Fresh Air

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ ended last night after 11 years. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2016 shortly after he took over from David Letterman. Before that, Colbert played a conservative persona in the vein of Bill O'Reilly on ‘The Colbert Report.’ When he started ‘The Late Show,’ out of character, he said, “I knew it would be a little bit of a public discovery. It's somebody else's joke, but life is like learning to play the violin in public. You don't know what you're doing until you do it.”

Also we remember Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, who died this week at age 86. The influential Democrat helped normalize being openly gay in public office. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2015.

Also, John Powers reviews the horror-comedy Apple TV series ‘Widow’s Bay.’

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Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s mother, Bernardine Dohrn, was a leader of SDS, a student group protesting the Vietnam War. She also led a faction that broke away and became the Weather Underground, advocating armed resistance against the government. His father, Bill Ayers, was also an activist-turned-revolutionary. In a new memoir, Zayd wrestles with questions he had growing up, like if his parents were living underground and on the run from the FBI, why did they have kids? He spoke with Terry Gross.  

Also, two-time National Book Award winning writer Jesmyn Ward (‘Salvage the Bones,’ ‘Sing, Unburied, Sing’) has a new essay collection on grief, motherhood, and survival. It’s called ‘On Witness and Respair.’ She spoke with Tonya Mosley. 

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Rose Byrne starred in big box office comedies like ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Neighbors,’ and, more recently, the indie film ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ which kind of defies genre. It’s about a woman trying to care of her sick daughter while her life is unraveling. “In many ways, it tapped into the monster within and the fear of being a parent and the horror of being a parent – and some of the joy, too.” Her raw performance won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination this year. Now Byrne is nominated for a Tony for her performance in a revival of Noël Coward’s play ‘Fallen Angels.’ She spoke with producer Ann Marie Baldonado. 

Later, TV critic Davie Bianculli reflects on the end of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.’ The final episode airs tonight. 

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D.O.J. gave President Trump and his family immunity from tax audits and set up a $1.8 billion fund for victims of "government weaponization." Former government lawyer Andrew Weissmann explains the settlement. His book is 'Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump's Deceit and Save America'

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Jesmyn Ward  learned the term "respair" — the recovery of hope after despair — in 2020, shortly after her partner died suddenly. Her new book, ‘On Witness and Respair,’ is an essay collection on grief, motherhood and survival. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about writing through painful things and why she returned to her native Mississippi. Her previous National Book Award-winning novels are ‘Sing, Unburied, Sing’ and ‘Salvage the Bones.’  

Also, jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews an album from Tomeka Reid. 

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