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Fresh Air features daily reports and reviews from critics and commentators on music, books, movies, and other cultural phenomena that invade the national psyche.
Last Updated: July 06, 2009 04:56 pm
McNamara And The 'Fog Of War'
July 06, 2009 11:54 am
Errol Morris' Academy Award-Winning documentary about former defense secretary Robert McNamara, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, offers fresh insight into the man many consider to be the architect of the Vietnam conflict.
Robert McNamara On Doubts, And Vietnam
July 06, 2009 11:36 am
Former defense secretary Robert McNamara died Monday. In a 1995 interview with Terry Gross, McNamara reflects on Vietnam and admits his serious doubts about US policy and the decision-making that escalated the war.
Director John Barton in 'Playing Shakespeare'
July 06, 2009 11:35 am
Playing Shakespeare, a 1984 series in which actors dissect some of the Bard's most famous works, shows how crucial an understanding of Shakespeare's language and versification are to conveying the meaning — and power — of his scenes.
Different Year, Same 'Marienbad'
July 03, 2009 02:55 pm
When it came out in 1961, Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad perplexed and excited audiences with its surrealistic storytelling. John Powers has a review of the film's Criterion Collection re-release.
Mellencamp Muses About Mortality, 'Love'
July 03, 2009 12:47 pm
John Mellencamp joins Terry Gross to talk religion, politics and his album Life, Death, Love and Freedom. And he performs solo acoustic versions of four songs from the album from his Indiana home studio.
The Crackdown In Iran, As Seen From Europe
July 02, 2009 12:45 pm
Journalist Christopher Dickey provides a European perspective on the continuing crackdown on protesters in Iran following the recent election.
Roya Hakakian: An Iranian-American Perspective
July 02, 2009 12:27 pm
Author and activist Roya Hakakian offers her take on political upheaval in her native Iran. Hakakian emigrated from Iran to the United States in 1985, seeking political asylum.
'Family': Fundamentalism, Friends In High Places
July 01, 2009 03:26 pm
In the book The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, author Jeff Sharlet examines the power wielded by the secret Christian group known as The Family or The Fellowship.
From 'Public Enemies' - 'Goodbye Mr. Dillinger'
July 01, 2009 11:36 am
This lush, good-looking crime flick doesn't really have a theme, and it never quite sparks to life. But it's got lots of incidental pleasures — Johnny Depp's spirited performance chief among them.
Assessing The State Of The (Republican) Nation
June 30, 2009 03:44 pm
Washington Post reporter Dan Balz sizes up the state of the Republican party — including how the GOP is preparing for 2012 and how it has been affected by recent sex scandals.
Overview Of Recent Supreme Court Rulings
June 30, 2009 01:12 pm
Journalist and lawyer Adam Liptak covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times. He gives us a roundup of this year's most important decisions — some of which were left for the final hours before summer recess.
Patterson Hood: Drive-By Boss Does 'Murder'
June 30, 2009 11:30 am
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Patterson Hood's new album Murdering Oscar and Other Love Songs. It's Hood's second solo album featuring songs from the early 90's as well as some more recent ones, all of them have been freshly recorded over the past few years.
Helping Journalists Beat Post-Traumatic Stress
June 29, 2009 10:24 am
With such a high-stakes, high-stress lifestyle, many journalists return from war zones with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Anthony Feinstein is one of those working to help them overcome the emotional aftereffects of covering conflict.
Former Hostage On Protecting Journalists
June 29, 2009 10:12 am
Journalist — and former hostage — Chris Cramer talks about how his experience as a captive during the 1980 London Iranian Embassy siege evolved into an effort to protect journalists in hostile conditions.
From 'Hurt Locker' - 'Dude Has A Cell Phone'
June 26, 2009 12:09 pm
Filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow knows how to get under your skin and control your responses — as she does in her latest feature, the Baghdad-set war movie The Hurt Locker. David Edelstein has a review.
