Books & Literature

Enter James Randi, magician and debunker of people with claims to extrasensory perception.

Barry Gifford, publisher and founder of Black Lizard Press. The press specializes in reprints of hard-boiled detective fiction, complete with the original book jackets.

Guest commentator David Marc will tackle the argument that television is to blame for the decline in reading.

Jehan Sadat, wife of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

While vacationing in France, linguist Geoff Nunberg visited a museum exhibit showcasing an early edition of the Grand Larousse dictionary. He considers the cultural significance of this text, and what it says about how the French view language.

Writer Jay Stevens has a new book about the creation of LSD in the 1940s, research into its therapeutic and weaponized potential in the 1950s, and its role in the 1960s counterculture--fueled in part by the influence of people like Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey and Aldous Huxley.

Poet Mark Halliday is inspired as much by popular culture and music as he is by the work of other poets. His latest collection is called Little Star.

Fresh Air book critic John Leonard reviews a new book by Robin W. Winks, which tells the story of the OSS and CIA's recruitment of scholars at Yale University.

Scientist and writer James Trefil has a new book about meteorology called Meditations at Sunset. He hopes that a better understanding of the rules of physics will help people appreciate the mysteries of nature.

Dr. Perri Klass writes extensively for magazines and newspapers, and has published a collection of short stories. Her new memoir, A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, details her experiences as a med student at Harvard.

The Nobel Prize-winning author condensed 600 pages of notes into a slim biography of filmmaker Miguel Littin, who traveled throughout Chile to salvage footage of life under Augusto Pinochet. Book critic John Leonard says LIttin is lucky to be the subject of Garcia Marquez's "magic" writing.

Fifty-one-year-old author Avery Corman has a new book called 50. He joins Fresh Air guest host Liane Hansen to talk about the different ways men and women view aging. Corman first rose to prominence with his novel Kramer Versus Kramer.

John Peck, who also goes by the names The Mad Peck and Dr. Oldie, now focuses his professional interests on TV. His new book, called Mad Peck studio, anthologizes two decades' of his comics and writing.

The actress, daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, is best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars. Her new autobiographical novel deals with drug abuse and depression.

Lawyer and First Amendment expert Martin Garbus has a new book called Traitors and Heroes. He discusses the Lenny Bruce obscenity trials, the Reagan administration's effect on news coverage, and censorship issues abroad.

Bruce Duffy substantial debut novel is about the real-life philosopher, who wrote little about his own life. Book critic John Leonard says it's astonishing--and never reductive.

At age 40, H.F. Saint gave up his career as a real estate investor to write his debut novel, Memoirs of an Invisible Man. He discusses the central trope of his book with guest host Liane Hansen.

The insurance agent turned suspense novelist has gained widespread popularity, even with President Reagan and among the intelligence community. Clancy's latest, Patriot Games, follows CIA agent Jack Ryan, who was first introduced in The Hunt for Red October.

Sarah Paretsky's novels feature women detectives who are every bit as tough as their hard-boiled male counterparts. Her work subverts classic tropes of vulnerable virgins and femme fatales. Her newest book is called Bitter Medicine.

Book critic John Leonard says that Robert Stuart Nathan's new mystery book, The White Tiger, features a memorable portrayal of Beijing, and makes for fine summer reading.