Read more: to.pbs.org From Bob Dylan and bluesman Charlie Patton to novelists Norman Mailer and Gustave Flaubert, from the Mississippi Delta and to his adopted home of New Orleans, Tom Piazza covers a lot of ground as a writer. His works include the novel, “City of Refuge,” and the non-fiction book, “Why New Orleans Matters.” His new book is a collection of essays on a wide array of topics titled “Devil Sent the Rain.”

Alex welcomes back to the show Emmy-nominated TV reporter, screenwriter, and author Alex Abella. Abella is the author of Soldiers of Reason: The Rand Corporation and the American Empire, a study of the world’s most influential think tank, published by Harcourt. Alex was the first journalist to have full access to RAND’s files in Santa Monica, California. Abella’s non-fiction work includes Shadow Enemies, a non-fiction account of a plot by Adolf Hitler to start a wave of terror and destruction in the United States. Born in Cuba, Alex migrated with his family to the United States at age 10. His experiences inspired him to write a legal thriller, The Killing of the Saints, featuring a Cuban-American hero, Charlie Morell, who’s a lawyer and private investigator. The novel, published by Crown in 1991, was a New York Times Notable Book. Paramount Pictures optioned The Killing of the Saints and commissioned Alex to write the screenplay. He is also the author of The Great American. Alex covers the latest news and takes your calls. www.abellaweb.com/ www.infowars.com www.prisonplanet.tv