Fresh Air

Maddow's new book, Prequel, chronicles the the ultra right-wing groups that sided with Hitler's Germany and plotted to overthrow the U.S. government before World War II. The plot led to the largest sedition trial in American history. The book is also about sitting members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who colluded with a Nazi agent to spread Nazi propaganda to millions of Americans with the help of American taxpayers money. Prequelis based on Maddow's hit podcast series, Ultra.

Also, Justin Chang reviewsThe Boy and the Heron, by Hayao Miyazaki.

Journalist Ari Berman says both the Supreme Court and the lower courts are working to dismantle the 1965 law that's considered one of the most effective pieces of civil rights legislation ever enacted in the U.S. "It's precisely because it worked and because it worked so well that there has been such a dedicated effort for 50 plus years to try to weaken and nullify it," Berman says.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews two mysteries: Alexis Soloski's Here in the Darkand The Mystery Guestby Nita Prose.

Journalist Tim Alberta grew up in a conservative, republican, evangelical church, where his father was the pastor. He wanted to know why so many evangelical Christians had become extremists, and ardent supporters of Trump. Over the past 4 years, he traveled to churches around the country, reporting on pastors and congregants who backed Trump, and those who felt forced out of their church because they couldn't support him. His new book is The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory.

Computer scientist and AI expert Joy Buolamwini warns that facial recognition technology is riddled with the biases of its creators. She is the author of Unmasking AIand founder of the Algorithmic Justice League. She coined the term "coded gaze," a cousin to the "white gaze" or "male gaze." She says, "This is ... about who has the power to shape technology and whose preferences and priorities are baked in — as well as also, sometimes, whose prejudices are baked in."

Also, we remember former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who died at age 96 last week. She spoke with Terry Gross in 1984.

We talk with journalist Garrett Graff about his new book, UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search of Alien Life Here – and Out There.It's about reported sightings, how they've been investigated by the military, what secrets the military keeps and why, and the scientificsearch for extraterrestrial intelligence. He says that the government is absolutely covering up information about what's in the skies, but not for the reasons you may think.

Later, John Powers reviews the new romantic comedy, Fallen Leaves.

We hear some live music and conversation from two of the best traditional jazz musicians around, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri. In 2007, they founded the band The EarRegulars, who play Sunday nights at a very old bar in Greenwich Village called the EAR Inn. They have a new live album.

David Bianculli reviews the new season of Fargo.

Then we hear from playwright Larissa FastHorse. She's the first known Native American woman to have a show on Broadway with The Thanksgiving Play. It's a satire that pokes fun at political correctness and the way we talk – and think about – indigenous people in America.

Leslie Jones says performing stand-up for the first time as a freshman in college felt like putting on a shirt that fit perfectly: "It was just so natural." She spoke with Tonya Mosley about the best advice she got, her bittersweet time at SNL, and why she loves physical comedy. Her memoir isLeslie F*cking Jones.

Also, Justin Chang reviews the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan.

Pianist Jason Moran talks jazz and plays selections from his latest recording, which borrows from the music of James Reese Europe, the composer and musician who led the all-Black Harlem Hellfighters regiment band during WWI. Moran's new album is calledFrom the Dancehall to the Battlefield, and it features Moran's take on Europe's compositions and pop music of that time.

In 2007, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri founded the band The EarRegulars, who play Sunday nights at a very old bar in Greenwich Village called the Ear Inn. But don't let the word "traditional" fool you. Although some of the songs they play are a hundred years old, the way they play is vibrant and exciting. They brought their instruments to the studio to play us some tunes.

Larissa FastHorse's satire, The Thanksgiving Play,focuses on four well-meaning white people trying to put on a politically correct school production for Native American history month. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about diversifying Broadway, her rewrite of Peter Pan, and changes she suggested for the Macy's Thanksgving Day Parade.

Stephanie Land's 2019 memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive was a visceral portrait of living in poverty as a single mom, cleaning houses. It was a bestseller and later adapted into a critically acclaimed Netflix series. Now Land has a new book,Class, about her experience juggling college, motherhood, and work. During that time she experienced food insecurity, and struggled to get government assistance. "I see such a lack of empathy toward people who live in the margins of society," she tells Tonya Mosley.

