Fishko Files

Vast Wasteland May 07, 2021

On May 9th, 1961, a still-celebrated speech rocked the world of broadcast television. In it, FCC Chairman Newton Minow zeroed in on television's vapid programming landscape, and the words "vast wasteland" became a contemporary catchphrase. More from WNYC's Sara Fishko in this edition of Fishko Files.

This is the final edition of Fishko Files at WNYC. The episodes will live online and in the WNYC archives. You can find more extended Fishko work on our website.

Empire State: Going Up Apr 30, 2021

Tomorrow, May 1st, marks the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Empire State Building. As WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us, the building's rise to its 102-story height is only one of the ways it towered over all the rest. More, in this episode of Fishko Files.

Stanwyck & Co. Apr 23, 2021

In honor of this weekend's Oscars: WNYC's Sara Fishko with this Fishko Files from the archive, filled with the award-winning voices of some of the great women of Hollywood's Golden Age. (Produced in 2013)

Poets' Voices Apr 16, 2021

In honor of April, National Poetry Month, WNYC's Sara Fishko asks the question: what's the connection between poets' speaking voices, and the poems they create? (Produced in 2012)

Peter and the Wolf Apr 09, 2021

The celebrated children's tale with music, Peter and the Wolf - as WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us - was first heard in Moscow in the spring of 1936, an ominous time in the Soviet Union. Everywhere it went after that, it thrilled a listenership of kids. More, in this episode of Fishko Files.

Bernstein, Made for TV Apr 02, 2021

When we produced a feature on the celebrated Leonard Bernstein concert-broadcasts known as the Young People's Concerts (1958-1972), we were thrilled to find Roger Englander, the celebrated producer and director of the broadcasts, still alive. The interview is contained in this Fishko Files, which we replay in honor of Englander - who died recently at the age of 94.

Read more on Roger Englander’s life and work in his New York Times obituary.

Sibling Harmony Mar 26, 2021

The tradition of siblings singing together is as old as song. WNYC’s Sara Fishko looks at brothers, sisters, and sibling harmony in this edition of Fishko Files. (Produced in 2001)

Changes Mar 19, 2021

A hundred years ago, as WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, a popular song appeared at a time similar to our own - when people desperately wanted to 'move on' from crisis. In this episode of Fishko Files, the unsentimental resolve of the song "There’ll Be Some Changes Made."

Michael Rabin Mar 12, 2021

Michael Rabin, who lived from 1936 to 1972, was a midcentury, classical music phenomenon - a genuine violin prodigy, concertizing as a teenager and, later, stumbling in his career and his life. In this archival Fishko Files, WNYC's Sara Fishko talks to Itzhak Perlman to sort out Rabin's tragic story and his phenomenal playing. (Produced in 1999)

James M. Cain Mar 05, 2021

James M. Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934) was adapted for the movies seven times. The most celebrated version was released 75 years ago, when Cain was on a roll - with three film adaptations made from his books in quick succession in the mid 1940s. WNYC's Sara Fishko and guests investigate the appeal of Cain's film noir-friendly style. (Produced in 2011)

A Samuel Barber Classic Feb 26, 2021

Pieces of music, as WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us, can change in impact over time. On the 80th anniversary of a beloved violin concerto's premiere, Sara and guests consider the case of the American classical composer, Samuel Barber, in this episode of Fishko Files.

Hilary Hahn's Barber & Meyer: Violin Concertos and Isaac Stern's Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14 are available on Amazon.

Hilary Hahn's upcoming album Paris is set for release next Friday, March 5, and is available for pre-order.

The Chopin Paradox Feb 19, 2021

The composer Frédéric Chopin, whose first published music appeared about two hundred years ago in the 1820s, eventually wrote hundreds of piano pieces, many of them memorable and popular. The musical influences that struck him along the way are considered by WNYC's Sara Fishko and guests in this edition of Fishko Files. (Produced in 2017)

Jacqueline Kennedy's White House Feb 12, 2021

On Valentine's Day 1962, in the simpler days of television, all three networks aired a now-celebrated tour of the White House led by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. A stunning number of Americans tuned in and took notice, as WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us in this archival Fishko Files. (Produced in 2012)

Message Pictures Feb 05, 2021

The recent death of screenwriter Walter Bernstein has WNYC's Sara Fishko ruminating on the subject of dissent, protest and the movies, in this edition of Fishko Files.

