Places & Travel

Merrill died Monday at age 68. The son of the founder of the Merrill Lynch brokerage house, Merrill traveled to Europe at age 24, a newly published poet "meaning to stay as long as possible". That was in 1950. His memoir "A Different Person" detailed his two and a half years there, and featured encounters with psychoanalysts, new and old lovers, and Alice Toklas. Merrill wrote eleven books of poems, and was the winner of two National Book Awards, the Bollingen Prize for Poetry, and the Pulitzer Prize. (Rebroadcast)

Roberts is author of eleven detective books featuring Cleveland private eye Milan Jacovich or L.A. actor/detective Saxon. The most recent novel, "The Lake Effect," is a Milan Jacovich mystery. Roberts also produced episodes of "The Lucy Show," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," and "The Andy Griffith Show," and was the first producer of "The Hollywood Squares."

Journalist Geraldine Brooks is the author of "Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Woman." While Brooks was Middle East correspondent for "The Wall Street Journal," she investigated the role of women in the Islamic societies where she lived and worked.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews the new biography "Thomas Paine: Apostle of Freedom," by Jack Fruchtman, Jr.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the new album by Sengalese musician Baaba Maal, called "Firin' in Fouta."

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "The Paperboy," a new novel about from Pete Dexter. She says its sole flaw is the lack of complex women characters.

Along with directors Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, Schepisi he was considered one of the leaders of the "Australian New Wave." His film, "The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith," was the first Australian film ever accepted in competition in the Cannes Film Festival, and his first film distributed in the U.S. He went on to direct "Plenty," "Roxanne," "A Cry in the Dark," "The Russia House," and "Six Degrees of Separation." His latest film "I.Q." stars Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, and Walter Matthau.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film, "Vanya on 42nd St," starring Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, and with a screenplay adapted by David Mamet from Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya".

Film critic Stephen Schiff has a review of "Ready To Wear," Robert Altman's ensemble film about Paris fashion shows.

We feature interviews with two people involved with the film "Heavenly Creatures." New Zealand director and writer Peter Jackson and co-screenwriter Frances Walsh. They have collaborated on two other films, "Dead Alive" a horror-movie spoof and "Meet The Feebles," a zombie film -- both of which have a cult following in their home country.

Journalist Youseff Ibrahim, reporter at "The New York Times" since 1977. He has been the regional Middle East correspondent for the paper for seven years. He talks about the current debates among Arab intellectuals about the current political and cultural trends in the region.

Walser has been called "the best pure cowboy singer in the state" ("Houston Chronicle"). At age 60, he retired from his job as a Texas state internal auditor to concentrate on his music. He just released an album called "Rolling Stone From Texas." He joins Fresh Air with his guitar to sing a few songs.

The Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. He's been playing the trumpet since he was six, and won his first Grammy at 20. Marsalis is also the cofounder and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He recently announced that he is breaking up the Septet so he can spend more time with the Lincoln Center. "Sweet Swing Blues on the Road" is his new book, written in collaboration with photographer Frank Stewart.

Burns is the director of the hit PBS documentaries "The Civil War" and "Baseball." The former was the network's highest rated series. Burns' other documentaries include "The Brooklyn Bridge," "The Statue of Liberty," and "Empire of the Air," about the early history of radio. This interview was recorded in front of an audience at the Flynn Theater on October 27, in a benefit for Vermont Public Radio.

Journalist Misha Glenny has been covering the war in former Yugoslavia -- first as correspondent for the BBC and now as an independent journalist. He is the author of the book "The Fall of Yugoslavia: The Third Balkan War." He will talk about the decision of the U.S. to no longer participate in the enforcement of the arms embargo to Bosnia.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "Fables of Abundance: A Cultural History of Advertising in America," by Jackson Lears.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "You Can't be Neutral on a Moving Train," the new autobiography by Howard Zinn.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews Lorrie Moore's new novel, "Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?"

World music critic Milo Miles admits he doesn't know much about Flamenco music. But he likes what he hears on the new anthology Duende.

Journalist and professor Fred Halliday. He's a professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics, and has written extensively on the Cold War and the Third World for "The Nation," and "The Middle East Report." He'll talk about the possible threat of another military showdown in Iraq.