Terry Gross

We continue our celebration of Fresh Air’s 13th birthday by talking to a three comedians about bar mitzvahs-- Mel Brooks(Originally broadcast 7/30/91), Richard Lewis (Originally broadcast 6/16/88),and Richard Belzer (Originally broadcast 12/31/87).

South African journalist and anti-rape activist Charlene Smith. Last year, she was raped, and feared the man who raped her could have given her HIV/AIDS. Smith had a hard time obtaining the drugs that could lessen the potential of her getting HIV. Smith then wrote about her experience and helped spread awareness about rape and HIV in South Africa. Statistics say every 26 seconds, a woman is raped in South Africa-- the country with the fastest growing HIV rate. Smith continues to speak about her experience and is pushing for legal and medical reforms in South Africa.

We talk more about HIV and AIDS in South Africa with journalist Phillip Van Niekerk (fawn-KNEE-kirk). Recently, the president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki (TAH-boh mm-BEK-eh) has become very involved in the AIDs policy in his country. Mr. Mbeki is focusing on a medical theory that states that the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, does not cause AIDS. Many leading scientists have criticized MR. Mbeki for wasting his time on what they see as a discredited theory about AIDS. The International AIDS conference is scheduled to be held in South Africa this summer.

Journalist Orville Schell talks about his new book Virtual Tibet: Searching for Shangri-La from the Himalayas to Hollywood (Metropolitan Books). For centuries now, the mountainous and remote nation of Tibet has been the object of Western fascination. Today, Tibet is the subject of movies and Hollywood celebrities have taken on Tibetan Freedom as their cause. Schell talks about Tibet, real and imagined, and takes us through the history of the West’s infatuation. Schell has covered China and Tibet for many years.

We meet Veton Surroi (vi-TON sir-ROY), publisher of the leading independent Albanian newspaper in Kosovo, called Koha Dotire (CO-ha DE TOR-ray). Surroi has just received a democracy award from the National Endowment for Democracy, a US non profit bipartisan organization. During NATO’s bombing of Kosovo, Surroi was in hiding and his newspaper was published underground.
Description (Program)

Fresh Air TV Critic David Bianculli talks with Joss Whedon (Joss is pronounced like “Floss,” Whedon is WE-den). He’s the creator of the movie and TV series “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” He is executive producer of “Buffy” and co-executive producer of the Buffy Spin-off “Angel.” Whedon also writes for both shows. Before working on Buffy, Whedon wrote for the TV series “Roseanne.” He also writes screenplays. He has worked on the scripts for such films as Alien Resurrection, Twister, Toy Story, Speed, and this summer’s X-Men. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW.)

Writer Philip Roth. His new book “Human Stain” (Houghton Mifflin) is the third of his trilogy which includes “American Pastoral” and “I Married a Communist”. The book takes on issues of ethnic identity, and political correctness. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

A Fresh Air favorite, opera soprano Dawn Upshaw. She has more than two dozen albums to her credit and has become widely known for her ability to perform both in the opera as well as sing Broadway tunes. Upshaw joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1984 and has performed at the Met. Many of the world's leading conductors have invited Upshaw to appear with some of the finest orchestras, including The Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. On May 17, she performs Broadway Songs at a Lincoln Center sponsored concert at John Jay College Theatre.

The new documentary “Well-Founded Fear” goes inside the Immigration and Naturalization Service to document the process by which asylum agents grant or deny asylum to refugees. The INS gave the filmmakers, Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini, unprecedented access. Terry talks with the two, and with Asylum Officer Robert Gerald Brown. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

Three veteran book editors discuss the state of publishing today. . .when mergers create mega publishing houses, the bottom-line dominates decision making, and e-technology threatens the book itself. The three are: Michael Korda, editor-in chief of Simon & Schuster, Robert Loomis, executive editor at Random House, and Jonathan Galassi, editor-in-chief at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).