Fresh Air

Author Jeff Guinn has written about cult leaders Charles Manson and Jim Jones. In the book, Waco, he draws on new interviews with federal agents and surviving Branch Davidians to revisit the 1993 confrontation, which left scores of people dead, including more than 20 children.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new Peacock series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne.

F. Murray Abraham won the 1985 Best Actor Oscar for Amadeus. Now he co-stars in The White Lotus as Bert, a chauvinistic patriarch on vacation in Italy with his son and grandson. We talk about his career and life, and the lessons he learned along the way.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2006, hundreds of workers from India were promised jobs and green cards in what labor organizer Saket Soni calls "one of the largest cases of forced labor in modern U.S. history." He tells their story in The Great Escape.

We'll talk about the latest developments and strategies in the fight over abortion rights with Mary Ziegler, who has written several books on the law, history and politics of abortion. Her new book,Roe: The History of a National Obsession, is about how abortion has remained at the center of America's culture wars and political battles.

Also, we'll hear from writer Jonathan Escoffery. His semi-autobiographical collection of stories, If I Survive You, is on our book critic Maureen Corrigan's list of the best books of 2022. The main character, like Escoffery, is the American-born son of Jamaican immigrants, trying to figure out how race and racism work in America, and where he's supposed to fit.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new solo album from pianist and composer Kenny Baron.

Rachael & Vilray's new album, I Love a Love Song,features them with a jazz ensemble. Most of their songs sound like something you would have heard on the radio in the '30s and '40s. Rachael is also the lead singer of the group Lake Street Dive. They spoke with Sam Briger in 2020.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel This Other Eden, by Paul Harding, and Justin Chang reviews the new film Women Talking.

Historian Matthew Connelly says government records are marked as "classified" three times every second — and many of them will never be declassified. We talk about what that means for the public and how this might change. His new book is The Declassification Engine.

Also, John Powers reviews the French courtroom drama film Saint Omerby Alice Diop.

Legal historian Mary Ziegler has chronicled the legal, political and cultural battles around abortion, and says the debate is far from over: "We're at a moment of almost unprecedented uncertainty in the United States when it comes to abortion," Zielger says. Her book is Roe: The History of a National Obsession.

Princeton African American Studies professor Imani Perry says the South can be seen as an "origin point" for the way the nation operates. Her book, South to America, reflects on the region's history and traces the steps of an enslaved ancestor. "The South in some ways becomes the repository for the nation's sins, right?" she says. "And then it allows the rest of the country to conceive of itself as relatively pristine." South to America won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 2022.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews pianist Kenny Barron's album The Source.

Equal sports opportunities for women was mandated 50 years ago by title IX legislation. Champion runner Lauren Fleshman explains why getting access to a sports world built by men, for men and boys isn't working for girls and women. Her book, Good For a Girl, is a feminist critique of the sports world and a memoir about her own running career.

Also, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, creator, writer and showrunner of FX's seriesFleishman Is In Trouble on Hulu talks about divorce, middle age, and dating apps.

Justin Chang reviews the critically acclaimed film No Bears by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. Not long after the film was completed, Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison.

We remember novelist Russell Banks, whose working-class background inspired much of his work. His best known novels were adapted into films, including Affliction, The Sweet Hereafter, and Continental Drift. We'll listen back to portions of our interviews with him.

Also, we're revisiting our interview with photographer
Larry Sultan, whose photographic memoir of growing up in California in the '50s and '60s is the basis of a new Broadway show starring Nathan Lane.

Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel Sam by Allegra Goodman. And Justin Chang reviews No Bears, the Iranian film that's been on his year-end best list.

Journalist Anshel Pfeffer says the Israeli prime minister has a "strange detachment" when it comes to social issues — which opens the door for conservative members of his coalition to make changes.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner says the start of middle age hit her "like a truck." As her friends got divorced and began dating again, she was inspired to write a novel — which she's adapted for the screen. Fleishman is in Trouble is on FX/Hulu.

