Fresh Air Weekend: Baratunde, Stew, Leonard Cohen

Enlarge Courtesy of the author

Baratunde Thurston is an American comedian and the digital director of The Onion. He co-founded the black political blog Jack & Jill Politics. He is also a prolific tweeter.

Courtesy of the author

Baratunde Thurston is an American comedian and the digital director of The Onion. He co-founded the black political blog Jack & Jill Politics. He is also a prolific tweeter.

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Baratunde Thurston Explains 'How To Be Black': From the comedian and digital director of The Onion, a satirical self-help book for anyone who has a black friend, wants to be the next black president or speak for the black community.

Leonard Cohen's 'Old Ideas' Inspire Confidence: Now in his late 70s, the singer-songwriter has just released a new album, his first collection of new material in eight years, titled Old Ideas. Rock critic Ken Tucker says these Cohen songs work as both pop music and as prayers.

Stew: 'Making It' After A Tough Breakup: Stew's new album Making It is, in part, about his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and songwriting partner, Heidi Rodewald. The two musicians, who continue to work together professionally, also collaborated on the 2008 Tony-winning musical Passing Strange.

You can listen to all of the original broadcasts here:

• Baratunde Thurston Explains 'How To Be Black'
• Leonard Cohen's 'Old Ideas' Inspire Confidence
• Stew: 'Making It' After A Tough Breakup