Terry Gross

Loosely based on Maryam Keshavarz's own life, The Persian Version centers on an Iranian American woman who identifies as bisexual and whose mother entered into an arranged marriage as a teen.

Sinclair grew up in a devout Rasta family in Jamaica where women were subservient. When she cut her dreadlocks at age 19, she became "a ghost" to her father. Her new memoir is How to Say Babylon.

A new tribute album offers musical interpretations of Ginsberg's poems. The poet and countercultural activist spoke to Terry Gross in 1994 about his poem "Howl," which was inspired by his mother.

McCallum, who died Sept. 25, played an off-beat medical examiner on NCIS, but got his start nearly 60 years earlier, playing a Russian agent on the The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Originally broadcast in '92.

NYT reporter Kashmir Hill says Clearview AI has a database of billions of photos scraped from the internet, which it sells to governments and police departments. Her book is Your Face Belongs To Us.

Russell talks and sings about the physical and sexual abuse she endured from her racist adoptive father — and about how she learned she was worthy of being loved.

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb says cars are killing animals, while highways cut off them off from their food sources and migration paths. His new book is Crossings.

Hitler's Germany banned jazz, which was deemed degenerate music made by Jews and Black people. But NPR host Scott Simon says the Nazis repurposed jazz abroad to weaken British and American resolve.

Red Carpet author Erich Schwartzel says that film studios increasingly need Chinese audiences to break even — which can result in self-censorship. Originally broadcast Feb. 21, 2022.

Atlantic writer Franklin Foer initially saw Biden as a bloviator who fetishized bipartisanship; he's since come to appreciate Biden's ability to empathize with opponents and get legislation passed.

The Army and Navy are testing new weapons that rely on cutting-edge technology and AI. Journalist Eric Lipton explains the benefits, risks and ethical questions surrounding these weapons.

Allison Jones is known for casting actors who look like real people — and who are naturally funny. One of her hardest conversations? Telling Bob Odenkirk he didn't get Michael Scott in The Office.

Hua Hsu won the Pulitzer Prize for Stay True, his memoir about identity, musical obsessions and the sudden tragic murder of a close friend. Originally broadcast Oct. 18, 2022.

The historical fiction novel centers on a real-life Victorian Era trial. Smith says she doesn't look back on the past with a sense of superiority: In her view, human life is "a continued struggle."

In 2010, Jay-Z spoke to Fresh Air about growing up in a housing project in Brooklyn, watching crack cocaine transform his neighborhood and finding his identity in a recording studio.

Questlove reflects on the Roots and his lifetime in music. Public Enemy's Chuck D discusses politically conscious rap. Hip-hop mogul Diddy says he's always been motivated to be "the best."

André Benjamin spoke to Fresh Air in 2006 about his music and his Outkast persona: " André 3000 ... just goes there and has a ball; André Benjamin is the person that goes to Whole Foods."

RZA got his first set of turntables when he was 11. He went on to co-found Wu-Tang Clan, the platinum-selling group whose name was inspired by martial arts movies. Originally broadcast in 2005.

Beastie Boys Mike Diamond, Adam Horovitz and Adam Yauch — aka Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA — started a punk band in New York City in the 1980s, before moving into hip-hop. Originally broadcast in 2006.

Two of De La Soul's founding members, David "Trugoy" Jolicoeur and Vincent "Maseo" Mason, spoke to Fresh Air in 2000 about their 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, and their ironic, playful style.