Classical music Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new collection of Renata Tebaldi's performances. The recordings are so good that he's willing to overlook the soprano's sometimes forced, theatrical effects.
Sociologist Barry Glassner's new book Bodies explores the pressures Americans face to conform to particular standards of health and beauty. He says this cultural expectation -- which even extends to the workplace -- has led to a proliferation of diet and exercise programs, which most participants are doomed to fail.
Language commentator Geoff Nunberg wonders about the demand for authentic regional and national accents in motion pictures -- even when its not essential to the plot.
The conceptual artist developed the sets and visual style for science fiction movies like Blade Runner, Short Circuit, and Tron. NASA has also called on him to design Skylab. He joins Fresh Air to talk about how individuals and corporations conceive of the world to come.
The African American writer is known for his experimental style, but in Such Was the Season, Major uses a straightforward narrative to tell the story about an older black woman in Atlanta and her doctor nephew. Guest critic Stuart Klawans says any bookstore that doesn't carry it needs to "wise up."
None of the stories in the writer's debut collection were previously published; magazines hated her dark, sexually charged stories of young women. But the book--and Gaitskill--have now found critical acclaim.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says the group Five Elements isn't his favorite setting for saxophonist Steve Coleman, but Sine Die is their strongest work yet. Cassandra Wilson contributions are a real highlight; she contributes vocals to four songs.
Novelist Donald Westlake has written everything, from confession stories to westerns to science fiction. But he's found the most success with his mystery and crime stories. He wrote a series of novels under the name Richard Stark featuring an emotionless criminal named Parker; his newest book, Trust Me on This, is a humorous tale of a tabloid journalist.
Writer Fouad Ajami joins Fresh Air to talk about Beirut, and how it attracted Lebanese who lived in the countryside. The civil war in Lebanon, Ajami says, has led to a collapse of the country's cultural and religious pluralism, which is born out in several internecine conflicts.
TV critic David Bianculli wasn't impressed by the often intrusive coverage of last week's DNC. But watching clips of past conventions on C-SPAN, he was thrilled to see footage of politicians in their prime.
Poet Mark Halliday deals with troubling memories by writing about them. He shares a new poem, in which he tries to dispense with a number of bad memories all at once.
Now in her 80s, Frances Williams is still acting -- long after many of her peers have retired. She has a storied career in theater and film, and helped found nine theater companies. An advocate for meaningful roles for African Americans, she now costars in the television show Frank's Place.
The novelist once said that science fiction is a branch of children's literature -- an assertion he largely stands by today. Nonetheless, he makes a concerted effort to write for adults, using the genre to satirize serious topics. His newest book for young readers is called The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars.
Rock critic Ken Tucker has seen most of the heavy metal acts on the package tour's bill. He admires Metallica and the Scorpions; Van Halen has its merits, but he says Dokken and Kingdom Come are bland. Collectively, the bands' popularity shows that metal is a genre that should't be ignored -- though Tucker prefers to enjoy it from the comfort of his own home.
Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years. He says the compelling movie is a revealing look at how fans and musicians participate in the decadent culture of heavy metal music.
The New Orleans-based, twenty-year-old pianist and singer started performing when he was five, and later studied with Ellis Marsalis. Connick says, as a younger musician, he has more to prove -- which fuels his drive to learn more.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz talks to Fresh Air's Terry Gross about an updated version of Mozart's Figaro. The opera, directed by Peter Sellars, is set in New York City -- but is still sung in Italian.
Mulcahy wrote for the New York Post's Page Six, and now works for New York Newsday. While the column she now helms features salacious stories, she considers certain topics off-limits, like AIDS and the outing of gay and lesbian public figures. Mulcahy's new memoir is called My Lips Are Sealed.
