Places & Travel

Writer and editor Victor Navasky has been with The Nation since 1978. Now the magazine -- a "journal of commentary and dissent" -- is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a new anthology. Navasky talks about the Nation's editorial stand on the Gulf crisis and how the peace movement is responding to events.

Pakistan-born, British journalist Dilip Hiro covers Middle East affairs. His forthcoming book on the Iran-Iraq war is called The Longest War. He says Iraq and its leader Saddam Hussein gained power by receiving intelligence and material support from Western states, including the U.S. He says any conflict between the U.S. and Iraq could destabilize the region.

The African American film director made a number of documentary films; his first widely distributed, commercial film, To Sleep with Anger, stars Danny Glover. Burnett comes from the American South; he's inspired by a lot of the folklore that comes from that region.

Television critic David Bianculli reviews the new three-hour profile of the rise and fall of Richard Nixon, presented on the American Experience show. The documentary comes on the heels of Ken Burns' Civil War series, and continues PBS' streak of excellent programming.

Vargas Llosa lost a bid for president of Peru last year. His latest novel is called, In Praise of the Stepmother, is an erotic tale about a family love triangle. His best-known work is Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.

Critic Maureen Corrigan, who lives in Washington, DC, talks about one of the unforeseen consequences of the current budget stalemate -- the closure of popular tourist spots in her home city.

Writer Jon Jefferson explains how deep fried food is as essential to Southern identity as the distinctive Southern drawl.

Writer Barry Lopez reads from a new essay, called the Rediscovery of North America, about contemporary views of indigenous landscapes, which developed during the era of European conquest.

Sunday Times journalist James Adams reports on the increase of chemical weapons stores in Iraq -- which was fueled in part by the actions of wealthier, Western countries. He says dictators around the world are more likely to use their weapons stores, which poses a problem for developed countries. An expert on the arms business, Adams believes war between the United States and Iraq is inevitable.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says Streep is best in comedies -- including this dysfunctional tale about a mother and daughter in Hollywood, written by Carrie Fisher, and adapted by her book of the same name.

Filmmaker and writer Adrian Cowell spent much of the 1980s filming all the stakeholders affected by the deforestation of the Amazon -- including homesteaders, indigenous people, and government-supported ranchers. He's made a series of television documentaries and a new book about the experience, both called the Decade of Destruction.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan says that, after reading the writer's first two autobiographies, it's shocking to confront Simon as an old woman. The third and final memoir, published after Simon's death from stomach cancer, is called Etchings in an Hourglass.

Hidalgo and Perez's Los Angeles-based band fuses traditional Mexican music with more straightforward rock. Their new album is called The Neighborhood, which is inspired by the different cultural communities of their home city.

New Yorker staffer Tony Hiss has a new book compiling several of his articles for the magazine, called The Experience of Place. His writing concerns the emotional dimensions of city planning. Hiss is the son of Alger Hiss, who was charged with treason during the McCarthy era.

Rock historian Ed Ward talks about how the city's music scene in the late '70s and early '80s incorporated rockabilly with bands like X, and Mexican traditions with Los Lobos.

Ellroy grew up in Los Angeles; his mother was murdered when Ellroy was still a child. He credits these two experiences with leading him on his path toward becoming a crime writer. His latest novel is called L.A. Confidential.

The humor writer's new book details his travels across America to fulfill ten personal goals, including working at the world's largest McDonalds, finding and kissing 60s actress Tina Louise, and photographing his dog in front of Babe Ruth's tomb. His previous book is called Roadside America.

Stephen Schiff reviews The Two Jakes, directed by star Jack Nicholson. Schiff says nothing about the film is particularly bad -- nor does anything stand out.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the new novel by Tadeusz Konwicki, which fictionalizes the author's family history in Czarist-era Poland. It's complex narrative anticipates the political upheavals by Stalin and Hitler, and the rise of anti-Semitism.

Roberts helped popularize what is now called world music. His interest, particularly in African music, developed while he worked for a news agency in Kenya. Roberts was surprised to discover American influences in some of the songs he recorded, which led him to reject any notion of a pure, national music.