Also, Raw Deal author Chloe Sorvino talks about the state of the meat industry.

Champion distance runner Lauren Fleshman says 50 years after Title IX legislation, the sports world is still built for mens' bodies. She's now an activist seeking to change that by addressing important sex-based differences. We'll talk about her famous "Objectify Me" Nike campaign, inclusivity for transgender athletes, and how breasts, hips and menstruation shouldn't be treated as an impediment to athletic performance. Her book isGood for a Girl.

Jonathan Escoffery grew up in Miami, the son of Jamaican immigrants. In a world where identity was linked to race, he says it was often confusing to figure out where he fit in. His new book of stories is If I Survive You.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews SZA's new album, SOS.

We talk about the January 6th Committee's work with Luke Broadwater, who covers Congress for the New York Times. He was in the Capitol the day of the assault, and has reported on the Committee's work from the beginning.

John Powers reviews Noah Baumbach's film adaptation of Don DeLillo's White Noise.

The list of authors Robert Gottlieb has edited include Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Katharine Graham, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron and Michael Crichton. The documentary Turn Every Page,by his daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, examines his decades-long editing relationship with Power Brokerauthor Robert Caro.

We remember one of the creators of the Philly Sound: songwriter, arranger and producer Thom Bell. He died late last month, at the age of 79. He was a classically trained pianist whose inventive R&B arrangements included horns, strings, oboe, timpani, and more. Among the songs he arranged were "Drowning in the Sea of Love" by Joe Simon, and "Backs Stabbers" by the O'Jays. He also wrote and arranged for the Stylistics, the Spinners, and the Delfonics.

John Powers reviews the new film White Noise, directed by Noah Baumbach, now on Netflix.

In 1977, gunmen led by a charismatic Muslim leader stormed three locations in Washington, D.C., taking more than 100 people hostage. Journalist Shahan Mufti examines the incident in his bookAmerican Caliph.

Robert Gottlieb has been working in publishing since 1955. The list of authors he's edited include Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Katharine Graham, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron and Michael Crichton. The documentary Turn Every Page,by his daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, examines his decades-long editing relationship with Power Brokerauthor Robert Caro. Terry Gross spoke with both Lizzie and Robert Gottlieb.

Also, John Powers reviews the British drama Living, adapted by Kazuo Ishiguro from Akira Kurosawa's classic 1952 film Ikiru.

Our best of 2022 series concludes with actor Rosie Perez. Raised in a convent for abandoned kids, Perez used to dream of stability and a loving home. Now that she has it, Perez says, "It's priceless." We talk with Perez about overcoming the trauma of her childhood, how a fight with Spike Lee helped land her breakthrough role in Do the Right Thing, and her brief — but impactful — time dancing on Soul Train. She co-stars on HBO Max's The Flight Attendant.

We continue our series of some of our favorite interviews of the year with Seth Meyers, the host of NBC's Late Night. Also, we hear from comedian, writer, director and actor Stephen Merchant. He co-created the British comedy seriesThe Office with Ricky Gervais. His most recent series is called The Outlaws. And critic Ken Tucker shares his picks for the best music of 2022.

The hit parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic talks about what made him weird, the legal gray area of parody, and bringing "the sexy back" to accordion. The new movie Weird, inspired by the story of his life, is a parody of music biopics.

Our best of 2022 series continues with Michael Imperioli, who played a sex-addicted Hollywood producer on vacation in Sicily in HBO'sThe White Lotus. He's best known for his role as Tony Soprano's hot-headed protégé, Christopher Moltisanti. He talked about both of these roles with Fresh Air producer Sam Briger.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead remembers musicians who died this year.

DJ Questlove has put together a playlist of some of his favorite Christmas recordings. We'll talk about his picks. And film critic Justin Chang shares his best of 2022 list.

You can find Questlove's Spotify playlist here: https://spoti.fi/3WeZhfd

Our best of 2022 series continues. In his HBO comedy special, Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael opens up about his real name, his family tree, and his sexual orientation. We'll go deeper into these issues — and talk about how being honest about them changed his comedy and his life. Carmichael is hosting the Golden Globes in January.

