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America's Fascination with Murder.

Amherst College professor Austin Sarat, a Ph.D. in political science with a law degree from Yale University, is teaching a course on Murder which is the most popular in the school's history--with one fifth of the entire student body enrolled. It breaks the record of a course on Human Sexuality offered in the 70's. The syllabus includes selections from literature, film, and television like "Crime and Punishment," and "Macbeth," as well as "Pulp Fiction," and "Psycho." (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

21:32
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Other segments from the episode on March 14, 1996

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, March 14, 1996: Interview with Austin Sarat; Interview with James Park Morton; Commentary on the chess match between Garry Kasparov and a computer program.
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22:02

The Very Rev. James Parks Morton Reflects on His Time at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

The Very Rev. James Parks Morton, Dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has announced his intentions to resign on Jan. 1, 1997. He will be leaving after 25 years of leadership at the world's largest Gothic cathedral to head a new organization, the Interfaith Center of New York. During his tenure as Dean of the nation's largest church he has created a congregation of 1,000, built 20,000 apartments for the poor, and established a living community of faith having much of the same energy and intellectual stimulation possessed by medieval cathedrals.

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04:22

Human vs. Computer.

Steven Levy recounts the dramatic battle between world chess champion Garry Kasparov and the cutting edge chess program "Deep Blue."

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05:16

The U. S. and Murder.

Maureen Corrigan reviews Wendy Lesser's book, "Pictures at an Execution," looking at why we are fascinated with murder.

Review
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03:49

Television Mini-series Captures Essence of Crime.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews "Echoes in the Darkness," an upcoming CBS miniseries about the murder of schoolteacher Susan Reinert and her two children in the Philadelphia suburb of Upper Merion. The principal of the school, Jay Smith, and a fellow teacher, William Bradford, were later convicted of the murder.

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