Places & Travel

Journalist Raymond Bonner's new book examines how the United States government turned a blind eye to Ferdinand Marcos' rise to power and declaration of martial law in the Philippines. His account draws from myriad interviews and documents obtained through FOIA requests.

Joe "King" Carrasco is a singer and guitar player who plays contemporary Tex-Mex music. Carrasco is of German descent, but celebrates the rise and innovations of Latino culture.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new show that rebroadcasts the human interest stories journalist Charles Kuralt produced for the CBS Evening News.

After decades in Lebanon, missionary Ben Weir was kidnapped by a jihadi group. His wife, Carol Weir, worked tirelessly to secure his release. They've cowritten a memoir about the ordeal, called Hostage Bound, Hostage Free.

While some reviewers think River's Edge could become the Blue Valentine of 1987, film critic Stephen Schiff says the film suffers from a weak message and poor casting.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg believes that the American disdain for foreign language education is a holdover from our isolationist past -- and a detriment to our culture.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at how the country music establishment reacted to the burgeoning popularity of rock music in the 1950s and '60s -- sometimes in inept, out-of-touch ways.

James Lardner's new book examines how videocassette recorders have changed the motion picture industry and viewers' movie and television watching habits. The author also considers how nearly all VHS players are manufactured in Japan, though the technology was developed in the U.S.

The Australian miniseries, about prisoners in World War II, is presented in full in a new home video release. Critic Ken Tucker says it powerfully illustrates the cultural divide between Great Britain and Australia.

Fiddler and folklorist Michael Doucet plays with the band Beausoleil. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the history of and techniques involved in the Louisiana-based genre.

Raymond Bonner's book examines the collusion between the Philippines' Marcos regime and the U.S. government. Fresh Air book critic John Leonard has a review.

The African American diva says she faced few racial barriers in the opera world. She credits the work of black singers who came before her, as well as the myriad performance opportunities available to her in Germany, for helping launch her career.

Best known for his role as Colonel Klink in Hogan's Heroes, Werner Klemperer plays Herr Schulz in the revival of Cabaret. Klemperer grew up in Berlin during the time the musical is set.

Harry Shearer got his start in show business at the age of seven. He now writes comedy for television and radio. Shearer joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to discuss his experiences onstage, finding an outlet for his political humor, and his love of bad TV.

The exiled Chilean writer believes that her stories keep the memories of her family alive. Her new book is called Of Love and Shadows.

The Frontline documentary, about the conflict between MOVE activists and the Philadelphia Police, will be broadcast this week throughout the country -- except for Philadelphia, which has a mayoral primary. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the program and questions why the broadcast has been delayed in the region.

Photographer Bruce Davidson documented each line of New York City's subway system, documenting the people who rode the tracks, including youths, working commuters, and homeless people.

Cinematographer and film director Garrett Brown has created the "Philadelphia: Getting to Know Us" advertising campaigns. He returns to Fresh Air to discuss why he wanted to show both the "grimy outskirts" and "scrubbed-up insides" of his home city.

Anand Nagar, which translates into the City of Joy, is one of the most densely-populated slums in Calcutta. In order to learn more about how people survive in dire poverty, French writer Dominique LaPierre and his wife lived in a hovel alongside the neighborhood's residents. His book about the experience, called The City of Joy, has just been released in paperback.

Chilean-American writer Ariel Dorfman has recently published a number of articles critical of his home country's repressive government.