Clockwise from left: Brad Mehldau, Maryam Keshavarz, Samantha Irby, Lauren Fleshman, Ke Huy Quan and Christian Cooper.
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR; Fred Hayes/Getty Pictures for SAGindie; Lori Morgan Gottschling/Random Home; Ryan Warner/Oiselle; A24; Matt Licari/Invision/AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR; Fred Hayes/Getty Pictures for SAGindie; Lori Morgan Gottschling/Random Home; Ryan Warner/Oiselle; A24; Matt Licari/Invision/AP
Clockwise from left: Brad Mehldau, Maryam Keshavarz, Samantha Irby, Lauren Fleshman, Ke Huy Quan and Christian Cooper.
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR; Fred Hayes/Getty Pictures for SAGindie; Lori Morgan Gottschling/Random Home; Ryan Warner/Oiselle; A24; Matt Licari/Invision/AP
We speak with almost 200 company on Contemporary Air annually and lots of of these interviews persist with us, lengthy after broadcast. We requested our workers to share their favourite 2023 conversations — yow will discover their suggestions under.
(For extra workers picks, gems from the archive, and sneak peeks at upcoming exhibits, join the weekly Contemporary Air e-newsletter.)
Central Park birder Christian Cooper on being ‘a Black man within the pure world’
Hear the interview: Christian Cooper was birdwatching in Central Park in 2020 when a white girl falsely accused him of threatening her.
Matt Licari/Invision/AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Matt Licari/Invision/AP
“Cooper’s story is such an excellent reminder to assume earlier than reacting to strangers. I additionally love how he talks about rising up as a homosexual, Black, chicken watching, comedian e-book nerd. By embracing his weirdness, he now has a really cool life as a homosexual activist, one in every of Marvel Comics’ first brazenly homosexual writers, and the host of a Nationwide Geographic chicken watching present.” — Therese Madden, producer
Samantha Irby shares her ‘Quietly Hostile’ survival information (of kinds)
Hear the interview: Humorist Samantha Irby shouldn’t be afraid to let you know about her psychological well being struggles or the “glamorous hoarding” in her home.
Lori Morgan Gottschling/Random Home
conceal caption
toggle caption
Lori Morgan Gottschling/Random Home
“An actual spotlight this yr was how exhausting I laughed at my desk listening to humorist Samantha Irby file with Tonya. Irby has made a profession out of speaking and writing about taboo or darker matters (OCD, Crohns, lifeless dad and mom, being fats, and so forth.). Her melodic Midwest cadence and goofy use of phrases at all times will get me good. For instance, she referred to recording her personal audiobook as ‘honked by me.’ ” — Molly Seavy-Nesper, digital producer
Runner Lauren Fleshman needs to make sports activities extra welcoming to ladies
Hear the interview: Lauren Fleshman’s memoir, Good for a Woman, critiques how the sports activities world treats feminine athletes.
Ryan Warner/Oiselle
conceal caption
toggle caption
Ryan Warner/Oiselle
“Terry’s interview with former champion distance runner Lauren Fleshman was a type of conversations I discovered myself referring again to – and recommending – lengthy after it aired. As a school athlete, Fleshman watched as a shocking variety of her feminine teammates left the game early. Many who stayed developed consuming issues or different bodily or psychological well being issues. Fleshman says that is as a result of too many coaches assume — falsely — that what works for male our bodies additionally advantages feminine our bodies. She’s now an activist, working to advertise fairness within the sport.” — Bridget Bentz, NPR digital producer
Ke Huy Quan discovered the function he’d been lacking in ‘Every thing In all places’
Hear the interview: Ke Huy Quan performs Waymond, the meta-verse touring husband in Every thing In all places All at As soon as.
A24
conceal caption
toggle caption
A24
“Is it improper to focus on a few of my very own interviews? I began the yr with a terrific speak with Ke Huy Quan. Keep in mind when he was the hit of the Oscars? That was this yr. Different favourite moments embrace when Brett Goldstein informed me to “Shut up!” and when Greta Lee talked to me about her mother’s response to her movie Previous Lives.” — Ann Marie Baldonado, director of expertise improvement/interview contributor
Pianist Jason Moran reaches for ‘the drama, the comedy and the tragedy’ of music
Hear the interview: Jason Moran talks jazz and performs choices from his newest recording.
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR
conceal caption
toggle caption
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR
“I am a sucker for musicians on the piano, so I beloved modifying the Jason Moran interview. Terry’s musical data runs deep, and so they each mild up on this dialog. Moran’s newest album is a tribute to James Reese Europe, the composer and musician who led The Harlem Hellfighters regiment band throughout World Conflict I. Moran took one in every of Europe’s songs, and did his personal model on the piano for Terry. It is referred to as “All of No Man’s Land Is Ours.” It broke my coronary heart. It is spare, unhappy, and romantic – one of the best form of love track.” — Thea Chaloner, producer
You may hearken to Thea’s favourite clip from Jason Moran’s interview right here.
Media critic Brian Stelter on what’s subsequent for Fox Information
Hear the interview: Brian Stelter describes behind-the-scenes turmoil at Fox Information following the 2020 election.
Jeremy Freeman/CNN/Simon & Schuster
conceal caption
toggle caption
Jeremy Freeman/CNN/Simon & Schuster
“Terry’s interview with media critic Brian Stelter is value a hear when you missed it. You could assume you have heard as a lot as you want about Fox Information and the Trump world, however Stelter has some superb nuggets in his e-book Community of Lies, together with the completely jaw-dropping story about how conspiracy theories involving Dominion Voting Programs first appeared on Fox Information.” — Dave Davies, interview contributor
Filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz finds inspiration in her mom
Hear the interview: Maryam Keshavarz was banned from returning to Iran in 2011 after the discharge of her first function, Circumstance.
Fred Hayes/Getty Pictures for SAGindie
conceal caption
toggle caption
Fred Hayes/Getty Pictures for SAGindie
“I need to advocate Terry’s interview with filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz. Her movie The Persian Model is impressed by her mom, who grew up in Iran, entered into an organized marriage at age 13, and went on to turn into a profitable businesswoman. Keshavarz is energetic, compelling and current. Should you missed it, return to hear now!” — Seth Kelley, producer
Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau shares his love of The Beatles
Hear the interview: Brad Mehldau sits down on the piano, for music and dialog.
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR
conceal caption
toggle caption
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Pictures for OGR
“Sam Briger interviewed Brad Mehldau on the piano, so you may hear his extremely lovely method, and his preparations of Beatles songs, like “Blackbird.” It is fantastic to listen to an completed artist reinterpret the work of one other nice artist, creating one thing new and sudden.” — Audrey Bentham, technical director
Contemporary Air‘s historical past of hip-hop collection
“Within the fall, we did an entire week of exhibits to rejoice the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop. We performed again interviews with rappers, producers, DJs, and lots of different pioneers of the style. After we do a collection like that one, it actually illustrates how expansive the archive is. It is also enjoyable when we now have musical company on the present, and also you get to listen to them talk about their craft and motivation whereas listening to their music (not concurrently, however you get it).” — Susan Nyakundi, affiliate producer
The Contemporary Air Archives and Contemporary Air+
“Terry talked to Ann Marie Baldonado in regards to the nationwide debut of Contemporary Air on Contemporary Air+. I listened to your entire first week of exhibits in Might 1987 to supply the episode, and there have been some gems. It is so enjoyable to listen to Terry mirror on how the present has modified within the final 37 years because it debuted on NPR stations nationwide. I do know recommending a Contemporary Air+ bonus episode means not all people might need heard this dialog, however they positively ought to.” — Nick Andersen, archives producer