Podcast critic Nick Quah shares his picks for best podcasts of 2022.

Our best of 2022 series continues. 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. We talk with co-creator and showrunner Sterlin Harjo about his own upbringing in Indian Territory and how he was inspired by the storytellers in his family.

Also, rock critic Ken Tucker shares his picks for best of 2022.

Our best of 2022 series continues. Spielberg's latest project, The Fabelmans, is semi-autobiographical — focused on his childhood and teen years and his parents' divorce. He jokingly refers to the film as "$40 million of therapy." He speaks with Terry Gross about the first movie he saw in theaters, filming the iconic D-Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan, and growing up around Holocaust survivors.

Our best of 2022 series continues. John McEnroe is remembered as one of the most talented — and hot-headed — tennis players of all time. Over the course of his career, he won 155 combined titles — more than any man in the game's modern era. We talk about wins, losses and notorious moments on the court.

Our series of favorite interviews from 2022 kicks off with Sheryl Lee Ralph. She won an Emmy for her role as the veteran teacher Barbara Howard on the hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, about an under-resourced Philly school. We talk about her long career in showbiz — from Dreamgirlson Broadway to Moesha, and how she made her own way in an industry that didn't offer many parts to Black women.

Also, film critic Justin Chang shares his list of the top 11 movies of the year.

Questlove has put together a playlist for us of some of his favorite Christmas recordings. Questlove is co-founder of the The Roots, which is among other things, is the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He won an Oscar this year for his documentarySummer of Soul.

You can find Questlove's Spotify playlist here: https://spoti.fi/3WeZhfd

Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide among adolescents have risen sharply in recent years. We'll speak with the New York Times' Matt Richtel, who spent nearly two years reporting on the crisis — speaking with troubled teens and their parents, psychiatrists, primary care physicians, therapists and researchers. His series of articles on the issue is titledThe Inner Pandemic.

Kumail Nanjiani plays Somen "Steve" Banerjee, founder of the male strip club Chippendales, in a new Hulu series. Banerjee was ultimately undone by his own corrupt business practices. We talk about the challenge of playing an un-funny person and how his childhood in Pakistan informs his comedy.

Justin Chang reviews new iterations ofMatilda and Pinnochioon Netflix.

Glass Onion, Rian Johnson's sequel toKnives Out, centers on a billionaire who's invited an assortment of so-called "disrupters" to his private island for a long weekend getaway to play out a murder mystery game. The writer/director talks about satirizing tech moguls and influencers and the murder mysteries that inspired him.

We consider the classic 1952 western High Noon written and released 70 years ago — during an era of paranoia and persecution in America over the threat of communism — in which the President, congress, the courts and the press all played a part. We talk with journalist Glenn Frankel, author of the book High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic. The film was written as a parable about the blacklist.

Also, Justin Chang reviews Avatar: The Way of Water.

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

Octavia Butler's 1979 book, Kindred, is now a series for FX on Hulu. In 1993, the pioneering author, who died in 2006, told Fresh Airshe made up her own stories so that she could see herself — a Black woman — in them. Kindredis about a writer who involuntarily time travels to the Antebellum South.

Also we remember lesbian pulp fiction writer Marijane Meaker who died last month.

Critic David Bianculli reflects on the best of 2022 television.

Historian Adam Hochschild says Woodrow Wilson used the first World War as an excuse to spy on Americans, censor the press and plan for the mass deportation of immigrants. His new book is American Midnight.

Jazz criticKevin Whitehead reviews pianist Ahmad Jamal's Emerald City Nights.

The new CNN+ docuseries The Murdochs looks inside the Fox media empire and the family's behind-the-scenes in-fighting. Journalist Jim Rutenberg says the real-life drama rivals HBO's Succession. "I ... have always suspected that theSuccessionwriters have some mole in the family because it's just too many things they seem to know," Rutenberg says. "It's just got all the drama you want in television, but democracy hinges on its future."

