Fresh Air
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Fresh Air

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...

Episodes 879
Books 1,286

Recently mentioned

Latest Recommendations

The Alchemist - Gift Edition cover

The Alchemist - Gift Edition

Paulo Coelho

Mentioned 3 months ago

Malala Yousafzai

Malala mentioned reading The Alchemist as one of the few books she had access to as a teenager, expressing pride in having read it.

I read The Alchemist, and like one or two other books like that, and I was so proud of myself.

Buy on Amazon
I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here: Finding My Voice, Finding My People, Finding My Way cover

I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here

Jonathan Conyers

Mentioned 3 months ago

Malala Yousafzai

The memoir was highlighted as the source that revealed how the bullet altered Malala's life and continued her journey, and it was repeatedly referenced as her recent book throughout the interview.

It's when I read her recent memoir, Finding My Way, that I learned how the bullet changed the course of her life, thrusting her into a new culture and changing her in ways that didn't quite fit her public image as an inspirational hero.

Buy on Amazon
Defiance: A Memoir of Awakening, Rebellion, and Survival in Syria cover

Defiance

Loubna Mrie

Mentioned 5 months ago

A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father

This memoir detailed the author's awakening, rebellion against the Syrian regime, and her survival in the country. The interviewer found the toxic family dynamics within the book to be familiar, while also noting how thoroughly the author documented the country falling apart.

Lubna Murai's new book is called Defiance, a memoir of awakening, rebellion, and survival in Syria.

Buy on Amazon
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth cover

Here We Are

Oliver Jeffers

Mentioned 5 months ago

A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father

This was mentioned as the migrant memoir written by the guest interviewer, Aarti Shahani, which was about fighting ICE to protect her father.

You may have also heard her interviews on her podcast, Art of Power, or read her migrant memoir, which is about fighting ice to protect her father. It's called Here We Are.

Buy on Amazon
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together cover

The Sum of Us

Heather McGhee

Mentioned 5 months ago

Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

Heather McGhee's book examines why many Americans believe progress for one group signifies loss for another, tracing how the country has chosen to destroy public goods rather than share them. The author argued that racism hurts everyone, including white Americans, by costing the country significant GDP, and presented the book as both a diagnosis and a way out.

Her book, 'The Sum of Us,' examines a question at the heart of American life: Why do so many Americans believe that progress for one group means loss for another?

Buy on Amazon
Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families--and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World cover

Torn Apart

Dorothy Roberts

Mentioned 5 months ago

Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

This was one of Dorothy Roberts' landmark books that helped reshape how the policing of reproduction, parenting, and race in America was understood.

Her landmark books, Killing the Black Body and Torn Apart, helped reshape how we understand the policing of reproduction, parenting, and race in America.

Buy on Amazon
The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Family cover

The Mixed Marriage Project

Dorothy Roberts

Mentioned 5 months ago

Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

This is Dorothy Roberts' memoir which she wrote after discovering boxes of her late father's research interviews with interracial couples dating back to the 1930s. The discovery challenged her lifelong assumption that her father's research was inspired by his marriage to her Black Jamaican mother. She realized her father's interest in interracial marriage predated his relationship with her mother, leading her to write a book exploring her family and identity instead of just finishing his sociological work.

The memoir is called 'The Mixed Marriage Project.'

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Black Power: The politics of liberation in America, cover

Black Power

Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture)

Mentioned 5 months ago

Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

Dorothy Roberts read this book in the seventh grade, which caused her to begin developing a different perspective than her father regarding structural racism and the power of interracial love to transcend it.

And I do believe that beginning at that young age, I recognized the power of structural racism and could not accept his view that interracial love by itself would be strong enough to transcend it or overcome it or dismantle it. And so from that time on, we began to have debates about it.

Buy on Amazon
Wuthering Heights cover

Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë

Mentioned 5 months ago

‘Sinners’ Songwriter Raphael Saadiq

The novel was highlighted as a classic that has been adapted many times for the screen, with the latest film version starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

Emily Bronte's 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights, has been adapted for the screen numerous times. The latest version stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Bronte's ill-fated lovers, Catherine and Heathcliff, and opens in theaters this week.

Buy on Amazon
American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union: An Anthology cover

American Struggle

Jon Meacham

Mentioned 5 months ago

‘Sinners’ Songwriter Raphael Saadiq

The book was noted as a new collection of important speeches, letters, and other texts spanning from colonial times to today.

His new book, American Struggle, is a collection of important speeches, letters, and other texts from colonial times to today.

Buy on Amazon
Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century cover

Fatal Invention

Dorothy Roberts

Mentioned 5 months ago

Love, Race & the ‘Mixed Marriage Project’

The host referenced it as Roberts's 2011 book that argues race is a political construct.

