Fresh Air

The final season of the HBO series Successionbegins Sunday. We listen back to our interviews with Brian Cox, who plays Logan Roy the patriarch in a family-owned business empire, Kieran Culkin, who plays Roman, the immature and jokey son, and Matthew Macfadyen, who plays the put-upon son-in-law Tom Wambsgans.

Linda Simpson performed in and chronicled the New York drag scene in the '80s and '90s, taking some 5,000 photos of performers. Her collection is called The Drag Explosion. She says Tennessee's anti-drag legislation is "ridiculous."

Also, we remember late Episcopal Bishop Frank Griswold. He presided over the ordination of the church's first openly gay bishop. He died earlier this month.

John Powers reviews the new Netflix thriller series The Night Agent.

Ari Shapiro co-hosts NPR's All Things Considered, co-stars in a cabaret act with Alan Cumming, and sings with the band Pink Martini. Now, he's written a book, a memoir called The Best Strangers in the World.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond says if the top 1% of Americans paid the taxes they owed, it would raise $175 billion each year: "That is just about enough to pull everyone out of poverty." His new book is Poverty, by America.

Also Ken Tucker shares three songs: Iris DeMent's "Goin' Down to Sing in Texas," Sunny War's "Love's Death Bed," and Margo Price's "Radio."

Billy Crudup stars as a fast-talking salesman — selling timeshares on the moon to frustrated earthlings — in the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! We also talk about going to rock star camp for his role inAlmost Famous, his iconic Mastercard commercials, and The Morning Show.

Memphis drag queen Bella DuBalle says the legislators behind a new Tennessee law criminalizing public drag shows don't understand the art. We talk with the native Tennessean about the law, performing for kids, and how her livelihood and safety are at risk.

Maureen Corrigan reflects on 40 years of Nora Ephron's Heartburn and recommends a new comic novel.

Actor Clancy Brown has been working since the 1980s and has played some memorable villains over the years in movies, including Shawshank Redemption, Highlander and, coming out later this month, John Wick: Chapter 4. But he may be best known as the voice of Mr. Krabs on the animated show Spongebob Squarepants.

Michelle Yeoh made history last week, becoming the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for best actress. We'll hear our interview with Yeoh aboutEverything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh has also starred in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and Crazy Rich Asians.

We'll also hear our interview with Adam Sandler. He's this year's recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Sandler talks about playing a jewelry store owner in the film Uncut Gems, and his music comedy.

David Bianculli reviewsLucky Hank starring Bob Odenkirk.

Bella DuBalle says the legislators behind a new Tennessee law criminalizing public drag shows don't understand the art: "They think that every drag performer is doing something hypersexual or obscene." We talk with the native Tennessean about the law, performing for kids, and how her livelihood and safety are at risk.

Also, Maureen Corrigan celebrates the 40th anniversary of Nora Ephron's Heartburn and shares a new comic novel, Pineapple Street.

Many of Ricardo Nuila's patients at Houston's Ben Taub Hospital are dealing with serious illnesses as a result of not being able to access basic preventive care. His new book is The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine.

Actor Clancy Brown has been working since the 1980s and has played some memorable villains over the years in movies, including Shawshank Redemption, Highlander and, coming out later this month, John Wick 4. But he may be best known as the voice of Mr. Krabs on the animated show Spongebob Squarepants.

Kevin Whitehead revies the new jazz recording by Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding, and John Powers reviews the new novel Birnam Wood by Booker Prize-winner Eleanor Catton.

Karen Fine talks about practicing Chinese medicine and acupuncture on sick pets, what "ADR" stands for, and the mental health issues many veterinarians face. Her new book is The Other Family Doctor.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews Caroline Polachek's new album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.

Writer Thomas Mallon talks about his diaries that were recently published in the New Yorker, titled Finding My Way– and Staying Alive — During the Aids Crisis. Mallon's latest novel, Up With the Sun,is based on the life and murder of Dick Kallman, a closeted actor in the 1950s and '60s.

Critic John Powers reviews the filmReturn to Seoul.

