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Writer William Vollmann Brings History Alive through Fiction

Vollmann's latest book, "Fathers and Crows," is a historical novel that's part of his Seven Dreams Series. It's about "the spiritually charged wars of belief" between the Iriquois and French Jesuits in Canada from the 16th to 18th centuries. He's also written about Afghanistan and prostitution.

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Other segments from the episode on August 14, 1992

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, August 14, 1992: Interview with Tom Brokaw; Commentary on Caetano Veloso; Interview with William Vollman; Review of the film "Single White Female."
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06:09

A Primer on Caetano Veloso

World music critic Milo Miles surveys the work of Caetano Veloso. Miles says that, of the musician's many albums, each features both knockout songs and slow bores. But that doesn't diminish from his cultural impact -- and ever improving output.

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Philip Roth: On Writing, Aging And 'Nemesis.'

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Journalist Turned Novelist Ward Just.

Writer Ward Just. Just's new novel, "The Translator," is a thriller set in Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Just has written nearly a dozen other novels, including "Jack Gance" and "The American Ambassador." Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Just was a journalist, covering the Vietnam War for Newsweek. ("The translator" is published by Houghton Mifflin). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

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Novelist E.L. Doctorow Reimagines the Past

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