You know, your 2011 book, Fatal Invention, I want to talk about it just for a moment in the context of this work, because you argued that race is a political category, something Europeans invented to oppress other groups.

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Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage cover

Fear and Fury

Heather Ann Thompson

Mentioned 5 months ago

Best Of: Fighting for free press in Russia / ‘Fear and Fury’

This book revisited the 1984 New York City subway shooting involving Bernhard Goetz and four Black teenagers. The historian argued the case marked a political turning point where white racial fear was sanctioned by law and leveraged by elites. The book explored fear as a powerful force in American life, capable of shaping policy and excusing violence.

We are watching someone tell us exactly who they are, exactly what they did, and it will not matter. Up will become down, down will become up. And that also felt very, very familiar to where we are today.

Buy on Amazon

Most Recommended

How Music Works Cover

David Byrne

How Music Works

The interview quoted Byrne's book to illustrate his philosophy of stripping away rock clichs and later his approach to movement and dance on stage.

"

And you wrote, you wanted no rock moves or poses, no pomp or drama, no rock hair, no rock lights, no rehearsed stage pattern, definitely no noodling guitar solos.

— Episode: David Byrne on 40 Years of 'Stop Making...

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Episode: David Byrne on 40 Years of 'Stop Making Sense'

The interview quoted Byrne's book to illustrate his philosophy of stripping away rock clichs and later his approach to movement and dance on stage.

"

And you wrote, you wanted no rock moves or poses, no pomp or drama, no rock hair, no rock lights, no rehearsed stage pattern, definitely no noodling guitar solos.

And you're talking about dancing and you say, a nerdy white guy trying to be smooth and black is a terrible thing to behold. I let my body discover little by little its own grammar of movement, often jerky, spastic and strangely formal.

Episode: Best Of: David Byrne / Inside The AI Company That...

Byrne reflected on his artistic philosophy, describing how he stripped away rock conventions to create a unique musical language.

"

So I'm going to quote you from your book How Music Works in terms of what you stripped away.

So I'm going to quote you again from, this is from your book How Music Works. And you're talking about dancing and you say, a nerdy white guy trying to be smooth and black is a terrible thing to behold. I let my body discover little by little its own grammar of movement, often jerky, spastic and strangely formal.

Episode: David Byrne On 'Stop Making Sense'

The book was cited as the source of Byrne's philosophy of stripping away rock clichs and focusing on minimalist stage elements; Byrne explained that he wanted no rock moves, poses, lights, or rehearsed patterns.

"

So I'm going to quote you from your book How Music Works in terms of what you stripped away. In your book, you wrote, you wanted no rock moves or poses, no pomp or drama, no rock hair, no rock lights, no rehearsed stage pattern, definitely no noodling guitar solos.

I'm going to quote you again from, this is from your book How Music Works. And you're talking about dancing and you say, a nerdy white guy trying to be smooth and black is a terrible thing to behold.

Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth Cover

Brian Stelter

Hoax

Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth

The book was mentioned as Stelter's bestselling 2020 work about Fox News.

"

It's a followup to Stelter's bestselling 2020 book about Fox called Hoax.

— Episode: Best Of: What's Next For Fox News? / Sof...

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Episode: Best Of: What's Next For Fox News? / Sofia Coppola

The book was mentioned as Stelter's bestselling 2020 work about Fox News.

"

It's a followup to Stelter's bestselling 2020 book about Fox called Hoax.

Episode: Best Of: What's Next For Fox News? / Sofia Coppola

The earlier 2020 book about Fox was mentioned as a bestselling followup to Network of Lies.

"

It's a followup to Stelter's bestselling 2020 book about Fox called Hoax.

Episode: What's Changing At Fox News?

Stelter's 2020 bestseller traced how Fox News promoted false narratives about the Trump administration and set the stage for later controversies.

"

It's a followup to Stelter's bestselling 2020 book about Fox called Hoax.

It's a follow up to his 2020 book about Fox, which was called Hoax.

The Zone of Interest: A novel Cover

Martin Amis

The Zone of Interest

A novel

The interview noted that the film was loosely adapted from Martin Amis's 2014 novel of the same name.

"

The Zone of Interest was loosely adapted from a 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis

— Episode: Timothy Olyphant On 'Justified'

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Episode: Timothy Olyphant On 'Justified'

The interview noted that the film was loosely adapted from Martin Amis's 2014 novel of the same name.

"

The Zone of Interest was loosely adapted from a 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis

Earlier this month, The Zone of Interest was named the best picture of 2023 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Episode: Timothy Olyphant On 'Justified'

The hosts explained that the film The Zone of Interest was loosely adapted from Martin Amis's 2014 novel of the same name.

"

The Zone of Interest was loosely adapted from a 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis

The Zone of Interest was loosely adapted from a 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis

Episode: Timothy Olyphant On 'Justified'

The book was mentioned as the source material for the film, noting it was a 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis that was loosely adapted into the movie.

