July 2002

After the Quake
Alan Cheuse has a review of After the Quake, a new collection of short stories by Tokyo writer Huraki Murakami. All of the six stories spin off the Kobe, Japan, earthquake of 1995. (2:30)

The book is published by Knopf.

Enrico Caruso
Susan Stamberg talks with Dan Guss, senior director of product development from the RCA Victor Group about the CD Caruso Italian Songs. It takes the voice of Enrico Caruso from old recordings and puts it with new orchestrations. Guss describes the process and the appeal of Caruso's voice. (8:00)

The CD is from RCA, catalog # 74321-82569-2.

I Am the World Trade Center
Sarah Bardeen reviews The Tight Connection, the latest CD from the electronic pop duo I Am The World Trade Center. All of the group's music is recorded and performed on a personal home computer. (4:00)

The Tight Connection by I Am The World Trade Center. Kindercore Records, July 2002; ASIN: B000068QU5

Sirena
Charles de Ledesma reviews Sirena, the latest album by the band Cousteau. (4:30)

You're an Animal, Viskovitz
Alessandro Boffa is a Russian-born Italian biologist, whose book of stories, You're an Animal, Viskovitz, has been translated into English by John Casey. Alan Cheuse brings us a review. (2:00)

The book is published by Knopf.

Ariel's Crossing
Lynn Neary talks with Bradford Morrow about his new novel Ariel's Crossing. (8:00)

The book is published by Viking Penguin, June 2002.

Toothpicks and Logos
Robert Siegel talks with John Heskett, author of Toothpicks and Logos: Design in Everyday Life, about the history of design. Heskett uses examples of the design of the toothpick to illustrate how cultures can vary in form and in subtle uses. For instance, the Japanese designed a toothpick which removes food and acts as a holder. The beveled end may appear to be aesthetic to a foreigner, but it actually has a function. Heskett also discusses the globalization of design and some less utilitarian pieces. (7:30)

The book is published by Oxford Press, Aug. 1, 2002.

Funky 16 Corners
Will Hermes reviews two new CDs reminiscent of 1960s and 70s funk music. The CDs are Dap-Dipping, by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and The Funky 16 Corners, a compilation by multiple artists. (3:45)

Nova: Virus of the Mind
Musician Heather Nova talks about a single from her latest album, South. (2:30)

V2 Records, ASIN: B0000640MD

'Cherry' Biography
Host Jacki Lyden talks to Sara Wheeler, the author of a new biography of polar explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard. "Cherry," as he was called, joined Captain Robert Scott's doomed 1912 expedition to the South Pole -- an experience that haunted him for the rest of his life. (8:30)

Misia, Portugal's Melancholy Muse
Songs of longing and despair are a national tradition in Portugal -- a music called fado. And a singer named Misia is the reigning queen of the mournful, melancholy musical genre. Misia talks with guest host Jacki Lyden about fado and Portugal's emotional inner life. (14:00) Expanded Coverage

Misia's latest CD is called Ritual.

Perma Red
Alan Cheuse reviews the story of a destitute young American Indian woman caught between the desires of some desperate men on a Montana reservation. That's the heart of Debra Magpie Earling's first novel. The book is called Perma Red. (2:30)

It's published by BlueHen Books.

Hem
Lynn talks to songwriter Dan Masse and singer Sally Ellyson of the band Hem. Their debut CD is called Rabbit Songs. The music is a mixture of many American styles, from folk to Aaron Copland classical. Dan and Sally came together almost by accident, but their musical sensibilities are so close that Dan now writes music with Sally's voice in mind. (8:00)

For more on the band, see their website www.rabbitsongs.com.

By the Way
Tom Moon reviews the latest CD from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. He says the new album, called By The Way, may be their best yet. (4:30)

Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way. July, 2002 Warner Brothers; ASIN: B000067CPX

Welcome to Porter Hall Tennessee
Reviewer David Greenberger tells us about the debut album by a band called Porter Hall, Tennessee. (4:00)

The CD is Welcome to Porter Hall Tennessee, by Porter Hall Tennessee on Slewfoot Records.

Goin' Back to Sweet Memphis
Korva talks with Fred Hay about his new book, Goin' Back to Sweet Memphis: Conversations with the Blues. As a college student in the early '70s, Hay recorded the stories and songs of several Memphis blues legends. All of them have passed on, but their stories remain in Hay's book. (11:00)

Goin' Back to Sweet Memphis: Conversations with the Blues; University of Georgia Press; ISBN: 0820323012

Russian Debutantes Handbook
Tom Vitale profiles first time novelist Gary Shteyngart. His book is called, The Russian Debutante's Handbook. (7:30)

The Last Broadcast
Charles de Ledesma reviews the new CD from the band Doves called The Last Broadcast. The trio from Manchester, England, have a distinctive sound that the city's bands are known for -- dreamy guitar with a rough-edged rock beat. They've been compared to other great bands from northern England. But unlike their more famous predecessors, they are less dark and downbeat, and more bright and playful. The band is getting rave reviews for the new album, their second. (4:00)

The CD is from Heavenly Recordings, distributed by Capitol Records. See http://www.doves.net.

The Hip Hop Generation
Robert speaks with Bakari Kitwana, author of The Hip Hop Generation: The Crisis in African American Culture. Kitwana writes about black Generation X'ers, for whom the civil rights movement is a generation back. Young African-Americans now face a society that has only partly lived up to its promise of equality. Kitwana says that economic and educational difficulties are pervasive, but he says that hip-hop music has helped politically mobilize African-Americans. (8:00)