International Affairs

The Polish documentarian chronicled the fall of Communism and rise of democracy in Poland, an activity that caused him repeated trouble with the Polish authorities.

Faith Sale of PEN, the international writers group, and Christine Serfaty, whose husband is the Moroccan writer, Abraham Serfaty. He's been in jail for 17 years because of his writing. PEN just gave Serfaty its "Freedom to Write" award to call attention to his plight.

World music critic Milo Miles profiles Ray Lema. He's a singer, songwriter, and bandleader from Zaire.

We examine how the Gulf War has changed the arms race with journalist James Adams. He's the Defense Correspondent and Associate Editor of The Sunday Times of London, and the author of "Engines of War: Merchants of Death and the New Arms Race."

Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee and editor Marilyn Levine. He made the film, "Sherman's March," in which he set out to trace William Tecumseh Sherman's march to the sea -- but it really traces his entanglements with Southern women along the way. During the editing of that film, he and Levine fell in love. McElwee's new film, "Something to Do With The Wall," began as a story about the eternal presence of the Berlin Wall, but ended up a story of the wall's breaking down.

Soviet editor Vitali Korotych of the Soviet Magazine "Ogonyuk," the first magazine that reflected the Soviet Union's new openness. Despite recent governmental reforms, it still has a contentious relationship with the State.

Anthropologist Richard Parker went to Brazil a decade ago to do field work. He's written a book about the fluid ideas of gender and sexuality in that country, called "Bodies, Pleasures, & Passions."

Kinzer has been covering events in Nicaragua since 1977, from revolution to economic collapse, and has lived in the country since 1980. His book about Nicaragua is, "Brothers & Blood."

Writer P. F. Kluge. He was a Peace Corp volunteer in Micronesia, a group of 2000 islands in the Pacific. He's written a book, "Edge of Paradise," contrasting the exotic quality of this "lost paradise" with the worst aspects of American culture that the Micronesians seem to be drawn to.

Mapfumo is known as "The Lion of Zimbabwe," for his outspoken political stance during his home country's struggle for independence. Mapfumo and his band, The Blacks Unlimited, have a new album, called "Chamunorwa."

Samir al-Khalil is the pen name of Kanan Makiya. His book "Republic of Fear" became a best-seller during the Gulf War. Now he has a new book about how the regime of Saddam Hussain used public monuments as another tool to keep in power. The book's called "The Monument: Art, Vulgarity, and Responsibility in Iraq."

Journalist Gerald Posner's new book, "Hitler's Children," examines the lives of the sons and daughters of leaders of the Third Reich. It includes the accounts from the children of Dr. Joesph Mengele, Rudolf Hess, and Karl Saur--whose son joins the interview.

Soviet emigre David Gurevich is the author of "From Lenin to Lennon," a memoir about growing up in the 1960s. As a young person in Russia, he became an enthusiast of American pop culture.

Author and professor Padraig O'Malley's most recent books is called "Biting At the Grave," about the IRA hunger strikes in 1981 that ended in 10 deaths. O'Malley challenges conventional wisdom on each side of the conflict. Formal talks between Protestant and Catholic political leaders over the future of Northern Ireland are to begin next Monday.

The travel writer has a new book called "Wall to Wall: From Beijing to Berlin by Rail." She took the trip five years ago as reforms were beginning to be implemented in the Soviet Union, and before the government crackdown in Tiananmen Square and the Eastern European revolutions. She's particularly interested in what it's like to travel abroad as a woman alone.

Poet and NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu. Codrescu's new book, "A Hole In The Flag," examines how the exuberance in his native Romania after the overthrow of Ceausescu turned to cynicism, and with the realization that Ceausescu's overthrow changed nothing.

The Soviet Union just withdrew from Czechoslovakia. We talk to two people about what affect this will have on the literary culture in that country. Czech writer Ivan Klima was one of Czechoslovakia's leading dissident writers, and was recently elected the president of the Czech chapter of PEN. Michael March organized an international book and writers' festival in Prague last month.

Doctor Rony Brauman, the president of "Doctors Without Borders," the French-based medical
aid organization. There the largest such organization in the world, with thousands of volunteer physicians who have traveled to sites of war, disease, famine, or natural disaster throughout the world. (In France, the group's called Medecins Sans Frontieres).

Former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. Arias received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace to Central America, a task he still pursues.

We examine recent developments in the Iran-Contra Affair, and how those developments is affecting the nomination of Robert Gates to head the CIA. We speak with Tim Weiner, (wi-ner, not we-ner) who covers national security issues for the Philadelphia Inquirer.