Due to the contractual nature of the Fresh Air Archive, segments must be at least 6 months old to be considered part of the archive. To listen to segments that aired within the last 6 months, please click the blue off-site button to visit the Fresh Air page on NPR.org.
Nick Harkaway grew up hearing his dad read drafts of his George Smiley novels. He picked up le Carré's beloved spymaster character in the novel Karla's Choice. Originally broadcast Oct. 23, 2024.
actor, director and artist Lucy Liu. Her new film "Rosemead" is inspired by true events in California's San Gabriel Valley. It follows Irene, a terminally ill Chinese American mother who discovers her teenage son has become fixated on mass shootings and violent fantasies.
Writer Chris Whipple interviewed Trump's chief of staff 11 times, getting her view on cabinet members, Trump's revenge tour, Venezuela policy, and why she says Trump has an "alcoholic's personality."
Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their home on Sunday, and their son was arrested on suspicion of murder. Today we're going to listen back to the interview I recorded with Rob Reiner in September. But first our TV critic, remembers Reiner's contributions to TV and film.
Critic Martin Johnson says DeJohnette, who died Oct. 26, was one of the greatest jazz drummers of the past 60 years. He played with a range of musicians, including Miles Davis and Bill Evans.
Our film critic, Justin Chang, recommends "Wake Up Dead Man," the latest film in the "Knives Out" murder mystery series. Like its predecessors, it's written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc. In the new film, Josh O'Connor plays a Catholic priest who teams up with Blanc to solve a whodunnit in his parish. "Wake Up Dead Man" also features Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and Glenn Close, and is streaming now on Netflix. Here is Justin's review.
The Miami-born, Cuban American musician, who died Dec. 8, played music that embraced Latin rhythms, roots, rock 'n' roll, and country. Originally broadcast in 1995.
Gehry, who died Dec. 5, designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Disney Concert Hall in LA. His work has been likened to sculptures rather than buildings. Originally broadcast in 2004.
Phil Jackson and Sam Smith about their new book, "Masters Of The Game." Jackson is an 11-time NBA championship coach and former Knicks forward. And Sam is a longtime NBA reporter and author of "The Jordan Rules." Their new book together looks back at the players and stories they don't want lost to history.
Film critic Justin Chang spent a lot of time this year watching movies at festivals and theaters and on his couch. He says that contrary to what popular opinion or gloomy box-office headlines may tell us, 2025 has been the strongest year for new movies in a long time. Here's Justin's list of the best films of the year.
New York Times financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin draws parallels between the stock market crash of 1929, which led to the Great Depression, and today's economic uncertainty.
Rhea Seehorn. She was just nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the new Apple TV series "Pluribus," which was also nominated. The series was created for Seehorn by Vince Gilligan.
Whether you're anxiously awaiting Christmas or already wishing the holidays would be over, here's a selection of music that lets you know you're not alone.
Patrick Markee spent two decades walking through New York City's tunnels, armories and intake centers. His book asks: what if homelessness isn't a personal failing, but the result of policy choices?
Some books give Smith's birthdate as Dec. 8, 1925, but more recent sources cite 1928 as his birth year. Regardless, the late musician always delivered the goods, even as the beats behind him changed.
As a member of Stax Records' Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Cropper helped create some of the most important Southern soul music of the '60s. He died Dec. 3. Originally broadcast in 1990.
Stoppard, who died Nov. 29, wrote Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and The Real Thing, and the screenplays for Empire of the Sun and Shakespeare in Love. Originally broadcast in 1991.
The new Brazilian film "The Secret Agent" is set during that country's dictatorship, which ran from 1964 to 1985. It stars Wagner Moura as an honorable scientist who becomes a target of powerful forces. The movie, which was directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho, won two big prizes at Cannes and is Brazil's submission for this year's Academy Awards. Our critic-at-large, John Powers, says it's even better than "I'm Still Here," the Brazilian movie that won an Oscar earlier this year.
