Episodios

  • Best Of: Writer Ocean Vuong / Comic Atsuko Okatsuka

    Best Of: Writer Ocean Vuong / Comic Atsuko Okatsuka
    Jun 14 2025
    Poet and novelist Ocean Vuong talks with Tonya Mosley about his new novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Set in a fictional small town in Connecticut, it follows a 19 year old grappling with addiction and despair, who forms an unexpected bond with an 82-year-old widow living with dementia. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan has a review of the book.

    And, we hear from comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. She's known for finding humor in the dysfunction of her immigrant family, and the daily responsibilities of being an adult. Her new standup special is about her father, who reappeared in her life after decades away.

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    47 m
  • Remembering Brian Wilson, Leader Of The Beach Boys

    Remembering Brian Wilson, Leader Of The Beach Boys
    Jun 13 2025
    Wilson, who has died at the age of 82, was the creative force behind The Beach Boys. He wrote and produced many of their hits, including "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," and "God Only Knows." Wilson spoke to Terry Gross in 1988 and 1998 about creating the distinctive Beach Boys sound and his decision to leave the Beach Boys to pursue a solo career. Plus, Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Willie Nelson and Ken Pomeroy.

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    46 m
  • Benicio del Toro On Living In Wes Anderson's World

    Benicio del Toro On Living In Wes Anderson's World
    Jun 13 2025
    Benicio del Toro talks about his leading role in Wes Anderson's new film, The Phoenician Scheme. He'll look back on his acting career, and tell us about moving from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania in his teens. His other movies include The Usual Suspects, Traffic and Sicario.

    Film critic Justin Chang reviews Materialists.

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    44 m
  • Inside DOGE, Post Elon Musk

    Inside DOGE, Post Elon Musk
    Jun 11 2025
    Washington Post Reporter Hannah Natanson says DOGE's mass firings made the government more inefficient. She also explains the risks of DOGE creating a massive database for the Trump administration. "There's a great deal of concern over how basically the Trump administration has taken every tool at their disposal and weaponized a lot of the federal government," she tells Terry Gross.

    Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews The Very Heart of It, by Thomas Mallon. It's a new collection of his diaries from 1983 to '94, which includes when he came out, and the years of the AIDS crisis and how it decimated the gay community.

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    45 m
  • Molly Jong-Fast Grew Up With A Mother Addicted To Fame

    Molly Jong-Fast Grew Up With A Mother Addicted To Fame
    Jun 10 2025
    MSNBC political analyst Molly Jong-Fast's mother Erica Jong became famous from her 1973 novel Fear of Flying, which was considered a groundbreaking work of feminist literature. But Molly's mom became addicted to the fame and couldn't bear to lose it. She talks about her childhood and a year of great loss in her new memoir, How to Lose Your Mother.

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    44 m
  • Comic Atsuko Okatsuka Is Owning Her 'Freak'

    Comic Atsuko Okatsuka Is Owning Her 'Freak'
    Jun 9 2025
    Okatsuka is known for her bowl haircut — and for finding humor in the dysfunction of her immigrant family. Her new standup special, Father, is about her dad, who reappeared in her life after decades away. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about being a caretaker, her signature style, and following in the footsteps of Margaret Cho.

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    45 m
  • Best Of: The Innovation Of 'I Love Lucy' / Mark Hamill

    Best Of: The Innovation Of 'I Love Lucy' / Mark Hamill
    Jun 7 2025
    Playing Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy, made Desi Arnaz a star. Behind the scenes, he created what became standard procedures for producing, shooting, lighting and broadcasting TV sitcoms. Author Todd Purdum talks about his new book Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television.

    Also, we hear from Mark Hamill. He's in the new movie The Life of Chuck and is known for playing the iconic hero Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies. He talks about auditioning for the film and acting with puppets.

    Plus, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new HBO documentary, Pee-Wee as Himself.

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    49 m
  • Why We Remember / 'Simpsons' Composer Alf Clausen

    Why We Remember / 'Simpsons' Composer Alf Clausen
    Jun 6 2025
    Do you have trouble remembering names and faces, or where you put your keys? Neurologist Dr. Charan Ranganath talks about the latest research into memory. His book is called Why We Remember.

    Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer, arranger and orchestrator behind the music and song parodies on The Simpsons, died at 84. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1997.

    And Justin Chang reviews the new film The Life of Chuck, based on a novella by Stephen King. TV critic David Bianculli recommends an upcoming live TV production of George Clooney's Broadway hit, Good Night, and Good Luck.

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    47 m
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