The British singer, songwriter and guitarist talks about his formative years, and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles. Thompson's new memoir is Beeswing.

Country music singers McGraw and Faith Hill are starring in the Paramount+ series 1883. The show tells the story of a group of Eastern European immigrants trying to make their way in covered wagons from Texas to Oregon. Before they filmed, they attended "cowboy camp," to learn the basics of riding horses and driving wagons. We talk with McGraw about the series, falling in love with Faith Hill, and learning about his birth father, MLB pitcher Tug McGraw.

In his new HBO comedy special, Rothaniel, Carmichael opens up about his real name, his family tree, and his sexual orientation. We'll go deeper into these issues — and talk about how being honest about them changed his comedy and his life. "The more honest I am, the freer I am," he says.

In addition to SNL, Molly Shannon has co-starred in the comedy seriesThe Other Two and The White Lotus, and will soon appear in the Showtime comedy series I Love That for You. We talk with Shannon about the tragic event of her childhood that changed her life, and how she found comedy. Her memoir is Hello, Molly!

Ken Tucker reviews a debut album from Wet Leg.

Delia Ephron, who co-wrote the '90s film You've Got Mail with her sister Nora, found herself in the plotline of a romantic comedy. In her new memoirLeft on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life, Delia Ephron writes about finding new love at age 72, in the face of grief and cancer.

Williams was a dazzling player and a favorite at Fresh Air. She died March 10 at 73. We'll listen back to her 1997 performance and interview.

Delia Ephron, who co-wrote the '90s film You've Got Mail with her sister Nora, found herself in the plotline of a romantic comedy. In her new memoirLeft on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life, Delia Ephron writes about finding new love at age 72, in the face of grief and cancer.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews The First Lady on Showtime.

ProPublica reporter David McSwane tells the story of people and businesses that profited from the COVID-19 pandemic. He found the government awarded lucrative contracts to many people with a history of fraudulent business practices documented in public records, if anyone had bothered to check. His new book is Pandemic, Inc.

When Molly Shannon started finding success on Saturday Night Live, she remembers feeling depressed. "I realized that really the only person I wanted to say, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so, so proud of you, Molly' was my mom," she says. But Shannon's mother, along with her younger sister and a cousin, had died decades earlier in a car crash. Shannon's new memoir Hello, Molly!recounts the tragic as well as the wonderful turning points in her life. In addition to SNL, Shannon has co-starred in the comedy series The Other Two and The White Lotus, and will soon appear in the Showtime comedy series I Love That for You.

In 2007, Alsop became the first woman to lead a major American orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony. But on the way to great success, she faced plenty of rejection. "Girls can't do that," Alsop recalls her violin teacher told her at age nine, of becoming a conductor. "I'd never heard a phrase like that," Alsop says. "You know, it never occurred to me that there was something that girls couldn't do." Alsop was mentored by Leonard Bernstein, and has conducted major orchestras around the world.

Also, John Powers reviews the new HBO Max crime thriller Tokyo Vice.

Finally, Vuong is author of the acclaimed novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. His novel was published in 2019, the same year he won a MacArthur "genius" grant. It was also the same year his mother died. "Ever since I lost her, I've felt that my life has been lived in only two days," Vuong tells Tonya Mosley. "There's the today where she is not here, and then the vast and endless yesterday where she was." Vuong has a new poetry collection called Time Is a Mother, which he describes as "a search for life in the aftershocks of death."

The Nobel Prize-winning novelist's latest book, Klara and the Sun, is set in the future and has an artificially intelligent narrator. "I wanted some of that childlike freshness and openness and naivety to survive all the way through the text in her," he says. We talk about his writing process, hitchhiking in the '60s, and his family history in Nagasaki.

Also, David Bianculli reviews 61st Street, a new AMC series about crime, the police, and the courts.

