Fresh Air

The war entered a new phase when President Trump began a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains what this means.

Harvard professor Namwali Serpell has been teaching Morrison for nearly two decades. Her book, On Morrison is a deep dive into the Nobel winner's complete body of work — 11 novels, plays and criticism.

Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews biographies of two musicians who transcended jazz, and to whom recognition was slow in coming: James P. Johnson, born in 1894, and Alice Coltrane, born in 1937.

"I wanted to do this show that didn't exist when I was a kid," Hall says of his late-night show. Known for his celebrity roasts, Ross turns inward in his Netflix special, Take a Banana for the Ride.

Nancy Foley's deviously-plotted novel centers on an aging artist in New Mexico. Brutally dismissive of anyone who disagrees with her, Agatha is a perfectly engaging (if unreliable) narrator.

Almost all the original cast return for a four-episode plot that centers on Hal and Lois' 40th-wedding-anniversary party. Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair is full of laughs and surprises.

Known for her often dark, poetic songs and powerful guitar riffs, St. Vincent is backed by a 60-piece orchestra in her new album, St. Vincent: Live in London! Originally broadcast April 23, 2024.

Mary Fariba Afsari's book, Labor, is a portrait of reproductive healthcare in post-Dobbs America. Her book also is about her Iranian heritage and her grandmother's death from an illegal abortion.

Much of our image of Dylan derives from his early protest music, but Robert Polito's book makes the argument that the most recent 30 years of Dylan's career have been just as creative as the first 30.

In 2020, Annabelle Gurwitch went to urgent care for a COVID-19 test and learned she had cancer. She writes about life as a "cancer slacker" in her memoir, The End of My Life is Killing Me.

A tortured Oslo police detective may be on the trail of a psycho killer in this genuinely suspenseful screen adaptation of Jo Nesbø's The Devil's Star.

Known for his ruthless celebrity roasts, Ross turns inward in his Netflix special, Take a Banana for the Ride, which details the loss of his parents and grandfather.