Since World War II, as many as 100,000 service members have been “less than honorably discharged” for being gay. Now, four years after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gay vets look to change the record. Today, what goes into rewriting history. Then, forgery in the art industry is not rare -- but a con artist who has been caught and never sent to jail is. We’ll speak to the directors of a film that looks inside the mind of the mischievous shut-in and skilled artist who donated masterful forgeries to more than 46 museums.
Listen to the full show.
Gay Veterans Claim Honorable Discharge
Dave Philipps is military correspondent for the New York Times where he wrote about veterans who were "less than honorably discharged" for being gay, and are now requesting an upgrade of their status.
Christian Comedy
The writer Ruth Graham is a frequent contributor to slate and the Boston Globe. She joined us to explain why, in her ranking of now America’s top Christian comedians, Jim Gaffagan is king.
Art and Craft
Forgery in the art industry is not rare -- but a con artist who has been caught, but never sent to jail is. Meet Mark Landis. For more than 30 years he has been imitating works of art that range from Picasso to Mary Cassatt to Dr. Seuss and donating them to more than 46 museums, in 20 states. The documentary Art and Craft gives us a glimpse of Landis, the mischievous shut-in and skilled artist who played the role of philanthropist and the curator bent on stopping him. Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman directed the film, making its television debut on PBS’s POV series this Friday, September 25.
Find or Fake?
Earlier, we heard about master forger Mark Landis, who fooled the art world for years by giving his fakes away for free. However, some of the most successful long-time forgers aren’t nearly so ambitious – they sell their fakes for just a few bucks a piece. Producer Rebecca Sheir discovered a big and costly problem in Alaska: counterfeit native art.
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