"

Here I should note that The Zone of Interest was loosely adapted from a 2014 novel by the late Martin Amis, which featured multiple subplots and characters, including a Jewish prisoner inside the camp.

Earlier this month, The Zone of Interest was named the best picture of 2023 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Creation Lake: A Novel Cover

Rachel Kushner

Creation Lake

A Novel

She called it an espionage thriller sealed tight in the plastic wrap of noir.

"

Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake is an espionage thriller sealed tight in the plastic wrap of noir.

— Episode: Best Of: Jon Batiste's 'Beethoven Blues'...

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Episode: Best Of: Jon Batiste's 'Beethoven Blues' / Visual...

She called it an espionage thriller sealed tight in the plastic wrap of noir.

"

Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake is an espionage thriller sealed tight in the plastic wrap of noir.

Episode: Actor Danielle Deadwyler 'Overprepared' For 'The P...

An espionage thriller wrapped in noir, following a former FBI agent turned spy infiltrating a radical farming collective in France.

"

Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake is an espionage thriller sealed tight in the plastic wrap of noir. Her main character, a young woman, is a former FBI agent turned freelance spy who infiltrates a radical farming collective in France. You don't read Kushner for the relatability of her characters. Instead, it's her dead-on language and orange threat-alert atmosphere that draw readers in.

Episode: The Unchecked Power Of Sheriffs

The novel was described as an espionage thriller with existential dread, hailed as Kushner's coolest book yet.

"

Rachel Kushner's new novel, Creation Lake, has been long listed for the Booker Prize.

Our book critic, Maureen Corrigan says, this tale of spies, subversives and Cro-Magnon Man may be Kushner's coolest book yet.

Creation Lake is an espionage thriller sealed tight in the soiled plastic wrap of noir.

Existential dread and exhaustion are its signature moods.

Double-crossing seduction and sudden death, its plot devices.

When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown Cover

Kenan Thompson

When I Was Your Age

Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown

Kenan Thompson's memoir was presented as a collection of life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

"

Kenan Thompson's new book is called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

— Episode: SNL's Kenan Thompson

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SNL's Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson's memoir was presented as a collection of life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

"

Kenan Thompson's new book is called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

He's got a new memoir called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

Kenan Thompson's book is called When I Was Your Age. Life lessons, funny stories and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

He's written a new book called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

If you're just joining us, our guest today is Kenan Thompson ... talking about his new book, When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

Episode: SNL's Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson discussed his new memoir, describing it as a collection of life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

"

Kenan Thompson's new book is called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

He's got a new memoir called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

Kenan Thompson's book is called When I Was Your Age. Life lessons, funny stories and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

Kenan Thompson's new book is called When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown.

Episode: Breaking The Menstruation Taboo

Thompson's memoir offers life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from the veteran SNL performer. It was introduced as a new humorous release.

"

His new book, When I Was Your Age, life lessons, funny stories, and questionable parenting advice from a professional clown, takes readers behind the curtain of his life and career with stories he's never shared before.

Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV Cover

Emily Nussbaum

Cue the Sun!

The Invention of Reality TV

The book was introduced as Emily Nussbaum's new release about the invention of reality TV and was referenced several times as her latest work.

"

Emily Nussbaum is also the author of a new book about the invention of reality TV called Cue the Sun, which we'll talk about a little later.

— Episode: Best Of: Comic Michelle Buteau / Emily N...

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Episode: Best Of: Comic Michelle Buteau / Emily Nussbaum On...

The book was introduced as Emily Nussbaum's new release about the invention of reality TV and was referenced several times as her latest work.

"

Emily Nussbaum is also the author of a new book about the invention of reality TV called Cue the Sun, which we'll talk about a little later.

Her new book is called Cue the Sun, the Invention of Reality TV.

Nussbaum is the author of the new book, Cue the Sun, the Invention of Reality TV.

Episode: What Do The 'Love is Blind' Lawsuits Mean For Real...

Emily Nussbaum discussed her new book that examines the invention of reality television, describing it as a recent release about the genre's history.

"

Emily Nussbaum is also the author of a new book about the invention of reality TV called Cue the Sun, which we'll talk about a little later.

Her new book is called Cue the Sun, the Invention of Reality TV.

Emily Nussbaum is the author of the new book Cue the Sun, the invention of reality TV.

Episode: Fairport Convention Founding Member Richard Thomps...

The segment introduced Nussbaum's new book, Cue the Sun, about the invention of reality TV.

"

Emily Nussbaum tells us about her article, Is Love is Blind a Toxic Workplace? And we'll talk about her new book, Cue the Sun, the Invention of Reality TV.

