Former Executive Editor of The New York Times Max Frankel talks about his life in one of the world's most influential papers. His new book is "Max Frankel: The Times of My Life and My Life with The Times." (Random House) Frankel began writing for The Times as a stringer while at Columbia University in New York City. Over the next half of century, he rose to become Executive Editor a post he retired in 1994. He received the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 1973.
Crime novelist Evan Hunter talks about writing the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "The Birds". In 1997, he wrote "Me and Hitch" detailing his working relationship with Hitchcock. He is the author of "The Blackboard Jungle," and "Privileged Conversation." Under the pseudonym Ed McBain, he is the author of a series of mystery novels for which he won the British Crime Writers Association's highest award, the Diamond Dagger, and the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.
Actress Janet Leigh talks about working in Alfred Hitchcock's most infamous film "Psycho". She starred as Marion Crane who was Norman Bates kills in the infamous shower scene. Leigh wrote about the film in the 1995 book "Psycho: Janet Leigh Behind the Scenes of The Classic Thriller" Also The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) next month will feature the exhibit "Alfred Hitchcock: Behind the Silhouette".
Writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jon Macks. He has a new book that spoofs books about spiritualism. It's called "Heaven Talks Back" (Simon & Schuster).
Journalist Burkhand Bilger. He's currently working on a new book about clandestine Southern traditions (to be published by Scribner's). For now, his article "Enter the Chicken" appears in Harper's Magazine (March 1999). It's about cockfighting in Louisiana, where it's legal, but still secret.
Critic Milo Miles reviews the work of two contemporary klezmer bands, "Smash, Clap!" (Tzadik records) by Naftule's Dream, and "Roots & Culture" (Triple Crown records) by King Django.
Host Garrison Keillor of Minnesota Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion." His new book has caused quite a stir. "Me: by Jimmy (Big Boy) Valente as told to Garrison Keillor" (Viking) satirizes Minnesota's new state governor, and former professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. The governor, who plans to write his own autobiography, called Keillor's book "cheating" and proposed gradually eliminating state funding for Minnesota's public radio and TV. He also singled out Keillor saying he'd like to see his W-2.
Analyst for the National Security Archives, Kate Doyle. She directed the Guatemalan Documentation Project, which lead to the declassification of documents from the CIA, the State and Defense Departments on Guatemala. These documents were handed over to the commission and filled the gap left by Guatemalan military which claimed its files had been lost.
Professor of international law Christian Tomuschat, headed the Historical Clarification Commission on Guatemala, a United Nations-supported truth commission on human rights abuses in Guatemala during that country's 36 year civil war. A peace treaty was signed in Guatemala in 1996. The report was issued last month. It finds that the U.S. agencies knew far more about atrocities committed by the Guatemalan Army and its death squads than the United States acknowledged.
Political anthropologist Jennifer Schirmer. Beginning in 1986, she interviewed Guatemalan military officials of all different levels, getting them to talk about their participation in atrocities. Her new book based on that research is "The Guatemalan Military Project: A Violence called Democracy." (University of Pennsylvania Press)
Tuvan throat singer Ondar and producer Ralph Leighton. Tuvan throat singing is a biphonic sound in which the performer produces two or three distinct tones at the same time. It originates from Tuva. Leighton co-produced Ondar's debut CD, "Back Tuva Future" (Warner Bros/Reprise)
Writer Evan Hunter. Under his own name he is the author of "The Blackboard Jungle," and "Privileged Conversation." He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds" (based on the Daphne Du Maurier short story). (WE WILL TALK WITH HIM AT ANOTHER TIME ABOUT HIS WORK WITH HITCHCOCK) Under the pseudonym Ed McBain, he is the author of a series of mystery novels for which he won the British Crime Writers Association's highest award, the Diamond Dagger, and the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.
Screenwriters Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. The two wrote the screenplay for "Shakespeare in Love" which has been nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay. Norman's other screenwriting credits include "The Aviator" and "Waterworld." Stoppard is also the playwright of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," and "Travesties." His screenwriting credits include: "Brazil," "The Empire of the Son," and "Billy Bathgate."
Writer Gail Godwin. Her latest novel "Evensong" (Ballintine) is about the inner spirituality of a modern woman and continues the story of Margaret Bonner began in "Father Melancholy's Daughter." Godwin's other books include "The Odd Woman," "Violet Clay," and "A Mother and Two Daughters." Godwin is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the 1981 Award in Literature from the National Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