Also, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album from guitarist Marnie Stern, and David Bianculli reviews the latest season of Fargo.

This week, Rupert Murdoch stepped down from his position as chair and CEO of Fox, and his son Lachlan replaced him. How might Fox change under Lachlan's leadership? And how has it already changed since Tucker Carlson was fired? Brian Stelter, author of the bookNetwork of Lies,explains.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the black comedy May December, directed by Todd Haynes.

Sofia Coppola talks about her new movie, Priscilla.It portraysthe relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presley — from Priscilla's point of view. The two met when she was 14 and he was 24. Coppola makes films about the internal lives of young women, including The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, andLost in Translation.

Comic, actor, screenwriter and director Albert Brooks is the subject of a new HBO documentary called Defending My Life. It examines his career from his standup in the late '60s to his films including Real Life, Modern Romance, andLost in America. It's directed by Brooks' longtime friend Rob Reiner. Brooks spoke with Terry Gross in 1996.

Also, Justin Chang reviews May December, directed by Todd Haynes, which dramatizes a '90s tabloid story.

In The Invisible Ache, actor Courtney B. Vance and psychologist Dr. Robin L. Smith examine the mental health crisis affecting Black men and boys. According to the CDC, the rate of suicide among Black men and boys "is accelerating faster than any other group in the United States," Dr. Robin says. She attributes the rise to historical racial trauma, compounded by the current nationwide epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Vance lost both his father and his godson to suicide. He has spent years trying to understand the pain his father suffered in silence, and to heal the generational trauma.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album by pianist Angelica Sanchez.

This week, Rupert Murdoch steps down from his position as chair and CEO of Fox, and his son Lachlan replaces him. How might Fox change under Lachlan's leadership? And how has it already changed since Tucker Carlson was fired? Today we discuss that with Brian Stelter, author of the new bookNetwork of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the mini-series The Curse, starring Emma Stone and the series co-creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie.

We go inside the first days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine with journalist Mstyslav Chernov. He and his team were the only international journalists to spend the first 20 days covering the siege of the city of Mariupol. "I just understood that we need to record everything. Every frame, every second."A new PBS FRONTLINE documentary features their images — the constant shelling of the city, mass graves, and graphic images of women and children who are suffering and dying. Chernov is a video journalist for the Associated Press. He and his team won a Pulitzer Prize for their work in Mariupol.

Later, Maureen Corrigan reviews a new short story collection by Claire Keegan.

Throughout her career, Barbra Streisand's mother would send her bad reviews of her performances. The intention was to prevent her daughter from getting a "swelled head," but they also served as fuel for a woman who was determined to be a star. The EGOT-winning icon spoke with Terry Gross about her career and her memoir, My Name is Barbra.

Co-founder of The Roots, Tariq Trotter (aka Black Thought), reflects on his difficult childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and 50 years of hip-hop. Trotter's new memoir is The Upcycled Self.

For Veterans Day we're revisiting two interviews about war. Elliot Ackerman served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which time, he says, he witnessed the absolute worst — as well as the absolute best — that human beings are capable of. Ackerman is also a journalist, novelist, memoirist and National Book Award nominee. His Silver Star is for leading a platoon in the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq.

Historian Matthew Delmont talks about the more than one million Black people who served in the military in WWII, the contributions they made and discrimination they faced, and those who struggled for equality in civilian life. Delmont's book is Half American.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews David Fincher's new thriller, The Killer.

Before the war between Israel and Hamas, it sometimes looked as if Israel might be headed toward a civilwar. At least that's whatNew York Times correspondent Isabel Kershner thought. She covers Israeli and Palestinian politics and society and has been covering the current war. A few months before the war, she published a book about divisions within Israel resulting from ideological, religious, ethnic, and generational differences, and how those differences help explain Israel's shift to the right. Her book is calledThe Land of Hope and Fear: Israel's Battle for Its Inner Soul.

