Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews An Unfinished Season, by Ward Just. He's known for weaving American history and politics into his fiction. This book is set in Chicago during the Eisenhower years.
McKay directed the new movie Anchorman, starring Will Ferrell, about a news anchor from the 1970s and his wacky adventures when a female anchor joins the staff. McKay was the head writer for Saturday Night Live from 1997 to 2001. During that time, he made a number of short film segments. Anchorman is his first feature-length work. McKay was one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe. He's an alum of the Second City Improv in Chicago and also had many bit parts on SNL.
Exum's new memoir, Man's Army: A Soldier's Story from the Front Lines of the War on Terrorism, recounts his experiences fighting in Afghanistan. In 2002, Exum fought with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, where soldiers were often fighting a brutal guerilla war against the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Diamond is a professor of political science and sociology at Stanford University and an expert on democratic development and regime change. He is the coordinator of the Democracy Program of the new Center for Democracy, Development and Rule of Law at Stanford's Institute for International Studies. Diamond spent three months earlier this year advising the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.
Dangerfield made a comedic career out of his phrase "I don't get no respect." Now 82 years old, he has a new book, Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me.
Trippi was the campaign manager for Howard Dean during his bid to be the democratic presidential nominee. Using the Internet, Trippi turned a little-known candidate into a frontrunner. His new book is The Revolution Will Not be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything. Trippi worked on his first presidential campaign for Sen. Edward Kennedy in 1980. He also worked with the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale, Gary Hart and Richard Gephardt.
His new film is Baadasssss! It's the story of the making of 1971 classic Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. In the film, Mario Van Peebles plays his father, director Melvin Van Peebles. Mario got his start directing and starring in the film New Jack City. Other acting credits include the role of Malcolm X in the film Ali, and a role in Ten Thousand Black Men Named George, about the unionization of Pullman train porters.
Film critic David Edelstein reviews Spiderman 2, with Tobey Maguire revisiting the superhero based on the Marvel Comics series. Kirsten Dunst returns as Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's love interest, and Alfred Molina stars as the villain Doc Ock.
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews C'Mon DJ, the third album by the Boston based duo Mr. Airplane Man, featuring singer-guitarist Margaret Garrett and drummer-organist Tara McManus.
Journalist Larry Tye examines the social history of the porter in Rising from the Rails: Pullman Porters and the Making of the Black Middle Class. Tye says that the job was one of the best for African Americans at the time, and that it was a foothold in the American workplace. Tye reports for The Boston Globe.
Filmmakers Israel Goldvicht and Tom Roberts went inside Israeli prisons to examine the minds of suicide bombers. Their documentary, Suicide Bombers, is part of the PBS series "Wide Angle." They spoke with three failed bombers, one bomb builder and one recruiter. The show premieres Thursday, July 1, on PBS.
His new book is Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar. It's a biography of the former Soviet leader. Stalin was often described as an enigma. This exhaustive account of his life seeks to banish the mystery. Montefiore has traveled extensively through the former Soviet Union, and has written for many publications, including The New York Times and The Spectator.
He'll address the strict drug regulations that put Elaine Bartlett, the subject of the book, Life on the Outside, in jail. The regulations are known as the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Clyne is the son of Albany County judge John Clyne, who handed Bartlett a sentence of 20 years to life in state prison.
Journalist Jennifer Gonnerman's new book is Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett. It's an account of Bartlett's struggle to get out and stay out of jail. Bartlett spent 16 years in prison for a single sale of cocaine. Gonnerman follows Bartlett as she is released from prison at 42.
He's been playing piano and singing at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City since 1968. He's considered one of the great cabaret singers of our time. The 79-year-old song stylist was slated to retire from the Cafe Carlyle this coming New Year's Eve, but he's extended his schedule, and he's not going anywhere for the time being. Short has been named a "living landmark" by New York's Landmark Conservancy and a "national living legend" by the Library of Congress.
TV critic David Bianculli has a report from the 25th Anniversary of the Banff Television Festival. About 1,300 television professionals from around the world came together from June 13-17 to award prizes to the best in international TV programming.
