Singer and pianist Ray Charles has a new four CD box-set out that captures his contribution to country music. "Ray Charles: The Complete Country and Western Recordings 1959-1986. (Rhino) Charles may be best known for his blues, R&B and soul music. He has won 12 Grammy Awards.
Film critic John Powers reviews "Beloved" the new film adaptation of Toni Morrison's novel. The film shot largely in the Philadelphia area, stars Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.
Score co-stars in the new film "What Dreams May Come", opposite Robin Williams. She has also appeared in such films as "Cop Land," "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle," "The Addiction," "Mr Jealousy," and "Jungle Fever."
Patti Smith's guitarist Lenny Kaye talks about the new four-CD collection called Nuggets. (Rhino) It showcases some of the most influential garage rock bands in the late 60's following the British Invasion. Kaye compiled the first volume which was released in 1972. He has collaborated with Gary Stewart to expand the collection to a box-set.
The soul musician has written his autobiography "Truly Blessed" (Putnam). Pendergrass was a popular soul singer in the group "Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes". He went solo in 1976. In 1982, he was paralyzed after a near fatal car accident in Philadelphia, his hometown. Since then he has returned to the studio and produced several albums.
Rock historian Ed Ward talks about the Philadelphia soul music scene which produced such superstars as Teddy Pendergrass. Many of those artists were signed to the Philadelphia International Records label.
Biographer Nina Burleigh talks about Mary Pinochet Meyer who it is believed was a mistress of President John F. Kennedy. She was found shot and murdered a year after Kennedy's assassination. Burleigh has written about Meyer's life in "A Very Private Woman: The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer. (Bantam)
War correspondent Scott Anderson talks about the many wars he has witnessed. He has reported from Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Rwanda and Beirut. He has just written his first novel "Triage" (Scribner) which is about a the toll war has on a war photographer. He is also the co-author of War Zones and is a contributing editor to Harper's magazine. His stories have also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and the Boston Globe.
Commentator Milo Miles looks at the music and mores surrounding the new swing scene emerging in southern California. And he reviews the new cd "Swing This, Baby" (Slimstyle/Beyond) which features the new swing sound--which Miles says is more accurately described as "jump blues."
Robert McCrum suffered a stroke in 1995 at the young age of 42. He has written in detail about his experience and his recovery. Terry Gross talks with McCrum and his wife Sarah Lyall who was key in his recovery. His new book is "My Year Off: Recovering Life After a Stroke."
Barry is best known for his play, "The Steward of Christendom," as well as for his commentaries on the troubles in Ireland for the The New York Times. He's written a new novel, "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty" (Viking). It's about a naive Irishman who joins the British Merchant Navy during World War I, and then is blacklisted from his beloved hometown by the Royal Irish Constabulatory. A review from Kirkus Reviews says the book is "one of the best novels out of Ireland in many a year."
Director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, Bruce Hoffman. He's been studying terrorism for 20 years, and advises governments and businesses around the world about it. He has a new book about the history of terrorism is, "Inside Terrorism" (Columbia University Press).
Former governor of Massachusetts (1991-1997) William Weld. As a Republican, he's been criticized by many of his fellow party members for his un-Republican-like stances. He's pro-gay, pro-choice on abortion, and he endorses condom distribution in public schools. He'll talk with Terry about breaking rank with other Republicans, especially in light of today's partisan politics. Weld is also the author of a novel, "Mackerel by Moonlight" (Simon & Schuster)
Journalist Philip Gourevitch is a staff writer for "The New Yorker" and is author of the new book, "We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: stories from Rwanda" (Farrar Straus and Giroux). It's about the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and it's aftermath. That spring and summer at least 800,000 people were killed in just one hundred days when the Hutu led government implemented a policy of murder against the minority Tutsis
Novelist and screenwriter John Ridley. He's written for the sitcoms "Martin," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and "The John Larroquette Show." He also wrote the screenplay for "U-Turn," directed by Oliver Stone and starring Sean Penn. He's also a former stand-up comic. His latest work is a novel, "Love is a Racket" (Knopf).
