Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the career of the late musician, who, as a teenager, first plucked America's heartstrings on the TV show "The Adventure of Ozzie and Harriet."
The British journalist reports on Washington politics for The Nation, Spectator, and Harper's. He's frustrated by the tendency of news outlets to avoid reporting facts about political figures that may seem partisan or outwardly critical. A collection of his columns, titled Prepared for the Worst, has just been published.
Television critic David Bianculli reviews the new show TV 101, about a student who covers his high school's news on closed-circuit television. Bianculli says the premise and cast are excellent; he only hopes that the show can eventually live up to its potential.
Saxophonist Bobby Watson learned a lot about band dynamics from performing with the acclaimed drummer. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Watson's new album, No Question About It, features excellent performances from all the players, but the arrangements go on a little too long before the improvising begins.
Erwitt got his start early, shortly after he left the Army. He's worked as a photojournalist and commercial photographer, and takes personal pictures as well. Erwitt's new book is called Personal Exposures.
Critic-at-large Laurie Stone explores the work of the AIDS activist organization ACT UP, and the artist collective associated with them, Grand Fury. In light of the recent rise of inaccurate and hateful messages about people with the disease, Grand Fury launched a street art campaign throughout New York City to educate the public.
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews his favorite songs of the moment, performed by Annie Lennox and Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Shinehead, Billy Bragg, and Fairground Attraction
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new Christmas movie Scrooged, which is a modern take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Schiff says that, while the casting of Bill Murray was inspired, the film is caught between schmaltz and humbug, and ends up being nothing at all.
Composer Lou Harrison studied with Arnold Schoenberg and Henry Cowell, and collaborated with John Cage. But classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that a new recording of his music reveals an Asian influence. It's a calming addition to the late-20th century repertory.
Writer Patrick McGrath grew up near England's Broadmoor mental hospital, where his father worked. He is now a horror writer. His collection of short fiction is called Blood and Water and Other Tales. A novel is forthcoming.
Newman worked in newspapers, radio and television. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the importance of language in journalism, the voice he adopted to report on tragedies and assassinations, and how he filled airtime when the copy ran out. A new collection of his columns is called I Must Say.
Linguist Geoff Nunberg says that dictionaries remove words and their meanings from any sort of context, which makes them inefficient tools for students seeking to expand their vocabularies. But dictionaries can reveal a lot about simple words, which are often the hardest to define.
Rock historian Ed Ward profiles New Orleans rocker Lloyd Price was one of the earliest black rock 'n rollers. He first recorded on the Special T label, and had hits with the songs "Personality" and his version of the old folk tale "Stagger Lee." He adopted a pop sound after New York City, started a few record labels, and owns several nightclubs.
Book critic John Leonard review Taylor Branch's new book about the Civil Rights era. Branch argues that the early 60s, until now identified as the Kennedy era, ought to be identified with Martin Luther King Jr.
The fiction writer sought adventure, so he followed the Equator around the world. His new book describes the different cultures, colonial vestiges, and natural phenomena of his various stops -- many of which the locals described as the "middle of nowhere."
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says that jazz evolved in hubs throughout the United States -- not just in New Orleans, Chicago, and New York. The new big band Dreamland Syncopators resurrects some lesser known compositions from the 1920s that came from other parts of the country. Whitehead says their album Territory Jazz is a good history lesson.
TV critic David Bianculli says that the new CBS drama, about a couple's marriage and divorce, reminds him of the Wonder Years, Moonlighting, and Thirtysomething. The flashbacks to past decades are novel, but replete with unrealistic dialogue and stilted references to pop culture of the time.
The critically-acclaimed jazz artist is known for her use of electronics in her performances. She joins Fresh Air to discuss musical development and her experience as a woman in a male-dominated scene.