Activists are mobilizing in preparation for the weakening or end of Roe v. Wade. That's the subject of Jessica Bruder's new cover story for The Atlantic. "There are lots of people who want to keep abortion accessible for everybody who might want access to abortion, regardless of what the Supreme Court does," she says. Bruder is also author of the book Nomadland, which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Sea of Tranquility the new novel by Emily St. John Mandel.

Scott is known for TV comedies like Parks and Recreation and Party Down, the drama series Big Little Lies, and the film Step Brothers. Now Scott stars in the Apple TV+ series Severance, which gives a sci-fi take on work-life balance. He plays a man who's chosen to have a chip implanted in his brain to separate his work life from his home life. "I now have no real separation, nor have I ever," he says of his own work as an actor.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a reissue of Ornette Coleman's first two albums.

And John Powers reviews the new HBO Max crime thriller Tokyo Vice.

Vuong is author of the acclaimed novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. It was published in 2019, the same year he won a MacArthur "genius" grant. It was also the same year his mother died. "Ever since I lost her, I've felt that my life has been lived in only two days," Vuong tells Tonya Mosley. "There's the today where she is not here, and then the vast and endless yesterday where she was." Vuong has a new poetry collection called Time Is a Mother, which he describes as "a search for life in the aftershocks of death."

Also, Ken Tucker reviews the new album by Wet Leg, who he describes as indie-rock's newest obsession.

In 2007, Alsop became the first woman to lead a major American orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony. But on the way to great success, she faced plenty of rejection. "Girls can't do that," Alsop recalls her violin teacher telling her at age nine, of becoming a conductor. "I'd never heard a phrase like that," Alsop says. "You know, it never occurred to me that there was something that girls couldn't do." Alsop was mentored by Leonard Bernstein, and has conducted major orchestras around the world.

Waterston joined the cast of Law & Order in 1994 on a one-year contract. He wound up staying 16 years, until the series wrapped in 2010. Now the show's back — and so is he. We talk about working into his 80s, Grace and Frankie, and how the 1984 filmThe Killing Fields changed his life and career.

Also, David Bianculli reviewsJulia, a new HBO series about Julia Child.

And White Lies author A.J. Baime tells the story of Walter White, a light-skinned Black man whose ancestors had been enslaved. For years White risked his life investigating racial violence in the South.

Author Scott Weidensaul talks about the millions of birds flying unseen over our heads in the night sky, how the bar-tailed godwit can fly more than a week over water without stopping, and how new tracking technology may help with strategies to keep them alive. His book is A World on the Wing.

Also, Justin Chang reviews Nitram, the new film about events leading up to a mass shooting in Australia.

Medical historian and surgeon Ira Rutkow points to physical evidence that suggests Stone Age people conducted — and survived — brain surgery. We talk about the evolution of surgery from ancient societies to robotic surgery today. His new book is Empire of the Scalpel.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart.

Waterston joined the cast of the original NBC series in 1994 on a one-year contract. He wound up staying 16 years, until the series wrapped in 2010. Now the show's back — and so is he. We talk about working into his 80s, Grace and Frankie, and how the 1984 filmThe Killing Fields changed his life and career.

Also, David Bianculli reviewsJulia, a new HBO series about Julia Child.

MacArthur "genius" grant winner Jeremy Denk talks about what he learned from his piano teachers, his pivotal artistic moments and his failures and frustrations. Denk's new memoir is Every Good Boy Does Fine.

John Powers reviews Life & Beth on Hulu, created by and starring Amy Schumer.

After experiencing a rare kind of stroke, NYT writer Frank Bruni suddenly became blind in his right eye. Doctors told him there was a decent chance the same could happen to his other eye. It forced him to make a decision: He could focus on what had been lost or on what remained. He chose the latter. Bruni's new memoir isThe Beauty of Dusk.

Appointed by President Clinton in 1997, Albright advocated for the expansion of NATO into the former Soviet bloc countries of Eastern Europe. She died March 23. Originally broadcast in 2003 and 2018.

Justin Chang reviewsEverything Everywhere All At Oncestarring Michelle Yeoh.

