archive
Author Interviews
Crunching Numbers In The 'Hollywood Economy'
April 1, 2010 How do Hollywood studios make money? Journalist Edward Jay Epstein goes looking for answers in The Hollywood Economist, explaining the complicated relationship between distributors and studios — and revealing why the humble cup holder may be the greatest technological advancement in the history of Hollywood.
World
The 'Remarkable Life' Of Liberia's 'Iron Lady'
April 8, 2009 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, is the first democratically elected woman leader in Africa. Since taking office in 2006, Johnson Sirleaf has fought to reconstruct the state and rescue Liberia's failing economy.
Movies
Behind The Scenes Of 'Rachel Getting Married'
March 20, 2009 Filmmaker Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Jenny Lumet discuss their collaboration on Rachel Getting Married.
Environment
Daniel Sperling: A Billion Cars And Counting
January 15, 2009 Transportation expert Daniel Sperling estimates that the world's car population — which currently stands at 1 billion vehicles — is likely to double in the next 20 years. Sperling is the co-author (with Deborah Gordon) of Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability.
Politics
Chuck Todd Examines 'How Barack Obama Won'
January 8, 2009 NBC's newly appointed chief White House correspondent talks with Dave Davies about his new book, How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election.
Politics
Cynthia Gorney: Parsing The Politics Of Abortion
October 30, 2008 Sarah Palin is a staunch pro-lifer; Colorado voters may soon decide that life begins at conception. Author, journalist and academic Cynthia Gorney says the abortion wars are still going strong in this election cycle.
Election 2008: Voting Problems
Hotline To Help Secure Voters' Rights On Nov. 4
October 28, 2008 As voters gear up for election day, the National Campaign for Fair Elections is gearing up for voters: The organization will offer a national national hotline to answer voter questions and respond to problems. Jonah Goldman is the heading up the initiative.
Richard Clarke: 'Government Failed You' on Security
May 29, 2008 Counterterrorism expert served for 30 years, under several presidents; he joins Dave Davies to discuss what he describes as a culture of mediocrity in U.S. national-security programs.
Books
'Nixonland' Explores America in Flux
May 21, 2008 In 1964, Democrat Lyndon Johnson won the presidency in a landslide victory; eight years later, Republican president Richard Nixon was reelected in an equally lopsided race. In his new book, Nixonland, historian Rick Perlstein looks at the chaotic years between those elections.
Interviews
The Younger Affleck Steps into the Spotlight
April 25, 2008 Last year, actor Casey Affleck starred in two major Hollywood films: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Gone Baby Gone. Affleck discusses his most recent films, his famous older brother, and his early entrance to the world of acting.
Iraq
Joseph Stiglitz on Our 'Three Trillion Dollar War'
March 3, 2008 Iraq war costs reach beyond the tab for bullets and bombs, says Joseph Stiglitz, co-author (with Linda Bilmes) of the new book The Three Trillion Dollar War. They join Fresh Air to talk about potential long-term expenses from the war.
Interviews
After the Cold War, Russian Espionage in the U.S.
January 30, 2008 Former Russian master spy Sergei Tretyakov and journalist Pete Earley reveal secrets of espionage in America after the fall of the Soviet Union. Tretyakov ran Russia's post-Cold War spy program — but also worked as a double agent with the FBI before his defection in 2000.
Interviews
From Chicago to Anbar: A Chaplain's View of War
November 14, 2007 Army chaplain John Barkemeyer, who has served two tours of duty in Iraq, was for a time the only Catholic chaplain in all of Anbar Province. He travels by convoy from post to post, celebrating Mass, administering Last Rites and ministering to soldiers.
Interviews
Director Brian De Palma Digs Into 'Redacted' Story
November 14, 2007 Filmmaker Brian De Palma has been making movies and stirring controversy for more than 40 years. His films include Scarface and Casualties of War; his new Redacted retells a true story about a rape and murder committed in Iraq by U.S. soldiers.
Interviews
Garry Wills, Meditating on the Church-State Divide
October 4, 2007 In a new book about the constitutional separation of church and state, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Garry Wills insists that that separation was meant as "the great protector of religion, not its enemy." That hasn't stopped fervent believers from challenging the concept.
