Though Fresh Air has been categorized as a “talk show,” it hardly fits the mold. Its 1994 Peabody Award citation credits Fresh Air with “probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insights.” And a variety of top publications count Gross among the country’s leading interviewers. The show gives interviews as much time as needed, and complements them with comments from well-known critics and commentators.
Sacha Baron Cohen: The Fresh Air Interview
Actor and writer Sacha Baron Cohen is famous for taking his characters — Ali G., Borat, Bruno — into the real world, interacting with people who have no idea that they're dealing with a fictional character. But his new movie, The Dictator, is a scripted comedy about a tyrant on the loose in New York.
John Fullbright: How To Connect 'From The Ground Up'
It's a good sign when you get 11 songs into an album and the quality remains high.
Fresh Air Weekend: Audra McDonald, 'Weight Of The Nation'
Actress Audra McDonald talks about her Tony-nominated role in the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. And obesity expert Kelly Brownell weighs in on a new HBO documentary series, The Weight of the Nation.
A Conversation With Author Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes, one of the most influential writers in the Latin American world, died Tuesday at a hospital in Mexico City. He was 83. Fresh Air remembers the prolific author with excerpts from a 1987 interview.
Fresh Air Remembers Donna Summer, Queen Of Disco
In 2003, Donna Summer appeared on Fresh Air to talk about her memoir, Ordinary Girl, her hit Love to Love You Baby and her collaborator, record producer Giorgio Moroder. We remember Summer — who died Thursday at the age of 63 — with excerpts from that interview.
Remembering Vidal Sassoon, An Iconic Hairdresser
The British hairdresser Vidal Sassoon, who created some of the most iconic hairstyles of the 20th century, died on May 9 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84. Fresh Air remembers the trendsetter with excerpts from a 2011 interview.
Why The U.S. Is Aggressively Targeting Yemen
Yemen is now considered to be "the greatest external threat facing the U.S. homeland in terms of terrorism," says investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill.
'The Dictator' Rules With A Satirist's Fist
There was Ali G, Borat and Bruno — and now, in The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen has a new character to add to his repertoire: the capricious ruler of an oil-rich country who travels to the U.N. to assert his right to have nuclear warheads.
Just What's Inside Those Breasts?
In her new book, Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, Florence Williams offers her take on why breasts are getting bigger and developing earlier, why tumors seem to gravitate toward the breast, and how toxins from the environment may be affecting hormones and breast development.
Audra McDonald: Shaping 'Bess' On Broadway
The actress is nominated for her fifth Tony Award for the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. "There's very few quiet moments for Bess," she says. "They're all very big, very emotional. ... And to commit to that night after night after night is very difficult."
Johnny Carson Gets The 'Masters' Treatment
Monday night on PBS, American Masters presents a two-hour biography of Johnny Carson. Carson retired 20 years ago this month, and vacated a throne that TV critic David Bianculli says no one has managed to claim since.
Pounding Away At America's Obesity Epidemic
One-third of Americans today are obese, and another third are overweight. A new HBO documentary series, The Weight of the Nation, explores how our country got this way and what can be done to tackle the growing national health crisis.
Shooting Vietnam: Remembering Horst Faas
Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Horst Faas, who captured iconic moments during the Vietnam War, has died. In 1997, he talked to Terry Gross about covering the conflict. "Being in Vietnam and being around a major story of the time was always a great shot of adrenaline," he said.
Fresh Air Weekend: Lena Dunham, Gretchen Reynolds
The creator and star of HBO's new series Girls addresses the growing backlash against the show. And New York Times "Phys Ed" columnist Gretchen Reynolds shares some simple advice for staying healthy.
Fresh Air At 25: A Live Musical Tribute
Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the day Fresh Air became a daily national NPR program. To celebrate, hear two delightful medleys of impromptu musical performances, culled from Fresh Air's archives.
