Writer Dagoberto Gilb's first book of short stories The Magic of Blood was published in 1993. Since then he has written a novel, The Last Known Residence of Mickey Acuna. His new book is a collection of stories about women, Woodcuts of Women.
Film director Rob Sitch. He and his creative team at Working Dog, got their start in morning radio, then switched to TV. They made their first feature film The Castle in 1997. Their newest film The Dish is based on the true story of how three Australian scientists made possible the worldwide broadcast of Neil Armstrongs first steps on the moon. The film stars Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton ("Puddy" on Seinfeld).
Last week the Taliban, the Islamic Militants ruling Afghanistan issued a decree to demolish all pre-Islamic religious images. Reportedly they have partially demolished the 175 feet and 120 feet seventh-century Buddhas 100 miles west of Kabul, considered two of the most important ancient works. A talk with the Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies At the University of Omaha, Thomas E. Gouttierre .
Junger traveled to Afghanistan to profile Ahmad Shah Massoud, (known as the Lion of Panjshir), the legendary leader of the guerrilla war against the Soviets, who is now fighting the Taliban. Junger traveled with photographer Reza Deghati who spent several years covering the war there. Jungers article The Lion in Winter appears in the March/April issue of National Geographics Adventure magazine. Its also the subject of a National Geographic Explorer program Into the Forbidden which aired march 4 on CNBC.
The writer behind five screenplays and several theater productions, his new play is called –Lobby Hero— and opens March 13 at Playwrights Horizons. He also wrote, directed and acted in the Oscar nominated –You can Count on Me,— which came out last year. The screenplay for that movie recently won Best Screenplay by the Writers Guild of America and is up for an Oscar in the same category. It is also an Oscar contender in the category of Best Actress in a Leading Role (played by Laura Linney). Other movies he has worked on include –The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Analyze This.
He's written six historical spy novels, all taking place in Europe just before World War II. They include Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The World at Night and his new one, Kingdom of Shadows.
Carter is the creator of the popular FOX TV series, The X-Files. The series, about a team of FBI agents investigating paranormal activity like alien abductions, telepathy, and the occult, has a cult following. This is its eighth and possibly final season. Carters newest series –The Lone Gunman— is a spin off of –The X-Files— and features three computer-savvy conspiracy geeks. It premiers this Sunday, March 4th at 9 PM on FOX.
MILES reviews music by Persian musician Kayhan Kalhor .His solo albums –Scattering Stars Like Dust— and –Night Silence Desert— are on the Traditional Crossroads label.
British novelist A.S. Byatt. Her novel Possession was a bestseller, and her novella Angels & Insects was turned into an arthouse film. Byatt's new novel is The Biographers Tale (Knopf). This interview was recorded before a live audience at the Free Public Library in Philadelphia.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews several new books about food, the new Modern Librarys Food series which collects four books about food, and Comfort Me with Apples (Random House) by Ruth Reichl and The Kitchen Congregation (Picador) by Nora Seton.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews Teresa Sterne: A Portrait (Nonesuch) a tribute album to Teresa Sterne, a musical prodigy who took over Nonesuch Records in the early 60s and turned it into the respected label it is today. Sterne died last December of Lou Gehrigs disease.
We remember record producer Milt Gabler, who died July 20 at the age of 90. Gabler founded America's first independent record label, Commodore Records. He was the first to record Billie Holiday's anti-lynching song, Strange Fruit, after major record companies refused. He was also the first to pair Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Later, he produced records for Bill Haley and the Comets, Peggy Lee, the Weavers, the Ink Spots and many others. His record store Commodore Music was legendary and a hangout for musicians and music lovers.
Mike Judge, the creator of, and voice behind, MTVs phenomena Beavis and Butthead. His current creation is the Fox series King of the Hill, where he provides the voice for main character, Hank. Hes also the writer, director and producer of the cult movie Office Space. A self-taught animator with a physics degree, Kraft talks about animation and comedy. King of the Hill is an Emmy nominated series nearing its 100th episode next week.
Guitarist and singer Howard Fishman of the Howard Fishman Quartet. The group's material draws on a wide variety of American music: jazz, blues, country, folk and Texas swing, but their experimental and improvisational style sets them apart. The Quartet includes trumpeter Erik Jekabson, bassist Jonathan Flaugher, and violinist Russell Farhang. The group debuted in the Oak Room of the Algonquin two years ago. They wrap up a engagement at Joe's Pub in New York City July 29th. The Quartet is currently working on a jazz opera We Are Destroyed in conjunction with The Public Theatre.
