Society & Culture

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Coming Into the End Zone," by novelist and critic Doris Grumbach. It's a journal of her 70th year.

Writer Gus Lee. Lee's novel, "China Boy" is the story of a young immigrant boy growing up in a rough neighborhood of San Francisco. (The book's published by E.P. Dutton). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Commentator Maureen Corrigan says she's just about had it with the recent spate of magazines offering the same old cliches about women.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new Impulse reissue of saxophonist Stanley Turrentine's album, "Let It Go." On that album Turrentine is accompanied by his wife, organist Shirley Scott.

It was 10 years ago today that MTV first debuted. Television critic David Bianculli looks back at the network's influence.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg examines the word "zeal." Nunberg has noticed that the euphemism "overzealous" has been used to explain away everything from executions during the French Revolution to the beating of Rodney King.

Commentator David Gurevitz examines Soviet culture in the wake of the end of the Cold War.

Maureen Corrigan reviews the new movie, "V.I. Warshawski." It stars Kathleen Turner as a great looking babe who's also a tough nails private eye.

Historian Glenda Riley. Riley's new book, "Divorce: An American Tradition," looks at the long history of divorce. Among the book's revelations: the first divorce in America happened way back in 1639 (on grounds of bigamy) and that in 1880 as many as one in 16 marriages ended in divorce. (The book's published by Oxford university Press).

Terry talks about crime watch groups with:
(1) Former chief justice and current judge on West Virginia's Supreme Court, Richard Neely. His new book, "Take Back Your Neighborhood," is about how ordinary citizens throughout the country have come together to protect their communities.
(2) Founder of the Mt. Airy Crime Watch Group in Philadelphia, Mark Hartsfield Two years ago he co-founded the group after witnessing and stopping crime in his neighborhood.

First-time film director John Singleton. His new film is "Boyz N the Hood," which is set in South Central L.A. where Singleton grew up. A number of theatres across the country have cancelled the showing of "Boyz N the Hood," because of violent outbreaks at or near theatres where its been shown. Over 30 people have been injured and one killed. But the film itself is plea to stop the violence and killing.

Jazz French horn player Willie Ruff. Ruff's new autobiography, "A Call to Assembly," chronicles his childhood in the South, his enlistment in the army in 1946, his gaining admission to Yale, and his decision to pass on a career in classical music and follow a life in jazz. (It's published by Viking).

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "The Adventures of Amos and Andy," writer Melvin Patrick Ely's look at the comedy series, and the controversy it caused.

Language commentator Geoffrey Nunberg discusses watching words "head for obscurity."

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new movie "Boyz N the Hood," about gang violence in L.A.

Book critic John Leonard reviews two collections of essays about Africa; "African Silences" by Peter Matthiessan and "Maneaters Motel" by Denis Boyles.

We talk with Jodi Jacobson, senior researcher at the World Watch Institute, and the author of a new report on the state of women's health around the world.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Wall to Wall," Mary Morris' memoir of her travels through China and the Soviet Union.

Maureen Corrigan reviews film maker John Sayle's new novel, "Los Gusanos."

Journalist Ron Powers. Powers new book, "Far From Home, " examines the decline of the small town in America. To illustrate the point, Powers profiled the decline of Cairo, Illinois and Kent Connecticut.