Places & Travel

Director Curtis Hanson and actor Russell Crowe from the new film "L.A. Confidential" which is adapted from the 1990 novel by James Ellroy. (James Ellroy is a previous Fresh Air guest whose memoir "My Dark Places" was about his mother's murder in L.A. in 1958) The film, which has received a lot of attention at film festivals including Cannes, and Toronto, is about corruption and retribution in L.A. in the 1950s and 60s. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW)

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album by Oasis.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews two new releases of Cuban music. The first is a four-cd set called I Am Time. (Blue Jackel) This is a retrospective of cuban music broken down in four categories. Cuban folk music, Singers, Dance, and Jazz. The second cd is called Buena Vista Social Club (World Circuit/Nonesuch) by a band of the same name. This CD was produced by Ry Cooder.

National Correspondent for the New York Times Rick Bragg. He's written a new memoir about growing up poor in Alabama, "All Over But the Shoutin'" (Pantheon Books).

Film critic John Powers reviews "The Full Monty."

Journalist Nate Thayer Reports on Cambodia's trial of Pol Pot. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Novelist Arundhati Roy. Her popular novel "The God of Small Things" is being called obscene, and is in danger of being banned in India. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

The sport of boxing has been in the news since boxer Mike Tyson bit the ear of his opponent, Evander Holyfield. Photographer Larry Fink has captured many images of boxing which have been collected in his book, "Boxing" (Powerhouse Books). And sports writer Bert Sugar has written numerous works on sports and has served as senior vice-president of "The Ring" magazine, a magazine on boxing. He wrote the essay included in Fink's book. They'll talk about the often maligned sport. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz on his recent junket to Brazil.

Commissioner for New York's Child Welfare Agency, the Administration for Children's Services Nicholas Scoppetta. He recently called for an expansion of foster care for the city's children, including "neighborhood based" care. Scoppetta understands well the struggles of children in foster care. As a five year old boy, he was taken out of his home in New York's Little Italy for neglect, and lived in several foster institutions for six years.

Artist William Christenberry is known for his portrayal of the American South in his work. He has spent 35 years rendering images of the architecture and the landscape of his birthplace, rural Alabama, in drawings, sculptures, and photographs. His art deals with Southern heritage with both affection and aversion.

Anthropologist Joseph Opala lived in Sierra Leone for the past 23 years. In May of this year, the Sierra Leone army staged a coupe and Opala thought he would be safe in the hotel where the Nigerian general was staying. Instead, the hotel became a target and caught on fire from the attacks. Opala had to help other people get out of the country and was eventually evacuated himself. He'll talk about his experience.

Journalist Stan Sesser. He is a former staff writer for the New Yorker and the senior fellow of the Human Rights Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Sesser has been following the events leading up to today's takeover of the British-ruled Hong Kong by the Chinese government.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews two "outstanding" world music CDS from 1996: "The Subtle Body" (Bar/None label) by Brazilian singer/guitarist Arto Lindsay, and "Money No Be Sand" (Original Music) an anthology by world music pioneer John Storm Roberts.

Mary Anne Hunter, the president of the Fair Hill Burial Ground Corporation. A member of the Quaker community, Hunter led the Quaker community in the restoration of the burial ground, which had fallen into disrepair and had been taken over by drug dealers. North Philadelphia itself has the highest murder rate in the city. Community activists have sought to make Fair Hill a place where people can go safely to enjoy a clean, green space and to visit an historical landmark in which historically important people, such as abolitionist Lucretia Mott, are buried.

The popular Cuban ensemble recently played a few dates in the States. Music critic Milo Miles saw them perform and has some thoughts about the band's lively career.

Teacher Ron Whitehorn has also involved himself and his students in the restoration of Fair Hill. A teacher at the Julia De Borgeos Middle School, Whithorn has tried to help urban children overcome the odds and add to their own community. He is joined by 12 year-old Sofia Gonzales, a student who has been active in the program. She is tired of the image of North Philadelphia as an urban wasteland and wants to prove that she lives in a neighborhood where people care.

Community activist Peaches Ramos has been working to rid the neighborhood of drug dealers. She lives across from Fair Hill and has led community efforts to clean it up and make it safe.

Roden is the winner of Italy's most prestigious food prizes and the winner of five Glenfiddich prizes. Her new book is "The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey From Samarkand to New York with More than 800 Ashkenazi and Sephardi Recipes."

Steve Lopez was an award-winning columnist for the "Philadelphia Inquirer" for twelve years. In his novels, Lopez confronts political corruption and greed as he did in his columns. His new novel is called "The Sunday Macaroni Club" (Harcourt Brace and Company). Lopez is now Senior Writer-at-large for Time Magazine.