Bob Edwards Weekend, November 12-16, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012: In 1990, thirteen works of art worth 500 million dollars were stolen from a Boston museum. Author B.A. Shapiro imagines the circumstances of the heist in her novel The Art Forger. Then, Bob goes backstage at The Birchmere Music Hall to talk with singer-songwriter Aimee Mann about her career, her soundtrack for the movie Magnolia and the music on Charmer, her eighth studio album and Mann’s first since 2008.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012: In the opening chapter of Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel, Flight Behavior, the central character, Dellarobia Turnbow, climbs to the top of a mountain and has a vision that puts the rest of the book in motion. Set in present-day Appalachia, the book tackles many modern political dilemmas: climate change, strip mining, religious fervency and rural poverty. This is Kingsolver’s fourteenth book in a pantheon that includes best-sellers, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Then, Bill Roorbach’s latest mystery novel, Life Among Giants, is filled with contemporary cynicism, opulence, and what one critic calls a “Gatsbyesque portrayal of celebrity.” Roorbach has published in Harper’s, the Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, and he’s the author of eight books. Bob and Roorbach discuss the book and his career.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012: British writer Zadie Smith burst onto the literary scene in 2000 with the publication of her debut novel White Teeth. Instantly hailed as a classic, White Teeth became a best-seller and won a trove of literary awards. Smith’s most recent book, NW, follows a cast of characters living in the northwest corner of London. Then, female jazz musician Marian McPartland is a living legend in the jazz world. And jazz critic Paul de Barros has written a whole book about her life and career called Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland. He shares details about McPartland’s life with Bob.
Thursday, November 15, 2012: Blind since birth, mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin chronicles her journey in the music world in her memoir Do You Dream in Color? Insights from a Girl Without Sight. Celebrated by the New York Times chief music critic Anthony Tommansini as possessing “compelling artistry,” Rubin released an album this year, also titled Do You Dream in Color?, with music from Bruce Adolphe, Joaquin Rodrigo, and Gabriel Faure. Then, Bob talks sports with John Feinstein, author & sports columnist for the Washington Post.
Friday, November 16, 2012: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, director Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna) brings one of literature’s most enduring classics to the big screen: Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. The film stars Keira Knightley as the passionate and tragic Anna, Jude Law as her husband, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as her feckless lover Count Vronsky. Anna Karenina comes out in theaters today. Then, in our latest This I Believe essay, we’ll continue our series this month focusing on sacrifices made by military families.