Czechoslovakia

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker, who died on April 13, spoke to Fresh Air in 1994 about growing up in the former Czechoslovakia, first under the Gestapo, then under communist rule.

Forman talks about his life, filmmaking career and his latest project, directing "The People vs. Larry Flynt." Among his film credits: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next," "Hair," and "Ragtime." Forman won an Academy Award for Best Director for the film "Amadeus." Forman was born in Caslav, Czechoslovakia and became an American citizen in 1975. He lives in New York.

Slovak novelist Martin Simecka discusses life after the split of Czechoslovakia. His latest novel to be published in the U. S. is "Year of the Frog." Prior to the fall of Communism, Simecka and his father were dissidents.

Pekarkova emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1985. She has worked in New York as a cab driver for four years. Her novel "Truck Stop Rainbows: A Road Novel," was published this year. lt deals with a rebellious young woman in communist Czechoslovakia who hitchhikes around the country, trying to raise money to buy a wheelchair for her invalid friend.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Vaclav Havel's latest essay collection, which Leonard says is a depressing and often evasive take on the current political climate of Czechoslovakia.

Journalist Lawrence Weschler. He's a staff writer for the New Yorker and has been covering Eastern Europe for the past decade. Terry talks with Weschler about leadership in Czechoslovakia, where parliamentary elections were just held.

First amendment lawyer Matin Garbus He recently defended Peter Matthiessen's controversial book, "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse," against two separate libel suits. Garbus is currently helping to draft a new constitution for Czechoslovakia. He talks with Terry about that.

The Soviet Union just withdrew from Czechoslovakia. We talk to two people about what affect this will have on the literary culture in that country. Czech writer Ivan Klima was one of Czechoslovakia's leading dissident writers, and was recently elected the president of the Czech chapter of PEN. Michael March organized an international book and writers' festival in Prague last month.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Open Letters," the new collection of writings by the playwright and former President of Czechoslovakia.

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.

Czechoslovakian writer and publisher Josef Skvorecky (shkor-et-skee). Since fleeing Czechoslovakia in 1968, Skvorecky and his wife have lived in Toronto, where they run "68 Publishers," an outlet for dissident writers. For years, the output of his publishing house has been smuggled into his former homeland, and secretly passed from hand-to hand, keeping alive the voices of Czech writers such as Vaclav Havel and Milan Kundera.

Czech-born novelist JOSEF SKVORECKY. His parents fled the Nazis, and he fled the Soviets when they invaded Czechoslovkia. His first novel, The Cowards was banned in Czechoslovkia and since then he and his wife have run a publishing firm that brings out the works of other Czech writers who have also been banned. His best known books are Dvorak in Love, The Engineer of Human Souls and The Bass Saxophone. He's also written mysteries, the latest is Sins For Father Knox. His stories blend elements of memoir, politics and his love of music. Since 1969 he has lived in Toronto.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," based on the 1984 novel by Czech writer Milan Kundera. The story is set in Prague in 1968 on the eve of the Russian invasion. The film stars British actor Daniel Day Lewis, who received critical acclaim for his roles in "My Beautiful Laundrette" and "Room With a View."

Writer Jan Novak. He has just published his second English novel, titled The Grand Life. His first was titled The Willys Dream Kit. Novak emigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia 17 years ago.

Writer Josef Skvorecky joins the show to describe his fiction, jazz, and growing up in Czechoslovakia.