1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation Cover

Andrew Ross Sorkin

1929

Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation

The book was highlighted by the host as a new work that examines the 1929 Wall Street crash and its national impact, and it was referenced several times across the episodes discussing lessons from that era. The discussion presented it as a relevant source for understanding the historical crash without extensive critique or endorsement.

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Can The Lessons Of 1929 Prevent Another Crash?

Sorkin's latest book examined the 1929 stockmarket crash and its impact on America, and it was referenced multiple times throughout the episode. The title and subtitle were presented as "1929, Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation."

"

His latest book is 1929, Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation.

His new book is 1929, Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation.

His new book is 1929, Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation.

Episode: Can The Lessons Of 1929 Prevent Another Crash?

Dave Davies introduced Sorkin's new book, 1929, which examined the 1929 Wall Street crash and how it shattered the nation.

"

His latest book is 1929, Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation.

His new book is 1929, Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation.

Episode: Star Of ‘Pluribus’ Rhea Seehorn

The book was described as a gripping account of the stockmarket crash that led to the Great Depression.

"

Author of a bestselling book on the 2008 financial crisis, his latest is a gripping account of the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression. It's called 1929.

Lazarus Man: A Novel Cover

Richard Price

Lazarus Man

A Novel

The host introduced the novel as a highly anticipated new work and described its plot about a building collapse and its impact on Harlem residents.

"

His new novel, Lazarus Man, is one of the most anticipated books of the season.

— Episode: Best Of: Why Do We Itch? / Writer Richar...

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Episode: Best Of: Why Do We Itch? / Writer Richard Price

The host introduced the novel as a highly anticipated new work and described its plot about a building collapse and its impact on Harlem residents.

"

His new novel, Lazarus Man, is one of the most anticipated books of the season.

The story revolves around the collapse of a five-story building whose impact is like a very small-scale 9-11.

Richard Price's new novel is called Lazarus Man.

Episode: How Screenwriting Saved Novelist Richard Price

The novel was introduced as a new Richard Price work about a fivestory building collapse in Harlem and a survivor called the Lazarus Man, praised for its thoughtful, peaceful urban thriller tone.

"

I always look forward to a new Richard Price novel, and after nearly 10 years of waiting, he has a new one called Lazarus Man.

You know, the book is called Lazarus, Man.

His new novel is called Lazarus Man.

His new novel is called Lazarus Man.

Richard Price's new novel is called Lazarus Man.

Episode: What Trump's Foreign Policy Could Look Like

The conversation noted that Richard Price's new novel Lazarus Man focuses on second chances.

"

new novel Lazarus Man is about second chances

Heft: A Novel Cover

Liz Moore

Heft

A Novel

The book was discussed as Liz Moore's earlier novel about a 450‑pound shut‑in in Brooklyn who longs for human connection, with Moore noting she shares the character's instincts and would rewrite him now to explore her own neuroses around food. The hosts highlighted the character's inner life and Moore's personal identification with him.

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Episode: ‘The God of the Woods’ Author Liz Moore

The central character in this earlier novel was a 450-pound shut-in living in Brooklyn who desired human connection. The author stated that she thinks of the main character, Arthur, as most like herself in terms of inner voice and worrying about others, though she intentionally made him physically very different.

"

The central character in an earlier novel, titled Heft, is a 450-pound shut-in in Brooklyn who longs for human connection.

I think Arthur has the same instincts.

Episode: ‘The God of the Woods’ Author Liz Moore

This earlier novel centered on a 450-pound shut-in in Brooklyn who longed for human connection, and the author admitted that she identified with the central character, Arthur, more than any other character she had written. She mentioned that she would write Arthur differently now, perhaps by exploring her own neuroses around food and eating less superficially.

"

The central character in an earlier novel, titled Heft, is a 450-pound shut-in in Brooklyn who longs for human connection.

I think Arthur has the same instincts.

I would write Arthur differently now.

Episode: Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes

It was a novel about a 450pound shutin living in Brooklyn who longs for human connection.

"

The central character in an earlier novel, titled Heft, is a 450pound shutin in Brooklyn who longs for human connection.

The Unseen World: A Novel Cover

Liz Moore

The Unseen World

A Novel

The author discussed the title as a mystery of identity, describing how a character invents an entire life and his daughter uncovers the truth as he loses his memory. She noted that this novel and another work were categorized differently from her recent books because they did not begin with a missing person. The conversation highlighted the themes of deception and family revelation.

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: ‘The God of the Woods’ Author Liz Moore

This novel featured a mystery of identity where a character invented his entire life and his daughter only discovered the truth after he began to lose his memory. The author considered it to contain a mystery of family, similar to how she views 'Heft'.

