Showing titles in Biographies & Memoirs

In this powerful, passionate chronicle, Noah Adams, the beloved host of NPR's All Things Considered, takes us on a river journey through the heart of Appalachia - a journey shared by pioneers and preachers, white-water daredevils, bluegrass musicians, and an unforgettable cast of vivid historical characters.

Journalists Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck and veteran broadcaster and executive producer of 60 Minutes, Don Hewitt, on this edition of Fresh Air. Michel and Herbeck are staff writers for The Buffalo News. The two have collaborated on the new book American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh & the Oklahoma City Bombing. Michel lived 20 minutes away from McVeigh's father, and over time, he developed a relationship with the elder McVeigh, which in turn helped him gain access to his son.

Considered to be the first autobiographical work in history, this timeless book is completely applicable to everyone who has experienced the struggle between good and evil in his own soul. Saint Augustine, born in Constantine in 354 C.E., was raised by a devout Christian mother. He abandoned the Christianity of his upbringing and had an illegitimate son. After hearing the sermons of Ambrose, he began his great internal struggle which led to his conversion in 387 C.E. The Confessions describe his conversion, shedding light on the questions that had troubled him on his way to the Cross. Outside Scripture it is the most famous - and perhaps the most important - of all spiritual books.

Classical pianist and conductor Murray Perahia on this edition of Fresh Air. He's been exploring the music of J.S. Bach in his recordings.

African novelist and chemist Emmanuel Dongala on this edition of Fresh Air. He was born in the Congo Republic, was educated in the US, and left the Congo with the outbreak of civil war in 1997. Two of his novels have just been translated to English: Little Boys Come from the Stars and The Fires of Origins. With the help of writers Philip Roth and William Styron, Dongala now has a visiting professorship in chemistry at Simon's Rock of Bard College in Massachusetts.

Remembering the Bay of Pigs invasion on this edition of Fresh Air. April 17th marks the 40th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, in which Cuban exiles trained by the CIA unsuccessfully tried to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro. Peter Kornbluh of the National Security Archives edited the new book Bay of Pigs Declassified. Among the documents released is the agency's post-mortem on the disastrous invasion, written after a six-month investigation.

Joey Ramone, the lead singer of the punk band the Ramones, died earlier this month. He had lymphoma. From their start in 1974, the Ramones combined fast, deafening guitar with precise drumming to create a hurricane of sound. Their songs had titles like "Beat on the Brat," "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" and "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." This edition of Fresh Air features an archive interview with Ramone from 1988.

Writer Benson Bobrick on this edition of Fresh Air. He's the author of the recently published Wide as the Waters: The Story of the English Bible and the Revolution It Inspired. The book chronicles the difficulties scholars had in translating the Bible into English - efforts that culminated in the King James Version.

Sherpa Jamling Tensing Norgay and Kenneth Kamler, MD on this edition of Fresh Air. Norgay is the author of the new book Touching My Father's Soul.

The Broadway musical The Producers has opened on Broadway, based on the Mel Brooks movie. It stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

In 1945 the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific. Nearly 900 men ended up in the water, but after four days fighting hypothermia, dehydration, and sharks, only 317 crewmen survived.

The inner workings of the National Security Agency on this edition of Fresh Air.

The oldest son of Sante Kimes, the 66-year old con-artist and convicted killer, Kent Walker on this edition of Fresh Air.

Mexican Filmmaker Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and writer Paul Robeson, Jr., on this edition of Fresh Air. Inarritu's debut film, Amores Perros, has just been released in the US to critical acclaim. The film follows the lives of three groups of people whose human relationships parallel the relationships they have with their dogs. Released in Los Angeles theaters in April, the movie was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.

Evelyn Ryan was an enterprising woman who kept poverty at bay with wit, poetry, and perfect prose during the "contest era" of the 1950s and 1960s. From her frenetic supermarket shopping spree - worth $3,000 today - to her clever entries worthy of Erma Bombeck, Dorothy Parker, and Ogden Nash, Evelyn Ryan's story shows how a winning spirit will triumph over the poverty of circumstance.

Film director Joel Schumacher and actor Greg Kinnear on this edition of Fresh Air. Joel Schumacher's films include St. Elmo's Fire, The Client, A Time to Kill, and Batman Forever. His latest film, Tigerland, is now out on video. It's about a group of army recruits in training who are about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The film was made on a low budget in 28 days, on 16 millimeter film and mostly with hand-held cameras.

Writer Michael Chabon on this edition of Fresh Air. Chabon just won a year 2000 Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. His other books include The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and a collection of stories called Werewolves in Their Youth. Last year, his book Wonder Boys was adapted into a film starring Michael Douglas. He has also written for many publications including The New Yorker, Harpers, and Esquire.

Killing Pablo is the inside story of the brutal rise and violent fall of Colombian cocaine cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar. Also from Bowden: the best selling Black Hawk Down.

A poetic narrative organized by regret, Another Shot provides an insightful glimpse into the life and mind of regular guy Joe Kita. It's a tumultuous and sometimes uncomfortable journey. But Kita is hilarious, insightful, and - most of all - inspiring enough to make you ponder: Why not give it another shot?

Journalist Mark Bowden on this edition of Fresh Air. His new book is called Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the Worlds Greatest Outlaw".