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50:30

Wanda Sykes Loves Stand-Up: 'That's Where I Can Be Free,' She Says

Before Wanda Sykes became a comic, she worked as a procurement officer for the National Security Agency and had top security clearance. But she always loved telling jokes, and when a local radio station sponsored a talent show that included a comedy category, she decided to audition.

Comedian Wanda Sykes speaks into a mic against a colorful backdrop
06:52

'The Construction of Boston,' Caught On Disc

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD of Scott Wheeler's opera, based on a hymn to Boston by the New York poet Kenneth Koch. The disc captures a live performance by the Boston Cecilia choral society.

Review
34:51

Stephen McCauley's 'Alternatives to Sex'

Author Stephen McCauley first made a splash with The Object of My Affection, the novel that was later made into a movie starring Jennifer Aniston. His new novel, Alternatives to Sex, concerns a a gay fortysomething realtor with an addiction to cruising the Internet in pursuit of casual sex.

Interview
05:34

Movie Review: 'Mystic River'

Film critic David Edelstein reviews Mystic River, the new film directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the book by Dennis Lehane.

Review
05:59

The Hopping Boston Jazz Scene.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Life Overflowing" (Nada) featuring John Tchicai (Chick-EYE) and Charlie Kohlhase (COAL-hass) and "The Eternal Hang" (Accurate) featuring Dave Bryant.

Review
20:16

Fighting Teenage Violence on the Streets of Boston.

Boston Probation officer William Stewart and Judge Sydney Hanlon (woman) talk about "Operation Night Light," a program that is credited with reducing juvenile crime in South Boston. Under the program, probation officers go out with police at night looking for probation violators. Last year, President Clinton touted Boston as a national role model for what cities can achieve in reducing juvenile crime. William Stewart serves as Assistant Chief Probation officer in the Dorchester District Court in Massachusetts.

04:12

A New Memoir of Poetic Scandal

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews poet Peter Davison's account of the thriving literary scene in 1950s Boston, called "The Fading Smile."

Review
04:42

"Cheers" Finally Closes Its Doors

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the final episode of "Cheers," which airs tonight. He says that, after eleven years, the characters have become a part of our cultural vocabulary.

Review
17:10

Remembering Boston Legend James Michael Curley

Writer Jack Beatty has written a biography of four-time Boston Mayor James Michael Curley, called "The Rascal King." Curley, an Irish-Catholic, is a Massachusetts legend, having run in 32 elections, serving as governor, congressman, and mayor. While Curley could be dismissed as an old-fashioned machine politician, Beatty portrays him as a forerunner of the modern entrepreneurial politician.

Interview
01:00:43

Nat Hentoff on Growing Up Jewish in Boston, Race Relations, and Loving Jazz.

Nat Hentoff writes about jazz and civil liberties, but describes his profession as "being a troublemaker." Hentoff began collecting jazz records and hanging out in jazz clubs as a young adult, and later hosted a jazz radio show and edited a magazine before co-founding the Jazz Review, a journal of criticism. Hentoff currently writes a column for the Village Voice and his subjects are often the First Amendment or civil liberties, and he is a staunch defender of free speech. His latest book, "Boston Boy," is a memoir about growing up in Chicago and Boston.

Interview

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