"

a book of mine called The Unseen World deals with the mystery of identity there's a character who has effectively lied about everything in his entire life has invented an identity for himself and his daughter only discovers this after he begins to lose his memory so she has to figure out who he really is and why he lied

Episode: ‘The God of the Woods’ Author Liz Moore

This book deals with the mystery of identity, featuring a character who lied about his entire life and invented a new identity, which his daughter uncovers after he starts losing his memory. The author noted that this book, along with 'Heft,' were categorized differently than her more recent novels because they did not start with a missing person.

"

a book of mine called The Unseen World deals with the mystery of identity there's a character who has effectively lied about everything in his entire life has invented an identity for himself and his daughter only discovers this after he begins to lose his memory so she has to figure out who he really is and why he lied

Episode: Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes

It was a book that dealt with a mystery of identity, exploring hidden aspects of a character's past.

"

My first three novels also contained really... A book of mine called The Unseen World deals with a mystery of identity.

The Flower Bearers Cover

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The Flower Bearers

The title was highlighted as Rachel Eliza Griffiths' new memoir that explored the tragic year surrounding her wedding to Salman Rushdie, her friend's death, and her early childhood hardships. Host Terry Gross expressed a strong personal appreciation for the work and emphasized its emotional depth and relevance.

Highly Recommended
Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths On Love, Tragedy & ‘Su...

Griffiths described her new memoir as covering the period of her wedding, her friend's death, and the aftermath of her husband's stabbing.

"

Griffiths' new memoir, The Flower Bearers, covers this period, as well as her childhood, which pretty much ended when she was 11 or 12 and her mother was diagnosed with kidney disease.

My guest is Rachel Eliza Griffiths. Her new memoir is called The Flower Bearers.

Her new memoir is called The Flower Bearers. We'll talk more after a short break.

Rachel Eliza Griffith's new memoir is called The Flower Bearers.

Episode: How Racism Costs Everyone

Griffiths's memoir recounts personal milestones and trauma, including her marriage to Salman Rushdie, the loss of a close friend, and the attack on Rushdie, framing a year of intense upheaval.

"

Tomorrow on Fresh Air, poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths. On the day she married her husband, Salman Rushdie, her longtime best friend died unexpectedly. Eleven months later, Rushdie was stabbed multiple times while being interviewed on stage. We'll talk about that year, which she describes in her new memoir, The Flower Bearers.

Episode: Best Of: Writers Rachel Eliza Griffiths & Quiara A...

This is Rachel Eliza Griffiths' new memoir detailing the tragic year surrounding her wedding to Salman Rushdie, including the death of her best friend and the near-fatal stabbing of her husband.

"

Griffiths describes that year in her new memoir, The Flower Bearers.

Griffiths' new memoir, The Flower Bearers, covers this period, as well as her childhood, which pretty much ended when she was 11 or 12 and her mother was diagnosed with kidney disease.

Rachel Eliza Griffith, welcome to Fresh Air. I really like your book a lot.

Rachel Eliza Griffiths' new memoir is called The Flower Bearers.

Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage Cover

Heather Ann Thompson

Fear and Fury

The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage

The episode revisited the 1984 New York City subway shooting and highlighted how the book argued that the case marked a political turning point in which white racial fear was sanctioned by law and leveraged by elites. Historian Heather Ann Thompson discussed how fear has been a powerful force shaping policy and excusing violence, emphasizing its relevance to contemporary racial dynamics. The discussion presented the title as a compelling analysis of race and fear in America.

Highly Recommended
Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: A Mel Brooks Appreciation!

The historian's new book was mentioned as a recent publication dealing with contemporary social issues.

"

her new book is Fear and Fury

Episode: The Rebirth Of White Rage

The historian described her new book as a study of how the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting shaped American politics of fear and the rebirth of white rage. It traced the event's longterm impact on policy, media, and racial tensions.

"

Historian and Pulitzer Prizewinning author Heather Ann Thompson has written a new book that explores fear, how it has become one of the most powerful forces in American life, powerful enough to excuse violence, shape policy, and decide whose lives matter.

The book is titled Fear and Fury, The Reagan 80s, The Bernard Goetz Shootings, and The Rebirth of White Rage.

We're talking with Pulitzer Prizewinning author Heather Ann Thompson about her new book Fear and Fury, which traces how a 1984 New York City subway shooting helped shape the politics of fear we're still living with today.

Heather Ann Thompson's book is Fear and Fury, The Reagan 80s, The Bernie Goetz Shootings, and The Rebirth of White Rage.

Episode: Best Of: Fighting for free press in Russia / ‘Fear...

This book revisited the 1984 New York City subway shooting involving Bernhard Goetz and four Black teenagers. The historian argued the case marked a political turning point where white racial fear was sanctioned by law and leveraged by elites. The book explored fear as a powerful force in American life, capable of shaping policy and excusing violence.

"

We are watching someone tell us exactly who they are, exactly what they did, and it will not matter. Up will become down, down will become up. And that also felt very, very familiar to where we are today.

