Less than one year after a baby sheep was cloned from an adult sheep, a scientist in Chicago named Richard Seed has announced that he plans on opening a clinic in the next 90 days to clone human babies. Seed is a physicist who was involved with fertility research in the '80s. NPR science correspondent Joe Palca broke the story about the planned human cloning clinic.
Drummer Elvin Jones recently celebrated his 70th birthday. His most influential work was with John Coltrane from 1960 to '66. Their Village Vanguard sessions were recently re-released in a CD box set.
A new book called "Clone" looks at the scientific breakthroughs that made Dolly the cloned sheep possible. The book also examines the ethical debate around cloning. The author is Gina Kolata, who's a science reporter for the New York Times.
Today, we remember Sonny Bono. He died yesterday afternoon in a skiing accident. He was 62. Bono was completing his second term in the U.S. Congress. He was the second most-requested speaker at House members events during the 1996 campaign season. Although he ended up in politics, many of his know him best for his work in music and show business. Terry Gross spoke with him in 1991, three years before he was elected to Congress. (Rebroadcast of 7/17 and 7/18 1991).
Nick Nolte is best known for such films as "48 Hours," "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Cape Fear," "The Prince of Tides," and "Lorenzo's Oil." Now, he's starring in the new movie "Afterglow" written and directed by Alan Rudolph.
When the main character in Laura Zigman's new comic novel is dumped, she looks for explanations in the mating habits of animals. Hence the unusual title of this novel, "Animal Husbandry." It's Zigman's first novel, but it's not her first experience in the publishing world. She worked as a book publicist for a decade.
If your New Year's resolutions include getting a better grasp on your personal finances and putting money away for your retirement, you'll want to hear what my guest Mary Rowland has to say. She's written a new book called "A Commonsense Guide to Your 401(K)."
Writer Gay Talese reads from "Sinatra Has a Cold" an article he first published in Esquire Magazine in 1966. The reading aired on public radio's This American Life last February. Talese's books include, "Unto The Sons," the story of the immigrant experience in America, and also the chronicle of Talese's own Italian ancestors coming to this country. Also the best-sellers "The Kingdom and the Power," "Honor Thy Father," and "Thy Neighbor's Wife."
Book critic Maureen Corrigan on the year's best books (that she's read): "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier; "Matters of Chance" by Jeannette Haien; the reprint "Independent People" by Haldor Laxness; the short stories "Publish and Perish" by James Hynes, "Lives of the Monster Dogs" by Kirsten Bakis; for non-fiction: "Big Trouble" by J. Anthony Lukas; "Halfway Heaven" by Melanie Thernstrom; "The Gay Metropolis" by Charles Kaiser; volume 2 of "W.B. Yeats" a biography by R.F.
Writer Brendan Gill died Saturday at the age of 83. We'll remember him with a excerpt from a November 1987 interview. He's best known for his work with The New Yorker magazine, for which he was hired in 1936. He wrote 15 books including biographies of Charles Lindberg, Cole Porter, and Tallulah Bankhead, and his best-seller "Here at the New Yorker." He was also an active campaigner for historic preservation in New York City. (REBROADCAST from 11/12/1987)
Fresh air Film Critic John Powers talks with Terry Gross about many, but not all, of the new Hollywood films that will be open by Christmas day. Powers talks about: “Jackie Brown,” “Kundun,” “Wag the Dog,” “As Good As It Gets,” “The Boxer,” “Deconstructing Harry,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The Sweet Hereafter,” and “After Glow.” Powers is also a film critic for Vogue. His articles have appeared in numerous
publications including, Rolling Stone, New York magazine, The Washington Post, The Nation, Harper’s, Film, and Film Comment and L.A. Weekly.
Commentator Milo Miles recommends three music books that might make suitable last minute gifts. “The Rough Guide to World Music,” (Penguin) “The Rough Guide to Reggae,” (Penguin) and “Portrait of The Blues.” (DaCapo Press). Miles is former music editor of The Boston Phoenix. He writes about music for The Village Voice and The New York Times.
We remember poet and author Denise Levertov who died on Saturday at the age of 74. Her publisher says the cause was complications from lymphoma. (Rebroadcast of 12/4/1987)
Novelist Russell Banks and Canadian Film Director Atom Egoyan discuss their new film “The Sweet Hereafter”. The film is adapted from Banks’ 1991 novel. It’s the story of how a small town deals with a tragic school bus crash. Banks has written 12 novels which include: “Affliction,” “Rule of the Bone,” “Searching for Survivors,” “The Book of Jamaica,” and “Continental Drift.” Egoyan is best known for “Exotica” a film that won the International Critics Prize for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews some CD re-issues by Blue Note Records. He recommends “Complete Quartets of Grant Green with Sonny Clark,” “The Complete Roost Recordings,” and “The Complete Herbie Nichols”.
