Places & Travel

Tama Janowitz's newest book is a collection of short stories about the New York arts scene. She talks about the challenges and allure of living in the city, and what it's like to be accepted by a creative community of which she never felt a part.

Philadelphia Inquirer Africa correspondent Robert Rosenthal was arrested and tortured while reporting in Uganda. He describes the experience to Fresh Air host Terry Gross.

Writer Paul Rudnick's new novel lampoons Manhattan's exclusive, fashion-obsessed nightclub scene --with which Rudnick has first-hand experience.

Painter and sculptor Red Grooms returns to Fresh Air to discuss how he made it as an artist in New York City, and how urban landscapes inform his work.

Nat Hentoff writes about jazz and civil liberties, but describes his profession as "being a troublemaker." Hentoff began collecting jazz records and hanging out in jazz clubs as a young adult, and later hosted a jazz radio show and edited a magazine before co-founding the Jazz Review, a journal of criticism. Hentoff currently writes a column for the Village Voice and his subjects are often the First Amendment or civil liberties, and he is a staunch defender of free speech. His latest book, "Boston Boy," is a memoir about growing up in Chicago and Boston.

Novelist and screenwriter Richard Price is inspired by comedians, singers, television, and movies. He published his first novel, "The Wanderers," when he was 24 years old. He began writing screenplays after being disappointed by the film adaptations of his first two novels. His most recent novel was 1984's "The Breaks." Since then he has been writing the screenplay for Martin Scorsese's upcoming film sequel to "The Hustler," "The Color of Money."

Philadelphia Ed Hermance is named as a co-conspirator in an obscenity trial in England for smuggling "obscene" materials to London's prominent gay bookstore Gay's the Word. Hermance is the co-owner of Philadelphia's Giovanni's Room, a gay and feminist bookstore, and he believes the trial represents discrimination.

Art and Aaron Neville are part of the New Orleans funk and rhythm and blues band The Neville Brothers. Art has been performing since 1954 when his "Mardi Gras Mambo" became a hit. The song remains a Mardi Gras standard. Aaron had a hit in 1966 with the song "Tell It Like It Is." The brothers' latest album "Neville-lization."

On the second part of this special edition of Fresh Air addressing the AIDS epidemic, Terry Gross speaks with writer Dennis Altman, author of the new book "AIDS in the Mind of America." One of its subjects is the impact of the disease on the gay male community. The Australian Altman has previously written about the gay movement, and worked with the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California Medical School. Altman offers his thoughts on whether AIDS should be considered a "gay disease."

Webber and Gross respond to listener calls about the legal and media aspects of the AIDS crisis.

Taj Mahal is a musician known for his blues songs. Later in his career, he would incorporate African, Caribbean, and Latin influences into his music. His records appeal to blues, rock, and folk audiences, and a compilation of his work, "The Best of Taj Mahal," has recently been published. Mahal is in Philadelphia to perform at the Tower Theater.

Nick Spitzer is a folklorist who worked for the State of Louisiana for six years, and now works at the Smithsonian. Spitzer has also hosted several radio programs and recently produced the film "Zydeco: Creole Music and Culture in Rural Louisiana" and helped produce the album "Zodico: Louisian Créole Music." Spitzer joins the show to discuss and share jazz music from New Orleans, with a focus on Mardi Gras music and lesser known styles. (INTERVIEW BY BOB CARLIN)

Trumpeter Gregory Davis is a member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The band was founded to play at funerals and other events in New Orleans. The group mixes traditional New Orleans jazz with funk and bebop. (Interview By Danny Miller)

Spalding Gray was already famous in experimental theater for his funny and erotically-charged monologues when he made his film debut in "The Killing Fields," about the American involvement in Cambodia. His experiences as a novice making the movie in Thailand inspired his new monologue "Swimming to Cambodia." The monologue contains stories of the real fighting in Cambodia.

Director, writer, and actor John Sayles is one of Hollywood's most prominent independent filmmakers. Sayles began his career writing B-movies for producer Roger Corman. His latest movie is "The Brother from Another Planet," about a black extraterrestrial who lands in Harlem.

Allen grew up in Australia, where he had limited exposure to English and American popular music. After moving to New York, he found success writing songs for other pop stars and with his theatrical concerts.

After years of making low-budget exploitation movies, John Waters has received major studio backing for his latest film, Polyester. His newfound, mainstream success includes the Mayor of Baltimore naming February 7th John Waters Day and the release of a documentary about him, Divine Waters. His most recent endeavor has been teaching prisoners about channeling their violent tendencies into art.

Armistead Maupin developed a series of novels based on his serialized fiction published in the San Francisco-based Pacific Sun newspaper. His work is notable for featuring sympathetic and realistic portrayals of women and gay men.

Billy Hayes' years spent in a Turkish prison for smuggling hashish have been well documented in his book Midnight Express, which was later adapted into a book. He now pursues an acting career in California.

The bossa nova duo comprises married couple guitarist Orlando Haddad and pianist Patricia King, who both sing. Fresh Air producer Danny Miller asks them about the growth of their career and the unique rhythms they incorporate into their performances.