Commentator Milo Miles introduces us to England's reggae artist and record company owner Linton Kwesi Johnson. He lyrics are a mix of poetry and politics. A new two-cd set called "Independent Intavenshan" features Johnson's music in the 1980's. It is available by Island Records.
Film director Nancy Savoca and actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste talk with Terry Gross on-stage at the Sundance Film Festival. Savoca's film "The 24 Hour Woman" received its world premiere at the film festival. Actress Jean-Baptiste stars in the film.
Historian Ian Kershaw. He's written volume one of a new biography of Hitler, "Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris" (W.W. Norton). It's being said that the new book will "become the standard Hitler biography for the next generation." In it, Kershaw blends biography with social history to understand how Hitler was able to obtain power over the German people. The book draws on new sources: a new edition of Hitler's speeches and writings, and the recently discovered diaries of Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels.
Photographer Fazal Sheikh. (Fuz-ill) (Shake) In his new book "The Victor Weeps: Afghanistan" published by Scalo, Sheikh weaves portraits and stories together to document their experience. His 1996 book "A Sense of Common Ground,"(Scalo) presented a series of photographs taken of African refugees.
Jonathan Kellerman is a child psychologist and best-selling writer. He's best known his character psychologist Alex Delaware. In his latest novel, his 14th book, Delaware is on hiatus. In "Billy Straight" published by Random House, his star is Billy, a 12 year old runaway, who witnesses a murder. Kellerman is a clinical professor of pediatrics and psychology at University of Southern California School of Medicine. His wife Faye Kellerman is also an accomplished mystery writer.
Guitarist Salman Ahmad (Sol-MAHN AH-MAHD) and bassist Brian O'Connell, from the Pakistani rock band Junoon (Ju-NOON). They are Pakistani's best-selling band, with four albums, and 2-million sales. They've gained an international following thanks to the Internet and MTV. The band also includes lead singer, Ali Azmat. The group is currently on tour.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two new reissues of composer Igor Stravinsky conducting his own music: "Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: The Mono Years" (Sony) and "Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky: The American Recordings" (Pearl).
Pulitzer Prize winning author, David Halberstam has turned his attention to Michael Jordan's impact on American culture in his new book "Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and The World He Made." (Random House) His other books include: "The Best and the Brightest," "The Powers that Be," "Summer of 49," and "The Amateurs." Halberstam says Jordan is the most popular human being in the world.
Poet Seamus Heaney has released a new collection of his poems called "Opened Ground: Selected Poems 1966-1996. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995. He resides in Dublin, Ireland and in Boston where he teaches at Harvard University.
Last year New Orleans became the first city to file suit against the gun industry. Chicago followed. And now many other cities (including Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and L.A.) are considering similar actions. Journalist Fox Butterfield writes about crime and criminal justice for The New York Times. He'll discuss these suits as well as one filed in New York by a group of individuals who lost family members from gun violence. Butterfield was a member of the Times writing staff that won a Pulitzer Prize for its publication of The Pentagon Papers.
Senior policy analyst Tom Diaz at the Violence Policy Center, a non-partisan non-profit public policy institute working to reduce gun violence. He's the author of the new book, "Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America" (The New Press). In the book, Diaz writes how in an attempt to increase profits, the gun industry has introduced more aggressive and lethal guns to the public. DIAZ says they do this free from regulation and under a cloak of secrecy.
Actor Sean Penn. He's currently starring in the new films "Hurly Burly," and "The Thin Red Line." Penn previously starred in "Dead Man Walking." Penn also wrote and directed the film "The Indian Runner" which he wrote based on a Bruce Springsteen song, and "The Crossing Guard.
Country music singer Ray Price He was a close friend and protege of Hank Williams. Price's hits include "Talk to Your Heart," "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes," "I'll be There," "Crazy Arms," "For the Good Times," and more. In 1996 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His latest album is "Ray Price: The Other Woman" (Koch).
