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, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.

Fresh Air

While working for the Department of Justice, attorney Laura Coates says she saw voter rolls being purged and instances where polling places were moved to known Klan locations. She also worked as a prosecutor and had to grapple with her own relationship with law enforcement, as a Black woman. Coates is a CNN analyst and hosts a SiriusXM show. Her new memoir is 'Just Pursuit.'

Attorney Laura Coates On The Fight For Voting Rights

Sidney Poitier, who paved the way for Black actors in film, died last week at 94. He was the first Black man to win an Oscar. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2000 about growing up in the Bahamas and breaking into acting. A leading man in the '50s and '60s, some of his best-known films include Lilies of the Field, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir, with Love. In Being the Ricardos, Nicole Kidman shifts back and forth between Lucille Ball and her character Lucy of I Love Lucy. We talk with the Australian actor about the challenges of the role and about ageism in Hollywood.

Best Of: Sidney Poitier / Nicole Kidman

We remember lyricist Marilyn Bergman, half of a songwriting duo with her husband Alan. The songs she and her husband co-wrote won Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys, and were popularized by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Fred Astaire and Barbra Streisand, just to name a few. She died last week at 93. Also we remember director and author Peter Bogdanovich whose best-known films include The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon and Mask. He died Jan. 6 at 82. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the 4-part documentary series 'Reframed: Marilyn Monroe.'

Remembering Lyricist Marilyn Bergman & Dir. Peter Bogdanovich

New York Times reporter Dave Philipps says a top-secret special ops unit disregarded official protocols to pick targets for airstrikes, resulting in the death of thousands of farmers and families. Ken Tucker reviews the new album from Neil Young, recorded in a barn in Colorado.

The Unreported Civilian Deaths In The U.S. Air War Against ISIS

While her friends and family went to the Australian beaches, Kidman stayed indoors reading — and imaged herself as a character in the books. She says reading is what led her to acting. We talk with the Oscar-winning actor about ageism in Hollywood, singing in a cover band as a teenager, and playing Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos.

Nicole Kidman

The legendary actor, who paved the way for Black actors in film, died last week at 94. Poitier was the first Black performer to win the best actor Academy Award. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2000 about growing up in the Bahamas and breaking into acting while working as a dishwasher in New York. A leading man in the '50s and '60s, some of his best-known films include A Raisin in the Sun, Lilies of the Field, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir, with Love. Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews ...and then there's this by the trio Artifacts.

Remembering Sidney Poitier

The actor spoke with contributor Ann Marie Baldonado about navigating Hollywood as a young actor of color at a time when there were only stereotypical roles available — and why he took a break from acting to work in the Obama administration. He's best known for his roles in the Harold and Kumar franchise, The Namesake, and on the TV series House. His new memoir is You Can't Be Serious. Maureen Corrigan reviews a suspense novel that takes place in academia, The Latinist, by Mark Prins.

Actor Kal Penn

Kirsten Dunst co-stars in the new film The Power of the Dog, along with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons, who plays her husband in the film, and is her husband in real life. We talk about being a child actor and the formative experience of working with Sofia Coppola early in her career. Also, we'll take a sobering look inside the global supply chain — and how it broke — with Wall Street Journal columnist Christopher Mims. His new book is called Arriving Tomorrow. And book critic Maureen Corrigan will tell us about a superb debut suspense novel.

Best Of: Kirsten Dunst / The Global Supply Chain 

We remember writer Joan Didion, known for her cool, unsentimental observations and distinctive writing. After the sudden death of her husband in 2003, she turned her gaze on her own grief in the memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking. Didion died last month. She spoke with Terry Gross in 1987 and 2005. Also, we remember legendary TV actor Betty White. Her television career spanned the history of TV itself – and that's no exaggeration. She was best known for her roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. She died Dec. 31, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

Remembering Joan Didion & Betty White 

New Yorker writer Evan Osnos says no one in the media has profited more from the Trump era than Dan Bongino, who hosts the country's fourth most listened to radio show and has 8.5 million weekly listeners. Bongino has also helped create and fund right-wing platforms that replicate Twitter, PayPal and YouTube, to lay the groundwork for the 2024 presidential election.

