Fresh Air Weekend: The making of Springsteen's 'Born to Run'; Understanding insomnia

Published August 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT

Bruce Springsteen, shown here in 1975, was on the verge of being dropped by his record label before the release of Born to Run. — Bruce Springsteen, shown here in 1975, was on the verge of being dropped by his record label before the release of *Born to Run.*

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:

Springsteen's label was about to drop him. Then came Born to Run: Biographer Peter Ames Carlin describes the making of Born to Run as an "existential moment" for Springsteen: "If this didn't work, he was done." Carlin's new book is Tonight in Jungleland.

Mother-daughter dynamics dominate an ambitious second season of Wednesday: The latest season features a host of eccentric new characters in addition to returning old ones. But Wednesday's greatest joy is the expanded emphasis given to Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams.

Can't sleep? Journalist Jennifer Senior says you're not alone in your insomnia: Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior has had insomnia for 25 years. Her latest piece in The Atlantic is about her often futile attempts to fall asleep, and about the newest research into insomnia.

You can listen to the original interviews here: