Places & Travel

Frank Friel was the co-director and chief investigator of the Philadelphia Police/FBI Organized Crime Task Force, which dismantled the Nicodemo Scarfo-led mafia in the 1980s. The gang's violent acts terrorized the Philadelphia area; they also infiltrated Atlantic City's casinos. Friel has a new book about that time, called Breaking the Mob.

Two of the band's members, Sterfane Mellino and Mathieu Canavese join Fresh Air to talk about the history of their group, and their new album, Mlah. The liner notes are entirely in French -- the band says the decision helps preserve their national identity abroad.

John Leonard reviews "Coyote Waits" by Tony Hillerman and "Blossom" by Andrew Vachss. The book critic says Hillerman's novel succeeds with its strong focus on the American Southwest. Vachss, on the other hand, shouldn't have had his protagonist Burke leave New York.

Talking Heads frontman David Byrne featured Brazilian singer Margarich Menezes on a recent tour. World music critic Milo Miles says she blew Byrne out of the water. Menezes' politically-informed new album, Elegibo, is intriguing but uneven -- though Miles admits that, as an American listener, he may be missing something.

Peter Bart was a senior vice president of the MGM/United Artists studio, and has just written a new book called "Fade Out." He discusses his efforts to turn the company around as the Hollywood studio system came to a close.

Commentator Leslie Savan says that American corporations have a vested interest in breaking into Soviet Bloc markets -- and they're spreading their capitalist message through TV ads.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Magic Lantern," journalist Timothy Garton Ash's account of the democracy movement in Eastern Europe.

Novelist Reginald McKnight. His first novel,"Moustapha's Eclipse" was praised for its original voice about the struggle for black identity. It also won the 1988 Drue Heinz Literature Prize. McKnight has a new novel, "I Get On the Bus," (published by Little, Brown).

World music critic Milo Miles checks out the music of Ethiopia.

Political journalist Christopher Hitchens. His latest book, "Blood, Class, and Nostalgia," looks at the ironic relationship between America and Great Britain.

Theatre director Peter Sellars.

Comedian David Brenner. He's written a new book about the pitfalls of traveling.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "The Innocent," by British novelist Ian McEwan.

World music commentator Milo Miles reviews the album "Jali Roll." He says it's an ambitious effort involving African folk musicians playing a traditional instrument called the kora, and members of the English group 3 Mustaphas 3. (Three-MUS-TAUF-us-Three).

Writer Hanif Kureishi (kah-REE-she). He wrote the screenplays for the critically-acclaimed movies "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid," and "My Beautiful Launderette." Now he's just published his first novel, called "The Buddha of Suburbia." It's published by Viking.

Author Hubert Selby, Junior. His first novel, "Last Exit to Brooklyn," was published in 1957. It's just been made into a movie, and Selby was an advisor and plays a small part in the film, which opened this week. Selby teaches at the University of Southern California, and is working on a new novel.

Journalist and network news correspondent Charles Glass. His new book is "Tribes With Flags: A Dangerous Passage Through the Chaos of the Middle East." (The Atlantic Monthly Press). Glass was kidnapped and held hostage by pro-Iranian terrorists in 1987. He escaped from his captors 62 days later.

Israeli journalist Ehud Ya'ari (A-hood yah-HAR-ee). He's the co-author of "Intifada: The Palestinian Uprising-Israel's Third Front." The book chronicles the events leading up to the Palestinian uprising, and it examines how the Israeli government misread, and misreported, the events surrounding the Intifada. Ehud Ya'ari covers Middle East affairs for Israeli television.

Writer Jessica Hagedorn. Her debut novel, "The Dogeaters," is set amid the mixture of cultures that makes up the Philippines. Hagedorn herself was born and raised in the Philippines. Prior to this novel, she's been a poet, performance artist, playwright, and commentator for "Crossroads." ("The Dogeaters" is published by Pantheon).

Historian Jonathan D. Spence. His new book is "The Search for Modern China" (published by W.W. Norton & Company). Spence is a professor of History at Yale University.