How Larry Charles went from selling jokes on the street to writing for 'Seinfeld' In his new memoir, Comedy Samurai, Charles reflects on his career in comedy — from writing for Seinfeld to directing Sacha Baron Cohen's films Borat and Brüno — and a recent near-death experience. Terry Gross
Advice for trying GLP-1 drugs for weight loss from a doctor who's been there Former FDA chief Dr. David Kessler says the new weight-loss drugs are a powerful tool to fight obesity. But they come with pitfalls. Here's his tips for how to use them successfully. Andrea Muraskin
10 years after the deadly church shooting, a new history of 'Mother Emanuel' Reporter Kevin Sack's new book is a history of Charleston's Emanuel AME Church, the oldest Black congregation in the South, where a white supremacist killed nine worshippers a decade ago. Andrew Craig
Author Augustine Sedgewick on his new book, 'Fatherhood' NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with author Augustine Sedgewick about his new book, "Fatherhood," which illustrates as a collective portrait of emblematic fathers throughout history from Aristotle to Bob Dylan. Steve Inskeep
Thomas Mallon's NYC diaries get to the 'Very Heart' of the AIDS crisis Mallon has been keeping diaries for most of his life. The Very Heart of It collects entries from the years 1983 to 1994, when he had recently come out as gay and moved to New York City. Maureen Corrigan
'How to Lose Your Mother' author Molly Jong-Fast reflects on life with mom Erica Jong In her new memoir, Jong-Fast writes that her mother, Erica Jong — who penned the 1973 feminist novel Fear of Flying — had become addicted to fame and couldn't bear losing it. Terry Gross
When is forgetting normal — and when is it worrisome? A neuroscientist weighs in Do you have trouble remembering names or where you put your keys? Neurologist Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember, talks about the science of memory. Originally broadcast Feb. 24, 2024. Terry Gross
The U.S. Copyright Office used to be fairly low-drama. Not anymore President Trump fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office just after the agency released a major report on AI. Copyright insiders say it's caused a shakeup in their normally drama-free neck of the woods. Andrew Limbong
After his mother's death, Ocean Vuong wrote his way out of grief Vuong's new novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is the first he's written, from start to finish, since his mother died in 2019. He says writing it was a way to honor her memory. Tonya Mosley
In 'Our Dear Friends in Moscow," Russian journalists describe a 'broken generation' In their memoir "Our Dear Friends In Moscow," Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan explain how their friendships with others ruptured as Russia grew isolated from the West. Leila Fadel