Fresh Air with Terry Gross: March 7, 2016: Interview with Adam Cohen; Review of the graphic novel 'The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye.'

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR.
(1.) Journalist ADAM COHEN is the author of the new book Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American eugenics, and the sterilization of Carrie Buck. It's about the American eugenics movement, which believed genetics could be used to "perfect the human race." They advocated sterilization of those deemed physically or mentally unfit. After the 1927 Supreme court Buck v. Bell decision, some 70,000 Americans were sterilized, including minorities, the poor, and even women considered promiscuous. The Nazis took inspiration from American eugenics. COHEN is a former member of the editorial board for The New York Times, and a former senior writer for Time. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW). (2.) Critic-at-large JOHN POWERS reviews the graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye ("Chai") by the Singapore artist and writer Sonny Liew. The novel purports to be a biography of a fictional comic book artist and spans 80 years in the artist's life. POWERS says it's controversial in Singapore and probably the "greatest work of art every produced " there.