Episodes

  • Kathleen Hanna's 'Rebel Girl' Life

    Kathleen Hanna's 'Rebel Girl' Life
    May 13 2024
    Kathleen Hanna's band Bikini Kill was the epicenter of the riot grrrl feminist punk movement of the '90s. Their song "Rebel Girl" was the anthem. Now Hanna has a memoir (also called Rebel Girl) about her time in the punk scene, her childhood, and finding joy in expressing anger in public.

    Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Claire Messud's new novel, This Strange Eventful History.

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    46 mins
  • Best Of: Brittney Griner / Discovering Plant Intelligence

    Best Of: Brittney Griner / Discovering Plant Intelligence
    May 11 2024
    WNBA star Brittney Griner talks about the physical and emotional hell of her nearly 300 days in Russian prisons. Russian authorities apprehended Griner at the Moscow Airport when she was found carrying a tiny amount of medically prescribed cannabis — then charged her with drug smuggling. Her memoir is Coming Home.

    Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reviews a 1959 Sonny Rollins reissue.

    And we'll talk about plant intelligence with climate journalist Zoë Schlanger. Her book is The Light Eaters.

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    48 mins
  • 'The Sympathizer' Author Viet Thanh Nguyen

    'The Sympathizer' Author Viet Thanh Nguyen
    May 10 2024
    Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer has been adapted into a series on HBO/MAX. It's set in Vietnam during the last days of the war, and in LA, just after. The narrator becomes a consultant to a Hollywood film about the war. The novel is written from a Vietnamese perspective. "It's my revenge on Francis Ford Coppola, my revenge on Hollywood, to try to get Americans to understand that Vietnam is a country and not a war," he told Terry Gross in 2016. Nguyen's family fled their village in South Vietnam in 1975, when it was taken over by the North.

    Also, David Bianculli reviews Let It Be, the Beatles film restored and rereleased after being shelved for more than 50 years.


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    45 mins
  • Remembering Minimalist Painter Frank Stella

    Remembering Minimalist Painter Frank Stella
    May 9 2024
    We remember painter and sculptor Frank Stella, whose early work was considered revolutionary. He died last week at age 87. Stella became famous and controversial in the 1950s for his "black paintings," which were a stark contrast to the abstract expressionism of the time, and made him one of the fathers of minimalism.

    Later, we'll feature an interview with one of the most influential early rock and roll guitarists, Duane Eddy. He also died last week.

    Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Long Island, Colm Tóibín's new sequel to his bestselling novel Brooklyn.

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    45 mins
  • A People's History Of Black Twitter

    A People's History Of Black Twitter
    May 8 2024
    #BlackLivesMatter. #OscarsSoWhite. #ICantBreathe. Filmmaker Prentice Penny's docuseries about Black Twitter celebrates the voices and movements that impacted politics and culture. Penny was also the showrunner of the HBO series Insecure.

    Also, John Powers reviews the four-part series Shardlake, based on C.J. Sansom's first novel in a series about a crime-solving lawyer in 16th-century England.

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    43 mins
  • WNBA Star Brittney Griner Imprisonment & Release

    WNBA Star Brittney Griner Imprisonment & Release
    May 7 2024
    Griner spent nearly 300 days incarcerated in Russia after authorities at the Moscow airport found two nearly empty cartridges of cannabis in her luggage. The WNBA star spoke with Terry Gross about the dehumanizing prison conditions, her release, and return to the court. Griner, who is 6'9", says she felt like a zoo animal in prison. "The guards would literally come open up the little peep hole, look in, and then I would hear them laughing." Her new memoir is Coming Home.

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    45 mins
  • The Hidden World Of Plant Intelligence

    The Hidden World Of Plant Intelligence
    May 6 2024
    Climate journalist Zoë Schlanger explains the fascinating science behind how plants learn, communicate, and adapt to survive. She says plants can store memories, trick animals into not eating them, and even send alarm calls to other plants. Her new book is called The Light Eaters.

    TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new Netflix series A Man in Full, starring Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane.

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    46 mins
  • Best Of: Jon Bon Jovi / Fantasy Writer Leigh Bardugo

    Best Of: Jon Bon Jovi / Fantasy Writer Leigh Bardugo
    May 4 2024
    In a new Hulu docuseries, Jon Bon Jovi looks back on his career and his recovery after vocal surgery. He spoke with Terry Gross about his breakthrough hit "Runaway" and how he's evolved as a musician.

    Also, we'll hear from fantasy author Leigh Bardugo. She's best known for her YA series Shadow and Bone. Her new adult novel, The Familiar, set in 16th century Spain, is about a young woman who can perform miracles.

    Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews a new collection of letters by Emily Dickinson.

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    49 mins