Journalism

New York magazine film critic David Denby is interviewed by Fresh Air's Book Critic Maureen Corrigan about his new book "Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World." It comes from Denby's recent return to Columbia University to take two western civilization classes. He wanted to explore the current debate in literature of whether these classic books should be required reading in today's multi-cultural society.

Writer and former prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin talks to Terry about new revelations related to the O.J. Simpson criminal trial, which ended last October. Simpson now faces a civil trial. Toobin says O.J. failed a lie detector test and was told what the verdict was before it was announced. Toobin's new book is "The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson."

Pulitzer Prize winning Philadelphia Inquirer reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele. "Barlett and Steele" as they are often referred to in Philly, are writing a new ten part series in the Inquirer titled "Who Stole the Dream?" Barlett and Steele say American public policy is largely to blame for why many American jobs have been sent overseas. Barlett and Steele will publish these stories in book form later this year.

Journalist Michael Specter. He's been reporting on the war in Chechnya for The New York Times. He'll talk with Terry about getting into Grozny after the fall, meeting rebel leaders and fighters, Russian soldiers, and the agreement between Russian and Chechen officials that has, for now, put a stop to fighting.

New York Times writer Jason DeParle. He covers poverty and social welfare issues for the Times. This month President Clinton will sign a welfare reform bill that will cut benefits off to recipients after two years. DeParle talks about what changes the new law will bring and about the evolution of the welfare program.

Journalist Chris Hedges. He's been covering the Bosnian conflict for the New York Times and offers insight to the current political and social atmosphere in the former Yugoslavia. This week marks the anniversary of the slaughter of thousands of Muslims in Srebrenica as they were attempting to retreat from the Serbs. Investigators from the international war crimes tribunal are currently exhuming the graves of that former U.N. "safe area."

Author and journalist and NPR reporter Alan Berlow's new book is "Dead Season: A Story of Murder and Revenge on the Philippine Island of Negros." It's an investigation into a massacre of a peasant family which was linked to a series of interrelated crimes. Berlow also examines the broader problems facing the Philippines and the impact of American colonialism and imperialism.

Photojournalists and identical twins David and Peter Turnley. Between them they have photographed every major news event in the last 15 years. They work independently, but a joint display, ("In Times of War and Peace: The Photographs of David and Peter Turnley") will be exhibited from June 7 - September 8 in New York City. Currently, both Turnleys are based in Paris. Peter works as a contract photographer for "Newsweek" and David is a staff photographer for the "Detroit Free Press."

Host of ABC'S "Nightline" Ted Koppel. He has a new memoir about his 16 years with the news show and his life before journalism. It's called "Nightline: History in the Making and the Making of Television" (Times Books, by Ted Koppel and Kyle Gibson).

TV critic David Bianculli reviews "Walter Cronkite Remembers" on CBS tonight.