On today's show: two documentary filmmakers and a photographer take us inside the genocide in Darfur, and explain what we can do to help the Sudanese people. Then: the life and times of Nancy Cunard, heiress, artist, and humanitarian. Next, a debut collection of short stories explores themes of motherhood, love, and loss. And a journalist exposes the underbelly of China’s new economy by following the story of a self-made billionaire gangster who eluded Chinese authorities for years.
Former U.S. Marine captain Brian Steidle went to Darfur, Sudan as an African Union military observer, armed with only a pen, paper, and a camera to document what he saw. His experiences are recounted in his memoir The Devil Came on Horseback: Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur, as well as the documentary film of the same name made with producers and directors Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern.
The Devil Came on Horseback: Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur is available for purchase at amazon.com.
Find out more about The Devil Came on Horseback documentary here.
Learn about Brian Steidle’s nonprofit, Global Grassroots, here.
Weigh in: What can we do to help the people of Darfur?
Slideshow: Brian Steidle's Photos of Darfur
Nancy Cunard was the girl who had everything: a sharp intellect, good looks, social connections, and plenty of income from the family steamship fortune. Lois Gordon tells the story of this remarkable poet, journalist, and humanitarian who inspired Evelyn Waugh, Pablo Neruda, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and Man Ray.
Her new book Nancy Cunard: Heiress, Muse, Political Idealist is available for purchase at amazon.com.
Robin Romm’s new collection of short stories uses magical realism to get at the truth of human relationships, especially that most fundamental relationship: the bond between mother and child.
The Mother Garden: Stories is available for purchase at amazon.com.
A mixed-up reporting assignment led London Times Beijing Bureau Chief Oliver August to the case of Lai Changxing, an illiterate criminal mastermind who earned billions of dollars, along with the title of public enemy #1. August follows his harrowing story through dark backrooms, all the way to a face-to-face encounter with the gangster himself.
Inside the Red Mansion: On the Trail of China’s Most Wanted Man is available for purchase at amazon.com.
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