Gail Pressberg is the director of the Middle East desk of the American Friends Service Committee. The AFSC is a peace organization that conducts studies and promotes communications between feuding parties. Pressberg is the co-author of the AFSC report "A Compassionate Peace: A Future for the Middle East." Pressberg joins the show to discuss the current war in Lebanon, the background of Arab-Israeli relations, and the recent history of the Palestinian people. Pressberg will also respond to listener calls. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER)
New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger uses the history of the skyscraper to frame a conversation about urban planning, gentrification, and the shifting balance between public and private financing of development in American cities.
Fresh Air broadcasts a lecture delivered by the legendary science fiction novelist. He opines on the role of technology in learning and the future progress of human civilization.
Ms. Magazine co-founders Gloria Steinem and Pat Carbine discuss renewed efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. They see coalition-building among politicians, men, and gay and straight women as crucial to the passage of more protective legislation and further progress for the women's movement.
Writer and rabbi Chaim Potok is best known for his novels. However, he served as the Secretary of the Writings Committee of the Jewish Publication Society Committee of Scholars. The group has been working since 1957 on a new translation of the Old Testament, and the third volume was just published. Potok joins the show to discuss the process of translating the scriptures and the differences from more familiar translations.
Singer Wilhelmenia Fernandez is best known for playing the role of Bess in the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. She makes her film debut in the new movie Diva.
In his regular feature Interval, jazz critic Francis Davis considers the impact of two groups which arose from the Chicago collective, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).
The artist was commissioned to create a piece for the city, which he titled Philadelphia Cornucopia. The installation features whimsical portrayals of historical figures from early American history. His public art has also been featured in New York and Minneapolis.
In addition to being an in-demand bass player, Milt Hinton is an accomplished photographer. His portraits offer a candid look into the lives of famous jazz musicians. He and Fresh Air host Terry Gross talk about the experience of black musicians touring the segregated South and listen to highlights from Hinton's recording career.
Freeman's time studying with Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) was crucial to his musical development. A student of both the avant-garde and traditional bop traditions, his compositions draw inspiration from different facets of the African American experience.
In between a series of odd jobs, the two folk musicians made a living performing across the country before settling down in Philadelphia. They join Fresh Air to showcase the kind of energetic music they can make with their traditional instruments.
Matthew Lesko specializes in helping individuals and businesses find specialized information and financial assistance programs from the government. He contributes to the NPR program Morning Edition and writes a column for Good Housekeeping.
Philadelphia-based artist Raphael Ferrer gave up a career in jazz to become a visual artist. He has just completed a sculpture in Fairhill Square Park. He tell Terry Gross about his unique aesthetic and his particular investment in vibrant Latino neighborhoods thriving in blighted areas of the Bronx and Philadelphia.
Bill Irwin's art draws on diverse influences, including the American vaudeville tradition, clowning, and ballet. His unique approach to dance is featured in his new show, Regard of Flight.
The folk singer joins Fresh Air to talk about how she made a career as a musician after the breakup of her marriage. She performs some of her songs a cappella in studio.
A new collection of the journalist's columns, originally published in his New Yorker column "The Sporting Scene," is called Late Innings. Angell talks about how professional baseball has shifted in recent years toward a greater emphasis on entertainment.
The musician taught himself the instrument before taking lessons at the Philadelphia Conservatory. After a brief stint as a rock and roll bassist, he joined drummer Art Blakey's ensemble.
Journalist Robert MacNeil cohosts a PBS news show with Jim Lehrer. He joins Fresh Air to discuss how the program curates stories and guests to provide a comprehensive and unbiased look at the news.
Financial writer Andrew Tobias has a new book about the insurance industry and the laws the govern it. He shares his recommendations on how consumers can navigate this world to purchase the coverage they need.
