Books & Literature

Poet, musician Dave Alvin, is best known for his songwriting and guitar playing for the Blasters and the influential punk band X, as well as his solo career. He has a new collection of his poems and writings called, "Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You,"(Incommunicado)

Veteran music businessman Bill Alder, and poet Bob Holman are partners of Mouth Almighty Records which is distributing the condensed soundtrack of the PBS series, "The United States of Poetry", a MTV version of the spoken words featuring everything from rappers to beat poets. (the label Mouth Almighty, is distributed by Mercury Records, in New York, 212-333-8000)

Journalist Gregory Vistica, has received numerous local and national awards including the George Polk Award for exposing the sex-abuses and irresponsible authority of the Tailhook scandal. He has written a book entitled, "Fall from Glory: The Men Who Sank the U.S. Navy" (Simon & Schuster) detailing his investigation into the failed Navy leadership which has fostered the growth of wide spread dissipation in Navy conduct.

Michael Kinsley, former editor of "The New Republic," and co-host of CNN's "Crossfire," has been hired by Microsoft to start an on-line magazine of political dialog and cultural commentary. Terry Gross will also be speaking with him about the Republican primary. He has a new collection of his essays, "Big Babies," (William Morrow).

Novelist Stephen McCauley was a yoga instructor and travel agent before writing his first novel, "The Object of My Affection". His newest and third novel is "The Man of the House". (Simon & Schuster)

Judge Harold J. Rothwax, author of "Guilty, The Collapse of Criminal Justice," (Random House). For twenty-five years he's been a judge on the New York State Supreme Court and has developed a reputation for tough rulings. He'll talk with Terry about his ideas for reform of the criminal justice system.

James Carville, chief strategist of Bill Clinton's 1992 War Room, and an adviser to President Clinton. He has a new book in which he responds to the Republican's contract with America. It's called "We're Right, They're Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives." (in paperback, RANDOM HOUSE) Carville is also the co-author with his wife, Mary Matalin, of "All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President." (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Disappearance: A Map," by Sheila Nickerson, a meditation on loss. (Doubleday).

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Lieutenant Nun: The Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World" by Catalina De Erauso (published by Beacon).

Art historian and curator Mark Rosenthal. He is curator of the new exhibition "Abstraction in the Twentieth Century: Total Risk, Freedom, Discipline" at the Guggenheim Museum in New York (Feb 9 - May 12). There's also a companion book to the exhibition, same title, published by Guggenheim. Rosenthal is Curator of Twentieth Century at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. and formerly Consultative Curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

John Updike. America's preeminent writer has written forty-six books, including 17 novels. His latest work is a four-generation saga, a historical novel, "In the Beauty of the Lilies." (Knopf).

Professor of Religion, and distinguished scholar Huston Smith. His book "The World's Religions" (formerly "The Religions of Man") has been the most widely-used textbook for courses in world religion for thirty years. There's now an illustrated version of his book, a companion to Bill Moyer's upcoming series featuring Smith. ("The Wisdom of Faith" premiers MARCH 26 - APRIL 23 on PBS.) "The Illustrated World's Religions: a Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions" is published by Harper.

Maureen Corrigan review Atticus by Ron Hansen.

Dr. Fred Sheftell is the co-founder of The New England Center for Headache and the co-author of the book, Headache Relief. He's also co-authored the new book, Headache Relief for Women: How You Can Manage and Prevent Pain (Little, Brown & Co.) (The New England Center for Headache is located in Stamford, Connecticut).

Columnist for The Washington Post, E. J. Dionne, Jr. He's the author of the book, Why Americans Hate Politics. His latest book is They Only Look Dead: Why Progressives will Dominate the Next Political Era (Simon & Schuster). He'll talk with Terry about the book and the results of the Iowa Caucuses.

Nancy Sinatra daughter of Frank Sinatra. She's recorded a few hits of her own including "These Boots are Made for Walking," and "Something Stupid," the duet she recorded with her father. Nancy Sinatra has written a book about her father, Frank Sinatra: An American Legend (General Publishing Group). Nancy Sinatra has a new album too, (her first in 20 years) "One More Time." (Cougar records). (WE AIRED PART OF HER INTERVIEW 12/12/95 ON THE OCCASION OF HER FATHER'S 80TH BIRTHDAY.)

Actor, director & writer Simon Callow. He's written a new acclaimed biography of Orson Welles, Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu (Viking). Callow has appeared on stage and in many films, including "Four Weddings and a Funeral." He's also written two books on acting and a biography of Charles Laughton.

Balkans correspondent for the Financial Times, Laura Silber. She's the co-author of the new book, The Death of Yugoslavia (TV Books/Penguin, with Allan Little). In the book they look at the decisions that led to war. They write that Yugoslavia did not die a "natural death" that it was "deliberately and systematically killed off by men who had nothing to gain and everything to lose from a peaceful transition from state socialism and one-party rule to free-market democracy." There is also a accompanying TV documentary series to the book.

Maureen Corrigan reviews the new book, Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics, the fiction book based on the Clinton presidential campaign, by Anonymous. (Random House).

Inventor and the man called "the greatest marketer/salesman of the television era," Ron Popeil. He's sold everything from the Veg-O-Matic to the Pocket Fisherman on television, amassing over one billion dollars in sales. He's written a new book about how he did it, Ron Popeil: The Salesman of the Century, (Delacorte Press, with Jefferson Graham).