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Fresh Air Weekend: Larry Wilmore, The Smart Home And Bill Gifford
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Wilmore talks about how he's is still fine-tuning The Nightly Show; Alexis Madrigal explores a home full of appliances with computers; Gifford discusses his new book Spring Chicken about longevity.
'Maps To The Stars': Either The Funniest Horror Movie, Or The Most Horrific Comedy
Friday, February 27, 2015
In the film about a toxic Hollywood, John Cusack plays a self-help guru whose clients include Julianne Moore. It's full of anxious shoptalk and name dropping, druggy kids and druggier grown-ups.
Fresh Air Remembers Former Notre Dame President Rev. Theodore Hesburgh
Friday, February 27, 2015
Hesburgh died Thursday. He was 97. He was an author, theologian and activist who took on the Vatican over issues of academic freedom. Hesburgh spoke with Terry Gross in 1990.
From Poker Amateur To World Series Competitor In 'The Noble Hustle'
Friday, February 27, 2015
Colson Whitehead's book, now out in paperback, was born of an assignment to write about the World Series of Poker. It's a sharp observational tale of poker: those who play it and how it changed him.
'Battle Creek' Has The Flavor Of A TV Throwback From An Earlier Age
Thursday, February 26, 2015
The new CBS show about two very mismatched investigative partners plays like a comedy. The characters are complicated and surprising, and the dialogue is crisp and quick. It's "a lot of fun to watch."
From Naked Mole Rats To Dog Testicles: A Writer Explores The Longevity Quest
Thursday, February 26, 2015
"Nature knows how to let animals live a very long time," says Bill Gifford, whose latest book is Spring Chicken, a look at the history of anti-aging schemes and current ways people try to live longer.
Mavericks' Singer Raul Malo Restlessly Explores Genres
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
In the band's latest album Mono, Malo demonstrates how he likes to make music that confounds the usual expectations of what a country hit-maker can do.
A Hard Look At The Risks Of Transporting Oil On Rail Tanker Cars
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Marcus Stern has spent the past year investigating the practice in collaboration with the Nation Institute's Investigative Fund. Recent accidents show cars aren't built to carry so much oil, he says.
The World Loves The Smartphone. So How About A Smart Home?
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The ultimate smart-home vision is a home that basically runs itself, from coffee makers to washing machines. But we're not there yet: The real world is a hard place for little computers to operate in.
After His Brother's Suicide, Writer Seeks Comfort In 'All The Wrong Places'
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
In his new memoir, Philip Connors writes about "living in the shadow of a suicide." Wracked by guilt and haunted by what-ifs, Connors investigated his brother's death and learned a terrible secret.