David Blumenfeld served as rabbi for 12 years in Glen Cove, New York. He began his career as a U.S. Army chaplain. In the eighties he was an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Hebraic Studies at Long Island University. Currently, he is the Director of Department Services to Affiliated Congregations at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Journalist Laura Blumenfeld is the author of the book, Revenge: A Story of Hope (Simon & Schuster). In 1986 her father was shot while visiting Israel. The bullet grazed his head. Ten years later, while a reporter for The Washington Post, Blumenfeld went in search of the shooter as a way to deal with her own feelings of revenge. She found his family who in turn led her to him. She developed a friendship with them, before they knew who she really was.
Journalist Richard Rodriguez is a regular essayist on PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and is an editor at the Pacific News Service in San Francisco. In his new book Brown: the Last Discovery of America (Viking) he assesses the meaning of Hispanics to the life of America.
Journalist Mark Bowden discusses Saddam Hussein, the subject of his cover story for the May issue of The Atlantic Monthly. The story is –Tales of the Tyrant: The private life and inner world of Saddam Hussein. Bowden is also author of the bestseller Black Hawk Down, which was made into a film. His book Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the Worlds Greatest Outlaw, about the U.S. government's role in bringing down Colombian cocaine kingpin and terrorist Pablo Escobar is now in paperback. It won the Overseas Press Club Award for best non fiction book on foreign affairs.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews Vienna New Years Concert with Seiji Ozawa (Phillips), a new recording of the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Seiji Ozawa, who is leaving the Boston Symphony Orchestra to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic.
Journalist Christopher Dickey. He is Paris bureau chief and Middle East regional editor for Newsweek magazine. He'll talk about the situation in the Middle East.
Writer Gerard Jones is the author of the new book, Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy Games, Superheroes, and Make Believe Violence (Basic Books). A former creator of comic books, he's written text for Batman, Superman, X-Men, and Pokemon. This is his fourth media studies book. He lives in San Francisco.
Writer Bharati Mukherjee's new novel is Desirable Daughters (Theia Press). Mukherjee is an Indian-born writer who emigrated to the U.S. as an adult. Her new novel is about a traditional Brahmin family transformed by contemporary culture. Mukherjee is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and two collections of short stories, including The Middleman and Other Stories, for which she won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
An in-studio concert and interview with jazz pianist Jessica Williams, recorded at WHYY. Well hear Williams' original compositions as well as some interpretations of standards. Williams has been recording albums, both solo and with ensembles, since 1978. Her music is often featured on Fresh Air between interview segments. Williams new album is This Side Up, on the Maxjazz piano series.
Singer, songwriter, and actor Chris Isaak. His new album is called Always Got Tonight. He's the star of the semi-autobiographical Showtime series The Chris Isaak Show, now in its second season. Isaak's 1991 hit Wicked Game still stands as his signature song.
Writer Andy Bellin. His new book is Poker Nation: A High-Stakes, Low-Life Adventure into the Heart of a Gambling Country. (HarperCollins) Bellin is a graduate school dropout. Hes an editor at the Paris Review and a semiprofessional poker player.
Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote an article in the current New Yorker Magazine about Saddam Husseins 1988 chemical attacks on the Kurds . There is also new evidence of Husseins ties to al Qaeda. Goldberg has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2000. His specialty is foreign reporting with an emphasis on Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Goldberg came to The New Yorker from The New York Times Magazine, where he reported from Africa and the Middle East.
Harry Shearer wears many hats — writer, actor, director, comedian and radio host. His new film, which he wrote and directed, is called Teddy Bears Picnic. Its a satire of the goings-on at the Bohemian Grove, an exclusive retreat in the Northern California woods. The richest and most powerful men gather in the Grove. Their activities are kept secret, but a lot of drinking is involved. Shearer visited the Grove in order to write the script. Teddy Bears Picnic opens March 29. Shearer hosts Le Show, now in its 19th year on public radio.
Actor Michael C. Hall plays David Fisher, the gay brother who co-runs a funeral home on the HBO hit series Six Feet Under. The American Film Institute has nominated Hall for Best Male TV Actor-Drama for his role in the series. Hall comes to TV from the stage. Most recently, he was on Broadway as the emcee in Cabaret. Prior to that role, he was in a number of off-Broadway productions.
His new film is No Such Thing. Its about a monster and a young woman who finds him. According to the films production notes, the monster has been in existence since the dawn of time and nothing can kill him. Along comes Beatrice, a young girl who makes friends with the monster and together they seek out the doctor who can finally end the monsters life. Hartley's work includes Trust, Henry Fool, Flirt, and Amateur.
Author Kevin Conley. His new book is about breeding racehorses. Its called STUD: Adventures in Breeding.(Bloomsbury) STUD explores the process of creating champions, from the farms of Kentucky, where stud fees command a half million a pop, to the horse auctions, where the worlds richest people compete for the top yearlings.
