Places & Travel

Book critic John Leonard reviews two collections of essays about Africa; "African Silences" by Peter Matthiessan and "Maneaters Motel" by Denis Boyles.

Terry concludes her conversation with veteran NPR reporter Deborah Amos. After nearly ten years covering stories like Lebanon, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War, Amos is back in the states for a one year leave of absence. Today, Amos talks about the problems, and the advantages, of being a woman reporter in the Mideast.

Veteran NPR reporter Deborah Amos. Amos has covered the Gulf War, and reported from Poland, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Israel and China. We'll talk to her about the day to day life of a reporter.

World music commentator Milo Miles reviews music from Haiti by the group Boukman Eksperyans. ("Vodou Adjae", on the Mango label).

Journalist Milton Viorst of the New Yorker reports on the Middle East. In April, he was in Bagdad to observe the state of Iraq several months after the end of the conflict.

Boyd's new book, "The Revolution of Little Girls," follows a child coming-of-age in the South in the 60s. (It's published by Knopf). Boyd's the author of two earlier novels, and a collection of essays, called "The Rebel Way of Knowledge."

The Soviet Union just withdrew from Czechoslovakia. We talk to two people about what affect this will have on the literary culture in that country. Czech writer Ivan Klima was one of Czechoslovakia's leading dissident writers, and was recently elected the president of the Czech chapter of PEN. Michael March organized an international book and writers' festival in Prague last month.

Writers Lindsy Van Gelder and Pamala Robin Brandt. They're the co-authors of "Are You Two...Together?" It's a gay and lesbian travel guide to Europe.

Vasquez's new movie, "Hangin' With The Homeboys," is a semi-autobiographical movie about growing up in the South Bronx. He talks to Terry Gross about relations between Latinos and African Americans in his neighborhood; Vasquez is biracial, and is part of both traditions.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Open Letters," the new collection of writings by the playwright and former President of Czechoslovakia.

For more than a decade, Sciolino has been reporting on the Middle East. She was one of the few American journalists who recognized the danger of Saddam Hussein before the invasion of Kuwait. She currently is a diplomatic correspondent covering U.S. foreign policy and national security issues for the New York Times. Her new book is "The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis."

Sayles' films include Return of the Secaucus Seven, Brother From Another Planet, Matewan, and Eight Men Out. He has just written a novel, called Los Gusanos, about Cuban Americans living in Miami. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the difference between moviemaking and creative writing.

The travel writer has a new book called "Wall to Wall: From Beijing to Berlin by Rail." She took the trip five years ago as reforms were beginning to be implemented in the Soviet Union, and before the government crackdown in Tiananmen Square and the Eastern European revolutions. She's particularly interested in what it's like to travel abroad as a woman alone.

Author and professor Padraig O'Malley's most recent books is called "Biting At the Grave," about the IRA hunger strikes in 1981 that ended in 10 deaths. O'Malley challenges conventional wisdom on each side of the conflict. Formal talks between Protestant and Catholic political leaders over the future of Northern Ireland are to begin next Monday.

World music commentator Milo Miles tells us about the Brazilian music called forro, which is a ragtag, party style based around the accordion.

Book critic John Leonard reviews a biography of Paul Scott, who wrote the Raj Quartet, which includes the Jewel in the Crown. The book is written by Hilary Spurling. Leonard knew Scott personally, and says the book does justice to his tragic life.

Bok is the author of several books on the ethics of lying and keeping secrets. Her newest is a memoir about her mother, the Nobel Prize-winning Alva Myrdal, who was called the most modern woman in the world.

Part two of the Frank Smyth interview. He is a freelance reporter who has worked for the Village Voice and CBS News. He and photographer Gad Gross were traveling with the Kurds in Iraq when they were pursued by Iraqi soldiers--Smyth was captured and Gross was killed.

Smyth is a freelance reporter who has worked for the Village Voice and CBS News. He and photographer Gad Gross were travelling with the Kurds in Iraq when they were pursued by Iraqi soldiers--Smyth was captured and Gross was killed.

E.J. Dionne's new book is an analysis of what's gone wrong in American politics. He will soon start publishing a column in the Washington Post.