Playwright Marsha Norman's first novel The Fortune Teller, about missing children and abortion, adopts a freewheeling, almost primitive approach to narrative. Critic John Leonard says unconventional structure works.
The Frontline documentary, about the conflict between MOVE activists and the Philadelphia Police, will be broadcast this week throughout the country -- except for Philadelphia, which has a mayoral primary. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the program and questions why the broadcast has been delayed in the region.
ABC reporter Sam Donaldson is known for his loud, often aggressive manner of questioning President Reagan during press conferences and other news events. He believes his style is necessary, especially considering Reagan's predilection for secluding himself from the media.
Stephen Schiff reviews Prick Up Your Ears, about the relationship between playwright Joe Orton and his partner Ken Halliwell -- which ended in a murder-suicide.
Jill Godmilow's American Playhouse film explores the relationship between the avant-garde writer and her partner Alice Toklas. While much of the plot is invented, Godmilow was careful to stay true to the women's lives.
Nicholas Proffitt's book Garden of Stone, inspired by his ceremonial role in the Army during the Vietnam War, was recently adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola.
Language commentator Geoff Nunberg considers why actors adopt foreign or regional accents in film -- and why they sometimes speak in their natural voice, regardless of the part they play.
British novelist Julian Barnes takes great pleasure in quoting bad writing, as well as how words often fail to convey their intended meaning. His new book is called Staring at the Sun.
In his new book, music writer Joseph Horowitz considers the rise of Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, whose popularity grew during wartime. Many of Toscanini's contemporaries fell out of favor because of their German heritage.
Artur Schnabel is often considered an intellectual musician, but critic Lloyd Schwartz believes the pianist's skill lies in his emotional sensitivity. The Arabesque label has recently reissued a number of Schnabel's recordings on CD, including a collection of Beethoven concertos.
Nadine Gordimer's newest novel, A Sport of Nature, follows a white anti-apartheid worker as she traverses a complicated terrain of sex, race, and politics.
Diane Johnson's first novel in eight years deals with an American woman's affair during the Iranian revolution. She joins Fresh Air to talk about writing biographies and screenplays and why it took her so long to finish her newest book.
Graham Chapman came out while working on the sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus. He discusses his activism to support gay rights, as well as the many times the television program lampooned conventional masculinity.
Photographer Bruce Davidson documented each line of New York City's subway system, documenting the people who rode the tracks, including youths, working commuters, and homeless people.
