Two Rahsaan Roland Kirk Albums Now on One CD

During the 1950s and '60s, record labels were subject to criminal investigations over their practice of paying radio stations for airplay of their songs. A new book by Fredric Dannen, about the way the payola system has re-emerged, is called Hit Men.

Zucker has made a number of parody films with his brother David, including Police Academy and The Naked Gun. His first solo movie, Ghost, is now in theaters.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg recently returned from a trip to France. He was initially confident in his French proficiency, but that feeling soon faded; in fact, he noticed his limited vocabulary affected how he thought, not just spoke.