To The Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio

Sherman Alexie is a one-man culture industry. He's a slam poet, a film producer, and one of America's most-admired fiction writers. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, Sherman Alexie talks about his double identity – as writer and American Indian. Also, Russell Banks on the great American "Creole" novel.

Native American writer Sherman Alexie reads an excerpt from a story called "South by Southwest," and talks with Steve Paulson about his stories, the film "Smoke Signals," and being Indian in America. Alexie's latest collection of stories is "The Toughest Indian in the World."

Novelist Russell Banks ("Affliction," "The Sweet Hereafter," "Cloudsplitter") tells Judith Strasser that the great American story is that of the African diaspora and the struggle of many races and cultures to live harmoniously together. Banks's new collection of stories is "The Angel on the Roof." Also, hot young British writer Zadie Smith tells Steve Paulson that her first novel "White Teeth" portrays London as it really is: people from many races and cultures live together and spill over into each other's lives.

Sandy Tolan, NPR documentary producer and author of "Me and Hank: A Boy and His Hero, Twenty-Five Years Later," tells Jim Fleming that he became a fan of Hank Aaron's as a boy in Milwaukee, and was thrilled when "The Hammer" threatened to eclipse Babe Ruth's home run record. Not everyone was: Tolan recounts the death threats Aaron received and explains what made him a real American hero.

Distribution dates:

• week of 12/30/2001 - hour 1
• week of 08/06/2000 - hour 2