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Film critic Owen Gleiberman reviews the new comedy, written by and starring Steve Martin. He says that, unlike Woody Allen's Annie Hall, this movie both celebrates and revels in the town's absurdities.

We talk about United States' newest Middle East ally's involvement in the international drug trade with Philadelphia Inquirer reporter David Zucchino. Zucchino covers the drug war for the paper, and has spent two years in the Middle East. He also won a Pulitzer for his coverage of South Africa.

Fresh Air producer Amy Salit interviews Joe Stork, the editor-chief of "Middle East Report." He'll discuss the unequal distribution of wealth in the Middle East. Kuwait's has a strong economy tied to their oil production; their reluctance to share it with other, poorer, Arab countries has been cited as one of the motives behind Iraq's invasion.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Grossman's first novel, "The Smile of the Lamb," originally written in 1983. It explores the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians through the lenses of culture and language.

Fresh Air producer Amy Salit talks with Patrick Seale, author of "Asad: The Struggle for The Middle East." They'll discuss Syria's role in the current war, and the country's recent political history.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the way English speakers use the suffix "e" and "i" to lump together most nationalities in the Middle East (Kuwati, Iraqi...). He says the practice has its roots in the 19th and 20th century colonial period, and says a lot about how we view people in that region.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg on the jingoistic language of the Gulf Crisis. That style of discourse is closely linked to pro-war sentiments during the period of British colonialism.

Defense Correspondent for The Sunday Times of London James Adams gives his scenario for a war in the Gulf. Among other points, he says the war will be brief, and that Iraqis troops will be totally unprepared for the opening air assault.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new movie, "Not Without My Daughter." It stars Sally Field and Alfred Molina and is based on the true story of an American woman and her daughter who are trapped in Iran after the Iranian revolution. Among the movie's many problems is its demonization of Muslims -- which, in light of the Gulf crisis, couldn't have come at a worse time.

In this two-part interview, Terry speaks first with Trudy Rubin, a Mideast expert on the editorial board at the "Philadelphia Inquirer." Rubin's just left Baghdad. We speak to her from Amman, Jordan. Next, Terry is joined by David Fromkin. They talk about the colonial interventions in the Middle East around World War I, and how those actions resonate today.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "The Half Man," George Packer's novel of a journalist in a small Pacific Rim country.

Rashid Khalidi is a professor of modern Middle East history at the University of Chicago. He and Terry talk about the proposal for an international peace conference on the Mideast, which includes calls for further negotiations in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg foregoes his usual language commentaries to tell us a tale about being young and limber in Rome.

Film critic Stephen Schiff and book critic John Leonard look back at the movies and books of 1990. They give us their favorites from the year, and consider trends and highlights in popular culture.

The photographer is known for both her freelance work and portraits of famous and ordinary people in her home city. Aperture Press has recently released a new book of her photos.

Journalist Lawrence Weschler is a staff writer for the New Yorker and has been covering Eastern Europe for the past decade. He joins Fresh Air to talk about labor leader Lech Walesa's successful democratic election, and the fallout of Poland's changing government and economy.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new book by Elijah Anderson, which features interviews with city dwellers. The sociological text reveals much about crime and and racism in urban areas.

Pollack faced difficulty filming his new movie, in light of the antagonistic relationship between the United States and Cuba. His other films include Tootsie and the Oscar winning Out of Africa.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the African American writer's new novel, set against the events surrounding the 1985 burning of the MOVE house in West Philadelphia by the Philadelphia police.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews poet Robert Bly's new book Iron John, which explores what he sees as a crisis of masculinity affecting men today. She says it's a fascinating but far from perfect counterpoint to feminist writings of the 1970s and '80s.