Nathaniel Lachenmeyer has written the new book, “The Outsider: A Journey Into My Father’s Struggle with Madness” (Broadway Books). His father, Charles, was a professor of sociology who lived a normal suburban life with his family until the onset of schizophrenia. The disease destroyed his life: he lost his job, his family, and ended up homeless. Nathaniel corresponded with his father until it became too difficult to continue. After learning of his father’s death in 1995, he decided to find out what happened to him.
Attorney and former Deputy Commissioner of Baseball, Stephen Greenberg. He’ll discuss his father, legendary baseball player Hank Greenberg, who faced bigotry in the 1930s and 40s as America’s first Jewish baseball star. Greenberg played first base and outfield for the Detroit Tigers from 1933-46 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947. And he helped the Tigers win the pennant four times. There’s a new documentary about him, “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” (by Aviva Kempner).
Screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière is best known for his 19 year collaboration with French film director Luis Bunuel. Their films Include "Diary of a Chambermaid," "Belle du Jour," "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" and "The Obscure Object of Desire." Carrière also wrote screenplays for "The Tin Drum," "The Return of Martin Guerre," and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." On March 5th, Carrière received the highest award given by the Writers Guild of American, the Screen Laurel Award.
Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews the new cross over album by country music performer Shelby Lynne. The CD is called "I am Shelby Lynne" (Mercury Records).
Poets Sonia Sanchez and Michael Harper. The two are featured on a new CD anthology, "Our Souls Have Grown Deep Like the Rivers" (Rhino) a collection of African American poetry from 1919 to 1999. It Includes the work of Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Maya Angelou, Gil Scott-heron, Amiri Baraka and others.
Actor Michael Imperioli. He currently stars as Christopher In the HBO series "The Sopranos" and wrote one of this season's episodes. He's also appeared In five Spike Lee films, and starred In, co-wrote and executive produced Lee's latest film "Summer of Sam." Imperioli also appeared In the films "Goodfellas," "Malcolm X," "Clockers," and "Household Saints."
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Life Overflowing" (Nada) featuring John Tchicai (Chick-EYE) and Charlie Kohlhase (COAL-hass) and "The Eternal Hang" (Accurate) featuring Dave Bryant.
Actress Anjelica Huston, the star of the films "The Grifters," "Prizi's Honor," and "The Dead" and daughter of film director John Huston. She directs and stars In the new film "Agnes Brown" adapted from the Brendan O'Carroll book, "The Mammy."
Medical journalist Stephen Klaidman is Senior Research Fellow at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. His new book “Saving the Heart: The Battle to Conquer Coronary Disease” (Oxford) takes a look at the treatments developed -- like angiography and balloon angioplasty -- to help patients recover from the damages of heart disease. He also charts the way the field of cardiology has become a multi-billion dollar business, and the conflict that arises between medical ambition and financial incentive and the best treatment options for patients.
Senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly, Barbara Wallraff, and author of the magazine’s “Word Count” column. Her new book about language usage is “”Word Count: Wherein verbal virtue is rewarded, crimes against the language are punished, and poetic justice is done” (Harcourt).
With the recent death of Israeli singer Ofra Haza to AIDS, World music critic Milo Miles reflects on the world musicians who have died of the disease, and the secrecy that surrounded their illnesses.
Photojournalist James Nachtwey. Ten years of his photographs taken around the world In areas of war, famine, and conflict are collected In the new book, "Inferno." (Phaidon Press). Nachtwey has been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal four times. The award is the highest honor among photographers and is given to those for the "best photographic reporting or interpretation from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise," and it entails a deliberate decision to go in harm's way.
Writer and director Frank Whaley. He's making his debut as such with the semi-autobiographical film "Joe the King," which won this year's screenwriting award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film takes the viewpoint of a child who strives to contend with his lousy circumstances: raised by an alcoholic and abusive father and a withdrawn mother. The film Is produced by John Leguizamo who also has a part In the film, and It stars Val Kilmer.
Joyce Horman is the widow of Charles Horman, an American living In Chile at the time of Pinochet's 1973 coup which overthrew the Socialist government of Salvador Allende. Horman was executed for his support of the Allende government. His story was told In the 1982 film "Missing" and Is the subject of the book "The Execution of Charles Horman, an American Sacrifice." The U.S. government had denied any complicity In Horman's death, but the recently declassified documents indicate otherwise.
The 84 year-old former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet flew home to Chile today, after the British Home Secretary ruled against extraditing him to Spain where he would have faced trial for torture and human rights violations. He was found mentally unfit to stand trial. Pinochet had been under house arrest In England for over a year, as legal efforts were made to hold him accountable for the thousands of people who died or disappeared during his 17-year regime In Chile. We talk with Peter Kornbluh, ("corn-blue") Senior Analyst at the National Security Archive.
The 84 year-old former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet flew home to Chile today, after the British Home Secretary ruled against extraditing him to Spain where he would have faced trial for torture and human rights violations. He was found mentally unfit to stand trial. Pinochet had been under house arrest In England for over a year, as legal efforts were made to hold him accountable for the thousands of people who died or disappeared during his 17-year regime In Chile. We talk with Peter Kornbluh, ("corn-blue") Senior Analyst at the National Security Archive.
