Government & Politics

Religion historian Martin E. Marty teaches at the University of Chicago and is one of the foremost authorities on religion and society. His new book is the third in a four volume set: "Modern American Religion, Volume 3: Under God, Indivisible, 1941-1960."

Advocate of children's and women's rights, Sarah Buel. Nineteen years ago she struggled to put her life together after leaving an abusive marriage. After a short time on welfare, Buel began working full-time and taking undergraduate classes. In 1990, she graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School. Buel is the co-founder of the Massachusetts Domestic Violence Council and currently serves as juvenile prosecutor for the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office in Quincy, MA. She believes the entire community must take responsibility for domestic violence.

Political advisor David Mixner. His new book, Stranger Among Friends, is a memoir of the 1992 Clinton campaign and life inside the Clinton White House. Mixner was pivotal in getting then-Governor Clinton the support of gay voters and was hopeful that the Democratic victory would expand civil rights to gays and lesbians. With Clinton’s watered-down support of gays in the military and recent rejection of gay marriage, Mixner has become disillusioned with the administration, and his book reflects this.

Lisa Schwarzbaum reviews the new film "Courage Under Fire," starring Denzel Washington, about events surrounding the Persian Gulf War.

Journalist Chris Hedges. He's been covering the Bosnian conflict for the New York Times and offers insight to the current political and social atmosphere in the former Yugoslavia. This week marks the anniversary of the slaughter of thousands of Muslims in Srebrenica as they were attempting to retreat from the Serbs. Investigators from the international war crimes tribunal are currently exhuming the graves of that former U.N. "safe area."

Former conservative Michael Lind. As a writer and editor he worked closely with the leaders of American conservatism: as research assistant to William F. Buckley, Jr. and editor of the National Interest. He became disillusioned with the party because of it's economic policies and the dominance of such groups as the Christian Coalition. He also denounced Pat Buchanan in 1992. Lind's new book is "Up From Conservatism: Why the Right is Wrong for America." He's currently senior editor of The New Yorker.

Fresh Air book critic, Maureen Corrigan has more suggestions for summer reading: "A Little Yellow Dog" by Walter Mosely (W.W. Norton); "Cause of Death" by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putmans Sons); and "Lily White," by Susan Isaacs (HarperCollins).

Author and journalist and NPR reporter Alan Berlow's new book is "Dead Season: A Story of Murder and Revenge on the Philippine Island of Negros." It's an investigation into a massacre of a peasant family which was linked to a series of interrelated crimes. Berlow also examines the broader problems facing the Philippines and the impact of American colonialism and imperialism.

Author and daughter of Jackie Robinson, Sharon Robinson. Her new book is "Stealing Home: An Intimate Family Portrait by the Daughter of Jackie Robinson" (Harper Collins). She grew up highly privileged in a comfortable Connecticut suburb in the 1950s. Despite the celebrity of her father, Robinson was not immune to racism and was often conflicted over her father's role in the civil rights movement. The book traces Robinson's search for her own success and identity.

Author and journalist, Marshall Frady. His new book is "Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson (Random House). The book tells the story of Jackson's ambitious life, from his illegitimate birth in poverty stricken South Carolina through his years working with Martin Luther King and his unprecedented runs for the presidency. Frady writes about political figures and social and racial tensions in the United States for the New Yorker. His first two biographies were about George Wallace and Billy Graham.

Nigerian journalist Dapo Olorunyomi... He is the editor of five of the country's leading opposition publications. His work uncovering corruption in the Nigerian Government helped him win the World Press Review 1995 Editor-of-the-Year Award. Olorunyomi is now in exile in the United States. It's the third anniversary of the democratic elections annulled by the military.

Kristin Luker is Professor of Sociology and Law at the University of California. She's the author of the new book, "Dubious Conceptions: The Politics of Teenage Pregnancy," (Harvard University Press).

Filmmaker Carma Hinton talks about "The Gate of Heavenly Peace" a film she co-produced with her husband Richard Gordon. The film chronicles the Chinese democracy movement that began in the spring of 1989 and ended in the Tiananmen Square massacre. The film will show on PBS' Frontline program on Tuesday, June 4, 1996 which marks the 7th anniversary. Hinton and her husband run a production company called Long Bow Group, Inc in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck. He's also the new Minister of Culture in Haiti. His most recent movie is "The Man By the Shore", a dark movie set in a seemingly sleepy, run-down fictional town during the middle of the dictatorship of Francois (Pappa Doc) Duvalier in the 1960s. The film is being distributed by a small New York entertainment group, KJM3 (tel. 212-689-0950). It opens on Friday May 17 at the Quad Cinema in Manhattan.

Chinese-Canadian journalist, Jan Wong.... She went to China as an idealistic radical student in the 70's and believed in the Cultural Revolution and even informed on a couple of people. But she eventually left China, totally disillusioned. Years later she returned as a reporter for the Toronto Globe and Mail and covered the Tiananmen Square massacre. She talks about her new book, "Red China Blues". (Doubleday/Anchor Books, 1996)

John Douglas, author and former FBI unit chief who originated the Unabomber profile talks about the 18-year manhunt for the Unabomber suspect. Douglas has published a new book, "Unabomber: on the trail of America's most wanted serial killer" (Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster). His previous book is, "Mindhunter", a report on the criminal profiling program of the FBI's behavioral science unit.

Spy-watcher and gadget collector, Keith Melton who's book, "The Ultimate Spy Book" (DK Publishing) has been published recently.

Restaurant-owner and chef, Mai Pham. Born in Vietnam and raised in Thailand, Pham came to the United States in 1975 and became the first Vietnamese journalist in this country. Her first cookbook, "The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking" (Prima) is a collection of recipes coupled with memories and reflections of life and food in South East Asian culture. Subtitled, "Favorite Recipes from the Lemon Grass Restaurant and Cafes", the book includes 150 of Pham's recipes that have drawn accolades for her three Sacramento restaurants

The grand-daughter of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Noa Ben Artzi-Pelossof. During the his funeral Noa gave a moving tribute to the grandfather she knew as opposed to the political leader the world knew. She's written a new memoir, "In the Name of Sorrow and Hope," (Knopf).

Publisher of The Nation, Victor Navasky. He was one of a group of writers who in 1967 conceived of a literary hoax. The book "Report From Iron Mountain," was penned by Leonard Lewin and was a satire, supposedly written by a commission of eminent scholars about the problems that would arise in the United States if "permanent peace" should arrive. The book has been compared to Swift's "A Modest Proposal" and "Dr. Strangelove" for its social and political commentary. It wasn't until 1972 that Lewin admitted the hoax.