Arkoff co-founded American International Pictures, the company that churned out the great low-budget teen movies of the 50s, 60s, and 70s like "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," and "Blackula." The Film Forum in New York City is running a retrospective of AIP movies.
Rock historian Ed Ward talks about the Beach Boys's legendary concept album, which was never released. Many of the songs eventually appeared on their later, official releases, often in a watered-down form.
Village Voice rock critic Robert Christgau has a new guide to the best records of the 80s. He's also a fan of African music and rap, both of which he sees having a strong influence on new American music.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Furthermore, the new album from tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore. Whitehead says it's one of the year's best mainstream records. Unlike many jazz musicians who find fame in their early twenties, Moore didn't release is first album until he was 33.
World music critic Milo Miles says Paul Simon's earlier album Graceland featured excellent South African sounds, but was politically tone deaf. His new album takes its inspiration from Latin America, and while not as strong as Graceland, still has some poetic beauty.
Medical writer Ann Giudici Fettner was celebrated by the gay community for her reporting on the AIDS crisis. She has a new book about other viral diseases called Viruses: Agents of Change.
At 29, Brown decided to become an author, and taught himself fiction writing. He wrote five novels before one was finally published -- his debut, Dirty Work. He has a new collection of short stories, called Big Bad Love.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the adaptation of Mario Vargas Llosa's novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. The film was directed by Jon Amiel, and is set in New Orleans. Schiff says it's lost all the charm and complexity of its source material.
Writer and editor Victor Navasky has been with The Nation since 1978. Now the magazine -- a "journal of commentary and dissent" -- is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a new anthology. Navasky talks about the Nation's editorial stand on the Gulf crisis and how the peace movement is responding to events.
Arias advocates for writers who dissent against repressive governments. He lives in the United States, but occasionally returns to his home country. His newest novel, After the Bombs, about a young boy growing up in a politically unstable Guatemala City, has just been published in English.
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Family Style by the late blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie. Tucker says the irony is that, on his last recording before his untimely death, Stevie Ray Vaughan was finally coming into his own as a songwriter and performer.
Ed Ward concludes his two-part history of the politically-minded singer and songwriter. Mayfield was recruited by Columbia Records so that label could compete with Motown. After a few career missteps with other labels, Mayfield scored two hits from his soundtrack the film Superfly.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews The Runaway Bride, Elizabeth Kendall's book about women's portrayals and roles in the early era of film. The author says these women were allowed to be smarter, funnier and more self-respecting in ways that are uncommon today.
Pakistan-born, British journalist Dilip Hiro covers Middle East affairs. His forthcoming book on the Iran-Iraq war is called The Longest War. He says Iraq and its leader Saddam Hussein gained power by receiving intelligence and material support from Western states, including the U.S. He says any conflict between the U.S. and Iraq could destabilize the region.
The African American film director made a number of documentary films; his first widely distributed, commercial film, To Sleep with Anger, stars Danny Glover. Burnett comes from the American South; he's inspired by a lot of the folklore that comes from that region.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the last two releases by jazz drummer Art Blakey, who died last week. Blakey is credited with discovering and nurturing young talent, but Whitehead says not to overlook the drummer's own skill and dedication -- both of which are never absent from any of his albums.
Rhodes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist who wrote The Making of the Atomic Bomb. His new book is called A Hole in the World, about the abuse he and his brother endured at the hands of his stepmother. Rhodes eventually became a ward of the state, and grew up in a boys' home.