Why Dan Bongino Is Building A Right-Wing Media Infrastructure

In a new book, Wall Street Journal columnist Christopher Mims looks at how goods make their way from factories in Asia, across the Pacific in container ships and then are moved, sorted and delivered in American warehouses and trucks. Much of the handling is highly automated, he says, which cuts costs, but also lowers wages for workers and makes the remaining jobs stressful and physically punishing. Mims' new book is Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door – Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy. Also we remember scientist and author Edward Wilson, a pioneer in evolutionary biology whose books won two Pulitzer Prizes.

Inside The Global Supply Chain

A year ago, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., experienced two unimaginable traumas in the span of a single week: On New Year's Eve 2020, his son Tommy died by suicide after succumbing to mental illness. Then, on Jan. 6, 2021, just a day after Tommy's funeral, Raskin was at work in the U.S. Capitol with his daughter and son-in-law when a violent mob stormed the building in an attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election. His memoir, 'Unthinkable,' chronicles his search for answers in the grief that followed both events.

Rep. Raskin Reckons With His Son's Suicide And The Jan. 6 Attack

Dunst stars opposite her husband, Jesse Plemons, in Jane Campion's Western, 'The Power of the Dog.' She calls it a "cinematic love letter" to their children. Dunst spoke with Terry Gross about how her experience with depression helped her performance in the film, how she uses dreams to deepen her understanding of her characters, and working with Sofia Coppola as a young actor. David Bianculli reviews 'The Book of Boba Fett' on Disney+.

Kirsten Dunst

We talk about classic film noir — movies from the '40s and '50s with doomed characters, sexual heat and double crosses — with Eddie Muller, host of the Turner Classic Movies show Noir Alley and author of Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir. Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new movie The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. Also, Colson Whitehead talks about Harlem, hooligans, race and class in the '60s. His new novel, Harlem Shuffle, is about a furniture store owner who's sideline is fencing stolen goods. Whitehead won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Underground Railroad, about a 15-year-old enslaved girl who escapes a brutal Georgia plantation. The novel was adapted into a TV series for Amazon.

Best Of: The World Of Film Noir / Colson Whitehead

The Foo Fighters frontman (and Nirvana drummer) talks about his journey from playing small punk clubs to giant stadiums in his memoir, The Storyteller. He reflects on how he taught himself drums, his friendship with Kurt Cobain, and reinventing himself after Cobain's death. "I was heartbroken," he says. "I didn't really know if I ever wanted to play music again, until I realized that music was the one thing that had healed me my entire life."

Dave Grohl

SNL's Cecily Strong co-stars in the Apple TV+ satire series Schmigadoon!. It centers on a couple who gets trapped in a town where people burst into song. We talk with Strong as well as Cinco Paul, the show's co-creator.

A 'Schmigadoon!' Show

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a legendary leader in the fight to end apartheid in South Africa, died Sunday at age 90. After Nelson Mandela was elected president in the country's first democratic election, he asked Tutu to chair South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which examined the crimes of apartheid. Tutu preached the healing power of forgiveness. The Nobel Peace Prize-recipient spoke with Terry Gross in 1984 and 1999.

Remembering Desmond Tutu 

To close out the year, we're listening back to some of our favorite interviews. New York iconoclast and humorist Fran Lebowitz was the subject of Martin Scorsese's Netflix series 'Pretend It's A City.' She talked with Terry Gross about driving a cab in the '70s, her friendship with Scorsese, and being a lifelong germaphobe: "The truth is, if I dropped the Hope Diamond on the floor of a subway car, I'd leave it there." Also, podcast critic Nick Quah shares three shows that stand out from this year.

Fran Lebowitz

On the HBO show 'Succession,' Culkin plays one of three siblings vying for control of a media empire. The character, he says, "doesn't really know what [it] means to suffer consequences." Culkin also talks about witnessing child stardom via his brother, 'Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin.

'Succession' Star Kieran Culkin

Penélope Cruz stars in Pedro Almodóvar's new film 'Parallel Mothers.' She plays Janis, a single woman around the age of 40, who unintentionally became pregnant. Cruz spoke with Terry Gross about how emotional the film was to make, and her own experience of becoming a mother. Also, Justin Chang shares his favorite films of the year. And Alan Cumming, a Tony Award-winning actor for 'Cabaret,' previously wrote about his childhood in Scotland and his abusive father. Cumming's new memoir centers on love, sexuality, career and mental health.

Best Of: Penélope Cruz / Alan Cumming

Terry Gross spoke to John Waters in 2004 upon the release of his album 'A John Waters Christmas,' collecting some entertaining and ridiculous Christmas records. Waters is famous for his films 'Pink Flamingos' and 'Hairspray.' Also, we'll listen to rock historian Ed Ward's 1992 review of the novelty Christmas recordings the Beatles sent their fan club. Finally, we'll hear the late Susannah McCorkle's 1988 Christmas concert.