Powerful enough to excuse violence, shape policy, and decide whose lives matter.

If I had more bullets, I would have shot them all again and again. My problem was I ran out of bullets. And I was going to gouge one of the guy's eyes out with my keys afterwards. You can't understand this. I know you can't understand this. That's fine. The only reason I didn't do it is because he had changed as well.

The confession is this astonishing piece of tape that also really resonated with me in terms of the contemporary moment we are in because we are watching someone tell us exactly who they are, exactly what they did. And it will not matter. Up will become down. Down will become up.

Race. I mean, there is an inescapable story here about the way in which this case and subsequent cases like it were fueled and animated and legitimated by the sense that the people who had been killed or harmed or damaged had deserved exactly what they got.

Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster Cover

Jacob Soboroff

Firestorm

The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster

The recent nonfiction work was highlighted as a recommended read about the devastating 2024 Los Angeles wildfires.

"

Jacob Soboroff about his new book Firestorm, which is about last year's devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

— Episode: Tessa Thompson

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Tessa Thompson

The recent nonfiction work was highlighted as a recommended read about the devastating 2024 Los Angeles wildfires.

"

Jacob Soboroff about his new book Firestorm, which is about last year's devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

Episode: Investigating The Great Los Angeles Fires

Jacob Soboroff wrote a minutebyminute account of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, exploring the causes, impacts, and future risk of such disasters.

"

Jacob Soboroff was there for all of it and has written about it in a new book called Firestorm, The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster.

Our guest today is journalist Jacob Soboroff, a senior political and national correspondent for MS Now and the author of the new book, Firestorm.

Jacob Soberoff, correspondent for MS Now. His new book is titled Firestorm.

Episode: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

The book examined the major Los Angeles wildfires and the broader shift in America toward more frequent, catastrophic disasters, drawing on Soboroff's reporting experience.

"

My interview with Dwayne Johnson was recorded in October when his film, The Smashing Machine was released... we end our holiday 2025 retrospective. On the next Fresh Air, we return to new interviews with our guest, journalist Jacob Soboroff, who has a new book titled Firestorm, The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster. He covered the fires as a reporter while watching his childhood neighborhood, the Pacific Palisades, burn, bringing a deeply personal lens to a national crisis.

We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World Cover

Malala Yousafzai

We Are Displaced

My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World

The title was mentioned as another of Malala's books that shares true refugee stories.

"

She's written several books, including, I Am Malala and We Are Displaced, True Stories of Refugee Lives.

— Episode: Best Of: Malala Yousafzai / Ken Burns On...

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Episode: Best Of: Malala Yousafzai / Ken Burns On The Revol...

The title was mentioned as another of Malala's books that shares true refugee stories.

"

She's written several books, including, I Am Malala and We Are Displaced, True Stories of Refugee Lives.

Episode: Malala Finds Her Way

The title was mentioned as another of Malala Yousafzai's books that collects true stories of refugee lives.

"

She's written several books, including I Am Malala and We Are Displaced, True Stories of Refugee Lives.

Episode: Malala Finds Her Way

The title was listed as another of Malala's books, described as true stories of refugee lives.

"

She's written several books, including I Am Malala and We Are Displaced, True Stories of Refugee Lives.

Night People: How to Be a DJ in '90s New York City Cover

Mark Ronson

Night People

How to Be a DJ in '90s New York City

The book was highlighted as a love‑letter to the 1990s New York club scene, offering a diaristic look at Ronson’s early DJ years and how he learned to read crowds and shape the night. Host Tanya Mosley and Ronson himself both praised it for giving listeners a vivid glimpse of a DJ’s experience and the era’s culture. The discussion conveyed strong enthusiasm for the memoir, presenting it as a must‑read for anyone interested in that period of music history.

Highly Recommended
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Episode: Best Of: Scarlett Johansson & June Squibb / Mark R...

The memoir Night People was described as a loveletter to the 1990s New York club scene, recounting Ronson's formative years as a DJ and his reflections on the culture of that era.

"

It's a story of how a young outsider with a British accent found a place in the 1990s club scene, learning to read crowds, dig through crates, and create the perfect mix of venues where the city's tribes collided. Night People, as he defines them, are different than people who simply enjoy a night out.

They become their best selves once the sun goes down, and daytime is just the warmup. Those formative years spinning records would shape everything that came after.

This book really gives us a glimpse of what it's actually like for the DJ. You're able to just make the room explode by the decisions that you make, and you describe in this book how nothing compares to the first time you feel it.

In the book I wanted to keep it as diaristic and just really only in the Nineties. It's really only in the epilogue where I'm walking around downtown with my daughter strapped to me and talking about what it was like then versus now with the laptop versus the hundreds of records.

