Maureen Corrigan

New York magazine film critic David Denby is interviewed by Fresh Air's Book Critic Maureen Corrigan about his new book "Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World." It comes from Denby's recent return to Columbia University to take two western civilization classes. He wanted to explore the current debate in literature of whether these classic books should be required reading in today's multi-cultural society.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Angela's Ashes," a new memoir by Frank McCourt. It's the 60-year-old author's first book.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Crows Over A Wheatfield" by Paula Sharp.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new novel by Marilyn French, "My Summer With George."

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews two novels from the series,"Old School Books": "The Angry Ones" by John A. Williams and "The Scene" by Clarence Cooper, Jr. "Old School Books" is a reprint series of black pulp novels originally published between the mid 1950s and the 1970s.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Typhoid Mary," by Judith Walzer Leavitt, about the woman unwittingly responsible for an outbreak of typhoid fever in New York City.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Nancy Friday's newest autobiographical look at the plight of women -- this time focusing on their relationship with their genitals.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Derby Dugan's Depression Funnies," by Tom De Haven.

Fresh Air book critic, Maureen Corrigan has more suggestions for summer reading: "A Little Yellow Dog" by Walter Mosely (W.W. Norton); "Cause of Death" by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putmans Sons); and "Lily White," by Susan Isaacs (HarperCollins).

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Hellman and Hammett" by Joan Mellen--a chronicle of the unconventional 30 year relationship between mystery writer Dashiell Hammett and playwright Lillian Hellman.