Whitney Houston's new album, Whitney, debuted at the top of the pop charts, in part fueled by its hit single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Rock critic Ken Tucker says the songs are thinner than those on her last album, and wonders if they'll be enough to sustain her immense popularity.
As a teenager at the beginning of her folk career, Joan Baez played mostly sad, traditional songs. She later became an icon to teenage girls in the 1960s, played with Bob Dylan, and pursued political activism.
Jody Pinto is an installation artist whose work is inspired by the contours of the human body. Her newest piece, Fingerspan, is a bridge that extends throughout Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. It is her first major permanent work.
Linguist Geoff Nunberg unpacks worries about different kinds of cultural and technical illiteracy--which he believes could more accurately be described as ignorance. Nunberg says we should be more concerned with the often overlooked problem of functional illiteracy.
Rock historian remembers the 1960s Boston band The Remains, whose music reflected the genre's growing depth and sophistication. Despite opening for the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, the group never caught on.
Book critic John Leonard says that Annie Cohen-Solal's examination of the philosopher's life is both thoughtful and exhaustive. Ronald Hayman, on the other hand, seeks to tear down the French writer, to unclear ends.
Nien Cheng and her husband were educated abroad and lived a comfortable, bourgeois life before China's Cultural Revolution. Though Cheng faced persecution, interrogation, and imprisonment, she was mostly able to maintain her lifestyle--and her loyalty to her country. She now lives in Washington, D.C.
Jazz critic Francis Davis says Nigel Kennedy avoids the dilettantism of other classical musicians who want to get down and dirty in other genres. Kennedy's new album features interpretations of Duke Ellington and Bela Bartok.
New York City-based journalist Pete Hamill briefly served as a newspaper editor in Mexico City. After conflicts with the publisher over how to cover a student protest, he resigned. Nineteen reporters joined him. Now back in U.S., he writes for the Village Voice.
Television critic David Bianculli reviews the new A&E miniseries The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, which he says surprises at every turn with its tales of sex and betrayal.
Jazz guitar player Marty Grosz talks about the songwriter's lyrics, which he says are at once remorseful and exuberant. Grosz performs two of Waller's songs for Fresh Air listeners.
Guitarist Paul Burlison and drummer D.J. Fontana are two members of rockabilly sextet the Sun Rhythm Section. Both musicians were active in the 1950s and played with legends like Elvis Presley. They join Fresh Air's Terry Gross to share memories of their decades-long career.
Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews a new play and movie about the African American experience, both written by African American artists. She says the works should be celebrated for their refusal to pander to white audiences.
James Crumley's increasingly popular mystery novels feature the detective Milo Milodragovitch, who is as flawed as the criminals he pursues. Unlike the urban settings of classic hard-boiled fiction, his books take place in Montana.
The performer, composer, and professor is one of bop's progenitors. He continues to innovate with his Double Quartet, which incorporates strings into a more conventional jazz combo. He became an activist during the civil rights movement, and often incorporated his politics into his music.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews Roxanne, Steve Martin's new romantic comedy. Schiff says the movie is evidence that Martin in the finest comic actor working in film today.
