Baker made a career as a trumpet player and jazz singer. Known for his struggles with his addition, Baker recently died after falling from his window; drug paraphernalia was found in his room. Bruce Weber's new documentary about the musician has just been released. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has this review.
Family Ties and Moonlighting both ended recently. TV critic David Bianculli says their final episodes highlight the programs' strengths and weaknesses.
Critic-at-large Laurie Stone review Sarah P. Stuart's debut novel -- a fast-moving coming-of-age story about a sister and her emotionally unstable brothers.
Business writer Rosabeth Moss Kantor says the past decade's trends of rugged individualism in the workplace and excessively long hours are unsustainable. Looking ahead, she believes corporations should be leaner, foster an independent an entrepreneurial spirit in its employees, and allow for a better work-life balance.
Hamill's first book of fiction is called Loving Women, about a man who joins the Navy in the 1950s. Hamill wrote for a number of New York City newspapers, and recently left the New York Post after an editorial dispute.
Critic Stuart Klawans reviews Bruce Robinson's new comedy, about an unhinged advertising executive who gradually develops a giant pimple with a mind of its own.
Hoblit's new made-for-TV movie dramatizes the groundbreaking Supreme Court case. The film has faced criticism from anti-abortion activists -- even though several have admitted to never having seen it. Hoblit is best known for producing television programs like Hill Street Blues, which broke conventions by relying heavily on hand-held cameras and degraded film, and pushing the boundaries of what kind of material was appropriate for broadcast.
Hoffman is one of the primary composers for the unusual ensemble The Ordinaires, which features rock instrumentation along with reeds and strings. The band formed in 1982 in New York City.
There has been spate of recent albums from artists who've long been out of the public eye. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new efforts by Dion, Phoebe Snow, and Donny Osmond.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews reissues of the songwriting team's music, recorded in the early 20th century. Schwartz praises the performers' precise renditions of these classic compositions.
The holiday has been a perpetual cause of stress for children since it was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. Guest commentator Ilene Segalove reflects on the anxiety she felt over the years deciding on the perfect gift for her own mother, only to realize that something simple, homemade, and from the heart was best.
Shields went to speech therapy the same time he attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Like the author himself, the protagonist of his new novel, Dead Languages, has a stutter. Shields' writing explores the gap between his mastery of written language and his difficulties speaking.
Johnson was part of the 1950s Beat community and had a relationship with Jack Kerouac. Her experience in the literary counterculture - and the peripheral place of women within it -- has influenced much of her work, including her memoir Minor Characters and her new novel, In the Night Cafe.
The blues and rock guitar player's career was put on hold when he was arrested and imprisoned for charges that may have been racially motivated. Rock historian Ed Ward reflects on some of Berry's post-prison work, which never matched his earlier success.
O'Neil worked at NBC and CBS before starting his own independent network. He joins Fresh Air to discuss how football teams and networks have coordinated before games, the pros and cons of instant replays, and his new book, The Game Behind the Game.
Book critic John Leonard reviews Tolstaya's new book, On the Golden Porch. The author is descended from Leo and Alexander Tolstoy, and has garnered comparisons to Chekov. But Leonard says Tolstaya most reminds him of John Cheever for the way she captures sadness on the page.
The book Geek Love is about carnival performers who intentionally take drugs during pregnancy in order to give birth to deformed children. Author Katherine Dunn says she used deformity as a metaphor to make a larger point about body image and disability.
TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new made-for-TV movie about a murder investigation on a space colony. It's enjoyable enough -- but even with a scantily clad star and improbable plot, it's no Barbarella.
Bassist Eberhad Weber's new album, on the ECM label, is airy, effects-laden, and often devoid of blues-inflected harmony. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says it's the kind of thing he usually hates -- but he still likes Weber's music.
At 65, Kuhn was forced to retire from her job solely because of her age. In 1969, she founded the Gray Panthers, which advocated for the rights and dignity of older people. Early on, the group also participated in the anti-war movement. Kuhn joins Fresh Air to talk about aging and the different expectations placed on people of her generation.
