Actress Claire Bloom. After a long and illustrious career playing opposite the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Richard Burton, and Sir John Gielgud, Bloom is now performing a one woman show, called "Women Observed." In it, she reads roles from Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, The Turn of the Screw, and A Room of One's Own. (The performance runs Thursday through Sunday at New York's Symphony Space). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Classical music fans around the world are commemorating the bicentennial of Mozart's death. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz is observing a happier anniversary, the 100th anniversary of Prokofiev's birth. He reviews a new compact disc (on the Pearl label) of Prokofiev playing his own works.
Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the songwriting team of Don Harris and Dewey Terry. They worked at Los Angeles' Specialty Records, where Little Richard also recorded, and gave the studio some of its biggest hits.
Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett. Hewlett's new book, "When The Bough Breaks," argues that the United States is guilty of shocking neglect of its' children, both poor and affluent. Hewlitt also shows how that neglect is actually costing the nation billions of dollars. (It's published by Basic Books). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Writer Norman Rush. Rush has a new novel, called "Mating." It's a comic romance that takes place in Botswana in the 80s. The novel builds on Rush's critically acclaimed collection of stories, "Whites." Rush himself served as the Peace Corps director in Botswana between 1978 and 1983. ("Mating" is published by Knopf). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Television critic David Bianculli reviews two new programs this season: "Good & Evil," by the creator of "Soap," and "Golden Girls," and "Brooklyn Bridge" by the creator of "Family Ties."
British writer Clive Barker. Some call him the "King of Horror," but he likes to think of himself as a writer who "delivers his readers into a new realm and states of reality." His novels include, "Cabal," and "The Great and Secret Show." He's also a filmmaker; his films include, "Hellraiser," and "Nightbreed." His new book is "Imajica," (published by HarperCollins.) (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Chinese writer Jung Chang. She was born in China but left in 1978 to study. She now lives in England. Her book, "Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China," (published by Simon & Schuster). It's the story of Jung Chang, her mother, and her grandmother Chang's grandmother was born into feudal society, whose feet were bound at the age of two; she was a concubine at 15. Chang's mother grew up under Japanese occupation, was a part of the Communist-led student underground, and later a heroine of the revolution.
Actor Hume Cronyn. For more than 50 years, Cronyn has been one of the most distinguish actors working. He's written a new memoir about his life, called "A Terrible Liar." (It's published by Morrow). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
After decades of domestic bliss, the comic strip character Blondie is venturing out into the work force. Commentator Maureen Corrigan tells us what she thinks of that development.
Political analyst John Ellis. Ellis has recently proposed that George Bush and whoever wins the Democratic nomination for president engage each other in a series of nine Sunday night debates in the weeks before the 1992 election. Ellis says this would counteract the trend toward soundbites that have defined recent elections. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane).
Film critic Owen Gleiberman reviews "The Fisher King" the new film by Terry Gilliam, the director of "Brazil." It stars Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges.
Writer David Rieff (pronounced "reef"). he's the author of the new book, "Los Angeles: Capital of the Third World,"(published by Simon and Schuster). He'll talk to Marty about the recovery movement, the proliferation of such self-help books as "Healing the Child Within," and "Choice-Making for Co-dependents," and the popularity of such pop-psychology gurus as John Bradshaw.
International Lawyer and senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace David Scheffer. His writings appear in the book, "Right v. Might," (published by Council on Foreign Relations Press). He's been following the progress of the UN resolutions since the end of the Gulf War. He'll tell Marty how Iraq has been underreporting its weapons and what the United States is allowed to do about it. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Writer Carl Hiaasen (produced "hi-ah-sen"). Hiaasen's latest crime novel, "Native Tongue," continues his tradition of poking fun at his native Florida. When he's not writing crime stories, Hiaasen is an investigative journalist and columnist for the Miami Herald. (It's published by Knopf). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
World music critic Milo Miles checks out "Dig," the new album from The Burning Flames, a Caribbean band that started out playing soca, added a strong rock beat, and came up with some of the most infectious dance music anywhere. (It's on Island Records).
Novelist Russell Banks. In his new novel, "The Sweet Hereafter," Banks explores the aftermath of one of those tragedies that occasionally appear in the news and then quickly fade away. Banks' story revolves around a school bus crash that kills 14 children in a rural New York town. (It's published by Harper Collins). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)
Editor and columnist Raymond Sokolov. His new book is "Why We Eat What We Eat: How the Encounter Between the New World and the Old Changed the Way Everyone on the Planet Eats." (published by Summit Books) His premise is that Christopher Columbus initiated a worldwide culinary revolution when he discovered the New World. Sokolov is the editor of the Leisure & Arts page of "The Wall Street Journal," a columnist for "Natural History" magazine, and a contributor to "Food and Wine" magazine. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane).
