Fresh Air

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Jean Smart bids farewell to ‘Hacks’ Aug 04, 2026

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The fifth and final season of the HBO comedy series ‘Hacks’ is nominated for 24 Emmys, including one for Smart as best actress in a comedy series. The writers “raised the bar every single season," Smart tells guest interviewer Aarti Shahani. They talk about why the show is ending, Smart’s distant relative who narrowly escaped the Salem Witch Trials, and adopting a baby when she was in her 50s.
Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the novel ‘Country People,’ by Daniel Mason.
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Miss America ‘68, women’s lib, and the politics of beauty Aug 03, 2026

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Historian Micki McElya’s book, ‘Liberation Summer,’ revisits September 1968, when three groups of women converged on the Atlantic City boardwalk: feminists protesting the Miss America Pageant, contestants in the first-ever Miss Black America Pageant, and women defending Miss America herself. McElya argues the collision that day created a politics of beauty that runs through the rise of the religious right, the #MeToo era, all the way to today. She spoke with Tonya Mosley.
Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews HBO’s ‘Big Bang’ spin-off, ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.’
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Best Of: ‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson / Actor Jon Bernthal Aug 01, 2026

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Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘The Odyssey’ is a box-office hit, but classics scholar Emily Wilson, who translated Homer’s poem from the original text, says the film’s script is abysmally written, lacking in emotional depth and character development. She talks about her translation and divisive criticism of the film.
Also, we hear from actor Jon Bernthal who plays Menelaus, King of Sparta in ‘The Odyssey’ and the Punisher in the new Spider-Man movie.
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Remembering Irish singer–songwriter Glen Hansard Jul 31, 2026

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Irish musician Glen Hansard, best-known for his band The Frames and his part in the 2007 film ‘Once,’ died July 29 in a motorcycle crash. He was 56. Hansard got his start busking in the streets of Dublin. Ironically, it was his headmaster who urged him to drop out of school to pursue music. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2008, with his ‘Once’ co-star Markéta Irglová. Their song from the film, “Falling Slowly,” won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Also, Kevin Whitehead pays tribute to Tony Bennett, who would have been 100 next week, and film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘I Want Your Sex.’
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Actor Jon Bernthal on grit, dedication & the teacher who saved him Jul 30, 2026

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Bernthal often plays intense, violent, damaged characters, like Mikey from ‘The Bear’ and Shane from ‘The Walking Dead.’ When talking about himself and his characters, Bernthal says that it’s easy for someone who’s scared to turn into someone who’s scary. He currently stars in ‘The Odyssey’ and the new Spider-Man film, ‘A Brand New Day.’ He spoke with Tonya Mosley about how he went from being an angry young man to a disciplined, dedicated artist.
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‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson: Nolan should've hired a screenwriter Jul 29, 2026

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Renowned classics scholar Emily Wilson caused a stir when her critical review of Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey’ went viral. Wilson explains her reaction to the film and why she's translating the poem again. She spoke with Dave Davies about trolls, tattoos, and why she balks at her work being categorized as “feminist.”
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The forces that shape gun culture Jul 28, 2026

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Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘New York Times’ reporter Mike McIntire says gun companies and the NRA are broadening the scope of the Second Amendment, socializing kids to appreciate guns and marketing a new brand of masculinity. McIntire spoke with Terry Gross about his book, ‘Ricochet: Guns, Greed, and the American Way of Violence.’
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French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani on feminism & freedom Jul 27, 2026

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Award-winning writer Leïla Slimani grew up in Morocco, where women were second-class citizens, but inside her home and with her family, she was free to speak her mind. Her mother, a doctor, pushed her to go to France to study. Slimani spoke with Terry Gross about her trilogy of novels inspired by her own French-Moroccan roots and her search for belonging. Her books include ‘I’ll Take the Fire’ and ‘The Perfect Nanny.’
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Best Of: Broadway legend André De Shields / Apache Chef Nephi Craig Jul 25, 2026

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At the age of 80, André De Shields is now on Broadway in “CATS: The Jellicle Ball.” He won a Tony in 2019 for his performance in “Hadestown” and co-stars in the new movie of the revival. He talks with Terry Gross about his Broadway debut in the original production of ‘The Wiz,’ living with HIV for almost 50 years, and why he walks like a king.
Also, White Mountain Apache Chef Nephi Craig explains how cooking and teaching about indigenous foods saved his life. His memoir is ‘Our Knives Will Save Us.’
John Powers reviews Will Ferrell’s new series ‘The Hawk.’
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A former nun on why she ran away from her 'Cloistered' life Jul 24, 2026

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Poverty, chastity, obedience, total devotion – and rebellion. Catherine Coldstream talks with Terry Gross about her years as a Carmelite nun and why she left the monastery. Her memoir is ‘Cloistered: My Years as a Nun.’
John Powers reviews the series ‘The Hawk,’ starring Will Ferrell.
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