A Fresh Air favorite, opera soprano Dawn Upshaw. She has a new CD, "Dawn Upshaw sings Vernon Duke" (Nonesuch). It features Fred Hersch on piano and John Pizzarelli on guitar. We'll also hear from the producer of her new CD, Tommy Krasker. Upshaw has more than two dozen albums to her credit and has become widely known for her ability to perform both in the opera as well as sing Broadway tunes. Upshaw joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1984 and has performed at the Met.
Editor in Chief of Variety magazine Peter Bart. He's written a new book about what the summer blockbuster means to the film industry, and the resources that go into making them. His new book "The Gross: The Hits, The Flops-The Summer That Ate Hollywood" (St. Martin's Press) takes a look at the 1998 summer season. Bart is a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He's also a former Paramount studio executive.
Novelist Arthur Golden wrote the bestseller, "Memoirs of a Geisha" which was on the New York Times Bestseller List for one year. It's now out in paperback, and a movie version will be made by Stephen Spielberg. "Memoirs of a Geisha" was GOLDEN's debut as a novelist.(
Galen Cranz is a Professor of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. She's the author of the new book, "The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body, and Design" (W.W. Norton)
Journalists Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew. They are the authors of the new book, "Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage" (PublicAffairs). The two spent six years researching secret submarine missions like how the Navy sent submarines wired with self destruct charges into Soviet waters to tap crucial underwater telephone cables. Sontag covered government and international affairs for the National Law Journal and has worked at the New York Times, and Drew is a special projects editor at the New York Times.
Tom Blanton is the Director of the National Security Archive, A research library at George Washington University in Washington D.C. His department, using the Freedom of Information Act, obtained the transcripts of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The now declassified papers detail Kissinger's secret negotiations with key world leaders such as Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Gromyko, Mao Zedong, and Deng Xiaoping. The transcripts have been edited and published in the new book "The Kissinger Transcripts" (The New Press)
Satirist Harry Shearer. His new book is "It's the Stupidity, Stupid: Why (Some) People hate Clinton and Why the Rest of Us Have to Watch." (The Library of Contemporary Thought, The Ballintine Publishing Group). He'll discuss the Impeachment proceedings.
This Monday, 2/8/99, PBS will air the documentary "The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords." This is the first documentary to provide an in-depth examination of the history of African-American newspapers. We'll hear from the film's producer, Stanley Nelson and from Vernon Jarrett, a black journalist featured in the project.
Pierre-Richard Prosper served as a prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda. In 1994, more than a half-million Rwandans were killed in a massacre. Last year, he successfully prosecuted the former Mayor of Taba, Rwanda for genocide. He also convicted the former official on rape charges. This is the first time rape has been recognized as a instrument of genocide. Prosper is an American attorney who worked for the Justice Department and for the Los Angeles County D.A.'s office.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two new albums of opera star Renee Fleming. "I Want Magic," on London Records and a new recording of Dvorak's "Rusalka" also on London.
Actor Bill Murray. He stars in the new film "Rushmore" which opens nationally this weekend. Murray began his career in Chicago with the improv troupe Second City. He joined Saturday Night Live in its second season. After leaving SNL, he starred in such films as "Meatballs," "Stripes," "Ghostbusters," "Caddy Shack," "What About Bob?" "Groundhog Day." He received an Emmy Award for his writing in SNL and was named 1985 Star of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners.
Actress Holly Hunter. Her latest film is "Living Out Loud" where she stars as a doctor's wife whose husband leaves her for a younger woman. She has starred in such films as: "Raising Arizona," "Broadcast News," "Miss Firecracker," "Always," and "The Piano." She was born in Atlanta, Georgia in March 1958 and grew up on a farm, in nearby Conyers, GA.
Film critic John Powers talks about some of this year's winners at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Top honors for drama went to "Three Seasons" and for documentary it went to "American Movie." He also talks about some of his favorites.
1960's Pop singer Bobby Vee has released a new tribute recording to the late Buddy Holly. This February 3rd marks the 40th Anniversary of Holly's death. Vee was chosen at the last minute to perform at the show Holly was scheduled to appear at. His tribute is "Down The Line" on Rock House Productions. Also a new re-issue on EMI records features his greatest hits.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews three new thrillers. Basilica by William Montalbano (Putnam), Archangel by Robert Harris (Random House), The Second Angel by Philip Kerr (Henry Holt).
Vee, who died Monday, had 38 hit singles including, "Take Good Care of My Baby." During a 1999 Fresh Air interview, Vee explained how the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly got him started in music.
Actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Institute, Robert Redford. He discusses his work in films, and his work promoting independent films, with the festival he founded, the Sundance Film Festival. The Park City, Utah based festival runs Jan 21-31. Stations, This was originally broadcast before last year's festival on 1/12/98.
