Journalist Bill Buford. He traveled for eight years with "soccer thugs" -- England's hardcore soccer fans known for their violent outbreaks surrounding England's soccer games. Buford witnessed "lads" urinating on fellow spectators, commuter trains being demolished, a pub being robbed, and saw stabbings. He wanted to understand the violence that has caused many deaths (including the death of 66 fans asphyxiated in a crush of people trying to get out of a stadium in Glasgow in 1971).
Singer Angelina Réaux. She's gained international recognition for her interpretation of Kurt Weill music. She performed in a one-woman show, "Stranger Here Myself," a collection of Weill music, dramatically linked. (A recording of the show is on the Koch Classics International label). Réaux also performs in Opera and Concert engagements and collaborated with Leonard Bernstein in a some of his final projects: recordings of "West Side Story" and "A Quiet Place." She began her career in Broadway musicals.
Nigerian writer Ben Okri. His novel, "The Famished Road," won Britian's prestigious Booker Prize in 1991. It's about a young boy growing up in a poor African village. He's written four other novels and a collection of short stories. Besides "The Famished Road," the only other book of his published in the U.S. is his book of short stories. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Guitarist Ry Cooder. In the 60s he collaborated with Taj Mahal, Captain Beefheart, the Rolling Stones and became known for his fingerpicking and slide playing. In the 70s he went solo -- putting together ten albums that explored American roots music including blues, vintage jazz, and gospel.
Avant-garde guitarist and producer Henry Kaiser. He's known as an innovative and versatile musician. He's recorded and/or performed with a number of artists including, Herbie Hancock, Richard Thompson, Bob Weir, The ROVA Sax Quartet, Sergei Kuriokhin, and Sonny Sharrock. He's just completed a recording of music of Madagascar, "A World Out of Time: Henry Kaiser & David Lindley in Madagascar," (on Shanachie records). (This interview was done by Fresh Air Producer Amy Salit)
Southeast Asia Correspondent for The New York Times, Philip Shenon (SHE-none). He's been following the protests between Thai troups and pro-democracy protestors in Bangkok, Thialand. The protestors: students, professionals, and workers have been demanding that the Prime Minister Suchinda Kraprayoon step down. Suchinda, a former military leader, led a coup last year against the democratic Government and took power in April as an unelected Prime Minister. Many people have died in the protests. SHENON will update us on the situation. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
James McCloskey, founder of Centurion Ministries, Inc., which was organized to free innocent men and women from prison. Terry last talked to him in March after he helped free two prisoners from a California prison who were both serving life sentences. But yesterday, McCloskey lost a battle with the execution of Roger Keith Coleman. Coleman was convicted of raping and killing his sister-in-law in 1981, but always maintained his innocence. He was put to death in a Virginia prison. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Marty talks with science writer Seth Shulman about how the military has left toxic wastes in bases all across the country. His new book is "The Threat at Home: Confronting the Toxic Legacy of the U.S. Military." (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD by avant-garde multi-instrumentalist Hal Russell, "Hal Russell and NRG Ensemble, The Finnish/Swiss Tour" (on ECM)
Performance artist Rhodessa Jones. She wrote and performs "Big Butt Girls, Hard Headed Women," a theatre piece that grew out of her work as an aerobic instructor in the San Francisco City Jail. Her work has been seen in international festivals in Amsterdam, Munich, and Boston. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Pop artist and sculptor Claes (klaus) Oldenburg. He turns everyday objects into colossal public monuments. He created a giant clothespin for Philadelphia, a rubber stamp for Cleveland, a fruit bowl for Miami, and others. Before taking on the large public sculptures, CLAES worked in multiples, where a small object is repeated. A new book about this period of his work is called, "Claes Oldenburg: Multiples in Retrospect 1964-1990." (by Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.)
We mark the anniversary of Malcolm X's birth with historian and writer Clayborne Carson editor of "Malcolm X: The FBI files." CARSON is the Director and Senior Editor of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project. He also co-edited the companion reader to the PBS series "Eye on the Prize."
Actor John Cullum. He plays Holling Vincoeur on the TV show "Northern Exposure." Holling is a 63-year-old bartender in a relationship with an 18-year-old beauty queen. Cullum is best known for his broadway roles in "Camelot," "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever," and others. Cullum talked with Terry before a live audience in Seattle.
Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "Clockers," the new novel by Richard Price about the world of a black crack dealer. (published by Houghton Mifflin).
