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.
Rock critic Ken Tucker thinks that new albums from Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakum might appeal to people who were once turned off by country music's old-fashioned sound.
Stephen Schiff says that the recent Japanese movie Tampopo pays homage to the Seventh Samurai and countless other films. The food-obsessed plot is both absurd and telling: the movie satisfies and leaves you hungry for more.
Language commentator recalls how he learned Italian by watching dubbed American movies while studying abroad, and considers why Italian filmgoers prefer dubbing over subtitles.
Bill Raymond has long worked with the collaborative theater troupe Mabou Mines. Their recent production, Cold Harbor, in which Raymond stars, is about Ulysses S. Grant.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has cautious admiration for the Kronos Quartet, which exclusively plays pieces from the 20th century. He says the members are excellent performers who often fail to explore the true depths of their chosen repertoire.
Broadway actress Sophie Hayden worked in New York as an accomplished baton twirler before making it onto the stage. She put her skills to use in a recent production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors--where she twirled a machete.
Rock historian Ed Ward looks back at Elvis Presley's early recording session, which show that the singer borrowed as much from white country music as he did from the blues.
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.
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.
Guest critic David Marc looks at the growing popularity of 1950s TV sitcoms. He thinks the trend reveals a troubling desire for an idealized suburban culture where whiteness and paternal authority ruled.
The British performer is an accomplished film, TV and stage actor who also had a number of hits on the British pop charts. Her Emmy-nominated variety show on the Fox Network, The Tracey Ullman Show, was just renewed for a second season.
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.
Jazz critic Francis Davis reviews a new greatest hits collection of the late blues singer Big Joe Turner, whose voice and presence were larger than life.
Charles Busch's off-Broadway send-up of classic beach movies features men in drag playing female roles. Critic-at-large Laurie Stone says the play offers a unique but problematic commentary on gender roles.
Folk musician Michael Cooney returns to Fresh Air to share two older love songs that he thinks do a better job of conveying emotion than the pop hits of today.
The playwright and performance artist came from the New York fringe scene--which he believes is too afraid to really push cultural boundaries. His play Talk Radio is being made into a film.
After watching the re-release of Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, critic Stephen Schiff says the movie is a powerful story about a girl's sexual awakening--only without the sex. He recommends it for it for viewers of all ages.
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.
