Fresh Air

Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed explores how slavery is — and isn't — taught. And Above Ground includes poems to his children about what their ancestors endured and escaped. He spoke with Fresh Air in 2021 and 2023.

With sharp dialogue and a strong cast, Lanterns is a mashup of superpower action, odd couple comedy, and old school cop story. It boasts the pleasures, and betrays the perils of pushing the comic book envelope.

The American mezzo-soprano died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 52. Her recordings are still being reissued. The latest is a beautifully remastered version of an album called Handel Arias.

Domingo is nominated for two Emmy Awards for two very different performances — in the Netflix comedy The Four Seasons and in HBO's Euphoria. "I can go very deep with my characters," he says.

Beijing may be benefiting from the war in Iran and Trump's tariffs and has an edge in the competition for tech supremacy. The New Yorker's Evan Osnos discusses his story "The Future, Made in China."

Destin Daniel Cretton grew up in Maui, and says movies expanded his perspective: "I have always found movies to be a way of peering into other lives that I would never otherwise experience," he explains.

Journalist Gil Durán argues that a small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires and venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — and that they should be governing in its place.

The 1976 film is about a '60s trio based loosely on The Supremes. It wasn't a big hit, but it has a devoted cult following, and critic Ken Tucker says it features some of Aretha Franklin's finest performances.

Jia Tolentino considers how beauty standards have dovetailed with AI. Lee Sung Jin talks about the breakthrough that led him to BEEF. And I Want Your Sex urges Gen Z to get a little more X-rated.

Ellington's music has been a staple of jazz repertoire for decades. Now artists are building on his work and finding midway points between the legend and themselves. One striking example: Jason Moran Plays Duke Ellington.