Pop Culture

Commentator Maureen Corrigan tells us about her latest concession to the sedentary lifestyle...the purchase of a La-Z-Boy recliner.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan comments on the latest trends in advertising by Calvin Klein and Timex.

The Spider-Man and Hulk creator spoke to Fresh Air in 1991 about coming up with Spider-Man, inventing new sound effects for his comics and why superheroes have colorful costumes.

Writer David Rieff (pronounced "reef"). he's the author of the new book, "Los Angeles: Capital of the Third World,"(published by Simon and Schuster). He'll talk to Marty about the recovery movement, the proliferation of such self-help books as "Healing the Child Within," and "Choice-Making for Co-dependents," and the popularity of such pop-psychology gurus as John Bradshaw.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz. She's famous for her portraits of celebrities that capture the person behind the public image. She's photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Ella Fitzgerald, Mick Jagger, Tennessee Williams and others. Her photographs have been featured in Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. A new book of her photographs has just been published: "Annie Leibovitz Photographs 1970-1990." (Harper/Collins).

Maureen Corrigan comments on high art and pop culture in her review of the High and Low show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibit sharply divided audiences. Corrigan says she was perversely pleased with everything she saw -- including the inclusion of advertisements, graffiti, and comic books.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg explores the place factoids have in our lives -- those bits of information that pass off for facts but aren't actually verifiable.

Commentator Patricia McLaughlin contemplates the suggestion by some that the November holiday be moved up so it doesn't come so close to Christmas. But maybe it's too late for such a drastic change.

The brothers team up to create strips, panels, and movie poster take-offs that appear in Spy Magazine, National Lampoon, and Raw. They are known for their realistic drawings and caustic wit. Their new book is called Warts and All.

The architect and graphic designer's new book examines contemporary worries over keeping up with an ever-growing body of media. Wurman says one way to alleviate this anxiety is to increase information accessibility through better organization.