Society & Culture

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the way English speakers use the suffix "e" and "i" to lump together most nationalities in the Middle East (Kuwati, Iraqi...). He says the practice has its roots in the 19th and 20th century colonial period, and says a lot about how we view people in that region.

Journalist Randy Shilts wrote the controversial book on the handling of the AIDS crisis, "And the Band Played On." He joins Fresh Air to discuss the legal troubles gays and lesbians in the military face. Shilts says the provision against gays serving in the military has been ignored now that the U.S. is engaged in war, and that these service members potentially face court martial when they return.

Terry speaks with Iraqi-American Mohammed Latif. He's lived in the United States for the last 30 years, but still has family in Iraq. Latin is worried about how the war has affected the treatment and safety of Arabs in America. Next, Terry talks about the history of Pan-Arabism with writer and scholarly Philip Khoury. Khoury says Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is hypocritically using this discourse to rally Arabs support of his actions.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg on the jingoistic language of the Gulf Crisis. That style of discourse is closely linked to pro-war sentiments during the period of British colonialism.

Reporter Pat Ford talks with Reverend Emory Searcy, Jr., the executive director of Clergy and Laity Concerned. They'll talk about the irony of the UN deadline on Iraq falling on Martin Luther King's Birthday, and the role minorities have played in American conflicts.

The 60's soap opera "Dark Shadows" returns from the dead this weekend. Television critic David Bianculli says the original, like a vampire, bites and sucks. The reboot remains, at best, a guilty pleasure.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the new family memoir by the prolific novelist. He says it features many of the same themes found in Roth's fiction, like an obsession with memory, and one usually absent: love.

Critic Maureen Corrigan comments on the latest women's fashion trend--a reboot of styles she grew up wearing. Corrigan never thought they were exciting, and wonders why they're so popular now.

Columnist Richard Louv is a columnist at the San Diego Union. He spent three years speaking with almost three thousand parents, children, and educators for his new book, "Childhood's Future," which looks at the problems facing families today, many of which stem from the lack of meaningful time together.

Maureen Corrigan comments on high art and pop culture in her review of the High and Low show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibit sharply divided audiences. Corrigan says she was perversely pleased with everything she saw -- including the inclusion of advertisements, graffiti, and comic books.

Fresh Air producer Amy Salit interviews filmmaker Stephen Frears about his new film "The Grifters," based on the novel by writer Jim Thompson. Frears earlier films include "My Beautiful Laundrette," "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid," "Prick Up Your Ears," and "Dangerous Liaisons."

Kevin Whitehead, who normally reviews jazz for Fresh Air, looks at the new movie "The Russia House," an adaptation of the recent John LeCarre spy novel. Whitehead says it's neither good nor bad, but he likes Sean Connery's performance.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg mourns some of the colorful words that seem to have vanished from our language, like galoot, dudgeon, and geegaw. Some quick research reveals that no one is quite sure where they came from.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews Sydney Pollack's new movie, a love story that's supposed to be steamy, but, according to Schiff, lacks both passion and political sophistication.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new book by Elijah Anderson, which features interviews with city dwellers. The sociological text reveals much about crime and and racism in urban areas.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the Great Performances telecast of Peter Sellars' production of "The Marriage of Figaro." It airs this Friday night on PBS.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the African American writer's new novel, set against the events surrounding the 1985 burning of the MOVE house in West Philadelphia by the Philadelphia police.

Kurys's films include Entre Nous and Peppermint Soda. Her new film, C'est La Vie" is the semi-autobiographical story about the summer when she was a young girl and her parents marriage broke up.

Terry talks with Marie Burke, a wife and mother in Calhoun, Georgia. Burke has three sons, all of whom are in the Georgia National Guard and have been called to active duty.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews poet Robert Bly's new book Iron John, which explores what he sees as a crisis of masculinity affecting men today. She says it's a fascinating but far from perfect counterpoint to feminist writings of the 1970s and '80s.