A John Waters Christmas / Susannah McCorkle

HuffPost senior justice reporter Ryan J. Reilly says "sedition hunters" have used videos, social media posts and facial recognition software to identify individuals who participated in the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. He talks with Terry Gross about the FBI investigation, and the trials of the accused. Also, Justin Chang reviews the new movie 'The Tragedy of Macbeth,' starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.

The Sprawling Capitol Riot Investigation

Cruz stars in Pedro Almodóvar's new film 'Parallel Mothers.' She plays Janis, a single woman around the age of 40, who unintentionally became pregnant. Janis is thrilled to be pregnant, but in the maternity ward, she's roommates with a teenager who is very unhappy about having a baby. Cruz spoke with Terry Gross about how emotional the film was to make, and her own experience of becoming a mother. Justin Chang shares his favorite films of the year, and Kevin Whitehead remembers jazz greats we lost in 2021.

Penélope Cruz

Faith Jones' grandfather founded the Children of God, also known as The Family. She was taught sex was a service to God and that women and girls should freely "share" their bodies, regardless of whether they want to. She spoke with Terry Gross about growing up in a cult and how she eventually left it behind. Her memoir is Sex Cult Nun. Also, John Powers reviews Vigil, a new thriller series about a murder investigation on a submarine, now on Peacock.

Life In A Sex Cult

The Tony Award-winning actor (Cabaret) previously wrote about his childhood in Scotland and his abusive father. Cumming's new memoir centers on love, sexuality, career and mental health. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Sea State by Tabitha Lasley.

Alan Cumming Unpacks His 'Baggage'

Journalist Anne Helen Petersen, co-author of 'Out of Office,' talks about how the pandemic has changed the way many of us work, and the opportunity we have to create a more sustainable work model. Maureen Corrigan shares her list of best books of the year. Writer Grace M. Cho tells the story of her mother's descent into mental illness, and her own quest to understand her family's past. Her memoir is called, 'Tastes Like War.'

Best Of: Rethinking How We Work / Memoirist Grace M. Cho

J.R. Moehringer grew up with an absent dad and found a home, of sorts, in the bar where his uncle worked. His memoir, 'The Tender Bar,' has been adapted into a film directed by George Clooney. Writer Anne Rice, who died Dec. 11, grew up in New Orleans and hit it big in 1976 with her first novel, 'Interview with the Vampire.' She followed up with more than a dozen novels. Rice spoke with Terry Gross in 1990. Also, we remember culture critic Greg Tate. His whirlwind writing appeared in 'The Village Voice' and 'Rolling Stone,' often referencing pop culture, literary theory and the latest slang. Tate made an impact on New York's cultural scene in the '80s, at a time when the city was full of aspiring rappers and writers, disco DJs and punk rockers. He died Dec. 7.

J.R. Moehringer / Remembering Anne Rice & Greg Tate

Bloomberg Businessweek journalist Claire Suddath explains why child care is so unaffordable in the U.S. and why attempts to provide federal funding for care keep failing in Congress.

Why Child Care Is The Most Broken Business In The U.S.

The six-part Disney+ documentary series 'Among the Stars' gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at NASA as it prepares missions on the ground and executes them aboard the International Space Station. One of the astronauts featured on the series is Chris Cassidy. Our producer Sam Briger spoke to the now-retired astronaut about his time in NASA and on the space station. Also, rock critic Ken Tucker shares his stand-out picks for music of the year.

Life On The International Space Station 

Writer Grace M. Cho tells the story of her mother's descent into mental illness, and her own quest to understand her family's past. Cho emigrated to the U.S. as a baby with her Korean mother and American Merchant Marine father. Living in a small town in the northwest, Cho says they endured racist taunts, threats and assaults. After her mother developed symptoms of schizophrenia, Cho learned more about her mother's hardships growing up under Japanese occupation, through the Korean War, and afterward in a shattered Korean economy. Cho would learn her mother was likely a sex worker catering to American personnel stationed in Korea. Her mother's traumas, Cho believed, likely contributed to her mental illness. Her memoir is called, Tastes Like War.

