Society & Culture

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers how the September 11th attacks and the aftermath have affected the way we talk.

Human Rights Lawyer Asma Jahangir. Shes been at the forefront of the movements for womens rights, human rights and peace in Pakistan for twenty years. She co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. In her work shes defended a boy against the charge of blasphemy-the penalty would have been death. Shes defended the right of women to chose their own husbands. Because of her efforts shes been arrested, received death threats, and been the target of hostile propaganda.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the word literacy.

Serbian writer Jasmina Tesanovic. She’s just published a book called “The Diary of a Political Idiot,” (Midnight Editions 2000). The book, comprised of excerpts from her personal journal, narrates daily life in Belgrade during the political upheaval and bombings in Serbia. She is one of the founders of 94, the first feminist publishing house in Serbia. She lives and works in Belgrade.

Language commentator Geoff Nunberg considers the realm of legal-speak in light of all the court action surrounding the presidential election.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg talks about a new kind of literacy test revealed by the Palm Beach County Ballot controversy.

Film Critic Henry Sheehan reviews the new film “Men of Honor,” starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Literary forensics expert Don Foster. Named the first literary detective of all time, he uncovered the identity of Joe Klein as the Anonymous writer of 1996’s “Primary Colors”. His new book is “Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous” (Henry Holt, Inc.) which details the techniques he uses to identify writers behind anonymous books and documents. He teaches English at Vassar College.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg has some advice for Gore and Bush as they head into their third and final debate.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg has a commentary on the idea of community. A controversial recent book by Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam argues that community participation is in sharp decline in American life, but Nunberg says the word “community” is being used more frequently than ever.

Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai (ya-HOO-da AH-muh-kye, rhymes with pie) died Friday at the age of 76, and we feature a 1991 interview from the archives. Amichai was a celebrated poet whose subjects were love and loss, and more recently, aging and mortality. The New York Times wrote that he had a “gift for poeticizing the particular: the localized object or image in everyday life.” (originally aired 2/27/91)

Judith Wallerstein is an expert on the effects of divorce on children and is the co-author of the new book “The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce” (Hyperion) which is based on a 25 year study following the lives of children whose parents had divorced. The book explores how the divorce of their parents decades ago continues to affect them into adulthood. She is also the founder of the Judith Wallerstein Center for the Family in Transition

Artistic director for the Houston Ballet, Ben Stevenson. He’s been with the ballet for over 25 years, turning it into a premiere dance company. The New York Times’ dance critic said of Stevenson, (he) “is one of the most original figures in the development of regional ballet in America.” Stevenson’s own choreography for the Houston ballet include the full length works: “Swan Lake,” “Cinderella,” “Peer Gynt,” “Dracula,” and “Cleopatra.” Stevenson is a native of Britain.

Principal dancer for the Houston Ballet, and the first African-American to be a principal dancer, Lauren Anderson. She began studying at the ballet’s academy at the age of 7, and working with Stevenson at the age of 11 when he was hired by the ballet. Stevenson choreographed “Cleopatra,” for her.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on false etymologies and race.

Our classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz turns off the turntable and reads us a poem from his new book, Cairo Traffic.

Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman of the band, Le Tigre (lay-TEE-gruh). Hanna was the lead singer of the 90s band Bikini Kill. Bikini Kill was part of the music/cultural/feminist movement know as “Riot Grrl,” which focused on the concept of ‘girl power” and young women’s empowerment. The movement was based primarily in Washington, DC and Olympia, WA, and its members formed bands, wrote fanzines, and held meetings, protests and festivals. HANNA was a leader and spokesperson for the movement. Her first solo project after Bikini Kill was called Julie Ruin. She then formed Le Tigre.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg contemplates the finer points of punctuation.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg takes a look at the trouble the media had trying to find the words to describe vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman.

Rock critic Ken Tucker considers what pop music Al Gore and vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman might use tonight at the conclusion of their convention.