DiCillo's new film is a strange comedy about a untalented musician and housepainter with a ridiculously high pompadour, and a love for Ricky Nelson. Docillo created the character for a one-man show he performed in New York. Before that, he was cinematographer for two of Jim Jarmusch's early films, "Stranger Than Paradise," and "Permanent Vacation."
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews two new albums, one by the Black Crowes, and the other by the former drummer for the Replacements, Chris Mars. The Crowes can't break free from their 70s influences, but Mars uses his to shape something all his own.
Executive Director for the human rights group Asia Watch, Rakiya Omaar, will talk to Terry about the situation in Somalia where war and famine are killing thousands of people. Omaar has just returned from visits at refugee camps in Somalia and Ethiopia, where resources and services are scarce.
Journalist Andres Oppenheimer is the senior foreign correspondent for The Miami Herald. He spent more than five months in Cuba researching his new book, "Castro's Final Hour," which looks into how the country has been affected by the collapse of Soviet Union, which had provided ample material support to Castro's government.
Feuer co-produced the original "Guys & Dolls" on Broadway, which is currently in revival. He also produced 11 other Broadway musicals with Ernest Martin, including "Can-Can," "The Boyfriend," and "Silk Stockings." They also produced the film versions of "Cabaret," and "A Chorus Line."
Commentator David Gurevitz shares his thoughts about the different perspectives athletes must cultivate while traveling the world to compete in the Olympics.
When the hit rap song "The Message," by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, came out ten years ago, many rappers were inspired by its political message. Now "The New Message," an updated version has been released. Melle Mel was featured on both songs. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the direction of rap music today.
Book critic John Leonard reviews Susan Sontag's newest book, a long awaited return to fiction. It deals with historical figures and is written in a 19th century style. Leonard calls the novel both brilliant and surprisingly commercial.
When he was 3 years old, Roach was taken from his Aboriginal family and placed with a white family, as part of an Australian assimilation program intended to dilute the aboriginal population. The policy, common practice until 1964, was neither publicized nor explained. At 14, he ran away to find his natural family, and spent ten years on the streets, mostly in Melbourne. He sang first for friends, and then was invited to sing in clubs and on radio. "Charcoal Lane," his acclaimed debut album, has just been released.
Since 1975, Rideau has been the editor-in-chief of "The Angolite," the prison newsmagazine of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, where he's serving a life sentence for murder. An eighth-grade dropout, he was convicted of murder in 1961 and spent eleven years on death row at Angola, where he taught himself to write. "The Angolite" has highlighted issues of execution and prison rape. For his writing, Rideau won the Sidney Hillman Award in 1981, the George Polk award in 1980, and the Robert F.
TV critic David Bianculli previews public television's "P.O.V." episode called "Dream Deceivers," an analysis of a Nevada court case in which the heavy metal band Judas Priest was sued by the parents of two teenagers who shot themselves after listening to the band's music.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film, "Death Becomes Her," directed by Robert Zemeckis, who also made "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". Schiff says when Zemeckis tries to write for adults, it just comes across as childish.
Anders' new film is "Gas Food Lodging," about a single mother and her two teenage children living in a trailer. Anders herself was a single mother on welfare with two teenage daughters. Previously, she collaborated on the film "Border Radio."
Terry talks with Nancy Wackstein, Executive Director of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association, a settlement house in New York City. Wackstein recently gave up her job as Director of New York's Office on Homelessness. Before that she was an advocate for the homeless at the Citizens' Committee for Children. Wackstein used to believe that the solution to homelessness was more housing; she now believes that housing alone will not solve the problem
Book critic John Leonard reviews Vaclav Havel's latest essay collection, which Leonard says is a depressing and often evasive take on the current political climate of Czechoslovakia.
Lieutenant Duvall is the founder of Cleveland's landmark sex crimes unit. She was one of the first woman street cops in the city, and one of the first women in the country to head a vice squad. A new biography has just been written about her, called "Working Vice."
Kittredge is best known for his writings about the West of the United States. He grew up on a ranch in southeastern Oregon and ranched himself for ten years. He also taught for years at the University of Montana. His new book is a memoir, "Hole in the Sky," about the land owned by his family for three generations.
Smith will discuss her one-woman show, Fires in the Mirror, which is currently playing to sold-out audiences at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York. It's about racial and ethnic tensions between African Americans and Hasidic Jews in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
The musician and composer will perform from his repertoire of avant garde polkas. He's played with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Kronos Quartet, has headlined the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Series, and recorded several albums.
