John Waters

Film director John Waters has cultivated a second career as a writer. His newest collection of essays is called Crackpot. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his television watching and filmgoing habits, and to discuss some of his favorite recent releases. Listeners call in with their questions.

Film director and writer John Waters is Hollywood's "leading exponent of bad taste," and Waters describes himself as making exploitation films for the arthouse. Waters is also interested in murderers and has taught film in prison. The Baltimore Museum of Art recently held a retrospective of Waters' work, and the mayor declared the opening day "John Waters Day."

After years of making low-budget exploitation movies, John Waters has received major studio backing for his latest film, Polyester. His newfound, mainstream success includes the Mayor of Baltimore naming February 7th John Waters Day and the release of a documentary about him, Divine Waters. His most recent endeavor has been teaching prisoners about channeling their violent tendencies into art.