Writer Doris Lessing. Since her first novel, The Grass is Singing, published in 1950, she has written many books and plays, including the Children of Violence series, The Golden Notebook, and more recently Shikasta and her "space-fiction" series. Her new novel is titled The Fifth Child. Fresh Air book critic John Leonard once described Mrs. Lessing as "one of the half-dozen most interesting minds to have chosen to write fiction in English in this century."
Television critic David Bianculli looks back at "The Prisoner," the British mystery and adventure series about government agents, brainwashing, Number 6, and the omniscient globe that prevented escape from the island prison. The series celebrates its 20th anniversary this week.
A live concert with New Orleans songwriter, pianist and singer Allen Toussaint. Tousaint has performed extensively as a session pianist and producer and has written dozens of hits for New Orleans groups like The Nevilles, Irma Thomas, for Paul McCartney, The Wild Tchoupitoulas and The Meters.
Writer Dominick Dunne, who in his fiction and non-fiction writes about the troubled lives of New York City's jet setters. His latest novel is titled People Like Us, and is set amid Manhattan's upper class. Dunne's other novels include The Winner and The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, both bestsellers. Dunne contributes regularly to Vanity Fair, writing lengthy profiles of society celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Claus Von Bulow.
Singer Helen Merrill. Her latest album features arrangements by the late Gil Evans, with whom she first worked over 30 years ago. Merrill was one of the most acclaimed jazz stars of the 50s when she left America for Italy and then Japan.
Actress Patty Duke. At the time of her 1962 film "The Miracle Worker," Duke was the youngest actress to win an Oscar, for her role as Helen Keller. At 16, she was the youngest actress in television to have a prime-time series built around her. The success, however, masked personal misery which included depressions that led to suicide attempts and a string of failed marriages. Duke has written an autobiography titled Call Me Anna.
Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews two new rap albums, one by Run-DMC, the top rap group, the other by D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, an emerging group that builds on the innovations of the first rappers.
Comic and actor Howie Mandel. Mandel is one of the stars of "St. Elsewhere," the acclaimed NBC weekly series that follows the lives of the medical staff of the beleaguered St. Eligius, a fictional hospital set in a rough-and-tumble Boston neighborhood. Today, May 25, is final episode of the seven-year series.
Writer Orville Schell. His latest book, Discos and Democracy: China in the Throes of Reform, chronicles one year in China's rush toward Democracy, and the country's continuing love-hate relationship with the West. Schell's work appears regularly in The New Yorker.
Scottish writer William Boyd. His latest novel, The New Confessions, follows the political and cinematic adventures of a monomaniacal filmmaker. Boyd's earlier novels include Stars and Bars and An Ice Cream War.
Film director Robert Altman. He's best known for the 1975 film "Nashville," a free-form mosaic of American life as seen through 24 characters involved in a political rally. His other films include "3 Women," a hypnotic film about the troubled friendship of three troubled women. Altman has been working in television recently, directing the remake of the classic 1953 movie "The Caine Mutiny" that aired earlier this month on CBS.
Rock historian Ed Ward profiles The Funkadelic, a black psychedelic band whose big hit was the 1978 song "One Nation Under A Groove." Several members of the band, including leader George Clinton, started out with The Parliaments, a fifties Doo-Wop group.
Composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, who introduced America and Europe to bossa nova, the sensual, urbane musical idiom of Brazil. Before he started composing bossa novas in the 50s, he wrote symphonies, drawing from his training as a classical musician. His most widely circulated works include "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Desafinado."
Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead profiles trombonist and composer Rod Levitt. Levitt, who wrote for marching bands and played in the pit at Radio City Music Hall, drew from every musical style available in the 50s.