A Daughter's Search To Understand Her Mother's Schizophrenia

The pandemic forced offices and businesses to shutter abruptly, fundamentally transforming the way people work. Essential workers remained on the front lines, but millions of others lost their jobs. And journalist Anne Helen Petersen estimates that some 42 percent of Americans began to work remotely. Now, with vaccines and boosters broadly available in the U.S., employers are beginning to craft return-to-office plans — but many employees want to retain flexibility. We talk with journalist Anne Helen Petersen, co-author of 'Out of Office,' about the way the pandemic has changed the way many of us work, and the opportunity we have to create a more sustainable work model. Maureen Corrigan shares her top 10 books of the year.

Rethinking The Way We Work

Filmmaker and comedy legend Mel Brooks sits down with Terry Gross to talk about Jewish humor and the meaning of life. He's got a new memoir called All About Me! Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new Steven Spielberg adaptation of West Side Story. And Kieran Culkin, who co-stars in HBO's Succession as Roman Roy, one of the three adult siblings vying to take over their family's media conglomerate, talks about his role and the toxicity of fame.

Best Of: Mel Brooks / Kieran Culkin

Film critic Justin Chang reviews Steven Spielberg's new film adaptation of West Side Story, and, from our archive, interviews with two actors who won Oscars for their performances in the 1961 film: Rita Moreno, who played Anita, and George Chakiris who played Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Also, we remember Sen. Bob Dole, who died Dec. 5. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2005 about serving in WWII. And John Powers shares a list of things that surprised and delighted him in 2021.

Celebrating 'West Side Story' 

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barton Gellman says the Republican party is increasingly unwilling to accept defeat and, in fact, is "prepared to win by sacrificing the essential elements of democracy." His new Atlantic article is 'Trump's Next Coup Has Already Begun.' Ken Tucker shares his thoughts on Adele's hugely successful new album, 30.

The Possible End Of American Democracy As We Know It

Berry makes her directorial debut with Bruised on Netflix. She stars in the film as disgraced mixed martial arts fighter named Jackie Justice, who takes on MMA's newest star. Berry talks with guest interviewer Tonya Mosley about breaking ribs and continuing to shoot, being a lifelong fighter, and the lack of roles for Black women in Hollywood for much of her career. Also, David Bianculli reviews Aaron Sorkin's new film about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Being the Ricardos. And Kevin Whitehead reviews Craig Taborn's recording, Shadow Plays.

Halle Berry

Brooks sits down with Terry Gross to talk about Jewish humor, therapy, and the meaning of life. He's got a new memoir called 'All About Me!' Also, Justin Chang reviews 'Drive My Car,' by Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi.

Mel Brooks

Culkin co-stars in HBO's Succession, as Roman, the youngest of the Roy siblings competing for control of the family media conglomerate. We talk about how he got the role, learning from the ensemble cast, and witnessing child stardom via his brother, 'Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin.

Kieran Culkin On 'Succession' & Child Stardom

On the final day of our tribute to Stephen Sondheim, we'll hear from people who worked with him, including James Lapine, who wrote the books for three Sondheim musicals: 'Sunday in the Park with George,' 'Into the Woods' and 'Passion'; music director Paul Gemignani, and Stephen Colbert and Lin-Manuel Miranda who each performed in Sondheim musicals.

Remembering Sondheim (Part III)

Stephen Sondheim fans, like Terry Gross, always wonder: How did he write those brilliant lyrics? His 2010 book, Finishing the Hat, provided a lot of answers. It collected his lyrics from 1954 to 1981, telling the stories behind the songs. In the second part of our remembrance, we're revisiting a 2010 interview with the Broadway legend in which he gave his take on other great lyricists — and some of whose lyrics he thinks aren't really so great.

Remembering Sondheim (Part II)

The legendary lyricist and composer who gave us 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Into the Woods,' 'Company,' 'Sunday in the Park with George' and other shows died last Friday at 91. We are doing a three-part remembrance of him. In 2010 he spoke with Terry Gross about his writing process, from rhyming to finding the right note.

Remembering Stephen Sondheim (Part I)

Hall's new Netflix film centers on two light-skinned Black women — one of whom passes for white. The story is a personal one for Hall: Her grandfather and mother were Black and passed as white. Hall talks about her own family history, the burden of secrets, and her experience directing. Also, Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new Criterion release of a documentary about making of the original cast album for Stephen Sondheim's 'Company.'

