Professor of English and Director of African and Afro-American Studies at Washington University, Gerald Early. He reflects on the meaning of Motown music to whites and blacks.
From the new documentary "Twitch and Shout," the associate producer/narrator Lowell Handler. Lowel Handler is a photojournalist and has Tourette's Syndrome. The film is about people with TS. Handler has traveled the world photographing people, and developed a photojournalism story for Life Magazines.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film, "Vanya on 42nd St," starring Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, and with a screenplay adapted by David Mamet from Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya".
Terry discusses the recent murder of abortion doctors with Dr. Susan Wicklund, who provides abortion services; National Director of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue Reverend, Flip Benham; and Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, Pat Mahoney.
Journalist Verlyn Klinkenbor's article "Violent Certainties" appears in this month's edition of Harper's Magazine. He reports from a Milwaukee abortion clinic from the perspectives of both abortion providers and protestors.
We'll hear from Jason DeParle. He covers anti-poverty policy for the New York Times. With the new Congress in session, a major debate over America's social welfare policy is expected. DeParle talks about what proposals we're likely to see from the Republicans and from the Clinton Administration, and how these might affect women and African Americans in particular.
Veteran writing and production teams premiere two new shows this week: "Double Rush," about messengers in New York; and "Women of the House," a lukewarm political satire.
An interview from our archives with singer, songwriter and guitarist Ted Hawkins, who died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 58. For almost 30 years, Hawkins was a street musician in L.A famous for his trademark milk crate. He became a star in England where he lived for four years, though he was still virtually unknown in the U.S. Last year, Hawkins released a new recording titled "The Next Hundred Years." (Rebroadcast)
In her new book "Bird by Bird," Lamott talks about the nuts and bolds of how to write, but also how to live a writer's life. Her last book was the memoir "Operating Instructions."
The Washington Post has called Lebowitz "the funniest woman in America." She's come out with her first children's book, "Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas." In 1978 she wrote the critically acclaimed essay collection "Metropolitan Life." Lebowitz joins Fresh Air to talk about how her relationship with writing has changed now that she's middle-aged.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Patricia Meyer Spacks' new book called "Boredom: The Literary History of a State of Mind," published by the University of Chicago Press.
Film critic Stephen Schiff shares his top ten picks for 1994. Terry also asks him about the growing number of independent American films, the state of Hollywood, and the message of Forrest Gump.
Humorist and NPR commentator David Sedaris charms us with "Santaland Diaries." The piece comes from Sedaris' book "Barrel Fever," and first ran on NPR's Morning Edition a few days before Christmas 1992. Even though Sedaris has achieved national fame and movie contracts for his humor writing, he still cleans apartments during the day, because, he says, he can only write at night.
We feature interviews with two people involved with the film "Heavenly Creatures." New Zealand director and writer Peter Jackson and co-screenwriter Frances Walsh. They have collaborated on two other films, "Dead Alive" a horror-movie spoof and "Meet The Feebles," a zombie film -- both of which have a cult following in their home country.
