Fresh Air with Terry Gross
In 'TransAtlantic,' The Flight Is Almost Too Smooth
Colum McCann won the National Book Award for his 2009 novel, Let the Great World Spin, about a high-wire artist. Critic Maureen Corrigan says McCann's new novel, TransAtlantic, also has its head in the clouds.
WWII 'Deserters': Stories Of Men Who Left The Front Lines
In his new book, journalist Charles Glass explores the little-known history of thousands of American and British soldiers who deserted during World War II. Glass describes how the strain of war can push a soldier to the breaking point — and how the line between courage and cowardice is never simple.
Fresh Air Weekend: Rogen, Goldberg, '20 Feet From Stardom' And 'Much Ado'
Writing partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg met as adolescents. Their new project is the disaster-movie spoof This Is the End. A new documentary profiles backup singers whose voices you know but whose names you probably don't. Joss Whedon's new production of Shakespeare's classic is a delight.
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Mantel Takes Up Betrayal, Beheadings In 'Bodies'
Hilary Mantel is the first woman to win the Man Booker Prize twice, first for her 2009 novel, Wolf Hall, and then for that book's 2012 sequel, Bring Up the Bodies. The novels are part of a historical fiction trilogy about Tudor England and the events surrounding the reign of King Henry VIII.
Whedon's Touch Finds A Match With 'Much Ado'
Sandwiched into Joss Whedon's busy schedule of TV series and big-screen features was an unexpected low-budget adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing — shot in black and white. Film critic David Edelstein says it's a delight. (Recommended)
John Oliver: Topical Comedy With A Crisp Accent
With Jon Stewart on leave, The Daily Show's "Senior British Correspondent" John Oliver has stepped up to fill in as host. In a Fresh Air interview from 2010, he talks about moving to the United States to join the show — and the weird credibility his accent immediately gives him with Americans.
Florida-Grown Fiction: Hiaasen Satirizes The Sunshine State
Novelist and Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen writes with passion and purpose about the state he loves. His latest book, Bad Monkey, is an offbeat murder mystery set in Key West.
Israeli Writer Yoram Kaniuk, 83, On Pain And Peace
Author and journalist Yoram Kaniuk died June 8 at age 83. He joined Fresh Air's Terry Gross in August 1988 to talk about fighting in the Israeli underground and his belief that, for Israelis and Palestinians, "the only way is to live somehow together."
Slaid Cleaves: 'Still Fighting' With Smart Lyrics And Stories
The singer-songwriter has said, as he was writing his new album Still Fighting the War, that "a theme of perseverance through hard times revealed itself." Rock critic Ken Tucker says the record is no downer, and that Cleaves finds complex sentiments and wittily phrased ideas in many of his new songs.
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'20 Feet From' The Spotlight, There's Singing Worthy Of One
A new documentary directed by Morgan Neville profiles backup singers whose voices you know but whose names you probably don't: Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Judith Hill and Merry Clayton.
Fame Studios And The Road To Nashville Songwriting Glory
One of America's great songwriters, Dan Penn has written dozens of soul classics, often with keyboardist Spooner Oldham. For a while, the two were on the staff of Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. Ace Records has just released an entire CD of Penn's demos.
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg: Friends Till 'The End'
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg met as adolescents on the Vancouver bar mitzvah circuit — and soon after began writing the script for what would become the movie Superbad. Their new project is This Is the End, a disaster-movie spoof in which the Rapture hits home in Hollywood.
Flying High And Low In 'Full Upright And Locked Position'
In a new book, aviation consultant Mark Gerchick writes that "the magic of air travel has morphed into an uncomfortable, crowded and utterly soulless ordeal." He talks about how it's gotten so bad, why there are so many hidden fees and if there actually is less leg room than there used to be.
Arctic Records: Drafting A Blueprint For The Philly Sound
Ed Ward takes a look at Philadelphia's long and complex history of black pop music. Specifically, he looks at small labels like Arctic, where several famous artists got their start — and which has just released a set of CDs covering all 60 of its single releases.
Fresh Air Weekend: Mitch Hurwitz, Jason Isbell And 'Before Midnight'
Arrested Development's creator tells Fresh Air that if the show doesn't get the right ratings this time, he can't blame the time slot. Isbell's new album, Southeastern, hits the spot. In Richard Linklater's third film about Jesse and Celine, the two have coupled up, but it's no fairy tale.
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'Beside Ourselves' Explores Human-Animal Connections
Karen Joy Fowler's haunting novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, draws on arguments she used to have with her father, a psychology professor, over how closely connected humans and animals really are. Fowler is also the author of the 2004 best-seller The Jane Austen Book Club.
'Beside Ourselves' Explores Human-Animal Connections
Karen Joy Fowler's haunting novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, draws on arguments she used to have with her father, a psychology professor, over how closely connected humans and animals really are. Fowler is also the author of the 2004 best-seller The Jane Austen Book Club.
'The Life That Follows' Disarming IEDs In Iraq
Brian Castner commanded two Explosive Ordnance Disposal units in Iraq, where his team disabled roadside IEDs and investigated the aftermath of roadside car bombings. He returned home a completely different man, which he details in his memoir, The Long Walk.
'The Life That Follows' Disarming IEDs In Iraq
Brian Castner commanded two Explosive Ordnance Disposal units in Iraq, where his team disabled roadside IEDs and investigated the aftermath of roadside car bombings. He returned home a completely different man, which he details in his memoir, The Long Walk.
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The Patient Who Let Us Peek Inside A Brain In 'Present Tense'
For nearly 50 years, neuroscientist Suzanne Corkin worked with Henry Molaison, who lost most of his memory in 1953 after experimental surgery for severe seizures. Their work together taught us much of what we know today about memory, and she writes about Molaison and their work in her new book.
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