Fresh Air
NPR
Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair
Episodes
Mentioned books
80 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 46min
The Ruby Ridge siege & conspiracy-laced politics in America
Maureen Corrigan, literature professor and book critic, offers a brisk review of Rachel Weaver’s memoir Dizzy. Chris Jennings, author of End of Days, traces the Ruby Ridge siege, apocalyptic beliefs, militia ties, and how those events fed conspiracy-driven politics. Short, sharp conversations about survivalism, law enforcement tactics, and the cultural roots of modern conspiracies.
12 snips
Feb 7, 2026 • 47min
Best Of: Fighting for free press in Russia / ‘Fear and Fury’
Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer-winning historian who wrote Fear and Fury, and Julia Loktev, filmmaker who documented independent Russian journalists, speak candidly. They explore journalism under Russia's crackdown, intimate reporting choices, and the cultural forces behind vigilante violence in 1980s New York. Short, vivid conversations about press freedom, exile, and how fear reshapes public memory.
Feb 6, 2026 • 47min
A 50th anniversary celebration of ‘Taxi Driver’
Justin Chang, New Yorker film critic, offers a sharp review segment. Harvey Keitel, early Scorsese ensemble actor, recalls researching and improvising his pimp role. Paul Schrader, screenwriter of Taxi Driver, reflects on crafting Travis Bickle’s voice. They explore improvisation, casting memories, the script’s origins, and the film’s enduring cultural impact.
47 snips
Feb 5, 2026 • 44min
Following independent journalists fighting for free press in Russia
Julia Loktev, filmmaker known for intimate documentaries and director of My Undesirable Friends, follows young Russian journalists under crackdown. She describes filming in Moscow, shooting on an iPhone for closeness. Conversations cover the foreign agent law, choices between exile or prison, surveillance risks, and how community, dark humor and music sustained resistance.
103 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 44min
Is America headed toward dictatorship?
Robert Kagan, Brookings senior fellow and Atlantic writer, warns that Trump’s moves to federalize elections, seize ballots, and personalize power resemble steps toward dictatorship. He connects domestic authoritarian tactics to attacks on institutions and outlines risks to NATO and American leadership. The conversation spotlights institutional erosion, voter suppression strategies, and the historical roots of today’s political threats.
28 snips
Feb 3, 2026 • 44min
How Rupert Murdoch built an empire and broke his family
Sam Fragoso, interviewer and podcaster, talks with Gabriel Sherman, investigative journalist and author of Bonfire of the Murdochs. They trace Rupert Murdoch’s succession choice, the $1.1 billion buyouts that split his children, and how one man’s drive to build a family business reshaped media, politics, and his own family.
Feb 2, 2026 • 44min
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke, actor, writer, and filmmaker known for film and stage work. He talks about inhabiting Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon and the physical and emotional work it required. He recalls collaborations with Richard Linklater and long-term projects that shaped his view of time. He reflects on artists, addiction, aging, stage fright, music projects, and documentary filmmaking.
4 snips
Jan 31, 2026 • 49min
Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes
Maureen Corrigan, noted literary critic and professor, gives a brisk review of George Saunders. Julian Barnes, Booker Prize winner and novelist, discusses his hybrid final book, mortality, and mourning. Liz Moore, bestselling novelist and MFA director, talks about addiction, missing siblings, adapting novels for TV, and writing routines. Short, conversational segments cover craft, grief, and adaptations.
31 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 45min
Guillermo Del Toro would ‘rather die’ than use generative AI
Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning filmmaker known for gothic fantasy and empathy, discusses why Frankenstein gripped him as a child. He talks about structuring the film, centering the creature’s perspective, religious parallels, and designing a new creature look. He also shares personal stories about mortality and his firm refusal to use generative AI.
14 snips
Jan 29, 2026 • 44min
Former NBC producer on silence, shame and finding words after #MeToo
Brooke Nevils, former NBC producer and author of Unspeakable Things, recounts her Sochi-era experience and why it took years to tell. She describes the hotel-night encounter, the power dynamics that complicated naming it, and the career risks of reporting it. She also reflects on reclaiming her story and preparing to talk with her children about hard truths.
