Fresh Air

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu defined himself as a teen by the music he loved. The murder of a close friend when he was in college changed the course of his life. His memoir is Stay True.

David Bianculli reviews the new season of Documentary Now!

The former military analyst has been called both a whistleblower hero and a traitor for leaking classified information about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In a new memoir, READ ME.txt, she talks about why she did it. We also talk about her childhood and gender dysphoria, her time in Iraq, and her experience in solitary confinement.

NYT Cooking food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark says she's always looking for shortcuts in the kitchen — including ways to use fewer pans. Her latest cookbook is Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals.

John Powers reviews the Indian film RRR.

Author and podcaster Jacob Goldstein says we don't think of money as a technology, but we should. He traces the first paper currency to China's Sichuan province, and talks about the early days of dollar bills in the U.S...

Ronstadt's career spanned rock, pop, country and everything in between. Her most famous recordings include "Heart Like a Wheel," "Desperado," "Faithless Love," and many more. In 2013, Ronstadt revealed that she has Parkinson's disease and can no longer sing. Ronstadt has a new memoir called Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands. It's an exploration of her Mexican roots, with recipes of some of the dishes she grew up with. We listen back to her 2013 interview with Terry Gross...

There's a vast world around us that animals can perceive — but humans can't. Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong talks about some of the sights, smells, sounds and vibrations that other living creatures experience. His book is An Immense World.

John Powers reviews the new Masterpiece Mystery! series on PBS, The Magpie Murders.

Author and podcaster Jacob Goldstein says we don't think of money as a technology, but we should. He traces the first paper currency to China's Sichuan province, and ponders the Fed's next move. His book is Money: The True Story of a Made Up Thing.

Also, Ken Tucker reviews Ashley McBryde's concept album Lindeville.

NYT Cooking food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark says she's always looking for shortcuts in the kitchen — including ways to use fewer pans. Her latest cookbook is Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals.

John Powers reviews the new epic Indian action film RRR.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman talks about Trump's tactics for dealing with the media and explains why he's more concerned about the Mar-a-Lago documents than the Jan. 6 hearings. Her new book is Confidence Man.

Country music star Loretta Lynn died Oct. 4 at the age of 90. Her life story was made famous in the film Coal Miner's Daughter. She had 16 No. 1 hits, some controversial in their day because they were about drinking, divorce, wayward husbands, and birth control. She spoke with Terry Gross in 2010.

Justin Chang reviews Bros, the new gay rom-com starring Billy Eichner...

Waits' two lyrical concept albums, Blood Money and Alice, are being reissued on vinyl for their 20th Anniversary. He wrote the music with his wife, Kathleen Brennan. The interviews were originally recorded in 2002 and 2011.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews Tár, the new film by Todd Field, starring Cate Blanchett.