Book critic John Leonard says that all of Gunter Grass's work can be seen as a sometimes fanciful examination of his country's brutal history. Case in point: Grass's new book, The Rat, is a science fiction-inspired novel about the end of the world.
Only in his mid-thirties, Scott Turre is already a seasoned musician. Jazz critic Francis Davis says his latest album features Turre's newfound maturity as a soloist and arranger.
Actress Carroll Baker launched her career with sexually-charged parts like title role of the film Baby Doll. Disillusioned with the Hollywood system, she moved to Europe. Now back in America, she writes books, including her newest novel, A Roman Tale.
David Bianculli is in Los Angeles along with other television critics to preview the fall season. He says he's most excited about two ABC comedies and a new version of Star Trek currently in production.
The filmmaker's first American movie, RoboCop, is a critical and commercial success. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his portrayal of graphic violence and his fascination with American culture and politics.
British music critic and producer Leonard Feather worked with fellow producer John Hammond to desegregate jazz in the United States, as well as to promote women jazz musicians. In his new book, The Jazz Years, he considers how racism, radio stations and record labels affected the popularity of different styles like big band and bebop.
Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews a new biography called The Dr. Ruth Phenomenon, about the popular sex therapist Ruth Westheimer. Westheimer is a Holocaust survivor and was wounded while fighting for Israeli independence. Stone says Westheimer's history of struggle and survival informs her sometimes fragmented career choices and sanitized public persona; while an imperfect spokesperson for the sexual revolution, Dr. Ruth deserves the fame she enjoys.
Writer John Krich is working on a book about baseball in Latin America. He is particularly interested in the sport's cultural role in countries dealing with armed conflicts and political upheavals.
Ted Hawkins busked in Venice Beach for years before recording his first album; he was in his 40s. Now 51, he has a new album called Happy Hour, which blends blues, soul and pop. While the singer is popular in England, rock critic Ken Tucker says Hawkins deserves more recognition in his home country.
Novelist and professor John Barth tried to make his mark as a jazz drummer; instead, he became a maximalist writer known for his sprawling, metafictional books. He joins Fresh Air to discuss his early career, the nature of storytelling, and his experiences at John Hopkins University as both a student and instructor.
Scott Turow received a $200,000 advance for his legal thriller Presumed Innocent. Despite his financial success, Turow, a practicing defense attorney, says that no one in their right mind should believe they can make a career solely as a writer.
Critic-at-large Stephen Schiff says that La Bamba, the new biopic about Ritchie Valens, is a whitewashed portrait of the late musician, and mostly lacks a rock and roll spirit.
Gloria Steinem returns to Fresh Air to discuss the history and workplace culture of the feminist magazine she cofounded, as well as the state of the women's movement today.
Director Peter Sellars helmed a modernized production of Mozart's iconic opera at this year's Pepsico Summerfare. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwarz saw the performance in Purchase, NY. He says not all of the updates worked, but the individual performances reached the audience "on a profoundly emotional level."
The jazz singer and songwriter is known for his distinctive voice and, most recently, his work on the children's show Schoolhouse Rock. He performs several songs in-studio for Fresh Air listeners.
Howard Mohr wrote for the popular radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Steeped in the world of Midwestern humor, he has written a new book called "How to Talk Minnesotan."
Book critic John Leonard says many of the conclusions about indigenous culture in Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines are wishful thinking. But that doesn't mean the book isn't a great read.