Walter Bernstein is memorialized in many obituaries, including this one in The New York Times.

MLK/FBI and The Front are available on Amazon Prime. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Judas and the Black Messiah comes to theatres and HBO Max on Friday, February 12.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday begins streaming on Hulu on Friday, February 26.

Minamata is set for release later this year, with the date to be determined.

Alex North (1910-1991) Jan 29, 2021

Composer Alex North was best known for his sharp and observant film scores, including the iconic music for "A Streetcar Named Desire" - but his music always spoke for itself. 30 years after his death, WNYC's Sara Fishko looks at one of Hollywood's most modest citizens. (Produced in 2012)

Our interviewee and North's good friend, composer and teacher George Burt, died in 2015.

Chayefsky Jan 22, 2021

It's 45 years since the film Network had its premiere. It seemed pretty far out in its time - but now seems remarkably prescient, thanks to the writing by Paddy Chayefsky, the subject of this archival Fishko Files. (Produced in 2006)

MLK: 2 Films Jan 15, 2021

Today, the new documentary film MLK/FBI is available to screen. As WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us, it's a dark and revealing update to civil rights movement history. That, and an older Dr. King film, are the subjects of this edition of Fishko Files.

MLK/FBI is out today in select theatres and on VOD. King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis is available to rent or buy.

Man with a Movie Camera Jan 08, 2021

It's 125 years since the birth of Dziga Vertov, the Russian documentary film and newsreel director. That's a good excuse, says WNYC's Sara Fishko, to look at his remarkable and pioneering 1920s film Man with a Movie Camera, the subject of this Fishko Files. (Produced in 2011)

Man with a Movie Camera is streaming on Kanopy and Vudu and available to rent or buy on Amazon.

Life of the Party Jan 01, 2021

In this last gasp of 2020, we face a New Year's without parties - unless you count the ones in this Fishko Files episode, composed of party scenes from movies over the last many decades. (Produced in 2016)

Ida Lupino Dec 25, 2020

The actress, director, and film business pioneer Ida Lupino's 1950 film "Outrage" has been added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. To celebrate, we bring you this Fishko Files meditation on her life and work. (Produced in 2010)

Fantasia at 80 Dec 18, 2020

80 years ago, in the dark fall of 1940, just before World War II, Walt Disney’s classical music film Fantasia opened across America. WNYC’s Sara Fishko and guests explore its ups, downs, and in-betweens in this episode of Fishko Files.

Fantasia is now streaming on Disney Plus.

Film Noir Dec 11, 2020

Any time the nights get long, cold, and a little ominous, film noir comes to mind. Here's this Fishko Files with WNYC's Sara Fishko and the "Tsar of Noir" Eddie Muller. (Produced in 2004)

An Hour with Dave Brubeck (Centenary) Dec 04, 2020

This Sunday is the Dave Brubeck centenary - the late, celebrated jazz player was born December 6th, 1920. WNYC's Sara Fishko had a memorable time talking with Brubeck back in 2004, resulting in this program, "An Hour with Dave Brubeck," filled with his reflections and recordings.

Stuff Smith Nov 27, 2020

Violinist Stuff Smith: Once you hear his fabulous, swing-era playing, it's hard to forget. WNYC's Sara Fishko and guests celebrate Smith in this Fishko Files. (Produced in 2017)

JFK and TV (2020) Nov 20, 2020

In the last many months, television has been our WFH window into a disastrous pandemic as well as a deeply divisive presidency. In this special edition for On the Media, WNYC's Sara Fishko takes us back to November 22nd, 1963 - the Friday before Thanksgiving, when the medium was feeling its way, for the first time, through a devastating tragedy. (Produced in 2001)

Andre! Nov 13, 2020

Andre Gregory - of "My Dinner with Andre" fame - has told stories, on stage and screen, for decades, says WNYC's Sara Fishko. With his first book coming out next week, he's the guest on this edition of Fishko Files.

Andre Gregory joins Adam Gopnik on Tuesday, November 17 for a virtual conversation through 92Y.

Gregory's memoir, This is Not My Memoir, will be released the same day.

