Book critic Maureen Corrigan says that, after reading the writer's first two autobiographies, it's shocking to confront Simon as an old woman. The third and final memoir, published after Simon's death from stomach cancer, is called Etchings in an Hourglass.
Near gained national attention when she joined Jane Fonda in antiwar protests. She joins Fresh Air to talk about developing her skills as a performer, her early acting career, and how she defines her sexuality. Her new memoir is called Fire in the Rain--Singer in the Storm.
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews two new country albums by women singers. Carlene Carter's I Fell in Love features her first hit song; Kelly Willis's Well Traveled Love showcases her rich voice. Both records are uneven but satisfying.
Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Stephan Salisbury discusses the internal reforms that are redefining the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts, including an elimination of smaller grants and a reconsiderations of what topics and images are acceptable. In the long term, such changes may influence facts Congressional action.
Badalamenti composed the music for David Lynch's Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart. Before writing film scores, he had a workaday musician's life, arranging and playing piano in bands.
Classical music critic reviews Creators' Records, which compiles historic recordings from 1877-1903 of legendary operas sung by the original performers.
Artists like Bonnie Raitt and Bob Dylan had hits with songs by John Hiatt. Despite Hiatt's success as a songwriter, he hasn't yet topped the charts as a performer. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his career, quitting drinking, and his new album, Stolen Moments.
While the Chinatown sequel The Two Jakes hasn't found much success, many agree that it's beautifully shot thanks to the work of Vilmos Zsigmond. He won an Academy Award for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was celebrated for balancing special effects with conventional, domestic scenes. Zsigmond fled Hungary in 1956 during the revolution.
TV critic David Bianculli reviews Christian Blackwood's new documentary for the POV program on PBS. Bianculli says its unusual cast of characters makes him reconsider his nostalgia for overnight stays during family road trips.
Was is half of the rock group Was (Not Was). They have a new album called Are You Okay?. Was, who is white, has also become an in-demand producer who is heavily influenced by black music. He helped make Bonnie Raitt's comeback album, Nick of Time.
Fred Ho is a first-generation Chinese immigrant sax player who incorporates Asian melodies into his ensemble work. Carlo Actis Dato's music has a distinct Italian folk flare. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says their recent albums are irresistible.
Hidalgo and Perez's Los Angeles-based band fuses traditional Mexican music with more straightforward rock. Their new album is called The Neighborhood, which is inspired by the different cultural communities of their home city.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says that the album Graffiti Bridge, which is also the soundtrack for an upcoming film, is a return to form for the artist, with simple, straightforward songs with strong hooks.
After serving in the Vietnam War, Peacock sought solace in nature. While camping in the woods, he had several encounters with grizzly bears. He wrote about his observations of the animals in his new book, Grizzly Years.
Elmes has been working with the director since Lynch's first film, Eraserhead. He joins Fresh Air to talk about their visual, technical and narrative approach to moviemaking.
Stephen Schiff reviews the new operatic, gothic action movie directed by Sam Raimi. He says it may not live up to its lofty, Phantom of the Opera-like pretensions, but he praises the film for its comic book-like exuberance.
Harrison has new collection of novellas, called The Woman Lit by Fireflies. He lives in relative isolation with his family on a farm in upstate Michigan.
Scientist Zhores Mevedvev was the first scientist in the West to determine that the Soviet Union suffered a nuclear accident in 1957, three decades before Chernobyl. He has a new book called "The Legacy of Chernobyl," about the latter disaster -- which contributed to the Soviet Union's glasnost and perestroika reforms. Medvedev's father was exiled from Russia; Medvedev himself faced persecution for his research and activism.
