Books

Humorist, writer, and storyteller Garrison Keillor is the host of the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion," which is inspired by the Grand Ol' Opry and takes place in the fictional place of Lake Woebegone, Minnesota. His latest book is "Lake Woebegone Days."

Music writer Timothy White has a new book which traces the history of contemporary rock music to black blues and soul artists and white swing and country singers.

New York Times music critic John Rockwell wrote a book about Frank Sinatra's life in music and movies. He and Fresh Air host Terry Gross listen back to some of the singer's early recordings.

The writer has a new book called Take 22, which features interviews with notable filmmakers. She says her critical approach has become more populist in recent years. She has also grown more interested in learning about a director's intent, which she takes into consideration when gauging a film's success or failure.

Theologian Harvey Cox's new book explores the growth of religion, particularly amongst politically active or disenfranchised communities. He explores how this trend manifests itself in both fundamentalist circles on the right and practitioners of liberation theology on the left.

Andrew Greely is a priest, sociologist and writer. He has written a book with his sister, theologian Mary G. Durkin, about how Vatican II dispensed with traditions which they believed were essential to Catholic identity. In order to stay vital, they believe the Church should adopt more positive attitudes toward sexuality and the role of women.

Studs Terkel studied law and acted in theater before becoming a radio broadcaster. His syndicated program and books feature oral histories of everyday people in the United States. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to discuss how he conducts interviews in a way that is both insightful and respectful.

One of the largest Bram Stoker repositories is here in Philadelphia at the Rosenbach Library. English writer and professor Clive Leatherdale is in town to research Bram Stoker and vampire folklore for an upcoming book whose working title is "Dracula: The Novel and the Legend." Leatherdale is a teacher at Aberdeen University in Scotland.

Richard Schickel has been the film critic for Time magazine since 1973. He is also the author of several books, and has written and produced several documentaries about film for television. His new biography is "D. W. Griffith: An American Life." Schickel joins the show to discuss Griffith, film and film criticism, and journalism.

Philip Foner is the foremost historian on the labor movement in the U. S. He is the author of over eighty works, including a four volume history of the American labor movement, "Organized Labor and the Black Worker," and "Women and the American Labor Movement." Foner's specialities include labor history, African American history, and the history of women and Socialism. Foner has recently edited a collection of speeches and writings of Irish-American labor organizer Mother Jones.