Southern States - Poetry Book; African American families - Poetry
Janice Harrington discusses her book, “Even the Hollow My Body Made is Gone.” She begins by explaining that her work received the 2008 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. She then discusses her career as a librarian before becoming a writer and...
United States - Foreign relations - 20th century; Government and the press - United States; Press and politics - United States; War - Press coverage - United States
Norman Solomon discusses his book, “War Made Easy.” He begins by explaining that the book examines the pro-war propaganda generated by the United States government during military interventions. He emphasizes the influence of the media on...
Inventors - United States - History; Inventions - United States - History
Harold Evans discusses his book, “They Made America.” He begins by explaining that he is making the book into a PBS special. The book explores two centuries of innovators that span the inventors of the steam engine to the search engine. He...
African American neighborhoods - Fiction; Color blindness in children - Fiction; African Americans - Fiction; Dysfunctional families - Fiction; Race relations - Fiction; Children, White - Fiction; Boys - Fiction
Andrew Winer discusses his novel, “The Color Midnight Made.” He begins by explaining that his novel is about a young boy who is a victim of child abuse and befriends a blind boy. Martinson asks Winer to read a passage from the book about how...
Spiegel, Sam;
Motion picture producers and directors - United States - Biography
Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni discusses her book, “Sam Spiegel: The Incredible Life and Times of Hollywood’s Most Iconoclastic Producer, the Miracle Worker Who Went from Penniless Refuge to Show Biz Legend, and Made Possible The African Queen, On...
Spielberg, Steven, 1946- - Juvenile literature;
Spielberg, Steven, 1946-;
Motion picture producers and directors - United States - Biography - Juvenile literature;
Motion picture producers and directors
Susan Goldman Rubin discusses her book, “Steven Spielberg.” She begins by explaining that Spielberg made his first movie at age 11, and explored his creativity in filmmaking at an early age. She talks about how she was the first author who...
Sally Hemings, an American scandal (Television program)
Tina Andrews discusses her book, “Sally Hemings, an American Scandal.” She begins by explaining that Sally Hemings was one of Thomas Jefferson’s slaves and the two had a love affair and 5 illegitimate children together. Andrews talks about...
Motion picture producers and directors - Fiction; Motion picture industry - Fiction; Earthquakes - Fiction; Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Fiction
Terrill Lankford discusses his novel, “Earthquake Weather.” He begins by talking about the 1994 earthquake that hit Los Angeles and how disaster can bring people together. He discusses the film industry in Hollywood and how many people just...
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...
Tse, Helen;
Tse, Helen - Family;
Sweet Mandarin (Restaurant);
Restaurateurs - England - Manchester - Biography;
Immigrants - Great Britain;
Chinese - Great Britain
Helen Tse discusses her family’s biography, “Sweet Mandarin.” She begins by talking about how she grew up in England, but her family moved back to Hong Kong. She talks about how her great-grandfather made a fortune in the soy sauce...
Sullivan, Tom, 1947-;
Blind - United States - Biography;
Blind musicians - United States - Biography;
Conduct of life;
Self-actualization (Psychology)
Tom Sullivan discusses his autobiography, “Seeing Lessons.” He begins by explaining that he was born blind because of complications during childbirth at the hospital. He talks about being isolated as a child, and how he made his first...
Parent and adult child - Fiction; Fathers and daughters - Fiction; Middle class men - Fiction; Middle-aged men - Fiction; Suburban life - Fiction; Air pilots - Fiction; Long Island (N.Y.) - Fiction
Chang-rae Lee discusses his book, “Aloft.” He begins by explaining that his book is about middle-aged people who suddenly find themselves unhappy with their lives. Martinson asks Lee to read a passage from the book about couples who fight...
Quentin Crisp discusses his book, “Manners From Heaven.” He begins by explaining how his early life was different from most children’s, how he got made fun of by bullies and the strained relationship with his father. He advises how to...
Miller, Henry, 1891-1980 - Correspondence; Tokuda, Hoki - Correspondence; Authors, American - 20th century - Correspondence
Joyce Howard describes her book, “Letters from Henry Miller to Hoki Tokuda Miller,” which articulates the beautiful love letters sent from Henry to Hoki. Joyce described Henry like a chameleon, in that he had very strong change in moods. Hoki...
Dan Gookin discusses his book, “Web Wambooli.” He begins by explaining that he made up the word ‘wambooli’ to convey technical jargon which common people don’t understand. He talks about the differences between modems, connections, and...
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...
Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965;
Prime ministers - Great Britain - Biography;
Great Britain - Politics and government - 20th century
John Charmley discusses his biography of Winston Churchill entitled, “Churchill, the End of Glory.” He begins by explaining Churchill’s early life and how his lack of education made him a unique politician. He describes how Churchill was a...
Morris, Robert, 1734-1806;
Governors - Pennsylvania - Biography;
United States - History - Revolution, 1775-1783 - Biography;
United States - Politics and government - 1775-1783 - Biography
Charles Rappleye discusses his biography, “Robert Morris.” He begins by explaining that Robert Morris became famous after financing the American army during the Revolutionary War. He talks about how Morris managed the economy and saved the...
Robert E. Kowalski discusses his book, “8 Steps to a Healthy Heart: The Complete Guide to Heart Disease Prevention and Recovery from Heart Attack and Bypass Surgery.” He begins by explaining his own personal experience having a heart attack...
Israel - History, Military; Israel - Public opinion; Jews - Palestine - History - 20th century; Antisemitism; Zionism; War - Moral and ethical aspects; Public opinion - Arab countries; Jews - Public opinion; Arab - Israeli conflict
Yaacov Lozowick discusses his book, “Right to Exist.” He begins by explaining how he spent most of his life advocating peace and a rational compromise between Israel and Palestine, until the Palestinians rejected a peace offer made by Israeli...