A Fiction Writer Turns to Food

A childhood bout with meningitis left New Yorker staff writer Ved Mehta blind. Born in India, he moved to Bombay, then Arkansas, to attend schools for the blind. He joins Fresh Air to discuss how he navigates the world as a blind person, his career in publishing, and the importance of memory to his writing and everyday life.

Rock critic Ken Tucker says that the black rock band Fishbone takes African American stereotypes and stretches them until they break. The band deserves more attention for their insightful social commentary and screaming live shows.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says some viewers can't get past the graphic violence in David Cronenberg's movies to see the craft beneath. Now they have a chance with Dead Ringers, about twin gynecologists, both played by Jeremy Irons. The film may be less explicit, but it still features Cronenberg's signature psychological dread.