Bob Edwards Weekend
October 18-19, 2008
HOUR ONE
Dexter Filkins has been covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for The New York Times since 2001. He describes his new book, The Forever War,
as visceral, not intellectual. He talks with Bob about his book and
his aim to give readers a sense of what it is really like in those
countries, which means leaving the protected Green Zone, listening
carefully to what Iraqis and Afghanis have to say, and putting his life
in great danger.
Bob talks with director Mike Leigh whose latest film Happy-Go-Lucky
follows the story of 30-year-old school teacher Poppy played by Sally
Hawkins. Poppy’s cheery outlook on life is challenged by her driving
instructor who has anger management issues.
Musician Jenny Lewis started her career as a child actress, but
it didn’t take long for her to firmly establish herself as one of indie
music’s best-known female rockers. Acid Tongue is Lewis’ second solo album, and this time she’s joined by musical guests like Elvis Costello on a few of the tracks.
HOUR TWO
Owen Matthews aims to humanize Russia and its people with his new book, Stalin’s Children.
It’s a family memoir, filled with amazing stories of betrayal, survival
and perseverance including his mother’s childhood spent in a series of
orphanages and his Welsh father’s obsession with Soviet Russia.
Matthews also recounts his own experiences working as a journalist in
Russia, resulting in one of our most complete pictures of the Russian
psyche.
Salon.com book critic Laura Miller talks with Bob about new fall fiction.
Bob talks with Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson and director Gina Prince-Bythewood about the new movie The Secret Life of Bees,
adapted from the New York Times best-selling novel. The story, set in
South Carolina in 1964, centers around 14-year old Lily Owens’ journey
into the lives of three women who show her the true meaning of life and
love. The movie also stars Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Alicia Keys,
and Sophie Okonedo.