Discussion and Documentaries

Driveway Moment

Did you know that NPR is not a radio station? NPR is a radio production company and a multi-platform network, but we are first and foremost a local/national partnership that includes hundreds of member stations nationwide. Stations are your connection to NPR on the radio, and also offer great Web sites.

Visit the NPR Station Spotlight to find out what remarkable stories other NPR Member stations are producing or to let NPR know why KJZZ is your Favorite Station.

This American Life

Click on the heading above for the full article

This American Life airs Saturday afternoons at 2:00 pm on KJZZ.

Fresh Air

Celebrating A Dutch Mystery Writer's Varied Life
Mystery novelist Janwillem Van de Wetering was once a motorcycle gang member in South Africa, an aspiring monk in Kyoto, Japan and a policeman in Amsterdam. The Dutch author of The Hollow-Eyed Angel, The Blond Baboon and The Maine Massacre died July 4 at the age of 77.
Remembering Sweetheart Songstress Jo Stafford
Jo Stafford was a favorite entertainer of soldiers during World War II. Stafford and her husband, pianist Paul Weston, also performed a bad cabaret act as their alter egos, Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Stafford died of congestive heart failure Wednesday. She was 90.
Matt Weiner's 'Mad Men,' A Dazzling Product
Two Golden Globe wins, 16 Emmy nominations, and a new season on its way: The AMC television drama Mad Men seems on its way to making itself a household name. Celebrating its success is creator Matt Weiner.
A Portrait Of The Great 'Gonzo'
The documentary Gonzo remembers the strange and wild life of writer Hunter S. Thompson. Critic John Powers reviews the film.
'Dark Knight,' A Cheerless Blood-Drenched Allegory
Batman should be dark, reviewer David Edelstein says, but Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is a sadistic film with "no wit, visual or otherwise."
Rhett Miller: 'Serial Ladykiller,' Lovelorn Crooner
The best little bar-band in Texas is back with more ballads of heartache and anthems for getting over it. The Old 97's have just released Blame It On Gravity. Front-man Rhett Miller joins Fresh Air to talk about the recording and to perform some new songs.
Bill Berloni, Calming The Not-So-Savage Beasts
Dorothy's Toto and Elle's Bruiser have a friend in common: animal trainer Bill Berloni. Berloni has been training stage animals for over 30 years. His new book is Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars.
A Manifesto For Young Republicans
The Republican Party has often been stereotyped as the party of wealthy, old white men. Conservative writers Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam think that can change. Their new book, Grand New Party, offers a vision for expanding the Republican base.
Terror And The Unraveling Of America's Moral Fabric
According to investigative journalist Jane Mayer, the war on terrorism may have done as much political and social damage to the United States as terrorism itself. Mayer writes for The New Yorker, and she recently published The Dark Side.
Obama And The Chicago Establishment
Barack Obama has been portrayed as an outsider candidate — an idealist not mired in the political game. But Ryan Lizza says that a look at Obama's political history in Chicago might offer a different view of the candidate. Lizza is the Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, and has been tracking the Obama campaign.
Zooey Deschanel, All-Purpose Indie Princess
Most know her as an actress, from her work in projects such as Almost Famous and Weeds. Now, with M. Ward, she's part of the musical duo She & Him. Their debut album came out in March 2008.
'The Wackness': A Bildungsroman, With Bong Hits
Fresh Air's film critic reviews Jonathan Levine's film — a comedy, starring Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck, about a drug dealer, his shrink and the difficulty they both have growing up.
'Generation Kill' Takes TV To The War Zone
Fresh Air's TV critic has a look at the new HBO miniseries, created by The Wire's David Simon and Ed Burns. Generation Kill focuses on a unit of Marines during the first 40 days of the Iraq war.
Bob Kane: The Man Behind Batman
In anticipation of the new Batman film The Dark Knight, which opens in theaters next week, we revisit an archival interview with Bob Kane, the man who drew Batman from its inception in 1939 until the late 1960s.
Teens, Tech And Language: A Tired Old Tale Retold
From the telegraph to the typewriter to the text message, every new technology inspires rhapsodies about the effect it'll have on language — especially the language of the young. Geoff Nunberg points out that language — and the young — somehow manage to survive.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross can be heard weekdays on KJZZ at 2 pm.

Studio 360

Click on the image or heading above for the full article

Check out Studio 360, Saturday at 3:00 pm on KJZZ.

BBC Arts in Action

Click on the image or heading above for the full article.

Arts and Culture

Discussion and Documentaries