Veteran ER doctor Thomas Fisher's new book describes his experiences in the first year of the Covid pandemic treating patients on Chicago's South Side. He never had enough time or resources for his needy patients before the pandemic, but 2020 brought COVID and a wave of gun violence that stressed patients, doctors and staff in new ways. His new book is The Emergency.

Also John Powers reviews the new Apple TV series Pachinko, based on the best-selling novel by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, and Kevin Whitehead reviews an album by Cecil Taylor.

After experiencing a rare kind of stroke, NYTwriter Frank Bruni suddenly became blind in his right eye. Doctors told him there was a decent chance the same could happen to his other eye. It forced him to make a decision: He could focus on what had been lost or on what remained. He chose the latter. Bruni's new memoir is The Beauty of Dusk.

The MacArthur "genius" grant winner talks about what he learned from his piano teachers, his pivotal artistic moments and his failures and frustrations. Denk's new memoir is Every Good Boy Does Fine.

As the host of NBC's Late Night, it's Seth Meyers' job to be funny, even when the news is catastrophic. He's satirized issues in the news, including in times of tragedy and war ever since he became an anchor on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update in 2006. His first SNL episode was the episode following 9/11. Seth Meyers has a new children's book called I'm Not Scared, YOU'RE Scared.

Also, we'll talk about the hidden world inside our bodies — from the remarkable design of our organs, to the messages contained in our body fluids, with Dr. Jonathan Reisman, author of The Unseen Body. He's a pediatrician, internist and ER physician who's worked in different cultures and in extreme climates.

Justin Chang reviews the new Pixar movie, Turning Red.

Hurt died March 13 at the age of 71. He was a leading man in the 1980s in the filmsBody Heat, Broadcast News, and The Big Chill. But he thought of himself as a character actor, and won an Oscar for his performance as a drag queen sharing a prison cell with a political dissident in the film Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Also, John Powers reviews Amy Schumer's new series on Hulu, Life & Beth, and Justin Chang reviews the film Deep Water, a new psychological thriller starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas.

Historian Mary Elise Sarotte tells how NATO expanded into Eastern Europe after the fall of the U.S.S.R, and is now obligated to defend nations near Russia's war in Ukraine. Her book is Not One Inch.

We talk with Dr. Jonathan Reisman, author of The Unseen Body,about how our organs function, the messages contained in our body fluids, and his experiences treating patients with diseased organs.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead remembers trumpet player and bandleader Ron Miles, who died last week at age 58.

Yovanovitch was relieved of her post following a smear campaign orchestrated by Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. She also testified at Trump's first impeachment. Her new memoir is 'Lessons from the Edge.'

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews a new collection of the novels of esteemed YA author Virginia Hamilton.

We talk with the Late Night host about his second son's dramatic birth story, John Mulaney's intervention, and his new children's book, I'm Not Scared, YOU'RE Scared. Meyers says the book is about our relationship with fear.

Maureen Corrigan reviews The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka.

Shortly after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019, architect Brian Ameche, then in his mid-60s, told his wife, novelist Amy Bloom, that he wanted to end life on his own terms, before the disease robbed him of everything. Bloom talks about how she traveled with him to Zurich so he could legally terminate his life. Her new memoir is In Love.

Cartoonist David Sipress endured years of rejection before finally landing a gig withThe New Yorker in '98. "I wasn't about to let all that rejection get in the way," he says. His new memoir isWhat's So Funny?

Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard in season 2 of the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard."I am not averse to risk-taking and I don't judge myself," he says. Stewart spoke with Sam Briger in 2020.

Also, Justin Chang reviews the new Pixar film Turning Red.

In the years since the Sandy Hook shooting, the victims' families have endured relentless online abuse, stalking and personal threats. New York Times journalist Elizabeth Williamson examines how the conspiracy theories around the tragedy began — and how they changed America. Her book is Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth.

