Michael Crichton gave up a medical career to become a science fiction author and film director. His newest book, Sphere, deals with an alien encounter and a growing fear of computers.
While some reviewers think River's Edge could become the Blue Valentine of 1987, film critic Stephen Schiff says the film suffers from a weak message and poor casting.
Music publicist Derek Taylor was the press agent for the Beatles; he also ghost wrote the memoir of their manager, Brian Epstein. His new book, about 1967 -- when he started working for Apple Records -- is called It Was Twenty Years Ago Today.
The novelist's new nonfiction book is a meditation on the violent, intense sport, which her father exposed her to when she was a child. Despite her interest in boxing, Oates finds it difficult to watch live fights.
Linguist Geoff Nunberg believes that the American disdain for foreign language education is a holdover from our isolationist past -- and a detriment to our culture.
Composer John Harbison recently won the Pulitzer Prizer. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD featuring songs inspired by the poet Mirabai.
Vladimir Vojnovič's first novel since his exile from Russia anticipates what communism might look like 60 years in the future. Book critic John Leonard thinks the the story contains some delightful slapstick.
Rock historian Ed Ward looks at how the country music establishment reacted to the burgeoning popularity of rock music in the 1950s and '60s -- sometimes in inept, out-of-touch ways.
Each of the photographs in Abigail Heyman's new book documents weddings from across the country. Guests were often confused by her presence -- she was never the official wedding photographer.
Allan Arkush is part of a new breed of directors who switches back and forth between film and television. A veteran of B-movies and cult films, he says TV offers more room for experimentation and narrative innovation.
TV critic David Bianculli says that the documentary show, which shared a time slot with The Cosby Show, didn't deserve to be canceled -- despite its low ratings.
Director Tim Hunter's new movie is about a teenage murderer and the impact his actions have on his friends. The movie stars Dennis Hopper, Keanu Reeves, and Crispin Glover.
James Lardner's new book examines how videocassette recorders have changed the motion picture industry and viewers' movie and television watching habits. The author also considers how nearly all VHS players are manufactured in Japan, though the technology was developed in the U.S.
Jazz critic Francis Davis says that Steve Kuhn, who as a young man performed with John Coltrane's band, is only now finding his voice. Kuhn's new album is called Mostly Ballads.
Award wInning poet Maxine Kumin moved with her husband to a farm in New Hampshire. Her new life in a rural setting inspired her recent collection of essays.
The Australian miniseries, about prisoners in World War II, is presented in full in a new home video release. Critic Ken Tucker says it powerfully illustrates the cultural divide between Great Britain and Australia.
Fiddler and folklorist Michael Doucet plays with the band Beausoleil. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the history of and techniques involved in the Louisiana-based genre.
