Fresh Air Weekend: David Sedaris; Political divides in the evangelical church

Sedaris likens this photo, taken in the Los Angeles County Library Children’s Department before they opened, to a Playboy magazine author photo.

Anne Fishbein

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Anne Fishbein

Sedaris likens this photo, taken in the Los Angeles County Library Children’s Department before they opened, to a Playboy magazine author photo.

Anne Fishbein

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

David Sedaris reflects on the driving force of his life: His war with his dad: “My father was not a good person, but he was a great character,” Sedaris says. The humorist writes about his efforts to make peace with his memories of his late father in Happy-Go-Lucky.

Kendrick Lamar looks inward on ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’: Though drenched in deep melancholy, Lamar’s new album avoids superstar-level self-pity. Instead, the hip-hop artist summons up specific memories and works through his issues with uncommon grace.

A divide between the pulpit and the pew is roiling the evangelical church: New York Times journalist Ruth Graham says many pastors are being pressured to resist vaccines and mask mandates, embrace Trump’s claims about election fraud and adopt QANON-based conspiracy theories.

You can listen to the original interviews and review here:

David Sedaris reflects on the driving force of his life: His war with his dad

Kendrick Lamar looks inward on ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’

A divide between the pulpit and the pew is roiling the evangelical church