Throughout her career, Barbra Streisand's mother would send her bad reviews of her performances. The intention was to prevent her daughter from getting a "swelled head," but they also served as fuel for a woman who was determined to be a star — despite all the forces in her life telling her no. "I don't know if it was like, 'I'll prove you wrong,' because [my mother] kept telling me to get a job as a secretary," Streisand says. "I just somehow always saw my future." The EGOT icon spoke with Terry Gross about her career and her memoir, My Name is Barbra.

Also, John Powers reviews the new Australian romantic comedy series Colin from Accountson Paramount+.

Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought, reflects on his difficult childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and 50 years of hip-hop. Trotter's new memoir is The Upcycled Self.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Rob Reiner's new HBO documentary about Albert Brooks.

Sofia Coppola's new movie is about the relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presley --from Priscilla's point of view. The two met when she was 14 and he was 24. Coppola makes films about the internal lives of young women, including The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, andLost in Translation, which she won an Oscar for in 2003. This fall she published her first book, Archive, which covers her career in film.

Also, rock critic Ken Tucker has an appreciation of a musician you may never have heard of: singer-songwriter Dwight Twilley.

David Byrne talks about his life and music. The Talking Heads movie Stop Making Sense– which many people consider the best concert film ever made – has been restored and remastered for its 40th anniversary.

Also, we'll talk about the capabilities and consequences of facial recognition technology with New York Timestech reporter Kashmir Hill. Her book is calledYour Face Belongs to Us.

We remember actor Matthew Perry, who died last week at age 54. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2007 about auditioning to play Chandler Bing onFriends, and how overnight fame changed his life. And we'll listen back to our 2003 interview with his Friendsco-star, Lisa Kudrow, about her time on the show.

Justin Chang reviews Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola.

It's the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads' masterpiece concert film, Stop Making Sense. A24 remastered and rereleased the movie, bringing it to new audiences and longtime fans. Talking Heads frontman David Byrne returns toFresh Airto speak with Terry Gross about songwriting, dancing, and yes, the big suit.

The former Illinois congressman reflects on confronting the "fanaticism of the hardcore" of the GOP. Kinzinger served on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6th attack on the Capitol. His book isRenegade.

Historian Tanisha Ford tells Tonya Mosley the story of Harlem activist Mollie Moon, credited with raising millions to build economic and racial equality in the U.S. Ford's new book is Our Secret Society.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Alice McDermott's new novel, Absolution.

Werner Herzog talks with Terry Gross about the curiosity that's fueled his career.The filmmaker and writer is drawn to extremes: extreme characters, extreme settings, extreme scenarios. His new memoir is Every Man for Himself and God Against All.

Ken Tucker reviews the new album from The Rolling Stones.

In Past Lives, Greta Lee stars as a playwright caught between two men she loves. Lee says the film allowed her to explore the immigrant experience in a way that felt vulnerable — and personal. She spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado.

The author of such spy novels as The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager is the subject of a new documentary by Errol Morris called The Pigeon Tunnel. It features the final interviews with le Carré who died in 2020. It details his life as a writer and his earlier work as a spy for Britain's domestic and foreign intelligence services. We'll listen back to the interviews Terry Gross recorded with him in 1989 and 2017.

Also, Justin Chang reviews Alexander Payne's new comedy film The Holdovers.

Herzog reflects on the curiosity that's fueled his career in the new memoir, Every Man for Himself and God Against All.The filmmaker and writer is drawn to extremes: extreme characters, extreme settings, extreme scenarios. But don't mistake him for a mad man like some of his film subjects: "You have to control what is wild in you. You have to be disciplined. And people think I'm the wild guy out there but I'm a disciplined professional," he tells Terry Gross.

Later, Lloyd Schwartz reviews new releases that celebrate the late opera star Maria Callas's singing and acting.

Author Scott Eyman explains how silent film actor Charlie Chaplin was smeared in the press, scandalized for his affairs with young women, condemned for his alleged communist ties and banned from returning to the U.S. His book is Charlie Chaplin vs. America.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews The Rolling Stones' new album, Hackney Diamonds.