Rebecca Hall On 'Passing'

Investigative reporter Peter Robison chronicles the tragic story of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in his new book, 'Flying Blind.' He says Boeing failed to warn pilots that new software in the plane could cause its nose to repeatedly pitch down, a malfunction that led to two deadly crashes in the space of five months. Robison says the 737 MAX disaster is at its heart the story of a corporate culture that prized profits and shareholder value over quality and safety — and of federal regulators more committed to serving the airline industry than protecting the public. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the three-part Disney+ docuseries about The Beatles, 'Get Back.'

The Story Of The Boeing 737 MAX

Grohl talks about his journey from playing small punk clubs to giant stadiums in his new memoir, 'The Storyteller.' He reflects on how he taught himself drums, his friendship with Kurt Cobain, and reinventing himself after Cobain's death with Foo Fighters. Also, Justin Chang reviews the new Jane Campion movie 'The Power of the Dog.' And Smith speaks with guest interviewer Tonya Mosley about how he crafted a joyful image to cover up for a trauma that happened when he was 9. He saw his father beat his mother. He reflects on how that moment has impacted his life. He has a new movie 'King Richard,' and a memoir called 'Will.'

Best Of: Dave Grohl / Will Smith

With Thanksgiving, the season of cooking, eating, and getting together has begun. Tucci has published two cookbooks and hosted a CNN series about regional cuisine in Italy. Now he has a new memoir, 'Taste,' about his experiences with good food and cooking. Also, the one and only Julia Child, recorded in 2009. Finally, Justin Chang reviews the new Paul Thomas Anderson movie 'Licorice Pizza.'

Stanley Tucci / Julia Child 

Paul McCartney talks about his life through some of his songs. His new two-volume book collects his lyrics and the stories behind them. We'll also talk about the new documentary, 'Get Back,' which has previously unseen footage from the period The Beatles wrote, rehearsed and recorded the songs on their album 'Let it Be.' The album was released just after The Beatles broke up.

Sir Paul McCartney 

Grohl talks about his journey from playing small punk clubs to giant stadiums in his new memoir, 'The Storyteller.' He reflects on how he taught himself drums, his friendship with Kurt Cobain, and reinventing himself after Cobain's death. "I was heartbroken," he says. "I didn't really know if I ever wanted to play music again, until I realized that music was the one thing that had healed me my entire life." Grohl joined us from his studio, and also played a few songs.

Dave Grohl On Nirvana & Foo Fighters 

Frishberg was a prolific jazz composer, lyricist, and vocalist, best known for his songs on the series 'Schoolhouse Rock!,' such as "I'm Just a Bill." He died Nov. 17 at age 88. Many of his songs were witty, including "I'm Hip" and "My Attorney Bernie." But he also wrote beautiful ballads, like "Heart's Desire" and "You are There." Frishberg came to the 'Fresh Air' studio in 1998 to play some of his songs and talk about them.

Remembering 'Schoolhouse Rock!' Songwriter Dave Frishberg

'Gunfight' author Ryan Busse was once a rising star in the gun industry. But he became disillusioned after Columbine when, he says, the NRA began to use "fear and conspiracy and hatred" to bolster sales. Busse talks about turning points within the NRA and his career, and the state of the industry today. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews 'The Sinner and the Saint,' a new book about experiences in Dostoyevsky's life that led to his classic novel 'Crime and Punishment.'

Former Gun Industry Insider On His Battle Against The NRA

Writer Blair Braverman takes us inside the world of dog mushing. Braverman and her racing partner / husband Quince Mountain have a book, 'Dogs on the Trail,' that profiles their team of Alaskan huskies. We talk about the Iditarod race and her experience on the Discovery reality show 'Naked and Afraid.' We also talk with Nikole Hannah-Jones, who created the '1619 Project,' marking the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery, when a ship carrying enslaved Africans landed in the British colony of Virginia. It started as a 'New York Times Magazine' edition and is now a book called 'The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.' Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for her essay in the project. And David Bianculli reviews a new documentary about Kurt Vonnegut that was almost 40 years in the making.

Best Of: Dogsledder Blair Braverman / '1619 Project' Creator Nikole Hannah-Jones

Twyla Tharp is one of the most celebrated and innovative dancers and choreographers of our time. Her work combines ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, and other dance forms in a way that was initially considered radical. She's the subject of a recent PBS 'American Masters' documentary. Also, we revisit our interview with Gordon Parks, the photographer who chronicled the Black experience in 'Life' magazine. He also was the first Black director of a Hollywood film. He's the subject of a new documentary. Justin Chang reviews the new gothic Western 'The Power of the Dog' by director Jane Campion.