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Fresh Air

Best Of: Actor Amanda Peet / Re-examining Toni Morrison

4/18/202648 min

Amanda Peet is in the new film ‘Fantasy Life’ and the series ‘Your Friends & Neighbors.’ In a recent piece in ‘The New Yorker,’ she wrote about being diagnosed with breast cancer while both of her parents were in hospice. “I didn’t really have that ‘why me?’ thing. Maybe because I am Jewish and am always waiting for that other shoe to drop. In this case it was three shoes,” she told Terry Gross. 

Also, we’ll talk about Toni Morrison with Harvard professor Namwali Serpell. She says no matter how many times she returns to Morrison’s work, she finds something new.  She’s still haunted by the last sentence of the novel ‘Sula.’ “When that sentence comes into my life, whether I'm reading it to teach, whether I'm rereading it to write, whether I'm reading it out loud, even just now, tears always spring to my eyes," Serpell says. She spoke with Tonya Mosley.   

David Bianculli reviews the new Apple TV series ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles.’

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Clips

Three shoes dropping at once
A racist profile, laid bare
Facelifts, fear, and fate
“I love your wrinkles” fallout
Rethinking Morrison’s “difficulty”
Don’t monument Morrison—read her
Everyday mental health on-screen
Princeton, pressure, and parenting

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 00:00

    This message comes from NPR sponsor Total Wine & More. With so many great bottles to choose from, it's easy to find your favorite Cabernet or a new single barrel bourbon to try with some help from one of their friendly guides. And with every bottle comes the confidence of knowing you just found something amazing. Find what you love and love what you find, only at Total Wine & More. Curbside pickup and delivery available in most areas. Visit totalwine.com to learn more. Spirits not sold in Virginia and North Carolina. Drink responsibly. Be 21.

  2. Tonya Mosley· Host0:31

    [gentle music] From WHYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Tonya Mosley. Today, Amanda Peet. She's in the new film Fantasy Life and the series Your Friends & Neighbors. Peet is also a writer. In a recent piece in The New Yorker, she writes about being diagnosed with breast cancer while both of her parents were near death.

  3. Amanda Peet· Guest0:53

    I didn't really have that why me thing. Maybe it's because I'm Jewish, I'm just sort of always waiting for the other shoe [laughs] to drop. [laughs] So in this case, it was three shoes.

  4. Tonya Mosley· Host1:03

    Also, we'll talk about Toni Morrison with Harvard professor Namwali Serpell. She says no matter how many times she returns to Morrison's work, she finds something new. She's still haunted by the last sentence of the novel Sula.

  5. Terry Gross· Host1:18

    When that sentence comes into my life, tears always spring to my eyes.

  6. Tonya Mosley· Host1:23

    And David Bianculli reviews the new Apple TV series Margot's Got Money Troubles.

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