Jada Pinkett Smith spoke with Tonya Mosley about growing up in Baltimore, her career in Hollywood, and her friendship with Tupac.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Justin Torres' long awaited second novel, Blackouts, which has been shortlisted for the National Book Award.

Also, we'll hear from Keegan-Michael Key. Along with Jordan Peele, Key was half of the sketch comedy duo Key & Peele. He's now co-written The History of Sketch Comedy.

Martin Scorsese's film, based on David Grann's 2017 book, tells the true story of white men in the 1920s who married into and systematically murdered Osage families to gain claims to their oil-rich land. Grann spoke with Dave Davies about this story when the book came out.

Also, Justin Chang shares his review of the movie.

In Past Lives, Greta Lee stars as a playwright caught between two men she loves. Lee says the film allowed her to explore the immigrant experience in a way that felt vulnerable — and personal. She spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado about speaking Korean for the film, her mother's reaction to the film, and the muscle movies that made her want to act.

David Bianculli reviews the revival of Frasier.

The Alliance Defending Freedom is a Christian conservative legal group that has won 15 Supreme Court cases, including overturning Roe v. Wade. We talk with David Kirkpatrick, who wrote about the group in a New Yorker article titled "The Next Targets for the Group that Overturned Roe." Those next targets include further restricting or banning the abortion pill mifepristone, and limiting LGBTQ rights. We'll also talk about Kirkpatrick's recent interview with a senior political leader of Hamas.

Jada Pinkett Smith dominated headlines with the news that she and her husband, famed actor Will Smith, have been separated for 7 years. It was one of several explosive revelations in her new memoir Worthy. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her unconventional marriage, life growing up in Baltimore, and her acting career. She also shares intimate details about her childhood friendship with the late rapper Tupac Shakur and the infamous slap at the Oscars.

Lawrence Wright, who is known for best selling books about Al Qaeda and Scientology, has a new novel about the colorful world of Texas politics. In Mr. Texas, a naive rancher lucks into a seat in the state legislature, where he meets lobbyists, influence peddlers, conspiracy mongers and power brokers. Wright spoke with Dave Davies about their home state.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Blackouts by Justin Torres.

Iranian American filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz was banned from returning to Iran after the release of her first feature, Circumstance,about Iran's youth underground culture, and two young women who fall in love. That film and her new one, The Persian Version, won the Audience Award at Sundance. She spoke with Terry Gross about her family and sneaking American pop music into Iran as a kid.


Ken Tucker will review a new Joni Mitchell box set of rare recordings from the early '70s.

Also, we'll hear from electronic music producer and DJ Jennifer Lee, better known as TOKiMONSTA. In 2016 she was diagnosed with a rare brain disease that required two surgeries — leaving her without the ability to hear sound or speak. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about her recovery and relearning the language of music.

Patrick Stewart is best known for starring as Jean-Luc Picard in two Star Trek series, 30 years apart. In his new memoir, Making It So, he shares details of his life growing up in working class in England. At 15, he left school and went on to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He spoke with Sam Briger in 2020 about those early years.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the new film Anatomy of a Fall,which won the top prize at Cannes. And Ken Tucker reviews Volume 3 of the Joni Mitchell archive series from 1972-1975.

Baron joined The Washington Post in 2013 – just months before the paper was acquired by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. He led coverage of major news events including Donald Trump's election and presidency, the document leak describing the NSA's surveillance operations, and the murder of George Floyd. His new book is Collision of Power.

Also, John Powers reviews two books by Helen Garner.

We'll talk with terrorism expert Daniel Byman about the deadly foundations of the war between Israel and Hamas, and where the war may lead. Byman has written extensively about the Middle East. His books includeA High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism. He's a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a professor at Georgetown University.

The Key & Peeleand Schmigadoon! star explains why he loves sketch comedy — watching it, performing it and writing about it. His book, with writing partner Elle Key, is The History of Sketch Comedy.

David Bianculli reviews Wes Anderson's adaptation of Roald Dahl short stories, now on Netflix.

