo, invented Speed Dating -- a rapid-fire courtship concept in which singles spend just a few minutes getting to know each other. It started as a way to help Jewish singles meet each other, but it's spread beyond the Jewish community.
Neil Clark Warren is the founder of the online dating service eHarmony. The company performs extensive personality profiling and then introduces couples with matching values and interests. Warren is an Evangelical Christian with strong ties to the conservative Christian community.
More than 20 years ago, Jody Arlington was at home when her 18-year-old brother murdered their parents and younger sister. She thought she was next, but instead her brother told her they were now free. He went to prison, and Arlington changed her name and had to learn how to live without her family. A similar family slaying has prompted her to speak out about her experiences.
In Junebug, a story of characters and culture clashes, Embeth Davidtz plays a Chicago art dealer who meets her new in-laws on a business trip to North Carolina, including a very pregnant Amy Adams.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Icendiary, the debut novel by British writer Chris Cleave. The story is triggered by an al-Qaeda bomb attack on a London soccer match.
