Wasserman, Lew; Music Corporation of America - History; Chief executive officers - United States - Biography
Connie Bruck discusses her book “When Hollywood Had a King.” She explains that the book tells the story of Lew Wasserman and the Music Corporation of America, more commonly known as the MCA. Bruck describes how Wasserman, a visionary...
Milken, Michael; Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated; Consolidation and merger of corporations - United States; Junk bonds - United States; Stockbrokers - United States
Connie Bruck discusses her book, “The Predators’ Ball: The Junk-bond Raiders and the Man Who Staked Them.” Bruck says Michael Milken helped raise funds for Steve Wynn to open a casino in Atlantic City. She talks about Milken’s network of...
Connie Briscoe discusses her book, “P.G. County.” “P.G.” stands for Prince George County and the book follows the lives of four black families living in a privileged gated community called Silver Lake. Briscoe goes on to describe the...
Conflict of generations - Fiction; Parent and adult child - Fiction; Brothers and sisters - Fiction; Fathers - Death - Fiction; Trials (Murder) - Fiction; Painters - Fiction; New England - Fiction
George Minot discusses his novel, “The Blue Bowl” He shares the plot of the book, which follows a young painter, Simon Curtis, who becomes the prime suspect in his father’s murder trial. In the novel, Minot portrays children scarred by their...
Dean Koontz discusses his book, “Strangers.” Koontz describes the characters and their exotic careers and the plot, which revolves around their stay at the same motel. He talks about his writing process and Charles Dickens’ newspaper...
Motion picture producers and directors - United States - Biography; Screenwriters - United States - Biography; Blacklisting of entertainers - United States
Philip Dunne discusses his book, “Take Two: A Life in Movies and Politics.” Connie Martinson begins by saying Dunne went from writing to producing and directing. He talks about the film, “Pinky,” and the possibility of two endings. Dunne...
John Green plays the piano for Connie Martinson. Green plays pieces such as: “Coquette,” “I Wanna Be Loved,” “I Cover the Waterfront,” “You’re Mine, You,” “Loved,” and “Body and Soul.” He says his parents were...
Cookery, American - Western style; Motion picture actors and actresses - United States - Miscellanea
Cheryl Rogers-Barnett discusses her book, “The All-American Cowboy Grill.” Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, daughter of Dale and Roy Rogers, explains that coming from such a large family they did a lot of cooking, which led her to compile this cookbook,...
Washington (D.C.) - Biography; United States - Race relations; African Americans - Washington (D.C.) - Biography; Racially mixed women - Washington (D.C.) - Biography; Passing (Identity) - United States - Case studies; Racially mixed women - United...
Shirlee Taylor Haizlip discusses her book, “Finding Grace.” She begins by explaining that the book continues her family’s story that she began to tell in her book “The Sweeter the Juice.” She tells the story of her biracial heritage and...
Rice, Dorothy - Themes, motives; Beverly Hills (Calif.) - In art; Beverly Hills (Calif.) - Description and travel
Dorothy Rice discusses her book, “Beverly Hills with Love.” She describes how she wanted to do a series of paintings on her hometown of Beverly Hills, California. She picked memorable landmarks in the city and posed her friends outside them...
Drum - Performance; Drum set music; Music experimental
David Yoken visits Connie Martinson and plays a percussion piece. He discusses how he brought several different international percussion instruments. He shows his bongo drums, wind chimes, a gong, and an altered set of castanets. He plays an...
Dandelion wine; The Martian chronicles; Something wicked this way comes; Fahrenheit 451; Amateur architecture; Communities; City planning; Theater; Libraries
Connie Martinson interviews author Ray Bradbury. They begin by discussing several of his books including, “Dandelion Wine,” “Martian Chronicles,” “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” and “Fahrenheit 451.” Bradbury explains that many...
Children of Holocaust survivors - Fiction; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) - Fiction; Americans - Germany - Fiction; Germany - Fiction
Elie Wiesel discusses his book, “The Fifth Son.” Wiesel explains the relation of the “fifth son” to the Haggadah and its meaning. Martinson and Wiesel go on to discuss the book, the German war machine, and Germany’s impact on the Jews...
African Americans - Biography; Racially mixed people - United States - Biography; Racism - United States; United States - Race relations
Barack Obama discusses his book, “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.” Obama shares his family’s background and its influence in his life. He tells of his mother’s emphasis of instilling a strong African and African...
Environmental policy; Environmental protection; Human ecology
Al Gore discusses his book “Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit.” He describes how human actions and decisions can endanger or protect the Earth’s ecosystem and stresses how the Earth’s inhabitants face a global environmental...
United States - Politics and government - 2001-; Conservatism - United States; Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
John Dean discusses his book, “Conservatives Without Conscience." Dean explains that his book examines how radical elements are damaging the Republican Party and the foundations of American democracy. He points to specific GOP policies that he...
Terrorism - United States - Fiction;
Conspiracy - Fiction
Jess Walter discusses her novel, “The Zero.” She begins by talking about her main character who is paid to clean up at Ground Zero after the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. She discusses how America stopped remembering the violent parts of...
Women college students - United States - Attitudes;
Women - United States - Identity;
Women - Education (Higher) - United States;
Women college students - United States - History - 20th century;
Education, Higher - United States - History - 20th...
Lynn Peril discusses her book, “College Girls.” She talks about how she wanted to show the history of women at college and how they’ve changed over the years. She talks about how women explore new situations while being away from home for...
Administrative agencies - United States - Management;
Organizational change - United States;
United States - Armed Forces - Management;
United States - Politics and government
Bob Stone talks about his autobiography, “Confessions of a Civil Servant.” He begins by talking about how he moved from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles and did research forecasting and predicting the needs of the army. He explains that he...
African American neighborhoods - Fiction;
Real estate business - Fiction;
Real estate agents - Fiction;
Gentrification - Fiction;
Ex-convicts - Fiction;
Journalists - Fiction;
Harlem (New York, N.Y.) - Fiction
Mat Johnson discusses his novel, “Hunting in Harlem.” He begins by explaining that his book is a story about the recreation of Harlem and bringing in a new community. He introduces his 3 main characters who are released from prison and...
