Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has a review of a new recording of composer Paul Hindemith conducting his own works with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The composer died in 1963 and these recordings are live recordings from the archives of his Orchestra. (on the Orfeo label)
Writer Hanif Kureishi (kah-REE-she). He wrote the screenplays for the critically-acclaimed movies "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid," and "My Beautiful Launderette." Now he's just published his first novel, called "The Buddha of Suburbia." It's published by Viking.
Physician Andrew Weil. Weil is a leading proponent of "alternative" ways of healing...he advocates proper diet, exercise, mental techniques, and herbal remedies as ways to wellness. Weil's new book is called, "Natural Health, Natural Medicine: A Comprehensive Manual for Wellness and Self-Care." It's published by Houghton Mifflin.
Musicians Tom and Ian Spanic. Together, the pair form the rock and roll band, The Spanic Boys. The band plays a country-twang influenced type of rock and they just released their first album, also called "The Spanic Boys." It's on Rounder Records.
Rock historian Ed Ward plays us some tracks from the "Million Dollar Quartet" sessions. It was an early 60s recording date at the Sun Studios in Memphis, featuring Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.
Book critic John Leonard reviews "Our Grandmother's Drum," by Mark Hudson. Hudson draws the novel from his experiences living with a small tribe in Gambia.
Television critic David Bianculli previews the new NBC show, "The Story Behind the Story." The program will look at well-known events from little-explored angles. Planned features include a look at who else was on Ed Sullivan the night the Beatles premiered, and a profile of Abe Zapruder, the man who filmed John Kennedy's assassination.
Novelist Sue Miller. She wrote the best-seller, "The Good Mother," which was made into a movie starring Diane Keaton. She has a new novel, called "Family Pictures." It's about a family coping with an autistic child. (It's published by Harper and Row).
Author Hubert Selby, Junior. His first novel, "Last Exit to Brooklyn," was published in 1957. It's just been made into a movie, and Selby was an advisor and plays a small part in the film, which opened this week. Selby teaches at the University of Southern California, and is working on a new novel.
Writer John Banville. His new novel is called "The Book of Evidence." (published by Scribners). It's a story of crime and guilt. Banville is literary editor of the Irish Times.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a never-before-released recording of two Kurt Weill pieces...."The Lindbergh Flight," a collaboration with Bertolt Brecht, and "The Ballad of the Magna Carta," with a text by Maxwell Anderson.
Painter Leon Golub and writer Gerald Marzorati. Golub's known for his paintings of torturers and death squads; Marzorati's book asks if works such as Golub's can really change things.
A combination concert and interview with pianist and composer Joel Forrester. Forrester is co-founder of the quirky jazz group, The Microscopic Septet.
South African journalist Allister Sparks. He's been a correspondent for The Economist, the Washington Post, and The Observer. Sparks' new book, "The Mind of South Africa," is a historical study of that country, and an analysis of the roots of apartheid.