Loosely based on Maryam Keshavarz's own life, The Persian Version centers on an Iranian American woman who identifies as bisexual and whose mother entered into an arranged marriage as a teen. Both this film and her 2011 movie Circumstance won the Audience Award at Sundance.

Musician Allison Russell talks and sings about the physical and sexual abuse she endured from her racist adoptive father — and about how she learned she was worthy of being loved. Her new album is The Returner.

David Bianculli reviews Wes Anderson's adaptations of Roald Dahl short stories, now on Netflix.

Also, Cat Bohannon talks about her new book Eve,which explores the development of the female body-- from its ability to produce milk to why women menstruate — and why women's bodies for so long have been left out of biological and medical research.

Holes spent more than 20 years investigating crimes in California and played a critical role in identifying the so-called Golden State Killer. His memoir Unmaskedis out in paperback.

Also, John Powers reviews The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Huge swaths of the country are pivoting from fossil fuels, toward wind, solar and other renewables. New York Times climate reporter Brad Plumer discusses this progress and the roadblocks that lie ahead.

Poet and writer Safiya Sinclair grew up in a devout Rastafari family in Jamaica where women were subservient. When she cut her dreadlocks at age 19, she became "a ghost" to her father. Her new memoir is How to Say Babylon.

When it comes to biological and medical research, female bodies have historically been under-studied. Author Cat Bohannon traces the female body through evolutionary history in her new book, Eve.Shetalks about how women process opioids and painkillers differently, human menstruation, and the difference between male and female brains.

Music producer and DJ Jennifer Lee — aka TOKiMONSTA — underwent two brain surgeries in 2016 that temporarily stripped her of her ability to understand words or music. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about that life-altering experience and being in the male-dominated field of electronic music.

Also, Kevin Whitehead shares an appreciation of tenor saxophonist Von Freeman.

In her new memoir, comedian Leslie Jones writes about being on Saturday Night Live – and the years she spent working odd jobs to get by before she was famous.

Ken Tucker reviews Allison Russell's new album, The Returner.

Award-winning actor, producer, and activist Kerry Washington also has a new memoir. In Thicker Than Water,she examines her life, career and the discovery of a secret about her origins that her parents revealed to her just a few years ago.

Scottish actor David McCallum played an eccentric medical examiner on the CBS crime series NCIS, but he found fame nearly 60 years ago in his role as Russian agent Illya Kuryakin on the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He died Sept. 25 at age 90.

Also, we feature our interview with Allen Ginsberg. A tribute album of musical interpretations of his poems will be released next week.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new futuristic action thrillerThe Creator.

The secretive company Clearview AI scans unidentified faces, and finds a match in their database of billions of photos. The pics are scraped from websites and apps, including Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, without the companies' permission. NYT tech reporter Kashmir Hill found that once your face is identified for a client, Clearview can quickly connect the client to a lot of information about you. Chances are your face is in Clearview's database, without your knowledge or permission. Clearview's clients include many police departments and some government agencies. Hill says it could spell the end of privacy. Her new book is Your Face Belongs To Us.

Russell talks and sings about the physical and sexual abuse she endured from her racist adoptive father — and about how she learned she was worthy of being loved. Her new album is The Returner.

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb says cars are killing animals, while highways cut off them off from their food sources and migration paths. His new book about road ecology is Crossings.

Maureen Corrigan reviews C Pam Zhang's Land of Milk and Honey.

Award-winning actor and producer Kerry Washington was an adult when she learned that she had been conceived via artificial insemination and the man she considered her father was not her biological dad. Her new memoir about her journey of self-discovery is Thicker than Water.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead celebrates Sam Rivers on what would've been his 100th birthday.

Casting director Allison Jones is considered one of the greatest comedy casting directors of our time. Her credits include films and TV shows like Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Bridesmaids, and nowBarbie. She spoke with Terry Gross about some of these projects.

Maureen Corrigan reviews Lauren Groff's new novel, The Vaster Wilds.

Also, NPR's Scott Simon gives the history of why jazz was banned in Hitler's Germany, and how it was repurposed as propaganda on shortwave radio. His new audiobook is Swingtime for Hitler.