Mark Ronson's new memoir about DJing in the 90s New York club scene is called Night People.

Episode: Mark Ronson On DJing In The '90s

Ronson's memoir recounted his upbringing and early DJ career in 1990s NewYork, painting the club scene as a loveletter to the era and explaining how he came to identify as a "night person."

"

Music producer and DJ Mark Ronson's new memoir, Night People, takes us back to a New York that no longer exists.

Yeah, you know, Mark, this was a really fun read, and it had me thinking that most of us experience the DJ from the dance floor. So this book really gives us a glimpse of what it's actually like for the DJ.

And you describe in this book how nothing compares to the first time you feel it.

In the book, I wanted to keep it as diaristically and just really only in the 90s. ... He goes, I really liked the book.

Mark Ronson's new memoir about DJing in the 90s New York club scene is called Night People.

Episode: Comic Cristela Alonzo

The memoir was announced as Mark Ronson's new book, detailing his early DJ career in 1990s New York City.

"

Tomorrow on Fresh Air, our guest will be Grammy winning music producer Mark Ronson, who's written a new memoir called Night People, How to Be a DJ in 90s New York City.

Comedy Nerd: A Lifelong Obsession in Stories and Pictures Cover

Judd Apatow

Comedy Nerd

A Lifelong Obsession in Stories and Pictures

The host highlighted the title as a visual memoir that showcases the author's lifelong fascination with comedy, noting its scrapbook‑like presentation and impressive near‑600‑page length. Tanya Mosley described it as unlike any memoir she had encountered, emphasizing its unique format and depth. The discussion conveyed strong enthusiasm for the book’s distinctive approach.

Highly Recommended
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Episode: Best Of: Judd Apatow / Misty Copeland

The host described it as a visual memoir that compiled Apatow's lifelong obsession with comedy, noting its unusual scrapbooklike format and its near600page length.

"

And now at 57, he's letting us get a glimpse of his collection, which he's compiled in a new book called Comedy Nerd, a lifelong obsession and stories and pictures.

This memoir, it's unlike any memoir I've ever seen, as I said. Almost 600 pages.

Judd Apatow's new memoir is Comedy Nerd, a lifelong obsession in stories and pictures.

Episode: Judd Apatow Unpacks His Comedy Memorabilia

The memoir was described as a visual memoir that combined scrapbookstyle pictures, notes and stories from Apatow's lifelong comedy obsession.

"

Now at 57, he's letting us get a glimpse of his collection, which he compiled in a new book called Comedy Nerd, a lifelong obsession in stories and pictures.

Jud... new visual memoir, Comedy Nerd, a lifelong obsession in stories and pictures.

Judd Apatow's new memoir is Comedy Nerd, a lifelong obsession in stories and pictures.

Episode: For Cameron Crowe, Being 'Uncool' Is A Badge Of Ho...

The book was presented as a new release filled with unpublished photos, handwritten letters, and early script drafts, offering behindthescenes memories of Apatow's comedy career.

"

Judd Apatow his new book Comedy Nerd is filled with never before published photos handwritten letters and early script drafts he'll share some related memories including the childhood obsessions that led to comedies like the 40 year old virgin and freaks and geeks.

Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife Cover

Francesca Wade

Gertrude Stein

An Afterlife

Maureen Corrigan described the book as a lively, unconventional biography that moved beyond Gertrude Stein's death to explore the obsessive admirers who shaped her posthumous reputation, and the show later echoed that it examined Stein's literary genius and the fervor of her followers. Both episodes highlighted its engaging narrative and fresh perspective, presenting it as a noteworthy recommendation for listeners interested in literary history.

Highly Recommended
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Episode: Best Of: Michael Shannon / ‘Pluribus’ Star Rhea Se...

Maureen Corrigan called it a lively, unconventional biography of Gertrude Stein that goes beyond Stein's death to explore the obsessive admirers who helped secure her posthumous reputation.

"

Francesca Wade's lively, unconventional biography called Gertrude Stein, An Afterlife, doesn't end at Stein's death in 1946, but also tells the story of the obsessive admirers who helped Stein achieve serious posthumous recognition.

Episode: Homelessness In The New Gilded Age

The biography examined Stein's literary genius and the obsessive admirers who helped secure her posthumous reputation.

"

Francesca Wade's lively unconventional biography called Gertrude Stein An Afterlife doesn't end at Stein's death in 1946 but also tells the story of the obsessive admirers who helped Stein achieve serious posthumous recognition.

Episode: Homelessness In The New Gilded Age

Corrigan mentioned Wade's lively unconventional biography, which explores Stein's literary genius, posthumous reputation and the obsessive admirers who helped secure her legacy.

"

Francesca Wade's lively unconventional biography called Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife doesn't end at Stein's death in 1946 but also tells the story of the obsessive admirers who helped Stein achieve serious posthumous recognition.

