Terry Gross

Juneteenth celebrates the day slavery ended in Texas, June 19, 1865. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed studies the early American republic and the legacy of slavery.

Dawnie Walton's novel is a faux oral history about an interracial rock duo. Opal is a Black proto Afro-punk singer from Detroit, and Nev is a goofy white British singer-songwriter.

Koester, who died May 12, was the founder of Delmark Records, which released records by blues and jazz artists. He also operated the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago. Originally broadcast in 2003.

Grodin, who died May 18, was known for his deadpan humor and his ability to make even the most unpleasant characters likable and funny. Originally broadcast in 1989.

Jeffrey Gettleman of the N.Y. Times says the air has been filled with smoke from crematories. Meanwhile, the health care system is collapsing and the black market for oxygen and medicine is thriving.

Rogen's first comedy teacher taught him to write material based on conflict, so he focused his first stand-up routine on his grandparents. His new book of personal essays is Yearbook.

Jones became a pop star and sex symbol in the 1960s with "It's Not Unusual," "Delilah," and "What's New Pussycat?" His new album is Surrounded by Time. Originally broadcast in 2003.

D'Amboise, who died May 2, began dancing at 7 and joined the New York City Ballet at 15. He later founded the National Dance Institute, which teaches dance to children. Originally broadcast in 1989.

MIT bioengineer Linda Griffith spent years in debilitating pain before she was diagnosed with a condition often neglected in research. Her focus on the basic biology could lead to better treatments.

After co-starring in HBO's Watchmen, Smart is now in two series — HBO's Mare of Easttown and the HBO Max comedy series Hacks, about the clash in sensibility between women comics of two generations.

Jenkins says filming his new series about an enslaved girl who escapes from a plantation was the most difficult project of his career — and one that made him feel closer to his own ancestors.

Fresh Air celebrates Mother's Day with stories of mom from past interviews with Noah, Scorsese and filmmaker Albert Brooks. Plus, Lorna Luft remembers her mother, Judy Garland.

There is a 30-year gap in the life expectancies of some Black and white Chicagoans. Journalist Linda Villarosa talks about the link between racism and health outcomes and tells her own family's story.

Bechdel's new graphic memoir is about her lifelong obsession with exercise. She says she has a "predisposition of being extremely self-conscious and very caught up in my head" — and exercise helps.

Nicole Lynn Lewis felt overwhelmed and isolated as a young single mom in college. Now she runs a nonprofit designed to help teen parents get the financial and emotional support they need to thrive.

Collins, who died April 27, orbited in Apollo 11 while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic moon walk. Speaking to Fresh Air in 1988, he described his solo orbit as "completely serene."

Winslet stars in the new HBO series, Mare of Easttown. She spoke to Fresh Air in 2020 about her breakout turn in Titanic when she was in her 20s. "I was learning on the fly," she says.

NPR's program, All Things Considered, debuted on May 3, 1971. ATC creator Bill Siemering and former co-host (then production assistant) Susan Stamberg look back on the iconic first broadcast.

Colbert has been taping The Late Show without a live audience during the pandemic, but he's not always alone. Sometimes his wife, Evie, is in the room. If she laughs, he knows he's on the right track.

Pete Docter and Kemp Powers' Oscar-nominated film challenges popular notions of success and failure by imagining a place where souls are matched with passions. Originally broadcast March 23, 2021.