Billy Crudup stars in The Morning Show, now back for its third season. We also talk about going to rock star camp for his role inAlmost Famousand his iconic Mastercard commercials.

Also, Justin Chang reviewsA Haunting in Venice.

Leslie Jones says performing stand-up for the first time as a freshman in college felt like putting on a shirt that fit perfectly: "It was just so natural." She talks with Tonya Mosley about the best advice she got, her bittersweet time at SNL, and why she loves physical comedy. Her memoir isLeslie F*cking Jones.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Lauren Groff's new novel, The Vaster Wilds.

Hitler's Germany banned jazz because it was deemed degenerate music made by Jews and Black people. But NPR host Scott Simon says the Nazis used it abroad to weaken British and American resolve. His new audiobook about this history is Swingtime for Hitler.

Comedian, writer, and actor Aparna Nancherla has starred in the TV shows BoJack Horseman, Master of None, and Corporate. She's written for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has comedy specials on Netflix and Comedy Central. She spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado about her anxiety, depression, and imposter syndrome, despite her career success. Her new book is Unreliable Narrator.

John Powers reviews the Paramount TV+ heist drama series The Gold.

Grammy and Oscar-winning music producer Mark Ronson is known for his party hits, pop songs, soulful arrangements, and producing for stars like Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, and Adele. His latest project is the Barbie soundtrack and score.

We talk with Bethann Hardison about her 50+ year career as a trailblazer in the fashion world. She started modeling in the late '60s during the height of the Black is Beautiful movement. There's a new documentary about her life and career called Invisible Beauty.

The Army and Navy are testing weapons with remarkable capabilities, using cutting edge technology and AI. Terry Gross spoke with Eric Lipton of the New York Times about his investigation into the weapons, the need to modernize, and the obstacles in the way.

The Barbie movie is just the latest example of why Allison Jones is considered one of the greatest comedy casting directors of our time. She casted films and TV shows like Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad and Bridesmaids. We talk about casting Steve Carell inThe Office, auditioning Jason Segel as a teenager, and what she's learned about acting from doing cameos of herself.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews Allison Russell's new album, The Returner.

We talk with Bethann Hardison about her 50+ year career as a trailblazer in the fashion world. She started modeling in the late '60s during the height of the Black is Beautiful movement. With her brown skin and short afro, Hardison describes herself as being the first "Black Black" looking model. Later, she was one of the first Black women to own a modeling agency. There's a new documentary about her life and career called Invisible Beauty.

John Powers reviews two films about the 1973 coup in Chile.

Zadie Smith talks about her new book, The Fraud. It's a historicalnovel, but its themes of gender inequality, class, and the enduring damages of slavery, are very connected to the present.

David Bianculli reviews the new Apple+ series The Changeling, starring LaKeith Stanfield.

Comic Maria Bamford's new memoir, Sure, I'll Join Your Cult, is about the lengths she's taken to fit in — from self-help books, to 12-step programs — and why making fun of her anxiety, depression, and OCD has been a powerful medicine.

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu defined himself as a teen by the music he loved. The murder of a close friend when he was in college changed the course of his life. He tells this story in his memoir, Stay True, whichwon a Pulitzer this year.

David Bianculli reviews the new Apple+ series The Changeling, starring LaKeith Stanfield.

Grammy and Oscar-winning music producer Mark Ronson is known for his party hits, pop songs, and soulful arrangements, producing for stars like Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, and Adele. His latest project is the Barbie soundtrack and score. We talk about the year he and his collaborator Andrew Wyatt spent conceptualizing, producing, and composing songs for the album which features Nicki Minaj, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, and Dua Lipa.

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews The Wren, The Wrenby Anne Enright.

Comic Maria Bamford talks about — and jokes about — serious and dark topics like her anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts from OCD. Her new memoir is about the lengths she's gone to fit in, from self-help books to 12-step programs. It's called Sure, I'll Join Your Cult.

Also, John Powers reviews the Danish crime series Face to Face.

Zadie Smith is known for her essays and novels about contemporary life and art. But her new book, The Fraud, is a historical novel, set in Victorian England. Her characters are dealing with some of the same issues we face today — gender inequality, class divisions, and the perpetual consequences of slavery. Smith spoke with Terry Gross about the novel, aging, history, and how writing is an exercise in control rather than creativity.