Clockers Cover

Richard Price

Clockers

The novel was mentioned as one of Price's earlier works adapted for film and later in a discussion about cultural appropriation while writing it.

"

Several of his earlier novels were adapted into films, including Clockers, Freedom Land, and The Wanderers.

— Episode: Best Of: Why Do We Itch? / Writer Richar...

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Episode: Best Of: Why Do We Itch? / Writer Richard Price

The novel was mentioned as one of Price's earlier works adapted for film and later in a discussion about cultural appropriation while writing it.

"

Several of his earlier novels were adapted into films, including Clockers, Freedom Land, and The Wanderers.

But even with Clockers, which I wrote in 1990, 89, 91, I was really aware of the whole notion of cultural piracy.

Episode: How Screenwriting Saved Novelist Richard Price

Clockers was cited as one of Price's earlier novels that had been adapted for film and later discussed in relation to his writing process and the circumstances that inspired his work.

"

Several of his earlier novels were adapted into films, including Clockers, Freedom Land, and The Wanderers.

Even with Clockers, which I wrote in 1990, 89, 91, I was really aware of the whole notion of cultural piracy.

And then something, you know, the circumstances of Clockers came about.

Episode: What Trump's Foreign Policy Could Look Like

The interview highlighted that Clockers, one of Richard Price's novels, had been adapted into a film.

"

including Clockers were adapted into films

Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy Cover

Mary Roach

Replaceable You

Adventures in Human Anatomy

The book was discussed in two episodes featuring Mary Roach, where the hosts described it as an exploration of cutting‑edge organ‑replacement research, from pig heart valves to 3D‑printed muscle and prosthetic limbs. They highlighted its focus on the latest breakthroughs in making body parts replaceable, presenting the material in an informative manner without explicit endorsement.

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Episode: Best Of: Nutritionist Marion Nestle / Science Writ...

Roach's latest book examined the frontier of organreplacement research, from pig heart valves to 3Dprinted muscle, highlighting how body parts are becoming replaceable.

"

Her latest book, Replaceable You, is about replacing human body parts, thanks to promising research and breakthroughs.

Her book, titled Replaceable You, is about the latest breakthroughs in replacing body parts from skin to hearts and prosthetic limbs.

Episode: Mary Roach On Our Remarkable, Replaceable Bodies

The book was described as covering the latest breakthroughs in replacing body parts, from skin to hearts and prosthetic limbs.

"

Her book titled Replaceable You is about the latest breakthroughs in replacing body parts from skin to hearts and prosthetic limbs.

My guest is Mary Roach and her new book is called Replaceable You.

Episode: The Cost Of Gun Violence On Black Life

The book was introduced as Mary Roach's new work that explores research into organ transplantation and the future of replaceable body parts.

"

We talk with Mary Roach. Her new book, Replaceable You, is about research into transplanting organs, why a pig organ donor is better than a goat, regenerating cells, prosthetic legs and feet and more.

All the Way to the River: Oprah's Book Club: Love, Loss, and Liberation Cover

Elizabeth Gilbert

All the Way to the River

Oprah's Book Club

The hosts highlighted the title as an intimate follow‑up to the author’s earlier bestseller, noting its deep dive into caregiving, addiction, grief and loss. They discussed how the memoir examined codependency and personal truth, even mentioning some ethical concerns raised by critics. Overall, the episode framed the book as a compelling and significant addition to her body of work.

Highly Recommended
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Episode: Best Of: Samin Nosrat / Elizabeth Gilbert

Gilbert's latest memoir was described as an intimate, reverseengineered followup to her earlier bestseller, focusing on caregiving, addiction, grief and loss.

"

Her latest book, All the Way to the River, is almost the reverse. It immerses the reader into caregiving, addiction, grief and loss.

Episode: Elizabeth Gilbert On Love, Loss, And Liberation

It was highlighted as Gilbert's new memoir about love, loss, addiction and caregiving, describing her relationship with Rhea Elias and the process of writing the book.

"

Her latest book, All the Way to the River, is almost the reverse. It immerses the reader into caregiving, addiction, grief, and loss, with some critics raising ethical questions about its framing and the choice to write in great detail about her late partner's most private moments.

I was interested in the truth and I was interested in showing what codependency and sex and love addiction can lead a person into even a person who presents as somebody who's got it all together.

The book is about the way our addictions and our compulsions fired off of each other to lead us both into insanity and I was not interested once I decided to write this book in my image management because I was interested in the truth.

Episode: Robert Redford, Over The Years

The hosts introduced Gilbert's upcoming nonfiction title All the Way to the River as her first book in a decade.

"

Elizabeth Gilbert, the bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love, talks about her first nonfiction book in a decade, All the Way to the River.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.