Shrinks on Screen (2020) Nov 06, 2020

In this fraught time, when truth and reality are warped beyond recognition, we could all use someone to talk to. WNYC's Sara Fishko has more in this Fishko Files. (Produced in 2002)

The Criterion Channel serves up a bevy of films about therapists and patients this month in their series Frame of Mind: Psychiatry on Screen .

Scary Music Oct 29, 2020

In our unsettled moment, people will find ways to mark an unusual Halloween this weekend. It's a time when music - scary music - comes to mind, as WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us in this episode of Fishko Files.

Psycho is streaming on Amazon Prime, and Rosemary's Baby airs on Showtime on Monday, November 2. Get Out is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime.

An Hour with Ned Rorem Oct 23, 2020

Composer Ned Rorem turns 97 today. In this hour from the archives, Rorem and Fishko share a long, winding conversation illustrated with plenty of his music, as well as some by those he admires - and those he doesn't. (Produced in 2002)

For a feast of Fishko programs on music and culture, visit Fishko Hours.

Two American Dramas Oct 16, 2020

Two dramas start streaming today, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and What the Constitution Means to Me. Looking at both, WNYC's Sara Fishko finds connections and commonality, in this episode of Fishko Files.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) and What the Constitution Means to Me (Amazon Prime) are now streaming.

Two Pianists and a Painter Oct 09, 2020

Thelonious Monk was born October 10, 1917. WNYC's Sara Fishko looks at Monk, Glenn Gould, and Vincent van Gogh - and how their brilliant gifts mixed with their personal myths and mysteries. (Produced in 2017)

Pre-Dean Teens Oct 02, 2020

This week marks 65 years since the death of James Dean, film's "first American teenager." WNYC's Sara Fishko digs up the roots of the teen in movies in this archival Fishko Files. (Produced in 2005)

Concert Piece Sep 25, 2020

In this time of empty concert halls and virtual performances, WNYC's Sara Fishko is turning her attention to music with an audience, in this episode of Fishko Files.

Frank Stella Sep 18, 2020

Sometimes artists, seeking inspiration, find it in the very thing that challenges and haunts them most. Here, WNYC’s Sara Fishko talks with visual artist Frank Stella about some very productive pain. (Produced in 2011)

Three Critics Sep 11, 2020

A few years ago, a rash of books written by arts and entertainment critics inspired WNYC's Sara Fishko to talk to some of the critics/authors about the critical impulse. (Produced in 2006)

Guthrie Archive Sep 04, 2020

The Woody Guthrie archive is filled with riches, including some related to "This Land is Your Land," written 80 years ago. WNYC's Sara Fishko visited Woody's daughter, Nora, for a journey through a bit of Guthrie history in this archival Fishko Files, produced for his centenary in 2012.

Hill of Beans, Etc. Aug 28, 2020

In the run-up to the election, we’re all listening to speeches - and many of them are grappling with the very idea of America: what do we want America to be? This episode of Fishko Files goes back to the World War II era, when, as WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us, Hollywood movies were asking the same question - or rather, answering it.

Jeanine Basinger's The World War II Combat Film: Anatomy of a Genre, David Welky's The Moguls and the Dictators, and Thomas Doherty's Projections of War are available online.

Some of the films mentioned are available to stream, including:

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

The Great Dictator (1941)

Casablanca (1943)

Watch on the Rhine (1943)

The 'Indoor Man' and His Playmates Aug 21, 2020

After nearly 70 years on newsstands, Playboy Magazine has ended its print run. In this archival episode produced for The United States of Anxiety, WNYC's Sara Fishko tells the story of Hugh Hefner, whose notion of the "Indoor Man" made Playboy a midcentury staple.

The United States of Anxiety is coming to radio this Sunday, August 23 at 6pm, airing weekly on WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820.

The Personal and the Political (2020) Aug 14, 2020

The artist David Wojnarowicz (1954-1992) was recently honored with a quilt created by friends and admirers in his memory. Wojnarowicz, who made art that captured his own decline during the AIDS crisis, was the subject of a Whitney Museum show that inspired this Fishko Files. (Produced in 2018).

Cynthia Carr's book Fire in the Belly: The Life and Times of David Wojnarowicz is available on Amazon.

