Author Philip Roth was in part responsible for getting the Czech novelists Life with a Star translated into English and published stateside. Book critic John Leonard says it stands out among the myriad, Kafka-esque books about the Holocaust.
The Chicago-born Williams sang for the Count Basie Orchestra before beginning a solo career in 1962. In the 1940s, he suffered a nervous breakdown, unsure of what he wanted out of his professional life. After a year in the hospital, he returned to performing, and has a new album called In Good Company.
The French filmmaker started making movies before the New Wave movement, and without having a vast knowledge of film history. Her latest, Kung Fu Master, is about forty-year-old woman who falls in love with an adolescent boy. Varda cast her son as the male lead.
Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the Chicago-based vocal group, founded in 1952. During their long career, they've only had two lineup changes, and continue to put out hit records.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says trumpeter Don Cherry is a curious figure in the scene: lyrical but sloppy, he's played with diverse musicians ranging from Ornette Coleman to Lou Reed. On his new album, Art Deco, Cherry reigns in some of his more exploratory impulses to produce a straight-ahead but modern sound -- and it pays off.
TV critic David Bianculli reviews the television special, which features clips of past shows and discussion in front of a live audience. He admires the dueling critics' regular programming, but he can't say the same for their anniversary show.
The prolific songwriter and performer has been living in Idaho, away from the public eye. Now she returns with a new, more rocking album. King joins Fresh Air to talk about dropping out college to pursue a music career, writing songs with her former husband Gerry Goffin for other artists, and becoming a solo artist.
Coppola has written the music for several films of his son, Francis Ford Coppola, including the Godfather I and II. He has written a new score for the silent film Napoleon; he'll soon conduct a live performance of that music during a screening at Radio City Music Hall.
The former Silly Wizard fiddler isn't surprised by the international success of his music. Cunningham says that he can even here echoes of Scottish sounds in traditional American music.
Commentator Ilene Segalove talks about the newest gimmick in baseball collectibles -- cards that play audio. She considers the history of the baseball cards and why they become so valuable over the years.
The German-born writer's memoir documents her parents' involvement in World War II. Reichel grew up in Hamburg after the end of the war, as the country dealt with the guilt of its Nazi past. She says the pain of that history was felt by all citizens, even if it was deeply repressed.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says that record labels have started to take notice of underground artists from the Soviet Union. He reviews three recent albums from Russian artists with hopes of American success.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews Ghostbusters II. He says the movie relies too much on prior knowledge of the original. But he enjoyed the performances, particularly Bill Murray's weird take on domesticity.
James Parks Morton is the dean of New York City's massive Saint John the Divine. To keep the cathedral and its services vital, Morton has spearheaded the inclusion of different faith traditions and outreach to poor communities.
As a child, the author traveled from her maternal home in Philadelphia to visit her father in North Carolina. He was a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. Campbell's new memoir details the complexities of their relationship.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a recording of the recent opera Valis, based on Philp K. Dick's novel of the same name. He says much of the music is haunting, but is often repetitive and sentimental. Yet it's still a beguiling piece of wizardry.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and former White House correspondent wanted to be a great novelist; he became a reporter and memoirist instead. His newest book, The Good Times, details his career during his 20s and 30s. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his frustrations as a Washington reporter, a particularly memorable interview with President Johnson, and how his writing changed as a columnist.
Rock historian Ed Ward says that bands like the Rolling Stones helped popularize the distinctly African American genre. Interest in blues led more musicians to picking up the electric guitar, including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, who would take rock music in a new direction.
Part II of the Fresh Air interview with Danny Elfman. He talks about writing the score for Tim Burton's new Batman movie. He sees his film composing as entirely distinct from his work in the rock band Oingo Boingo. The different approaches, he says, serve both efforts.
Book critic John Leonard says Barry Hannah's southern, hard-drinking life echoes that of William Faulkner. Hannah's novel Boomerang also evokes the author's sometimes scary, creeping spirit.