We wrap up our hip-hop history series with our 2010 interview with Sean Carter, A.K.A. Jay-Z, one of the most successful rappers of all time. He's won 24 Grammys and holds the record for the most No. 1 albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200. In 2019 he became the first hip-hop billionaire.

Our celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop continues with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, drummer and co-founder of The Roots. He was born in 1971 and says he and hip-hop grew up together.

Also, Public Enemy's Chuck D talks about the song "Fight the Power" and the powers they were fighting. And we'll listen back to a conversation with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, A.K.A. Puff Daddy. He made his name—or names—in the hip-hop world as a record producer and rapper.

We continue our celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and feature interviews from our archive with the RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, and André Benjamin, A.K.A. André 3000, from Outkast. Both have done solo work and have acted in films.

Our hip-hop history week continues, with interviews with two groups known for their clever lyrics and inventive use of samples. First, De La Soul, a group from Long Island, that sampled music from Schoolhouse Rock to James Brown, for their 1989 album,3 Feet High and Rising. We'll hear our interview from 2000 with De La Soul's Vincent Mason and the late Dave "Trugoy" Jolicoeur.

Also from our archive, a 2006 interview with the Beastie Boys: Mike Diamond, Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), and Adam Yauch. They had the first hip-hop album to reach number 1 on the pop chart. Yauch died in 2012.

Our hip-hop history series continues, featuring interviews from our archive with Ice-T, one of the early gangsta rappers. He went on to star as a detective in Law & Order: SVU. Also, Queen Latifah, the first female rap solo artist to earn a gold album. She now stars in the TV series The Equalizer. Ice-T spoke with Terry Gross in 1994 and Queen Latifah in 1999.

We continue our celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with Darryl McDaniels, co-founder of one of rap's oldest groups, Run-DMC. We'll also hear from LL Cool J, and from record producer Nile Rodgers, the guitarist and co-founder of the disco group Chic. He'll talk about coming up with the bass line for the song "Good Times" which was used in Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight."

This week we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. We'll hear interviews with some of the most influential rappers and DJ's of the past few decades. Today, we kick things off with three hip-hop pioneers.

First, DJ Kool Herc, who is considered the first DJ to isolate the breaks — the most danceable beats in a record — and repeat them to keep the dancers going.

Then, Grandmaster Flash, who was one of the first DJ's to make successful recordings. He'll describe some of the turntable techniques he developed.

Finally, we'll hear from Melle Mel, the rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their record "The Message" was the first successful rap record that offered social commentary.

For years, hip-hop has been dominated by men and hyper-masculine lyrics. That's changing. "The girls and the gays are running things. They're the cultural crusaders at this point," says Sidney Madden.She co-hosts the NPR podcast Louder Than A Riot with Rodney Carmichael. They'll both join us to discuss the podcast's second season, which focuses on hip-hop's strain of misogyny and homophobia, and how a new generation of women and queer artists are refusing to stand for it. We'll also revisit the legacy of the late rapper Biggie Smalls with journalist Justin Tinsley.

It's been 50 years since David Bowie retired his famous alter-ego Ziggy Stardust onstage, stunning his fans and some of his bandmates. The film capturing that performance, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, has been restored and reissued. Bowie spoke with Terry Gross in 2002.

Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new album of Verdi choruses, and Justin Chang reviews Bottoms.

The New Yorker writer says Elon Musk's Starlink satellites are key to providing internet to Ukraine in its war with Russia, giving Musk an influence that's "more like a nation state than an individual." Farrow won a Pulitzer for his 2017 exposé of Harvey Weinstein.

Journalist Justin Tinsley discusses the life and legacy of Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G., who was killed in 1997: "You can't talk about the story of hip-hop without mentioning the name Biggie Smalls." Tinsley's book isIt Was All A Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him.

And John Powers reviews the Japanese TV seriesMidnight Diner.