Hazel Scott As Herself Aug 07, 2020

Pianist and singer Hazel Scott was born in Trinidad a century ago, in the summer of 1920. Scott is well-remembered for her sparkling piano technique, as well as her style - but her biography reveals a powerful character with a rich and layered life behind the glamour. More in this archival Fishko Files. (Produced in 2009)

The Great de Havilland Jul 30, 2020

The death of actress and star Olivia de Havilland a few days ago has stirred many memories and considerations. WNYC's Sara Fishko chimes in for this episode of Fishko Files.

William Wyler's The Heiress (1949) airs on TCM next month and is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Criterion and Amazon.

From the New Yorker: a consideration of the "last lioness of the Hollywood Studio System," by Rachel Syme.

Jon Hendricks (2020) Jul 24, 2020

Annie Ross, the singer and actress who died this week at 89, was one-third of the phenomenally successful jazz vocal group Lambert Hendricks and Ross. Its heady days of success, as well as Ross herself, were recalled by the late Jon Hendricks - who spoke with WNYC's Sara Fishko in this archival edition of Fishko Files. (Produced in 2011)

Harlem Renaissance Jul 17, 2020

A cultural movement of Black writers and artists was flourishing a century ago in uptown New York, and it’s being remembered now with various virtual events. As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us in this episode of Fishko Files, the Harlem Renaissance movement was rich with ideas.

Emily Bernard is a professor at the University of Vermont and the editor of Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten.

Harlem Renaissance 100 continues with its second, virtual phase. Next up: The Importance of Being Earnest, presented by the Harlem Shakespeare Festival, on July 26.

A box set from the Library of Congress, Harlem Renaissance Novels, offers a deeper dive into the literature of the movement.

Jazz Soundtrack (2020) Jul 10, 2020

Composer and arranger Johnny Mandel died last Monday at the age of 94. In the sixty years prior, he gave us standards such as “Emily” and “The Shadow of Your Smile,” and ushered in an era of jazz-inflected movies with his 1958 score for the film “I Want to Live.” WNYC’s Sara Fishko spoke to him about that period in this archival Fishko Files, produced in 2008.

John Levy, Jazz Master Jul 03, 2020

This archival Fishko Files was produced in 2006 - the year musician and manager John Levy was given the prestigious title of "Jazz Master" by the National Endowment for the Arts. His profound impact on music could be seen in many forms, and for many decades. Levy died in January 2012, just three months shy of his 100th birthday.

Three Jazz Works Jun 26, 2020

Some of the major struggles and victories of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s coincided with a most active period for jazz music. WNYC's Sara Fishko looks at a few cases where the movement and the music came together, in this edition of Fishko Files. Featuring music by Max Roach, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck, among others.

Max Roach's We Insist! Freedom Now

Duke Ellington's My People

Dave Brubeck's The Gates of Justice

Louis Armstrong, Dave Lambert, Jon Henricks, and others' The Real Ambassadors

Capturing Cohn Jun 18, 2020

A documentary film about the late, infamous lawyer Roy Cohn premieres tonight. As WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us, the variety of films and dramatic portrayals of Cohn reveal a figure both fascinating and repellent. More in this episode of Fishko Files.

Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn premieres tonight at 9pm on HBO.

Where's My Roy Cohn?, Point of Order, Citizen Cohn, and the HBO miniseries Angels in America are available to stream or buy online.

Miss Lonelyhearts Jun 11, 2020

The Depression-era novel Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West, has been called "the purest expression of despair that American literature has produced, in any era." As WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us in this Fishko Files, 80 years after the author's death the book - about the descent into darkness of an advice columnist - still rings true.

Miss Lonelyhearts is available to order online.

Jonathan Lethem's upcoming novel, The Arrest, will be published this November. You can find more Lethem on West in "The American Vicarious" (The Believer, 2009).

For more on Lowell Liebermann, visit his website.

Thanks to Rex Doane for lending his voice to our excerpts from Miss Lonelyhearts.

Strange Fruit Jun 05, 2020

20 years ago, a book by David Margolick reminded us of the power of a historic song about lynching, Strange Fruit - made famous by the great Billie Holiday. As Americans march against systemic racism, this archival Fishko Files with Lena Horne and others on the song that some say changed the world. (Produced in 2000)

See For Yourself May 29, 2020

After the opening of the September 11th Memorial and Museum, record-breaking crowds traveled to Ground Zero, to the exact spot where the tragedy happened. In this archival edition of Fishko Files, WNYC's Sara Fishko asks - why?

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