Critic Owen Gleiberman reviews the new, NC-17 rated film about the relationship between writers Henry Miller and Anais Nin, and Miller's wife, June. Gleiberman says the director Philip Kaufman fails to capture the authors' talent and passion -- but Uma Thurman shines as June.
The Fresh Air poet-in-residence reads a new work, "The Ivory Novel," in which he dreams of writing a novel about saving African elephants from poachers.
World music critic Milo Miles says no rock group has successfully integrated world music sounds into their music. But, in their latest album, The Royal Macadamian come close.
Unlike other blues musicians whose sound is rooted in a particular place, Cray moved around the country throughout his youth. His hits include such songs as "Smoking Gun" and "I Guess I Showed Her." He's got a new album now, Midnight Stroll, which revives the the style of 1960s soul.
Eno has released several albums of ambient music, which were inspired by the classical avant-garde. His new album, a collaboration with John Cale called Wrong Way Up, is a more conventional rock record. He has produced albums for many new wave and pop bands, including Devo, Talking Heads and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.
Kaurismaki's films draw on European literature, American pop culture and Scandinavian culture. A prolific director, he may be best known in the United States for his 1989 film Leningrad Cowboys Go America, about a failing rock band. Kaurismaki and his brother are responsible for half the Finnish film industry's output.
Rock critic Ken Tucker respects the the role the premiere African American rock band plays in popular culture -- he only wishes they wouldn't re-appropriate so much bad heavy metal. Lyrically, Living Colour's new album, Time's Up, critiques the racism prevalent in rock music.
Commentator Maureen Corrigan talks about her admiration of Erich Auerbach, Leon Trotsky, and Fernand Braudel, writers who were somehow able to write expansive, well-researched books while in prison or exile -- without notes or access to other texts and documents.
Carradine comes from a family of actors: his father is John Carradine; his brothers are Bruce and David Carradine. Keith Carradine's films include Nashville, Pretty Baby, Choose Me, and a new HBO movie called Judgment
Kevin Whitehead doesn't like to admit liking new anthologies by Lester Lanin, whom he calls the king of blandness, and "crass and lowbrow" singer Jerry Lewis.
Wolff's new book, The Final Club, is about Princeton students in the late 1950's. His memoir, The Duke of Deception, was about his father, who conned his way through his life and career. Wolff's brother is writer Tobias Wolff, who has his own childhood memoir, This Boy's Life.
Maceo Parker was a member of James Brown's horn section. Parker was hired along with his brother, but soon made a name for himself. His new album is a straightforward jazz record, called Roots Revisited.
Book critic John Leonard reviews The General in His Labyrinth, a fictionalized account of the last days of Simon Bolivar. Leonard says there is plenty of magical realism to be found alongside Marquez's strong, socially conscious writing.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD collecting Boulez-led performances of works by, modern composers like Varese, Ligeti, and Webern. Schwartz says you'd be hard-pressed to find a better guide to this often difficult music.
The season premiere of the supernatural drama has come and gone without answering the question of who killed Laura Palmer. TV critic David Bianculli reviews what we know so far.
Carter was once considered too rock for country and too country for rock. But she says country music has come around to her distinctive sound. Carter is the daughter of June Carter Cash, and sang on the road with the Carter Family. Her new album is called I Fell in Love.
Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisnero is credited as the first Chicana author to publish a book about Chicana women. She joins Fresh Air to read from a new story, called "La Fabulosa."
Film critic Stephen Schiff says the new movie, with its darker tone, still retains the satirical edge of the Cohens's earlier work. Set in the prohibition era, Miller's Crossing features a cerebral plot and performances of a lifetime.
