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Fresh Air Weekend: Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths; Writer Quiara Alegría Hudes

American poet, novelist and visual artist, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, poses for a photograph on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.
Andres Kudacki
/
AP Photo
American poet, novelist and visual artist, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, poses for a photograph on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

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

Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths says she won't let pain be 'the engine that drives the ship': On the day Griffiths married author Salman Rushdie, her longtime best friend died unexpectedly. Eleven months later, Rushdie was stabbed multiple times while being interviewed on stage.

'Sound of Falling' is a labyrinthine tale that's well worth exploring: Sound of Falling weaves together the experiences of four generations of women living in the same rural stretch of northern Germany, and the secrets that have accumulated over that time.

'The White Hot' asks: If men can go find themselves, why can't women?: Quiara Alegría Hudes' novel was inspired by Siddhartha and other classic tales of men seeking enlightenment. It's about a mother in Philadelphia who buys a bus ticket, leaving her daughter behind.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.