Also, we hear from Dr. Farzon Nahvi. He has a new memoir about his experiences in the ER, and his frustrations with American healthcare during COVID. It's called Code Gray: Death, Life and Uncertainty in the ER.

We explore the subtle genius of a man often remembered for pratfalls and sight gags. Buster Keaton was a silent film star in the 1920s, but he was far more than an actor and stuntman. He conceived and directed his films, cited by some of America's leading filmmakers as inspirations. We speak with Slatefilm critic Dana Stevens, whose book examines Keaton's work and influence, and chronicles his colorful life. Her book, Camera Man, is now out in paperback.

Justin Chang reviews the new film Palm Trees & Power Lines.

Mallon talks about his diaries that were recently published in the New Yorker, in a piece titled Finding My Way — and Staying Alive — During the AIDS Crisis: A Diary of 1980s Manhattan. He was in his thirties then. His latest novel, Up With the Sun, is based on the life and murder of Dick Kallman, a closeted actor in the 1950s and '60s.

Science writer Sally Adee says scientists are experimenting with ways to manipulate the body's natural electrical fields to try and treat wounds, depression, paralysis, and cancer. Her new book is We Are Electric.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has an appreciation of Wayne Shorter, who died March 2. John Powers reviews the filmReturn to Seoul.

We look back on the life of Jimmy Carter. He is spending his remaining time at home, under hospice care. Carter was elected president in 1976, and lost his re-election campaign to Ronald Reagan. He was later praised for redefining the meaning and purpose of the post-presidency. He talked with Terry Gross about why he entered politics, his presidency, his work negotiating with tyrants, his faith, and his reflections on aging.

UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz talks about the legal protections — including qualified immunity and no-knock warrants — that have protected officers from the repercussions of abuse. Her book is Shielded.

Also, David Bianculli reviews Mel Brooks' History of the World Part IIon Hulu.

In Tár, Cate Blanchett plays a charismatic orchestra conductor who uses her power to take sexual advantage of young women she's mentoring. Tár is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Maureen Corrigan reviewsI Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai.

Ke Huy Quan starred in the '80s films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doomand The Goonies as a kid, before quitting acting. Now he's up for an Oscar for the first major acting job he's had in decades for the role of Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

We pay tribute to Doc Watson on the centennial of his birth. The pioneering bluegrass, country and folk guitarist and singer changed the way people around the world think about mountain music. In his prime, he was considered the greatest guitar flat picker. We'll listen back to our 1988 interview, and his 1989 performance on our show.

Also, John Powers reviews the new season ofPerry Mason.

Journalist Will Sommer went to road shows and spoke to believers and their families while investigating QAnon. His book,Trust the Plan, makes the case that there are more conspiracy theories to come.

In Tár, Cate Blanchett plays a charismatic orchestra conductor who uses her power to take sexual advantage of young women she's mentoring. "For me, it was never really about classical music," director Todd Field says. "And it was about ... how do you look at power and why does power exist? And it's not a uni-directional situation. Nobody holds power alone. There's a complicity in it." Tár is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews the literary thrillerI Have Some Questions for Youby Rebecca Makkai.

We talk about a small group of unelected officials who make important decisions that affect our lives, all the time. New York Timesreporter Jeanna Smialek covers the Federal Reserve, which manages the nation's money supply, and is currently struggling to get inflation down by raising interest rates. Smialek says the Fed wields enormous influence, and is growing more powerful as it responds to national crises, including the financial meltdown and the pandemic. Her new book is Limitless.

Podcast critic Nick Quah reviews the new season from Serial called The Coldest Case in Laramie.

Quan starred in the '80s filmsIndiana Jones and the Temple of DoomandThe Gooniesas a kid, before quitting acting. Now he's up for an Oscar for the first major acting job he's had in decades for the role of Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Justin Chang reviews the Irish film The Quiet Girl.

We'll talk withNew Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman about his new book, Oscar Wars. It's about the ongoing conflicts surrounding race, gender, and representation in Hollywood, as well as earlier conflicts dating back to the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Also, we'll hear from comic and podcaster Marc Maron. In his new HBO comedy special, From Bleak to Dark, he talks about climate change, anti-Semitism, and processing the sudden death of his girlfriend, Lynn Shelton.

