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Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

Can't sleep? Journalist Jennifer Senior says you're not alone in your insomnia
by Terry Gross
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior has had insomnia for 25 years. Her new piece in The Atlantic is about her often futile attempts to fall asleep, and about the latest research into insomnia.
'Dope' Director On Geekdom, The N-Word And Confronting Racism With Comedy
Rick Famuyiwa's film, Dope, is about a black high-school student who's into 90s hip-hop and Japanese comic books. Originally broadcast July 1, 2015.
'Room' Transforms A Lurid Crime Story Into A Fairy Tale With A Boy Hero
by David Edelstein
In Lenny Abrahamson's new film, a 5-year-old boy lives with his mother in a prison fashioned by a psychopath. Critic David Edelstein calls Room an amazing and "heart-stopping" survival story.
Early On, Comedian John Cleese Says, He Had Good Timing But Little Else
The co-founder of the Monty Python troupe admits he wasn't "naturally gifted" at physical comedy. His memoir, So, Anyway..., covers his boyhood and early career. Originally broadcast Dec. 16, 2014.
Revisiting The Soul-Stirring Sounds Of Decades-Old Gospel Music
by Ed Ward
Post-war black gospel music shaped soul sounds through the mid-1970s, but it's increasingly hard to find today. Rock historian Ed Ward discusses a few recent gospel reissues.
Journalist Describes How The Freedom Caucus Hijacked Congress
Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson says that the ongoing search to replace Rep. John Boehner as speaker of the House reveals the influence that 40 conservative Republicans hold in the House.
An Under-The-Radar Musician Slips Into The Spotlight With 'Oh My Goodness'
by Ken Tucker
Veteran songwriter Donnie Fritts has mixed blues, rock, soul and country throughout his long and winding career. Ken Tucker says Fritts' new solo album showcases the musician's "shrewd ruminations."
Revisiting Rabin's Assassination, And The Peace That Might Have Been
Twenty years ago, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was killed by a Jewish religious zealot. Dan Ephron, author of Killing a King, discusses the assassination and its effect on the peace process.
'Tomeka Reid Quartet' Offers A Tightly Synchronized Mix Of Cello And Guitar
by Kevin Whitehead
Cellist Tomeka Reid was headed toward a career as a classical musician, but was drawn to jazz. Critic Kevin Whitehead says her band's new album, The Tomeka Reid Quartet, has good chemistry all around.