Growing up in the South, Drew Gilpin Faust rejected the narrative she was fed about slavery and the Civil War. She writes about her journey to activism and becoming the first woman president of Harvard University in Necessary Trouble. She spoke with Terry Gross about being groomed to be a Southern lady, affirmative action, and why we need to confront our uncomfortable past.

As hip-hop marks its 50th anniversary, Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael, the co-hosts of the NPR podcastLouder Than A Riot, are taking a hard look back — and ahead — at a genre that male artists and hyper-masculine lyrics once dominated. The first season of Louder Than A Riot investigated the connection between hip-hop and mass incarceration. In its second and final season, the podcast examines the misogynoir that has long plagued the genre— and highlights artists that are pushing back. Carmichael says the topic is "well past due, but also right on time."

Also, Ken Tucker reviews Bush Tetras' album They Live In My Head.

Christopher Nolan's new film Oppenheimer is about the man who's known as the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. "Like it or not, we live in Oppenheimer's world and we always will," Nolan says.

We also hear from humorist R. Eric Thomas. His new book of essays is called Congratulations, the Best Is Over! In it, Thomas explores what it's like to move back to his hometown of Baltimore as a middle-aged man.

Later, Maureen Corrigan reviews the new novel by James McBride.

The FX/Hulu series Reservation Dogs follows four teens on an Oklahoma Indian reservation who are frustrated and alienated, caught between what's left of traditional Native culture on the reservation and the broader pop culture. Co-creator and showrunner Sterlin Harjo spoke with Terry Gross last year about his own upbringing in Indian Territory. The show is now in its third and final season.

Also, we listen back to an archival interview with Exorcist director William Friedkin. He died August 7th.

Also, Justin Chang reviews The Adults starring Michael Cera.

Criminal justice reporter Maurice Chammah recently wrote an op-ed for theNew York Times about the power of music programs in prison. He says at a time when the criminal system is at an impasse, music, and art can cultivate hope and dignity for prisoners and possibly change how we think about the people who make it. "It allows you to really hold in your mind anger about a crime, and then separately an understanding that this is a human being and there's more to say about them than their crime." Chammah also talks with us about the rich history of prison music in the U.S., dating all the way back to the 1930s.

Playrwright and humorist R. Thomas' new book, Congratulations, the Best Is Over!, is about middle age, and what it was like to reluctantly return to his hometown of Baltimore as an adult — when both he and the city had changed. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about life transitions, church, and why he doesn't want to talk about The Wire.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new Blue Note box set by pianist Sonny Clark.

Christopher Nolan talks about writing and directing the new film Oppenheimer, about the man who's known as the father of the atom bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Nolan also directed the WWII movie Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, and Inception. The film is about Oppenheimer's leading role in the race to develop the bomb before the Nazis. But after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he became an arms control advocate, opposed building the hydrogen bomb, and was targeted during the anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950s.

Later, Maureen Corrigan reviews the new novel by James McBride.

Pianist Jason Moran joins us at the piano to play his take on the WWI-era music of James Reese Europe. And we'll hear from writer Andre Dubus III. His new novel,Such Kindness, asks how a person gets on with life after an accident that leads to disability and flames of chronic pain.

78 years ago this week atomic bombs destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — and questions linger about the U.S. decision to use the weapons. For the anniversary, we're revisiting archival interviews about the bombings. Author and psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton says American justifications are based on a myth. Writer Evan Thomas concludes using the weapons likely saved countless lives — including Japanese soldiers and civilians. And Lesley M.M. Blume focuses on what U.S. military censors hid from the American public about the effects of the bombs.

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior shares the pain of her family in a new piece for The Atlantic titled, "The Ones We Sent Away." In it, Senior tells the story of her Aunt Adele, who was institutionalized for her entire life because of her intellectual and developmental disability, beginning at 21 months old. Senior found out about her aunt when she herself was 12, believing up until then that her mother was an only child.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new season of Only Murders in the Building.

When Shane McCrae was 3, his maternal grandparents, who were white supremacists, kidnapped him from his father, who is Black. His new memoir is Pulling the Chariot of the Sun.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews MeShell Ndegeocello's album The Omnichord Real Book.