Shortly after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019, architect Brian Ameche, then in his mid-60s, told his wife, novelist Amy Bloom, that he wanted to end life on his own terms, before the disease robbed him of everything. Bloom talks about how she traveled with him to Zurich so he could legally terminate his life. Her new memoir is In Love.

Ken Tucker reviews Del McCoury's album Almost Proud.

Sipress endured years of rejection before finally landing a gig withThe New Yorker in '98. "I wasn't about to let all that rejection get in the way," he says. His new memoir isWhat's So Funny?

Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel says that Hollywood film studios increasingly rely upon Chinese audiences to break even — which can result in self-censorship. His new book is Red Carpet.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson.

Also, we'll hear from Meghan O'Rourke who has been reporting on long COVID. She'll talk about how research into long COVID offers insights into other mysterious chronic illnesses.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in Jane Campion's WesternThe Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank, a hyper-masculine cattle rancher living on the plains of Montana in the 1920s. We talk about how body odor helped him channel the character, toxic masculinity, and filming on location in breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand. He's nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

Jonny Greenwood plays guitar and keyboard in Radiohead, but in 2007 director Paul Thomas Anderson enlisted him to score his filmThere Will Be Blood. Since then, Greenwood has scored such films as Spencerand Phantom Thread. He's nominated for Best Original Score forThe Power of the Dog.

TV critic David Bianculli reviewsWinning Timeon HBO, about the 1980s Lakers.

Historian and former State Department official Michael Kimmage says the war in Ukraine is going "surprisingly badly" for the Kremlin: "It didn't get the politics of Ukraine right. It didn't expect the Ukrainians to fight." We talk about possible scenarios of how this conflict could end, and what that means for Ukraine, Europe and the U.S.

In the HBO Max series Raised By Wolves, humanity is near extinction after a global religious war. Two androids are sent to another planet to raise human children and keep the species alive. We talk with series creator Aaron Guzikowski about how parenthood and faith inspired the show.

Also, John Powers reviews the British thriller series The Tourist (on HBO Max),and film critic Justin Chang reviews The Batman.

Journalist Anne Applebaum has been covering the war in Ukraine for The Atlantic. "I don't think that we will ever again smugly assume that borders in Europe can't be changed by force," she says. We talk about why Putin takes Ukrainian democracy as a personal and political threat — and how Stalin created a famine to destroy the Ukrainian national movement in the 1930s.

Meghan O'Rourke says long COVID and other chronic illnesses put an unwieldy burden on patients, who have to testify to the reality of their own illness. Her new book, The Invisible Kingdom, chronicles her personal struggle to find diagnoses for her own nerve pain, brain fog, extreme fatigue and other symptoms."When you're at the edge of medical knowledge, the lack of evidence is treated as evidence that the problem is you and your mind," O'Rourke says. "I felt, in a sense, kind of locked away in a room like a 19th-century hysteric."

Quinta Brunson stars as a rookie second grade teacher in an under-resourced public elementary school in the mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary. Brunson says she conceived of the show with her mother — a teacher — in mind.

Kevin Whitehead reviews a new stash of home and live recordings by jazz pianist Lennie Tristano.

Though the main character in Julie Otsuka's new novel, The Swimmers, has lost much of her memory to dementia, she still remembers being sent to an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. We talk with the novelist about her own family's history.

Historian David Blight's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography traced Frederick Douglass' path from slavery to abolitionist and inspired HBO's documentary, Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches. "Seeing and hearing Douglass became, through the course of the 19th century, a kind of American wonder of the world," Blight says.

Also, we remember anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer, who died Feb. 21. He dedicated his life to providing health care for the poor in Haiti, Rwanda and other countries. He spoke with Fresh Air in 2011.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews Cyrano,starring Peter Dinklage.

Environmental writer Oliver Milman says habitat loss, pesticides and climate change are killing off insects worldwide, which, in turn, threatens humans. We talk about the critical role insects play in pollinating plants we eat, breaking down waste, and forming the base of a food chain for other animals — and what would happen if they disappeared. Milman's book is The Insect Crisis.