John Powers reviews the documentary,All That Breathes,about two brothers devoted to rescuing birds in Delhi, India.

We remember two accomplished performers from different fields: Sharp-witted comedian Richard Belzer, probably best-known for playing the dramatic role of Detective John Munch on Law & Order, and major-league catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Hello Tomorrow!starring Billy Crudup.

From relentless campaigning to snubs and speeches, the Academy Awards have often reflected a cultural conflict zone. Michael Schulman sifts through the controversies in his new book, Oscar Wars.

Also, Kevin Whitehead shares a remembrance of Burt Bacharach.

Dr. Farzon Nahvi spent the early months of the pandemic as an emergency room physician in Manhattan. He talks about trying to improvise treatments during that time. His new book is Code Gray.

Also, David Bianculli reflects on 10 years ofLast Week Tonight with John Oliver.

For President's Day, we speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Robert Caro about the life of Lyndon Johnson. To understand his subject, Caro moved to the Texas Hill country to meet friends and associates of Johnson from his early years. At age 87, Caro is still working on the last volume of his Johnson biography.

What do great conductors listen to when they're not on the podium? Philadelphia Orchestra/Met Opera conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin made a playlist, specifically for Fresh Air, of music that inspires him. It includes a surprising mix of pop, hip-hop and classical music — and includes a song that his cats love.

In the last 30 years, Ruth E. Carter has produced some of the most iconic looks in the Black film canon and beyond. She won an Academy Award for Black Panther and is now nominated for Wakanda Forever. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about these projects as well as her decades-long collaboration with Spike Lee.

We remember David Jolicoeur, otherwise known as Trugoy the Dove, of the hip-hop group De La Soul. The influential group that emerged in the late 1980s brought a sense of fun and wit to the genre, as well as a middle-class suburban sensibility. We'll listen back to our 2000 interview with him.

Also, science writer Ed Yong tells us about how animals perceive the world differently than humans, through hearing, sight, vibrations, echoes and magnetic fields. It's the subject of his bookAn Immense World.

Justin Chang reviews the new film Emily, about the novelist Emily Brontë in the years before she wrote Wuthering Heights.

After the sudden death of his girlfriend Lynn Shelton in 2020, comedian and podcaster Marc Maron was forced to grieve in isolation. He talks about finding humor amidst his grief in his new HBO special, From Bleak to Dark.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews a new release of Bob Dylan'sTime Out of Mind.

What do great conductors listen to when they're not on the podium? Philadelphia Orchestra/Met Opera conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin made a playlist, specifically for Fresh Air, of music that inspires him. It includes a surprising mix of pop, hip-hop and classical music — and includes a song that his cats love.

Find the playlist on ourwebsite or on Spotify.

In the last 30 years, Ruth E. Carter has produced some of the most iconic looks in the Black film canon and beyond. She won an Academy Award for Black Panther and is now nominated for Wakanda Forever. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about these projects as well as her decades-long collaboration with Spike Lee.

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews On Writing and Failure by Stephen Marche.

We remember composer and arranger Burt Bacharach, who died last week at 94. Bacharach, along with lyricist Hal David, created dozens of pop hits of the '60s and early '70s. He was known for his rhythmically sophisticated and catchy pop songs, like The Look of Love, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Walk on By, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Don't Make Me Over, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, I Say a Little Prayer, and Alfie. We'll listen back to two of our interviews. One with Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The other with Bacharach and Elvis Costello. They wrote many songs together.

The new Oscar-nominated documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, focuses on world-famous photographer Nan Goldin, her life, her work, and the protests she led at museums that accepted funding from the Sackler family. Their company, Purdue Pharma, manufactured and unscrupulously marketed OxyContin. We'll talk with Goldin and director Laura Poitras.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Up With the Sun, by Thomas Mallon.

One of the most acclaimed jazz pianists of his generation, Brad Mehldau sits down at the piano, for music and conversation. His album, Your Mother Should Know, interprets songs by The Beatles.

