Places & Travel

Sam Charters is a white northerner who studies the history black southern music. He moved to Louisiana to learn about forgotten jazz players and make field recordings of unknown blues musicians.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the 1960s rock band the Great Society, which featured singer Grace Slick before she joined the Jefferson Airplane.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg reflects on recent efforts to make English the official language at the state and federal levels. He says that such measures only hurt immigrants seeking essential services.

Critic Ken Tucker says that the movie adaptation of the celebrated play Crimes of the Heart, now shrunk down for home consumption, is no better--and sometimes worse--than many popular television shows.

Puerto Rican songwriter and performer Roy Brown discusses the Nueva Cancion movement, which sets politically-charged poetry to music. He performs several songs in studio.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that director Paul Verhoeven's first American film, about a murdered police officer who is turned into a cybernetic law enforcement officer, might be the best action flick since The Terminator.

Howard Mohr wrote for the popular radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Steeped in the world of Midwestern humor, he has written a new book called "How to Talk Minnesotan."

Book critic John Leonard says many of the conclusions about indigenous culture in Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines are wishful thinking. But that doesn't mean the book isn't a great read.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the 1960s California band, fronted by African American singer and songwriter Arthur Lee.

Writer John Krich is working on a book about baseball in Latin America. He is particularly interested in the sport's cultural role in countries dealing with armed conflicts and political upheavals.

Actress Carroll Baker launched her career with sexually-charged parts like title role of the film Baby Doll. Disillusioned with the Hollywood system, she moved to Europe. Now back in America, she writes books, including her newest novel, A Roman Tale.

The Irish filmmaker joins Fresh Air to talk about the difficulties of movie production in his home country. His new movie, directed by Peter Ormond, is called Eat the Peach.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at how record labels tried--and failed--to market second-rate bands from San Francisco's psychedelic rock scene.

Book critic John Leonard says that Robert Stuart Nathan's new mystery book, The White Tiger, features a memorable portrayal of Beijing, and makes for fine summer reading.

The new president of the National Organization for Women, now in her 70s, joins Fresh Air to discuss her lifelong awareness of women's second-class status, which fueled her political activism. She hopes to use NOW to support more women running for elected office.

Bruce Duffy substantial debut novel is about the real-life philosopher, who wrote little about his own life. Book critic John Leonard says it's astonishing--and never reductive.

Language commentator recalls how he learned Italian by watching dubbed American movies while studying abroad, and considers why Italian filmgoers prefer dubbing over subtitles.

The actress, daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, is best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars. Her new autobiographical novel deals with drug abuse and depression.

Rhythm guitarist Marty Grosz will play two tunes, including the Franny Brice hit from the 20s, ``The Rose of Washington Square.''

The Nobel Prize-winning author condensed 600 pages of notes into a slim biography of filmmaker Miguel Littin, who traveled throughout Chile to salvage footage of life under Augusto Pinochet. Book critic John Leonard says LIttin is lucky to be the subject of Garcia Marquez's "magic" writing.