Ken Tucker reviews Mitski's new album Laurel Hell.

Quinta Brunson stars as a rookie second grade teacher in an under-resourced public elementary school in the mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary. Brunson says she conceived of the show with her mother — a teacher — in mind. "The beauty is someone being so resilient for a job that is so underpaid and so underappreciated because it makes them feel fulfilled," she says.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the new Law & Orderreboot.

Though the main character in Julie Otsuka's new novel has lost much of her memory to dementia, she still remembers being sent to an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. We talk with the novelist about her family's history and writing The Swimmers.

Maureen Corrigan reviews Vladímír, a virtuoso debut novel by Julia May Jonas, and jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new stash of personal recordings from Lennie Tristano.

Comic and producer W. Kamau Bell talks about directing the Showtime series We Need to Talk About Cosby, which explores how Bill Cosby became "America's dad," and a hero in Black culture — and how that changed when he was accused and convicted as a rapist.

Podcast critic Nick Quah reviews The Trojan Horse Affair from Serial Productions.

Also, we hear from actor Matthew Macfadyen. He talks about playing Tom Wambsgans in HBO'sSuccession and Mr. Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Penélope Cruz is nominated for Best Actress for her role in Parallel Mothers, the latest movie written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. And her husband, Javier Bardem, is nominated for his role as Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos. He's probably best known for playing a psychopathic serial killer in the Coen brothers' film, No Country for Old Men.

Also Justin Chang reviews two international films — Belgium's Playground and Chad's Lingui, the Sacred Bonds.

Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, says lawmakers in 27 states are considering hundreds of bills designed to limit voting or undermine the integrity of the election process. We talk about the ongoing threat to our democracy and fair elections. Waldman's book is The Fight to Vote.

Though she litigated Brown v. The Board of Education, was the first Black woman to argue before the Supreme Court, and represented MLK, few people know her name: Constance Baker Motley. Guest interviewer Tonya Mosley speaks with her biographer, Tomika Brown-Nagin, author of Civil Rights Queen.

John Powers reviews Severance on Apple TV+.

Journalist Matthieu Aikins accompanied his Afghan interpreter when he decided to flee Afghanistan in 2016, using smugglers' routes to make his way to Europe and start a new life. For Aikins, it meant shedding his own identity and passport and taking risks refugees take — heading into the Mediterranean sea at midnight in a flimsy, overcrowded rubber craft, where Coast Guard patrols would ram the vessel to turn refugees away from their destination. Aikins' new book is The Naked Don't Fear the Water.
Also, podcast critic Nick Quah reviews Serial's new show, The Trojan Horse Affair.

About 60 women have come forward accusing Cosby of drugging and raping them. In 2018, Cosby was convicted of three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault, though that conviction was overturned on a technicality in 2021. W. Kamau Bell's new Showtime documentary series, We Need To Talk About Cosby, grapples with the comedian's tainted legacy, which Bell describes as a "third-rail" conversation for many people in the Black community. "[Cosby] was America's dad duringThe Cosby Show — not Black America's dad, America's dad," he says.

Jonny Greenwood plays guitar and keyboard in Radiohead, but in 2007 director Paul Thomas Anderson enlisted him to score his film There Will Be Blood. Since then, Greenwood has scored such films asThe Power of the Dog, Spencer, and Phantom Thread.

Method acting is more than mining personal experiences to play a character — or physically transforming for a role. Author and cultural critic Isaac Butler traces the history of the technique in The Method.

We remember activist, scholar and social critic Todd Gitlin, who died Feb. 5 at the age of 79. He was president of SDS, the Students for a Democratic Society and helped organize the first national demonstration against the Vietnam War. He continued his commitment to social change as a teacher and writer.

John Powers reviews a reissue of a groundbreaking crime novel about a gay detective.

Also, we'll listen back to our 1987 interview with Art Spiegelman, whose Pulitizer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus,about the Holocaust, is one of the books recently being banned.

Finally, Justin Chang reviews the thriller Kimi directed by Steven Soderbergh.