It's been 50 years since Schoolhouse Rock appeared on Saturday morning TV to teach kids about math, grammar and history. We're listening back to portions of our interviews with some of the people behind those songs: Composer, pianist and singer Bob Dorough, songwriter and pianist Dave Frishberg, and trumpeter and singer Jack Sheldon.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Magic Mike's Last Dance, the third and final Magic Mike film starring Channing Tatum.

The new Oscar-nominated documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, focuses on world-famous photographer Nan Goldin, her life, her work, and the protests she led at museums that accepted funding from the Sackler family. Their company, Purdue Pharma, manufactured and unscrupulously marketed OxyContin. We'll talk with Goldin and director Laura Poitras.

Also, John Powers reviews the documentary (also Oscar-nominated) All That Breathes.

Journalist Mark Whitaker says that much of what's happening American race relations today traces back to 1966, the year when the Black Panthers were founded and the Black Power movement took full form. It's also the year when when Stokely Carmichael replaced John Lewis as chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and challenged the tactic of non-violence. Whitaker examines the pivotal year in his new book, Saying It Loud: 1966 — The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement.

Prosecutor Mark Pomerantz worked on the Manhattan District Attorney's office probe into Donald Trump's finances, then resigned after a new DA decided not to file charges. His book is People vs. Donald Trump.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Up With the Sun by Thomas Mallon.

One of the most acclaimed jazz pianists of his generation, Mehldau sits down at the piano, for music and conversation. His album, Your Mother Should Know, interprets songs by The Beatles.

After working as a neurosurgeon for over 40 years, Dr. Henry Marsh was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The cancer led him to reflect on doctor/patient relationships, his own mortality, and why he'd consider the possibility of hastening the end through medically-assisted death. His new book is And Finally.

Also, we'll hear from actor Lizzy Caplan. In the series Fleishman Is in Trouble,she plays a character who's having questions about her marriage, motherhood, and what happened to her youth and potential.

And David Bianculli will review the new series Shrinking,starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel.

After losing much of her memory to dementia, one of the things the main character in the novel The Swimmersremembers is being forced into an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. Author Julie Otsuka talks about the novel and her own family's experience in Japanese incarceration camps.

Also, we remember Victor Navasky, the longtime editor and eventual publisher of The Nation. He also wrote the book Naming Names, now considered a classic, about the Hollywood 10 and the House Un-American Activities Committee.

David Bianculli reviews the new Netflix mockumentary series Cunk on Earth.

Journalist Jere Van Dyk has spent years in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he got to know leaders of the Haqqani network, responsible for many suicide bombings and kidnappings. His new book is Without Borders.

Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead a new anthology of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Shirley Scott Cookbook sessions.

Phone and electric car batteries are made with cobalt mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt Redauthor Siddharth Kara describes the conditions as a "horror show."

Justin Chang reviews the Belgian film Close.

The seriesFleishman Is in Trouble is about marriage, parenthood, and middle age. Lizzy Caplan plays Libby, a mom and journalist who is struggling with identity since moving to the suburbs. Caplan's other films and TV shows include Mean Girls, Party Down, and Freaks and Geeks. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work in the series Masters of Sex. She spoke with Fresh Air's Ann Marie Baldonado.

Also, David Bianculli reviews the series Shrinking,starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Marsh describes how his own cancer diagnoses led him to reflect on the doctor-patient relationship, his own mortality and medically-assisted death. He'll talk about his memoir, And Finally, and about his trips to Ukraine performing surgery and working to improve the country's medical system.

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.

David Bianculli reviews Rian Johnson's new series Poker Face,starring Natasha Lyonne.

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.

This month marks the centennial of the birth of Sam Phillips, the record producer who discovered Elvis and produced his first records. We're listening back to our interview with Phillips, who founded Sun Records in Memphis and also launched the careers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison.

Also David Crosby and Graham Nash tell the story of how they met and started making music together as Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Crosby died last week.

John Powers reviews the new HBO seriesThe Last of Us.

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."